Anyone similar symptoms?

[Jme1226]

First week of jan I had my first panic attack and it was extreme!  In the past 3 weeks I've had about 8 more, not quite as severe so I went to the er and dr.  I told her It was always bright on by this tight, choking feeling in my throat!  She scheduled an ultra sound which I have a small goiter and looks slightly hyperactive, she said nothing to be concerned about!  Telling that to a person who constantly feels like they are being choked is aggravating.  We are running more blood tests t4 free t3 free rhumitoid.  The symptoms for me seem out of this world!  Hot flashes, night sweats, panic attack, rapid heart beat, high adrenaline feeling, the feeling that my muscles are being ripped off my shoulder blades and upper spine, heavy chest,  headaches, numb lhands and feet, hot/ cold issues, dark what seems like pregnancy mask ( not pregnant) on my cheeks, flushed skin,velvety skin on my belly, clammy hands, pressure in my right temple and ear, tight neck and under chin area.  m sure there is more... Dr says I need antidepressants and I keep telling her that's not the problem!!!!  This is horrible, I'm mid30's and have 4 kids. It's hard to feel normal when ur body doesn't!

[Jme1226]

So would hashi and subacute thyroditis be similiar then? Starting as hyper and then transitioning to hypo?

[Jme1226]

I go back in a little more than a week, hopefully we will be on some sort of right path!  RA is strong on both side,  and my mothers mom has just about every form of arthritis there is .  we also have thyroid disorders, and unfortunately my dad just passed away in November from frontemporal lobe dementia, which is a little worry some for me.  He was only 61.  

[Barb135]

It's important to get as much blood work as possible to rule out a number of conditions.  Positive ANA will point to an autoimmune, then it will be up to the doctor to figure out what it is.  Negative RA factor will rule out Rheumatoid Arthritis.

You do need the FT3, FT4 and TSH, but you also need the thyroid antibodies, as well to determine whether you have either Hashimoto's or Graves Disease.

As noted above, autoimmune diseases tend to run in families, but not all family members will get the same disease.  For instance, I have Hashimoto's and Pernicious Anemia, my son has Type I Diabetes and my daughter has Lupus.

[Jme1226]

When I was in the er my white blood cell count came back a little high and RA runs thru both sides of my family so she's doing blood work on that too.  Blood work this time is ANA, FT3, FT4 and RA.  And I think TSH again.  Any blood work I can get done I'll do. Whatever rules something out or helps diagnos I'm ill for.  Now the waiting game....

[Barb135]

You can have negative ANA and still have Hashimoto's.  ANA is, typically, positive when one has RA, Lupus, MS and a few other autoimmunes, but is often negative with Hashimoto's.

[Jme1226]

I remembered which other blood work she asked for it was antinuclear antibodies which I guess check for autoimmune.  So we will see, maybe she is thinking hashimoto.

[Barb135]

Hashi's and subacute Thyroiditis can both start with hyper, but neither of them "has" to.  It's not unusual for Hashimoto's to flip back and forth several times, before finally settling into hypo.  I believe I had a couple of hypo phases (starting in my late 30's), then cycled through some hyper phases alternating with "normal", before I became permanently hypo at age 58.  Of course, I had no idea what was going on, when it was happening, because no one was doing any thyroid testing.  I only figured it out when I became hypo and found this forum and learned what I know about thyroid issues.

[Jme1226]

That is exactly how I feel with the "panic" and the "attack"... It all seems to start the same a weird tingly feeling all over and then heart rate goes up. Luckily it seems I've only had one crazy, extreme full blown panic attack which was the first one.  All of the others were more of what you desribed as panicking, but still very uncomfortable!  It's very strange, within the last couple of days I've felt much more calm, more "normal".  Still get an achy headache and muscles are still extremely sore especially when I over use them but just a much more "calm" feeling than these last almost 4 weeks.  Still waiting on the results from my blood work and I'm hoping for a little insight from that but if I still get neg results I'm going to ask for more blood work.  This is my body I have to live with and take care of.   The first dr visit I had she put me on low dose er Effexor and I felt like a crack addit zombie with horrible nausea and vomiting.  I felt my brain was just rejecting it like this isn't what you need.  I stopped that and flushed the whole Rx.  She then gave me Xanax which I only take if nessasary.  Me and pills are not friends.  I feel like I'm in limbo just waiting for the stronger symptoms to return.  But I'm also just trying to get back into my normal routine at home and work and staying busy.  I know there is one diagnosis that goes hyper, normal, hypo,  I'm just wondering if it's that. Still so confused

[yankeeRN]

My panic attacks came during waking hours--especially while driving--not sure why--I would try to distract myself--this may sound a bit silly/crazy  but when I could feel it come on I would turn on the radio and sing to the music--this sometimes worked depending on how far into the attack I was--if I was too far into the panic attack then I  would breathe in through my nose and blow out through my lips and in my mind I would say to myself "this will pass, you're ok, it just a process, you're doing great, etc" and it would eventually pass---since my thyroid has been mostly under control I am fortunate that I do not get them--very scary for sure---when hyperthyroid I had 2 different types of attacks--one I called panic where I felt my heart race but not pound, had shortness of breath, felt chest tightness, anxiety and felt like I was going to die--the other type of "attack" was a POUNDING  fast heart (170) and shakiness all over---this one I had no control over-- the pounding was very uncomfortable as was the shaking--this pounding sometimes gave me chest tightness and I had to go to the ER for this---when at the ER they thought I was anxious because of the shakiness--I told them I WAS NOT anxious--concerned yes but anxious no--they wanted to give me an intravenous sedative--I refused--I wanted to know what was going on--they insisted on giving me a sedative and I told them I did not want  it intravenously so they gave me oral (I am very sensitive to medicine--a little goes a long ways for me--I barely take a Tylenol)--I did not want the sedative period but I had a feeling I was going to get it either way and I was not happy about it---they also gave me a beta blocker which is what I really needed and that is what helped the heart rate and shakiness--it stopped almost immediately after they gave the beta blocker iv.
As far as handling stress--for me I use to thrive in high stress situations--the more chaos and the more hype the happier I was--I liked to make order out of all that mess---I am a nurse on a busy medical unit and there is plenty of stress on the job--BUT --at some point--- when I was very hyperthyroid, the moment I experienced that stress it made me feel physically ill--it felt like it was multiplied by a million--I couldn't do it.  Now that I am more balanced with my thyroid I am much better but not really as good as I used to be--hard to explain. I have also swung at times to the hypo symptoms and those aren't pretty either---could barely function (no energy), very depressed--felt like the life had been sucked right out of me--cried easily--slept a lot--I never really felt anxious like others who are hypo--but then again when I was hyper I slept like the dead at night which is totally opposite of most hyperthyroid who can't sleep---what can I say--my body never read the book on it--not everyone has classic symptoms....
I was diagnosed with Grave's in Sept 2011 and still I have to almost fight for the correct lab work first from my md who has since retired and now with the endocrinologist who recently just ordered a tsh and that was it--I sent him a message and hope to hear soon because I also want the free t3 ordered and I probably should have asked for the free t4 too--it has been a battle.  I am baffled at how little these mds and specialists know about the thyroid--what I want is an endocrinologist who him/herself has a thyroid condition so they really do know how their patient feels or at the very least one that really listens to how the patient feels and what they need. It is not "just a thyroid"--it controls A LOT in the body--every cell from every organ--when not balanced it can affect that person  A LOT." Having said that  be your own advocate because no one else knows how you feels.....also make sure the md treats the cause and not the symptoms--when they start treating symptoms then that is when meds pile up and then there are meds for the side effects for the meds for the symptoms....  me----I take PTU, fish oil and a multivit (the fish oil and the multi vit were my choices and ok'd by my md)
  

[Barb135]

I'm going to throw a monkey wrench into all this and say that I had a lot of those same symptoms when I was quite hypo, which makes the testing for Free T3 and Free T4 all that much more important, even though your doctor might be saying your goiter "looks slightly hyperactive".  It also makes antibody testing more important, because I have Hashimoto's and it's not uncommon for beginning stages of Hashimoto's to present with hyperthyroidism before turning to hypothyroidism.  

I, too, can identify with your description of being sound asleep and suddenly your eyes pop open and it feels like your heart is beating so hard you can hear it in your ear drums and it feels like it's going to jump right out of your chest; your mind is spinning 1000 mph and there's no way to make it stop.  I used to have to get up and make a trip through the house to make sure everything was okay and while I'd go back to bed, I hardly ever went back to sleep.

While I agree that anti-depressants are not the way to go, I did have to go on a light anti-anxiety med for about a year until I got things under control, but that doesn't  have to be anything real strong, nor does it have to be permanent.  I've been off it now, for over 2 yrs.

I also agree that blood work should not be that hard to say yes to, but unbelievably, all too many doctors will end up saying no to the Free T3 and Free T4 tests... If yours does, run, don't walk to find another doctor.

[Jme1226]

I just saw this site yesterday and there is some form of relief being on here talking to people who have been thru the same or similar things.  I haven't gotten my labs back but I will defiantly post them once I have them.  The last couple of days I've felt a little less "hyper". But that can change in an instant! Like when your dead asleep and your eyes pop wide open and your panicking out of nowhere.    It's so hard being somewhat demanding in the dr office when your dr seems to think its just your brain not acting right simply because of a anxiety questionnaire.  Handling stress or death or financial issues have never been a problem for me and they still aren't.  I told her that talking about anti depressants is not going to be an option.  I am just going to have to be more forward with the tests I want or think I need.  Blood work should not be that difficult to say yes to.  It's comforting knowing there are people to talk to.  

[yankeeRN]

Yeah panic attacks are awful--and I had some fairly bad ones from being hyperthyroid.  "Slightly hyperactive"--easy for someone else to say when YOU are feeling the symptoms--they are not pretty and can be very uncomfortable--when I was at my worst I was so discouraged I thought  I would never get better but I did and so will you--for now please feel a little comfort in knowing that I know how you feel (having said that I do appreciate that we are all a little different too)--I have walked in those very shoes but I will say that my kids were in college at the time so it was me and my husband and he can fend for himself if need be--you need to continue to be your own advocate where your doctor is concerned--the doctor needs to know exactly how you feel and that you need answers --make sure they are checking your tsh, free t3 and free t4 (most say this should be done too thought it is like pulling teeth to get the md to order this) --Also I had many of the symptoms you listed and the endocrinologist said I was VERY hyperthyroid--I only knew I was VERY something and that it was not VERY good--What are you labs?  Also post your labs reference range because not all labs are exactly alike.  I will check back to see what you post.

[Red_Star]

One of my ex doctors said I was psychosomatic but changed his diagnosis when I showed my thyroid antibody labs I had requested from another doctor. His response to that was "well you can't make that up." smh :) Just see what the thyroid results are first and request further testing if nothing shows up.

I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis so the mild hyperthyroid flare ups were leakage symptoms of active Hashi's (I eventually had more symptoms show up besides the splinter haemorrages and hives but compared to that two month hyperthyroid flare up the symptoms were mild in comparison).

I went in to be tested when I was very hyperthyroid and my labs showed subclinical hypothyroidism which was interesting. I'm not sure why other than both antibodies messed up the lab results.

I requested Graves antibodies but in Australia it's called TRAb but I requested TSI and thyroglobulin serum was measured instead (lol). My thyroglobulin serum was elevated due to hyperthyroidism (although thyroglobulin serum is typically requested in regards to thyroid cancer).

I also had thyroid eye disease symptoms as well as pretibal myxedema (both symptoms of Graves antibodies). My doctor wanted to give me anti thyroid medication but I said I would wait to see if symptoms resolve. They did once my immense stress I was dealing with resolved.  

[Jme1226]

We're you diagnosed with graves?  If so, is there one perticular test out of the ones you said that will determine that or is it a combination of all of them?  I'm going to write them down and bring them to my appt in 2 weeks to see if she will do them.  I feel like in her eyes I'm coming off as a hypochondriac.

[Jme1226]

I know tsh, free t3 and free t4 were recently done and one antibody one but I can't remember which one, still have to wait a couple of days on results but I know that there are more blood tests I need based on reading all of these other peoples posts.  I've been feeling not myself since the first panic attack 3 weeks ago.  Having information at your fingertips can be a blessing and a curse.  Every time I looked up different thyroid disorders the only one that stands out to me is  Graves' disease it seems to be the most fitting.  But trying to tell  a dr what you think it is comes off as stepping on their toes and invading their territory!  I know myself quite well and having antidepressants pushed on me is upsetting.  The hardest part is so many people who have posted still have no answers and that's all I want.  Any suggestions on how to bring up these other blood tests to my dr?

[Red_Star]

Two symptoms that show up even if I don't feel hyperthyroid but is a clear sign there is just a slight bit too much thyroid hormone in my blood is splinter haemorrages on my nails and butterfly rash over my cheeks after I have a shower - physical urticarias (hives) - which takes about an hour to go away.

These two symptoms showed up on and off for years but I had no idea why until I had a very hyperthyroid episode (due to Graves antibodies) that lasted two months. Those two symptoms intensified and a long list of other symptoms.  Hyperthyroidism actually worsened my insulin resistance so my acanthosis nigricans worsened. It sounds like you have this skin condition as well.

Based on your symptoms you need a more indepth work up.  Besides the clinical evaluation, tests to help with a diagnosis include:

TSH
Free T4
Free T3
TSH receptor antibodies (TRAb) / thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI)
Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb)
Thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb)
Radioactive Iodine Uptake (RAI-U)
Thyroid ultrasound
Thyroglobulin serum