Brief Answer: Yes it could be a depressive episode. Detailed Answer: Hi, Thanks for writing to us, I have gone through the history provided by you. If complaints of reduced energy, difficulty in concentration and easy fatiguability is of recent onset then a depressive episode definitely has to be ruled out. Other symptoms of this are- low mood, loss of interest in leisure activities, reduced appetite, difficulty/ disturbed sleep, reduced self esteem or confidence, thoughts of feeling helpless or ideas of suicide. A psychiatric evaluation which would include a detailed mental status examination face to face with you by your psychiatrist will be able to confirm it. In case of positive findings your antidepressant dosage may have to be hiked. Heart surgeries cause a stress response in the body which can cause a decline in the thyroid levels in some patients. A reduced thyroid level in the body in turn present with symptoms like low mood, easy tiredness, loss of interest in activities etc. A thyroid profile test has to be done to confirm this. Nevertheless, given the complaints you are presenting with, checking thyroid levels would be warranted. If there is a depressive episode, it may or may not be due to reduced thyroid levels. The treatment would vary depending on the cause. One consultation with your cardiologist may also be required to rule out any late complication due to the surgery since heart problems could also present with easy tiredness and low energy. Kindly get yourself evaluated at the earliest. Wishing you a quick recovery. Hope this helps, Dr A Rao

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