FEELING OF PANIC

[Liz1900]

Hi,

   I have been posting on this board for a little while now and thought I would ask about something that has been happening the past four days or so.  I am in the process of trying to adjust to a cut in my dosage of Armour - originally from 135 to120 to 90 to 75 mg.  This has been over several months and I am waiting a few weeks for blood work.  The last few days around 6:00 A. M. or earlier I am in a light sleep and feel my heart beating fast and that continues until I awake.  Once up it beats rather fast and then seems to slow down, but not to what I consider normal.  It feels like a panic attack.  Yesterday I took one of my xanax tablets (small dose) - and I seemed to calm down for the rest of the whole day and evening.

   Anyone have this experience - I admit I am stressed from trying to get this resolved and never feeling normal.

Thanks - you all are wonderful,
Liz

[Karly122]

Forgot to add, that I would ask your doctor to check your T4 and T3 levels along with your TSH levels.
-Karly

[Karly122]

Hi again.  I know that Armour contains both T3 and T4.. T4 has a long half life of 6-7 days. This means that after one week (6-7days), the amount of T4 remaining in the body will be half the strength. After one more week, the amount of T4 remaining in the body is half of that half and so forth. It stays in your system a long time. I am wondering if that is what's causing your problems. I know that T3 has a very short half life. I have read 10 hours-1 day.  It may be that you also metabolize medication slowly and maybe your body needs a break. If you are anything like me, having "over symptoms" and trying to cut back on the dosage won't work. I take straight T4, and I metabolize it slowly. I have been overmedicated twice now in the past 11 years (since being diagnosed with hypothyroidism). Both times were just misjudging done on doctor's part. However, both times I needed to take time off of the medicine before starting again at a lower dose. Please remember I take Synthroid. I don't know the ratio of T3 to T4 in Armour, but I know that one only needs a very small amount of T3, so I believe Armour is mostly T4. (please correct me if I am wrong). For yourself, I would definately check into this and speak to your doctor about what I discussed. Let me know how your appointment went.
-Karly

[stella5349]

I got your Personal message. I thought I would write back to you here - so you new I got it - I know you were not sure if I recieved the message from what you said.

Check your inbox. :)

[stella5349]

Hi - you long have you had this virus? I too had the same thing about a month ago and last week my glands in the back of my neck (in the middle) were swollen like a breakfast sausage. the gland on the side of my jaw expecially the right made me look like I was a chipmunk storing nuts. I too had heart palps during this time. I jump on the net and looked up some things on cold-flu and virus with hypo thyroid and I found info that virus do effect the meds we are on - It does make alot of sense - since your bodies are trying to fight off the virus.

See what the blood work says - but the xanax will help.

Good Luck

[Liz1900]

Hi,

   I am writing comments back to several people who responded to my post this morning about feeling of panic and heart palpitations.  Yes, my dosage has been cut from 135 to 120 to 90 and now to 75 mg of Armour.  This has been since December.  The one blood work I have had in that time still showed I was getting too much medication.  I have been on 75 mg for two weeks yesterday and felt somewhat normal, but the heart palpitations and feelings of panic started up a few days ago.  I will have blood work in a couple more weeks.  It is hard to understand what is going on since I have been on Armour for 40 years with no problem until December 2007 when the palpitations started.  After a bunch of heart tests which all came out normal, I guess something kicked it out of whack and that is what I have been dealing with.  Sometimes my heart rate isn't that high and I still feel like it is racing and I think that may be anxiety - but who knows at this point.  Also for the past two and a half weeks I have had some kind of a virus or such with sore throat, losing my voice, lots of drainage from my sinuses - no fever or anything.  The doctor a couple of weeks ago said if it is viral they can't give you anything.  I also have had swollen glands which I never get - one of which has gone down pretty much.  I feel like I am falling apart and don't know which thing is caused by what.

Oh, well, I have an appointment with the doctor on Friday which I had made a while ago thinking I would be getting blood work, but since the change to 75 mg two weeks ago - I have to wait longer, but I plan to keep that appointment and talk to him about this virus or whatever that is and what tests I want when I go back for blood work.....

Any suggestions.....or ideas?

Thanks,
Liz

[stella5349]

I am totally you!!  I am also on Armour. Went from 120mcg - to 60mcg and getting my results on my test Monday on levels.

Synthroid and Armour ---- hyper or hypo --- anxiety is a problem for most.  With Armour through the T3 built in to the med works like lightening speed and if your med is too high --- hense anxiety and hyper symptoms. If you have done any research on this drug = you will know it's effects during PMS and cyles times. It does not really adjust as well as Synthroid during those times - so when your natural female hormones are up during the month the Armour will enhance those symptoms.

I too take Xanax - I KNOW I am so close to normal TSH right now - I can tell. Yet during my "times" to put it lightly - I NEED THAT XANAX!!  and morning time is the worse.!!  My Rx is .50 mcg Xanax. I use to take anwhere from 3 to 4 of those a day - Now with my TSH very close to where I feel human (LOL) I find I can skip a week here and there or take a quarter tablet in the AM - I am fine - but during PMS times I need to take a 1/2 morning and sometimes 1/2 nightly - just to calm down. It even helps with the heart palps.

It is obvious that you had too much Armour - hopefully this mcg will be right for you. AND you will - once the TSH comes back to normal - see a diference in those panic levels. My advice -- use your xanax - I was so bull headed to tough it out - I look back adn say "Why did I waste so much time fighting with this. "

[Karly122]

Hi. Were you overmedicated and that's why you are cutting back on the medicine?  If so, you may have a lot of anxiety about the medicine and fear you might be overmedicated again.  Extreme stress/anxiety about this will make your heart beat hard. I just recently went through this. I was overmedicated, doctor said take a week off and start at a lower dose. When I restarted at the lower dose, for days I felt really scared of it. I would wake, and immediate panic would set in. Always the heart pounding. I would tell myself I'm okay and calm down. My heartbeat would go back to normal as I calmed down. Is THIS what you are experiencing?  For me, I am now a lot more comfortable that I am fine on this lower dose because I am experiencing signs of being hypo again and I've been on it for 10 days now.  Maybe you need more time to know what's going to happen and your anxiety is caused by not knowing. Please respond and let me know if you are going through what I just mentioned.
-Karly

[kipland]

I assume that your doctor is suggesting you cut your dosage?  Is it because you're TSH is too low?  I don't know your history ~ I take it you still have your thyroid?  

I have this experience once in a while too.  It's normally short lived, but is scary.  In my case, they're keeping me on the hyper side for cancer suppression, and I assume that's why this is happening to me.  It's like a vicious cycle too - you're heart is beating fast, that scares you, then it gets worse from there.

A lot of people out here have anxiety that goes along with the thyroid issues, and are on meds for it.  I would keep taking the xanax when you feel that way, and see if you can get your bloodwork done sooner to see where your levels are at.

Take care!
Lori