SheKnows Message Boards - View Single Post - I think I went from hypo to hyper! (x-post)

Yogi Bear · #1 (**permalink**) 07-26-2005, 12:07 AM

I'm talking thyroid here. For those who don't know my recent history, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (not enough hormones) back in April, and was started on Synthroid to lower the blood levels (I still don't know why they start out high for hypo and low for hyper, but they do).

My first blood test for my thyroid hormone levels came back at 5.01, where 0.34 to 2.5 is within normal range. So it was twice the highest level of normal. I was first started on 50mcg of Synthroid in early April. After 3 weeks, I had my blood drawn again, and it came back at 4.08. My RE raised my dose to 75mcg, and did another blood draw 2 weeks after that, which came back at 3.73. Then my dose was raised again to 100mcg, and I was tested once again 3 weeks later, and it was down to 1.75 or so...right in the middle of the normal range! So he told me to just continue taking the 100mcg, and that this was my correct dosage, and I would be retested in one year.

So this was sometime in mid to late May that my thyroid was said to be normal, and I've been taking the 100mcg dose every morning ever since. Now it's July, and I've just started to experience symptoms of hyperthyroidism...restlessness, hyperness, insomnia (no weight loss unfortunately)...and right now I am up at 1:45 am, having tried to go to sleep at 11:30. I layed there just restless as ever, and I could not sleep! I feel very tired, but also hyper at the same time. It's strange.

I just took a dose of my Rx Clonazapam that I've taken for years as needed for anxiety. It helps to calm me down when I get severe anxiety and panic attacks since I was diagnosed with a general/social anxiety disorder in 1996. I also take a daily med for my anxiety, Nardil, which is an MAOI, and builds up in my system to keep my anxiety attacks away for the most part. I take the Clonazapam as needed at times when I get really anxious and need a quick fix to keep myself from a panic attack. But lately, I have been taking it much less than I used to. It used to be almost a daily dose, especially when I would be out and about, working, or socializing, but for the past couple of months, I have probably only needed it maybe once or twice a week if that. So that has been very good, as I was afraid that I was becoming addicted to it. Well as of this evening, I hadn't taken it at all since Friday because I've been home all day every day due to a paid suspension at work...long story that is still up in the air at this time...so I haven't had the need to take that med (Clonazapam).

So I guess what I'm saying is that I'm suspecting that my dose of Synthroid has somehow become too high because they haven't checked me since 3 weeks after I started taking 100mcg of it and it was within the normal range. With these symptoms, it sure feels like I'm taking too much of it, and I suspect that my levels might be below 1.0, or even below 0.34 which would mean I would have to be tested again, and if this is the case, my dose would have to be lowered to somewhere between 75 and 100mcg, but I'm not positive about that.

The other thing I'm thinking is that maybe since I haven't been taking as much Clonazapam as usual, which has happened in the past when I haven't taken it in awhile, I've gotten jittery like this then, and then I take it, and it calms me down. It's kind of to the point where I need to take it at least twice a week to keep these symptoms away. But when I've had these symptoms before, that they Clonazapam has helped, they were never this bad, which is why I'm curious to know if my thyroid levels have gone way down to hyperthyroid levels. Now since I took the Clonazapam about a half hour ago, I am feeling much more calm, and feel like I can try to sleep again.

But I will be calling my RE's office in the morning, and letting them know about these symptoms, and pretty much demanding another blood test to see where my levels actually are right now.

But anyway, I just thought that I would let you know about this and ask for your positive thoughts and prayers that this can be taken care of quickly.

Thank you for listening, and if anyone happens to have any advice about this, please feel free to share it with me. I do already have some really good websites about both disorders, and have read up on them tonight...specifically about having hypo- and going hyper- due to the Synthroid being taken in too high of a dose. So I'm not looking for information, but maybe just support and suggestions, and similar stories if anything like this has happened to any of you.