I need to know recovery will come- postpartum thyroiditis/hashimotos

[Jennerurban]

I have been dealing with heart palps and tachycardias since I was pregnant with the twins. My endo kept saying I was fine (my TSH was normal). I wound up seeing a cardiologist having a cardiac catheterization with ablation where they couldn't enduce the arrhythmia. I have severe panic attacks on occasion and terrible anxiety daily. I'm not eating well. I've lost 15-20 lbs. Half the time I feel like I can't breathe, or my heart is going to stop. Its hard to get a burp up sometimes, and I guess thats because of swelling in the thyroid but it feels almost strangling.

My TSH was 0.7 in August, then 31 in September when I got admitted to the hospital for tachycardia again. When my TSH was 31 they did note my T3 and T4 were low. I fired my first endocrinologist and got a new one. He started me on synthroid 112 saying that he wouldn't prescribe the armour that I was on to any of his patients. He wouldn't go into detail about it but I have to admit I never had any problems on levothyroxine before and all this started with the armour.

Anyhow, the twins are nearing 11 months old and my TSH has swung down to 0.6 again and I've been dropped to 75mcg synthroid because of how I feel. I just really need to hear from someone who felt this bad that feels better now. I need to know there is an end in sight. I really need to know that I can be normal again. Aside from the Xanax which only takes the edge off what did you do to help yourself?

Thanks for any help.

[Jennerurban]

Thanks, I will try to add some vitamin D until I get back to my endocrinologist in November when he runs the labs. This thyroid stuff is terrible.

[stella5349]

Some very important points for you to attempt getting over the anxiety are:

1. an unstable ratio of t3 and t4 hormones in the body can cause anxiety. You must test those two hormones to know the proper conversion happening. testing is best when the Free T3 and Free T4 hormones are done with the TSH. Most patients do find that the anxiety seems to go away when the free T3 is near the 3/4 part of the reference range on the test and the free T4 is somewhere between the half point and 3/4.

2. a low vit D level may be part of this and thyroid patients find that the recommended FDA amounts are pretty low to feel right. testing should be done and normal for most on the lab is between 60-80.