Question:
Hello, my name is Claudia (from Germany). I have been noticing some people posting about thyroid problems and anxiety here.
Thyroid problems can mimic panic disorder and this is one ot the things that need to be checked in anyone who develops new symptoms that sound like panic. If however your thyroid condition is well controled now it would not explain panic attacks and suggests that you have panic disorder as well as a thyroid problem.
Response:
Hello, my name is Claudia (from Germany). I have been noticing some people posting about thyroid problems and anxiety here. I think I am a special case concerning PD and thyroid disorder. I had no symptoms at all but due to a general physical examination a tyroid disorder was diagnosed in 93 resulting in surgery (no cancer fortunately). A few months after the op my panick attacks were starting up. My blood values are tested regularly and I’m taking the amount of thyroid hormone substitute necessary in form of pills. Sometimes the values are changing. Right now they have been stable for about 1 year. My doctor says my thyroid isn’t the cause for my anxiety. Does anyone out there have a similar experience as mine ? Regards Claudia
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have recently been diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism. I have had PD since 1980 and have delt with the many miseries. Over the last few months I have had what originally felt like heart burn and over a period of months my PD and depression got worse and worse along with the discomfort in my throat, just below the adams apple. I finally talked my doctor into doing a TSH level test on my blood which came back boarderline low. I returned to the doctor after being put on Paxil and Effexor for a couuple of weeks. He retested my TSH level and it had dropped from .49 to .022 from a normal of .55 to 4.5. He prescribed a drug that reduces the Thyroid activity and this has made me 100% better expecially with the anxiety over a period of 2 to 3 days. Please if you have PD make your doctor run a TSH level on your blood since this has been very beneficial to me. I still feel the PD but it seems to be in the background now instead of on the edge of the cliff. I am very worried about why that I have the Thyroid condition and have not had a biopsy or any tests done to indicate what the cause may be. I have heard that most times it is caused by Tumors. Someone please give me some reassurance that has been through this as I am lost for information at this time. Hi Sam, I too have had an overactive thyroid. I had a scan that showed enlargement, no tumors. It’s mostly an autoimmune response in Graves’ disease. The body produces antibodies against itself. In my case it followed a bad cold. I had the radiation treatment to destroy the gland and now take synthroid. I did take the medicine you take now for awhile. You are right the hyperthyroid makes the panic much worse. Wish I could say all the symtoms disappeared but I can’t. I understand though that for some people, getting the thyroid under control solves the panic problems. Wouldn’t that be great! Good Luck, Pam
Hi, When I got tested by a new doctor I am seeing for thyroid, he found my thyroid level to be on the low side. He treats alot of people with anxiety disorders and has found that most have a low-normal level. That is to say that it is the low side of what most doctors consider to be normal. He started me on thyroid (natural) and it was pretty weird at first because I felt better and happier and my energy level was higher without my being super-hyper and I wasn’t used to it. Then I noticed that things that used to panic the heck out of me didnt bother me as much. I am not panic free by any means but compared to the way I was I am very optimistic whereas I was very negative before. I did have a big panic attack over Christmas due to many many external triggers and upsets. He increased my dose and I recovered much quicker than I used to and so it has taken awhile to get the levels right but I do feel much better. hope this helps and it is just my experience, Annie
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I have recently been diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism. I have had PD since 1980 and have delt with the many miseries. Over the last few months I have had what originally felt like heart burn and over a period of months my PD and depression got worse and worse along with the discomfort in my throat, just below the adams apple. I finally talked my doctor into doing a TSH level test on my blood which came back boarderline low. I returned to the doctor after being put on Paxil and Effexor for a couuple of weeks. He retested my TSH level and it had dropped from .49 to .022 from a normal of .55 to 4.5. He prescribed a drug that reduces the Thyroid activity and this has made me 100% better expecially with the anxiety over a period of 2 to 3 days. Please if you have PD make your doctor run a TSH level on your blood since this has been very beneficial to me. I still feel the PD but it seems to be in the background now instead of on the edge of the cliff. I am very worried about why that I have the Thyroid condition and have not had a biopsy or any tests done to indicate what the cause may be. I have heard that most times it is caused by Tumors. Someone please give me some reassurance that has been through this as I am lost for information at this time.
Hi Sam, I too have had an overactive thyroid. I had a scan that showed enlargement, no tumors. It’s mostly an autoimmune response in Graves’ disease. The body produces antibodies against itself. In my case it followed a bad cold. I had the radiation treatment to destroy the gland and now take synthroid. I did take the medicine you take now for awhile. You are right the hyperthyroid makes the panic much worse. Wish I could say all the symtoms disappeared but I can’t. I understand though that for some people, getting the thyroid under control solves the panic problems. Wouldn’t that be great! Good Luck, Pam
Response:
Sam, Hi again. I found the same thing you did about the pa’s once my thyroid was under control (which in my case meant removed). Actually the condition is usually caused by Grave’s disease in almost all cases. The lump in your throat is probably a goiter, I also suffered from one. It’s caused when the thyroid freaks out and produces too much or too little hormone. You can get more info. from The Thyroid Society; 1-800-849-7643. They’ll talk to you on the phone, send you info. in the mail, and even have a nurse there on certain days who will call you back and answer any questions you might have that can’t be answered by the person taking your call. All of it is free. They were a big help to me. Good luck, glad that you’re feeling better. Stacey
Response:
I have recently been diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism. I have had PD since 1980 and have delt with the many miseries. Over the last few months I have had what originally felt like heart burn and over a period of months my PD and depression got worse and worse along with the discomfort in my throat, just below the adams apple. I finally talked my doctor into doing a TSH level test on my blood which came back boarderline low. I returned to the doctor after being put on Paxil and Effexor for a couuple of weeks. He retested my TSH level and it had dropped from .49 to .022 from a normal of .55 to 4.5. He prescribed a drug that reduces the Thyroid activity and this has made me 100% better expecially with the anxiety over a period of 2 to 3 days. Please if you have PD make your doctor run a TSH level on your blood since this has been very beneficial to me. I still feel the PD but it seems to be in the background now instead of on the edge of the cliff. I am very worried about why that I have the Thyroid condition and have not had a biopsy or any tests done to indicate what the cause may be. I have heard that most times it is caused by Tumors. Someone please give me some reassurance that has been through this as I am lost for information at this time.
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