Can stress make hypothyroidism worse

[Sunflower535]

I am on week four after starting thyroxine. One day I don't feel so bad the next awful but today after a pretty stressful day feel worse than I have done for ages. Does stress make things worse or is the doctor right after all and I'm actually depressed. I am so tired, actually went to bed after work, low mood and have no motivation to do anything.

[radd]

Sunflower535,

Yes, stress can increase hypo symptoms or make existing symptoms worsen by affecting the way thyroid hormones work, and the more hypo we are the more adrenals pick up the slack becoming over worked and over sensitised. It is a vicious circle.

Some members take adaptogens to help control high cortisol levels but as you've only been medicating Levothyroxine for approx a month things will may improve as you become optimally medicated. Meanwhile if this were me I would be looking to reduce stress load and optimising nutrient/iron levels that will enable thyroid hormone meds to work more effectively.

[Sunflower535 in reply to radd]

Thanks for message radd. I have always been a mildly anxious person but since all this started I feel my anxiety has got worse. Now when I'm stressed I'm tired, low mood and can't motivate myself. I used to be someone who never stopped, bit like on Duracell batteries. Lol. That person is no more, but hopefully things will change eventually. It all takes time.

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Stress definitely makes my hypo symptoms worse, so I have modified my work-life balance as much as I can to reduce (some) stress. I’ve found that I need to be 6-8 weeks on a consistent dose before making any changes. I’ve also found that I need to increase (or decrease) thyroid medication super slowly (eg 12.5mcg per day) as otherwise I get a massive spike in anxiety. Other members, however increase in larger amounts, suffering no ill effects.

As radd has suggested do test key thyroid vitamins (ferritin, folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin D) as having these optimal supports thyroid health. When you have these, remember to share them with us in a new post.

[Sunflower535 in reply to Buddy195]

Thank you Buddy195. If I have to up my dose I will keep that in mind. Doctor did test b12 before. I will ask about others next time but I can't imagine there'll do them. Thanks for your reply. It means do much to me to know I'm not losing my mind.

[HeartWoman]

I think a some of it has to do with where you are in your increase too. The middle weeks can be brutal for some. It doesn't mean every moment is bad, but there are definitely adjustments going on. I just finished 4 weeks myself and this last week has not been fun. I have no motivation and my mood change in an instant. Not fun at all!

[Sunflower535 in reply to HeartWoman]

Thanks for your message Heart Woman. Knowing I am not on my own helps so much. Hope things settle for you soon.

[FinneUK]

I'm in the same boat re stress and am taking Adrenavive but hope increasing to 50mcg from 25mcg Levo won't be too bad. I have taken Armour and Metavive in the past, altered amounts, and I've never had bad effects apart from when taking T3 for a while on top which I stopped, again stopping had no bad effects. Is it because it's T4 alone that it's harsh on the system?

[Sunflower535 in reply to FinneUK]

Thanks for your message Finneuk. Knowing there are others going through similar helps so much. Hope you start to improve soon too.

[buddy99]

Does stress make me feel worse? Does it ever!!!!! I first get all riled up by the stress and then I crash and burn. Some people swear by Ashwagandha to calm down and regulate mood. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Having said that, there is also the opinion that, because it is a nightshade, people with Hashimoto's should not take it. Just another thing that requires a trial to find out how it works for the individual.

I have no idea how often I have heard from doctors that I am depressed. It now makes me super angry when I hear it as diagnoses for myself or others. To me it is just a quick way out of actually finding the cause. "Here is your antidepressant. And... we're done." Even if you were depressed, it would be a good idea to look for the cause. Hypo can come with depression, for one thing. And stress can tucker you out. Have you heard of the spoon theory? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon... It is essential, I find, to household with my energy.

The most important thing, I think, is to try to get to the bottom of things. It can take time but is usually worth the effort. I hope you'll feel much better very soon.

[Sunflower535 in reply to buddy99]

Thanks buddy99. I have taken b12 before with Ashwagandha and I thought it helped. I think I will get some more. My thyroid antibodies level is more than 500 so I might be Hashimotos although GP said that just meant I had a higher chance of getting hypothyroidism. I don't feel just as bad today. I have been trying to reduce gluten and yesterday I had some rice which might have gluten. Maybe that made symptoms worse. I am keeping a dairy of my mood, what I ate etc and see if there is a pattern. Thanks again. I will check out spoon theory. Thanks for that too.

[buddy99 in reply to Sunflower535]

With thyroid antibodies that high I would say you have autoimmune thyroid. And, yes, if it is Hashi you have a higher chance of hypothyroidism. And that is in combination WITH autoimmunity. Your doctor is telling you a half truth. There is published research that autoantibodies alone can cause you all sorts of grief, independent of your thyroid hormone status. I think it would be good to get a full thyroid panel; free T4, free T3 and TSH and both TPO and TG antibodies and put the results for review on this forum. Getting vitamin D, B12, iron and folate status checked might also be helpful At this point I'm not sure your doctor is on the ball.