Terrified newbie

[lorashflo]

Hello! I went to the dr. with symptoms of anxiety and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I was prescribed 25mcg of Levothyroxine. I took my first pill this morning and had what I think was a massive panic attack about 2 hours after (racing heart, tingly hands, feeling lightheaded). 8 hours later, I feel exhausted and not quite right. I'm not sure if this is just my anxiety or a bad reaction to the medication. Is this common? I'm terrified of taking another dose tomorrow.

[Hidden]

If it were me I'd take my med tomorrow. 25 mcg is a pretty small dose and thyroid doesn't kick in that fast. Just my opinion. It could be your panic attack is because the thyroid hasn't had a chance to start working yet. If you're nervous is it possible to call your doc? Take care. irina1975

[lorashflo in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, irina! I have an appointment Monday but was just worried about it in the meantime.

[krazy-girl]

Hi lorashflo, I agree with irina1975. 25 mcg is very low. Have you ever tried mindfulness for your anxiety?

[lorashflo in reply to krazy-girl]

Yup! I've been working on meditation /breathing /mindfulness techniques for a couple years now. This attack felt very different, but I wondered if that was just because I was worried about the side effects .

[krazy-girl in reply to lorashflo]

It could have been. Around Christmas time I was shopping and broke out in a terrible sweat with breathlessness, not knowing what was happening I came home and use my breath machine (as I have severe asthma). That didn't help so I figured it was a panic attack. Why I don't know as I've gone over 1 year w/o any. I haven't had another one since??? Something was bugging me but I have no idea what or why it happened out of the blue like that??!!

[lorashflo in reply to krazy-girl]

That's awful! I know what you mean, like is it just anxiety being it's usual awful self or is it something different?

[cjrsquared]

25 mcg is only a starting dose and is sub therapeutic. It takes up to 6 weeks to reach a stable level in the blood. Best practice is for repeat bloods at 6 weeks then incremental increase in dose until TSH is around 1 or symptoms have resolved. It can often take up to 6 months to feel better. Do you have the results of your blood tests that you can post?

[lorashflo in reply to cjrsquared]

Not yet. They called me with the diagnosis on Friday and I have the consultation Monday. Can anxiety be related to hypothyroidism?

[cjrsquared in reply to lorashflo]

Yes although not all doctors know this. I get fast heart rate and short of breath when under medicated.

[Marz in reply to lorashflo]

Unusual they gave you a diagnosis over the phone - then prescribed - then a consultation - doesn't seem right to me. Are you in the US or outside UK ?

[lorashflo in reply to Marz]

I'm in the US. I was pretty upset they handled it that way, but the area I live in is notorious for poor health care.

[Marz in reply to lorashflo]

You need to post ALL your results with ranges and increase your dose.

Also test B12 - Folate - Ferritin - VitD. Do you have Hashimotos?

[lorashflo in reply to Marz]

Not sure. I've got a lot of questions to ask the Dr now!

[Marz in reply to lorashflo]

Anti-TPO and Anti-Tg - antibodies - if they are positive then you have Hashimotos It is the most common condition globally causing Hypothyroidism ....

[lorashflo in reply to Marz]

Good to know, thank you!

[Hormone-hell]

Hi Lorashflo,

I am the same as you, recently diagnosed (5 weeks ago) and was really nervous about the medication as I am too experiencing a lot of anxiety as a symptom.

25mg is a very small dose and I started on 50mg so try not to worry, I think it takes longer than 2 hours to digest and 7-10 days to get into your system so It is likely it is the anxiety.

I know how hard it is when it is bad, I am finding the distraction technique (usually playing an easy game on my phone), speaking to friends/family on the phone, deep breathing and reading about how the brain controls anxiety helpful.

Maybe try and think of as many positive thoughts to associate with the medication as possible?

Vitamin deficencies can also make things worse so maybe get your vitamins checked too?

: )

[lorashflo in reply to Hormone-hell]

I'm glad to know it's not just me! Thinking positive thoughts about the medication is a good idea, thank you!

[Hormone-hell in reply to lorashflo]

It was definitely my first symptom before everything else arrived!

[MrWellness94]

Please don’t stop taking your medication, I know right now it seems it’s making things worse but your body is reacting to the thyroid hormones. Your body will adjust and it will take time approximately 4-6 weeks. What you can do right now, apart from meditation and mindfulness, is to use herbal teas or tinctures that will help you keep the anxiety at bay. I suggest you use these in extreme cases and only while your body is adjusting. Ashwaghanda is a good overall herb that will help balance you, additionally the use of lavender is very good as it has anxiolytic effects on the body. I am no doctor but hope these will at least help a little. I hope you feel better soon, if you need support you can always come back here as there are people who have been through the same thing.

[lorashflo in reply to MrWellness94]

Thank you for your advice! It is definitely scary not knowing if it's my anxiety worsening or another issue, but it's good to know that it just takes time to adjust to.

[MrWellness94 in reply to lorashflo]

I understand what you mean, long before being diagnosed I experienced anxiety. Up until recently I learned it was because I was hypothyroid which is a relief because if we treat our hypothyroidism we can also keep anxiety to a reasonable normal level. I have just started my medication and have also felt like my symptoms are also worsening but that’s because the body is adjusting. If you have hashimotos remember to adopt a gluten free, soy free lifestyle to reduce flares and to keep up with vitamins such as Vitamin D+k, selenium, zinc, b12 and iron. Additionally look into getting magnesium oil, this has dramatically reduced my anxiety. Hope this helps! Don’t forget you are never alone, and always ask for help people here are amazing and have helped so many people

[lorashflo in reply to MrWellness94]

I will definitely look into getting those supplements. Fingers crossed, it gets better soon! Thank you so much

[MrWellness94 in reply to lorashflo]

I hope so too, and no problem!

[Clarrisa]

Hi, I'm fairly new to this site. As you are in the states have you tried "Bach Rescue Remedy Natural Fast Acting Stress Relief Spray"? It is homeopathic & commonly sold in large health food markets. Amazon says it is not sold internationally. Don't forget to utilize Pharmacists as information resources as well.

[lorashflo in reply to Clarrisa]

No, I've never heard of it. I'll check it out