M1 - This is a very interesting thread.  I do believe that there is definitely a link with either the high androgen levels/ lack of cortisol or the meds with CAH and depression.  I have witnessed this with my own son when he is short of cortisol and in fact when he has been on a high dose for awhile, he could not take pred and dex because of how it made him feel. I have also read of many teenagers with CAH who self harm and believe that his maybe due to the ups and downs of cortisol, again, it is how a person’s body handles the medication. This is what I think makes CAH so difficult to treat and why doctors have such differing opinions on what is the right dose, optimal level etc. all depends on the individual. Again there is also having to deal with having CAH through adolescence and I do not think there is enough support for teenagers with CAH. I know my son has had problems with accepting that his meds, as insignificant as they look, are for life and do keep him alive, which has made him feel different from his friends.

 

My daughter is a carrier and like me, she is prone to periods of anxiety, not what I would call depression (we find chocolate the answer to most things!!) but then so is my daughter who isn’t a carrier. I understand your worry though, and think it is great that you are seeking help for your son.  I do believe some doctors are really looking into this now and it is thanks to the adults with CAH who suffer from depression for posting - as for carriers, there are too many carriers who post on this board, for their common symptoms to be just coincidental.  How many of us carriers have actually had our cortisol levels and 17 OHP levels checked? Very few I bet.