Don’t let your mental health provider tell you that bloodwork should not be part of a mental health workup. And don’t you dare let a doctor put you on Prozac for “depression” that is actually just a vitamin deficiency.
Also, if your doctor does check bloodwork, don’t let him/her tell you that everything was “normal” and leave it at that. Look at the actual numbers. You can test at high normal or low normal and still suffer from physical effects without being technically out-of-range.
The below are the labs that I check on my patients:
Thyroid studies to include: TSH, free T3, free T4, TPO and TBG. Many doctors will tell you they’ve checked your thyroid and “you’re fine” but really, they are only checking TSH, which can be finicky and appear to be normal while everything else is out of whack. {TSH = thyroid stimulating hormone, TPO = thyroid peroxidase antibody, TBG = thyroid binding globulin}
Vitamin B6, B12, and D. These vitamins are so easily depleted (mimicking depression) but luckily, so easily fixed.
Progesterone and Testosterone. Feeling anxious/moody, difficulty sleeping, excessive sweating? Or maybe easily irritable and shaky? Get these hormone levels checked.
CBC/CMP. These should be baseline for any prescriber who’s giving you a pill to put in your body. Those pills cycle through your kidneys and liver, yo. Make sure they are in tip-top shape so you don’t stress them out with prescriptions meds. {CBC = complete blood count, CMP = complete metabolic panel}
CRP. This is a measurement of any chronic inflammation in your body and there’s A LOT of research showing the relationship b/w depression and chronic inflammation these days. Scary stuff. {CRP = c-reactive protein}
Magnesium. Sadness. Anxiety. Insomnia. All signs/symptoms of magnesium deficiency.
Zinc. Poor focus? Hyperactive? Anxiety? Get your zinc level checked. It’s a precursor to GABA {gamma-Aminobutyric acid} which tells your brain, “Hush!”
Happy blood-letting, friends!
DISCLAIMER: Thanks for reading the above, but whoever you are: unless you are living in my household (which I think I would have noticed), it’s very unlikely that I have any idea what sort of medical history, medication regimen, allergies, and any other health intricacies you carry. Therefore, you should NOT interpret the above as medical advice for yourself, and instead present this information to your personal clinician for consideration.
For SOURCES please contact me directly.
