# Panic Attacks? High BP?



## Christinals (Sep 9, 2010)

Just a quick question.

Can a disturbance of the thyroid cause panic attacks?
I thought I read somewhere about High Blood Pressure not panic attacks.

I have NOT been diagnosed with hypo/hyper. I just recently have been having panic attacks. It is the craziest thing. I went to the Dr. and they thought maybe it was because my blood pressure was slightly elevated. Now I am on high blood pressure medication. I am 35, maybe 15lbs overweight. 
My high bp could be associated to the extra 15lb, however I just wanted to ask if anyone has had a problem with either of these issues.

Thanks

Christi


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

It's very common for people to report anxiety issues and other emotional problems with thyroid disease. It is a 'classic' symptom.

What type of BP med were you given? Certain ones, such as beta blockers, have common off-label uses, one of them being to reduce anxiety.

Did they give you an opportunity to trial lifestyle changes such as weight loss, diet and exercise for the mild high blood pressure? Generally that is recommended as first line treatment before medication.


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## desrtbloom (May 23, 2010)

Absolutely! I have had very bad panic attacks. They have gotten better as my thyroid levels have gotten more under control.

It is also common to have high BP with thyroid disease. I haven't heard of high BP causing anxiety attacks unless it is totally out of control and a person gets anxious.

Patti


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## zeke6666 (Aug 14, 2010)

That continues to be my on again off again problem, it is getting much better since I have started using compounded thyroid which is natural thyroid replacement. My anxiety always shows up at the Dr's. office. , I have a really weird reaction to taking my blood pressure, it panics me because I think it's gonna be high, so fight or flight kicks in and of course it goes high. It is normal or low all the rest of the time until the cuff goes on. I'm thankful that the Dr. has figured this out and as of now I haven't gone on any blood pressure meds. This is such a scary thing and I'm sorry you are experiencing this, Good Luck.


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## Christinals (Sep 9, 2010)

Thank you for your responses.
It's a terrible feeling to think you are going crazy.
My blood pressure has been all over the map.
At it's highest it was 180/102.....
Yes, they put me on Lupin (very low dose).
It has brought my bp down and did seem to help my
anxiety a little, but now here recently I have had two really
bad episodes within two days. I'm constantly thinking I am
going to die. So rediculous. I am so hyper-sensitive to my
heart because, three years ago my doctors and myself thought
I was having panic attacks and I ended up in the hospital with
extreme pericardial effusion....there was never an indication of why
this had happened (drives me crazy no knowing why this happened).
I had surgery and they put tubes in my chest to 
drain the fluid. It turns out that it wasn't panic attacks after all. 
NOW three years later, I am so sensitive to what I feel...so if I feel
tingling in my arm or pressure on my chest I freak out. I know I'm okay
but it just gets away from me. The mind is a tricky thing. Now not being
sure about my thyroid levels and nodule and so on it just adds to the mix.
My blood work is "normal" from what the Dr. says, but when I got the results
myself I see that there is nothing "normal" about them in my mind.

Microsomal TPO-Ab 122 H (<35 IU/ml)
Prolactin Diluted 3.6 (3.3 - 26.7 ng/ml)
T3 Free Non-Dialysis 3.3 (2.0 - 4.8 pg/ml)
T4 Free Non-Dialysis 1.3 (0.8 - 1.7 ng/dl)
Thyro globulin 5 (<56 ng/ml)
Thyroglobulin Antibodies 1266 H (<41 IU/ml)

So i am finding a new Dr. and trying to get to the bottom of this MESS!! LOL
Thanks for listening to me rant.....

Thanks for the information.
Best of luck to you all.
I really do appreciate you taking the time to tell me your experiences.
It helps to know that you're not the only one. 

-Christina


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Christinals said:


> Thank you for your responses.
> It's a terrible feeling to think you are going crazy.
> My blood pressure has been all over the map.
> At it's highest it was 180/102.....
> ...


Pericardial effusion is often the result of untreated hypothyroid disease and also Lupus.

I am sorry this happened to you; it had to be a scary event to the max.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pericardial-effusion/DS01124/DSECTION=causes


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

yep, anxiety and heart palpitations were symptoms of my thyroid disease. It was pretty scary because my doc could not find anything wrong in her office, but I would lay down in bed at night, my heart would feel like it was beating out of my chest. Heart disease runs in my family, and I was scared I was going to die
Things eventually got so bad that I woke up having chest pain. I called the squad (they thought it was a panic attack). When I got to the hospital, my heart rate and BP were both elevated. Thankfully, they couldn't find anything wrong with my heart, but my thyroid levels were through the roof! I was put on beta-blockers to control my heart rate and help with some of the thyroid symptoms as well as anti-thyroid meds. 
The heart palpitations eventually got better, but it was really scary for a while. I remember waking up in a thunder storm and feeling like my heart was going to Explode with every thunderclap. 
I think you are right to find a new doctor. There is something definitely not right with your antibody levels. Hopefully , they will get to the bottom of things and you will be feeling better


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Christinals said:


> Thank you for your responses.
> It's a terrible feeling to think you are going crazy.
> My blood pressure has been all over the map.
> At it's highest it was 180/102.....
> ...


Have you talked to your doctor yet about the high Thyroglobulin Antibodies as per our discussion in another post?


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## Christinals (Sep 9, 2010)

I have not spoken with my doctor yet. I am waiting for her call.
I am going to call tomorrow....I don't want to go through the weekend 
without the results from my ultrasound and blood work.

I CAN'T believe that the thyroid could have been the cause of my pericardial effusion....I am just in shock....and somewhat relieved. lol Thanks for that tidbit of information.

Again, it sounds like panic attacks and such is more common than I had thought. I will continue to try to tell myself I am not going crazy..:rolleyes:

Thank you, thank you, and thank you again!
:hugs:


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## peaches (Sep 29, 2009)

I had the most horrible panic attacks for several years and was misdiagnosed several times because of them. I was diagnosed with severe allergies(I was also getting hives and bloating very badly about an hour after a meal, which was about the same time the attacks would occur so they associated it with food allergies even though testing proved negative). I was put on several anti allergy medications which didn't work. I was diagnosed with nerve issues but after seeing a neurologist that was discounted and was diagnosed with anxiety disorder but no anxiety medications helped at all. They didn't touch the attacks. They med them less maddening but didn't stop them. I was finally diagnosed with Hashimoto's after going through several bull headed endocrinologists that said that there was nothing wrong with my thyroid ( I had two ultrasounds which stated that I had Hashi's and several lab tests that came back abnormal but none of the doctors wanted to admit that they had made a wrong diagnosis when presented with the data. I finally found and endo who has thyroid issues herself so she recognized the signs and put me on medication. I am not totally titrated yet my life has become livable again. She also found that my Vitamin D was through the floor low so she prescribed 50,000 iu of vit-D and that made me feel huge amounts better. I hope you can find out exactly what is going on and get on the path to recovery quickly. I know how life altering panic attacks are. They are dibilitating and can make you want to die. Good Luck and know that there are solutions out there that can make your life happy again.


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## Christinals (Sep 9, 2010)

Peaches - Thanks for your input.
It's a day by day thing and I am waiting for a new appointment with an Endo and going to speak with my Family Dr. again next week. 
It's just awful when it happens and then I feel like I'm on egg shells and waiting for it to happen again...lol It's just a vicious cirlcle.

Thanks for your thoughts. It means so much.
-Christi


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## happysunshine (Sep 25, 2009)

I get panic attacks aswell, although not as much, your body is out of balance, thryoid keeps your body in balance just like other organs that give your hormones.

I found alternative medicines help more. I was put on HBP medication and went off them, they didn't help they made me more anxious.I used flower essence remedies, I get from the health food, alternative medicine shops, they work really well, it's been a life savior for me, helps store my balance back in my body. I am also going to do a course in it because after taking them I am starting to feel normal again.
My body doesn't like preservative, chemical stuff. I stick to organic. I don't have processed foods, they make me feel wacky.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

happysunshine said:


> I get panic attacks aswell, although not as much, your body is out of balance, thryoid keeps your body in balance just like other organs that give your hormones.
> 
> I found alternative medicines help more. I was put on HBP medication and went off them, they didn't help they made me more anxious.I used flower essence remedies, I get from the health food, alternative medicine shops, they work really well, it's been a life savior for me, helps store my balance back in my body. I am also going to do a course in it because after taking them I am starting to feel normal again.
> My body doesn't like preservative, chemical stuff. I stick to organic. I don't have processed foods, they make me feel wacky.


I am the same. No chemicals if I can help it. We cook all our food, read package labels and so on.

Good for you!


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## Christinals (Sep 9, 2010)

We are good at cooking our own food and reading packages too.
But there are areas where I am sure we could improve.
Food for thought


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## peaches (Sep 29, 2009)

I really avoid gluten products. I swell up like a balloon when my body tries to process them. Every once-in-a-while I will splurge with some lasagna or something but for the most part I try to avoid them. Breads are fattening anyway. I am so hyper-sensitive to medications and have a big sensitivity to so many foods that I am nervous about any herbal remedies. All I need to add to what is already going on with me is a severe allergic reaction to something. I know there are many, many people out there though that have very good results from natural supplements and remedies. I think I am just an odd duck. I'm a Georgia girl though so keeping me away from boiled peanuts will never happen. Goitergen or not. I think boiling them helps release some of the bad stuff in them though. I did notice that since going to a 50,000iu vit-D pill monthly instead of the weekly that I started out with, is a noticeable difference. I start having the attacks at the end of the monthly cycle about a week before my next dose. So it will be something to talk to the doc on my next visit.


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