presenting hyperthyroid on armour but numbers are off

[carabeara]

Hello.  I take lithium for bipolar disorder and apparently it is making me slightly hypothyroid.  My tests came back subclinical with a normal T4 and a TSH of 6.4.  I had a bad initial reaction to both 50 synthroid (heart racing within three days) and 25 synthroid (muscle weakness, shortness of breath, racing heart, difficulty swallowing, vertigo within five days) and decided to try armour thyroid since synthroid has a long half life and coming off of it was difficult because it made me very agitated and gave me mood swings.  Two and a half weeks after discontinuing synthroid I happened to end up in the ER after accidentally taking two lithium doses too close together (about two and a half hours upon a review of my arithmetic) where they took a thyroid panel.  My TSH came back as three, two and a half weeks after discontinuing synthroid.  I'm pretty sure synthroid has a half-life of 5-7 days.  The hospital failed to send this result to my doctor and I didn't get the result back until I was in the ER again with a bad reaction the Armour Thyroid.  I took one grain of the armour for about ten days, all the while experiencing vertigo anytime I walked somewhere and trouble sleeping.  One night I woke up with extreme muscle weakness in my legs and arms and my chest tight and hurting alot.  When I got out of bed I was dizzy and it was difficult to walk and when I tried to talk to get my dad to take me to the hospital I found it difficult to concentrate and generally think.  I had a panel taken when I got the ER.  It was confusing that my TSH came back 6.9 and my T4 was normal.  It has been a few nights and I'm sleeping about every other night and very fatigued during the day.  I wake up about an hour after trying to fall asleep with chest tightness, vertigo, weird sort of broken-up vision and I'm unable to fall back asleep.  I took my pulse resting at about 100 this morning when I woke up.  I have anxiety attacks occasionally, but not those that prevent me from sleeping or that last more than five minutes with breathing around them.  Also, I don't think I'm manic because when I'm manic I'm not tired.  During the day I feel general anxiety that gradually gets worse at night.  How long will I have to deal with the armour thyroid reaction and is it possible that I am hyperthyroid with my numbers indicating otherwise?  I was generally asymptomatic, being hypothyroid, in the first place, beside what seems to be a cessation in my cycle.  I wasn't fatigued, no dry skin, no hair falling out, no big thing on my neck.  When will this all stop and is it possible to be hyper and not have your numbers reflect that after ten days on armour?  I am so tired.  I wish I could sleep.  Thank you anyone who can help me.  <3

[carabeara]

i strongly and respectfully disagree with everything you've said.

[stella5349]

so many things alarmed me on your post.

Goind strickly by the TSH as your indicator for thryoid.... and to see a number of that test as a 6.0ish and saying it SUB-clinical, is even worse.

I hope things really get better for you, but it sounds in just those 2 things your real care to help you is being ignored.

[stella5349]

The medication you take for the emotional disorder is a ahrd thing to do with a thyroid issue and to make things even more out there the bi-polar disorder you were told you had "could" be most certainly caused by having a malfunctioning thyroid to start with that isn't being addressed correctly.

I believe in emotional disabilities but I don't believe in those labels as a reason to treat and with those certain meds. My belief truly is your emotional issues could be the root cause by an endocrine issue as thyroid is and your hormonal complex is failing causing your instability.

I don't feel your team of doctors is doing right for you and trying some other things specifically  with thyroid would be good to try.