Panic attack and hashimotos mess.

[danie17075rm]

I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this.  I am normally hypothyroid.  Six months ago, I had what I thought was a heart attack.  I couldn't breathe and my heart was racing uncontrollably.  I went to the ER and found out my tsh was .001.  They took me off my thyroid meds and placed me on a beta blocker.  They said I was having a panic attack. In one month off meds my tsh shot to 26 and my antibodies were above 250.   My T3 and T4 were normal.  My question is that my panic attacks have not went away.  I have them all the time now.  I had never had one in my life before I went hyperthyroid.  My endocrinologist thinks this is all in my head, but I did not have any stress causing these.  I have stress now because I cannot live a normal life.  At the hospital they gave me xanax and ativan, and neither ever worked so I didn't bother taking them again.  I have tried everything from homeopathy to vitamins.  My tsh was around 7 the last time I went to the docs, but we can't increase my dosages of levothyroxine because the next dose is the one that caused me to go hyper in the first place.  Right now I am taking as little as 1/4 of  .025 every other day.  The dose seems like I shouldn't even need any, but without it my TSH shoots up.  Everytime I take even this small dose I have extreme hyperthyroid symptoms.  I get hot flashes and really hot at night.  I have diarrhea, heart palps, headaches, periods of heart racing, red eyes. and obviously the panic attacks.  I think that I might have both hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms at the same time.  Is this likely? What test should I beg my endo for (as he thinks I just have panic disorder).  I know I do not though, and I cannot get others to listen.  I have also became extremely intolerant to gluten so I have cut that out.  I'm thinking it could be my adrenal glands? Mitro valve prolapse?  The only thing that helps at all is my beta blocker but that leaves me feeling horribly sickish.  I feel it working on my heart rate, but I can still feel my body trying to have a panic attack.  When this first started, I literally could not sit up without my heart rate going out of control.  That caused me to go into panic attacks.  I have a hard time sleeping, and I'm just a mess.  If anyone has any advice I would greatly appreciate it.  Thank you so much,

Danielle

[Sacture]

Your answer is very positive and promising , thank you. I have been reading a lot lately and due to the fact that most people with Hashimoto have anxiety and depression the answers are always mostly downers. I have had Hashimoto for 5 years and I struggle with you anxiety attacks and it does not help that I have a stressful job... Again thanks

[Dmeartem]

for some reasons you can not see the link,i am new here and dont know how to post the link that is visible..maby somebody can help with this?Are you generaly allowed to post links here?

[Dmeartem]

Hi! i am also strugling with thyroid issius,i think hashimoto,lab test showed" normal" even that i did not get tested for antibodies,but i suffer long list of symptoms and just now discovering what is wrong with me! Doctors was not much help for me. But i was studying a lot about this stuf, traying to find the solution,came across great info( in my opinion) that give me much hope,and now i am finding the doctor who is knowlegable about this stuff. I suggest that you check this web for getting more understanding http://www.*************************/stories-of-others/  at this link you can read stories of others with the same strugle and how thay got better  I dont know specificaly in your case when thyroid is removed,you can check it on your own , but i recomend this to others too who strugling! Good luck!

[danie17075rm]

I also consume a large percentage of a raw food diet.  I juice, make green smoothies, organic greens, avoid sugar etc.  It really hasn't made much of a difference in how I feel.  I'm sure it is healthier, but my body is so messed up that nothing helps.  I eat very little meat and try to make it grass fed when available.  I too have studied like crazy.  Unfortunately, I don't have a thyroid.  This is the one disease I don't think diet can help much.  You either have enough thyroid hormone or you do not. I don't believe any natural supplement can prevent that.  As you mentioned about calcium however, many of us are lacking in many vitamins.  It is important to get them tested and find a reliable source to correct any deficiency.  

[mewyrick65]

Wow. Its nice to know I am not the only female going through all this crap. I am a 5 yr hashimotos patient. My former endo claimed all my anxiety was in my head. I fought for 5 years to get off synthroid. Never had anxiety until I took that lousy med.

I was put on the generic of synthroid at first. 4 days on it I almost passed out at the wheel doing 70 mph on 81 in WV, with my daughter in the car. I havent been able to drive right since then. Nor ride in a car without xanax in my system. My gp switched me to the brand which i took for the next 5 yrs.

Yes my levels went down really good but I still had horrible anxiety. any stress and anything set me off. I moved to NC 8 months ago and i have a wonderful Internist. He took me off synthroid. I was off of it for about a month. I have tried Armour and now cytomel. Armour gave me chest pains and shortness of breath. I spent the night in a ICU room. Cytomel generic didnt work. I have just started the brand of Cytomel and Im praying this helps. If it does not I dunno what I will gt next. I just know I do not want synthroid back.

During my time off meds I had a few hypo symptoms but no anxiety at all. Its sad you have to take 2 or 3 other meds to counter act the med that is supposed to be treating your disease.

I have tried numerous diets and supplements to feel better. Caffeine is not good for us and there are sooooooo many other things we are not supposed to have in our diet.

I thank god that i found a Dr. Willing to try what I wanted to try. I am a medical assistant and have been for many yrs. I am very educated on this thyroid stuff. I have read and read and read tons of book and research this stuff on line. There is lots of info and not everything will work for all of us.

I thought I saw something here about sythroid and calcium. sythroid will leech the calcium out of your body. There are many supplements that are recommended for Hashi people.

Make sure you are taking whole food supplements. Lord only knows whats in the stuff you buy at walmart.  Go to a healthfood store and get advice. A large healthfood store will be very knowledgeable as to what you should take.

Gaia herbs is 1.5 miles from my house and I have access to many natural meds. Organics folks are the way to go. Who knows what is in our food supplys. I am on a raw food diet. Raw butter, Raw milk, organic everything I can get my hands on.  Grow your own veggies.

Im better but not yet 100%.

[danie17075rm]

I think I was hypo for years before being diagnosed.  When I was 22 I had lactation from one breast.  I had to go through a bunch of testing at the time. I wasn't diagnosed with hypo until several years later.  I was a vegetarian for many years and consumed a lot of soy.  I believe this had a lot to do with it.  If you start a separate discussion, others will help you more though =).

[nrsggirl]

Oh wow,I should have started with this community first! What I have been reading is pretty darn close to what I have been going through lately.I just had a gp appt. for my blood work today and to say the least it was awful. I want to tell yo a bit about what I have been going through the past three weeks and maybe someone could give me their point of view because I'm feeling a bit lost. Here goes...
Diagnosed with hashimotos approx 2 years ago
11 misscarriages
lately:
no period for 6 months
lactating but now just a regular discharge with extreme tenderness and heaviness
extreme pressure and headaches in my head
weight gain!!!! without even trying...I'm a broke student
numbness in my hands
difficulty digesting food-heart races after a meal and what I can only assume is gall bladder pain-brutal
joint pain in my feet

I feel like I'm losing my mind. My blood work didn't say much but I don't think that I was paying too much attention after her said that a non-pregnant woman that lactates is normal:( My wbc count was high and now because of the weight gain I am a borderline diabetic to boot. Prolactin levels went from 36 to 16.9 and he said my thyroid levels were fine but seriously I feel like I did before they diagnosed hashimoto's!!! I'm having a hot flash as I type and I feel like bawling.He said it was hormones causing this but then said all my levels are normal. I am making an asap appt with my endocrinologist..any advice on how I should focus this next appt? I'm afraid that I won't be taken seriously even though I feel so horrid. How do I get through to him???
Just this thread has made me feel a bit better today,it was nice to read that I wasn't alone.
Thank you and any advice is more than welcome:)

[danie17075rm]

I ended up having my thyroid removed.  Unfortunately I still switch around from month to month and have developed other complications such as anemia, constant pain, an overactive gall bladder and constant chest pains.  I have no idea anymore.  Most people don't have as many issues as I do though.

[basta]

I can relate to everything you're experiencing -- it's so frustratingly horrible.  Like you, I have Hashimoto's and never thought it could include these awful flare-ups.  Are you better now?  And if so, how long did your flare-up last?

[hope4thegoodstuff]

Do you take any calcium supplements?  I take 1000 mg a day with a side dose of Vit D.  I have often read that VitD makes your calcium supplement more readily taken in by the body.  My calcium is always right in the normal range.  I had also heard that Calcium can make Synthroid ineffective...Great!!!...(yes, sarcasm)  So I just take the Synthroid earliest in the day and I take my calcium at lunch time.  

[dgriya]

i have hypothyroid . i have those horrible experiences too. these mainly occurs when my stomach is full. i 1st experienced it at a night when i suddenly wake up and felt that something unusual happening to me. i was alone that time. after that it happen twice in my workplace. i am under hypothyroid treatment for last 1 month and just after Dr started my medicine it all started happening.
when i told them about my problem they answered it all caused by anxiety. but i think that's not true..

i feel the same as yours.... it suddenly feels you are ill and far away from a normal life. believe me no one will feel it unless he/she undergoes like this type of situation.

i have some remedies which i have tried by myself and got a bit fair result to stay healthy.

try to avoid energy drinks like tea ,coffee, alcohol or coke
when ever you are feeling that is happening to you just started walking wherever you are and think nothing is happening and you are fine. do not take bed or chair. it will increase your attacks.
try to involve your self on different activities.

believe me walking helps a lot in this situation.

i hope it will help you a bit...
take care

[dataway]

I had a panic attack that lasted 3 days.  I could not sleep for that long.  Not one minute.  I went to Sam's Club to find out from the Pharmacist if there was any medications for it.  I didn't know what it was.  The Pharmacist told me that he had had them since he was 16 and now he was 40.  He told me to take Benedryl.  I decided after talking with him that I was going to deal with it and not get into the drug thing.  This was about 10 years ago.  I think I have had one minor panic attack since then.  I asked the Lord to help me.  He did.

[njdawn]

My TSH went down to .08 and I had an absolute violent panic attack while driving. My TSH is about 2 now and althgough I am much better, I still fell "nervous". Doc had me on Zoloft and some other drug but they made me worse and I refuse to take the stuff. i did read somewhere to take calcium and even a clcium/magnesium/zinc tablets, like 2 day. My calcium/Vit D is really low. If I take at least 1,000 mg of calcium w Vit D the nervousness goes away. If i forget to take the calcium, it comes back and almost into an attack. Or a mild attack. Try taking at least 1,000mg calcium a day but take it with the Vit D or it won't absorb! I take calcium/vit D and also a calcium/magnesium/zinc as well.

[danie17075rm]

I have told him a million times that I am struggling with panic attacks right now, so he is meeting me at his own risk lol.  I also have developed an extreme intolerance to wheat and gluten (right around the time I went hyper and started the panic attacks).  Cross contamination even bothers me and I cannot have caffeine of chocolate without a horrible response.  Tomatoes also bother me now and sugar is usually really bad.  I will give it a try and see if maybe it improves my body a little bit.  It just seems like there should be something to to do to get rid of these antibodies or stop them from attacking.  It's kind of a catch 22 as when you have a flare up stress makes it worse, but the flare up causes tons of stress!  You are right about avoiding things though. The more I avoid, the easier it is to fall into a trap of only playing it safe (which feeds the panic even more).  I try to make myself do things like go to the back of the store.  I will automatically start to go into a panic attack, but I just stay there for a few seconds and then go back to the front.  I figure the more I do this, maybe the more I can do without it bothering me.  This is new to me, so I am hoping over time, the feelings will lessen.  
I spend way too much time like you said worrying about panic attacks, and all it does it cause them.  I am trying to stop that, but it's so hard. Thanks for listening.  It helps talking to someone that understands.

[redheadaussie]

Nope yeast is not the problem with antibody flare ups, thyroid antibodies come from the antibody which is specifically the antigen which recognises thyroid cells as being foreign. It is impossible for other things to trigger that receptor to recognise any other invaders and then trigger a flare up.

That is not to say, people with Hashimoto's may not have other issues as well going on!
  I have an intolerance to gluten in all forms, and wheat as well (there are two distinct types of intolerances and gluten is in other things not just wheat and wheat intolerance is a seperate issue!)

  Give the yeast free diet a go for at least 4 weeks, and be VERY strict on it, no beers, no breads, etc.  It surely wouldn't hurt!  Keep a food/symptom diary. I did that for one year and was amazed at the results!  Found out that even though I love bananas, they don't love me!

I'd encourage you to meet the guy. The more we put off doing stuff because of our illness the more the illness becomes us. Tell the guy up front, Hey I am a bit nervous and can get a bit flustered at times, I hope you don't think I am nuts if I do when we are together!  
Best to be honest up front than to be more worried you might have a panic attack which then leads to a panic attack!

[danie17075rm]

It feels good to talk to people that have the same thing!  Redhead I too believe that the antibodies are messing us up.  I had a flare up with the antibodies once before and I didn't have anxiety but I couldn't swallow or sleep without gasping for air.  Things were horrible until it finally just calmed down one day and cleared up. I can totally relate about the panic attacks in trying something new.  I can talk myself out of them now, but every minute is a struggle.  I can't ever just sit down and relax as they pop up at any moment.  I can't exercise because the heart racing puts my body into a panic attack (as it was heart racing that started this). I hate to take meds!  I just don't want to live my life like this.  There is a guy who wants to meet me this weekend, and I want to cancel because I am so afraid of having a panic attack.  I fear that I can never be normal again.  My thryoid is still really out of whack and my antibodies were supposed to be less than 20 and they were over 250.  I know this is just causing my body to freak out.  I wish there was a way to stop these attacks though.  It's so frustrating.  

Stranaz at least the calcium is helping!  It sounds like you have had a rough road.  When I first got diagnosed with hashimoto's I thought it wouldn't be that big of a deal.  Little did I know it would be such a horrible road.  Just out of curiosity, did any of you with hashimotos have any problems with yeast?  I mean external rashes, or dandruff, or heartburn or anything like that?  I read a book from a doctor who swear that a lot of hashimoto's patients had an antibody flare up caused from yeast.  I was thinking about trying a candida diet.  At this point how can it hurt?

[redheadaussie]

I have Hashimoto's and had my thyroid out 3 years ago. The anxiety attacks, or panic or what ever word you choose to use, are very common. I still have the theory the antibodies are doing a number on our brains. I have read alot of medical information and they also confirm this is true.
People who have certain levels of TSH etc and high antibodies can eventually have a type of paranoia.  I know at my worst, it is very difficult to control the panic attacks, but have learned to recognise them for what they are, just a chemical thing in the body, and not 'real' and I talk myself out of them. For example; I don't drive very often or very far anymore...and recently had to drive my son to the local train station, some 25 minutes drive at high speed on a country road. (also notorious for fatalities)  I started the heart racing, the sweats, the Oh GOD! what if I crash? Oh I am too tired, etc etc etc.....THEN I realised it was the 'panic' attack of the actual act of doing something I hadn't done for a while, but have done a million times before...so broke it down to steps, each one being just the basic performance, of keeping aware, relaxing, untensing muscles.... I got home and slept for 3 hours!

  There are no easy answers, all I can suggest is that you recognise the feelings of it, and accept it for what it is. Medication is not the answer as it can make it worse.

Cheers

[stranazingarella]

It has not always been  easy with the hubby but at least we understand each other now. . . after 11 years.  hahah. . .  I know how you feel and I hate how life throws all these curve balls at us!  I think doctors are too hasty labeling people as anxious etc.  My GP was just recently trying to put me on Celexa.  I know why I have these feelings. . . and they almost always correspond to low calcium.  I had a panic attack on the way home from work on Tuesday and when I got home, my lip was twitching up a storm (usually indicates very low calcium level) and I was shaky and numb feeling.  Usually, a hefty dose of calcium helps within 2-3 hours.  In your case, it is the thyroid causing all these issues and your doctor clearly has never suffered from them personally!  The thyroid does so much for the body and when that is out of whack, everything else is.

[danie17075rm]

At least you and your husband can help each other!  It seems like your symptoms improved at least.  How often do you have panic attacks now?  Do you have problems at the store and driving still.  I hate it.  I just wish I could go back to before that day I went hyperthyroid.  I'd do anything to prevent it.  In fact I just had a panic attack from just talking about it =(.  I was going to school to get my masters in counseling, but I just decided to switch to health psychology because I want to explore this type of thing more rather than to just tell people they are crazy.

[stranazingarella]

I am 36 ....well almost 37.  :)  Fortunately, my husband and I never had kids since I have all these issues and we discovered he is bipolar a few years ago.  I can't imagine dealing with panic attacks and raising a son, so kudos to you!  I also used to get the feeling of being trapped while in the back of the store and always try to stay to the front to get out faster.  It made me super nervous.  The worst problem i had was driving in the car on the highway, as a passenger.  I had this for 8-9 years and we didn't go anywhere I couldn't reach through back roads.  The last year before the diagnosis I had started feeling less anxious and was able to finally take trips on the highway;  I think maybe my thyroid was being killed off, or becoming more hypo, so there is definitely a connection between thyroid disorders and anxiety.  I was hoping getting it removed would help, but as you can see, not so.  I also saw a counselor which I think really helped because between my issues and my husband's, I was having a hard time coping emotionally.  

[danie17075rm]

How old are you?  That *****.  I can totally relate to this.  I am only 31, and at this point, I feel like I can't have any kind of life.  I have no social life because of the fear of panic attacks.  I am on a beta blocker for my heart rate, but without it it was going to 150 and above during my attacks.  The first day it stayed above 120 for hours.  I do have moments of it going high now though.  I get shortness of breath too and I panic.  I can't shop normally.  I feel like I am getting agoraphobia, not because I have a fear of public places, but because I have panic attacks so often that when I get to the back of the store I start to freak out.  I feel like I need to be close to the door as I don't want to embarrass myself in front of other (as I have).  I took my son to an event at a library and felt as if I was going to pass out, and couldn't breathe and my heart was beating out of control.  He was looking forward to it, so I had to ask the guy next to me and the head lady to watch him as I excused myself and called my mom to come stay with him.  It is such a nightmare.  The thing is I KNOW that this is not caused from something in my head, they were caused from going hyperthyroid.  I think in your case you have a lot going on, AND once your brain is used to having panic attacks, it will continue to have them until you train it to not have them anymore.  Even thought the root of your problem might be gone, you still have physiological response in your body that your brain is used to.  I tried xanax at first and it didn't help at all.  I just keep thinking there HAS to be some better treatment for hashimotos.

[stranazingarella]

Honestly,  I wish I hadn't had the TT because now I am stuck with horrible low calcium symptoms from the surgery.  If it weren't for that, I think I would feel pretty great!  My cancer was micro papillary (1mm) and I didn't have any RAI.  I still have panic attacks but now I think they are caused by the low calcium levels; any electrolyte imbalance is hard on the body and with the predisposition. . .. it just amplifies it. . .   when I have symptoms while out in the car or shopping especially because it is a life-threatening condition, if not treated, and that makes nervous.  Then, of course, being dependent on thyroid hornone is hard too... you get all types of symptoms just from that.  Yesterday I had heart palps and my resting heart rate was 90. . . today I am fine.    I have xanax in case things get too bad and I take the minimum dose if I can't deal (this from someone who would never take a thing!).  I think you should just monitor the progress of the nodules and get tested for all auto-immune diseases (maybe see a rhuemotologist for that).  Keep your thyroid as long as possible...or only get one side removed so you don''t get these complications like I did. . . It has completely changed my life for the worse and I am still young!

[danie17075rm]

I have the lab work to get tested for celiac disease.  Did you feel better when your thyroid was removed?  Do you still have panic attacks?  Thanks so much for your response.  I went for 3 ultrasounds recently and they told me that the nodules had gone away.   I went to different places too, so they told me that there is nothing to biopsy at this point.  I'm so sorry you had to go through the cancer.  This disease is just so terrible.  I wish I could find a way to help others and myself!

[stranazingarella]

I have suffered from panic attacks for the last 10 years.  Last Feb I had a Thyroidectomy for Thyroid cancer, and Hashimoto's and Sarcoid were found in the pathology, both auto-immune diseases. For years I had many of the symptoms you are experiencing but I always had a normal TSH.  The only indicator for cancer was the antibodies were high, like yours .I also was found to have multi-nodular goiter, and one growth was suspicious. I had hair falling out and a 20 lb weight gain despite not eating much.  A GP might even take you more seriously, but I think you should have those nodules checked again, just to be safe.  Also , get tested for Celiacs and other auto-immune disorders as they often come in pairs or more.