Thyroid augmentation: reassessing an overlooked strategy

Primary Psychiatry. 2007;14(7):14-15 Thyroid augmentation: Reassessing an overlooked strategy Sussman N. The interview with Russell T. Joffe, MD, that appeared in the June 2007 issue of Primary Psychiatry focused my attention on the use of thyroid augmentation in psychiatry to enhance antidepressant drug response. It reminded me of when I was a resident and first heard Arthur Prange, Jr., MD, in 1975 describe the successful use of this strategy. I then wondered why I do not routinely use thyroid hormone as an intervention for my treatment-resistant patients. Study results are mixed. However, as Dr. Joffe pointed out, a meta-analysis of clinical trials showed that patients taking triiodothyronine (T3) are twice as likely to respond to antidepressant treatment versus placebo. He noted that there is consistency across these studies that augmentation with T3 is effective with tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). More... © 2007 Primary Psychiatry a Publication of MBL Communications (Source: Latest entries from www.anxietyinsights.info)