Hi does anyone with thyroid troubles have sever... - Thyroid UK

Thyroid UK

139,475 members163,717 posts

Hi does anyone with thyroid troubles have severe anxiety problems

Amyk77 profile image
29 Replies
Written by
Amyk77 profile image
Amyk77
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
29 Replies
Hennerton profile image
Hennerton

Hi, I think you will be overwhelmed with replies. I know hardly anyone with thyroid problems who isn't anxious, myself included. Doesn't seem to get any better, whatever medication or dose I have. Just got to live with it I think.

lucylocks profile image
lucylocks

Hi

Yes I suffer with anxiety too, I had my dose of levo increased to 125mcg and I felt my anxiety ease somewhat but at my next endo appt. I saw his registra and because my TSH was suppressed she said I had to reduce my meds. and I as soon as I did became now more anxious, I am thinking of increasing again in hope I will feel better.

Have you been diagnose with hypo?

Amyk77 profile image
Amyk77 in reply to lucylocks

No not been diagnosed with anything other than with generalised anxiety disorder, but am convinced I have thyroid problems, but blood test came back ok. Doctor keeps telling me it's anxiety. Have so many of the symptoms and feeling really down about it all

marram profile image
marram in reply to Amyk77

"Blood test came back OK". Hands up, who's heard THAT before!

If you can get your actual results, then you will get some very helpful comments, I am sure. I had anxiety that stopped me even going out of the house when I was on too low a dose of thyroid replacement. Now that I'm taking the right amount to make me feel well, the anxiety is receding and I have started to actually go out of the door alone.

My GP kept telling me I was just fine - "The TSH figures are right. You can't go by how you feel. So it's not your thyroid, it's something else."

Tell that to the fairies, Doctor dear. In my book, when you FEEL ill, it usually means you ARE ill. Imagine if you went to him with pneumonia and he said, Oh! your blood is fine! there's nothing wrong with you!

I am not sure when doctors decided it was alright to treat a patient by making a lab technician happy, but it was just about that time they stopped being proper doctors.

See if you can get that result.

Marie XX

Amyk77 profile image
Amyk77 in reply to marram

I have a form to go have another blood test done, so when I get the results I will post them, I'm so sure thyroid is my problem or maybe it is wishful thinking to get some kind of closure. But whichever way I know I don't feel like me. Thank you all for your kind words and comments and for making me feel more sane. I haven't left the house on my own for over 2 years and I'm afraid to be left on my own

lola1956 profile image
lola1956 in reply to Amyk77

Most of your symptoms are my symptoms and I have hypothyroidism... thing is as you see on this forum it's sometimes hard to get doctors to listen but as marram says post blood results on here and someone will tell you what's what ...I'm quite newly diagnosed so don't know too much but I'm learning more and more every day from good people on here so stick with us and together we will get you on the road to good health but be sure you are not going mad it's just this horrible illness ....take care and don't worry ...you will get better

Amyk77 profile image
Amyk77 in reply to lola1956

Lola1956 thank you, I'm eager to get my test done now to see the results. Nice to have some people to chat with. I think all my family and friends think I'm loosing the plot, nice to be reassured

lola1956 profile image
lola1956 in reply to Amyk77

Yes well on here we all feel like that sometimes lol but we are not ...I'm still not fully medicated and still have a lot of your symptoms but my knowledge through this forum is starting to help me ..We need to be in control of our health that way we get the right treatment. ..do you have a partner or friend that's helping you ? I hope so ...I know that as soon as you post the results someone will help you ...

lola1956 profile image
lola1956 in reply to Amyk77

Just read that you have not been out the house for 2 years ...you poor thing...I had agoraphobia many years ago ...not my thyroid...anxiety related ...start by putting bin out or walking to the end of your street ...slowly build it up ...don't waste your life locked up please ...it's hard but you can do it and slowly you will start to feel better private message me if you need support at any time ...We need to get you back out there xx

Amyk77 profile image
Amyk77 in reply to lola1956

Lola1956 hi I have been out the house but only If someone is with me, I have a boyfriend but his not very understanding about it and I don't have any friends that I can talk to about it. And I do feel that I'm wasting my life stuck in a rut. I would private message you but I don't know how lol x

in reply to Amyk77

Click on the person's name or picture - then you get an option to send a message :D

Amyk77 profile image
Amyk77 in reply to marram

Hi spoke to the docs surgery who said it was 2.43 and that it was within the ranges. All over my head, means nothing to me

chihiro profile image
chihiro in reply to Amyk77

Do you know if only the tsh was tested? That isn't really enough to give a good picture of thyroid health. What should be tested is tsh,ft4,ft3, thyroid antibodies just to name a few. A lot of labs will only start with tsh and ft4 and do other things if needed/requested. Also the range is very important. All labs have different ranges. Mine goes up to 5.5 but there are others that go up to 4 or 4.5. When did you have this done? And when are you having the next one? Try to get them to give you a print out the next time you visit the surgery.

Amyk77 profile image
Amyk77 in reply to chihiro

Hi that one was in September. The form I have here says tft1 thyroid disease?. Am assuming that's what was tested before bit as I said am new to all this and I haven't got a clue sorry. I will try to get the other one done this week and I plan to go to my doctor next week so will request a print out

chihiro profile image
chihiro in reply to Amyk77

TFT which I imagine means thyroid function test 1 which I also imagine means just the basic and as they only gave you one number maybe only means TSH.

Good luck with your next test.Come back and post your results when you have the print out from the September one and the one from next week. Lots of vary knowledgeable people on this board who will be able to advise you on the results. Take it easy in the meantime and stay positive.

Amyk77 profile image
Amyk77 in reply to chihiro

Hi thank you so much and I will definitely post them on here, glad I found this site today as mad me feel a whole lot better x

London_Lady profile image
London_Lady in reply to Amyk77

Hello Amy, I'm in exactly the same situation as you right now and created a topic about this a few days ago in fact, the anxiety kicked in after months of physical thyroid-related symptoms and became unbearable and comes and goes at random. I have no history of anxiety and it came out of nowhere, GP begrudgingly did a basic thyroid profile and like yours, it came back normal but the reality is most thyroid/AI diseases won't show up on the basic thyroid tests the NHS do.

Of course doctors will dismiss your physical symptoms because they don't want to investigate further, it's quicker and easier for them to hand out antidepressants and tell you it's anxiety/depression and to be on your way. I am currently waiting to scrape some funds together so I can get a more advanced thyroid profile done privately. I have many of the physical and psychological symptoms you listed and I can assure you, they're not figments of our imaginations.

I hope you can get some more tests done too and not only find closure but get the appropriate treatment if your issues are thyroid-related, which they do appear to be.

Amyk77 profile image
Amyk77 in reply to London_Lady

Hi London-lady thanks for the message, it's really nice to talk to people in the same situation think I'll have to have a look in to further tests if this next one comes back ok. Sorry for the basic messages I am typing this all on my phone lol. Well I hope you manage to get your tests done and get the answers your looking for, keep me updated thanks again

in reply to Amyk77

You have typical hypo symptoms. Remember nhs gps get extra funding for patients with 'mental health' issues

chihiro profile image
chihiro

Hi

What symptoms are you having?

I suffer with anxiety and have suffered with depression in the past. Went to the doctor in the summer/autumn and doctor dismissed all my physical symptoms and insisted that I was having a flare of mental health issues. I know my body and I know that what I am feeling isn't only depression and anxiety. I think it turns out I was right as my latest results show an increase of thyroid antibodies and my tsh has gone up a bit and my ft4 has gone down which might point to going hypo, or so I have been told. All I can say is you are the only one in your body. You know what is right and what isn't and if you believe that it's more than anxiety you mustn't give up. I know it's easier said than done...I know how you are feeling, the doubting,the feeling that you might be going mad and imagining it all.

Hang in there and don't give up...I should listen to my own words!!!

x

C

Amyk77 profile image
Amyk77 in reply to chihiro

Thanks for the kind words I do feel like I'm going mad. Well here goes excessive tiredness, weight gain, pins and needles, breathlessness, palpitations, insomnia, loss of libido, muscle cramps/weakness, joint stiffness heat and cold intolerance, brittle hair, brittle and flaky nails, dry and flaky skin,coarse patches, boils and spots, pressure headaches, back pain wrist pain, carpal tunnel, foot pain, dizziness, swollen tongue and dry mouth, numbness in arms and hands, alcohol intolerance, constipation abdo distension, scanty periods and pmt, panic attacks, poor concentration, memory loss, phobias loss of drive, easily upset, nervousness and anxiety and I have developed really sensitive eyes to light. Just going by the list lol, makes me sound like a right weirdo

chihiro profile image
chihiro in reply to Amyk77

It doesn't make you sound like a weirdo. It's long list and surely it has to mean something. How can all these symptoms be attributed to anxiety? They can't can they?

I'm really not an expert at any of this as I'm right at the beginning of all of this but I do know that it would be helpful if you posted your blood test results.Often what a gp will consider fine might give clues. If you have your results make sure you copy them to the letter with ranges included. If you don't have them you can request them. It's your right to have them, they can't refuse.

Also as I have discovered on this very helpful board is that other things are important too other than the thyroid tests. Iron levels, Folate, Vitamins like b12 and d can reveal a lot. For example I have found out I'm deficient in ferritin(iron) and folate and have very low vitamin b12 and d. All of these go hand in hand with thyroid problems or can cause similar symptoms.

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply to Amyk77

Nope, you sound like someone with thyroid problems. Just a shame so many people get the run around before we find a doctor who recognises the problem and helps us.

mickstability profile image
mickstability in reply to Amyk77

Makes you sound like a right hypothyroid case to me. Shame about the alcohol intolerance though. Follow the advice of all these well informed people and you WILL get better. Really. You will!

Marz profile image
Marz

b12deficiency.info/signs-an... take a look at all the signs and symptoms on this list and I think you can see how serious B12 deficiency is. If you have it tested ensure the result is HIGH in the range. Also good to have Ferritin Folate Iron VitD tested too. They should also be high in their ranges.

Hope this helps a little....

kimbo profile image
kimbo

Hi yes i do anxiety panic attacks terrible lightheadness, was on eltroxin but had to change and since ythen its got much worse the adrenaline is crippling and my bp is high to the point i have had to start taking beta blockers to try and control it, TSH suppressed but normal ranges just waiting on some more blood tests to see whats going on hope you get some releif soon xx

Amyk77 profile image
Amyk77

Meant to also say that thyroid problems run in my family on both sides, my great gran had thyroid troubles unsure what type, my nan on the other side has a goitre and my sister has a tumour on her thyroid so had it removed and is now on thyroid medication. Does this make any difference

in reply to Amyk77

Yes definitely proves you are more than 'at risk' - did you tell your doctor? (Also Vit D could be the culprit if light-sensitive - worth checking anyway....) J :D

Amyk77 profile image
Amyk77 in reply to

Yes she just ignored me and said I have anxiety and low moods and if my test did come back with something it wouldn't explain my symptoms x

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...