Morning all. I need some advice. For a while I have been suffering with air hunger on and off. About 3-4 weeks ago I had a bad choking episode. It was very scary but until last Thursday night I managed to continue eating normally. When I was eating my tea I got the sensation that I was gonna choke and have hardly been able to eat since. On Friday in work the panic attacks started and over the weekend it was constant. I went to the emergency doctors twice being prescribed propananolol 3 times a day, this has took the edge off the anxiety but it is still there constantly. I am scared of choking and now really struggling to eat.
I went to my doctors about the air hunger and choking episode about 3 weeks ago. I was told the choking was probably just a spasm and nothing to worry about. She had a feel of my neck but said it felt fine. I asked about why my ferritin had dropped as advised on here but the doctor had no concerns over my ferritin because it's within range. She did agree to increase Levothiroxine fromm 100mg to 125mg per day, my TSH was 1.40. I have ordered an at home blood test kit for full thyroid, ferritin,folate and B12.
Any advice would be great thank you.
Written by
vickylou36
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Low ferritin can cause negative reactions like palpitations, nervousness, and anxiety in someone medicating thyroid hormone replacement.
A doctors "normal" often isn't the same level which members have found most beneficial for good thyroid function.
Iron is key for conversion of T4-T3 and low levels may decrease deiodinase activity resulting in conversion to reverse T3 ( rather than the active hormone). This means you could be hypothyroid (with low ferritin) and yet appear “normal” according to the standard TSH and T4 thyroid labs used by your doctor.
Air hunger can be a sign of low thyroid hormone as can anxiety when caused by compromised adrenals.
Post results to your test when you receive them, complete with ranges (numbers in brackets) for members to comment.
Ferritin can be raised by supplementing iron and Vit C will aid absorption.
My air hunger didn't go until I had been medicating optimal thyroid meds for quite some time.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.
Thank you for your reply. I have asked 3 doctors about my ferritin and they all said I didn't need supplements. I am a bit worried about supplementing iron myself can you give me any advice and how often will I need to have a blood test.
Many members supplement iron as low levels are common in hypothyroidism. Hopefully others will answer and if not just repost with "iron" in your title.
Ok thank you. I think I will try my doctor again when I have an appointment on Monday. I have just received my blood testing kit but have already taken my thyroid meds so should I wait until tomorrow to take the sample? Sorry for all the questions.
TSH is highest first thing in the morning before you eat.
This way you will get a truer reading of the way your thyroid is working.
Many members just buy their own sups as doctors believe as long as we are "in range" we will have enough.
GP's are only general practitioners and do not understand in-depth thyroid psychology. If iron levels are too low then the thyroid peroxidase activity is reduced and thyroid function will be impaired.
Flower
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Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.
Thanks again flower007. My doctor is usual really good so I will try again on Monday. I will do another post asking if anyone has any information regarding vitamin levels and thyroid that I can send to my doctor.
Thank you I'm sure the air hunger is why I choked and it has now led on to anxiety. I have hardly eaten anything since last Thursday night and am constantly anxious. I was on jarrow b12 but stopped taking them. Was always forgetting now I'm back at work, after I have done my blood test in the morning I will start taking b12 again and set an alarm to remind me I will also speak to my doctor again Monday about my ferritin.
It is important for your thyroid function to eat properly even if it is only a little.
Any time that you are not meeting your body’s needs for energy with adequate fuel, you will be stressing your adrenals further forcing them to secrete additional amounts of cortisol and adrenaline and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis will be compromised without adequate nourishment.
Healthy thyroid function depends on keeping your blood sugar in a normal range.
Flower
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Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.
Thanks flower007 I am managing to eat a little bit more the past couple of days. Still very anxious. I have done my finger prick blood test yesterday which includes a full thyroid bloods, b12, folate and ferritin. I am back at my doctors on Monday is there anything I should be asking for. Also I have started my b12 again yesterday.
I do not know if my previous air hunger was caused by low cortisol or thyroid hormones or maybe both.
To get things back working it is imperative to have not only optimal thyroid hormone levels but to make them work you need good adrenal health and optimal nutrients and iron.
Most doctors do not recognise that all these other weird symptoms we get are related to out thyroid condition.
If you haven't been tested lately ask for Vit B12, Vit D, folate and ferritin to be tested.
A saliva cortisol test is available privately. (link below)
Four saliva tests that measure the available "active" cortisol (& DHEA) secreted at set times over a 24 hours period. The results will allow you to see any imbalances in the daily circadian pattern so enabling use of correcting supplements to aid your adrenal health. Unfortunately this test is not generally used or recognised by GP's.
The cost is £77.00 which is a discounted price for ThyroidUK when code A42AQ is used.
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Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and this information is not intended to be a substitute for medical guidance from your own doctor. Please check with your personal physician before applying any of these suggestions.
Hi flower I will look into the saliva test but haven't got the money at the minuet. I have been under a lot of stress for the past couple of years as I had meningitis. This made me profoundly deaf(I now have a cochlear implant). I have balance problems, tinitus, fatigue, memory problems eg forgetful, word finding I also suffer with headaches.
I went back to work In july last year and started doing 5 days before Christmas, although I am off work again now due to the anxiety and panic attacks.
I was diagnosed with under active thyroid in December 2014 along with low iron and low vit D. Vit D I was on 20000iu of d3 3times a week, which was then reduced to 800iu per day my latest test in december was 64.7 >50.00. My b12 was 211 in December 2014 doc said was in range so I supplemented myself with jarrow 1000mg per day but over the past few months this hasn't been consistent, my ferritin in december 2014 was 10 cant remeber the range, i was put on iron tablets and when it rose to 115 i was taken off them. In december 2015 ferritin was 24 15-200. I began taking b12 again yesterday along with a b complex and vit c after I did my blood test. I am on 125mg per day Levothiroxine, it was increased from 100mg 3 weeks ago TSH in December was 1.40 0.40-5.00.
Thank you for all you help. I will post a new thread when I receive my blood results.
Vicky
panic attacks are closely linked with air hunger. do u have results yet?
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