High thyroid (T3) levels and anxiety anyone?

[mumtothreeeeeeeee]

I've been having problems with anxiety for the last six months or so and I'm also having regular panic attacks. Since Christmas this has also been accompanied with diarrhoea most mornings, not too bad just once a day normally but this has really got me down as I have kind of lost confidence in my tummy! If I'm having a panic attack, I feel as if I'm going to need a toilet trip but this has so far always settled down as I come out of the panic attack (probably tmi).

Last week I reluctantly started AD's as the anxiety is really taking it's toll on my quality of life and ability to function :(. I'm finding the side effects tricky but still early days I guess. Today though, the GP phoned me with some blood test results and said all is great apart from my thyroid, I think he said T3 is high. He ran through a few symptoms and anxiety and panic featured highly, also diarrhoea. This along with a few others that I just put up with (wouldn't have though to see the GP about) such as sweating, being clammy etc. I am in shock with the news of a possible physical link. I've got to go in so they can discuss it further and the probably get a referral. Has anyone any experience of this?

I should probably add that I gave birth six weeks before symptoms started.

i had overactive thyroid for many years since age 9. I recognise all these symptoms. I used to have a super fast metabolism, ate tons but lost weight, couldn't sleep, breathless, had a heart murmur, shaky, clammy, sweaty, irritable, cried all the time over nothing, anxiety etc etc.

I was treated with carbimazole tablets which worked quite quickly. Hope you get sorted soon and you will start to feel better.

Oh it would be amazing if it was that simple KBear. I'm glad the medication worked for you, that's really encouraging. Are you on them for life?

Leonie thanks, I've read about the post-natal thing which sounds probable but some of my symptoms date back further, i.e. Disturbed sleep and the sweating I think started in my last pregnancy or maybe the year before that, always changing my top etc. Grim:(

I was diagnosed with over active thyroid last year. I had all of the symptoms you describe plus terible tremors in my legs. I had beta blockers for the fast heart rate and anxiety and cabimazole for the thyroid. They all kicked in after about 3 months and the symptoms have more or less stopped. However I did find that there were some side effects, I'm not sure if it was the beta blockers or the cabimazole but I was very stressed and short tempered and a bit Jekyll and Hyde, I have stopped taking them now and fingers crossed the symptoms haven't come back.

I am still in shock to read that others have experienced what I am experiencing and that there's a physical cause. My mind has been working on overdrive tonight thinking that I may have the answer to begin to end the hell that has been the last few months. That i might actually get the old me back eventually and not be on and off AD's for years to come. The anxiety in particular has had such an impact on my life and I've been so shocked to be suddenly hit by what i thought was mental illness. I really hope I can get some answers soon.

Be grateful OP that this has been spotted at a relatively early stage and you have not been treated for PND and/or finished up in the psychiatric system.

You will probably need a referral to an endocrinologist but, as others have said, this should be fixable.

Good luck.

D

I had an overactive thyroid caused by Graves disease, but luckily for now it has righted itself. Anxiety was one of the symptoms I had, very unlike me I'm usually quite laid back. I also had palpitations, tremors, felt unwell, weight loss and stiff legs - like being heavily pregnant when going upstairs. I didn't get stomach problems although this is another classic symptom of an overactive thyroid. I was on medication for 18mths, which kicked in and eased the symptoms after a short while. Have a look at this, www.patient.co.uk/health/Hyperthyroidism-Overactive-Thyroid.htm

A diagnosis of depression/pnd is very common with thyroid sufferers.

HTH

Oh I am extremely grateful this has been spotted :). I have already entered the world of AD's but came off them after a few days and am having CBT for the anxiety/ panic attacks. I'm seeing an endocrinologist soon so hopefully I'll have some answers soon.