Many years ago I suffered extremely with anxiety and panic attacks. I ended up resigning from a career, took on a minimum hours job, ruined my life basically. It wasnt until 19 years later that I lost part of my vision for about 20 minutes, had various tests and it was found that I was hypothyroid. I started taking thyroxine but still I wasn't much better and seemed to swell up.
After a couple of years of agony and pain, I saw Dr Peatfield. He asked me to take all my blood tests and the GP surgery gave me 19 years worth which I was astonished by. What these blood tests showed that while, for a long time, my TSH was within range (ish), my T4 was very low, even noted as low by the hospital. Yet nothing was done about it.
Dr P advised me that I wasn't converting the T4 and I started taking T3. I knew the various thoughts against it but I was so bad, I was prepared to die early if I had something of a decent life in the meantime. However I still find it extremely hard to lose weight and I am now on a silly diet of only 600 calories per day.
However, I read only yesterday that if the T4 reading is low (mine was below the bottom of the range) and TSH ok, that it is something I should have been referred immediately to an endocrinologist over and that my pituary should have been checked.
Basically, does anyone know anything about this? Could all those of years of agony been unnecessary and is it something I should discuss with my doctor about the pituary. I believe this is an extremely rare condition and possibly why it was overlooked. I am also concerned because my daughter has started suffering badly with anxiety and depression, I suggested she had her blood tested and it came back "normal" again. What I don;t know is what her T4 reading was and is it possible she could have the same. I dont want her to suffer the way I did. Since being treated correctly, it was as if my anxiety flew out of the window.
Thanks