Dr says it's all in my head

[*Fallen Angel*]

I have been suffering since 2011. I went to my dr with poor cold intolerance, tiredness, weakness, hair thinning and falling out etc. Had blood tests, all fine was told I was depressed and medicated. In the last 18 months symptoms have gotten much worse. Had repeat bloods last year and found to be v anemic. Couldn't tolerate the tablets so Dr agreed I could take spatone. Tested blood again and it had come up to just in the normal level. Yet symptoms are still here and more. My friend who is a pharmacist suggested I sounded hypothyroid so back to Dr again for more bloods. THS 2 and Free T4 10.4. Dr says not thyroid and it's my anxiety.

Now I am an anxious person but am having a good spell with it and yet still feel physyically awful. My arms and legs feel weak and shaky all the time and I have horizontal lines on my finger nails which is indicative of systemic disease apparently! I have read a lot about people who are symptomatically low thyroid but there blood tests say otherwise. Explained this to Dr and he was sympathetic but wouldn't treat. I'm waiting to see an endocrinologist whilst getting steadily worse. I am only 35 but have no energy to do anything and I'm getting worse.

Does anyone have thyroid probs that can help or am I just anxious and all this is in my head?

[Serenity1990]

No, it's not all in your head.

Sometimes we have genuine minor symptoms, and we simply amplify them because we're hyper-aware. In some occasions symptoms are the result of the very real chemical effects anxiety has on our body, not least of which the chronic secretion of adrenaline. In some of us the symptoms are somatic or "functional": that is they are real, but the result of mental stresses through some process not really understood. Other times they may be the result of one of the many minor conditions often associated with anxiety, such as BFS, high blood pressure, asthma or whatever else. In some, it's probably a mixture of all of the he above.

I subscribe to the water tank concept of anxiety. Over years of bad management of anxiety we add to the tank until one day it's full. It's now that we become symptomatic: our brains simply can't cope with it any more so the body joins in. We worry about the bodily sensations, which adds to the full tank even more so even more of it is expressed through bodily symptoms. The vicious cycle starts occurring. The first step is accepting it as anxiety, however this only turns the tap off: the tank is still full and we'll still experience the symptoms. It's only over time with that tap being constantly off that the tank can slowly be allowed to drain, and we'll feel better. However many of our drains are blocked with sludge so this process can take months or years!

How's that for a metaphor?

[*Fallen Angel*]

Thank you Serenity 1990 that's really helpful and makes a lot of sense.

[yenool]

I assume he has referred you to an endocrinologist for a reason?
Sometimes thyroid blood tests can be slow to catch up with symptoms.

I wonder if looking at a thyroid support group like TPA UK forum might help you to see if your symptoms really fit those of thyroid disorder or not.

[Fishmanpa]

To add to what's been said, anxiety in and of itself is a mental illness that manifests itself with real physical symptoms. (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms). That being said, HA sufferers get sick too but due to the nature of HA, it's often amplified or looked at in a "worst case" scenario. But, as one can see just by reading the boards, many of the symptoms, although scary and real, are benign.

Positive thoughts

[saab]

Feeling shaky, lethargic, weak can be symptoms of anxiety, stress, or depression. I find that my HA tends to amplify any physical sensation I feel - any slight pain, ache, strangeness that would previously have gone unnoticed is now spotted straight away and flagged up as a symptom of a multitude of illnesses instead of being dismissed as insignificant.

This doesn't mean that you aren't shaky or tired, just that you are assigning a meaning to them that is not necessarily there. This is what our mind does - it finds stuff for us to worry about. Hope you feel better soon.

[*Fallen Angel*]

Thanks all. The Dr has referred me as he agrees I fit the criteria with my ongoing symptoms but my blood test results didn't reflect that. However, I've been doing alot of reading and I believe anything over 2 along with symptoms should be treated so I will have to wait and see.

I just hate the shakiness and it's worse when I walk.