Stress Center Peer Support

I have been having horrific problems for the last 17 months. Have not been able to work. Has impacted every area of my life. I am 30 years old. It started off with what was diagnosed as OCD and then depression (but it seems much worse than OCD it is effecting my spiritual life, which is very unsettling). Anyway I have tried numerous meds with only adverse reaction to them combined with therapy. I feel the meds really clouded my thinking.
Anyway my question is that I got an MRI on my brain and they noticed that I have a small pituitary gland and to check for pituitary dysfunction. If there is pituitary problems can a dysfunctional pituitary gland effect thoughts and result in psychiatric conditions. Can the pituitary gland effect the mind and thinking?

John

Hi John,

I think so.

The pituitary is part of an important communication system (1 of many) in your body called the HPTA (or, Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Thyroid Axis). The reason that I am familiar with this is because I suffer from Hypothyroid, whereby the autoimmune response in my body is attacking my thyroid as it is confused as a foreign invader.

The pituitary communicates with the thyroid telling it to produce more or less thyroid hormone based on the information that it receives. If your thyroid is making too little (as does mine), then the pituitary works harder to communicate with the thyroid by releasing TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone).

Too much, and doctors can tell that something is wrong.

As part of my research (and hypochondriac-like anxiety), I did come across something like this online that may answer your question in the affirmative- namely, that a malfunctioning pituitary gland could influence or effect mood, etc.

But certainly don't take my word for it...or the source of info that I found online in my wanderings. Talk to your doctor. Have him/her test for any disfunction.

And if the doctor is disfunctioning, then get a new one until you feel better.