Many hormonal conditions have been associated with bipolar disorder and the symptoms of BP/manic-depression.

Jkerry posted sometime back about Hashimoto's disease, and one recent post asking, "Am I bipolar?" reminded me how common pathways in the brain and the body may induce many different forms of illness and many confusing symptoms of illness.

It surprises me (and this is the case with my own diagnosis of Bipolar I), that more doctors don't order common blood tests to screen out physiological factors which may mimic the symtoms of mental illness or other psychic illness.

Anyhow, here are some sites that explore the relationship of thyroid disease to Bipolar disease.

http://www.http://www.tsh.org/disorders/related/ depression.html

gdx.net/home/news/connections/vol14/ conn20011121.html#story1

http://www.tsh.org/disorders/related/depression.html

Thanks again, Y'all!

Jim

www.cerebral-storm.com

What Jim says about regular blood tests is a very good point. I have found that a good family doctor is an important component of my treatment program. Let the psych doc treat your mental health issues and a family doctor treat the other needs. I see each of my doctors ever three months now that I am stabilized for bipolar disorder. Everyone taking psych meds should have regular blood tests, every three months, for thyroid, liver, blood sugars, and a lipid panel, in addition to a general blood work up. Our meds can cause problems in any of these areas, some meds are known to cause problems and others may show up as a 'rare' side effect for you alone. Hope this helps.

D

Dee

I wonder if you are aware that Lithium is known to cause thyroid problems? Lithium was the first med I was given and after sleeping 20 hours a day and having my thyroid swell to the size of a large orange I realized I had a problem. That was seven years ago. In the last three months my thyroid tests went from normal to over active and I am about to go for my second uptake scan. In the previous years I had no irregular thyroid tests once the lithium cleared out of my system. However my thyroid never returned to it's normal size. One lobe is considerably larger than the other.

What Jim says about regular blood tests is a very good point. I have found that a good family doctor is an important component of my treatment program. Let the psych doc treat your mental health issues and a family doctor treat the other needs. I see each of my doctors ever three months now that I am stabilized for bipolar disorder. Everyone taking psych meds should have regular blood tests, every three months, for thyroid, liver, blood sugars, and a lipid panel, in addition to a general blood work up. Our meds can cause problems in any of these areas, some meds are known to cause problems and others may show up as a 'rare' side effect for you alone. Hope this helps.

D

Lithium does that? wow! i did not know! thanks for letting me know! my weight fluctuates quite rapidly could the lithium have something to do with it?