I suffer from anxiety since being unwell with my thyroid so please understand why I'm worried.
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism a year ago and I'm on Levo. I've had chronic fatigue for 18 months and my gp all last year blamed anxiety and mood. He was never concerned that I had major energy crashes after stress from my siblings and mother (I have ptsd after my brother attacked me). Then in January this year my gpwas suddenly worried why I was still so fatigued and crashing every few weeks. I had a full set of bloods twice last year and all ok, on top of my regular thyroid ones. He couldn't find anything but the thyroid but suddenly wanted to do more testing to find out why I'd be so tired every day.
I had another fbc in March this year and it showed my lymphocytes were 3.98 so slightly over the range of 3.65. The neutrophils were 1.6 and should be at least 2. He wanted them repeating in 3 weeks, I waited 5 as I've had an awful acne outbreak recently, I suffer adult acne and it makes my glands raise at times.
I've repeated them private as I've a real blood test phobia now so I use Medicheck who also test my thyroid. I got the results just now and I'm upset. Worried why my lymphocytes have risen to 4.45. My neutrophils have gone up which is good. I can't speak to my gp until next week. In the meantime my anxiety is freaking me out I have cancer and I'm going to have my gp scaring me next phone call.
I was feeling so well the last few weeks but on Monday I crashed and I've been exhausted all week. I'd spoken to my mum and the stress just crashed me badly. But now of course I'm worried the results here mean I'm very ill.
Last test in march showed my serum iron was slightly raised but gp said as my transferrin was normal he was fine about it: I stopped taking iron 5 weeks ago anyway. I was taking it as my ferritin was 34 but it's now 59. Weirdly the highest IRS ever been but gp said it was ok as transferrin fine and to ignore the raised serum iron. Haemoglobin was also 153 last test so all ok but it's today 155 so 15.5, very top of range. Why if I'm not taking iron?
I'm more worried about the lymphocytes are raised: my lovely therapist said they are raised with cancer as it's how her sister was diagnosed in her thirties with leaukemia. Not what a therapist should say to an anxious person.
"An increase in lymphocyte concentration is usually a sign of a viral infection (in some rare cases, leukemias are found through an abnormally raised lymphocyte count in an otherwise normal person)."
There's absolutely no reason why you should be one of those rare cases when your lymphocytes are only slightly raised, and there's reason to believe you have a virus.
Or they could be sign of autoimmune disease or allergies or anything that has been going on recently.
High haemoglobin can be sign of an infection.
When I had ongoing infection years ago I never had same value high. It could be CRP, haemoglobin, lymphocytes, etc but each time different value even though the cause was bacterial infection in my knee.
So unless your lymphocytes come back ridiculously high I would consider it something not to worry about.
I am very sorry you are anxious, which can be very debilitating itself without having hypothyroidism thrown in.
Have you had your Free T4 and Free T3 tested. If either is low symptoms can be the result. This is a link from TUK and you can read why these need to be tested but doctors do not request them.
I have anxiety due to ptsd. Mostly my trigger has been the chronic fatigue that led to agoraphobia last year and panic. My fatigue took over my life and I'm still fatigued now. I have energy crashes that land me in bed if I overdo things too.
Your results look good but it is how we 'feel' is more important. I have read that CFS is undiagnosed hypothyroidism as is Fibro, except the blood tests aren't compatible. Before blood tests were introduced we were given natural dessicated thyroid hormones until symptom-free.
The following link to a doctor who treats people with CFS/Fibro but she is taking no more patients, I believe. but there is some good info on her site which might be helpful.
I have been feeling quite well recently in the last few week. I seem to crash with fatigue with any stress, I was doing amazing until my mum upset me last weekend making me feel guilty for needing a break from the family that hurt me and trigger my energy crashes. I then crashed a couple of days later and I've been back exhausted all week. So I know my triggers are over doing it plus any trauma triggers.
I don't have hashimotos but I had an underactive thyroid that was diagnosed last May. I'm on 75mg of Levo but due another repeat next month to see how you thyroid levels are doing.
My gp thinks I have cfs and wanted me to get it diagnosed in a hospital by a general medical doctor but I declined.
I shall read the links, thank you for them.
Julie
you should google "adrenal gland fatigue "
you have very similar symptoms to what I've being going through over the last 20 years...
however after my GP raised my levo so I got toxeamia .. i sought alternative advice.. i stopped 150mg of Levo and started on natural health supplements.. In 3 months I have recovered 80% .. even been digging the garden this week.. shopping for new clothes ( haven't got a city centre in over 12 years because of high anxiety and panic attacks ) and back working 50 hours a week again in my own business ( I had cut down to 10 hrs a week)
In 35 years of complaining about all my health issues to GPs and specialists no-one had ever suggested adrenal gland fatigue..
At 51 I finally feel like my life is about to begin
in reply to
Glad to hear things are much better for you.
My thyroid issue began after acute stress a few years ago. In January last year my tsh was 6.8 and by march 9.28 and I was put on thyroxine.
I have had my cortisol tested and it's slightly high. I looked up adrenal fatigue and mentioned it to my gp who dismissed it as a condition but I know having anxiety that I crash badly due to any stress. I experienced a trauma 5 years ago when my brother attacked me and my mother and siblings resented me for not forgiving him. It led to severe anxiety and agoraphobia and I was told I had ptsd.
It wasn't until 2-3 years later my energy crashes began but thy started after my son became suicidal due to bullying and I just broke down seeing him like that. I became bed bound with leg weakness, chronic fatigue and dizziness. It was then my agoraphobia and anxiety hit hard again after finally feeling much better since the attack. Ever since last year I've had anxiety and agoraphobia again and bad social anxiety. I've had chronic fatigue daily for over a year now and I crash due to any stress. I don't crash too often now but last weekend my mum rang me upset I'd decided this year to not see her as I needed a break and to get well and a day or two later I felt so ill in a crash for two days.
I'd made myself see her the last few years and felt rejected but I did it so my children saw her as I felt it was important they did. Each time she visit I'd crash so bad in bed for 2 days after. I'd just wake with such severe leg weakness where I can't walk the bathroom, general weakness too and awful fatigue: I also feel dizzy in crash days. My anxiety hits hard on a crash day and I have constant panic which is unlike me as my anxiety isn't severe like that unless I feel very ill with fatigue. I always get anxious about the crashes and fatigue because my gp has never told me why I'm so fatigued, he never even blamed my thyroid when my tsh was almost 10!
Thank you for your reply. I'm glad your life is going so well now.
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