Could someone tell me if severe stress/anxiety could affect thyroid blood tests.
I have suffered with anxiety and insomnia on and off for some time and particularly leading up to recent blood tests which went haywire. Apart from increasing thyroxine by half a 25mcg nothing else had changed in my life - except that is anxiety/stress was pretty severe a few months prior and leading up to the tests being done.
I have asked this question before and having not got a response, am asking again as I would really like to know if this could be a factor.
I would appreciate it if someone could throw some light on this.
Written by
mischa
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I'm sorry you didn't have a response to your previous query. Anxiety and stress sensations are common with hypothyroidism and (my own view) is that you could well be underdosed and your GP I assume is keeping your TSH in the 'normal' range.
If you can get a print-out of your blood test results, with the ranges, and post on a new question for members to comment if you don't have them to hand now. I would assume if your GP is only diagnosing you by the TSH that he wouldn't have asked for a Free T3 blood test. If we're low in T3, it could mean that 1) not on sufficient hormones or 2) not converting levo to sufficient T3.
T3 is the driving force of our metabolism which is required in our billions of receptor cells (do GPs know this?) for us to function normally.
If you've not had recent blood tests for your thyroid hormones, ask for a new one and ask for a Free T4 and Free T3 (probably wont do them, if so it might be worth getting a private FT3).
When you have a blood test do you have it as early as possible not having taking levo until afterwards?
Thank you for responding. I have had blood tests and they are:
August 2014
Free T3 3.8 (4.0 - 6.8)
Free T4 18.6 (12.0 - 22.0)
TSH 1.8 (0.27 - 4.20)
February 2015
Free T4 25.3 (12.00 - 22.00)
TSH 0.55 (0.27 - 4.20) !
No T3 was done by GP.
Vitamin D2: <7 nmo
Vitamin D3: 131nmo
Serum Vitamin D: 131nmo (25.00 120.00) !
Serum Ferritin: 123ug (13.00 - 150)
Calcium: 2.54mmo (2.20 - 2.60)
When I had the recent blood tests I was going through a lot of stress/anxiety and insomnia for about three months and hadn't slept the night before the tests were done. The only difference between the prior tests and the recent ones was that I had increased my thyroxine by half a 25mcg tablet and so I find it hard to believe this would account for the huge discrepancy between the two blood tests. Unless, as I believe, it was the difficult period I was going through (and still am to a certain extent) leading up to the last test. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't know.
The thing is my symptoms are going albeit slowly. My hair loss has slowed down and is now growing although I still have dry skin, coldness and constipation but not as bad as before. Other than that I am fine - no more brain fog or tiredness.
I now have tinnitus and I know it is as a result of stress/anxiety and my GP has given me anti anxiety/depressant medication which I am taking but really don't like.
My GP has booked an appointment with an endo and so I would imagine they will take more blood tests and I am trying to control my anxiety, etc in other ways.
I note your point about not taking levo prior to testing and I didn't do this the last time. I take levo early in the morning and it was late morning when I had the test done. I am really grateful that you have listened to me and am sorry I have gone on so.
I am not medically qualified and have hypothyroidism. Looking at your first set of blood test results, your T3 was below range which shows that you were either on insufficient levothyroxine or you weren't converting T4 (levo) sufficiently to T3. T3 is the main Active thyroid hormone which enables us to function normally (if we have sufficient) below range isn't good and that's why you were probably feeling not too well. He raised your levo by a miserable half of a 25mcg tablet, hardly any use at all, I think. The fact that your previous test showed low T3 he should have been more generous. It's certainly not the cost of the tablet but he was going, I believe, and medicating you according to the blood test result and trying to keep your TSH in range.
T3 is the Active hormone and our brain contains the most T3 receptor cells.
Thank you for the information which I have read. It is really interesting and informative . I will print off those articles and show my GP. Incidentally it wasn't my GP who raised my dose - I did it but not being confident I simply raised it a little bit. I have been told that I may be one of those non converters in which case it makes sense to add T3 to my T4. My problem is I know I won't get it from my GP so it looks as though I will have to go private.
What I have just realised is that between my first set of blood tests and the more recent ones, I have changed my diet considerably and have added supplements too. I am on a more healthy diet - high protein, no gluten foods, plenty of fruit and vegetables with the addition of nuts and seeds and some dairy like goats yoghurt as well as plant milk.
When I was initially diagnosed with Hash's my GP gave me the impression that it would be a simple and straight forward process but it hasn't been that way at all.
Once again many thanks for your help and you have truly been a great support.
I think it's unforgivable that your GP won't test your T3 when it was too low last time. If you're still symptomatic despite a high ish T4 and ok TSH there's every chance you're not converting. Anxiety is debilitating as is insomnia. I hope you do get your T3 tested and get some relief it's worth pursuing x
Thank you for your comment. It's appreciated. As I read more and more about this condition and the attitude of the health system it beggars belief. It leaves me speechless. You would think we were still in the 19th century not the 21st.
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