Can Drinking Contaminated Water With TCE And PCE Lead To Dysthymia Disorder?

Posted on Sat, 6 Aug 2016

Question: thank you can you please tell me if drinking contaiminated water of tce and pce in very high levels 240-3,400 ppb cause this condition of dysthymia disorder?

Answered by Dr. Alexander H. Sheppe (7 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Consultation

Detailed Answer:
Hello, and thanks for your question.

Yes, adults consuming water contaminated with TCE and/or PCE have a higher risk of depressive disorders. From the Centers for Disease Control:

"Reported health problems in people of all ages from drinking water contaminated with TCE and/or PCE include—

Non-Hodgkins lymphoma (1, 12)
Leukemia (1, 17)
Rectal cancer (14)
Bladder cancer (17)
Breast cancer (18)
Lung cancer (14)
Neurobehavioral performance deficits (i.e., delayed recall and deficits in visual perception), decreased blink reflex, and mood effects (i.e., confusion, depression and tension) (33, 34)"

Dysthymic disorder is a type of depressive disorder, and may be caused or worsened by exposure to these chemicals. Treatment, however, is the same -- using an antidepressant or using psychotherapy, or a combination of both, is effective for the treatment of depressive disorders.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Alexander H. Sheppe (3 hours later)

thank you dr. sheppe, for your reply, just a little information about me, I live in west XXXXXXX all my life, great parents sibling's and family all around, I still live on the family's home place, all working family and never had to want, great neighborhood and friends. I was drafted in 1969 to camp Lejeune, all though, it was a bad time and war for everyone, I was never the same, I never left to the war zone, but there was something very different that even my parents noticed, but didn't understand either, shortly there after I married had 2 children could never hold a job, only into my 30's I found myself very depressed and I lost my family divorced, at the time I didn't realize I was sick and didn't have money to go to a doctor, in 1999 I was told the va could help me free, and that was the first time I ever heard of dysthymia disorder I have been seen by doctors in psychiatry and theraphy, different medication's the few that seem to work only a short time, over time I was very discouraged and felt hopelessness. a few years ago I found out that my time in services the camp Lejeune water had been contaminated for years. what ever the governments reasoning for doing this and hiding it, is sad because all this time I could have been care for properly, the doctors didn't even know about this to have helped, and all though it's been tested by the center of disease control and the agency for toxic substances, and many other's, all the doctor's I have asked say maybe could have? please help me to better understand this. thank you again

Answered by Dr. Alexander H. Sheppe (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Followup

Detailed Answer:
It's terrible that this happened to you. However, the treatment of dysthymia is always the same. With a combination of an antidepressant such as Zoloft or Lexapro and psychotherapy, you should begin to feel better in 1-2 months. I have hope that you will feel better with this combination treatment.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee

Follow up: Dr. Alexander H. Sheppe (18 hours later)

thank you for your help, was this Lexapro and Zoloft around 20 years ago, did doctor's know how to treat this dysthymic disorder? I know you probable can't answear for other doctor's, my question to you is this condition caused by the contaiminated water, on a rate 1-10 how likely, please answear to your knowledge and experience,

Answered by Dr. Alexander H. Sheppe (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Followup

Detailed Answer:
I'd rate it a likelihood of 5.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee