Help! Uncontrollable Anger / Mood Swings

[Rhsana]

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to deal with what I have started to call The 6 stages of an 'Epic Mood Swing'?

I am Hypothyroid with Oestrogen Dominance and I am turning into a bit of a monster. I get so so angry and can't talk myself down from the ledge, it feels like I am two different people. It feels like a wave of anger coming over me that I cannot control. I avoid face to face interaction at work as much as possible and this is making my job harder and harder to do. Mainly though its my very patient, loving boyfriend who gets the brunt of it and when I 'wake up' I go into a shame spiral.

It usually goes like this;

Phase 1: Frustration - start to get annoyed.

Phase 2: Anger - The anger is starting to build - its physical I can feel my body getting 'hot'?

Phase 3: RED RAGE - I want to hit something/throw a chair/ break something

Phase 4: (Usually I have stormed off at this point) Realised how I have behaved - Shame, remorse, upset. Crying Fit- Uncontrollable crying, snot, running mascara, the works!

Phase 5: Can't Breath

Phase 6: Panic Attack- thoughts like "is this it?" "Is it always going to be like this" "I need to leave him, I'm only hurting him" etc.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this, and if so do they have any recommendations for how to temper it at least?

Any comments welcome!

[Josiesmum]

Love the pic. Sorry you're struggling. I haven't quite experienced this level of upset, but I do try to leave the room at phase 1 to avoid phase 2 &3. Have you tried relaxing music, deep breathing, yoga etc? Counselling? Getting a nice stable blood sugar level might also help, eg regular meals containing fat and protein and very little sugar. Just some thoughts.

[Rhsana in reply to Josiesmum]

Yes. its a balancing act! It does tend to be worse with low blood sugar! I do par take in all of the above as well. Thanks! x

[humanbean]

I recognise your symptoms. I used to get them too. In my case I managed to eliminate them by going 100% gluten-free. Being gluten-free "most of the time" achieved nothing, I have to do it religiously.

In some people gluten can attack the brain. I think this might be what happened to me. I also used to stagger a lot. This reduced in severity when I gave up gluten. (Read up about gluten ataxia.)

This blog post nails it for me :

glutendude.com/celiac/insta...

I have done brief re-challenges with gluten a couple of times and had a return of my symptoms quite quickly. So I always go back to being g-f. I have no intention of trying it again (at least deliberately - I would guess most people make mistakes sometimes).

By the way... I didn't know that giving up gluten would affect my temper for the better. I'd already been tested and told I didn't have coeliac disease, so I expected nothing to happen at all. I can't remember if I knew about gluten ataxia before I gave up. But the fact that gluten might be affecting my temper was something I was completely unaware of. So it was something that gradually became apparent over a couple of weeks or so. In other words, the effect was quite quick.

I had another benefit from giving up gluten - suddenly, for the first time in my life, I started to absorb iron and when I was last tested I wasn't anaemic or low in iron. I imagine that I am absorbing other nutrients better too. Perhaps it is this that has improved my temper, I don't know. But the key is giving up gluten, anyway, so I keep on sticking with it.

[Rhsana in reply to humanbean]

Wow, I didn't even think of that! I have indeed been trying to cut it out for they Hypo side of things, but this is just another case for going GL . Thank you so much!

[Josiesmum in reply to Rhsana]

Agree with humanbean. My daughter's depression disappeared when she went gluten free so it definitely affects mood.

[humanbean in reply to Josiesmum]

My depression has also reduced a lot since giving up gluten.

[Hidden in reply to Rhsana]

Vit c deficiency can cause irritability. Just a small possiblity. As hb says, you could have multiple low nutrient levels all playing in.

[Rhsana in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for this Aspmama! I take a lot of supplements - some specifically for irritability, I'll try Vit c as well!

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Oestrogen dominance can cause irritability, anger, mood swings, etc. Who diagnosed your oestrogen dominance and what has been suggested you do about it? Have your hormones been tested? They need to be in balance. Bioidentical Progesterone cream can help balance hormones, that might help.

[Rhsana in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you for your reply. My Doctor diagnosed me after getting my blood labs back. I am on Progesterone Lozenges that I need to take for 12 days each month. But I am only on my first month of treatment.

[Josiesmum in reply to Rhsana]

This is a very interesting article on progesterone.

drlam.com/blog/progesterone...

May be worth buying your own natural progesterone if you're currently using synthetic:

wellsprings-health.com/page...

[Mouldyoledoll in reply to Rhsana]

it could be the progesterone causing it, have you noticed whether its cyclical? Do you keep a diary? Look up PMMD

[Rhsana in reply to Mouldyoledoll]

I have read that the first few months of Progesterone therapy can exacerbate the issue, but I have been experiencing this for over a year now.

[Angel_of_the_North]

I had that a lot before biohrt, but I wasn't oestrogen dominant - I had low oestrogen (well, low almost everything). the only high one was testosterone - and supplementing that sets me straight off. Perhaps you need progesterone - makes you more laid back. I need about 50 times as much progesterone as oestrogen. I don't know whether fake progesterone is as effective as the real thing and I think the NHS does only fake progesterone. I also need to take it every day (but I'm past menopause).

I got through so much crockery ...!

[Hidden in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Wow, hang on, could angry male partners be testosterone dominant? Should Rob of The Archers be tested?

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Hidden]

Possibly - think of 'roid rage in bodybuilders - the red mist when you just can't stop breaking things is what that's like. Don't know the Archers so can't comment.

[Mouldyoledoll in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

High testos can make you Leary!

[greygoose]

I've been like that since I was a teenager (once threw a book at a teacher because she wouldn't let me out of detention - fortunately I missed her!), right up until I was diagnosed at 55! It wasn't all the time, just on and off. But, I wouldn't know if I was estrogène dominant, because nothing was ever tested! I think it was just low T3 - and subsequent events bear that out. Not like that anymore - thank god!

[Rhsana in reply to greygoose]

Yes! The weird thing is, thats the only thing I can liken it to- its like when I was a teenager but then I managed to get 'it under control' but it has since come back with a vengeance! It seems to be worse around PMS time though. But It so so good to hear you do not have it anymore!!! Thank you. x

[greygoose in reply to Rhsana]

You're welcome.

[Rhsana in reply to greygoose]

Hmmmm, could this also be a blood sugar thing? Is there a coalition between Hypothyroid and Low blood sugar?

[greygoose in reply to Rhsana]

No, I think it's a low T3 thing.

[Rhsana in reply to greygoose]

Ok, well hopefully upping the dose tomorrow will help,thank you!

[shamicuk]

I get this too, although I try and get away from the source of stress at stage 2, before stage 3 begins. I do find a good cry releases the stress, and a nap revives me. Hormones are a beast of a thing to manage.

[Rhsana]

Hi Shamicuk,

Yes, getting away from the source does help, though I have found at times I go through all the phases completely on my own with no antagonist in sight!

[Hidden]

I used to be like this and strangely enough it was when I was on the pill which obviously contains oestrogen. I went on the contraception injection and was super angry like the incredible hulk, everyone stayed clear then! Think my husband hid for 6 months lol. I still get it around the time of the month but I've found that since supplimenting my moods evened out that was even before i started thyroid meds. Just don't seem to reach that high level of rage anymore. It stops at stage 2.

[Rhsana in reply to Hidden]

wow, this is wonderful to hear, its actually curable! what do you supplement with to help with this?

[Hidden in reply to Rhsana]

I take B12, D3, a super B complex(contains all the Bs) ,selenium, folate and vit C. I was taking them individually which is advisable and much better but I have gone over to centrim in pregnancy multivitamins. I am due to have a blood test so if the multi vit has made me low I will return to taking them individually. I just got fed up of taking that many pills along with thyroid meds in the morning and evening.

[Rhsana in reply to Hidden]

Ok thank you!

[Rhsana]

Hmmmm, could this also be a blood sugar thing? Is there a coalition between Hypothyroid and Low blood sugar?

[hw7342]

I get it like you describe too. I had 'the rage' this morning in the park and ended up shouting like a lunatic at someone and the anger doesn't abate for a while but when it does it turns to tears like you say. I get it worst for the second half of my cycle. I get what i am assuming is a blood sugar thing too sometimes and find it very hard to communicate properly... its so odd. I am just putting it down to the thyroid as i am not optimally medicated yet. My oestrogen and progesterone were 'normal' apparently....

[Rhsana in reply to hw7342]

Thanks Hw! Yes I am also not optimal yet. I am upping my NDT by half a grain tomorrow as per Dr and Greygoose's suggestions. How long have you been trying to get optimal? It feels like its taking forever

[hw7342 in reply to Rhsana]

Well i have just started really... been on 50mcg of Levo for a month. i tried 25mcg back in the winter but had really low ferritin and anaemia and had awful symptoms on the levo so stopped for a while. If i still don't feel well when i have got my TSH down to below 1 then i am going to try something else. However, the NHS Dr who is prescribing is only willing to get my TSH down to below 2.5 so i am going to have to try and source something online or privately at that point. Someone else that i know who has Hypo said one of her main symptoms when she was unmedicated was mood swings and rages...

[Rhsana in reply to hw7342]

Yes, I tried levo but it just made things so much worse, it looks like my main issue is not converting T4 to T3 so that is probably why. The mood swings I have had on and off since I first went on the pill at 16, I had to come off of it as they got so bad. I am startng to wonder if I haven't been symptomatic for a lot longer than 5 years!

[Jaykanes]

I get the first four daily exactly like that just thought it was a character trait since I was diagnosed I know its not real iv said sorry to my boss my wife and my mother in law. It was always about something daft too

[Rhsana in reply to Jaykanes]

Its really really tough, and to know the the difference of what is a genuine feeling and what isn't.

[Jaykanes]

Since I started levy my wife says I'm a hormonal woman and tell me to get a manpon ha ha to be fair to her I like tom hardy a lot more and I'm made up about the brad and ang split

[Rhsana in reply to Jaykanes]

yes, Levo actually made it worse for me. Diet changes have been the most helpful thing so far.

[Jaykanes in reply to Rhsana]

Iv just started the diet I told my wife what I can't have and she replied what else is there funny enough a lot of the things I'm not aloud iv naturally not been eating could you please give me some suggested meals I'm struggling

[Rhsana]

This has been a life saver for me. It comes with recipes and meal plans: amazon.co.uk/dp/B00J1JPTNY/...

[Themax]

I had this problem before I was give radio Iodine treatment, it was horrendous. Thought it would then go away. But I do still get them, and like I have said to people, you don't have any control over it, I explode literally. Had one 2 weeks ago and while I am usually pretty easy going and laid back as my tortured wife says. But it's like a red mist, I know in an episode I could kill someone, so dread to think what some one is like who is an aggressive person. It's horrendous esp for ppl you care about, but all sense goes out the window. I sympathise with you and your boyfriend, like I told my wife, why do you stay, because I would have left a long time ago