Depression or symptoms similar to depression can be a signs of (and caused by) hypothyroidism.

If your family physicians hears you talk in ways that makes him or her think you are depressed (and they mention somthing for your mood, or sleep like Prozac), ask them whether instead the symptoms could be signs of low thryoid. That way you won't get medicated for depression when the real cause maybe something like low iodine, or Hashimoto's autoimmune disease.

Not too many Doc's who prescribe for depression think to have a patient's thyroid checked (meaning starting with a TSH test). I don't know what percent of depression is caused by low thyroid. If anybody knows that figure I would like to know what they've heard and the source, if possible.

But many psychiatrists pretty routinely check a depressed patient's TSH, especially after asking other questions that could be symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Here's something I would like to know more about. On the list of signs of hypothyroidism, you'll find depression. You will also find many individual symptoms of depression like those of depression, like fatigue (lethargy), difficulty with sleep, weight gain, low motivation, decreased memory, and decreased sex drive. If you are depressed you can see these symptoms as well.

Does hypothyroidism cause symptoms that mimic depression ---- but it is not real depression? Or can hypothyroidism cause both: symptoms that mimic SOME of the symptoms of depression, and at other times depression itself.

The latter is what I think.