Hyperthyroid and terrified

[Sweetpea8167]

the past two months have been hell for me.... I've lost 13lbs, hair loss, palpating heart, chest pain, shoulder blade pain, scant period now I can feel a little lump in my throat. Getting a test done this week and endocrinologist after that!!! I feel like shit.... did I mention the anxiety!!!!! Is this typical m... I'm scared

[galathea]

Yes, its typical and not very much fun. You either have an overactive thyroid

, in which case it may settle down, or you can have beta blockers and . Carbimazole to stop thyroid hormones . Alternatively you might have hashimotoes and be in the speedy phase.... It does stop and you eventually become permanently underactive.....

Blood tests for thyroid hormone levels and antibody tests will show what is going on. If you turn out to have an overactive thyroid, dont agree to be rushed into surgery.... Wait and see if it goes into remission first.

Commiserations, dealing with a racing heart, weight loss, impatience and all the other hyper stuff is truly horrible. You can get better.....

Xx G

[Sweetpea8167 in reply to galathea]

Thank you.. as soon as I get my labs I wil post my results.... your support is greatly appreciated.... my husband thinks I crazy

[elaine2447 in reply to galathea]

Thank you, one always tends to think that racing heart, weight loss (in my case due to extreme nausea) and insomnia is always hyperthyroidism but after three months of hell and being putting on mirtazapine (I wasn't depressed) it calmed down and I have since read that mirtazapine greatly reduces cortisol. Several months later had an antibodies test and there were hundreds of the little blighters, the peroxidase ones I mean and so have been diagnosed with Hashimotos .... eventually!!!! Still left to rot by the GP surgery though!!

[Katepots]

Yes definitely get your thyroid antibodies checked. You could also get cortisol checked to see what your adrenals are up to.

Some of the pains, palpitations etc could be due to anxiety though if it's really bad. Are you having panic attacks at all? Excess adrenalin causes all sorts of horrible things.

Take time for you. Yoga? Really helps with stress and anxiety.

[Sweetpea8167 in reply to Katepots]

Panic attacks aren't the word for it!!! Crazy attacks... I'm always anxious and amped.... just might try it!! Thank you for your support...

[Katepots in reply to Sweetpea8167]

When you feel a panic attack coming on it sounds weird but if you run or exercise for 5 mins or so it uses up the excess adrenalin rather than having it coursing round your body which is what gives you all the horrible sensations.

Defs try yoga. You really need to address the adrenal issues. Try talking to a GP or a functional medicine dr if you can find one. They will do cortisol testing without poo pooing!

My son finds meditation has help him no end (he was a marine out in Afghan) so try and find a meditation teaching course. I really should do the same as I notice such a difference in him.

Good luck. X

[Ianswife]

I have hyperthyroidism and it's not easy but eventually you will start to feel better . I am feeling loads better two years after my initial diagnosis . My t4 was 86 on diagnosis and the range was 10_ 26 . I had terrible anxiety and felt like utter crap and I really could not deal with anything . I was on carbimazole for hyperthyroidism and beta blockers as resting heart rate was 122 BPM. Now I have not been on any meds since last September and I feel tons better . Good luck with it all .

[Sweetpea8167 in reply to Ianswife]

When I get my labs I will post.. the anxiety Trumps everything to me... thanks for your support.. will keep u posted....

[Jess89]

Hello! All your symptoms are totally normal but yes very scary. I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism last November (2015) and had heart palpitations, terrible anxiety, tremor, headaches, messed up periods, itching, dizziness. It really was very scary. Before the diagnosis I was put on beta blockers for my heart rate which helped then on a high dose of csrbimazole for 6 months. It's a slow struggle and I have now been taken off the csrbimazole in the hope I don't relapse but the anxiety still creeps up on me and if I over do it the tremor comes back. I thought things would never get better but they did improve over time. If you are not on any Meds yet I'd go see your GP to get the heart rate under control! Best of luck x

[Sweetpea8167 in reply to Jess89]

Thank you for your support.... no mess yet but can't wait.. will keep u posted..

[Fruitandnutcase]

Hi Sweetpea, hyper is not fun but once you've been properly diagnosed and treatment started you ought to get better. Like Galathea says there are lots of meds you can take from beta blockers to stop your heart pounding away like mad although I couldn't take them because I had asthma so I just waited until the carbimazole kicked in. After three months on carbimazole alone I was given levothyroxine to replace my thyroid hormones. After that it was just a case of waiting until my levels were where my doctors wanted them to be and thenall the mess were stopped and fortunately I've been in remission ever since.

You will be feeling awful though at this stage. I thought I was going to have a heart attack at any mmment. My thigh muscles were so weak I wasn't able to get up off the floor without help if I got down that far. Once your thyroid is stabilised you will get back the weight you have lost. I couldn't see that ever happening but it did.

Read as much as you can about the thyroid, look at the thyroiduk.org site, there is a lot of good information on there. Ask questions on here. Keep a notebook with any questions you have do that you can add your doctors when you go to appointments otherwise you will forget until you have left the room.

Keep a note of your blood results too, along with their ranges (that's the numbers in brackets by the result). You are entitled to copies of all of your results. Ask to have your ferritin, folates, bit D and B12 tested too - you want them all near the top of their ranges to help your thyroid along. Some doctoirs will be quite happy as long as they have just scraped into the lower end of the range but you want them higher than that. When I started carbimazole I wad told by the pharmacist to take vitamin c so I always took 1000mcg slow release vitamin C with zinc. Don't know if it helped but I felt good once my treatment got going. I also found it really useful to jot down in a diary how I felt every day, - just a few lines, not an essay. That helped show the levels of levo that made me feel good and helped back me up when I told my doctor that I felt I needed an increase. It was also good for days when I didn't feel I had progressed, I could look back and see how much I actually had progressed.

Good luck. My first post on here was to ask if I would ever feel normal again and yes, I do.

[Sweetpea8167 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Thanks for all the info.... I thought I was going crazy and my doctor thought I was too..this condition has a lot of symptoms that had me in the ER thinking i had a heart attack... they even blamed my pain on pinched nerves....go tell!!!! I will get copies of everything and post to get everyone's input...Seeing endo soon and having iodine test Tuesday!!!! I'm going to ask for those tests you recommended and not everything down... thanks for your support and I'll keep u posted....

[Gemma123]

Hey, I felt exactly the same. My heart rate got so high that the doctors sent me for heart scans and a ecg, they completely overlooked the fact that I'm only 35 and that it could be an overactive thyroid! I also turned into the most impatient and cross mummy Anyway, I got the diagnosis from another doctor after being sent off for my bloods. It was a rocky road for me as the carbimazole reacted badly with me and I ended up in hospital for a week. I took it for 3 months and luckily that was long enough, as well as taking a few vitamins and going gluten free, for me to go into remission. I have been fine since June. Try to keep your chin up and it's good to make people around you aware of some of the unpleasant side effects of this, particularly the mood swings! good luck. X

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Gemma123]

Couldn't agree more with letting people know about the unpleasant side effects. I neverreally looked that I'll because I was much slimmer than I had been, people just thought is been slimming and said I looked great! So it was like climbing a mountain trying to tell them that I felt so ill I could barely move and that I was impatient and highly volatile.

I've been totally gluten free for over a year now and have watched my thyroid antibodies plummet. So I'd say you're doing the rest get thing. Glad your time on carb was long enough for you to improve. I know what you mean about grumpy! I snarled at everyone and anyone who got in my way and was so impatient it had to be seen to be believed.

Three months before I went into total Graves Disease meltdown I was told by a doctor (who listened to my list of symptoms while looking at me like I was totally nuts and didn't even listen to my heart or check my pulse) that I 'was needing a holiday', looking back I'd have said I was actually needing a lot more than that, a better doctor for a start. Anyway, fortunately the next doctor I saw was terrific and recognised what was wrong right away.

Good luck with your health, look after yourself.

[Sweetpea8167 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Thanks for your story.. tbeyvchecked me for everything but this... I was having muscle aches and heart palpatiions thinking I was having a heart attack.. the weight loss scared the shit out of me and my dr... seeing end next week and having iodine test on Tuesday.. will keep u posted..

[Sweetpea8167 in reply to Gemma123]

Thanks for your support... #crazy

[Sweetpea8167 in reply to Gemma123]

Thank you.... I'm the mean mom too😃 Will keep u posted on labs and appt m... your input is important.. thanks for your support..

[madge1979]

Yes ..yes... seeetpea it's normal okay ... for an alien maybe !!! but THATS what hyperthyroidism feels like ... and I'm sorry you've got it !

All above info is good info .

I have Graves' disease and it's the same virtually as Hyper .... but with antibodies .. a bit like having an ice cream but with the

topping !! ( I wish )

You've come to a good place for knowledge .. bloods will tell just what type of thyroid problem you have !

... and from there , come back on here and tell the results ... you will then get loads of help from those who've been there .

I was Very ill when duagnosed and thought I would die .. wanted to , actually .

Today I'm Euthroid !

And it took less than a year and only about three months to feel good ... it's a road you MUST go down .. so put your best foot forward and get started ..

google supplements for Graves or Hyperthyroudism ... and take it from there ..

MANESIUM GLYCINATE

B12 must be sublingual

B1

BComplex

D3

Selenium

Vit C

Acidophilus 20billion

L Carnitine

Are some of the ones I took to get me into remission .. and I still take them

Google them all for their effects on the Thyroid and see how you may probably need them

Best of Luck

Mx🌹

[Sweetpea8167 in reply to madge1979]

Thank god I not going crazy.... will definatly look into this... getting iodine resr Tuesday and then endo next week.... keep u posted and thanks for the support

[Kerynz]

Hi Reallyfedup, I'm interested in what natural thyroid medication your husband is on? And also whether it is for hyper or hypothyroidism? This is for my own interest. Thanks.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Kerynz]

So-called natural thyroid medication, also called Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT), or - as I prefer - simply desiccated thyroid, consists of dried, defatted animal thyroid gland. Usually from a pig but there are some cattle-based products.

The desiccated thyroid is powdered, blended and diluted (e.g. with sugar) to achieve a consistent potency of thyroid hormone. Then it is usually formed into tablets.

These desiccated thyroid tablets contain T4 and T3 in measured quantities.

There is uncertainty about some products which might contain no, or very little, thyroid hormone. Typically these are sold as dietary supplements.

[Qwerty12345]

Another one here who felt exactly the same. Thought I was going mad, could barely function with all my senses on overdrive. Had to psych myself up just to even go into a shop - I remember standing outside trying to calm myself down and telling myself 'I can do this I can do this!'. Eventually saw a gp who did the thyroid blood test which revealed overactive thyroid and I was referred to an endo. While waiting for this appointment I was on beta blockers which did help somewhat. The endo diagnosed graves and I was started on the anti thyroids meds and I felt so much better within 2 or 3 weeks. It still amazes me now how quickly the tablets worked. I think I had felt so awful for so long I couldn't believe how I could feel better so quickly. But I did! I went hypo briefly and doses were tweaked to sort that. I actually felt very well in myself when hypo and just felt very relaxed and a bit sleepier than normal in the evenings. The endo said that when the body has been in overdrive for so long it can appreciate the rest and I think he was spot on! I was on medicine for a year and have now been off them for a year. All good thus far.

[Kerynz in reply to Qwerty12345]

Hi qwerty. I'm interested in how you came off the medication. Was it thyroxine you came off? And how gradually did you reduce? Also, how much did your test results guide you coming off? I also feel very well and I am slowly weaning myself off thyroxine after having subacute thyroiditis in October 2015 and then hypothyroidism. I can relate to the feeling of calm I still feel after coming 'down' from hyperthyroidism!

Thanks.

[helvella Administrator in reply to Kerynz]

Kerynz,

Qwerty12345 says "anti thyroids meds" - most likely carbimazole but possibly propylthiouracil.

The process of tapering anti-thyroid medicines is entirely dependant on how the person reacts, whether their thyroid hormone levels go shooting up (or not). There really is no parallel with what you are doing.

[Qwerty12345 in reply to helvella]

Hi, yes, I was on propylthiouracil (ptu). I was originally on carbimazole but came out in hives after 4 weeks or so. I was on medicine for one year and the dosage was reduced at intervals throughout.

[Qwerty12345 in reply to Qwerty12345]

Oh, and the dosage was reduced after each blood test so those readings totally guided my treatment.

[Sweetpea8167 in reply to Qwerty12345]

Thanks.... can't wait to feel better!!

[Hidden]

Hi all just reading all your posts re hyperthyroid at most interested that some have managed to get free of tabs.

I have only been recently diagnosed with having hyperthyroid and due to start tomorrow on Carbimazole once I've picked up script from docs.

I didn't go with the problems you have back in June as you all did - mine was pains in tops of legs walking the dog - I've arthritis anyway and was putting it down to this - yes I've had tremors- palpatations since I was 17/18 I'm now 67 GP at the time diagnosed Fibro.

I am presently at a slimming group since June as overweight and have lost weight but not through thyroid - I can turn on a sixpence at times - and I can be clumsy- I've had sweats as can't walk into a shop or such when wrapped up against cold and have to take scarf off etc - through night it can be duvet on then duvet off but all this I put down to age so was shocked and surprised when I had further bloods done - I've just stared taking vitD as GP had suggested but my symptoms are no way what yours are so feel like a fraud or am I just in the early stages do you think?

Would welcome any feedback. Cheers 😘

[Sweetpea8167]

Staying calm is so hard.. I'm always reved up...My GP didn't give me anything but Is trying to get my endo appt. He actually was treating my symptoms for other diagnoses until the anxiety came and he tested my levels..he's trying to get my endo appt. moved up. I'm getting the iodine test Tuesday... wish me luck.. can't wait to feel better!!! Will keep y posted. Thanks again for your support !

[Hidden]

I am not confusing the two the endocrinologist has said I have HYPERTHYROID who said I have Graves Disease as I certainly didn't

I was asking questions about Carbimazole and giving my experiences. To be honest I did not like your reply.

[madge1979]

Toolie ... welcome 🦋 stay with us ... and get lots of info on how to get well .. share our experiences and speak to really nice people who are very willing to help you

Luv mx🌹