Anxciety : Does any one else have hypothyroidism... - Thyroid UK

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Anxciety

Anxciety123 profile image
10 Replies

Does any one else have hypothyroidism and very high anxiety????

Do you think its hormones????

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Anxciety123
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shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

Welcome to our forum and I am sorry you have hypothyroidism.

I've looked on your 'page' but you've given no background history of your journey to be diagnosed as hypothyroid.

This is a list of clinical symptoms:-

thyroiduk.org/signs-symptom...

You will be surprised that there's so many and, thankfully, we don't get all of them.

This is the procedure when you're due a blood test:-

1. Always get the earliest appointment - even if you have to make it in advance. It is a fasting test and don't take thyroid hormones before but after test (you can drink water).

2. Doctors don't do all of the tests but, if you want, there are certain recommended labs that do home finger pin-prick tests.

A Full Thyroid blood test is:-

TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and thyroid antibodies.

The blood draw should always be at the earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose and test and take it afterwards. This method gives us the best results.

:)

The aim is a TSH of 1 or lower and both 'fees' towards the upper part of the ranges.

Also ask GP to check B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate when next blood draw is due.

Always get a print-out of your results, for your own records and post if you have a query.

The aim is to alleviate all symptoms and we feel well again.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Anxiety is common hypothyroid symptom, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

Are you currently taking any levothyroxine?

If yes how much and which brand of levothyroxine

Do you always get same brand

What about vitamin supplements?

What, if any are you currently taking

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested.

Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies

Ask GP to test vitamin levels

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Is this how you do your tests?

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus vitamins including folate (private blood draw required)

medichecks.com/products/thy...

Thriva Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins By DIY fingerpick test

thriva.co/tests/thyroid-test

Thriva also offer just vitamin testing

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3

£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off if go on thyroid uk for code

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...

Please add any results and ranges if you have any

Or come back with new post once you get results

I had severe anxiety. It had made my world very small, I wouldn't read/watch TV/ listen to music in case it triggered an attack. There were also very few places that felt 'safe' that I would go to.

Once I started on levo, it was like someone flipped a switch, it all just stopped.

After years and years of struggling with my mental health it's been a revelation.

Anxciety123 profile image
Anxciety123 in reply to

Thank you for your reply, maybe I need my Levo increased again, on 175 just now x

in reply to Anxciety123

Do you have any recent test results you could share?

Anxciety123 profile image
Anxciety123 in reply to

No, sorry I don't know them GP just says they have to up Levodopa,or decrease it. No details.

Should I be asking ???

kiefer profile image
kiefer in reply to Anxciety123

Yes, you should ask for your thyroid blood test results. If the doctor tries to bully you, just ask him, "Is there something you're afraid might happen if I had a copy of those tests?" ( think you meant Levothyroxine, rather than Levodopa...)

Regarding the mechanism of anxiety as it relates to hypothyroidism, it might have to do with a compensatory release of cortisol to make up for the lack of circulating thyroid hormone.

A study was done that showed some people with a TSH over 2.0 showed elevations in cortisol levels.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Cortisol and anxiety:

thebodyimagecenter.com/news...

in reply to Anxciety123

Yes, you're legally entitled to results of your blood tests. You usually get less resistance from the receptionist and if you get any push back, just say they're for your records.

Without any test results it's very difficult to offer any real advice but anxiety and hypothyroidism are very closely linked.

Anxciety123 profile image
Anxciety123 in reply to

Thank you for your reply..x

Meanbeannyc profile image
Meanbeannyc

Yes.