Can emotional distress cause problems?

[SarahJane1471]

I added T3 to my Levo a few months ago and all seemed to be going well. How ever on two occasions since then I’ve received some bad news about sudden deaths of people I know ( one a very close aunt). Now I know I have PTSD so that is an added issue , but I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus! I mean I feel like I’ve taken 2 steps forward and 3 back. Could emotional distress/shock affect my thyroid?

[Lalatoot]

Sorry about your losses. Please be kind to yourself and not push to feel better.

Emotional stress even when not on thyroid medication can really knock us for six so what your experiencing is normal.

Emotional stress affects our mood and that affects how we physically feel.

When stressed we are more anxious. Our guts rumble and churn and we eat differently often or don't eat at all. This in turn affects gut function. This in turn affects the absorption of oral thyroid hormones and our levels dip. Sleep becomes more difficult and tiredness is added to the mix

We tend to think of the person we have lost or the awful situation we are in so the brain gets tired and cuddly. We can't focus.

Be kind to yourself. It will take time for you to get back on track.

[SarahJane1471 in reply to Lalatoot]

thank you for your kind response. It’s a bit demoralising as I was doing so well 🙈.

Now I’m thinking should I a change things around and stop T3 and try more T4 ? But I’m guessing you are saying stay as I am and see if I recover 🤷‍♀️

you are spot on ……. fatigue/poor sleep/ not eating well 🥹

[Lalatoot in reply to SarahJane1471]

I wouldn't change anything at the moment. Let things settle.I haven't looked to see your previous posts so don't know why you added t3. If it was just because you were generally under medicated then a higher dose of levo might do it. But if you started t3 because your ft4 and ft3 were out of sync indicating poor conversion then levo only won't really help. But that is something to consider later.

When I added t3 to levo it took me 2 years of gradual changes to settle on a dose that I wanted to stay on longer term to see how my body settled and how remaining symptoms resolved. Another 2 years later things are still improving. It takes time to heal.

[SarahJane1471 in reply to Lalatoot]

Thankyou. You are right. Started low dose T3 as T4 wasn’t doing it after 18 months and I couldn’t tolerate any bigger dose. FT3 was low in range. I feel a bit better this morning. I will stick with my current doses. Thank you

[Jaydee1507 Administrator in reply to SarahJane1471]

Sorry for your losses.

Definitely some hypo people do less well than others during times of stress.

I'd recommend getting new bloods done to include FT3, also ferritin, folate, B12 & D3?

Are you currently supplementing to get your levels optimal? Things like this can easily fall by the wayside when theres a lot going on in your life and you're struggling but its actually more important than ever to make sure your levels are good.

[SarahJane1471 in reply to Jaydee1507]

thank you. My levels were good at the end of April (FT4 71% FT3 62%). I supplement well.

Thank you

[arTistapple]

All that’s been said before. Good advice. I feel like some ‘natural’ defence thingy has been physically removed from me. I noticed it a long time ago, although I hadn’t got a clue what it was. I thought I was somehow more sensitive than others. I was constantly on alert for something going wrong. If someone disagreed with me it gave me angina. This is so rare now, thankfully. However the ability to ‘crash’ when something I consider awful to happen is still with me. Since I see such a change in the level and number of my dodgy responses, I feel it’s more closely related to my illness than me. I am relieved my meds have been addressing this, whilst I know I have a ways to go.

[SarahJane1471]

yes I totally understand that. With PTSD my emotional response to situations is pretty dramatic so I’m guessing my stress response has such an effect on HPT and HPA axis that my thyroid levels MUST change until the stresses disappear 🫠

[pennyannie in reply to SarahJane1471]

Hello Sarah Jane :

I went to the doctor as I had insomnia and 2 days later diagnosed with Graves Disease.

I was put on an Anti Thyroid drug and the insomnia resolved and I continued to work and face each day my assistant manager who had physically threatened and verbally abused me a few months earlier.

I had reported this incident to my company and going through the necessary process to have him made accountable and dismissed.

I never put these two things together until much later in my life , some 10 years later when very unwell and started my own research as the NHS didn't seem to be able to help me.

So yes, undoubtedly - everything within the body is inter connected - with the thyroid being the controller of everything , which includes your mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual well being and will down regulate thyroid hormone conversion just as it can up regulate thyroid hormone conversion in times of stress and anxiety.

[SarahJane1471 in reply to pennyannie]

Thankyou . A lovely response and so wise 🥹

[arTistapple in reply to SarahJane1471]

I agree. I am hoping I continue along this way of lesser ‘over reacting’. I do not mean that in any shape or form as a ‘valuation’ of us, much more about the state we find ourselves in due to our illness. It’s not wrong to feel things deeply, it’s when it takes over our lives, our focus etc that it becomes problematical. I have just read the recent stuff my GP has written about me. That often sets off flares of both anger and fear. However I almost feel sorry for them in their ignorance. Not much help to me other than another indication that it’s up to myself with the help, guidance and support of all you guys.

[SarahJane1471 in reply to arTistapple]

you are so right. I catastrophise it’s part of my mental health problems. 🤷‍♀️it’s who I am. It’s embedded in me from when I was 17. I am feeling a lot better today .

Thank you all for your kind words 🙏

[tattybogle]

my two penneth ... we've lost some of that resilience we used to have... things that would once have hit you hard but you'd have recovered from in short time , can now hit you harder AND take longer and more 'self care' to recover from .

I've noticed emotional upsets now hit me harder and take longer to recover from than physical ones do. I rarely need to 'change' anything , but i do usually need to be extremely kind to myself for a while and accept i've just been hit by a truck load of adrenaline / whatever. Give yourself a month of 'gentle' to allow all that shock and grief to settle down a bit before you go rocking the hormone boat.

thyroid hormones are great , but they can't fix shock and grief any faster than time / being kind to yourself can .

[SarahJane1471 in reply to tattybogle]

thank you Tatts . Very kind and sensible words as always 🥹

[Imaaan]

Im sorry for your loss. Grief can take a toll on our bodies so pls be gentle on yourself. It took me about a yr to recover from a loss.

[SarahJane1471 in reply to Imaaan]

thank you. X