General Medicine

» newpatient - thyroiditis w/ mostly hyper symptoms

Please tell me if someone has been thru this, and give me some advice, I beg you.

I was diagnosed in early October with a multi-nodular goiter and thyroiditis. I have both hypo and hyper symptoms.

My fine needle biopsy I was told was fine--mostly bloody.

Thyroid Peroxidase TPO Ab, 659 H out of 0-34 limits
Antithyroglobulin Ab, 58H, out of 0-40
limits.

T4 Free, 0.95, out of 0.59-1.17 range
T3 Free, 2.7, out of 2.3-4.2 range
TSH,1.03, out of 0.34-4.82 range

All normal or T3 "low-normal"

I have a huge problem.

I have been able to fall asleep, but not stay asleep beyond maybe five hours for the last 8 years. I have always had cold hands and feet, and been very low energy. My mother had a goiter, and half her thyroid removed (no medicine) many years ago.

My sleep decreased to 4.5 hours the last year and a half, and kept decreasing from there. Fatigue increasing, anxiety increasing. Sleep a few hours then wake up with a surge of anxiety. Got up for chamomile with lavendar tea. After a few hours, if there was time, I could go back to sleep.

A full physical exam, EKG, etc., 12/05 turned up nothing, tsh normal. Doc offered me either Xanax or Xanax X-R for the anxiety. I took the X-R, and took 38 1/2 mg pills over 8 months--I really didn't want to take it!

(Before I knew I had this thyroid problem, I succumbed after several months prodding to go to a psychiatrist for help with sleep, anxiety, fatigue. The doctor who had examined me recommended her highly.)

Two appts, 8/30 and 9/18. No, I am not depressed (except I am upset over no sleep, fatigue, etc.), I do not constantly feel the urge to urinate, etc. I think there is an underlying medical reason, I said. She said, but meanwhile the symptoms are killing you. The brain is like a computer, we have to shut it down and restart it.

She gave me sample meds of lexapro and seroquel, and said take 10 mg lexapro and 50 mg seroquel, and I could take 1/2 mg Xanax X-R too if I wanted.

I filled the Xanax X-R since I was familiar with that, and for three weeks I took two 1/2 mg tablets each night. Slept about 7 hours--yes, hurray but still exhausted, etc.

2nd visit. I'm still asking about medical condition. She had ordered bloodwork and said You're a very healthy woman. She looked over at my neck and asked me if I had any thyroid problems. I answered confidently, No. Tsh fine. I had wondered before but tsh fine.

I finally agreed to take the meds that night. She said lexapro would help me sleep, seroquel would help it work better, and I took the X-R 1/2 mg too because she had mentioned that the first visit.

I had three weeks to look up those meds on the internet and didn't.

I took them 9/18 and my life changed. I see now I was too sensitive to them and they amounted to an overdose. They made all the symptoms I had unbelievably worse.

That was a Monday night. After I was knocked out for about 12 hours, it took another three to stay out of bed. Letters on a page I was writing on were not those I had intended to write.

I lost my ability to fall asleep after that. My insides were revved up all the time. By Friday morning I was in heavy nausea. Saturday, the panic attacks started, except they didn't end. First ones in my life. Heavy nausea, light headedness, anxiety. I was going out of my mind. Doc unavailable all weekend. I stayed out of the ER because no insurance. I don't know how I lived.

The dr had said when I called her earlier in the week to keep taking the meds, just in smaller doses, that the seroquel was rough the first couple of days. I refused. It felt like an attack on my body and I never wanted to take them again.

A friend brought over a Xanax the following Monday night and it broke the syndrome of attacks, and allowed me to sleep some. It took Mon and Tues, my friend and I on the phone with the doc, to convince her to prescribe Xanax to deal with these attacks--I was miserable 24/7, with the exception of a few hours some days. She kept saying she already had. We convinced her it was only the X-R and it didn't work anymore.

I'm sorry to go on like this. I have to get it out.

Endocrinologist in early October. Ultrasound, enlarged thyroid, 4 nodules and a cyst. Only my left side, though an issue for needle biopsy. Bloodwork as indicated above.

I couldn't get a follow up appt until 11/14!

Meanwhile, I felt better enough by 11/9 to do a juice cleanse--big mistake. That night I was shaking violently and in heavy nausea. By that time, I didn't know if it was because of withdrawal from Xanax because of the cleanse, or the thyroid.

11/14. Follow up with endocrinologist. I finally got a diagnosis other that multi-nodular goiter. Inflammation of the thyroid. He really didn't say much else, even to my questions. There I was, a temp of 96.8-97.2 all week, in the office, pulse 103, bp hypertensive range, cold and wet--they commented on my wet clothes. I was in so much misery, like always. (My temp this week and last is up to 98.2 and 98.4. With high anxiety symptoms--without Xanax, it tends to really drop.) He didn't want to get involved in medicating me for the symptoms, saying we couldn't really know what they were from--that when his patients take thyroid medication, theeir symptoms may resolve--we'd just have to see.

So I saw a new psy. the next day, right after I got out of the ER--was that expensive!

11/15
Was in ER, finally, the next morning -- I had decided not to take the Xanax anymore a couple of nights before. Stubborn. (New psy doc the next day, plus the ER doc, say it's the thyroid, not not-taking Xanax.) Went to the new psy doc right after that.

I admit I did not stay ahead of the anxiety like people say you're supposed to, but I didn't like taking it to begin with.

This is getting to be a novel. Sorry.

I got my prescription for levothyroxine, 25 mcg at the last endo appt 11/14. Sorry about the dates, logging things helps keep me sane.

I found out everything I could about my condition from the internet, and Stephen Langer's book, Solved: The Riddle of Illness, and Mary Shomon, and others. I paid my doctor a lot of money for no information and little help. Saw a new holistic general doctor yesterday.

Because of my reading about Armour, I did not have confidence about the 25 mcg of T-4 hormone only. I am being careful now that my life has changed drastically about putting in my mouth things doctors tell me to.

I took it 6 days anyway, and I admit, on the 5th and 6th days I felt a little calming influence, following by some nausea.

Decided to stop taking it and see this new holistic general doc. She wants to test me for iodine but first see if I am sensitive to the Iodoral. I am so fragile right now, lost 35 lbs now (20 since the end of June, 15 more since this stuff), no appetite, have to force-feed myself, trying to keep in the thrive mode. I can't afford to try something that might make me sick. That's why the endo wanted to start me on such a small amount, I have to give him that. However, I wanted Armour, and he said they didn't make it in that small amount. I have found out you can have it compounded in an aqueous solution and take it by drops. (Langer)

The holistic dr wants to pursue the iodine but I'm hesitant. She gave me a scrip for 15 mg Armour, just because I asked about it. I don't know if she knows what she's doing.

I must sound like a really bad patient, but I swear, I've always been the model patient; I just can't afford to trust just anyone anymore.

So. I have palpitations. bp goes way up, or is normal. Pulse rate is the worst--keeps me from sleeping. And when I lie down, it increases!

At times when I am fairly calm, I feel wide awake and can't possibly fall asleep. When my head is heavy, I am so sleepy I can hardly keep my eyes open, I am too revved up inside to sleep.

The new psy. said Xanax is not for sleep! He put me on 2 Xanax X-R in the morning, 12 hours before a sleep aid. AmbienCR kept me asleep 4-6 hours, then about five of bad nausea. Tried it twice. Next, Lunestra, slept 1 hr 45 min, went back to sleep later on, for another hour.

He said other than Rozarem(?) he had nothing else to offer, I had to get my thyroid fixed. And he didn't think the R was for me.

So here I am. I am taking 1 mg of Xanax just before bed so my body can get a few hours. Last night was a good night, as horrible as 4.5 hours of sleep is. Couldn't fall asleep again after that because of pulse rate.

Typical night is 1.5 hours, then another, 1.5 hours, then 45 minutes, then 20 minutes.

Can anybody help me???? Give me a little explanation and direction????

I have done herbs for over 25 years, but they work slowly and I need to not have anxiety and to sleep. And herbs have never let me down, but maybe this is too big a job?

-- posted by newpatient