19 year old student and a nervous wreck ( need advice)

[heyheyray]

I came into my schools doctors due to having shortness of breathe and this weird lump on my chest. Two doctors checked it out at different time and told me it was just my breast bone or something. It still really makes me nervous...

I’ve never been the anxious type until I started feeling the pain. And I’ve been having horrible panic attacks for the past 2 months. I don’t usually cry and now all I do is cry.

The first doctor that checked out my chest recommended a thyroid exam and was I told her I really wanted it done for peace of mind.

I did not expected to get weird results...

My tsh was .27 (.5-some some number) my FT4 is 1.5 (1.4 was the upper limit) and my FT3 is 3.0(3.0 is the Lowe limit) . She told me my results and made me do another blood test for anti bodies in suspicion that I had Graves’ disease. It was the TRAB and I had <1 percent. Meaning there was little to know antibodies in my system. At first I thought this is a relief but it scares me even more that I may have a tumor on my thyroid. I’m so scared of dying.

I went to an endocrinologist and she’s running more blood test, but I’m scared because I don’t think I can with stand this stress anymore. If I need to wait on a biopsy Idk how I will be acting.

I really feel like life is going so well right now and I feel like my anxiety about my health is ruining it.

My symptoms are

Possible weight loss

( 10 pounds) I’m unclear because I haven’t weighed myself in over 2 month but when I went to the doctors I was 10 pound lighter.

I heard with hyperthyroidism you really crave food, but I don’t. I’ve been eating a lot less than usual.

ANXIETY I’ve legit cried so much everywhere

Fatigue- doing normal things makes me so so so tired. All I want to do is rest

Lack of concentration

Have any of you all gone through this experience? Or have method to help with coping?

Also how have some of you coped with going through this and taking classes? I’m an alright student ( gpa above 3.0) , but I worked my ass off for it. And if I feel like I feel now during school time I know it’s going to affect me.

[Nanaedake]

"it scares me even more that I may have a tumor on my thyroid. I’m so scared of dying" Lets get this into perspective...firstly it sounds like the lump wasn't on your thyroid so why do you think it's thyroid related? Secondly, to interpret your thyroid results you need the actual copy of the test results along with laboratory ranges or you are just speculating without proper information. Thirdly, most thyroid cancer is very treatable and not life threatening. Fourthly, you're more likely to make yourself ill from your anxiety than from the tests investigations.

Ask yourself, what is the very worst outcome from this? A thyroid condition? Well, that is treatable. Thyroid cancer? Well that is treatable. Overactive or underactive thyroid? Well, that is treatable. So, why are you panicking?

If you're young and tired and female it's more likely to be caused by low iron levels or something treatable so please get your vitamin levels checked and stop panicking. Ask your doctor to test

Vitamin B12

Folate

Ferritin

Vitamin D

Then, get a copy of the results along with the lab ranges and post them here for advice. Read SeasideSusies posts to other people to find out how to treat low vitamin levels and don't start panicking about it because this kind of thing is easily corrected and great that you are now going to get informed about your nutrition so you can avoid problems in the future.

[heyheyray in reply to Nanaedake]

My doctor only showed me my results for my tsh which was .27 ( mIU/L)

My FT4 which was 1.5 ( 0.8-1.4 ng/dL)

And my FT3 which is 3.0. ( 3.0-4.7 pg/mL)

The age for this was 1-19.

And my TRAB showed <1 and the normal was <16%

Thank you!

[Nanaedake in reply to heyheyray]

Your TSH is lowish in range, FT4 is very, very slightly raised and your FT3 is low in range so you need to get your thyroid antibodies checked but nothing to worry about. Low vitamin levels can make your thyroid stuggle to perform so you need to check your vitamin levels and correct deficiencies. Once you've got vitamin results, post them here for best advice.

Ask your doctor to test thyroid antibodies TPO and TgAb rather than TRAB as your FT3 is low so you are not hyperthyroid (overactive thyroid which is what TRAB is tested for). Your doctor needs to exclude thyroid antibodies for Hashimotos thyroiditis ...and don't panic as thyroid conditions are very, very common. 90% of thyroid conditions are caused by Hashimotos (called thyroid autoimmune disease by doctors). It's treatable and 1 in 20 people live with thyroid disease.

Does anyone in your family suffer from a thyroid condition? Read up about thyroid conditions on Thyroid UK Website to find out more.

[heyheyray in reply to Nanaedake]

My endocrinologist is testing for those other antibodies at the moment and testing my total T3.

No I don’t have any family history of it. When the results do come in I’ll post them here

So I can have a high FT4 and have Hashimotos?

[Nanaedake in reply to heyheyray]

Hashimotos is not diagnosed by FT4 level, it's diagnosed by testing TPO antibodies and TgAb. If TPO is elevated above the laboratory range then it shows you have Hashimotos thyroiditis. Sometimes if TgAb is elevated it also denotes Hashimotos although TgAb can be elevated due to other reasons.

[heyheyray in reply to Nanaedake]

Ok, thank you! I didn’t really understand the reason why she was testing me again if already I didn’t have the correct antibodies for graves.

This website it great! really

[Nanaedake in reply to heyheyray]

Your doctor tested TRAB because your TSH was low and she has excluded Graves disease because you did not have elevated TRAB antibodies. Now it sounds like she is checking TPO antibodies to confirm or exclude Hashimotos thyroiditis.

[heyheyray in reply to Nanaedake]

Hey so I got my results back and it confirmed graves diease.

TSH

.35 ( Low bc .5-4.30)

Total T3

109 (86-192)

T4

1.4 (.8-1.4)

TSI

178 ( high bc >148)

Thyroid peroxidase antibodies

45 IU/ ml ( deemed H bc >9)

The endocrinologist said I had subclinical hyperthyroidism. And I have a check up in 3 months. She didn’t start me on medication.

Also my numbers have gotten a little better than the last time. During the first testing ( for TSH, FT4 and Ft4) time I was he most stressed I’d been. During the second time I wasn’t as stressed so that may have played a roll?

Also I stopped drinking coffee for the 2nd one . Is that beneficial to hyperthyroidism. I love coffee

[Nanaedake in reply to heyheyray]

OK, so you have raised TSI which confirms Graves disease I believe. TPO antibodies can be present in both Graves disease and Hashimotos although I understand it's more common in Hashimotos thyroiditis. However your TSH is only slightly low so it looks like your doctor is suggesting monitoring the situation rather than immediate treatment. It seems sensible. If you start to feel worse though. I would contact the doc and not wait for 3 months.

Your feelings of stress may be attributable to thyroid imbalance as it affects the way we feel. Hyperthyroidism speeds up our metabolism and a racing heart for no apparent reason and can make you feel stressed and perceive circumstances as more threatening than you normally would.

This can be exacerbated by low vitamin levels so get them checked. B12, folate, ferritin and vitamin D. Get the results and post them here.

[Nanaedake in reply to heyheyray]

I would keep caffeine to a minimum. Could you drink decaffeinated coffee instead? It has a little caffeine in it. You can buy good quality decaffeinated coffee that has the caffeine extracted using a water process rather than chemicals or aluminium.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to heyheyray]

Total T3 is a a pointless test - you need free T3 tested and at the same time as TSH, Free T4 and TPO and TG antibodies. can't imagine why doctor tested for Graves when your thyroid hormone results made it obvious you didn't have it.

[Angel_of_the_North]

Loss of appetite, fatigue and low TSH and FT3 sounds more like an adrenal problem caused by stress - and you are stressed, aren't you? You'll probably find that adrenal glandular supplements and B vitamins, and a programme of meditation (eg TM or Vedic) will help a lot. You also need to get vitamin B12, folate, ferrtin and D3 to optimal levels. Don't forget that you also need magnesium and vit K2 with vit D.