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The Silent Symptoms
When you read the literature all the docs give you--and even some info online--it always includes symptoms that seem MILD compared to what you actually experience. For example: irritability, insomnia, anxiety, heat intolerance, increased appetite, weight loss... Heck! I could DEAL with that stuff. But, even though I thought I was just crazy, and the doc ignores me and tells me my thyroid is fine after the blood tests, I notice folks on here complaining of the same "overlooked" or "silent symptoms." What could be done to convince the docs that some of this stuff is REALLY serious and nothing to be brushed off? I have had irregular heartbeat and palpitations, racing heart, etc., for so long I'm sure it's doing permanent damage to the heart. I've aged quickly and now even my teeth and bones seem to be falling apart. My job is on the line again and so is my health and it's impossible to live like this.
Some other symptoms listed in the literature should read something like this:
--Sudden fits of uncontollable rage and wanting the whole planet to explode
--Severe mood swings that come and go minute to minute
--Feeling like there's a machine gun going off in your chest
--Shaking in bed and hearing your pounding heart echo in your head
--Feeling like your going to choke to death all night until your afraid to even go to bed
--Extreme anxiety attacks that could lead to heart failure
--Throbbing, squirming, sickening sensations in your neck that lead to dizziness and difficulty breathing
--Feeling like you're falling apart into a thousand pieces and will never put them back together
--Crying out to God for help
--Feeling completely hopeless
--Wishing you could just die and get it over with
It just seems odd how my doctor makes Graves' sound like it's really no big deal--just sort of an inconvenience. The only folks who seem to know just how bad it is are those who've gone through it. Does any one else understand how I feel about the "unspoken symptoms?"
Some other symptoms listed in the literature should read something like this:
--Sudden fits of uncontollable rage and wanting the whole planet to explode
--Severe mood swings that come and go minute to minute
--Feeling like there's a machine gun going off in your chest
--Shaking in bed and hearing your pounding heart echo in your head
--Feeling like your going to choke to death all night until your afraid to even go to bed
--Extreme anxiety attacks that could lead to heart failure
--Throbbing, squirming, sickening sensations in your neck that lead to dizziness and difficulty breathing
--Feeling like you're falling apart into a thousand pieces and will never put them back together
--Crying out to God for help
--Feeling completely hopeless
--Wishing you could just die and get it over with
It just seems odd how my doctor makes Graves' sound like it's really no big deal--just sort of an inconvenience. The only folks who seem to know just how bad it is are those who've gone through it. Does any one else understand how I feel about the "unspoken symptoms?"
I take atenolol 50 mg once a day...My endo dr said if my family dr wouldnt have put me on this..I probably wouldnt be here.
I have so many palpitations and arrythmia with my hyper. Im glad I am on it...
Ive had all these symtpoms for about two years ..I told my family dr years ago I was hyper..but she took me off my medicine because my tsh was fine...this is why she put me on atenolol ..she couldnt figure out why I had heart palpitations..but havent been tested for tsh since 2006.. In Late August she tested again and came back overactive...
I hope that made sense
I have so many palpitations and arrythmia with my hyper. Im glad I am on it...
Ive had all these symtpoms for about two years ..I told my family dr years ago I was hyper..but she took me off my medicine because my tsh was fine...this is why she put me on atenolol ..she couldnt figure out why I had heart palpitations..but havent been tested for tsh since 2006.. In Late August she tested again and came back overactive...
I hope that made sense
Boy can I relate...drs. think all in your head too..I feel the weird sensation in my neck and am light headed all the time..plus the sweating and nervous feeling..I understand!!!!
I have never taken Atenolol.
I looked it up and one of the possible side effects is depression. It's hard to say if it is agravating your depression, but it is possible. You know how it is with side effects. Most medications list about twenty and you get to pick a few and wonder if it's the medicine doing it or not.
I've been taking Toprol XL for two years to control tachacardia. I am just now weening off of it. Today is supposed to be my last day to take half a pill.
I'm a little nervous about stopping it because my heart has been bothering me lately. I may keep taking half a pill a few more weeks.
I get the impression that even though they are both beta blockers, Atenolol and Toprol are not exactly the same drug. There may be a specific reason you are taking Atenolol rather than some other Beta Blocker.
Discuss your concern with the doctor and see if another drug would be worth trying.
And don't feel like a hypochondriac. This disease can make a person feel like one. You're not imagining this stuff. If you have to see the doctor frequently to address one issue after another, or the same one repeatedly, that's the way it goes.
As for anti-depressants, they often do not play well with thyroid disease and SSRIs are not recommended. That's why we are taking Xanax. It doesn't help with depression, but you have less anxiety while you sit around and contemplate horrible things.
I looked it up and one of the possible side effects is depression. It's hard to say if it is agravating your depression, but it is possible. You know how it is with side effects. Most medications list about twenty and you get to pick a few and wonder if it's the medicine doing it or not.
I've been taking Toprol XL for two years to control tachacardia. I am just now weening off of it. Today is supposed to be my last day to take half a pill.
I'm a little nervous about stopping it because my heart has been bothering me lately. I may keep taking half a pill a few more weeks.
I get the impression that even though they are both beta blockers, Atenolol and Toprol are not exactly the same drug. There may be a specific reason you are taking Atenolol rather than some other Beta Blocker.
Discuss your concern with the doctor and see if another drug would be worth trying.
And don't feel like a hypochondriac. This disease can make a person feel like one. You're not imagining this stuff. If you have to see the doctor frequently to address one issue after another, or the same one repeatedly, that's the way it goes.
As for anti-depressants, they often do not play well with thyroid disease and SSRIs are not recommended. That's why we are taking Xanax. It doesn't help with depression, but you have less anxiety while you sit around and contemplate horrible things.
You have to be totally aware that until your thyroid situation get under control - chemically you mind is altered.
I found research to be my best peace when I was Graves and then severly hashi - hypothyroid.
The swings in hormones totally wrecked my whole way of thinking.
Tough as it may have been - with the unbelievable brain fog I had - not comprehending a darn thing I read over and over thing that - after a while made sense to me.
I couldn't put "me" in this problem - I had to look at it as a malfunction of something in my body that was causing all this.
That does help- I also was on Xanax (huge amounts) for over 2 years. Did I become dependant - Yep - but after I started getting better - I did ween and now I only take it once in a great while.
I found research to be my best peace when I was Graves and then severly hashi - hypothyroid.
The swings in hormones totally wrecked my whole way of thinking.
Tough as it may have been - with the unbelievable brain fog I had - not comprehending a darn thing I read over and over thing that - after a while made sense to me.
I couldn't put "me" in this problem - I had to look at it as a malfunction of something in my body that was causing all this.
That does help- I also was on Xanax (huge amounts) for over 2 years. Did I become dependant - Yep - but after I started getting better - I did ween and now I only take it once in a great while.
I'm taking Xanax now, and it does seem to help, but I'm afraid I'll get dependant on it.
AR, while on this subject, did you ever take Atenolol during your "crisis" period? I was given endurol the first time around and was taken off of it after I'd been on the Tapazol for a while. I don't know why she prescribed Atenolol this time---after the "relapse." Any way--I could swear I am moodier since I've been on it. The depressions are deeper, even though they seem to be shorter. I was hospitalized two weeks after I'd been taking it--and I also seem to have more--and worse--anxiety attacks.
I've been sent to shrinks and therapists...and they mostly push more drugs at me. The thryoid drugs are bumping into each other as it is... and some of those antidepressants really screwed me up bad. Some folks claim Paxil saved their lives, somehow, and that it's great, but I started continuously day-dreaming of suicide about a week after I was on it, even though I was told it took 3-6 weeks to get into my system. The list of other drugs I've been on and off is pretty long. Most anti-depressant/anxiety drugs are on the list.
AR, while on this subject, did you ever take Atenolol during your "crisis" period? I was given endurol the first time around and was taken off of it after I'd been on the Tapazol for a while. I don't know why she prescribed Atenolol this time---after the "relapse." Any way--I could swear I am moodier since I've been on it. The depressions are deeper, even though they seem to be shorter. I was hospitalized two weeks after I'd been taking it--and I also seem to have more--and worse--anxiety attacks.
I've been sent to shrinks and therapists...and they mostly push more drugs at me. The thryoid drugs are bumping into each other as it is... and some of those antidepressants really screwed me up bad. Some folks claim Paxil saved their lives, somehow, and that it's great, but I started continuously day-dreaming of suicide about a week after I was on it, even though I was told it took 3-6 weeks to get into my system. The list of other drugs I've been on and off is pretty long. Most anti-depressant/anxiety drugs are on the list.
Yes.
Not all of the symptoms, but many, with others as well.
I understand what you are going through.
At one point I begged my GP to refer me to a psychiatrist. He did, but then I canceled.
Xanax or Alprazolam until it gets better.
Maybe a therapist, but it was a waste of my money.
It sounds lame but funny movies or a walk in the yard helps. Reading or something to occupy your mind. Comedy.
Get tested for a vitamin D deficiency.
Correcting that helped me a lot.
Not all of the symptoms, but many, with others as well.
I understand what you are going through.
At one point I begged my GP to refer me to a psychiatrist. He did, but then I canceled.
Xanax or Alprazolam until it gets better.
Maybe a therapist, but it was a waste of my money.
It sounds lame but funny movies or a walk in the yard helps. Reading or something to occupy your mind. Comedy.
Get tested for a vitamin D deficiency.
Correcting that helped me a lot.
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