Have been hypothyroid for past 10 years.
I have undergone extreme stress past two weeks due to some looming undiagnosed health issues. It's taking a toll on me psychologically and very sleep deprived always worrying.
Two weeks ago my TSH was 4.64. Today it is 11.57. I asked my doctor if stress has anything to do with it and she said highly unlikely. It's the only correlation I can make aside from something else more chronic undiagnosed. Any thoughts?
she's been my doctor for 10 years. If anyone has had similar issues then yes I could go for another advice.
Yes I just started vitamin d3 and b12. Also a taking a multi vitamin and holy basil for stress. Also decided to go back on effexor but just 1/3 of my original dose.
Doc is increasing my levothyroxine from 125 to 137.
Ooh be careful with B12 plus a multivitamin , check how much B12 is in your multivitamin dome people don't do well with too much B12.
B12 is most often regarded as one of the safest of all supplements with some people taking many thousands of micrograms a day.
The few micrograms of B12 you might find in any multivitamin is unlikely to make a significant difference.
Plus if you buy shop bought B12 you are very likely getting cyanocobalamin, which needs to be converted ib the body. Youre better off looking for methylcobalamin. I tske the sublingal form. The gastroenterologist thinks I have absorption issues. It has made a dramatic difference
Hi there..Holy basil for stress?I haven't heard this before.What are the properties please?Thanks
Forget the multi-vit, it's a waste of money. There's not enough of anything in it to treat a true deficiency, and as they always use the cheapest ingredients, you probably won't be absorbing anything from it.
What were your B12 and D results? How much of each are you taking.
Be wary of any cheap multi B vits. If they contain the cheap Folic Acid form of Folate, it cannot br easily processed if you have any other issues, and can actually bind up the pathways that let you absorb the folate you get with your green veggies or methylfolate supplements. Especially true if you have the genetic defect MTHFR which reduces your ability to process B12, Folate, etc....
Stress can cause all sorts, an infection, adrenal insufficiency I really wouldn't spend time to work it out. It is what it is, you have enough trouble with a TSH of 11 to deal with anything else until you sort that. Try to stay calm and do one thing at a time. Good luck. Have you had increased meds for your impressively high TSH?
I only found out today so I start my 137mcg tmrw. I can't think that is the cause of my initial symptoms a few weeks back since it wasn't like that just 1 month and even 2 weeks back but it could definitely be what's causing my newer symptoms of anxiety or vice versa.
Google Dr Wilson's Adrenal Questionnaire. adrenal insufficiency will give you all of those symptoms.
Why did you only increase by 12 mcg? That's not enough with a TSH like yours. The normal amount is 25.
I think doc didn't want to increase to much because I am already anxious and haven't been sleeping due to some looming unknown health conditions. My TSH level was fine before all of that. But still not having a diagnosis is making my anxieties sky rocket which is the reason for my initial post of asking if anxieties can increase tsh level dramatically.
But anxiety can be a symptom of low thyroid hormones, and he's not helping that by keeping you hypo.
I don't think any body's asked this yet, but do you have Hashis? Because if you do, that could cause your TSH to jump like that.
I think you've had your answer about the possible effects of stress. 
I agree with Redditch, your first problem is to sort out your TSH of 11! That will clear up many problems, maybe not all, but it's a major start. I have no thyroid and I used to take 137mcg Levo and I found that a bit high, I dropped to 130mcg and found that to be perfect on that particular brand of Levo (which was discontinued - and then all Levo hell was let loose).
If you are taking holy basil if can increase or reduce cortisol levels (sorry I forget which) and therefore affect your adrenals and the level of cortisol you are making. Drop this and see how your levels go before worrying about dose changes.
You seem to be tested very often! Levels go up and down naturally. You're just adding to the list of stress?
First tsh was at the ER. When I brought it up to my endo she wanted it tested again to be sure. Low and behold a totally different number.
A higher TSH causes anxiety and sleeplessness for me, which of course then makes the other stresses of life harder to deal with. I feel anxious and can't sleep when my TSH goes above about 1.5 - I'd be freaking out with your levels! I do hope you get sorted soon x
(please excuse my "!'s"/excitement -this is something I feel very passionate about) - Oh my God! Doctors have the reputation that they know absolutely EVERYTHING! Stress has everything to do with it!!!!! Eating stressed, thinking stressed - that all releases various hormones that really harm our bodies. Stress caused my daughter's thyroid to start going into overactive drive (not the only trigger - antibiotics I believe was the 1st mistake). Stress causes diarrhea but people still won't admit that it has anything to do with being stressed out even when there's a direct link between them. If I had one wish for humankind right now it would be to sue all the doctors that don't take everything into consideration besides drugging us up! None of them even admit that exercise -or lack of it- has a ton to do with our ailing health either and that's directly linked too. But more and more people are finding this stuff out now (how our food and the food crap that we've been eating for the last 20-30 years is slowly killing us all and we feel our joints aching and our organs getting more unbalanced and shriveling up or bloating out - more by the day.) Enough people that were healthy at one time are getting sick and enough who aren't drinking the city fluoridated water are seeing that this is something that needs to be addressed now. Please start meditating. Even 15 minutes a day of just being with nothing happening. I've actually turned my bathroom breaks into little meditation sessions! Works great at work - and who's going to say anything if you're in there too long? (a little too personal at least in Michigan) - sit with one palm up and one down, close eyes and think 'universal energy comes in thru my hand goes thru my body where it needs to be healed and goes back out to the ground thru the hand facing down. I feel it now.' - We've lost our connection to 'all that is' - the power that helps the birds fly, the plants grow. We've finally broken ourselves so well as a species that we see our own extinction- but we're also the ones now that can rise up, fix ourselves, get healthy again by repopulating our bodies with the 'good bacteria' (our bodies have at least 500 trillion microorganisms that each have a job to do- antibiotics, poor nutrition, stress all kill these off.) I'm going to be buying some kefir seeds shortly so I can make milk and yogurt out of them to repopulate my daughters gut & everything-I'll keep everyone posted with how fast she comes back to 'normal.' Just this week I've put it all the puzzle pieces together so now i know what to do- finally!!! It's been a very long 2 years! We can all do this.
I know about the link you're talking about very well. Before every exam in my life I got tummy pain or diarrhea.That link exist.
If the gut isn't in tip top condition the body doesn't absorb anything properly whether nutrients or meds. This Russian neurologist turned nutritionist explains it very well....
As mentioned before, some genetic mutations including MTHFR can be affecting your situation. Stress is speculated as a trigger for mutations to affect your system some of which increase the likelihood of depression and anxiety. If you are not methylating your vitamin B12, you body may lack several components that are later produced like SAMe. Your blood work may show you have excessive B12, but your body could be starving for the right form like it was in my case. It took me 4 years of frustration with a doctor not acknowledging my thyroid issues blaming it on menopause. My naturopath has done wonders in the six months I have been seeing her including getting my genetic blueprint which verified some of the "why" for my problems.
Hello Anna
Your comments on B12 are interesting.
My daughter has recently had some blood tests done. Her B12 was 1200 ( range 191 - 663 ). This is the same as it was 2 years ago. She has not been taking any B Vit supplements. She does have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.
I wondered what these readings meant and whether there could be any resultant problems. The GP is unconcerned but they have been when her TSH was in double figures, so no surprise there.
I intend to post a general question but I also wondered if you had any advice please.
My B12 was around 1300. My doctor said despite that high number other blood work ratios indicated a possibility that my body was behaving like I was anemic. As far as my body was concerned, it did not have enough B12. This was why she suspected I had methylation issues. There is a lot of information out there on methylation and the complication that arise if your body is not creating that conversion. You can buy B12 that is already methylated: "The proper form of vitamin B-12 to supplement is called methylcobalamin. This is the form that exists in nature, and it is pre-methylated, meaning it's ready for your biochemistry to put to immediate use."
Next comes the need to detox from the excess B12 that is floating around in the blood confusing the body into thinking it has enough. Nine months later, my numbers are still high, but getting better as is my well being. I think I read there is a correlation to Hypothyroid and low B12 levels, which may be your daughter's case despite how the blookwork looks. Highly recommend getting genetic testing. I used 23andMe. Inexpensive test that provides the raw data to you too. Then you can enter it into many databases that will give you information on your conditions. Lately I tried LiveWello as there are many thyroid resources there.
Thanks for your reply Anna and apologies that I've not had chance to come back sooner.
What other tests can be done to uncover whether my daughter is actually low in B12 as in methylation issues? I do not want to blindly start supplementing with methylcobalamin if it is not needed.
You mention detoxing from the excess B12 floating around in the blood - how do you do this?
My daughter is constantly tired, has no energy at all and is depressed and often anxious. This is despite good TSH readings over the last few months.
I would be grateful for any further advice.
I have a similar problem although my last bloods were ok ., but stress does have a effect on our thyroid as far as I knew stress stops the conversion from t4 to t3 and with such a high TSH you will feel anxious 
I'm also waiting on other tests for another health problem it's stressing me out as its a serious problem my b12 has been 2000 for a year and I've stopped my injections in May 2015 and now they are looking for something sinister as the b12 is so high and my FBC was all over the place
No way could I function at all with a TSH like yours and if I have stress I feel like my thyroxine is not working and stress anixity won't help 😢 I hope you get your TSH down and try not to stress I know it's easy to say I'm trying not to stress about what sinister thing they think is going on with me 😢
Take care xxxxxx
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