Blood test to see if it is anxiety?

[little wren]

Hi

I have noticed that some people are posting that they have had blood tests to check that their anxiety/panic is not due to an underlying medical condition. My psychiatrist asked if I was on any medication for a condition that could manifest itself as anxiety (I haven't been to gp for 5 years and so have had no tests at all since I got ill). I know there is a thyroid test (which was suggested) but are there also other blood tests people are having and are they worth having? Also have any women here had fsh levels checked as I am running out of time to have a baby and if it is worth it I would have all my blood tests done at the same time.

thanks
little wren x

[macc noodle]

Little Wren

Go and see your GP - discuss your thoughts and mention what the psychiatrist said. The fact that your GP practice has not seen you in 5years since you were diagnosed is an appalling fail on the part of the doctors.

And, surely your psychiatrist must have access to your records and thus know what meds you are taking?

Unless they are referring to non prescribed meds ?

Blood tests are a good general indicator of your oveall health and I have mine done annually (I suffer HA and GAD) more for my benefit than the doc suspecting I have anything physically wrong with me.

As I am a woman of a certain age (lol), they test my hormone levels as part of that yet despite the fact that I am clearly perimenopausal and that this is known to be a trigger for HA and Anxiety, my levels have never conclusively proved this since they are notoriously inaccurate!!!

If you were suffering from thyroid problems, this would manifest itself in other physical problems as well as the anxiety and the fact that you have been ill for 5 years makes that highly unlikely to be the cause.

Go and see your GP - see if they have a woman's health and/or mental health specialist at your surgery and make an appointment with them.

Good luck

Macc Noodle

[LAURA48]

Hi Little Wren

Firstly there are no blood tests to tell you that you have anxiety but as the psychiatrist said there are illnesses that can manifest themselves.

Go and ask your dr or nurse for a thyroid blood test it is called a TSH and ask them to check for antibodies T3 and T4 that is important. Also your iron levels (anaemia) but have a full blood count also. Think you are in need of one if you have not had your bloods checked in 5 years.

Good Luck

Laura x

---------- Post added at 11:16 ---------- Previous post was at 11:14 ----------

Macc Noodle

I am perimenopausal clearly - but what meds, if anything, did they prescribe?

---------- Post added at 11:18 ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 ----------

sorry do they prescribe - is HRT the only answer?

[macc noodle]

Hi Little Wren


---------- Post added at 11:16 ---------- Previous post was at 11:14 ----------

Macc Noodle

I am perimenopausal clearly - but what meds, if anything, did they prescribe?

---------- Post added at 11:18 ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 ----------

sorry do they prescribe - is HRT the only answer?

Oh Laura - climb aboard the boat with me hun!!!!

No meds for me !!! My GP prefers to wait until you are fully menopausal before they will prescribe (or maybe that is just in my case!!!!!)

I think that GPs are of the opinion that if you know that your anxiety is caused by your hormones then that makes it ok !!! and that we should just get on with it! However, in my case, I find it even harder cos I have HA and am overly sensitive to creaks and groans in my body!! which causes me to panic and tbh the hormonal surges which create the anxiety are uncontrollable as they are hormonal (does that make sense) - so I end up feeling completely out of control and disappointed that my CBT techniques do not work!

PM me if you want to I would be happy to chat.

[Kelley]

Heya.

It would be benificial as the other ladies have said and go and get your blood work done. I generally also have mine checked annually. I think the most important one you need is the thyroid and liver function. I also have just had my hormones tested through saliva with my naturopath as my gp doesn't provide such a thorough screening of hormones. All she can do is check to see if I'm in menopause from a blood sample which of course came back negative. This wasn't helpful because I have been certain that my hormones aren't right from some other symptoms I've been having. So the results from the saliva testing showed that I indeed have a hormonal imbalance! My testosterone is high and a couple of estrogens were also out. It also showed my cortisol and other adrenal hormones which was really good insight.....I think my testosterone is elevated from stress which is causing all my hormones to then become imbalances which creates more symptoms that create more anxiety! It pays to ask lots of questions and sometimes seek alternative therapies to get to the bottom of things.

xx

[LAURA48]

Hi Mac - I have read the peri is worse than the actual menopause - but like you say - think the GPs like the fact they can blame hormones but at the moment by depression is very bad - always bloody crying - oh and yes the ANXIETY - heavy periods, painful periods, sweating, irritable, etc, etc,

I am no antidepressants at the moment until I see the psychiatrist on Thurs (private) don't get me started on the NHS - even work for them!

I usually take a 1000mg Evening Primrose Oil.

What about you!

ps have had all this 15 years ago put on Prozac and got better but this time round is totally worse - horrid.

[Stormsky]

I had blood tests done, to check thyroid, fhs, iron, vit levels etc, so worth trying that route initially.

[Kelley]

Laura you can take alot more than 1,000mg of EPO.....for hormone balance it's recommended to take 3,000mg. I was taking 4,000 at one stage and it worked fantastic. Pity I stopped it! Like the antidepressants.....when I went back on EPO a year later it actually made my symptoms worse! My boobs were so sore and I had worse acne! Very strange that something natural would do that. There's also a product called vitex which makes your body produce more progesterone which balances all other hormones. This works really well too.

[little wren]

Thanks for your replies :).

Reading through the posts it seems the tests are thyroid (TSH), liver, antibodies T3 and T4, iron and vitamin levels and fsh.

I agree that maybe I have to actually ask for these tests rather than waiting for them to be offered. I already think my vits are low (ocd makes it difficult for me to eat properly, plus I don't eat meat) and I have lost about a third of my hair over the last 2 years which I thought was just side effects of meds. as my hair was naturally thick nobody was particularly bothered about the loss.

Macnoodle - I have a telephone appointment with my gp annually to get my repeat prescription. The next one is soon and I will ask about the blood tests (see if I can get it done locally).

little wren x

[LAURA48]

Just get an appoint with the practice nurse Little Wren and ask for them - you are entitled to them - that's what I do.

Don't wait for the doctor to suggest. I am afraid in this day and age you have to look after your own health!!

Bad I know but the system is overloaded.

Laura x