BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Thyroid Health Graves Disease and Panic Disorder

Two years ago I was diagnosed with Graves after what was called a 'Thyroid Storm'
No idea what that was but it was pretty scary.
I have been on medication for 18 months which seemed to control things...albeit taking half my hair volume!

In January I was taken off medication and am being monitored until April. I really hope I am cured but somehow doubt it. I do not want to have my thyroid removed or zapped with radio whatever....

In the past 3 weeks I have had several 'funny turns' at first I thought I had angina and was having a heart attack. These episodes are extremely frightening. The biggest one scared everyone else as well as myself. My doctor believes I am having Panic Attacks and I will be seeing a specialist on Wednesday to confirm it is nothing else.

I am not so sure and really believe this is part of the Graves medication withdrawal.

I have had forms of Panic Disorder in the past but always due to some factor beyond my control. I have a lot to deal with, my husband has primary Progressive MS so life gets difficult sometimes. I also suffer badly from claustrophobia and cannot bear to be in crowded places...It makes me faint.

Has anyone else experienced anything of this nature?

The last attack was yesterday just as I was leaving to collect my granddaughter. Instead of lying down in agony until it passed after the usual 20 minutes I just carried on and used some breathing excercises i had been told about ..breath in for 5 and out for 11 counts. It was somewhat painful but I was in control and the incident calmed down within 8 minutes The arm pains and hand numbing still occurred but not as badly as when lying down.

I feel more confident now and hope I can deal with it in the same manner next time. This is all fairly new to me but certainly explains some other oddities that have occurred in the past. Anyone got any tips?

The funny thing is...I never have any problems when I am working...no matter how stressful the situation...it always comes on unexpectedly when I am relaxing or having fun?

Hi Fay. I assume the meds you were on are anti thyroid drugs, either carbimazole or PTU. What dose were on when you were taken off? Were you carefully weaned (on a dose no higher than , but preferably lower) or abruptly stopped at an artificial end date?

And have you checked out the graves support group on yahoogroups? The address is graves_support@yahoogroups.com . I haven't been there in over a year but you can find me in the archives under my email cfyoung4@juno.com . I go by Fay there.
I'll assume the group is as great as ever, and you will find he others from the UK there who can help you navigate the NHS and whatever else you have to deal with. And if I can help at all please feel free to contact me offlist.

Fay,

I appreciate your sharing that personal experience.
Yes, I have experienced panic attacks as well. When I was diagnosed with hypothyroism from Hashimoto's, I went through a phase of "Hashitoxicosis" (temporary hyperthyroidism) and had several weeks of intermittent panic attacks and episodes of drenching my sheets in bed at night with severe night sweats.
They certainly are VERY UNPLEASANT and make you think you will go insane or drop dead.
I have some articles on this subject that I hope offer comfort to people going through severe anxiety and panic. Here are links to two of those:
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Fay, once you know how to work through the attacks, you will be able to cope very well. You seem like a strong person, able to deal with this. Take heart, Fay, in the fact that you are not alone and there are so many normal people just like you who suffer from these attacks and have learned how to overcome them.

I am so glad I came across this post. It will help me to explain to some of my family members who think I might be a little crazy that I am just as normal as they are, I just have some imbalances in my system. I have suffered from clinical depression and anxiety for several years and am treated very fragile by some family members, as if they think "something is wrong with her and she might crack"! Over time, I have learned how to deal with it and overcome the attacks, but it was not easy. I think most of my creativity comes from the times when I had to be alone, avoid others who did not understand what I was going through, and had to find things to do to get through the worst of it. Sometimes in the past I avoided people entirely as much as I possibly could. I do a lot better now, still have some of "those times" but deal with far better thanks to some good counselors I had and a lot of reading on the issues.

Thank you, Fay, for sharing your feelings and experiences on this subject and thank you, Jim, for the articles. Both are very informative.

I have panic attacks, they are a part of the depression and bi-polar that I suffer from.

They become a lot worse when I am under lots of stress. And then even worse if in a large crowd of people.

My two worst times were always during church's "meet and greet" and going to the grocery store.

I found when going to the store especially, that the attacks were a lot more manageable when I had my little one with me than when I was alone. I finally figured out it was because i could focus on him, instead of all the people around me.

It became a little trick that I would use whenever I started to feel a bad attack coming on - I would find something to concentrate on. It didn't always work, but over the years, the attacks have lessened a lot, with only a few "flareups" when I've gone through some pretty major traumas in my family.

My attacks, too, have lessened over the years. Going into a grocery store, or any store, terrified me at one time. Even when I got brave and forced myself to go in, I often would leave my shopping cart and everything in it and flee to the "safety of my home". Now, only when I am forced into situations or events that I am not comfortable in do I have an attack. It is kind of like a defense mechanism, I guess.

For different anxiety sufferers, the things that help them cope are different. For me, learning not to fear the symptoms was liberating! I did this by educating myself about anxiety and panic attacks and what each symptom means. Here's an example of a PhD Psychologist's description of panic attacks and how that the symptoms will not cause the terrible things we are afraid they will. I love this article!

Link, click here>> www.anxietynetwork.com/pdfear.html

Here's one of mine in the "realted Conditions" area of Thyroid Health entitled; "Can Anxiety Cause you to Die?"

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I haven't been on this site for awhile but I am glad I have read your problems. I have had graves for six years now. My endocrinologist tells me it is a very mild case. Every time he tries to take me off the meds I get so many problems but this last time was the worst. I go to the hospital at least two or three times every time with anxiety, pains in my arms, numbness in my face and arm. Symptoms that mimick a heart attack, stroke and I have to get checked every time. Doctors do not know what happens so they call it anxiety. It is not. It is your thyroid.I have never had anxiety in my life and have no reason to. I now tell them I am hyperthyroid and when my medicine is changed or I get an infection of any kind I go through this. I've been going through this for 6 years and I am ready to do RAI. This will never change and the doctors don't know the hell we go through every time they try to change our meds or ween us off of them. This has made my life a living hell. Please feel free to talk to me I will give you my e-mail and phone number if you want it.Hang in there, I have for 6 years and I am going through it right now.Do not let them tell you it is anxiety, it is not.

Hi Bewitched. I put together an FAQ for people diagnosed with hyperthyroidism that's somewhere on this site. As you've been dealing with Graves so long, you probably could write it yourself, but it is worth checking out if only for the links, like the graves_support@yahoogroups board, and Elaine Moore. If you check the archives of the Graves group around Sept. 06, there was some great discussion about a pro-RAI article in the NEJM.

The big question is, what dose of anti thyroid drug (and which one) are you on when your dr. takes you off. Do they try to wean you?

And if you research convinces you that you really were treated and monitored properly on ATDs, you would want to research BRT, block and replace therapy. There is the classic form, which involves several years on both ATDs and thyroid replacement, and the form that might be helpful to you if you're already on a fairly low dose of ATDs. I don't know who's still active on the board as I've been off over a year, but Val (addy includes "boatkitten"), Elaine Moore, and Terry Paulding will be quite helpful, and you can contact them offlist.

IF, if you still opt for RAI, you want to make sure that your dr. really has a handle on how to monitor you once you are hypo for life. There are many fine hypo sources, includng where we are right now. Books that I have heard are quite helpful include Mary Shomon's Living Well with Hypothryoidism (BTW, we hyper people have great respect for Mary but some serious issues with her hyper book) and the Shameses' Thyroid Power. RAI seems like a quick fix, but it has such serious lifelong ramifications that you need to take your time.

And if you have any signs of thyroid eye disease (Elaine Moore wrote a great book on the subject) RAI is, or should be considered, contraindicated.
Good luck, Fayge

bewitched,

I see your point about thyroid caused adrenaline surges (anxiety)not really being typical anxiety and it is a good point. I actually said the same thing to the first doctor I went to with my thyroid symptoms and she immediately tagged it as "anxiety". I knew beyond a doubt mine had nothing to do with my thought patterns or emotions but it did over time cause me some learned behaviors that made the anxiety trigger more easily afterward, which I had to work on.
I believe some doctors call it anxiety just as they do when it's caused by stress and emotions but I feel when it's thyroid caused, they should state it that way in the patient's medical record. They should term it someting to the effect; "thyroid related anxiety". It's only fair to the patient that they do so in my opinion.