Can Synthroid initially cause anxiety?

[Andrea23r]

Okay so I have nevery been involved on am online forum but maybe some opinnions will help.

I have been on synthroid for 6 years now.  At first,  it was great.  I felt energized and has always been very sociable and full of life.  These past 3 years though,  have been aweful.

I developed anxiety that I have no "trigger" for,  and have had many hospital visits because of my panic attacks. I was wondering if maybe some thing in synthroid can be a cause to having this anxiety originally?

I believe I started on .50 mg, and went to .75. After a recent visit,  my levels were to high and I got bumped to .88. I understand that changing dosages changes your body a little,  but has any one ever heard that you actually get anxiety/panic disorder from taking synthroid?

When I have panic attacks I have heart palpitations, confusion,  crying,  sadness, shaking sometimes. They come when ever they want and their is no rhyme or reason why I should be having these.

Any information will help :)!

[gimel]

Your original symptoms are frequently related to hypothyroidism, but you did not post any test results from that time.  From your most recent test results your Free T4 is typically too low in the range.  I won't go into all the details of why, but it should be at least mid-range.  TSH is basically a useless test when already taking thyroid med.  You were not tested for the most relevant thyroid hormone, which is Free T3.  Free T3 is metabolized by cells throughout the body and provides the energy we need.  Many hypo patients taking T4 meds find that their body does not adequately convert the T4 to T3, resulting in inadequate levels of Free T3 and associated symptoms.  So you need to make sure they test for both Free T4 and Free T3 every time you go in for tests.  If they resist, you should insist and not take no for an answer.  

Since hypo patients are so frequently deficient in Vitamin D, B12 and ferritin, you should also test for those and then supplement as needed to optimize.  D should be at least 50, B12 in the upper part of its range, and ferritin at least 70.  All three are important.  

In addition, with the reactions you report with the thyroid med, it makes me wonder if you have a cortisol problem.  Cortisol is one of the tests that should be done during initial diagnosis.  A cortisol deficiency can sometimes cause reactions symptoms like you mention.  It is also recommended that any cortisol deficiency should be qddressed before starting on thyroid med.  

The best way to test for cortisol is a diurnal saliva cortisol panel of 4 tests from samples taken at different times of day.  Doctors don't like to order that test panel and will usually only order a morning serum cortisol test, which is total cortisol and not as definitive as the saliva test which is free cortisol.  If you cannot get a doctor to order the saliva tests, you could order a test kit on line and it costs about $140.  At any rate I think your symptoms require  cortisol testing.  Note these symptoms of being low in cortisol


    Mental and psychological ailments such as depression
    Faintness and dizziness
    Weakness and fatigue
    Heart palpitations
    Emotional hypersensitivity
    Inability to cope with stress
    Social anxiety
    Muscle weakness
    Headache, scalp ache, or general body ache
    Severe or dull lower back pain
    Extremely sensitive skin
    Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting
    Abdominal pain and hunger pain despite an empty stomach
    Extreme craving for salty foods
    Anxiety and jitters
    Clumsiness and confusion
    Motion sickness
    Insomnia and dark circles under the eyes
    Low bladder capacity and symptoms of IBS
    Irregular or non-existent menstrual peri

[gimel]

Please tell us about all symptoms you have, if there are others.  Also we need to know your thyroid related test results and their reference ranges shown on the lab report.  

[Andrea23r]

Hello Gimel,
So in the beginning, I got diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was not menstruating. Turns out I have premature ovarian failure. Not sure as to why. But anyways, I WAS tired, sleeping 10 hours a day, sluggish, no energy just kind of wanted to sleep.

I got started on .50 mg of synthroid back in 2010ish. At first I felt great! After a while I started feeling the same way and my meds got bumped to .75. No huge effect. Then I started to develop anxiety in the winter months of 2013. I actually had a panic attack while driving on a highway, Chest  got tight, couldn't breathe, had tunnel vision, dizzy, i was a mess. I went to the hospital and they actually thought I was having a heart attack (Thank god they were so so so wrong). So I have been living with this anxiety, which has improved but is always still around, lurking.

Lately, I just went to the endo on 10/26/16 and these were my results:
T4, FREE: 1.17 (0.82-1.77 range)
TSH 6.660 (0.45-4.500 range).

My endo has thought I had hashimotos before, and the tests came back negative, same thing with graves and i believe the name is addisons?

These were my previous test results:
07/28/15- T4Free 0.93 (.82-1.77 range) TSH: 3.490 (.045-4.500 range).

02/12/15- T4FREE 1.03 (.082-1.77 range) TSH 2.000 (.045-4.500 range)

12/04/2014- T4FREE 1.13 (.082-1.77 range) TSH 2.370 (.045-4.500 range)

I'm beginning to wonder if it is possible by even STARTING the synthroid that it is the cause for my anxiety that just hid until I went up in meds. I am now taking .88 and am going insane! I have anxiety and panic attacks almost every day. Im scared, can't sleep well, always nervous, nauseous, shakey, on edge,

Sorry it was so long :)