Aa
Personality/Behavioral problems
I am really not sure where to start. I have what I believe to be stress induced hyperthyroidism. I know I have the hyperthyroid but I am just stating that I believe it to be caused by the last couple of years in my life. I mention this only because I am wondering if the behavioral problems I am now experiencing are going to go away after the stress goes away.. or if my brain is always going to be like this from now on. It started during BCT while in the military. I started having hot flashes, heart palpitations, rapid heart beating in the middle of the night and so on. Well it also turned out that I was pregnant. So I just thought it was pregnancy related. That was in 2006. After the pregnancy I had a period of time where my joints just went nuts with pain.. i was tested for rheumatoid arthritis and had a positive RA factor but was told that this did not necessarily mean i had it. the symptoms continued over the next several years in and out but with no real terribleness to them. In 2008 my home was flooded, we had no insurance.. i got a divorce.. found myself in a new .. violent relationship.. and after that period of devestation was finally over I found myself not eating for literally like 20 days. I drank water because I was scared I was dying, but I did not go to the doctor because i could not even walk around my house, I had no energy. I just crawled to the bathroom when i needed to go. I lost my job of course. I just couldn't do anything. Finally after a few months I was able to start going in public again. I got another job. But i didn't put back on the weight I lost and I never got my appetite back. Then the insomnia started and the head aches increased. That is basically where I have been since this all took place however I am now beginning to see behavioral problems.
I have seen a doctor. He diagnosed me and sent me to a specialist... who happens to be of no real value to anyone in the world but himself. I have taken myself into the ER several times from anxiety attacks. They give me a couple pills and tell me to see my doctor. Like i said my doctor has been of no value (the endo). He changes his mind everytime I see him. One minute he's saying my t3 and t4 are leveling out and so we should wait another month and then the next time he sees me he says i don't have a thyroid problem. So apparently the thyroid problem is not extremely bad but just bad enough that it is causing the tests to come up a little off. So the endo does not think it is serious enough to take his time and help me. I have gone for three days without sleep. I have the worst and most bizarre thoughts going through my head.. more of an ocd thing really. Just repetitiously going over events and agonizing over why i did things over and over. I can't make my brain shut down. I have been clearly out of control within the last six months, way out of my normal boundaries.. i am way more sexual than i ever was.. i find myself saying things to men that i would never think of before.. i am constantly in a sexually aggressive state.. i know that sounds weird but its just not normal for me and im losing a lot of respect from ppl that no me and being unable to form new friendships because of the other extremes. Im just aggressive in every way. Im easily annoyed, if i think you are doing something you shouldnt and i don't know you im just very ok with telling you all about it. And sometimes im just way off anyhow about whats going on.. i think its actually becoming a paranoid thing. so ... my doctors are not helping me. I have asked for a transfer and they said the one i will see is in another town, apparently my endo is the only one here in the city i live. I can't afford to go to that other place, and i think im going crazy. So all i want to know is.. if this was all stress induced and I am now having thyroid problems.. lets say the thyroid goes back to normal as the stress in my life does. Because there is no way to tell how much of this is actual thyroid and how much is just natural reaction to the stuff that has been happening. But im SURE that its very exaggerated because of the thyroid issues.. so lets say the thyroid goes away by itself.. will the behavioral problems go away?? I really think Im going crazy. I can't afford to do that because I have children to raise. The sleep is really causing it to be worse.. i can't sleep at night. for some reason thats when my heart starts beating really fast. Now it doesn't beat hard every night but im in a wakened state that i cant get out of every single night. I sleep when i can during the day, but i know this is unhealthy.
Anyhow. just needed to find out if anyone else is experiencing anything like this.
thanks in advance.
Candace-
I have seen a doctor. He diagnosed me and sent me to a specialist... who happens to be of no real value to anyone in the world but himself. I have taken myself into the ER several times from anxiety attacks. They give me a couple pills and tell me to see my doctor. Like i said my doctor has been of no value (the endo). He changes his mind everytime I see him. One minute he's saying my t3 and t4 are leveling out and so we should wait another month and then the next time he sees me he says i don't have a thyroid problem. So apparently the thyroid problem is not extremely bad but just bad enough that it is causing the tests to come up a little off. So the endo does not think it is serious enough to take his time and help me. I have gone for three days without sleep. I have the worst and most bizarre thoughts going through my head.. more of an ocd thing really. Just repetitiously going over events and agonizing over why i did things over and over. I can't make my brain shut down. I have been clearly out of control within the last six months, way out of my normal boundaries.. i am way more sexual than i ever was.. i find myself saying things to men that i would never think of before.. i am constantly in a sexually aggressive state.. i know that sounds weird but its just not normal for me and im losing a lot of respect from ppl that no me and being unable to form new friendships because of the other extremes. Im just aggressive in every way. Im easily annoyed, if i think you are doing something you shouldnt and i don't know you im just very ok with telling you all about it. And sometimes im just way off anyhow about whats going on.. i think its actually becoming a paranoid thing. so ... my doctors are not helping me. I have asked for a transfer and they said the one i will see is in another town, apparently my endo is the only one here in the city i live. I can't afford to go to that other place, and i think im going crazy. So all i want to know is.. if this was all stress induced and I am now having thyroid problems.. lets say the thyroid goes back to normal as the stress in my life does. Because there is no way to tell how much of this is actual thyroid and how much is just natural reaction to the stuff that has been happening. But im SURE that its very exaggerated because of the thyroid issues.. so lets say the thyroid goes away by itself.. will the behavioral problems go away?? I really think Im going crazy. I can't afford to do that because I have children to raise. The sleep is really causing it to be worse.. i can't sleep at night. for some reason thats when my heart starts beating really fast. Now it doesn't beat hard every night but im in a wakened state that i cant get out of every single night. I sleep when i can during the day, but i know this is unhealthy.
Anyhow. just needed to find out if anyone else is experiencing anything like this.
thanks in advance.
Candace-
I and the people on this forum are taking you VERY seriously. You are right to have concern, because when your TSH is so low it is not even registering, it means that your thyroid is churning out thyroid hormone out of control! TSH stands for thyroid stimulating hormone which comes from the pituatry gland. If the pituatary gland senses that there is too much thyroid hormone in the body (when the thyroid is in a hyper state), it puts out little or no TSH. Conversely, if your TSH number is high, then your pituatary is trying to stimulate an underactive (hypo) thyroid.
I encouraged a member of the forum to private message you about all of this to see if there is help for you in your area. Maybe there are some choices of docs other than endos who understand what your body is going through. I cannot emphasize enough that you really should NOT exercise until you have a competent doc OK it for you. Regardless of what the heart monitor says, you are at risk of serious health problems because of your hyperactive thyroid. It may be that because you DO exercise regularly, a doc should use a different criteria for you RE: your heart palpatations. In other words, if you do a lot of aerobic exercise you may have a relatively low heart rate at a resting state and it may not go that fast compared to other people, when in fact you ARE experiencing palpatations compared to what you are used to. You really sound like you are experiencing something like what is called "Grave's rage." The overproduction of thyroid hormone is taxing all of the organs in your body and sending you into hyperdrive (thus the palpatations and intense anxiety).
I do hope and pray that people on this site can help you, because you obviously have been totally let down by your local medical community. And you are right, that both individuals and sometimes doctors opt to let their bodies fight various bacterial infections apart from using antibiotics. Just give a little time to hear from people on this forum and please let them help you figure out a plan for you to get the medical help you need.
I encouraged a member of the forum to private message you about all of this to see if there is help for you in your area. Maybe there are some choices of docs other than endos who understand what your body is going through. I cannot emphasize enough that you really should NOT exercise until you have a competent doc OK it for you. Regardless of what the heart monitor says, you are at risk of serious health problems because of your hyperactive thyroid. It may be that because you DO exercise regularly, a doc should use a different criteria for you RE: your heart palpatations. In other words, if you do a lot of aerobic exercise you may have a relatively low heart rate at a resting state and it may not go that fast compared to other people, when in fact you ARE experiencing palpatations compared to what you are used to. You really sound like you are experiencing something like what is called "Grave's rage." The overproduction of thyroid hormone is taxing all of the organs in your body and sending you into hyperdrive (thus the palpatations and intense anxiety).
I do hope and pray that people on this site can help you, because you obviously have been totally let down by your local medical community. And you are right, that both individuals and sometimes doctors opt to let their bodies fight various bacterial infections apart from using antibiotics. Just give a little time to hear from people on this forum and please let them help you figure out a plan for you to get the medical help you need.
I went in for a visit to the urgent care clinic during one of my anxiety episodes two days ago because the chest pain was on going for two days at that point. The thing with these doctors is they don't understand that some ppl don't have to be doctors to be able to think logically and understand their own bodies. I present with an anxiety attack and chest pain.. they rule the chest pain as part of my belief that im having chest pain but as realistically only an anxiety attack.. so im too incompetent to know when ive been having chest pain for two days straight. Which by the way isn't hard to pull off if your heart has been beating like its the lead drummer for metallica for such a long period of time. THE ONLY REASON i went in is because of the CHEST PAIN. I have had so many anxiety attacks, which they don't even give me anti anxiety pills for unless i beg them and then its only a script for like 6 pills so I don't even ask for them anymore. I just monitor my thoughts as much as possible and try to avoid stressful situations.. none the less.. still very regular they are.. but as stated- CHEST PAIN.. in a 27 year is quite impossibly a normal affair. So after having to go to the point of insulting their ability to make competent decisions on behalf of my own personal welfare they were finally irritated with me enough to want to get me to leave and so they agreed to strap a 24 hr monitor on me.
After 24 hours I went back to my fam prac doc for the results and after he asked how I was doing with that smug look on his face i said to him "well, rather than go into the details of now i'd rather you tell me what you know about my case.. why it is i keep popping up in here.. out of sheer bordom, you think?" Yes, i did. I was rude. Im tired of not being taken seriously, every last one of these ppl are going home at night wondering what kind of seasoning will be on their chicken and mash potatoes. I go home knowing i won't get an ounce of sleep and hoping that the chest pain im having now isn't shaving years off my life all while trying to stop the racing thoughts and ignoring the ridiculously uncomfortable hot flashes.
So he's moody of course but he goes through my charts. He tries to tell me that if Im going to be so upset with him and want to know what hes done for me then he would like to know why back in dec of 2009 when i had strep did i not take an antibiotic like he had prescribed??????
Ok. im going to address this civilly. Firstly.. yes, i understand the seriousness of any type of infection and that we have been very fortunate to have available to us antibiotics, without which millions would be dead. HOWEVER. I also understand the value of an immune system and I value preservation of that immune system. THIS IS A PERSONAL CHOICE. MY CHOICE. I do not take illness and infection lightly. I monitor my body when sick and will go as long as I can without taking antibiotics all the while taking probiotics and other preventatives so that my body is able to fight off infection. But at the end of the day if I need to kick an infection that just wont budge i have no problem going in for an antibiotic. This was the case in dec of last year. I know, i remember easily because I rarely get infections.. in my opinion because of how i preserve my immune system.
THAT STATED.
Where the hell does he get off trying to act like the fact that he prescribed me an antibiotic ONE TIME and i didn't gulp it down as fast as he was to hand it out makes me wrong in my claim for help for a COMPLETELY unrelated condition of my THYROID??
REALLY??!!
He rattled off as quickly as possible that the 24hr monitor came back completely normal, yes i did have regular palpitations but nothing abnormal to the heart that would signify further investigation. So my second point would be that he was before this even questioning my ability to judge if I was having palpitations.. which we have now confirmed and we also know that they have gotten worse, and more often ... but this is of no importance to him.. yep.. i mean.. im no genius for sure but if something is worsening rather than at least staying the same i would consider that troublesome and something to look into. but apparently that's why im not qualified to make my own assessments.
He then read off my thryoid stuff to me and explained that my t3 and t4 have been fine but that my TSH has been reading as <.1 so its not coming up at all. its just shut off or something. This has been all three times I have been tested so literally over several months my tsh has not been working.
He then let me know that the reason i have not heard from the new doc in denton is because they have sent all of my stuff to them but it is up to the doc in denton to decide whether or not he will see me.. DID YOU READ THAT.. yeah they will decide if my case is of high enough interest that they will take my quality of life seriously. So the fact that i have not heard from them yet is a sure indication that it just wasn't a good enough case for them to consider allowing me to drive two hours out of the way to pay to come see them so that i could enjoy sleep at night again.
At one point my doc just says to me.. well candace we can continue checking different things for you but what if it just doesn't get any better than this?
i just looked at him like..what is wrong with you/??
a year ago i was not having the signs i am today. so we know that its not because im incapable of being normal. so there is a point of return that if im at all capable of getting back to than geeze if ya'll don't mind helping me out with those fancy wall displays from med school i'd really appreciate it.. or maybe im in the wrong place.. maybe i need to go see a carpenter.. yeah im proly just in the wrong place. silly me.
YUP.
I give up.
After 24 hours I went back to my fam prac doc for the results and after he asked how I was doing with that smug look on his face i said to him "well, rather than go into the details of now i'd rather you tell me what you know about my case.. why it is i keep popping up in here.. out of sheer bordom, you think?" Yes, i did. I was rude. Im tired of not being taken seriously, every last one of these ppl are going home at night wondering what kind of seasoning will be on their chicken and mash potatoes. I go home knowing i won't get an ounce of sleep and hoping that the chest pain im having now isn't shaving years off my life all while trying to stop the racing thoughts and ignoring the ridiculously uncomfortable hot flashes.
So he's moody of course but he goes through my charts. He tries to tell me that if Im going to be so upset with him and want to know what hes done for me then he would like to know why back in dec of 2009 when i had strep did i not take an antibiotic like he had prescribed??????
Ok. im going to address this civilly. Firstly.. yes, i understand the seriousness of any type of infection and that we have been very fortunate to have available to us antibiotics, without which millions would be dead. HOWEVER. I also understand the value of an immune system and I value preservation of that immune system. THIS IS A PERSONAL CHOICE. MY CHOICE. I do not take illness and infection lightly. I monitor my body when sick and will go as long as I can without taking antibiotics all the while taking probiotics and other preventatives so that my body is able to fight off infection. But at the end of the day if I need to kick an infection that just wont budge i have no problem going in for an antibiotic. This was the case in dec of last year. I know, i remember easily because I rarely get infections.. in my opinion because of how i preserve my immune system.
THAT STATED.
Where the hell does he get off trying to act like the fact that he prescribed me an antibiotic ONE TIME and i didn't gulp it down as fast as he was to hand it out makes me wrong in my claim for help for a COMPLETELY unrelated condition of my THYROID??
REALLY??!!
He rattled off as quickly as possible that the 24hr monitor came back completely normal, yes i did have regular palpitations but nothing abnormal to the heart that would signify further investigation. So my second point would be that he was before this even questioning my ability to judge if I was having palpitations.. which we have now confirmed and we also know that they have gotten worse, and more often ... but this is of no importance to him.. yep.. i mean.. im no genius for sure but if something is worsening rather than at least staying the same i would consider that troublesome and something to look into. but apparently that's why im not qualified to make my own assessments.
He then read off my thryoid stuff to me and explained that my t3 and t4 have been fine but that my TSH has been reading as <.1 so its not coming up at all. its just shut off or something. This has been all three times I have been tested so literally over several months my tsh has not been working.
He then let me know that the reason i have not heard from the new doc in denton is because they have sent all of my stuff to them but it is up to the doc in denton to decide whether or not he will see me.. DID YOU READ THAT.. yeah they will decide if my case is of high enough interest that they will take my quality of life seriously. So the fact that i have not heard from them yet is a sure indication that it just wasn't a good enough case for them to consider allowing me to drive two hours out of the way to pay to come see them so that i could enjoy sleep at night again.
At one point my doc just says to me.. well candace we can continue checking different things for you but what if it just doesn't get any better than this?
i just looked at him like..what is wrong with you/??
a year ago i was not having the signs i am today. so we know that its not because im incapable of being normal. so there is a point of return that if im at all capable of getting back to than geeze if ya'll don't mind helping me out with those fancy wall displays from med school i'd really appreciate it.. or maybe im in the wrong place.. maybe i need to go see a carpenter.. yeah im proly just in the wrong place. silly me.
YUP.
I give up.
Did you get my message on recommended doctors? Tried to send it, however had a weird pop up on computer, so I don't know if it went through or not?
Hope someone was able to contact you about specific docs in your area. Do you have any more info. about when your upcoming appointment with the new endo do will be?
When you find out when your appt. is, you might want to check with some of the knowledgeable folks on this forum as to exactly which tests you should ask for. Even though my daughter's new thyroid doc is pretty thorough, there is a test or two that check for Hashimoto's antibodies that the doc missed putting on the lab order. Hopefully your new endo doc will be open to forming an interactive partnership with you RE: proper diagnosis and treatment. In this extremely complex world of endocrine problems, the doc needs the patient's feedback just as much as the correct lab tests for accurate results.
Good luck, and hope you get some relief with your symptoms (especially chest pain and severe sleep deprivation). I'm sure others are sending thoughts and prayers your way, as well.
When you find out when your appt. is, you might want to check with some of the knowledgeable folks on this forum as to exactly which tests you should ask for. Even though my daughter's new thyroid doc is pretty thorough, there is a test or two that check for Hashimoto's antibodies that the doc missed putting on the lab order. Hopefully your new endo doc will be open to forming an interactive partnership with you RE: proper diagnosis and treatment. In this extremely complex world of endocrine problems, the doc needs the patient's feedback just as much as the correct lab tests for accurate results.
Good luck, and hope you get some relief with your symptoms (especially chest pain and severe sleep deprivation). I'm sure others are sending thoughts and prayers your way, as well.
Yes I do have health ins. Good health ins actually. So thats why having a bad doctor doesn't help anything. I dont' know who's practice it was sent to, they said like i have been told every other time.. "they will call you". Today is really bad. I am really feeling the chest pain. Im so irritated. Who are the docs you have in mind and where are they located?
Do you not have health insurance? What practice (name of doctor and address) are you suppose to go see? Who's practice were your files sent to? I have a few doc.s in mind who "get it" when it comes to thyroid imbalance for what ever reason. However, they may not be seeing new patients and they are not endos. I also have a wonderful pharmacist who can consult you on labs (free). He knows his stuff as he compounds thyroid meds and has done lots of research on it all. He actually advises the doctors!
Reaching out to Anne can help you. She knows the area and may offer some short cuts.
They have sent all of my paperwork to denton. That is where im suppose to be seen next. But it really is a matter of not being able to afford to do it. I am a newly single mom of four kids. It's just a lot more difficult than hoppin in my car when I need to see the doc. So that's why Im trying to figure this out on my own as much as possible.
I live in Denton, Tx. Could you come this far or even to Dallas or Ft. Worth to see a new doctor?
After reading some of your symptoms, it could also have some adrenal involvement going on as well. Usually when we have thyroid problems that are not dealt with and brought under control, in other words, goes untreated for a length of time, our adrenals try to compensate. This then causes a whole NEW set of problems to go along with the thryoid problems.
It just gets "funner and funner."
It just gets "funner and funner."
Oh - sure sweetie.... Here let me post to her and have her pop on here. She maybe can help you with a doctor.
I'll take care of it..
In the future here are the steps.. Above you have an inbox and can compose or read messages. Look in the uppoer right corner of the forum page and see the word "inbox" as a hyperlink. click on that and it will bring you into provate messages...
Send a "test" message to me... See if I respond - then you know who to do it.. :)
Well help you dear - you'll get bac together real soon!
I'll take care of it..
In the future here are the steps.. Above you have an inbox and can compose or read messages. Look in the uppoer right corner of the forum page and see the word "inbox" as a hyperlink. click on that and it will bring you into provate messages...
Send a "test" message to me... See if I respond - then you know who to do it.. :)
Well help you dear - you'll get bac together real soon!
how do i do that on here? i just found this site and am still trying to get use to how it works.
im in wichita falls. I listed this in a previous text but it was deleted im assuming because i also listed the name of the doctor here and didn't have a nice term for him. so i will just say i live in wichita falls, tx. I have been transferred (at my own request because of the endo i was first givens incompetence) and all of my papers have been transferred to denton, tx.. which i don't have a clue of how i will work out financially to pull off on any regular basis.. but that's another matter entirely.. and necessary anyhow as the endo i saw here was apparently the only one in wichita falls. This appears to be the reason he doesnt have to be very good.. there are no other options.
Debbie, very excited to hear that you are feeling good about the new doc for your daughter. That feeling.. knowing the doctor is competent and has concern over her quality of life is not replaceable.
Im very happy for you both. Please keep me updated.
Debbie, very excited to hear that you are feeling good about the new doc for your daughter. That feeling.. knowing the doctor is competent and has concern over her quality of life is not replaceable.
Im very happy for you both. Please keep me updated.
I agree entirely. Much easier said than done, but still working toward it. That is the real beast here. I really like the idea of thought reconstruction. Preemptive striking at its best.
I read a great book tonight called "When God whispers your name". I have not slept at all still the whole night and here it is 5:14 am... but the whole night i was absorbed in such a positive book that I could not help but to be in like condition. My mind couldn't be on a million things because I was forcing continual good thoughts down its little throat all night lol. So I feel peaceful. Tired but peaceful and that is definitely worth it.
I will also try this little method your talking about with the reaction to the environmental cues.. i know of certain places i go everyday (the gym i work out at are all friends with the bad relationship person and its very stressful- this is also where i am most aggressive.. but i can't leave because its the only mma gym i can go to [i paid for a year and a half up front].. and im just not going to allow events to shape where and when i will go where i want to go) So i need to do some constructive healing and positive reinforcement for the time i spend at this place. ..
very good.
Thank you very much.
Candace-
I read a great book tonight called "When God whispers your name". I have not slept at all still the whole night and here it is 5:14 am... but the whole night i was absorbed in such a positive book that I could not help but to be in like condition. My mind couldn't be on a million things because I was forcing continual good thoughts down its little throat all night lol. So I feel peaceful. Tired but peaceful and that is definitely worth it.
I will also try this little method your talking about with the reaction to the environmental cues.. i know of certain places i go everyday (the gym i work out at are all friends with the bad relationship person and its very stressful- this is also where i am most aggressive.. but i can't leave because its the only mma gym i can go to [i paid for a year and a half up front].. and im just not going to allow events to shape where and when i will go where i want to go) So i need to do some constructive healing and positive reinforcement for the time i spend at this place. ..
very good.
Thank you very much.
Candace-
yes Candace. The iodine injection can be hard on us.
You need to start from scratch and get a better doctor to zero in on your thyroid and adrenals...
Where are you located? - Maybe I can help you find someone for a different course of treatment.
You need to start from scratch and get a better doctor to zero in on your thyroid and adrenals...
Where are you located? - Maybe I can help you find someone for a different course of treatment.
I think you have really good analytical abilities, but you have a really complex set of symptoms. I would suggest that you cut and paste your most recent long post on the ask-a-doctor forum area. I really don't have experience with this forum, but I'm guessing a physician can at least give you specific questions you should be asking your new endo. doc.
I just took my daughter into the new thyroid doc today. I was impressed with the depth of tests and scans she wants my daughter to take. My daughter isn't really buying into it yet, but if the new doc is on target I guess the new thyroid meds and diet adjustments should help my daughter start feeling a little better in 3-4 days!
Keep asking questions, keep researching, and keep praying...
I just took my daughter into the new thyroid doc today. I was impressed with the depth of tests and scans she wants my daughter to take. My daughter isn't really buying into it yet, but if the new doc is on target I guess the new thyroid meds and diet adjustments should help my daughter start feeling a little better in 3-4 days!
Keep asking questions, keep researching, and keep praying...
OK. something i have thought then as a possible antagonist to this whole situation. When the fam pract initially told me he thought I may have a pituitary tumor they suggested getting a scan of my brain done. To do the scan they used an iodine injection in my blood as a visual aid on the monitor. Could this iodine treatment have caused me to go into a more severe hyper state? And knowing what we know about iodine and how sensitive the thyroid is to it why on earth would they be using this as part of a scan that millions of ppl have to get regularly? I feel like them using this without even informing me of its effects is a serious infringement of my rights unless I am mistaken about what was actually occurring. But I know the tech told me before hand that he was going to use an iodine solution so that the images would be visible on the monitor and that I would be able to taste something in the back of my mouth when it was injected.
you have been through so much stress - maybe the aggression is a reaction to all of the hurt you have experienced. but, the aggression will not serve you and may get you into trouble. is there another way that you could find to use the adrenalin hormone - can you do some visualization and deep breathing ? or some cognitive restructuring- maybe recognize the environmental cues that get you worked up and respond to them with a set response? there are many techniques that you could use to save yourself before things become unmanageable.
common RAI patients find smell and taste changes.. That is almost a given for us.
Here is what I think Candace. You seem very intune with yourself and know you body. The thing I see is you miss the link connecting thyroid and not know for sure where you may be still off.
I think telling you basic thyroid 101 right now could help you...
You NEED to make sure you are being tested with the FT3 and FT4 testing along with the TSH
The FT3 is your direct cell thyroid hormone able to get you solid and thyroid healthy. That lab should be in the upper 7/8 of the reference. The FT4 is the converter hormone and should be mid - high(er) on that reference.
The TSH will usually lie low if the FT3 lab is where it should be on the high end.
Get your labs and check IF you had those tests and if so - where they are. You should find tweeking them to help you.
Here is what I think Candace. You seem very intune with yourself and know you body. The thing I see is you miss the link connecting thyroid and not know for sure where you may be still off.
I think telling you basic thyroid 101 right now could help you...
You NEED to make sure you are being tested with the FT3 and FT4 testing along with the TSH
The FT3 is your direct cell thyroid hormone able to get you solid and thyroid healthy. That lab should be in the upper 7/8 of the reference. The FT4 is the converter hormone and should be mid - high(er) on that reference.
The TSH will usually lie low if the FT3 lab is where it should be on the high end.
Get your labs and check IF you had those tests and if so - where they are. You should find tweeking them to help you.
I just want to throw all of this out there because I'm under the impression that it is all related and since i don't have my labs I can show the cycle that i see reoccurring.
At first i did not see a cycle, everything was random and there was no real way to tell when it would happen again.
Things that follow are those that have stayed from the very beginning: Terrible joint pain, heart palpitations (increasing over time now to about every ten minutes or so and they cause me to cough because they are so deep) Hot flashes.. these use to be so bad and regular that they would happen for no reason and for every reason even when someone said something around me that was a little out of my comfort zone it would immediately trigger a hot flash very noticeable to everyone in the room (no.. its not the same as being embarrassed, trust me i know my body and what it does in each situation), a hot sensation all over my body but especially in my abdominal area which the doctor told me is because of a higher metabolism.. but still quite unusual, perspiring way more than i ever use to, a really fast heart rate that was just like the hot flashes in that nothing and everything could trigger it. It happened by itself at night, but with the thoughts (oh yes another symptom I haven't gotten to) that are reoccurring and that are very literally obsessive- my heart seems to really start racing with those which sometimes will cause the anxiety attacks, so i will explain the thought process although this did not start until i would say about six months ago to the extent that it is. I have always been a very .. overly analytical person of my actions- since i was a little kid. I have always had times of stress that really increased this analyzing of past events and now its almost like someone opened the flood gate of thoughts an there is no control to it whatsoever. I'm just in a constant state of action and then condemning of those actions mentally. It has also caused me to be extremely scatter brained to the point that I can not start one thing that I have to do because I am in such deep thought about all of the things that need to be done. I drove to walmart the other day for soap and literally circled the parking lot for 20 min because i couldn't decide whether or not it was what i really needed to do next or not. I ended up forgetting what i was doing in the first place and went and got something to eat after remembering that I had not eaten all day. Which brings me to another interesting little side effect. I have always been a ...overly healthy eater.. lets just put it that way. No problems eating for me.. ever. When the major breakdown happened after the divorce and bankruptcy and subsequent relationship the first thing to happen was that i lost my sense of taste and smell and lost my appetite all together. When i tired to eat it hurt my stomach, almost like i had an ulcer or something. So i really did not eat anything for about 20 days but I made myself drink water which i did not physically want to do at all either. This little numbing of the senses has cropped up ever since the first really bad one but the appetite diminishing is not ever as bad. .. Lets see.. my energy is non existent, I feel mentally, physically, emotionally.. in every way drained when its really bad. I can't even brush my teeth. I have insomnia.. REAL insomnia that is literally keeping me from sleeping at night because I stay in a wakened state and cant go to sleep no matter what I take, one night i took three xanax and drank a cup of tea with four bags of valerian root.. still no dice. I just felt like a drunk really tired person that could not sleep. It was very difficult during the school year to get my kids to school everyday and because my body is only able to sleep every day around 8 in the morning there were several times that i would pass out and sleep through alarms that were right by my head.. so taking care of my kids was and is still very difficult. My scalp is scaling up terribly, I have the worst case of dandruff I have ever had in my life, I have to scrub my head every day to keep it from being visible to other ppl. The doc also told me that my vit d is still low after taking supplements on a regular basis for the last several months after the first lab showed it to be low...
Things that are recent are the sexual aggression and just in general aggressive state and attitude toward others.
I was trying to come up with some sort of .. post divorce first time being single since i was 18 theory of why I would be behaving like this because it is literally not controllable.
I say things before I realize im even opening my mouth, I know longer look at men in the face first.. (i know.. i know..) I'm like an adolescent boy hitting puberty.. its just bizarre.
I am constantly thinking about sex.. its just not my behavior, its not normal for me and its very embarrassing. I am very outgoing naturally but it has really turned into a whole other level when i become confrontational with anyone over anything that i feel they did to me .. regardless of whether its based on fact or not.. its like im constantly looking for a reason to verbally assault someone and i almost want to get into a fight with them.
So again.. just very aggressive in every way, and if you knew me two or three years ago you would know this is not typical behavior for me. But all of this could be some sort of coping mechanism i suppose for all of the stress... but on the other hand it just feels out of control and with all of the other physical symptoms its just not right to call it purely stress or anxiety related.
As for the cycle I have seen in the last couple of months it appears that there is some sort of foreseeable peak and then extreme fall with the symptoms and it shows with my weight and hunger.
Before all of this happened I sat at 150 plus or minus a few pounds my whole adult life. After the initial fall I lost 17 pounds in the first month.
What has happened is that it has kinda settled on a ten pound differential. When im at 148 I start to go into the fast/storm cycle, everything gets tense, i get the anxiety spells, my heart rate goes crazy i think im going crazy all of the symptoms set in very quickly. I do this until I lose down to about 138-139 and then just like clock work everything settles down and my appetite returns, my head clears up, and im fine for a bit. This cycle takes not quite a month to complete but it is very consistent- or so it has been for the last three or four months that i have noticed it.
Now. It is just my theory of course but I would speculate that my body is trying to get back to its natural thresh hold but every time it does so something happens or it is unable to find a stability and causes it to crash. So this could have one of two outcomes if this is in fact what is going on.
1) My body will finally elevate to where it wants to be hormonally.. weight wise.. all that stuff and finally put the breaks on..
or
2) It will continue trying to find the norm until it burns out and goes into a state that it can not function properly at all for anytime period.
So.. please let me know any and all thoughts on the matter.
And whether or not you think there is something to this theory of trying to get back to the norm .. and what could be a glitch that would keep it crashing every time it hits its more stable zone. if that makes any sense at all.
Thanks again
Candace-
At first i did not see a cycle, everything was random and there was no real way to tell when it would happen again.
Things that follow are those that have stayed from the very beginning: Terrible joint pain, heart palpitations (increasing over time now to about every ten minutes or so and they cause me to cough because they are so deep) Hot flashes.. these use to be so bad and regular that they would happen for no reason and for every reason even when someone said something around me that was a little out of my comfort zone it would immediately trigger a hot flash very noticeable to everyone in the room (no.. its not the same as being embarrassed, trust me i know my body and what it does in each situation), a hot sensation all over my body but especially in my abdominal area which the doctor told me is because of a higher metabolism.. but still quite unusual, perspiring way more than i ever use to, a really fast heart rate that was just like the hot flashes in that nothing and everything could trigger it. It happened by itself at night, but with the thoughts (oh yes another symptom I haven't gotten to) that are reoccurring and that are very literally obsessive- my heart seems to really start racing with those which sometimes will cause the anxiety attacks, so i will explain the thought process although this did not start until i would say about six months ago to the extent that it is. I have always been a very .. overly analytical person of my actions- since i was a little kid. I have always had times of stress that really increased this analyzing of past events and now its almost like someone opened the flood gate of thoughts an there is no control to it whatsoever. I'm just in a constant state of action and then condemning of those actions mentally. It has also caused me to be extremely scatter brained to the point that I can not start one thing that I have to do because I am in such deep thought about all of the things that need to be done. I drove to walmart the other day for soap and literally circled the parking lot for 20 min because i couldn't decide whether or not it was what i really needed to do next or not. I ended up forgetting what i was doing in the first place and went and got something to eat after remembering that I had not eaten all day. Which brings me to another interesting little side effect. I have always been a ...overly healthy eater.. lets just put it that way. No problems eating for me.. ever. When the major breakdown happened after the divorce and bankruptcy and subsequent relationship the first thing to happen was that i lost my sense of taste and smell and lost my appetite all together. When i tired to eat it hurt my stomach, almost like i had an ulcer or something. So i really did not eat anything for about 20 days but I made myself drink water which i did not physically want to do at all either. This little numbing of the senses has cropped up ever since the first really bad one but the appetite diminishing is not ever as bad. .. Lets see.. my energy is non existent, I feel mentally, physically, emotionally.. in every way drained when its really bad. I can't even brush my teeth. I have insomnia.. REAL insomnia that is literally keeping me from sleeping at night because I stay in a wakened state and cant go to sleep no matter what I take, one night i took three xanax and drank a cup of tea with four bags of valerian root.. still no dice. I just felt like a drunk really tired person that could not sleep. It was very difficult during the school year to get my kids to school everyday and because my body is only able to sleep every day around 8 in the morning there were several times that i would pass out and sleep through alarms that were right by my head.. so taking care of my kids was and is still very difficult. My scalp is scaling up terribly, I have the worst case of dandruff I have ever had in my life, I have to scrub my head every day to keep it from being visible to other ppl. The doc also told me that my vit d is still low after taking supplements on a regular basis for the last several months after the first lab showed it to be low...
Things that are recent are the sexual aggression and just in general aggressive state and attitude toward others.
I was trying to come up with some sort of .. post divorce first time being single since i was 18 theory of why I would be behaving like this because it is literally not controllable.
I say things before I realize im even opening my mouth, I know longer look at men in the face first.. (i know.. i know..) I'm like an adolescent boy hitting puberty.. its just bizarre.
I am constantly thinking about sex.. its just not my behavior, its not normal for me and its very embarrassing. I am very outgoing naturally but it has really turned into a whole other level when i become confrontational with anyone over anything that i feel they did to me .. regardless of whether its based on fact or not.. its like im constantly looking for a reason to verbally assault someone and i almost want to get into a fight with them.
So again.. just very aggressive in every way, and if you knew me two or three years ago you would know this is not typical behavior for me. But all of this could be some sort of coping mechanism i suppose for all of the stress... but on the other hand it just feels out of control and with all of the other physical symptoms its just not right to call it purely stress or anxiety related.
As for the cycle I have seen in the last couple of months it appears that there is some sort of foreseeable peak and then extreme fall with the symptoms and it shows with my weight and hunger.
Before all of this happened I sat at 150 plus or minus a few pounds my whole adult life. After the initial fall I lost 17 pounds in the first month.
What has happened is that it has kinda settled on a ten pound differential. When im at 148 I start to go into the fast/storm cycle, everything gets tense, i get the anxiety spells, my heart rate goes crazy i think im going crazy all of the symptoms set in very quickly. I do this until I lose down to about 138-139 and then just like clock work everything settles down and my appetite returns, my head clears up, and im fine for a bit. This cycle takes not quite a month to complete but it is very consistent- or so it has been for the last three or four months that i have noticed it.
Now. It is just my theory of course but I would speculate that my body is trying to get back to its natural thresh hold but every time it does so something happens or it is unable to find a stability and causes it to crash. So this could have one of two outcomes if this is in fact what is going on.
1) My body will finally elevate to where it wants to be hormonally.. weight wise.. all that stuff and finally put the breaks on..
or
2) It will continue trying to find the norm until it burns out and goes into a state that it can not function properly at all for anytime period.
So.. please let me know any and all thoughts on the matter.
And whether or not you think there is something to this theory of trying to get back to the norm .. and what could be a glitch that would keep it crashing every time it hits its more stable zone. if that makes any sense at all.
Thanks again
Candace-
Hi Candace. I would like to add some thoughts here for you.
It seems your question lies major on - Will your irratic behavior calm down when your thyroid calms down.
Well the answer homestly is -- maybe.
You see Graves in many cases will trigger an imbalance of all kinds of hormones and your history of stress and pregnancy pretty much details that for you on how changes too place in your body that needs correcting. Until someone truly looks at the whole picture with you - then the rages will continue and may not be entirely thyroid.
I work pretty much with Graves people - AFTER they have lost their thyroid to RAI - or surgery and now hypothyroid and not functioning well. In both incidence - Hyper - and hypO thyroidism effects mood and emotional stress levels. Stabilizing those moods take many things for any thyroid patient
It would be great if you had your lab reports. The one - for sure - on when you were told you had Graves and also the latest one on where you're at.
I am going to assume you still have function of your natural thyroid and not on medication to increase hormone. I think you may be on antithyroid meds like a PTU or methimozole to control the over zealous function. Again - Actualy labs would be nice to see.
I don't feel you have quality care if all these symptoms are still present and were told you're fine. I don't also think the network of doctors you would be given as referrals would work either since your doctor know only prectices with othrs that agree on the same view point as s/he.
I think your best option would be to go completely new and check into A-4 or Intergrative or even holistic treatment options and see what their second opinion would do. I think you will be happy with some results more than getting shoved under the rug as you are now.
It seems your question lies major on - Will your irratic behavior calm down when your thyroid calms down.
Well the answer homestly is -- maybe.
You see Graves in many cases will trigger an imbalance of all kinds of hormones and your history of stress and pregnancy pretty much details that for you on how changes too place in your body that needs correcting. Until someone truly looks at the whole picture with you - then the rages will continue and may not be entirely thyroid.
I work pretty much with Graves people - AFTER they have lost their thyroid to RAI - or surgery and now hypothyroid and not functioning well. In both incidence - Hyper - and hypO thyroidism effects mood and emotional stress levels. Stabilizing those moods take many things for any thyroid patient
It would be great if you had your lab reports. The one - for sure - on when you were told you had Graves and also the latest one on where you're at.
I am going to assume you still have function of your natural thyroid and not on medication to increase hormone. I think you may be on antithyroid meds like a PTU or methimozole to control the over zealous function. Again - Actualy labs would be nice to see.
I don't feel you have quality care if all these symptoms are still present and were told you're fine. I don't also think the network of doctors you would be given as referrals would work either since your doctor know only prectices with othrs that agree on the same view point as s/he.
I think your best option would be to go completely new and check into A-4 or Intergrative or even holistic treatment options and see what their second opinion would do. I think you will be happy with some results more than getting shoved under the rug as you are now.
hi i can tell you for sure that when my thyroid levels are out of whack it critically impacts my mental state. i change so much that it scares me to death. i wish you could post your numbers somehow because then we could really see the balance or inbalance of your free t3 and your free t4. they do tell a story. try and hang in there and please get a different doctor.we care about you here. im sure others will respond to you there are so many knowledgeable people here. keep reading and educate yourself so you can spot the uneducated thyroid doctors. God bless you.
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