4 replies to this topic

I have been two years trying to figure out what was wrong with me. First they told me menopause and after going to endo for two years and him telling me my tsh was fine, I have now found a new endo who at the first visit said "at least mild hashimotos". My question is my anxiety has been absolutley severe but I didn't know what it was causing headaches, jaw tightness, facial pain, shakiness, exhaustion, etc. (yes I guess I'm an idiot). Could it have been my thyroid all along, wouldn't I have bottomed out at some point? I am now taking anti-anxiety awaiting the next step but it's certainly not a cureall.

I wish someone more knowledgeable would have answered this. I too have extreme anxiety and fatigue and have really hung my hat on having a thyroid issue as I have fluctuting levels and antibodies that I guess mean my body is trying to go hypo. I have seen 2 endos, one said my levels are normal another said I have ha****oxicosis, but no treatment now due to my levels being "normal". I take Lexapro and Ativan, which on some days do nothing to cut my anxiety. I'm not sure if I'm right to blame it on my thyroid, or if I'm just doing it to myself. Anyhow, I thought someone should answer you!

[chopper]

I STILL put my money on TSI. That damned TSI is the culprit of my anxiety - I know it.

A few years back I was tested and got a 60 TSI with a reference range of less than 125 being normal. Prior to this I've always tested between 165 and 185 which is high.

During this time I felt AWESOME! Im not talking like sick guy feeling a bit better. I mean, taking the kids out fishing, going to the stores, wrestling with my kids - perfectly normal.

Soon thereafter - about a few months - I felt "it" coming back - the craziness, the anxiety, the shakes, etc. I got retested and sure as **** my TSI was back intot he high 180's.

I must have been in some sort of remission for about 3 or 4 months - it was wonderful. It's funny how I was able to actually feel "it" coming on, more and more each day. It sucks.

For me at least, there isn't a doctor in the world who will convince me that TSI isn't the one running the show. When my TSI is high, I feel like crap. When its low, normalcy returns.

It's a mean little booger that TSI.

[Andros]

I have been two years trying to figure out what was wrong with me. First they told me menopause and after going to endo for two years and him telling me my tsh was fine, I have now found a new endo who at the first visit said "at least mild hashimotos". My question is my anxiety has been absolutley severe but I didn't know what it was causing headaches, jaw tightness, facial pain, shakiness, exhaustion, etc. (yes I guess I'm an idiot). Could it have been my thyroid all along, wouldn't I have bottomed out at some point? I am now taking anti-anxiety awaiting the next step but it's certainly not a cureall.

As Nasdaqphil has explained, TSI (thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin) can be responsible for the anxiety for TSI is responsible for hyperthyroid. I don't know if you have Hashimoto's or not but if you do, you could be in hyper phase "or" you could just plain be hyper.

Hashimoto's is determined in most cases by FNA (fine needle aspiration) where if certain Hurthle Cells indigenous to Hashimoto's are present, then we know for sure, the patient has Hashi's. Anything else could be guess work.

So, have you had TSI lab test? If not, would you request one? If yes, was TSI present?

What is the next step as per your doctor?

Welcome once again to the board.

[Lovlkn]

I'd be curious to see where your lab numbers fall. People can also have anxious feelings when hyper or hypo which only confuses things. Movement of thyroid levels also will cause anxiety.

I do not believe it is TSI alone causing your anxiety - if it were then a post TT patient would continue to have anxiety and in my case the anxiety disappeared after my surgery, almost immediately. The entire time before my dx of Graves and during anti thyroid treatment the anxiety was present - except when my doctors had me hypo, which was often.

I still test positive for TBII but have not had a TSI test run since my surgery and doubt any doctor would to order it. My TSI at surgery was in the 300+ range with TPO over 2000, I was told I have Hash1toxicosis as well.

The TBII test was run a few years back to confirm why I do not register a TSH despite in range FT's