# What's wrong with me??



## Txngrl (Jul 14, 2011)

Hello....this is my first post. I'm a 43 year old mom of three. Back in March, a TSH result came back as follows:

6.100 0.450-4.500

My GP put me on 50 synthroid, but my endo said if we are going to treat it, we need to commit to it and upped it to 100.

I just repeated the test and now my TSH is:

TSH 0.522 0.450-4.500

I'm also waiting on a FNA result from a biopsy I had done Tuesday in the endo's office. He'd looked at my thyroid on ultrasound and said it was multinodular and larger on the right side, but didn't see anything big enough to make him worry. I've still been getting some pains in my thyroid area and asked him too look at it again the other day and he said, "it looks about the same, but why don't we go ahead and biopsy it." Afterwards he told me he'd be floored if it came back cancerous and that he did the biopsy more for my sake than for anything he saw or was worried about.

I still haven't gotten the results and am very anxious about what they will be. I'm trying not to worry but it's really hard for me because I'm prone to panic and anxiety and find it hard to get control over my emotions once they start.

Also, last week I spent the whole time worrying about a CA 125 result due to a complex ovarian cyst I have. Thank goodness that was in normal range.

Long story short. I have been on over drive in the worry dept. for a while. I sit around and imagine the worst and "think" I feel bad symptoms until I'm in a bad state.

Last night I gave in and took a decongestant because my ears have been stopped up and before I knew it, my heart was pounding and I couldn't breathe. Nothing I did helped and I couldn't calm down. I was shaking, breathless (like I couldn't take a deep enough breath) and my heart was fluttering. I really thought seriously about going to the ER. I've had anxiety before but this was scary because I couldn't calm myself down and feel normal at all. Even without the decongestant though, I've felt so nervous and anxious lately.

My question is...I'm wondering if this TSH level is too low for me. Could it be contributing to my feeling SO anxious? I've taken decongestants before (although I try to avoid them because I also have high blood pressure) and they've never affected me that way.

This morning, I'm feeling a bit better, but if I let myself I can easily feel stomach flutters and that breathless feeling comes back. This physical level of anxiety seems over the top even for me. I just can't help but wonder if this TSH level is just too low for me. I called my endo's office to see what they have to say and have not heard back from them. He's hard to reach on Fridays.

I just really wish my FNA results would come back and be normal. I think a lot of this would stop, but I don't want to completely come unglued every time I am stressed out.

Thank you for reading this...I know it was long. I'm just so worried about myself.


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## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

Hello!
Decongestants do not play nice with thyroid patients:
http://thyroid.about.com/od/relatedconditions1/a/cold-flu-thyroid.htm

The TSH level is really irrelevant when you are on thyroid replacement medication. What you need to see if you are too low or high are Free T3 and Free T4 tests. Do you know if your endo ran those tests? Those would tell you if you are running hyper and hence the anxiety.

Usually, I know when I am running hyper: no constipation, lots of energy, some anxiety, better mood.

My TSH is 0.01 (undetectable) on .112 of Synthroid. But my FT3 and FT4 are in a good place.

Regarding the decongestants, my doctor doesn't want me to take them. He said any woman over 40 has to be careful - if she has hidden heart issues, the decongestants can cause arrest. It happened to my sister - he went into cardiac arrest from Sudafed (she did survive). Now I don't take any of that stuff unless it is approved by my doctor.

Let us know what you find out!


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## nyer_at_hrt (Nov 11, 2009)

my doctors don't want me taking decongestants with pseudophedrine in them or anything similar. they will can cause ur blood pressure to go crazy. they also make me fidgety, anxious and keep me up allll night. but that's me...i stay away from them if at all possible


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## Txngrl (Jul 14, 2011)

Thanks for the input.

I see the result for Free T4, but nothing for free T3...isn't that odd?

T4,Free(Direct) 1.60 0.82-1.77

That's so strange. I don't see any result for any measurement of T3. Can we tell anything from the T4?

I feel a bit better today, but still not myself. It's driving me nuts. I swear it's pure anxiety. What the heck am I going to do? I feel sick.


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## Txngrl (Jul 14, 2011)

Back when my first testing was done the result for T4 was:

T4,Free(Direct) 1.02 0.82-1.77

And I see a T3 from back then but it doesn't say free:

Triiodothyronine (T3) 177 71-180


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## HeidiBR (Apr 4, 2010)

Your FT4 is still within range, but at the high end of the range. Based on that and your symptoms, I wonder if you are overmedicated and having hyper symptoms.

When do you see the doctor again? You might want to tell him you think you have hyper symptoms.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Txngrl said:


> Hello....this is my first post. I'm a 43 year old mom of three. Back in March, a TSH result came back as follows:
> 
> 6.100 0.450-4.500
> 
> ...


Wow!! You now know to NOT take anything OTC!!! I am sure there had to be a warning re thyroid on that med? Did you subsequently look to see? You are so lucky it was not worse.

How do you feel today; shaky?

At this point, it would be wise to get FREE T3 and FREE T4 test because the TSH is no longer a stand alone. While it is low, your FREES could also be low and that could indicate the need for even further titration upward of your thyroxine replacement.

Here is some info on that.
understanding thyroid labs
http://www.amarillomed.com/howto/#Thyroid

http://pro2services.com/Lectures/Spring/Thyroid/ThyTests.htm

Free T3 etc. 
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/freet3woliner.htm

I am glad your doctor acquiesced and ordered FNA! When you get the results, I know that we all will be interested and I hope it is good news!

You have some challenges here; I do hope our little group can be helpful and supportive.


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## Txngrl (Jul 14, 2011)

Thank you Andros. I appreciate the feedback I've gotten the last few days. It is nice to know I'm in the company of people willing to share their experiences, knowledge and interest.

Actually I took a decongestant that my husband brought home from his office. It comes in little individual packets and he grabbed a couple extra last time he had a sinus headache at the office. They are not the same as Sudafed and while there was a small note regarding blood pressure, nothing said anything about thyroid.

I will definitely be more careful about OTC drugs from now on. It was extremely scary.

I just don't understand why I still feel little jabs and pains around/in my thyroid if I'm on levo. and my numbers are looking pretty good. I also feel pretty good...more energy, etc...just the little pains baffle me. I'm even getting them on the other side--my right side is bigger and multinodular but generally my left side hasn't been hurting and now is. Asking my endo about the pain a second time prompted this second look with the ultrasound and then he did the FNA. Again with the side note that he was not the least bit worried and he was doing it for my sake.

He also ran the test for antibodies a few months ago...came back negative. Actually, the only thing that came back high was the TSH and it was marginally high.

My free T4 was: T4,Free(Direct) 1.60 0.82-1.77


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