desperate aboout anxiety

[Applecore]

I am desperate about this anxiety.  I am taking laprazam 1mg every 6 hours as needed.  I am also 6 days into prozac.  I am taking 75mcg levoidthyroid.  I am to start seeing a counselor tomorrow.  I have been diagnosed with anxiety with underlying thyroid disorder.  I feel awful and the laprazam helps but I am so afraid of becoming addicted to it.  The prozac takes a long time to work if it does and I am afraid of it also.  I am supposed to see my endocrinologist on Thursday to see where my levels are.  I think they are coming down.  I believe my tsh is 0.394 (0.35-5.1)  T4 13.8 (4.5-10.9) and T3 161 (60-200 NG/DL)
I am scared to death that these feelings are not going to stop.  I am a Christian and God has  healed me once of this Thyroid disorder when it was hypo and then it turned hyper and I had the Radioactive Iodine.  I was ok for almost 11 months and then everything went crazy.  I became yeast infected, candidia, food allergies, thyroid levels crazy tsh 56.9 (0.4-5-5) T3 free 191 (230-420) t4 free 0.41 (0.8-1.8) Thyroid Peroxidase Ab 923 (less thana 35) Thyroglobulin Ab 155 (less than 20).  These were taken in Feb 28.  The ones above were just taken.  What is going on with me I am at a loss as to what to do.  I have an MD that is a naturalist also.  He is the one that found my levels in Feb.  My endo is treating me although he hasn't seen me.  The anxiety sent me to the emergencey room before he increased my levothyroxin from 50 to 75.  I believe all of this is caused by my thyroid and I don't know what to do.  Has anyone had this experience and have any encouragement. Please help.

[hypo/hyper]

There were a few times that I felt like if I had to live like the way I was living, that I couldn't go on that way.  I know it is a horrible way to feel.  It is all based from fear.  Do not give into that fear.  Use your faith to guide you through that.  You will start to feel better.  The book that I recommended, was what I felt changed my situation.  I felt like I was back in the drivers seat.  I like that.

[Applecore]

Did you ever have to fight from the pit of your stomach that you didn't want to live.  I have had that feeling a couple of times and have fought it off because I know that is absolutely not true.  I want to live and have a lot to live for.   Where does that come from.  I am just starting the prozac could it be coming from the medicine.  I know our feelings lie to us and I did say to the feelings the what for that I am a Chrisitain and greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world and God is bringing me out of this, whatever it is that I am in.  It is so encouraging to know that people do survive this.  If it was just the thyroid but the anxiety and depression is awful.  Thanks

[Applecore]

Did you have depression with the anxiety.  Yesterday I felt I didn't want to live life this.  I went to the counselor and she is great.  I can't wait to see her on a regular basis.  I don't know if the prozac is making me depressed or what.  I have only been on it for 6 days.  The Lord has told me I am in the middle of the medicines trying to balance me out and I am the victim.  That keeps me going as to me it means I will get normal again.  I am tense in the morning and don't like having to take the medicine.  I don't mind taking the thyroid medicine but the others freak me out.  I do need the laprazam for the anxiety.  I might get that book and see if it helps.  I can't tell how I am feeling from the thyroid because of all the other feelings.   She told me that the anxiety isn't caused bythe thyroid it is caused by how the thyroid makes me feel and then I get anxious.  At this  point I don't know how I feel except not good.   It has been a year since I had the Radioactive Iodine.  I was fine until November and my whole body started having trouble.  I got candidia, and other allergic reactions to foods.  I am no fooling with all of that right now until I get more straightened out.  I go to the endo tomorrow.  Thanks for all the info.  linda

[hypo/hyper]

Guys, I feel for you, really.  I very recently have been through what you guys are describing, and fortunately I am coming out the other side of it.  I had it all, the racing heart, the feeling like I was going to pass out.  The feeling like I was dying.  The scary inappropriate thoughts.  I was afraid to be alone.  I thought for sure that I had to be dying, because no healthy person would feel the way that I was feeling.  The book When Panic Attacks is by David Burns, M.D. really put an end to my panic attacks I was having.  It is a drug free approach to conquering anxiety.  It really worked for me.  As I have mentioned before, I ended up opting for the meds later, which has really helped to improve my mood, but I had the panic attacks gone in the time that it took to finish the book.  Please be patient with yourselves.  It took awhile for your body to get into the shape it is in, give it time for it to heal and come out of it.  Just don't feed into it.  Whenever you start freaking out, think to yourself "this will pass".  And it will.  Don't try to think beyond that moment.  Unfortunately, the thyroid is a gland that takes a while to regulate.  It is not an overnight process.  I would cry to my family that I would never feel like myself again.  In time I did, and you guys will too.  I also went to a therapist, and still do, which is very helpful.  I am better now, but I am still going just because I think it is still helping me.  I never had emotional/anxiety issues until all this thyroid junk started.  It actually was my first presenting symptom besides my hair falling out, dizziness, heart palpitations, weight gain.  Fun fun stuff!  Part of getting through this is BELIEVING you will get better with the right combinations of treatments.  Hang in there, you are not alone!

[ChitChatNine]

It's ok to see a counselor .. this isn't easy stuff to deal with.  And there is a reason this is happening to you and happening now but you may never know or you may find out in the future ... I found out shortly before my surgery that my sister in law had a huge nodule .. she came to me for advice as to "what is this lump?" and showed me .... they had hers out within 2 weeks as they were afraid it would choke her to death!!!!!  I suddenly realized that is why I am going thru what I am going thru .. to help others.

Let us know how you are doing ok?

C~

[ChitChatNine]

It's ok to see a counselor .. this isn't easy stuff to deal with.  And there is a reason this is happening to you and happening now but you may never know or you may find out in the future ... I found out shortly before my surgery that my sister in law had a huge nodule .. she came to me for advice as to "what is this lump?" and showed me .... they had hers out within 2 weeks as they were afraid it would choke her to death!!!!!  I suddenly realized that is why I am going thru what I am going thru .. to help others.

Let us know how you are doing ok?

C~

[pjgovitz]

God bless you, you've made me cry, as I went thru this so bad in 1995, it took years to feel myself again, and boy did that time seem brief. hope fully after RAI, the road to recovery will be quicker and permanent.  I am looking forward to this being the third and final battle with Graves anntibodies. I want to  be tired (just not too tired to feel normal)  What less,  treatment did you have for being hypo/hyper , was it hashi's.

[hypo/hyper]

I have Hashi's.  My Anti TPO antibodies were >1000 (norm <35).  I also had a TSI of 102 which I am under the impression can engage the TSH receptors to result in hyperthyroidism.  (I am not sure really what that means.)  I guess it means that I could be prone to having hyper episodes along with the hypo.  Hence the tag name hypo/hyper.  Believe it or not, my TSH levels were borderline hypo.  However, the Hashi's was causing the mad fluctuations in TSH which I felt were causing the symptoms I was having.  Ironically enough, my story does not end here.  In my journey in all this, I prompted my sister to get a nodule checked out that she had.  I felt it on her.  She was just diagnosed with thyroid papillary cancer.  Her doctor had been following her thyroid levels for years.  Her levels were always normal.  Me having thyroid nodules show up on my u/s was enough to have her MD order one for her.  She never would have been diagnosed had it not been for all my troubles with this.  That is what makes all my suffering with this worthwhile in my mind.  She never would have known otherwise.  Please keep me posted on how you are.  I always try to follow the anxiety sufferers on this board because I know how desperate I felt while going through it.  God Bless..

[Applecore]

Your comments are lifesavers to me.  Just to know that someone is outthere that cares.  It is so hard.  I love the Lord and his word is so much my foundation but when I am in this condition it is sometimes hard to stay calm and remember who he is and what he is doing for me.  This is the first time He has ever lead me to take medicine and my concern is am I hearing from him correctly.  I know he uses medicine.  I am going to the counselor this afternoon = will let you know how I make out.   It just seems as though my thyroid ought to be getting me out of this and not a counselor as the thyroid caused it.   Thanks again you guys.  This chat room has helped me so much.  

Another scripture that helps me is Deut. 33:25  Such as your day so shall you strength, rest, and security be.  

[pjgovitz]

I too am a Christian , my story is similiar to yours. i'm have constant anxiety , I quit taking the xanax 2 days ago, as it was making me think crazier, but that is just me. I was on it two other times before they diagnosed me with Hashitoxosis.  I'm having RAI on may 10, was desperately hoping that would make the anxiety quit. I'm scared it won't.  I almost went to ER this morning too.  A scripture that was given to me.



"Be Not Afraid , neither be dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee wherever thou goest" Joshua 1:9

[ChitChatNine]

Just a quick note to say hello and let you know we are here for you .. I don't have direct exp. so cannot answer your ?'s but I know others will have some answers for you.  Ativan taken short-term should be ok .. I take 1mg as needed for anxiety .. many yrs ago I was on it for 2yrs and had no problems coming off it but it wasn't ev. 6 hrs .. it was ev. 12 as needed so I'm not sure on the addictive features taken more often but I can say it does help to take the edge off so you can cope with the other stuff.

Cheryl (thy cancer 1/07 .. synthroid 88mcgs ... TSH 1.8 goal is 0.5-1.0)