Thanks for your input Aliverdi. I am currently taking B12 and magnesium supplements so that is not the issue. And the beta blockers were to control high BP and prescribed before the heart palps. And I don't think hyper symptoms are being masked as I feel hypo. I do see a doctor that will prescribe armor but I was already on synthroid when I started seeing her 5 years ago and was sooo sick when first diagnosed so we did not want to rock the boat with the progress made on synthroid.
I think either my thyroid is dying off faster than my recent dose I increases, or Rt3 is stopping meds from getting in my system, or adrenals are not cooperating. Just had bloodwork and siva cortisol test dome so we should know soon.
[QUOTE=Heckofagal;4917310]Sammy - I am not on my knees, I am on my @SS! I feel like I have lost my life as I can't drive because I am so dizzy, but it does not matter, I don't feel up to going anywhere. When I do try to force myself to go out for a bit the dizziness gets even worse (I simply cannot tolerate all the different noises/activity in a restaurant.)
I have had this same issue. The first time it occurred I was driving on a very busy expressway. For about 2 months I was having what felt like extreme adrenalin surges....high heart rate, blood pressure, etc. The dr was not checking my FT4 or FT3 only TSH. (I've learned a lot since then) My TSH was 1.63 at the time. They brushed it off as panic attacks and tried to describe AD's and ativan. When the dizziness and adrenalin surges would start, i was scared which probably made it worse. I'm afraid to drive on high speed expressways even now because I never know if the dizziness might come back.
My FT4 and FT3 are always on the low side and my TSH is usually less than 1.
FT4 tends to be around 1.0 (.8-1.8) and FT3 is around 2.3 (2.3-4.2). When I try to raise my synthroid dose, i feel extremely overmedicated when i get my frees up to mid range. I take 88 mcg synthroid. When i tried to alternate 88's with 100's of synthroid, i couldn't stand being in my own skin. I wonder if something is preventing good absorption, but i follow all the guidelines. The worst episodes were at high stress times, so i thought adrenal fatigue could be a cause.
I hope you're feeling better and I hope you will post what you learn from your results. You have such similar symptoms that I have, maybe you'll shed some light on an option I can suggest to my dr (who is not very thyroid savvy, unfortunately)
Sundance - I am sorry to hear that you are suffering too. I am still waiting on my results from my bloodwork and my saliva test. Can't say I am having any of the anxiety or adrenaline surges at this point, just constant lightheadedness that periodically throughout the day turns to dizziness. Will keep you posted.
Thanks for your input Aliverdi. I am currently taking B12 and magnesium supplements so that is not the issue. And the beta blockers were to control high BP and prescribed before the heart palps. And I don't think hyper symptoms are being masked as I feel hypo. I do see a doctor that will prescribe armor but I was already on synthroid when I started seeing her 5 years ago and was sooo sick when first diagnosed so we did not want to rock the boat with the progress made on synthroid.
I think either my thyroid is dying off faster than my recent dose I increases, or Rt3 is stopping meds from getting in my system, or adrenals are not cooperating. Just had bloodwork and siva cortisol test dome so we should know soon.
Please remember that one of the side effects of Hashi's is you lose the ability to absorb B12 and Magnesium. Doctor started me on a sublinugal B12 and a liquid Mag that gets absorbed through the mouth the day he prescribed Meds.
Be careful with vit D as it is an oil soluble and can build up over time and cause calcification of the cells which will really screw with meds. 4000 iu is too much on a daily basis.
I was led down the adrenal fatigue route and spent a fortune and nothing worked. ERFA and Armour made all the "adrenal issues" go away. Listen to Sammy and concentrate on getting your thyroid levels where they need to be.
Vortexeng - I do take B12 sublingually too, and feel comfortable with my magnesium level. And the Vitamin D I only take during the winter months when I don't spend any time outside. My previous GP had tested everything and said it was all 'in range' and my current doc is the one who told me I needed to supplement. I immediately noticed a difference with the B12 and years later after my mother-in-law was diagnosed hypo i told her all about B12. She spoke with her pharmacist who backed up what i was saying and started it as well and the tingling in her feet and hands went away. She has Raynaud's and thought the numbness was from the Raynaud's and something she just had to live with the rest of her life.
What adrenal issues did you have? Had you ever done the saliva cortisol test and gotten poor results? Were you ever put on HC?
Sammy - I am not on my knees, I am on my @SS! I feel like I have lost my life as I can't drive because I am so dizzy, but it does not matter, I don't feel up to going anywhere. When I do try to force myself to go out for a bit the dizziness gets even worse (I simply cannot tolerate all the different noises/activity in a restaurant.)
I have had this same issue. The first time it occurred I was driving on a very busy expressway. For about 2 months I was having what felt like extreme adrenalin surges....high heart rate, blood pressure, etc. The dr was not checking my FT4 or FT3 only TSH. (I've learned a lot since then) My TSH was 1.63 at the time. They brushed it off as panic attacks and tried to describe AD's and ativan. When the dizziness and adrenalin surges would start, i was scared which probably made it worse. I'm afraid to drive on high speed expressways even now because I never know if the dizziness might come back.
My FT4 and FT3 are always on the low side and my TSH is usually less than 1.
FT4 tends to be around 1.0 (.8-1.8) and FT3 is around 2.3 (2.3-4.2). When I try to raise my synthroid dose, i feel extremely overmedicated when i get my frees up to mid range. I take 88 mcg synthroid. When i tried to alternate 88's with 100's of synthroid, i couldn't stand being in my own skin. I wonder if something is preventing good absorption, but i follow all the guidelines. The worst episodes were at high stress times, so i thought adrenal fatigue could be a cause.
I hope you're feeling better and I hope you will post what you learn from your results. You have such similar symptoms that I have, maybe you'll shed some light on an option I can suggest to my dr (who is not very thyroid savvy, unfortunately)
Good Luck - Sundance
Sundance:
I just went through this same symptoms that you have described. I could not drive on busy highways (and barely at all). I had difficulty tolerating all the activity around me. Nothing really happened to trigger this happening. It was frightening. I felt like my body and mind were in overdrive and I did not know why. I stopped my thyroid medicine for a couple of days and the symptoms would subside a bit. I would start up the medicine again and they would come back. I tried to half the dose, but the symptoms were still there somewhat. So I stopped it. I was taking Nature Throid and I thought it was the T3 that was overstimulating me. I started on a low dose of T4 only medicine (Levoxyl) and am starting to feel the symtoms a little again.
Whatever happened to you? Did you get tested for Adrenal Fatigue? If you have Adrenal Fatigue don't you have to treat this first before the thyroid? Please let me know how you made out.
I've slowly increased my synthroid and am taking 106 mcg/day.
FT4 - 1.3 (.8-1.8) 50% of range
FT3 - 2.6 (2.3-4.2) 16% of range
TSH - .21
My dr is not happy about the TSH and wants me to cut synthroid to 100 mcg/day. I did and after about 1 week the panicy feelings started to come back. My blood pressure went up and was high even when I was relaxing at home. What i find really noticeable is that I'm jumpy and startle very easily. This makes the traffic whizzing by at high speed unbearable while I'm driving.
It doesn't make sense because such a small dose change should not be noticed in such a short amount of time (I don't think). I think something is out of balance. I used to drink a lot of coffee. Now if I drink 2 cups I'm ready to jump out of my skin.
I went back to the 106 mcg/day. I feel pretty good. My blood pressure is normal again. I can drive, but not on a 3 lane expressway doing 65-70 mph. I think i am close to being optimized but my TSH is out of sync with my frees. My FT3 is only 16% and my TSH is below range. While I feel pretty good physically, I lack that 'sense of well being'. I don't know how else to describe it. I'm not sad or depressed, but i'm not really happy either. It's strange. I've read somewhere that a normal FT3 helps to make you feel more upbeat.
My dr is concerned that I'm overmedicating on synthroid (low TSH) and that could be masking something else. I don't completely disagree with him because my TSH was not this way when I first started taking thyroid hormone. I'm going to my first endo after 9 yrs of hypo. My expectations are low, but I'm hoping he runs some other tests and maybe checks my other hormone levels.
I am not completely convinced that a supressed TSH is ok for me. Osteoporosis runs in my family and i have osteopenia.
I asked my dr if the endo actually knew anything about thyroid disease and was not just a diabetes expert. He assured me he had experience with thyroid disease.
When the weather cools in September, i am going to try and get more exercise to help the FT4/FT3 conversion.
Good luck to you. It is frustrating because I'm not at my best, but i think I could be close. Only no one know what to do to get me there!
I hope you are feeling better every day. I am finding that this is a delicate balancing act. My Endo thinks that when I get all jumpy and anxious/panic, that it is my estrogen and not my thyroid (I am perimenopausal). However, I feel less jumpy when I lower my thyroid dose. I believe that you posted you feel less jumpy on a higher dose of thyroid. Is that correct?
I was very sick in 2006. Went from doctor to doctor. I was told my thyroid was just fine at a TSH of 4.9. Finally went back to the doctor with my hair falling out and my short term memory nonexistent and my TSH was 7.25. Doc said, "Oh, maybe it was your thyroid after all." I was put on thyroid meds and shortly thereafter ended up with cortisol problems. My BP was dropping very low upon standing, I was losing weight, my skin was dark around my eyes. I went to a ND who knew within ten minutes of talking that I had a cortisol issue. She did a saliva test and my total cortisol level was 4 or 5. That was morning, afternoon and night added together. Long story short, I was put on hydrocortisone that worked extremely well. It was like night and day. Trouble was it didn't last more than a couple of weeks and I had to increase my dose. I was up to 140 mg of hydrocortisone a day. I was taking 5 mg every half hour for a while just to stay awake. After months and several docs, I ended up at Tahoma Clinic. I was diagnosed with Addison's disease. After a lot of trying to figure out what was going on, I had a 24 hour urine test which showed I was hyperexcreting huge amounts of cortisol. Dr. Wright at Tahoma Clinic had an idea. He prescribed cobalt chloride drops for women who hyperexcrete estrogen and he thought it might work for my cortisol issue. I started taking the cobalt chloride drops and at about ten days I started feeling better. Over the next three or four months or so, I slowly weaned myself off of the hydrocortisone. I think I took the cobalt drops for about six months. Amazingly I am just fine now. I take 37.5 mcg of synthroid and 10 mcg of cytomel per day and issues with my cortisol are gone. The hyperexcretion was caused by the cytochrome P450 enzyme produced by the liver, which regulates how much hormone your body excretes. The cobalt drops put that enzyme back into check. I literally thought I was going to die. It was like I had Addison's disease which could not be maintained with hydrocortisone.
