Stress and thyroid disease

[Atma123]

I have an treated underactive thyroid and i’m on levothyroxine. I’ve had hypothyroidism for 35 years, I’m now 61.. I’m finding that any stressful situation makes me feel very odd, all over the place, and feeling lime Ive drunk 30 cups of coffee. Awful.. Can that happen with thyroid disease. Any advice welcome. Thanks.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

welcome to the Thyroid forum

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

What are your most recent thyroid and vitamin results

Being on incorrect dose Levo/poor vitamin levels can put extra strain on adrenal gland…….making it harder to cope with any stress

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose change or brand change in levothyroxine

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested

Also both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once to see if your hypothyroidism is autoimmune

Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum

About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease, usually diagnosed by high TPO and/or high TG thyroid antibodies

Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s

Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis.

Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.

Significant minority of Hashimoto’s patients only have high TG antibodies (thyroglobulin)

Low vitamin levels are extremely common when hypothyroid, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease

Low vitamin levels much more common as we get older too

what vitamin supplements are you taking

20% of autoimmune thyroid patients never have high thyroid antibodies and ultrasound scan of thyroid can get diagnosis

In U.K. medics hardly ever refer to autoimmune thyroid disease as Hashimoto’s (or Ord’s thyroiditis)

Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just before 9am, only drink water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

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

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

Testing options and includes money off codes for private testing

thyroiduk.org/testing/

Medichecks Thyroid plus BOTH TPO and TG antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes BOTH TPO and TG antibodies, cortisol and vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/testing/thyro...

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

thyroiduk.org/signs-and-sym...

Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test

support.medichecks.com/hc/e...

Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee

[SlowDragon Administrator]

having high cholesterol may also suggest levothyroxine dose needs increase

nhs.uk/conditions/statins/c...

If you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), treatment may be delayed until this problem is treated. This is because having an underactive thyroid can lead to an increased cholesterol level, and treating hypothyroidism may cause your cholesterol level to decrease, without the need for statins. Statins are also more likely to cause muscle damage in people with an underactive thyroid.

[Forestgarden]

Yes, in my experience stress can make you feel jittery - a bit like a sudden drop in blood sugar, or, as you say, too much caffeine. It almost feels like the start of a panic attack. I think, for me, it happens when I have low ft3 - so my body is trying to respond to the stress, but there's no energy release to back it up. Do you have recent thyroid test results?

[Buddy195 Administrator]

As others have said, it’s useful to share recent thyroid blood test results. I have found that my stress/ anxiety levels are first to be affected if my results are not optimal. Please remember that optimal may not be the same as what GPs refer to as ‘Normal ’ or ‘within range’

[catrich]

Hi - at 61, I imagine you're postmenopausal? You don't mention if you take any HRT. Your reaction to stressful situations may be related to adrenaline...but it may be related to any number of things. I very recently consulted a functional medicine Dr and specialist in Women’s health. I'm 57 and just entering menopause. I started to notice things that I had never previously been (so?) aware of, including stress-related reactions. I would say that having a good look at your overall health, including your thyroid health and your hormones, could be useful for you. I went private ( I live in Switzerland but saw someone in London) but perhaps your GP would agree to run these tests?

[LoveAndPeas]

I've been having something similar in regards to stress. I've been on levothyroxine for 35 years and am also on the rollercoaster of perimenopause at 55.

I was told by a women's health specialist that the adrenals naturally compensate for lower hormone levels, and this is true whether its low thyroid or whether it's low female hormones in menopause. So I'm assuming my adrenals are over worked and I'm getting a nasty stress reaction (similar to 'adrenal fatigue'). My focus is on adrenal support.

I'm keeping away from HRT if I possibly can. I feel at this time, when apparently 1 in 2 people are going to get some form of cancer, I'd rather be increasing my odds of staying healthy than lowering them!

Menopause is obviously a natural part of a woman life. Like childbirth, shouldn't the body know how to do it without medical intervention?

Maybe I'm idealistic and maybe I'll be running for the HRT when my stress levels are through the roof, but almost every woman my age that I know is jumping straight onto HRT!

I just worry that we don't yet know the whole picture.

[TiggerMe in reply to LoveAndPeas]

I think the initial scaremongering of HRT ( a hangover from some very limited, inappropriate trials years ago) is giving way to the benefits for brain, heart and bone health, it isn't that it is to unnaturally raise hormone levels it is just to stop them becoming totally deficient and loosing their protective advantages...

Menopause is obviously a natural part of a woman life. Like childbirth, shouldn't the body know how to do it without medical intervention?

The thing is more that we are trying to stay healthy beyond our intended expiry date... it's only in the last 100 years that life expectancy has jumped from 50-80 so it isn't really surprising that cancer, dementia etc rates have grown add in the advent of ultra processed foods I think body identical HRT is remarkably safe compared to many other medical interventions 🤷‍♀️ You wouldn't get far in life without your hormones for the first 50 years 🙃

But it is everyone's personal choice obviously as is diet, drinking, smoking being a couch potato or active

[LoveAndPeas in reply to TiggerMe]

Hi TiggerMe, I totally understand the wish to stay healthy as long as possible! I'm definitely on a quest for that too and understand where you are coming from. And, as you say, its a decision to be made by each of us individually.

But I think that menopause isn't a deficiency of hormones, it's a natural lowering of them. Just as in adolescence we have a natural raising of hormones. We don't medicate teenagers because they have all kinds of side effects from too many hormones coursing through their veins (although it might be very tempting lol). Why are we medicating older women when the opposite is happening?

Yes, its a rollercoaster ride, and its definitely a challenge, but I'm hoping to emerge the other side in a new strong vital phase of life. For the first 12-13 years of our lives we didn't have them, and then we had 30-40 years of them, and then we get to not have them any more. I'm kind of weirdly looking forward to see what that's like!

Women have often lived to a healthy old age in many parts of the world without HRT. Improvements in sanitation, working conditions, medicine have all contributed to increased life expectancy. It's certainly not sure yet that HRT has made any contribution.

It's only been around since 1965, only adopted on a large scale in the 1990's, so it's still very much an experiment.

[TiggerMe in reply to LoveAndPeas]

That's the strange thing we do treat teenagers with all manner of things rather than dealing with the root cause and balancing their hormones which would be a far more natural approach to help with acne, anxiety, pcos etc....

I think people without thyroid issues possibly maintain a better level of hormones after menopause as their adrenals haven't already been exhausted trying to make up for low thyroid hormones... unless they have had a stressful life which would have been equally draining😕... my experience has been, prior to HRT very low sex hormones... I felt like a wizened old dithery crone and with them I feel like I did at 45 by just keeping them low in range.

It is so easy, it would make sense for people to get their levels tested, no reason to be in the dark about how your adrenals are coping with the extra load, I agree they ought to look properly at what is needed to balance the system rather than just bung some at you to 'see how you go' 🙄

It's only been around since 1965, only adopted on a large scale in the 1990's, so it's still very much an experiment.

Don't you think this comes down to the general lack of interest in female health and women getting put away due to their nerves? With all pharmaceuticals aimed at men...

But at least they are now using body identical which is preferable to anti depressants

I wish you well on your journey... perhaps we shall revisit once you are on the other side 🤗

We have rather wandered off the original thread 🙃

[LoveAndPeas in reply to TiggerMe]

Thanks TiggerMe, I do agree with a lot of what you say - especially the neglect of female health. Maybe I'll change my mind when I get there, but I'm looking forward to becoming a wizened old dithery crone with some radically altered ideas of what being a woman means to me. Ha ha! See you on the other side! Wishing you well on your journey too 🤗

[FoxyTed in reply to LoveAndPeas]

This is interesting Loveandpeas, think it happens to me because of low hormones both female and Thyroid! I have just started T4 over 2 weeks ago and I’m praying for good conversion but we will see. How do you support your thyroid please? I’m on adrenal homemade cocktail and Seriphos.

[LoveAndPeas in reply to FoxyTed]

Hi FoxyTed, good luck with getting good results from the T4.

I actually only took plain old T4 for most of my life and have been kind of ok... dragging myself around a lot of the time but more or less able to function as a very low energy person.

I've recently decided that this is not good enough! So I'm on a quest to find a new energised normal, hence joining this forum.

I'm getting all the recommended tests done and will start on the needed supplements. And then I'll do a trial of an NDT. I did try Armour a decade ago and found myself going hypo, but I think I might have just needed a higher dose... duh.

[FoxyTed in reply to LoveAndPeas]

Wishing you every success on your journey!

You are right to search for a better quality of life.