I'm a lady in my early seventies. Almost four months ago I just started to feel a little anxious. (Most unusual for me as never having had any anxiety problems)Co -incidentally I had stopped taking 5 htp after over 8 years when my friend said I should not have taken it for longer than a year. Increasingly I became shaky and anxious and not wanting to see my family or socialise. I went to my GP who thought it was anxiety but fortunately took bloods. They came back suggesting an immediate referral to an Endicronologist due to the levels of TSH,T3,T4 indicating Hyperthyroidism. I saw the Consultant on 3 December. I was started on Propanalol and then following the thyroid uptake scan commenced 10mg Carbimazole. I have also had an ultrasound which confirmed a 28mm toxic nodule and multi nodular goitre both on the left side. The FNA confirmed a thy2 benign lesion. the GP prescribed Mirtazpine to help with sleep and anxiety. I can honestly say I feel absolutely ghastly ,my anxiety seems to be getting worse and I feel Im now a nervous,flaky wreck not wanting to see family or friends. My daughter has arranged a private session with a CBT therapist. I had my first session yesterday and she stated that I should go back to my GP and state that the meds are not helping. Sorry this is such a lengthy account but I will be relieved if anyone else has/or is going through the same horrible experience?
Awful experience: I'm a lady in my early... - Thyroid UK
Awful experience
That sounds pretty bad.
Do you have your actual test results? Having them does help with discussions.
Many here know much more than I about hyperthyroidism, and toxic nodules. I'll leave most of this to those who know.
Your carbimazole dose is quite low. It could be increased considerable, if needed.
helvella - Splitting Carbimazole Doses
A short discussion about Carbimazole primarily focussed on splitting doses but containing other information which may be helpful to anyone taking, or considering, Carbimazole.
Last updated 06/01/2025
Link to blog:
helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...
pennyannie PurpleNails
Hello Thyroidfamily and welcome the forum :
It reads as though your thyroid is malfunctioning and presume causing over range T3/T4 thyroid hormones.
The thyroid is a major gland responsible for full body synchronisation from you physical ability and stamina through to your mental, emotion, psychological and spiritual well being, your inner central heating system and your metabolism.
All areas of your ' self ' are prone to become affected when the thyroid is struggling and there can be something of a brain / body mismatch, in what you think you should be doing and what you can actually ' be bothered ' to do as you may well feel totally exhausted and over whelmed without doing anything.
Without more detailed information it's difficult to say much more - if you have your blood tests results and ranges there, and care to share them with forum members, we can better advise - do you have a copy of your TSH+ T3 + T4 + antibody results and ranges ?
How long have you been on this 10 mcg dose of Carbimazole - there is an alternative to Carbimazole should these be new symptoms you are experiencing - Propylthiouracil ( PTU ) -
otherwise it probably means your dose of Carbimazole needs adjusting - though without any results everything is but a guess.
The Propranolol is a beta blocker to protect your heart and should also slow down the rate at which your T4 is converted to T3 -
and the Carbimazole is an Anti Thyroid drug prescribed to semi-block your own new daily thyroid hormone production of T3/T4 -
and as these thyroid hormones start to fall back down into range the AT drug dose is reduced down accordingly to try and keep you on an even keel with your T3/T4 around mid point - 50% - in their respective ranges while we wait for considered opinion as to how to proceed longer term.
Welcome to forum,
Recommend you get copies of blood test to check what you levels are. Sometimes Dr do not do a full test so it’s important to check drs are adjusting your carbimazole by FT4 & FT3. TSH can be very unreliable.
You should be having rechecks of levels every 6 weeks until stable? It this being done?
I have a toxic nodule & I have no autoimmune. Have drs checked your thyroid antibodies? I suspect you were sent for an uptake scan to look for nodules as test didn’t show thyroid antibodies, which tends to be the testing procedure.
I had minor symptoms when diagnosed, symptoms were quite gradual, I also felt worse when drs told me carbimazole treatment was right. We often hear of how drs tend to over do carbimazole because they are looking for the TSH to rise. They do not account for how low the FT4 & FT3 become. Many feel very unwell with low levels and anxiety Is common with both hyper & hypo symptoms. What you are describing is often spoken about on this forum.
I'm in my 60s and I've been taking a low dose of 5-HTP since 2011 i.e. about 13 or 14 years (50 mg per day most of the time I've been on it although I take it fewer days of the week now than I used to). I don't know what side effects your friend was concerned about. I've never had any myself.
Since 5-HTP is an anti-depressant I would have suggested that anyone wanting to wean themselves off it should take it very slowly like they would with prescribed anti-depressants.
A personal anecdote - please note I'm hypothyroid rather than hyperthyroid. I don't know if that is relevant to what I'm about to say.
I used to be anxious. I discovered that my iron and ferritin were very low. I started treating my own low iron and ferritin and although I absorb it poorly and it took a long time I discovered eventually that my slowly improving ferritin and iron were actually eliminating my anxiety and my depression. My anxiety has disappeared completely but I still have very mild depression from time to time.
Perhaps it would be worth your while to get some nutrient levels tested and optimised if necessary? We usually suggest, for anyone with thyroid disease, that people optimise their ferritin (iron stores), iron, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and folate/
Thank you for all the replies it is astounding for me to discover how many people have had horrendous problems with their thyroid. I had more bloods taken yesterday the last levels were slightly down from the former TSH 0.02,T3 7.3,T4 17.4 so await to hear if there will be any change to medication. I have managed to have a telephone appointment with a GP and she agreed that I can stop the Mirtizapine and try going back on 5 HTP to see if this helps my anxiety. I did wonder if there are any supplements / vitamins to take for hyperthyroidism? Thanks again.
Hi again Ive been researching vitamins/supplements I could take alongside my hyperthyroid meds. Selenium,D3,magnesium and zinc seem to be the forerunners but can anyone advise?
Unless you actually reply to someone - we have no idea you have written anything else -
A new question deserves a new post - so all forum members can help and support you -
Since you say these new results are lower - the AT drug is working - but we haven't the first set - so can't compare or advise, and we haven't any ranges.
So what were your results of T3 and T4 results from before taking the Carbimazole ?
and can you please give the ranges for both T3 and T4 :
Maybe start a new post with this information and incorporate you question above regarding recommendations for vitamins and minerals.
Do i need to see my GP?
Feeling awful
Is it normal to feel this awful?
Similar experience?
