Anxiety

I've been on thyroxine since May. I started on 25mg when my tsh was 9.28 and ft4 was 14 ish. then in August my dose was increased to 50mg. I've felt fine on that dose and doing very well. my recent bloods 2 weeks ago showed my tsh had finally dropped to 2.6 and ft4 18 ish. Huge relief and recently I am far less fatigued and felt I had my life back. I was out again tackling the agoraphobia and anxiety it had caused.

Randomly on Friday night I had ano anxiety attack. I was fine over the weekend but since yesterday I've had the worst anxiety I've had in years. it's bizaree and out of the s blue because right now I'm at my happiest I've been in years. I was attacked by my brother in 2012 and had a hellish 2 years after when my anxiety began with panic, agoraphobia, scary thoughts etc... I overcame it all then I became ill last winter and my anxiety spiked again. My anxiety is usually just an uneasy feeling, not feeling quite right rather than panic attacks or high anxiety. I also have health anxiety with it. What I've been experiencing since yesterday is very unlike me and I'm terrified. it's huge rushes to my stomach, can't eat, feel sick and bowels churning... that kind of anxiety and I've no idea why. it's kicked off my worries of is it the thyroxine, what if it's tipped me over active? I only had my results 2 weeks ago via medicheck, I did a finger prick sample in a tube. Can I trust the results? I'm anxious incase I can't and this anxiety is me over active and my fears it's dangerous to feel like this is making the rushes of anxiety worse. I can calm and feel ok then it's like a volcano erupts in my stomach again. it's been happening almost 24 hours now. Like i said I had that anxiety Friday night but it was nothing compared to this. I'm not shaking and my heart isn't particularly fast, it'll race a bit when I get the rush of adrenaline in my stomach. I'm just concerned as this type of physical anxiety is so unlike me.

I cried to my husband last night and he said I have to trust my results as they've finally shown my thyroid is fine and of course the company are reliable. He also said nothing will have changed in 2 weeks. I'm on the combined pill, low dose for heavy periods for 4 years. Last month i didn't really bleed just some brown rather than red blood (I'm not pregnant) I'm due to take my last pill tomorrow then my period is due at the weekend. I sometimes have anxiety a day before my period is due and I have had some bad months similar to this but on a smaller scale I'd say. My hubsand thinks it's because I've not bled last month, I've very sore breasts the last week too so he thinks ms I'm very hormonal. I'm praying that's all this is because the fear of what's causing this when I was out living life again and happy and free an awful year is scaring me. Me being afraid is causing more rushes of anxiety. I always sleep well and last night I only got 2 hours and I've not eaten much in the last 24 hours.

My husband says it'll pass and I have to stop panicking it's the thyroxine. I just needed to post as I'm so upset and adding more fest worrying I can't trust Medicheck 😯

[VulpusVulpus]

Sertraline helped me with my crippling anxiety. I know it's frowned upon to recommend an antidepressant on here as it's probably thyroid related but I'm recommending it because for me, it meant the difference between having a fear filled existance and a fairly normal existance (being able to leave the house, not having fear, not feeling paranoid, having a feeling of control and so on).

It was like night and day.

I know you have had traumatic events in your life, have you ever sought counselling?

Also, there is now a huge link between the pill and anxiety/depression.

theguardian.com/commentisfr...

[Hidden in reply to VulpusVulpus]

Thank you.

I've been doing fine with my anxiety recently. I have had therapy twice since I was attacked and been doing fine since. I still have underlying anxiety it just never hits in this way which is why I was concerned.

I'm on an anti depressants since 2013 which has been helpful.

I've been totally fine on my pill. in recent months I've just had some hormonal issues with the sore breasts recently and now this surge in anxiety. I'm sure it's hormones related. I hope to come off the pill next year bur as my periods were heavy and causing low iron it's a risk but if this continues I've no choice.

Thank you

Julie

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

You can trust Medichecks. I have used both Medichecks and Blue Horizon. They use the same lab to process the tests - County Pathology - which is an accredited lab that provides private blood testing for doctors, individuals and companies (you can Google them). Please stop worrying about Medichecks

[Hidden in reply to SeasideSusie]

Very reassuring. thank you Susie. I was worried whether finger prick was as reliable and a vein too.

Thank you for your help.

Julie

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

It's the same blood.

I think the most important thing for you to remember is that there are always going to be good days, and bad days. Even perfectly healthy people have bad days. It doesn't mean they've suddenly been struck down with some terrible disease.

Your anxiety is high at the moment - higher some days than others - because you are still hypo. Your TSH has come down, yes, so you're on the right road. But, you still have a way to go. And, if you were hypo for a long time, without realising it, it's going to take longer than someone whose hypothyroidism was caught pretty quickly. We just can't know. It will take the time it takes, but as long as the direction is up, then there's no need to worry.

I think you just have to accept your anxiety as part of your symptoms, the way some people live with migraines - they're painful, and a b. nuisance, but they are just symptoms, and we have to learn to adapt to them until the root cause has been optimised. You will get there, one day, I know you will. But, until then, when the anxiety starts, tell yourself that it isn't you, it's your thyroid! Repeat ten times a day!

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Thanks Grey goose. very reassuring and you're totally right.

I think because I know how my anxiety feels for me if it flares up I was worried why suddenly out of nowhere when I've been feeling great anxiety wise, it hit so physical. I literally felt I was climbing the walls with surging adrenaline, nothing like my usual anxiety. I'm feeling ruling much better tonight so hopefully a one off blip.

My tsh was 4.9 in early 2014 the first time it was tested, ft4 was about 10.2. I was told it was fine but didn't get a print out u till earlier this year to check past thyroid results. 2 years later last summer the tsh was 5.35 and I was still told I was ok. It then shot up earlier this year to 9.28. so maybe it had been underlying for a long time despite my gp saying 4.9 was fine.

Thanks again for your advice.

Julie

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

Yes, but 4.9 wasn't fine. You're hypo when your TSH reaches 3. It's just that your doctor knows very little about thyroid.