Any answers on morning anxiety?

[Schenks]

Hi, folks. I have just ordered Paul Robinson's book on the CT3 method, but something another member said has me wondering. If I wake up with anxiety, might it be because I have low cortisol levels and that adrenalin is being produced because of this? Anyone got any info? I have quite a fast and thumpy heart rate at 6am, when I take my first NDT, and I'm wondering why this might be? I'm evidently still hypo during the day, despite a second dose of NDT at midday - you know the score, weak as a kitten, tired, dull-witted, no energy to do anything other than stare at the TV, but my symptoms do ease as the afternoon wears on. ... Will read Paul's book and hopefully will regain some of my oomph, but until I get it - or have the energy to read the thing - any ideas?

[Miffi]

Morning, i know just how you feel, i have just posted a question to so i cant give you any ideas, its just nice to chat to people that all feel the same

[Clarebear]

It's a good idea to do the saliva adrenal rest before starting CT3M , as this will reveal your cortisol levels at 4 times during the day. CT3M I believe is most suitable for people with low morning cortisol. I found that it really helped with my anxiety, which I think was due to too much adrenaline xx

[Schenks in reply to Clarebear]

Hi, Clare,

it was you who alerted me to the link with anxiety - and you're the prompt to but Paul's book, so I'm going to follow your advice again. Is Genova the best place, do you think? And am i right in thinking that if you go through Thyroid UK website you get a discount for the tests?

thanks, honeybunch.

Steph xx

[Clarebear in reply to Schenks]

Hi Steph - yes I think there is a discount if you quote TUK as your practionner. I used Genova and found their service to be good I can't comment on any other lab as I haven't used them.

Good luck with Paul's book and don't forget the T3 only facebook group who are great for advice on titrating the size and amount of the CT3M dose.

I am very hopeful that you will get all of this sorted like I did xxx

[kimbo]

well i will join in too i have had anxiety every since being diagnosed 13 years ago, i have low cortisol so hence the anxiety mine last all day the only rest i get from it is when im asleep and sometimes wake up with strong tingling all over my body and sweats i dont know what to do either gps not interested only to chuck you anti ds been there never helped so i go it alone stuck in this little world of my own,, dont go out because i have balance problems, panic attacks etc so i sit looking out of my window at the world passing by im 59 this year too so its taken quite a chunck out of my life, had two grandchildren born too, can do anything with them (sorry to be such a miserable b....ger) but thats how its left me, i cant give you an answer either im sorry

[Schenks in reply to kimbo]

Kimbo - I'm right there with you. I have been on and off antidepressants since my health crashed firstly in 1982, and had a subtotal thyroidectomy in 1984. By 1985 i was already crippled with anxiety, and have suffered with it in varying degrees ever since. antidepressants do b**ger-all except flatten the mood - I feel like a robot on them, and was just grateful for not hitting the lows too deeply. But after the last time, when I withdrew from them slowly and suffered weeks and weeks of 'head-shocks', I vowed never to take them again. So now I take 5-HTP supplement (from Healthspark) at 250mg every night and the depression aspect has never returned. (This dose was given to me when I spent all of our meagre savings on Dr Mouton - very clever, very expensive, patients are forever people - if you have the dosh. I bet I could get a blood serotonin level to calibrate the dose now, though.)

However, its the anxiety - bad most mornings but on several mornings a month, I wake up with such fear, and my mind casts around for something to be fearful of - and isn't there always something? If it's not the future it's the past, and I ruminate over past ills - I never twigged until Clarebear told me about the anxiety-adrenal link.

so stick with it kid, and watch this site for posts that are relevant to you. It's taken me a long time to get used to it, but you might be less of a social network/forum plug than me and get into it a lot quicker.

By the way, balance problems can be a classic sign of low adrenal function - it might be something called postural hypotension, which is where your blood pressure drops on standing.

[Clarebear in reply to Schenks]

I suffered badly with vertigo/dizziness (as well as anxiety and panic attacks) before diagnosis, whilst on T4 and in the earlier stages of treatment with Armour. For me these are definitely associated with low thyroid and adrenal function. The CT3M really helped with the adrenal side of things, so that I was able to tolerate the increases I needed to get to where I am now - 2.5 grains and feeling better. I do get the odd day when I wake up with anxiety, but nothing like I used to get. Good luck xxx

[Imogen]

Hi I`m so pleased to read this blog, that`s just how I feel each morning. I wake up with a feeling of doom, so fed up of this awful, awful feeling. Will now defintely go for adrenal test.

Thank you. Love Imogen xx

[Schenks in reply to Imogen]

Maybe we should start a subgroup for people troubled with anxiety in the morning - compare saliva tests!

[Imogen in reply to Schenks]

Too right!

[kimbo]

getting the gp to listen to you about low cortisol is a big no no so what chance have we of getting better x

[Schenks]

Stuff the bloody GPs - we can do it, bit by bit.

[Schenks]

Folks - I've just read the following posted a few hours ago by Helloise; I thought that if you two, Kimbo and Imogen, hadn't seen it, you need to, so I've cut and pated it as follows:_

Have you seen this adrenal article?thyroid-rt3.com/adrenals.htm

Excerpt: low cortisol symptoms are:-

Panic attacks, sometimes adrenal glands that can't produce enough cortisol end up producing adrenaline instead and this leads to panic attacks in some people

Shakiness and flu type symptoms, often able to be "slept off"

Difficulty getting to sleep, this is a high cortisol symptom

Inability to tolerate Thyroid Meds, they can cause anxiety or panic attacks when you take them and yet you are not hyper, temperature is still low

Uneven heart beat or missing heart beats, sometimes brought on when you take thyroid meds

Strange temperature instability effects, this has a page of it's own here

There are lots more symptoms of low cortisol, there is a page on the adrenals group site here that is full of them.

Another excerpt: your adrenals are low causing unstable temperatures then they need support, Isocort can help in mild cases or Hydrocortisone in more severe cases. If temperature tests indicate that you have an adrenal problem DO NOT START thyroid treatment until it is sorted. Go and have a look at the adrenals group web site, read through it, Join the adrenals group, the links section of their Yahoo group has links to labs where you can get the Saliva test done, this is the gold standard and can be done without a Dr's prescription, when you have the results of the saliva test post them on the Yahoo group and people will help you interpret them.