I am very glad to see someone of Dr Friedman's stature highlighting the strong connection between head injury and pituitary damage, and pointing out the risk of depression and suicide. Our son had a severe head injury aged 7 and committed suicide at the age of 31. We discovered after his death that he had been impotent, which can be one consequence of a damaged pituitary (Dr Friedman mentions the gonadotrophins). Since his death I have campaigned for greater awareness and have come across three people with hypopituitarism who have felt suicidal, one of whom has made more than one attempt. Hormone treatment, luckily, has helped these people. It is so important to spread the information. People with hypopituitarism tend to be told they have chronic fatigue syndrome and given counselling and exercise therapy, which doesn't help them at all!
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I am very glad to see someone of Dr Friedman's stature highlighting the strong connection between head injury and pituitary damage, and pointing out the risk of depression and suicide. Our son had a severe head injury aged 7 and committed suicide at the age of 31. We discovered after his death that he had been impotent, which can be one consequence of a damaged pituitary (Dr Friedman mentions the gonadotrophins). Since his death I have campaigned for greater awareness and have come across three people with hypopituitarism who have felt suicidal, one of whom has made more than one attempt. Hormone treatment, luckily, has helped these people. It is so important to spread the information. People with hypopituitarism tend to be told they have chronic fatigue syndrome and given counselling and exercise therapy, which doesn't help them at all!
January 18, 2013 - 8:26amThis Comment
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