Intense mood swings... Insight needed!

[AlisonG]

Trying to figure-out what's going on with 18-year-old daughter... For about a year and half, we've been working with a well-regarded integrative MD to try to address ADD and POTS symptoms like racing heart, light-headedness and fatigue. The worst symptom is the sudden dark shifts in mood that will put her into a teary depressive state that could last hours or days. She said that to her, it feels like the moods are of a chemical origin, because she'll be fine in the middle of an activity and then it comes on and just really makes her feel down. We have seen a little improvement with the MD's protocol but not nearly enough. My daughter's supplements being the synthetic T4 and daily progesterone (50mg), along with Mag, Sodium and digestive supplements.
I discovered Ray's work about 6 weeks ago and have done a deep dive. I've realized (at least according to Ray) that she should actually be supplementing the full ND thyroid and cycling the progesterone! So, five days ago, I began giving her one grain of the ND thyroid instead of her T4, and intended to start supplementing Progest-E two weeks into her cycle. Unfortunately, another mood swing hit on the day she started her period, so I decided to just start pushing the Progest-E, as Ray had suggested for symptoms (3 drops, 4-5 times a day). She seemed to have a really good couple of days (coincidence?). But then this evening, she could feel the dark cloud coming-on again And as it was coming on, for some reason, she decided to take one of her old ADD stimulant medication (Adzenys) that she's been off of for nearly a year. Like a charm, the mood lifted. That was a surprise to us both, since one of the reasons she went off of Adzenys was the way it made her feel: dull.
She talks about going back to the psychiatrist to get on a mood-improving medication because she's really, really tired of this. I had my fingers crossed that the ND thyroid and the Progest-e would prove to be the solution to dark cloud moods, at the very least. Maybe it will with time? Thanks for reading. If anyone has some insight into what might be behind the dark cloud? Or why the Adzenys lifted it? Or any other insight or suggestion, I would be so appreciative!!

 

[Zpol]

Ray often talks about the importance of focused activity; painting for example, is what RP enjoys.
You mentioned the dark mood is lifted when your daughter is involved in activity. Perhaps that's the direction to go in. Encourage her to pursue the activities which she enjoys and/or gets a sense of gratification from. If these activities could be made a dominant part of her daily routine, I think it could be therapeutic in a way, and eventually resolve the chemical imbalance (along with the supplements you have her on).
I'm no expert. I happen to know from experience how important this aspect is to mental wellness.

 

[youngsinatra]

Hypothyroidism, balance problems, cardiovascular issues, extreme fatigue, low dopamine and norepinephrine (thus good response to ADD medication) and depression could be due to a copper deficiency.

It would be best to check blood work (serum copper & ceruloplasmin) of course.
But she could just try 2-3oz of (preferred grass-fed) beef liver and see if she notices improvements in her symptoms. It should only take minutes to a few hours until improvement should be felt.

 

[VitoScaletta]

Ray often talks about the importance of focused activity; painting for example, is what RP enjoys.
You mentioned the dark mood is lifted when your daughter is involved in activity. Perhaps that's the direction to go in. Encourage her to pursue the activities which she enjoys and/or gets a sense of gratification from. If these activities could be made a dominant part of her daily routine, I think it could be therapeutic in a way, and eventually resolve the chemical imbalance (along with the supplements you have her on).
I'm no expert. I happen to know from experience how important this aspect is to mental wellness.

my grandmother recommends working through depression aswell.

 

[AlisonG]

Ray often talks about the importance of focused activity; painting for example, is what RP enjoys.
You mentioned the dark mood is lifted when your daughter is involved in activity. Perhaps that's the direction to go in. Encourage her to pursue the activities which she enjoys and/or gets a sense of gratification from. If these activities could be made a dominant part of her daily routine, I think it could be therapeutic in a way, and eventually resolve the chemical imbalance (along with the supplements you have her on).
I'm no expert. I happen to know from experience how important this aspect is to mental wellness.

Actually what I described is that my daughter will be in the middle of an activity doing fine and then suddenly she'll feel the dark cloud coming on, like a chemical shift in her brain. Then she'll be in bed in tears.

 

[AlisonG]

Hypothyroidism, balance problems, cardiovascular issues, extreme fatigue, low dopamine and norepinephrine (thus good response to ADD medication) and depression could be due to a copper deficiency.

It would be best to check blood work (serum copper & ceruloplasmin) of course.
But she could just try 2-3oz of (preferred grass-fed) beef liver and see if she notices improvements in her symptoms. It should only take minutes to a few hours until improvement should be felt.

I have has been on grass fed liver supplements on and off, but we've never had her copper checked. Thank you for the suggestion.

 

[aliml]

Pretreatment with progesterone may increase the positive subjective effects of Adzenys.

The Effects of Progesterone Pretreatment on the Response to Oral d-Amphetamine in Women

Stimulant abuse continues to be a problem, particularly for women. There is increasing preclinical and clinical evidence showing that the hormone progesterone attenuates the behavioral effects of cocaine, and this effect is primarily observed in females. ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[OccamzRazer]

Long walks, ample sunlight, and some form of meditative prayer/anxiety can help with such things. Getting out of the house AT ALL COSTS, regardless of initial reservations, is important.

Also, if your daughter is as addicted to her phone as most teens (sorry to assume!)...see if she can go without it for a day or a week. Does she enjoy reading or making artwork instead?

Personally I would try these things before resorting to higher-complexity biohacks, but that's just me.

When I was 16-18 I was very depressed, but life turned around completely at 19 when I returned to spiritual things.

 

[TheSir]

Ray often talks about the importance of focused activity; painting for example, is what RP enjoys.
You mentioned the dark mood is lifted when your daughter is involved in activity. Perhaps that's the direction to go in. Encourage her to pursue the activities which she enjoys and/or gets a sense of gratification from. If these activities could be made a dominant part of her daily routine, I think it could be therapeutic in a way, and eventually resolve the chemical imbalance (along with the supplements you have her on).
I'm no expert. I happen to know from experience how important this aspect is to mental wellness.

Agree. The therapeutic relief found in enjoyable focused activity is immense. I feel physically lighter whenever I stand up after having played my piano for even as little as 10 minutes. Simply listening to music would achieve none of this. In contrast, arguing on the internet makes me feel physically heavy.