Do panic attacks come with hypo?

[iluvmylil1]

Well a few weeks ago i went to the ER because i was having what i thought was a heart attack.Heart beating fast,dizzy,hard to breath and felt like i was in a unreal place.They checked my heart and said it was fine but my thyroid was 6.92 and they said i could have hypo.I was very sick for about a week.I felt better the next week and now scene yesterday im  feeling weird again...light headed,not being able to concerted much,feeling like im going crazy.I have to go back to the Dr in a few days to get my thyroid rechecked but im worried.They told me could me panic attacks or maybe my tyroid.My sex drive has went completely down for the past few weeks.Im 25 female.i need some advice.

[orb4me]

Thank you Stella.

Im going to check around on line about Hasimatoes(sp)  I did not know some of the info here...
My new Dr just cut my Synthroid down.  I havent started taking the new ones yet.  If the above posted info is correct, I need to regroup again.

[stella5349]

Thanks orb - your histroy is hard to hear.

Good Luck and I am glad you enjoy this board here at MedHelp

[orb4me]

Im 67, white, female and have the Hashimoto Hypothyroidism.  I was 60 before a Dr discovered I had this.  I have also been Dx benign MS.  Other than strange mouth movements, I dont seem to have any other S/S.   My big problem is panic attacks, with a touch of Agoraphobia.
Pysic (head dr.) first said I was Bi-Polar, sent me to a counsulor (sp??) and he gave me a med (I forget name right now) It was not a pretty sight. Im surprised Im not in prison.  It pushed me over the edge with the first pill.  I knew something was way wrong, so I hide in the basement till the feeling went away.  Back to Dr next week, told me I was on the manic side.  WTH??????? My story is very long, so I will just say, after several pysic dr and counsulors, I decided to go it on my own.  FROM my experience...BE VERY AWARE OF WHAT THIS KIND OF DR IS SAYING TO YOU.

My old MD died, and I ended up with a wonderful Dr, that actually listened to what I was saying.  Thyroid test told it all, along with Effector and Xanax.  I was expecting to be allll better, most of the s/s went away, but..the Agoraphobia reared its ugly head, I had been hiding for years.  I could go to work (Im an lpn, home health for peds) and be just fine, but almost all other activities I could not do.  Thanks to my grandson who was about 8 years old at the time, forced me to go outside, and after a couple of minutes, I was ok.  then.........................I thought everyone was looking at me.  and D...it, I still feel that way. The sane part of me knows thats not true, and if someone is, so what.

Thanks to this great web site, I have found that I am not alone and there is hope after all.  Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

ps, dont take the word of a nurse, a nurse does not know it all.  For that matter, neither does a Dr.  Keep looking for the right one.

[iluvmylil1]

Thank you i will check out Armour Thyroid.This is the first day i have taken my pills and i know it does take a while to work.Its the most awful feeling being so sick and having to wait weeks just feel a little better or maybe even longer then that,The dizzy spells is what scares me and feeling like my brain is in a haze.At first i thought i was HYPER because of my symptoms but going by the test im Hypo because im a little high.Weird i guess but i have  heard alot of people felt like me when they found out they were HYPO.

[peggy64]

Yes, when one endocrine system goes, unfortunately others follow.  By the time it is discovered, (usually a long time after developing, due to drs lack of knowledge on subject) damage has been done. This is due to the glands trying to compensate for the one that is out of order.

Also, try to research Armour Thyroid. It is much more effective than synthroid.

[iluvmylil1]

When ever you have hypo  or hyper did any of you notice a change in your period?I have always had a bad period after the birth of my daughter but now it seems to be getting worse.Sometimes i got a period twice a month or like today i got it and im not due until the 10th.I get very heavy bleeding bad cramps and most of the time pretty sick before a period

[stella5349]

WBC has no connection to thyroid labs and conditions of the thyroid.

[acker]

the w.b.c. could be separate from the thyroid stuff...
it's bothering you, so - bother your doctor and just persist with the question

[TamraW]

I had no side effects, but everyone is different. I have heard a few people report back pain and/or headaches.

:) Tamra

[iluvmylil1]

Thank you so much.You ALL are so helpful.Is there any side effects i should look out for that maybe bothersome from my pills?

[TamraW]

Also, for the Synthroid to be effective, take it in the morning on an empty stomach with a full glass of water. Nothing to eat for an hour. Wait at least 1/2 hour to 1 hour for coffee. Do not take vitamin supplements within four hours of taking the Synthroid.

:) Tamra

[TamraW]

Let's put this in perspective. My TSH got up to a 2.74. I was SICK! I wrote the "Just in case I die" letter to my husband at that time because doctors could find nothing wrong with my labs, yet I felt terrible. I had to go to four endocrinologists before I found one who specialized in thyroid, not diabetes.

This summer, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Auto-Immune Thyroid disease, because my antibodies are a 221 and cut-off range is 35. The antibodies sure don't lie. My swollen thyroid doesn't lie. My symptoms didn't lie. So why did I suffer for so long before getting treatment?????

Many doctors are clueless about the new TSH standards because they aren't gods. They're human. They rely on the lab slip to tell them if the TSH level is too high. Many labs still use old standards. My new endo said that these TSH values came about several years ago when they did a random sampling and averaged everyone's TSH, but they also included people with thyroid disease. Stupid! He told me that TSH in a healthy thyroid is 1.1.

YOUR TSH IS HIGH!

That nurse didn't know what she was talking about. I have a confirmed case of Hashimoto's and my TSH never reached your levels.

Please don't stop your Synthroid. In a month to two months, the doctor should test your FreeT3 and FreeT4 levels. Those directly measure what the thyroid is doing. The TSH is the message your pituitary is sending to the thyroid. The higher the TSH, the more the pituitary is telling the thyroid, "Work harder!" Probably because the thyroid isn't producing enough hormone, which would explain your symptoms.

Depending on the free levels, the doctor will most likely bump your Synthroid to something higher. 50 made me feel better, but no where near where I feel now (100 synthroid and 5 Cytomel). Your body must get used to each bump before you can get higher doses.

Below is an excellent article about TSH levels:
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/dommisse.htm

If you are not seeing an endocrinologist who specializes in thyroid, not diabetes, then I suggest you find one.
:) Tamra

[iluvmylil1]

They only tested my TSH levels and not My FT3 AND FT4.I will not see her until 1 month and when i asked her about the T3 AND T4 she said we will check all that when you come back in a month.So really my levels could be more high then what its showing now because i only got my TSH reading??I was confused because of how bad im feeling and people are telling me that i should not feel that bad when my levels arent that high..but i feel so awful..so withdrawn from everything just weird.Plus panic attacks with it.Im sorry if it sounds like im asking stupid questions im just new to this and worried.My wbc was a little high as well is this normal?The dr didnt say to much about it.Would it be wise to take the meds she gave me even if my thyroid may not be that bad?

[gimel]

TSH is a pituitary hormone that is affected by many variables, including the time ofd day when blood is drawn.  Medical people cling to the belief that TSH is a diagnostic, by which a patient can be diagnosed and medicated and that it  is adequate to determine a patient's thyroid state.  Studies have shown this to be incorrect.  TSH does not correlate very well at all with hypo symptoms.  

The reason I mentioned the importance of testing for FT3 and FT4 is that, along with symptoms,  those are much more important indicators of your thyroid status.  You need to get those tested and adjusted as necessary to relieve symptoms.  As I mentioned, frequently this requires that FT3 be adjusted into the upper part of its range and FT4 adjusted to at least midpoint of its range.  Trying to use TSH to medicate a thyroid patient is like trying to drive a car with a blindfold on and only changing directions when you run into something.  

[iluvmylil1]

Okay i was just talking with a nurse from my local Er and she told me i SHOULD NOT be feeling this sick when my levels are just mildly up...6.92.Is this true?Now im wondering if i shouldn't be this sick.Anyone have not so high hypo or hyper and got really sick?
Or maybe my levels have gotten higher?Idk im confused.

[iluvmylil1]

Does anyone know if your Wbc was a little high on you found out you had hypo or hyper?Im a little concerned about that as well.Mine was 11.5

[JennaRie]

With me, it was a very very slow process. It was probably a few weeks or months before I stopped noticing the shakiness and my heart racing all the time - the dizzy spells and fatigue took a lot longer to go away. Honestly it's hard to remember because I was 11 years old. I just know I went to the doctor every 2 months and they would gradually increase my dose. My problem was that they stopped increasing it once my TSH was inside their supposed range, even though I was still having symptoms. I am now on a higher dose and feel much better. It WILL get better, but it will take time. Just take the meds every day, and get them to test you for the Hashi's antibodies, your FT3, and FT4 next time you go.

[iluvmylil1]

YES!!I went to the Er twice because of how bad i was feeling and they said panic attacks,vertigo or hypo.I was so upset because they didnt even seem concerned but i was very very sick.Im still feeling pretty bad but im hoping this pills well work after a while.Plus LOTS of people told me that me having HYPO that i shouldnt be having panic attacks that it just with HYPER.So that got me very confused.I talked with my dr and she told me that not everyone has the same symptoms as everyone else.I just wished she would have retested me but she didnt.Plus i was a little worried about my WBC that was a little high as well 11.5 but she didnt say much about that.

[MKlacza]

YES, panic attacks unfortunately are linked! I was HYPER and having them awful.. I went to the ER several timesand was told I was having anic attacks when really I was HYPER Thyroid.

Long story short.. I had my thyroid removed and now ALMOST panic free after tweeking my meds. Its a god awful feeling and its even worse when someone tells you YOUR FINE!!!

Good luck!

[iluvmylil1]

Is there any side effects i should be aware of?Also how long does it take to start feeling better when on meds?I just dont feel like myself anymore..its hard to even take care of my daughter because of how bad i feel :(  Im just worried that these pills may make me feel worse. Also scene this morning the sleft side of my neck is sore its hurts when i move to the right might be how i slept but i heard you can get neck pain as well.

[JennaRie]

Some people feel really sick even when their TSH is "not that high" - the symptoms you're having indicate that you do need the medicine they gave you. It will probably be a very gradual improvement, and you will need to go back a month later like they said to see where your levels are. And I agree with gimel - they need to check your free T3 and free T4. If your TSH drops "into the range" but you are still feeling bad, insist that they raise your dose, because the range they're using is outdated and it should really be between 0.3 and 3.0. Really though, your dosage needs to be based it on your symptoms and the free t3 and t4 levels, not TSH.

[iluvmylil1]

Well i went in today and showed my Dr my test results from the Er.She gave me levothyroxine 50MCG.She didnt retake my blood and im kinda confused about that.She told me to take this and if im not feeling better within a week go back...or come back in 1 month and get my levels rechecked.Im so confused i hope im not taking these pills for nothing and its not my thyroid.My levels at the er was 6.92 normal range 0-3-5.0 but i heard thats outdated that a normal thyroid is 1.1??? Is this true?because the er dr told me my levels are not that high..but i have been feeling really sick.
Heart beating fast dizzy spells,low sex drive,headaches,tired all the time.My Wbc was 11.52 she say that and really didnt say to much about it.Im 25 and just confused whats going with my body:(

[gimel]

Those doctors usually have waiting rooms with a lot of tired, sleepy, and unhappy patients.  Been there, done that.

iluvmylil1 you should definitely have your FT3 and FT4 levels checked (note that this is not the same as total T3 and total T4).  FT3 and FT4 are the actual, biologically active thyroid hormones that regulate metabolism and many other body functions.  In my opinion the best way to treat a hypo patient is to adjust FT3 and FT4 with whatever type of meds are required to alleviate symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels.  Frequently this necessitates moving FT3 into the upper part of its range and FT4 to at least the midpoint of its range.  Symptom relief should be all important, not TSH level.

[6hashi]

some doctors don't treat any TSH below 10 !!