I have suffered with generalized anxiety disorder for 38years and was diagnosed graves disease 7 years ago and symptoms quite similar to the anxiety accept with the graves disease I had palpitations and racing heart and shakes but in my head I was not anxious in any way so knew this was graves causing it.I take 150mg venlafaxine for anxiety,160mg propranolol for anxiety and graves,5mg carbimazole and 5mg levothyroxine for graves,i take these all in mornings.My thyroid did go underactive in December and till then was on double the dose of carbimazole and that's when I started the levothyroxine but once the bloods showed normal range I had to reduce carbimazole by half and Doctor called it block and replace.I have never been free of the symptoms though which Dr will say is probably anxiety but I don't believe it is,i don't feel panicky or anxious.A week after reducing carbimazole I was still having palpitations,shakes.when doing a few things around the house it felt like I wasn't getting enough air and had to take some deep breaths,this I would say is the symptom I find more distressing as I feel If I go out walking or over excert then I will get short of breath which does occur if I am out.I am waiting to collect a copy of all my blood test results over past year so I can check my levels. Is it possible to have symptoms with normal range results and is air hunger a symptom of thyroid disorder?as with graves it felt everything was speeded up.Does palpitations/fast heart cause air hunger?
Is it thyroid or anxiety.: I have suffered with... - Thyroid UK
Is it thyroid or anxiety.
Bev1958, It takes 7-8 days for Levothyroxine to be absorbed and if you've only recently started B&R it can take up to 6 weeks to feel the full impact. Air hunger, palpitations, fast heart rate and increased anxiety is common when meds aren't quite right so ask for a thyroid blood test 6 weeks after starting B&R.
I started B&R on 24th December,had blood test after 6 weeks and was just within normal range so had carbimazole reduced to 10mg from 20mg and another blood test 2 weeks ago which was also just in normal range .My symptoms from graves disease never seemed to get better and air hunger appeared 10 days after starting levothyroxine.GP said to have blood test in 8weeks.He was going to take me off carbimazole but not now because I am having these symptoms which he thinks is anxiety.
Bev, It's a lot easier to advise if you post your thyroid results. If you don't have them, ask your GP receptionist or practice manager for a printout of your recent thyroid results with the lab ref ranges (the figures in brackets after your results) and post them in a new question.
Hi,As requested here are my blood test results.
April 2014 TSH 1.9
NOV serum free t4 5..tsh 32
Dec serum free t4 tsh 21
Feb 2015 tsh 6.3
April tsh 7.2
May tsh 4.8
was told may normal and normal the one before april which I can see on sheet it says above high reference limit this is when my carbimazole was reduced.feb was told normal Dec was just told little high yet sheet says above high reference limit and ft4 added by lab. Nov was told little over but it was T4 below range and tsh above range.April 2014 told normal .
I hope you can make sense of these as they seem up and down and I wonder if this is why I get all the symptoms still and air hunger/short of breath with excertion .I did however walk for 3 hours yesterday with no problems so I don't think I have lung issues.Hope you can help me understand all this.Thanks.Bev
Bev, your TSH is too high and FT4 needs to be to be halfway to three quarters through range.
Your GP should increase your Levothyroxine until TSH is around 1.0 if you are going to stay on B&R. Have you been referred to endocrinology?
Hi yes I am waiting to be referred for radioactive iodine treatment.What should I do as Gp says thyroid is ok so he isn't likely to increase the levothyroxine.
Bev, you'll have to ask him to increase thyroxine until you have RAI. Or cut Carbimazole down to 2.5mg.
Hi Clutter,I saw my GP yesterday,he did a few tests like checked pulse,felt thyroid,checked reflexes on foot,checked for tremor and assured me my thyroid was at present normal.I explained all the symptoms I have been going through and he prescribed Resperidone which I looked up and found them to be for manic depression and scitzophenia ! The GP I see actualy runs a thyroid clinic at the local hospital once a week and as far as I am aware has a better knowledge of thyroid function than the others at the surgery so I don't know what to do next.A second opinion I guess but from who? Is it possible to have symptoms still if thyroid level went from TSH 7.2 in April to 4.8 in may (normal range 0.35-6.9).I was origionally diagnosed with graves disease.It seems to have all got worse since starting block and replace then reducing carbimazole.GP though says I am on correct dose.The worst symptom I am experiencing is when I am busy around house I start feeling like my insides are speeded up and I get palpitations then slight shortness of breath then my hands and fingers have a strange sensation of like tinlgly feeling and to
stop this I have to sort of clench my fists then it goes and the breathing returns to normal within 30 seconds to a minute.someone said it sounded like hyperventilating but I am not gasping for breath or anything.I do get health anxiety and over think about breathing since it first started in April which has turned into an obsession.I should imagine I am thinking about my breathing quite constant.I don't think you get the tingly sensations in hands/fingers with a lung complaint though. Bev
I have seen the Endo a few times but unfortunately my thyroid levels never get mentioned because I was referred to him by my GP to discuss surgery or RAI.I am also under eye clinic as I had graves eye disease which I have been told has burnt out.I am currently on 50mg levothyroxine ,Whats causing the feelings of breathlessness ? is it because I feel as though my insides speed up whenever I do something?
Bev, TSH 4.8 means you are slightly hypothyroid and that is the most likely reason you are breathless. I don't think the dose is right for you. It's either too much Carbimazole or not enough Levothyroxine. If you aren't confident about reducing your Carbimazole to 2.5mcg ask to see the endo for a second opinion.
Rispiridone has been prescribed to cope with anxiety, not because your GP thinks you are bipolar or schizophrenic.
Hi Be,
I too was very short of breath with hyperthyroidism. At its worst before diagnosis it felt as if I had only half a lung working, terribly out of breath, but couldn't expand my lungs enough to breathe. It was very frightening, especially as the doctors, even with my various obvious symptoms, hadn't considered a thyroid problem. Fortunately, after diagnosis and the right treatment, I'm back to normal. Hope you are too, soon!
Arab.
hi Arab, may I ask what treatment you received for your hyperthyroidism?
thank you 
Hi Bev,
In my case, I'd been admitted to hospital with AF before they discovered that it was caused by an overactive thyroid. I'm given to understand that it's Graves Disease as I have been diagnosed also with mild Thyroid Eye Disease (TED), although I was never tested for Graves, and now that I'm better, I have no Graves markers.
I was put on Carbimazole 60mg, Bisoprolol 10mg, and for a short while, warfarin and steroids.
I came off the Carbimazole at the end of March - not a popular decision with my endocrine nurse - as the Carbimazole from the beginning of the year was making me under active. Block and replace was never mentioned.
I'm very careful with my diet, and follow all the recommendations put forward by the administrators and others on this site.
I also see a Traditional Chinese Practitioner who is helping me remain stable, and it's a path I'd recommend.
My advice is to take some time, and read through the posts and recommendations regarding graves and hyperthyroidism as I did.
You'll find a wealth of information that if followed has a very good chance of helping you to feel much, much better.
All the very best to you!
Arab. 😊
hi bev1958, I also have on off "air hunger" as you so aptly put it. but it never occurred to me it could be the related to the graves.
since I've a family history of heart disease, I've always thought it might be a potential heart attack though I've yet to get it checked out since the air hunger isn't one of the more disturbing symptoms.
Arab's post is encouraging though ...
Why do you not recommend RAI?
The problem is for many years I have suffered with generalised anxiety disorder and so any time I mention I have shakes,palpitations,air hunger,ect my GP puts it down to anxiety and i know it is thyroid related.If i see a different GP they tell me to see my own as he is the one treating me.
Hi bev1958 I’m sorry you’re having a bad time. I’m new here and have learned loads from the members and website information. I’ve had Medichecks blood tests which show my hypothyroidism is Hasimoto’s autoimmune based and my antibodies are high so I’m following the gluten free gut healing advice I’ve found here.
I have GAD and social anxiety but found most antidepressants sedated me too much however I saw you take Venlafaxine which is an SNRI and this made me hyper and paranoid, I tried it to get my “drive” back as after major stressful events I crash with depression, but the effects were dramatic on a small dose. Have you tried SSRIs like Sertraline and Citalopram? I expect you have already been on these before being prescribed Venlafaxine. I’m shocked a GP not consultant prescribed Risperidone as that’s an antipsychotic, not a drug to stop and start without serious discussion my daughter needed it in her teens and it saved her life but it was given under psychiatric referral after psychosis was diagnosed.
The repeating message I see here is how little GPS understand thyroid disease and how hard it is to get correct treatment 😟
I hope you get a resolution and feel better soon
PMS & Graves/Overactive Thyroid Query
Just diagnosed with overactive thyroid
Hyperactive thyroid 😕
