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Severe Panic Attacks & Insomnia after L-Thyroxine

Posted , 3 users are following.

wha
wha

HI,

I had always mildly elevated TSH levels. Betweek 3 & 5.

My doctor gave me some L-Thyroxine to test things.

I used to lie in bed and pretty and do very little as I was tired all day and was tired of that.

Then I decided to take L-Thyroxin on thursday... I just took one 75mcg tablet... and woke up with panic attacks & severe irritability the next day. It started in the morning and is worst in the evening and I experience extreme panic attacks for like 5-6 hours in the evening and not get exhausted.... However my temperature is still very low and and my pulse is normal.

Is this some sort of paradox reaction? I took hydrocortisone, thinking maybe my adrenals can't handle the increase in thyroid hormone but that doesn't help.

I took the 75mcg tablet on thursday however I still experience severe panic attacks & the last 2 days I've even had insomnia and pretty much haven't slept... like it got even worse the last few days.

I'm normally totally exhausted and lie there for 16 hours before I can do anything... but now I am even more exhausted because I am just extremely wired and panicky & irritable but now my brain is in panic mode and doesn't shut off. But my temperature is not up nor do I have a higher heart rate.

Btw. My T3 levels are always on the higher end of the spectrum.

I am having some atypical hyperthyroid reaction?

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • MtViewCatherine
    MtViewCatherine wha

    Posted

    Hi Wha, this is not atypical. If you read through the many posts in the levothyroxin group, you’ll see that many people have anxiety on this medication. 

    I was an absolute basket case while taking levothyroxin. It didn’t work at any dose and caused at ton of autoimmune problems, pancreatitis, hairloss, you name it! 

    Levothyroxin is not bioidentical, so it doesn’t work the way your own thyroxin works. After my experience, I became so ill that I feel levothyroxin is more dangerous than thyroid disease and should bot be used by anyone.

    Do some more reading. Look online for clinical studies, there is no money to be made by discrediting medications, and there are many studies out there on the use and negative effects of levothyroxin. It is known to cause every side effect imaginable from halitosis to fibromialgya.

    • wha
      wha MtViewCatherine

      Posted

      Hi,

      thanks for the info. I tried natural dessicated thyroid half a grain and I have the same symptoms. Maybe I need just T3 alone..

      it's been exactly a week now since I took it and I still have all the symptoms...

      Severe panic attacks & irritability, inability to fall asleep & extremely hyper.

      Also I got weird vision problems at the same time that really concern me and I feel like my brain is swelling up or something...

      I wonder whether I should go to the ER or whether I should just wait it out... I know the half life is like 7 days or so but it has been hell since I took the 75mcg... just once.. lol... How's that even possible.

  • MtViewCatherine
    MtViewCatherine wha

    Posted

    Wha, I just noticed you say your T3 is always on the high end? 

    You might want to have your rT3 tested because you could actually be low in T3.  If your rT3 is high, it binds up the T3 in your system, resulting in low T3. The blood tests aren’t super accurate, since there’s only a tiny difference in the structure of T3 and rT3.

    The levothyroxin, which is T4 only would actually worsen a low T3 condition. Anxiety often occurs when the T4:T3 ratios are out of balance, often due to medication.

    However, exposure to mercury can cause elevated rT3. Other chemical exposures would likely also cause increased rT3. Cleansing should help this.

  • Charly0505
    Charly0505 wha

    Posted

     

    I’m so sorry, but yes I have also had the same reaction while on levothyroxine. My TSH stayed around 4, even when they raised my dosage to 175 mcg. I had horrible panic attacks every time I went grocery shopping, I literally left the shopping cart many times to run outside and cry. I finally was switched to armour 90 which helped drastically. I still have insomnia but the panic attacks completely stopped. Talk with your doctor and get them to listen to all of your symptoms. I’m currently fighting for a referral to an endocrinologist, so I wish you the best of luck! <3

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