title: Experiences of fatigue and depression before and after low-dose 1-thyroxine supplementation in essentially euthyroid individuals.
abstract: Hypothyroidism is a relative state, long associated with fatigue and depression. Individuals may experience thyroid-related symptoms such as fatigue and depression before thyroid indices become abnormal. However, because of clinicians' diverse interpretations of appropriate circumstances for its use, low-dose, 1-thyroxine supplementation often is overlooked as a therapeutic agent for symptom treatment. The purpose of this exploratory, hermeneutic study was to describe euthyroid individuals' experiences of fatigue and depression before and after low-dose 1-thyroxine supplementation. For women participants, the collective influence of fatigue and depression prior to treatment interfered significantly with their day-to-day lives, despite their euthyroid status. For men, the influence of symptoms was far less substantial than for women. In general, participants responded favorably, both physically and emotionally, to low-dose 1-thyroxine supplementation. Furthermore, no participant experienced 1-thyroxine induced hyperthyroidism or untoward side effects attributable to 1-thyroxine. Further study of effects of 1-thyroxine on symptoms is needed.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Oregon Health Sciences University, Oregon Institute of Technology Campus, Klamath Falls 97601, USA.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Dzurec
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003221:Confusion / Q000209:etiology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D013974:Thyroxine