Anxiety and loss of appetite upped dose

[Dondays]

Hi all it’s me again I’m so sorry to bother you all but I don’t know where else I can turn, I upped my dose to 75mg I have just started my 3rd week, my Tsh has been between around 2.5-5 for the past 13 years only ever been given 50mg, I have noticed my anxiety has shot up I suffer with severe health anxiety and my appetite is non existent, I’m trying to put it down to the upped dose as it ha been for the last couple of weeks but can’t help falling down a rabbit hole worrying about other illnesses

[shaws Administrator]

You are not bothering us and we're here to help where we can, so don't be apologetic. We've all 'been there - done that' and if it isn't working we need assistance and there's many helpful members who've gone through similar problems.

We put all our faith in our medication and when things don't appear to be improving we get do get anxious as we wonder why that is.

Just reading that you have been on 50mcg for 'thirteen years' is enough to make us horrified, so helpful answers will be given.

Your sensations could be due to you maybe needing some T3 added to your T4 but I know it is practically impossible in the UK to have it prescribed.

You also have to request your B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate be tested. and any deficiences corrected.

After all you've been through, tell yourself there's light at the end of the tunnel and it just finding the right dose of replacement thyroid hormones that may resolve your issues and restore your health.

[Dondays in reply to shaws]

Thank you so much for your kind reply, it is honestly ruining my life I am obsessing how about ovarian cancer as I am bloated etc aswell but I do have ibs so it’s just one thing after another and I need to rationalise and accept it must be the Levo upped dose as that’s when the issues really started, don’t get me wrong I could do with losing the 63 lbs I’ve put on since this nightmare began 13 years ago but not sure not eating is the right way to go about it but I just don’t fancy anything at all :/ x

[Hidden in reply to Dondays]

When my thyroid levels were low I start getting obsessive thoughts. At one point I was very close to seeking treatment for OCD. Since starting on levo and being close to optimally treated it's all but gone away.

Do not underestimate the impact low thyroid can have on your mental health.

I have also had times when I have just been unable to eat; dropping to 8stone at one point and I'm 6'1"! I muddled through with ready made mashed potato and McDonald's fries. They were about the only food I could eat for a long time but it was enough to build up some energy to face eating 'proper' food.

Find something you can eat and just stick with that. Don't think too far ahead about it, don't worry about nutrients just get something, anything, in you. ♥️

[Dondays in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much, I’m sorry your mental health was so affected your right I had no idea how the thyroid can affect it, I really will try to eat something maybe even milkshakes are better than nothing? X

[Hidden in reply to Dondays]

Absolutely. You need calories to convert T4 to T3. So eat what you can when you can. Little and often. Can you buy in snacks you love to keep around?

Go easy on yourself; I know how hard it is to eat when you just don't want to. I remember sobbing because my mum made me eat the final bite of a banana! (It was the only thing I'd eaten that morning but I just couldn't make it go down!)

[Dondays in reply to Hidden]

I completely get it, It’s awful, as someone who ate loads and was always hungry this is alien to me, my husband keeps asking me if I’ve eaten and it’s making me paranoid I’ll just explain what everyone has said to him x

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Dondays]

Just avoid protein shakes…they usually contain soya and when on levothyroxine it’s best to avoid all soya

[tattybogle]

the 6 /8 week wait to do a blood test is because it can take that long for TSH to settle to a new level after a dose change. while it's doing this you can expect al sort of differences to come and go. A change in fT4 level and TSH level has all sorts of effect's on cell in nearly every part of your body /brain and digestive system, and one of the effects of changing TSH level is to adjust the amount of T3 that is converted from T4. The first week and a half are about how long it takes for the new dose to build up in your blood.

So it's still very early days at 3 weeks.

Allowing the body to change as it gets used to a new dose is better though of as a 2 month process. (at least) before you can really gat an idea of how you will feel on it.

When i have changed dose i have felt different it week 5 to how i felt at week 3 . And different at week 8-12 as i felt at week 5.

This is all normal.

Try not to worry about it being 'something else'.. it is much more likely that it is the effect of a change in dose.. after all you have been on 50 for a very long time, and 75 is 50% more than previously . so it's not surprising you are feeling all sorts of differences . and something you feel now is not necessarily something you will feel inn 3 weeks time.

When you increased dose did that mean you got given a different brand of tablet to what you are used to ? that is worth considering too. Some people find certain brands make them feel less good than others.

Some people might find it easier to increase by just 12.5mcg at a time rather than 25mcg in one go

But if i were you i would just give it several more weeks as you are and see what happens.

[Dondays in reply to tattybogle]

Thank you so much you are right when you put it like that, I am on 50% more than I was before that’s a big increase! Feeling a lot more reassure now, I will continue to see how it goes and report back my results in 6-8 weeks, you are all fabulous here I only wish I could offer advice to people but I don’t know anything it seems otherwise I wouldn’t of allowed doctor to fob me off with 50mg for 13 years x

[tattybogle in reply to Dondays]

Every body here, even the admins, started off just like you, not knowing or understanding anything, because we were led to believe it was simple and there was nothing much to understand, and never had any idea how many bodily systems, including mental ones, are affected by our thyroid hormone balance.

so don't feel daft for not 'waking up to smell the coffee' earlier .. it took me 17 years to find my way here.

Everybody's posts and replies and experiences are helpful to the next person who's too shy to even ask a question, so you are already helping others even now. There will be somebody reading this, who feels more confident because they see you are experiencing the same as them and they no longer feel so alone or daft.

Even in a months time you will have valuable personal experience about changing dose, and before you know it you'll be telling someone else .. " that happened to me too, but this is what happened next..."

Hopefully 'what happened next' is you notice gradual improvements over the next month or so .

But if you don't ,then at least you will have a good basis for deciding what to do next, and will have ruled out 'not giving it long enough'.

You won't be doing yourself any harm, even if 75mcg turns out not to be the right dose .. it's all valuable learning experience.. the trick is to observe , and record how you feel each week , but not worry about it.

Worrying about what's happening is quite normal, and that in itself won't be helping your anxiety , or your appetite. So try and deal with that by understanding that worrying is normal too and ignore it the best you can.

Best Wishes.

Hope you feel better soon.

x

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Which brand of levothyroxine are you currently taking

Is it same as when you were on 50mcg?

Symptoms should slowly improve….as tattybogle says it takes at least 6-8 weeks for each dose increase in levothyroxine to have full effect

Also it takes a while for high cortisol levels to start to drop

Can be helpful to go for short gentle walk …just around the block or equivalent….especially if feeling anxious. Gentle exercise seems to shake everything down, especially adrenal hormones

Anxiety is EXTREMELY Common hypothyroid symptom…it does improve

[Dondays in reply to SlowDragon]

I’m still on north accord but I understand the 25mg tablets are teva?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Dondays]

Yes Northstar 25mcg is Teva brand

If you have Teva get new prescription from GP for higher number of 50mcg tablets per month

Then cut a 50mcg tablet in half to get 25mcg

Get weekly pill dispenser too …..to put remaining half in

Many, many people can’t tolerate Teva brand

New guidelines for GP if you find it difficult/impossible to change brands

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Many people find different brands are not interchangeable

Teva brand upsets many people (only brand that makes 75mcg tablets)

So if you have Teva brand and didn’t before, might be good idea to change to previous brand (as 50mcg plus 25mcg if you had Mercury Pharma. Or as 50mcg plus half 50mcg tablet if on Accord (as boxed as Almus via Boots or Northstar Via Lloyds) Accord don’t make 25mcg tablets

If looking to change brand will need to get new prescription from GP for right size tablets

[lynzpower]

Hello,

I just wanted to jump on and say I really feel for you right now with your lack of appetite - I have this and I just cant seem to get out of it, its got even worse since I started taking a painkiller for my leg/ muscle pain. ( i have diagnosed graves and on Carbimazole)

I can barely eat anything now, its getting less and less. I have T1d as well so have to pre-dose insulin for food i cant face. I manage this OK now as my lack of appetite has been going on for at least 15 months, so have got used to it.

Although it has worsened in the last 2. I often sob looking in the larder and just dont fancy anything. I estimate I ate about 450 cals yesterday and I havent eaten anything yet today and been up since 6.

I did not know about the conversion to t4 to t3 needing calories and whether this is relevant for me.

A freind suggested fortysips but I havent bought these yet. They might be a good idea I suppose.

[SilverAvocado]

Dondays, I agree with what some others have said that 3 weeks is no time at all in getting used to a new dose. I often get all sorts of symptoms in the first 4 weeks or so of a new dose. It can often feel worst or new symptoms can appear. The important thing is just to hang in there and wait out for 6-8 weeks and see how you feel then.

Worrying, intrusive thoughts and feeling anxious can actually be hypothyroid symptoms, or quite common effects of changing a dose, too. I can find it quite comforting at times to realise my unpleasant emotions can just be a symptom and aren't my 'real' feelings. Just something to wait though and not pay too much attention to similar to a physical symptom like a headache.

Doctors will often convince us that thyroid illness is quite trivial, or that adjusting a dose is no big deal. But actually thyroid illness can be very serious, every part of your body can be affected by it. Changing dose can also be a big shock to the body, and it takes a good long while to get used to, the full impact of a new dose can take months to fully settle down. If you struggle with it at all make sure to be gentle with yourself, get plenty of rest and give yourself some extra care like you would if you had something like he a flu.

I've also had reduced appetite at times. I tried to find fairly high calorie foods I could tolerate. I found soft, cool foods easier to eat, like drinking milk or jelly and cream. I also liked pre-made mashed potato as someone else mentioned. Or if I ate a few bites of any food I'd make sure it was drenched in butter or olive oil so I wouldn't have to eat very much. These days I find a handful of nuts easy to eat and they are very nutrient dense so you don't need to chew and eat much.

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Hi Dondays, I just wanted to say I think forum members have given you great advice.

Increased anxiety is a major hypo problem for me, but when my thyroid Medication became optimal & key vitamins were in range this greatly improved. Taking magnesium glycinate also takes the edge off any panic symptoms & is easy on the stomach. Regarding food, I lost weight when under medicated & found going gluten free helped ease bloating & improved my appetite.

Best wishes to you & remember to keep posting if you need advice or support; we are here to help each other.

[Dondays]

Thank you all so very much you are all wonderful xx