thyoid anxiety

[brenn513]

I need help due to anxiety on my thyroid meds. It is hard to live with this anxiety everyday and be there for my family and my job. I am a 60 year old female.

I know my numbers are off as the Free T3 should be in the upper range and the Free T4 should be mid range. My doctor is holistic and tries hard. It seems because my iron levels are low we cannot treat the thyroid as it needs to be treated. He has me on liothyroninine (T3 only)  SR  20 Mcg capsule and I am trying it every other day while I work on my iron levels using Stop the Thyroid Madness Protocol.  I would so appreciate input on how to manage this.

I am very thankful for sites like this and wish everyone well on their journey

Free T4   1  (0.8-1.8 ng/dL)
Free T3  2.5  (0.40-4.50 mI)
TSH 2.52 (  0.40-4.50- mIU/L)

[Barb135]

Have you had any adrenal tests done?  If you have adrenal issues, it's best to address them before beginning thyroid medication, including T3. Are you taking anything to support adrenals?

I agree that going from 0 to 20 mcg was a huge step.

What T4 med/dose were you on that caused issues?

I agree that your doctor doesn't know what he's doing.

[goolarra]

Go to My MedHelp in the blue bar at top of page.

Click Profile, then Account Settings.  You can choose to get email notifications as they happen or once a day.

SR tablets don't seem to work well for everyone.  If the lower dose taken every day doesn't help, you might try, as a next step, getting some non-SR tablets and taking them in several partial doses throughout the day.

[brenn513]

how do you get notified when you get an answer?

[brenn513]

Thank you ! I actually have been on this dosage..everyday which I can continue to do so..I think he doesn't know what to do...he would add T4 to it if I asked to but it was pretty bad on that...I will try doing everyday at the lower dose waiting for me at the compounding pharmacy..I will have both prescriptions here...I do want to build up the free T3 and my iron!

I appreciate your comment!!

[flyingfool]

T3 is utilized in HOURS.  So taking a T3 only medication every other day is boud to be a roller coaster ride from hell.

Also if you went from nothing to 20 mcg of T3 that is a HUGE starting dose.

you are literally revving up your engine racing at full speed ahead with a huge dose of racing fuel one day. Then the next you are out of gas coasting, followed by the next day with racing fuel and the gas peddel mashed to the floorboard.

That is a recipie for disaster in my opinion.

I would recommend to go with a steady dose every day. Probably a fair amount lower to get your body stabilized and adjusted to recieving hormone.  Furthermore, I would even recommend taking half of each daily allowance twice a day.  One half of the daily allowance in the morning and the other half in the early afternoon.  After a couple weeks of a steady state medicattion get tested again and see how you feel.

Many people feel anxiety with low thyroid.  Also people can feel anxiety when Hyper.  I think you have a possibility where you are experiencing the worst of both worlds.  You are hypo one day and hyper the next from the massive surge of T3.

Just my opinion.

[brenn513]

The TSH number is really T4 Thyroxine, total
2.3-5.2 is the free t3 range...

sorry...fuzzy brain!

total iron: 68 (250--160 mcg/dL)
Iron binding capacity (((250-450 mcg/dL)
saturation 23 (15-50%)

ferritin 70 ( 20-288-ng/mL)
Transferritin 206  (188-341 mg/DL)

My history is that when my levels go up I get more anxiety..somehow In the past I have not been able to tolerate T4 ..I was told that this is becaue of either low iron levels or adrenal issues.

I was told that feel better when total iron is 110 and percent saturation should be 35  to feel optimal.

The dr is willing to write me a new prescription a little lower everyday while I work on my iron and I think I will do that. So confused ..the anxiety makes life hard! It has only been for a couple of weeks so I would like to find a way to help it.

I appreciate all the advice!!

[goolarra]

Also, your doctor has you taking 20 mcg SR every OTHER day???  Is that a slow release specially formulated to release over two days?  Typically, SR meds release over just one day.  Taking T3 meds every other day really doesn't work due to the fast-asting nature and short half life of T3.

[Barb135]

Forgot to mention:  the anxiety is most likely caused by the low levels of thyroid hormones.  If you change your medication and get your levels up, it will most likely go away.  

I had to go on a mild anti-anxiety medication for a while, until my anxiety went away.

[Barb135]

Please check the reference range for the FT3; I think you listed the TSH range twice.

I don't know anything about the Stop the Thyroid Madness protocol for increasing iron, but be very careful.  We've had some members get into pretty bad shape following some of that advice.  What are your iron/ferritin levels?

Why does your doctor only have you on T3 medication?  That's very rarely necessary and would account for your FT4 being so low.  You have to have FT4 in order to convert it to FT3.  Is your T3 med compounded?