Dose increase + panic attacks

[Runcmc]

I’ve searched the forum before posting this and I can see there’s a theme linked to anxiety and dose increases, but since increasing my dose from 50-75mcg three days ago I’ve experienced several full blown panic attacks, ending with my whole body shaking uncontrollably. My recent lab results from this week are on my previous post and TSH + T4 both sub optimal.

Bizzarley, it seems to appear from nowhere, then bam, tight chest, heart racing, sweating and shaking. It’s very scary and on top of trying to recover from a bad crash with Hypo symptoms (which was scary enough) it’s starting to feel like a bad trip.

Shall I reduce/split the dose and if so how? How long should I expect these symptoms to last?

I also would feel very reassured to hear from others who have experienced this and got through it.

[Dahliasanddaisies]

Hey, yes it can happen when you increase your dose. Some of us are quite sensitive to increases

You could try alternate 50/75 for 6 weeks (or 62.5mcg per day). I have had to do all my increases very slowly to avoid the symptoms you describe.

Some members increase even slower, like 2 days of 75, 5 days 50 etc.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Previous post

Your vitamin levels are also extremely poor, especially ferritin

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Have you started working on improving these

Low vitamin levels can make it difficult to tolerate increasing dose Levo

And it’s a vicious circle because vitamin levels are poor because you are hypothyroid

Which dose and brand was 50mcg tablets

What brand and tablets are you taking for 75mcg

[Runcmc in reply to SlowDragon]

As I've been so unwell the last week, I haven’t made any changes to the vitamin supplements that I usually take per day….but I do intend to try some of the recommendations previously posted.

Natures Plus Hema- Plex tablets (42mg elemental Iron + Methylated B12, Folate, Vit C + bioflavonoids). I’ve just noticed this is a sustained release tablet so may not be best choice for talking with Levo?

Food grown Vitamin (D3 1000IU / 25ug)

Food Grown Magnesium Glyconate 80mg

Levothyroxine is Hillcross / Accord 50mcg and I’ve been chopping an extra tablet in half to make up the 75mcg dose as I was given Mercury brand in 25mcg tablets and didn’t want to start those yet as I’d heard changing brands can cause issues too.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Runcmc]

Suggest you look at getting separate B12 supplement and a daily vitamin B complex

Start B12 a week before adding separate daily vitamin B complex

All B vitamins should be taken early morning ideally….after breakfast

Has GP prescribed iron supplements

[Runcmc in reply to SlowDragon]

No GP hasn’t prescribed iron this time as my levels are within lab range. I don’t usually tolerate prescribed iron tablets well which is why I moved to the Hema-Plex tablets. They have raised my ferritin levels a bit so maybe I’ll keep on with those and eat some liver a couple times a week too 🤢

[healthkiwi]

Just to add to the mix: could you be peri-menopausal? I remember that one of the worst scary symptoms for me was sudden waves of doom "I'm going to die right now", coming out of nowhere. So frightening, several times a day. GP said it's one of the effects of lack of estrogen, and put me on HRT immediately. He said the death panics should stop within 36 hours ( the hot sweats might take a month). And they did stop within a day or so.

I know there is some connection between thyroid and estrogen - not actually sure how they work together, but maybe the increase in thyroid dose has revealed a deficiency elsewhere.

Good luck.

[humanbean]

One reason for your anxiety and panic (and fast heart rate, if you have this) could be your low iron/ferritin.

I got panic, anxiety, fast heart rate (tachycardia) when I was extremely low in iron and ferritin. but it has almost completely disappeared since I got my iron and ferritin close to optimal.(Ferritin is a measure of your iron stores.)

My heart rate went up to as high as 150 - 170 beats per minute, but when my iron started to improve my heart rate stopped going so high and became much more "normal".

Note that the iron pills prescribed by NHS doctors can be bought from pharmacies in the UK without prescription with a pharmacist's permission. If you can tolerate prescribed iron this is great (many people can't tolerate it). Many of us these days use a different form of iron bought on the web :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

threearrowsnutra.com/en-uk/...

.

Regarding the "dangers" of high thyroid hormones, you might find this thread of interest as well as being reassuring :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[jgelliss in reply to humanbean]

I experienced the same problem with palpitations and low Iron was the reason. Dr's I found in my experiences just don't pay attention to low Iron or just don't know much about it. Either way we are at the losing end. I experienced palpitations for many years and no Dr ever picked up the low Iron .Thank you HB for sharing your experiences.