Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Support Group
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debbiem
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« on: April 16, 2008, 06:14:45 pm »


Hello!
 
I was diagnosed in 2001 with hashimotos and hypothyroidsim. At the exact same time I started developing anxiety and having panic attacks. Most of the Docs I have seen state that there is no relation between anxiety and hashimotos but I have read articles to say there is. I find it too weird all symtoms started at the same time. I have been down the medication road and tried a few times to take meds but have always had uncomfortable side effects. Now...I am petrified of any form of medication and won't even take a baby asparin. I got sick of being sent to this doc and that doc. One says one thing and one says another.  I was sent to dwelve into my childhood as a cause of the anxiety. It was bad but I definately feel I don't have a problem with that. Those doors were closed along time ago and I feel are not the root of my anxiety. Hashimotoes is. My thyroid levels do not even measure on the scale. I quit going to docs 2 years ago but went the other day to get a doctors note because I needed it  toget a refund for a cancelled drivers exam because of the flu. Now he is sending me for bloodwork. I do not want to go down this road again being pushed into thyroid meds and anxiety meds.
 
Can I manage these deseases wth a lifestyle change? Where can I begin to read? And anyone have similiar stories?  Any direction would help.
Deb
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Mo
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« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2008, 07:49:25 pm »

Hello Deb,

I hear you loud and clear and be assured, you are NOT imagining the connection between anxiety and this disease. However, the stage of the disease is worth noting with blood tests. Are you currently on thyroid supplements?

I would recommend that you read my story here:

http://myhashimotosthyroiditis.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=28

Admittedly, it is NOT up to date and I have found great relief recently by alternative/natural courses.

Also, I want to encourage you that YES, you can improve this disease (at the very least) with lifestyle changes and most of us here agree that you can do better than that.

On my main page I refer to many different choices for natural treatments, however, I do recommend you find a good natural doctor to support you through the choices YOU make. I agree that it's frustrating to be lead around by doctors. They should be our support system - not lead us to their money making drugs.

Now having said that, there are likely some very caring doctors out there - but it is hard to find one in the traditional medical field that gives you any support for natural choices. It's really in the alternative world you might find that.

I am currently so excited about using a process of allergy elimination (which I believe is one of the roots of this disease) called NAET and you can find the website here:

www.naet.com

I am also working through any emotional issues on my own with EFT and BSFF which have helped me tremendously. All people have emotional issues to work through - it's not just us with Hashimoto's. But, to not connect the two is not right. I remember being labeled "panic disorder" through my HMO as seen in my story. It is humiliating. It took me years to shake the dust of my feet and walk out of the traditional medical field. I now feel hope and know that I am better off on this "road". I know what you are feeling. I was there and felt I could never trust another doctor.

I do enjoy the two doctors I am working with at the moment. One keeps me regulated on my natural thyroid supplementation and the other is my NAET doctor who is monitoring my progress through the allergy elimination treatments.

Can I ask you a few questions?

Do you have food allergies or do you sense that you do?
Can you connect some of your symptoms to meals, time of the day, time of the month, etc.?


Being your own "detective" is the best way to get to know your body. I do agree with you to keep all medications out that are not absolutely necessary. Here's my article on the bare minimum to help you figure out the best course of action for natural treatments:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2080117_live-better-hashimotos-thyroiditis.html

I believe you are already doing most of the things I suggest there.

Keep in mind that none of us here are "professionals" or "doctors" but are all sufferers which, to me, makes us more than qualified to work together to find answers. It is our body, and our choice to make natural decisions when possible.

It's great to have you here and hope this helped a little bit.

Maybe others will join in. Feel free to start a new topic or reply to this one.

Take care and hang in there - you will feel better.

Mo Smiley
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grnmtnmama
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« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2008, 01:07:02 pm »


Deb~
 
I am kinda at a low point right now (it is always up and down, isn't it?), so it is hard for me to make recommendations based on my results (though I am much better than two years ago). However, I will say that I highly recommend finding a naturopath (naturopathic doctor) who has a lot of experience in autoimmune disorders. A Naturopath's mission is to find the root cause of the problem, not to just treat symptoms. Working with a alopathic doctor will just lead to treating more and more symptoms while your body becomes more and more out of balance leading to more disease.
 
The anxiety and panic attacks, as you have read, can definitely be due to Hashimoto's (such as when you experience an attack on the thyroid and the damaged cells release too much hormone into your blood causing hyperthyroid-type symptoms...anxiety and panic).
 
It is not to say, however, that stress in your life (past or current) has not contributed to your dis-ease. It is my understanding and belief that stress and trauma of various types (ie, abuse, physical trauma, exposure to toxins, long-term antibiotic use...) can throw your system off enough to allow your digestive system (which then affects all systems) to work improperly. This eventually causes the intestinal lining to become permeable and allow food to be improperly digested. The proteins pass through in a form which is considered by your body's immune system to be foreign (an allergy)--hence the overreactive immune response (attack). This is what leads to autoimmune diseases, of which there are MANY...and hugely underdiagnosed, as well.
 
I will post again soon with some links I have found helpful, but I've gotta go right now. In close, I really do feel strongly that lifestyle changes can help significantly. I believe I no longer have the anxiety and panic attacks I had last fall because of lifestyle changes I've made over the winter. I do have some posted on my previous posts (which aren't many if you look for them in the index).
 
Keep us posted, Deb! Wishing much healing for you!
~Janet~
 
 
 
 
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CDB
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« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2008, 08:23:48 pm »


Hi There!
 
I realise this topic is a little old but I still feel the need to post! One night about 2 weeks ago I had a terrible anxiety attack! I freaked out a little more than i should have. Eventually I could not feel my hands and i had pins and needles all around my chin, mouth and cheek in one side of my face. I tootttally flipped out so I called a special nursing hotline we have here in Australia, told her i was having a panic attack. She was a lovely lady and talked me through the attack for around 10 minutes. I settled down and finally hung up and went to sleep.
She told me that i should perhaps see a counsellor about "Cognitive Behavioural Therapy". Apparently it teaches you to turn negative and panic like thoughts, into positive thoughts. It teaches you to handle stressful situations in a way that will help you to relax.
I havent commenced any of this therapy, was kind of thinking I will wait til the next panic attack (if it ever comes) and see how severe it is.
My panic attacks started about 2 months ago and come every 2 weeks or so. Surely this 2 week cycle is linked to something, I just have to figure out what! (perhaps fluctuations in thyroxine levels?) I will start to keep a log of them I think.
I am positively convinced that my anxiety has something to do with Hashimotos, as I too never ever ever had anxiety problems until all this crappy stuff started about 2 months ago! Mind you, I have never been as stressed as I am now.
My advice is just try to relax as often as you can. Take up yoga or Tai Chi? Go and get facials and manicures if thats what you like to do. Or find a favourite relaxation CD. Perhaps even seeing a counsellor once a week to get everything off your chest would help!

Hope my thoughts are in some way helpful to somebody!
 
Carolyn x
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Mo
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« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2008, 06:31:01 am »

Hello Everyone,

Although I am convinced that thyroid problems can and do cause anxiety at times, I have never felt more sure of a simple self treatment for the "on the spot" moment. It doesn't sound like it'll work initially but I've worked with a friend of mine (without thyroid problems) that was having a very emotional moment and within seconds she stopped feeling anxious and was able to talk and work through the feeling within minutes without "counseling". You don't have to "believe" that it works, just try it.

It's called EFT and I've been raving about it for a couple months now on the board because it is truly the first thing EVER that made a significant difference in my emotions. You can download the manual online at www.emofree.com and for the price of the first set of DVD's, you can be a pro at treating yourself on any emotional issue. It takes just minutes to learn and there is a good tutorial (interactive) at www.tapping.com to guide you though specific challenges. What's most important to us Hashi sufferers is immediate issues that come up though and the manual will help guide you through that. If you can afford it, it is best to purchase at least the first series of DVD's if you are a visual learner like I am. I have used this on years of "fears" I have "no more" and events that have haunted me since I was a child which no longer control my thoughts! All this without a counselor and each one is gone forever with one session. I am even so indebted to this technique, I am considering learning it well enough to help others over the phone or in person in my local area! (and I generally don't think about business but some people don't want to learn how to do it for themselves and because of that, there are people who guide others through the process as a "business".)

So, if I were to give any advice, after going to counselors for most of my adult life, I see no comparison to using this technique. It is simply superior to anything I've ever tried for stress relief. And at this point, I have no financial connection to recommending it! I simply want people to know the freedom from emotional pain that I have experienced. If your emotional pain causes phsyical pain, it easily and sometimes completely eliminates the physical pain on the spot too!

You can tell I believe in this and believe me, it's the first thing in 14 years that I can confidently recommend for everyone!

Tell me if anyone trys it. The only requirement for this treatment is the willingness to try it out and the openness to work on an issue. In my experience, I have felt greater release while working with another person that is interested in it so if you know someone (a friend or family member) that wouldn't mind working with you, I highly recommend it. Perhaps in the near future, I will be offering to work with others over the phone but I haven't finished the full series yet and want to be completely exposed to all the different ways to approach an issue to make a treatment session most successful.

As a sidenote, never feel like it is you when you are having a panic attack when you know you have Hashimotos. I haven't had one in years but I believe I had them due to not being adequately treated! If you read "my story" on my main website, you will see that it takes nothing for the traditional doctors to put a big "panic syndrome" on your file. And THAT has emotional implications on it's own.

Getting the right treatment is important and a TSH over 5 just is too high for most of us! And as I said before, many of us feel much more human in the 2 and under range. If you are taking a synthetic drug like Synthroid, you are probably missing other components to your thyroid hormones like T2, T3 and unknown other contributors from a natural source like Armour (dessicated bovine thryoid extract). It is wise to try this natural approach first to see if your symptoms begin to diminish.

Hope this helped a bit.

Mo Smiley
« Last Edit: May 19, 2008, 06:36:27 am by Mo » Logged
CDB
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« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2008, 07:41:27 am »


Hi Mo

Sounds great. If i have another panic attack I will definately try it. You sound like you know what your talkin about Smiley The only thing is, you mention that you are over your fears. When I have panic attacks, I'm not actually thinking or scared of anythin. Im just panicking over nothing. Then i beging to panic about the panic haha But yep! I will definately let you know when I try it! Thanks for the advice
 
x
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Mo
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« Reply #6 on: May 19, 2008, 05:27:41 pm »

Hello CDB,

I totally understand what you mean when you say "panic for no apparent reason" because I certainly remember that time of my life and it was at the first stages of my Hashimoto's diagnoses. However, I truly believe that this technique and "calm the beast within" when it does happen. You did mention you relaxed enough to go to sleep when you had one of your panic attacks by talking to a nurse over the phone. In the same way, EFT can work to soothe you in the same way and possibly pick up on an emotion or two that could be "hiding behind that panic attack". I do remember panicking over my panic attacks because it is so "foreign" when it happens and it really is scary - especially since you don't know what is triggering it.

You might want to go through a tutorial or two BEFORE you have a panic attack and then you will know exactly what to do when one "hits".

I can't wait to find out if it helps. After you learn the basics of the tapping, here's a specific way to treat a panic attack with the wording:



http://www.emofree.com/Panic-anxiety/panic-attacks-rebecca.htm

And here are some more to choose from:

http://www.emofree.com/articles.aspx?id=20

I really would love to know if this helps those out there who are suffering from occassional or more frequent panic attacks. And remember, most of the time, panic attacks are NOT your fault. Our bodies can create these do to imbalances and thyroid issues that have not been addressed or monitored closely enough. This provides a way to manage them until you are able to get to the root problem behind them.

Mo Smiley
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