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Anxiety and thyroid
Forgive me if I am repeating some of my questions over the past few months but does anyone have anxiety and anxious feeling because of their thyroid. I have been fine without any anxiety for a few months and then out of the blue I have been having it for about 2 weeks. My tsh levels have gone like this: 6 weeks ago tsh 6.8 (0.40-4.50) - 3 weeks ago 3.5 - this week 5.4. I called my doctor and he said that I was progressing nicely and not to attibute my symptoms with my thyroid. I don't believe he looked at the fact that my tsh has gone up instead of down. I have called him and he hasn't returned my call yet. I feel this way mostly all day long and a couple of nights all night. I know I am going through some therapy and have been diagnosed with food allergies and celiac. This might be the cause of my anxiety but I had these symptoms really bad when my tsh was highter and had to take anxiety meds to stay stabile. I have been reading that the new tsh levels are under 3. I haven't had a chance to get in the normal except for the one period and that was high norm. This is about to drive me crazy as it knocks my confidence in my ability to get through the days and to take on my responsibilities. I never know how I am going to feel. I know that the Lord will get me through but I would like this to stop. Please if any of you have had this experience with your tsh fluctuating and it causing anxiety, let me know as I would like to relate this to my endo.
God Bless you, linda
God Bless you, linda
Just a little extra note, I don't believe I have an anxiety disorder, not according to the psychiatrist anyway just a side effect of the thyroid. linda
Thanks for your comments. I am addressing each issue that comes up and it is helping. I get tired of the feeling of anxiety but coping is helping. I truly believe that it is thyroid related and maybe also celiac related and that because it wasn't there before the thyroid it won't be there as things straighten out. Will be praying for you also. linda
I haven't had anxiety before until I had the thyroid problem. I have seen a psychiatrist and he gave me lorazapam and told me when I don't need them don't take them. I haven't had anxiety for months and now that my tsh level went up I have it again. I am dealing with it on a daily basis right now. Some of it may be because of the diagnosis of celiac that I was told about around the same time. I am making arrangements to see a dietician and a doctor to treat this. I appreciate your and others input. I have read that the celiac can cause anxiety and depression because of the nutrient deficiency so I am also checking into that. I am just learning about all of this and that is why I am asking so many questions and getting really good answers from all of you. Thanks again Linda
If you read up on the physiological aspects of affective disorders you may be a little more willing to medicated for it. It's got a physical basis and spiritual feelings may aid you, but it will be hard to conquer it without medical intervention.
If you tell the doctor you have severe anxiety and need help they will recommend ways to get it. The best person to prescribe for you is a psyhciatrist and not a GP or Internist. They can refer you for help. There are people on this board who have had thyroid and anxiety/depression off and on for years. It returns for many of them and is not always correlated to even small fluctuations on their TSH. They treat them separately.
It is not a moral failing, it's an actual illness.
If you tell the doctor you have severe anxiety and need help they will recommend ways to get it. The best person to prescribe for you is a psyhciatrist and not a GP or Internist. They can refer you for help. There are people on this board who have had thyroid and anxiety/depression off and on for years. It returns for many of them and is not always correlated to even small fluctuations on their TSH. They treat them separately.
It is not a moral failing, it's an actual illness.
To the woman who suffers anxiety attacks with thyroid malfuntion as well.
yes, there must be a correlation. When I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism I had suffered horrific anxiety attacks and feelings as though I couldn't get enough air or that my heart was beating too fast. I know this all too well. Also, doctors are no help when you realte this problem - anxiety/panic attacks. They push away these concerns and act as though you are "mental." This is frustrating and actually makes a suffering person angry, since their anxiety and panic attacks are very real, very physicological (as well as pyshcological) realities.
I have taken 120 MCG of ARmour Thryoid medication for the past year which has assisted me in maintaining the appropriate and supposed healthy level of thyroid hormones.
To help your anxiety, try taking a small tablet of valium. Doctors do not give out these medicaition readily. I was blessed to have some on hand and when I feel I am going to have an attack, just knowing I have something that helps helps calm me down.
The more you take the medicaiton for your thryoid, there does seeem to be a correlation in releaving the anxiety. I also discovered that ibuprofin seems to increase a feeling of anxiety. Do not take this for pain. Settle on old fashioned aspirins or some other pain releaver.
I know how difficutl this struggle is. Keep notes to yourself and on a calendar marking how you felt on each day after taking a certain dosage. This will be invaluable to yourself. It woud be wonderful if doctors really could help you conquer these matters - such as anxiety and panic - but they just are unwilling to listen to these kinds of problems.
Try to focus upon each problem as a separate issue...Perhaps have a catagory for thryoid medicaiton; another catagory for anxiety...see if by focusing upon these separate issues you can solve each problem/situation more effectively..The anxiety is problably something you might always have, but you can slowly but surely start to learn what actually "sets it off" within your own unique self.
TSH levels are undoubtedly doing something to create your anxiety. Doctors are not willing , I have noted, to assist in the areas of anxiety and panic...You must trust your own insttincts and listen to your own body, as they tell you...Doctors are too busy issuing pills, rather than actually "listening" to patients...
It is a slow and gradual process solving these problems. They are scary and the discovery of overcoming these obstacles is a weery feat.
Good Luck and Bless You All,
yes, there must be a correlation. When I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism I had suffered horrific anxiety attacks and feelings as though I couldn't get enough air or that my heart was beating too fast. I know this all too well. Also, doctors are no help when you realte this problem - anxiety/panic attacks. They push away these concerns and act as though you are "mental." This is frustrating and actually makes a suffering person angry, since their anxiety and panic attacks are very real, very physicological (as well as pyshcological) realities.
I have taken 120 MCG of ARmour Thryoid medication for the past year which has assisted me in maintaining the appropriate and supposed healthy level of thyroid hormones.
To help your anxiety, try taking a small tablet of valium. Doctors do not give out these medicaition readily. I was blessed to have some on hand and when I feel I am going to have an attack, just knowing I have something that helps helps calm me down.
The more you take the medicaiton for your thryoid, there does seeem to be a correlation in releaving the anxiety. I also discovered that ibuprofin seems to increase a feeling of anxiety. Do not take this for pain. Settle on old fashioned aspirins or some other pain releaver.
I know how difficutl this struggle is. Keep notes to yourself and on a calendar marking how you felt on each day after taking a certain dosage. This will be invaluable to yourself. It woud be wonderful if doctors really could help you conquer these matters - such as anxiety and panic - but they just are unwilling to listen to these kinds of problems.
Try to focus upon each problem as a separate issue...Perhaps have a catagory for thryoid medicaiton; another catagory for anxiety...see if by focusing upon these separate issues you can solve each problem/situation more effectively..The anxiety is problably something you might always have, but you can slowly but surely start to learn what actually "sets it off" within your own unique self.
TSH levels are undoubtedly doing something to create your anxiety. Doctors are not willing , I have noted, to assist in the areas of anxiety and panic...You must trust your own insttincts and listen to your own body, as they tell you...Doctors are too busy issuing pills, rather than actually "listening" to patients...
It is a slow and gradual process solving these problems. They are scary and the discovery of overcoming these obstacles is a weery feat.
Good Luck and Bless You All,
Well, it sounds like you have enough to stress about.
The TSH swing is probably contributing and the other stress is probably contributing.
I hear you about the "everything went haywire". That's been my story the last year. Had an endoscopy a couple weeks ago. :)
I would just encourage your Endo to get your TSH back to where it was as soon as possible and ask if supplements would help, especially because of the celiac diagnosis.
Best of luck to you.
The TSH swing is probably contributing and the other stress is probably contributing.
I hear you about the "everything went haywire". That's been my story the last year. Had an endoscopy a couple weeks ago. :)
I would just encourage your Endo to get your TSH back to where it was as soon as possible and ask if supplements would help, especially because of the celiac diagnosis.
Best of luck to you.
Thanks. I am not taking the anxiety meds unless I feel that I am so stressed I can't handle it. I am a Christian and I can usually find my source of strength in Him. There has been two times that I took a time out in the past two weeks and took a pill. I am also trying to cope with the celiac disease. They say I have tested positive for it but still want me to go to a GI doctor and he will probably want an endoscopy. My endo didn't tell me anything about symptoms. He goes strictly by tests and doesn't talk much about symptoms. If I didn't think that he was doing a good job I would search for another one but the psychiartrist that I saw said that he seemed to have a plan that was working and stick with him. That is what I am doing. I wish he was more personable but he is good and I am better. This sure is not a fast thing. I am still shocked that all this has happened to me. I have had a thyroid problem for over 20 years with basically no symptoms and then boom everything went haywire. Thanks for your input and concern. linda
My Endo hasn't really communicated with me much. I saw her once in July and talked to her once on the phone in October. I don't have a clue what her opinion on my mental state would be. She doesn't have a clue what my mental state is.
My PCP told me when he first started treating me that anxiety and depression were common manifestations of thyroid disease.
You're hypothyroid. It shouldn't be a surprise that you're having symptoms. The question is can you put up with the symptoms for a couple of months or do you want to ask for drugs and then have to wean off the drugs again later.
A decision you have to make based on how you are coping and how long you think it will last.
Getting the doctor to agree is the next step. Anxiety is not trivial if it disrupts your life. Treating it should not hinge on relation to thyroid problems anyway. It is what it is. If your Endo doesn't CARE if you want meds, talk to your GP.
My PCP told me when he first started treating me that anxiety and depression were common manifestations of thyroid disease.
You're hypothyroid. It shouldn't be a surprise that you're having symptoms. The question is can you put up with the symptoms for a couple of months or do you want to ask for drugs and then have to wean off the drugs again later.
A decision you have to make based on how you are coping and how long you think it will last.
Getting the doctor to agree is the next step. Anxiety is not trivial if it disrupts your life. Treating it should not hinge on relation to thyroid problems anyway. It is what it is. If your Endo doesn't CARE if you want meds, talk to your GP.
I just wrote a long comment and again clicked the wrong button. I clicked back to forum and of course lost the comment. Thank you for answering. I wanted to ask you if your endo related the anxiety with the thyroid and the fluctuating tsh. Mine said don't relate the symptoms with the thyroid. I don't think he noticed that the tsh was going up instead of down. He said that after the first of the year he would alternate the levothyroxine 37.5 one day and 50 the next to try to bring down the tsh. I don't know if he is still going to do that or not. I am going to keep on him to keep testing my blood to see what is happening as I can't stand this awful feeling. thanks again for answering. linda
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