Hormones & Mood Case Studies

Fictional-but-clinically-grounded hormones & mood case studies.

• Her TSH was normal. Her cells were still asking for thyroid hormone. — A fictional case study: Ciara has hypothyroidism and a normal TSH on levothyroxine, yet remains symptomatic with fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, cold intolerance, and low mood. DIO2 Thr92Ala (homozygous), reduced DIO1 activity, and BDNF Val66Met explain why T4-only treatment can leave tissue thyroid effect inadequate in a specific subset of patients.
• She prepared for postpartum depression. This still felt different. — A fictional case study: Nadia's postpartum depression after her second baby was far more severe than after her first. Her COMT, ESR1, and MTHFR genetics help explain why the postpartum estrogen drop, low ferritin, low folate, and low vitamin D left her only partly helped by an SSRI.
• Her HRT looked right on paper. Her body disagreed. — A fictional case study: Ruth is a family doctor whose perimenopause symptoms persisted despite HRT. Her CYP1B1, COMT, and SHBG genetics explain why total estradiol can look adequate while active estrogen exposure falls short.
• She was told PCOS was about weight. Her insulin told another story. — A fictional case study: Nina has irregular cycles, acne, normal BMI, high fasting insulin, low SHBG, and androgen-sensitive genetics. Her story reframes PCOS as an insulin and active-testosterone problem, not a weight problem.
• The tests were reassuring. The IVF response was not. — A fictional case study: Elena has unexplained infertility and poor response to standard IVF stimulation despite reassuring baseline tests. FSHR, FSHB, MTHFR, and Factor V Leiden genetics do not diagnose infertility, but they reframe her next fertility-planning conversation.