Hyperthyroidism or severe anxiety?

For the past few weeks, ive been having severe panic and anxiety attacks, with no triggers. i went to the doctor, and she said i have generalized anxiety disorder, so i was put on xanax and zoloft. the zoloft made me suicidal, and the xanax only kinda helped. i went to another doctor, and she switched me to prozac and klonipin, and they work better, but still arent helping. i looked into it a bit online and i have many symptopms of hyperthyroidism. would someone with hyperthyroidism have the symptoms suppressed by my current medications? or is it just very very strong anxiety? i never think about things that would make me anxious, like whatifs, and wonders, i just start feeling bad for no reason doing things i usually like doing. oh, and the zoloft made me suicidal, something i never thought i was capable of thinking.

Thanks, ill set an appointment with the hospital on monday, they are closed on weekends. the reason i think its hyperthyroidism is because it seems to ignore my meds, and situation. and ill start feeling really bad very fast for no aparent reason. i could be having a great time teaching someone something (i love teaching people stuff) and all of a sudden, i get really angery or depressed, or this feeling of going insane. nothing seems to put the feeling away. my doctor cought a patient with the disease and she sugested that i have bloodwork done, but now that i know more, im gonna get it done as soon as possible. thanks a lot

I am very sorry to hear about your panic and anxiety attacks. That can be really miserable to go through, and even more scary when you don't know why it is happening to you.

You should definitely have your thyroid tested if you are having symptoms of overactive thyroid, which can cause anxiety, sleeplessness and loss of appetite (among other things). Doctors often miss thyroid problems because the symptoms can mimic common psychological disorders. If your doctor just wants to throw drugs at you and doesn't want to do the test, insist on a second opinion.

My own experience was that I had symptoms of both high AND low thyroid -- anxiety, depression, panic, brain fog, slow reflexes, fatigue and severe insomnia. When I told my doctor this, he treated me like a mental case. He wouldn't listen when I said I needed my thyroid checked. Instead, he wanted to put me on antidepressants, which I refused. I knew there was something physically wrong with me.

Finally the doctor gave in and did the test "if it will make you feel better." Guess what -- my TSH level, which should be less than 1, was about 200! That indicates severe hypothyroidism. My thyroid gland had completely stopped working. I will be taking thyroid supplements for the rest of my life. So please do get your thyroid checked.

Bear in mind that it is possible that, whether or not your thyroid is OK, you could also be suffering from an anxiety disorder. If you test normal and you are still experiencing those symptoms, you might need to see a psychotherapist with an M.D. degree who has expertise in prescribing psychological drugs. The right doctor can help you find the medication and the dosage that is appropriate for you.

Be patient, though, as you might have to try several different drugs before you find the one that helps. You might also have to put up with some mildly unpleasant side effects while your body is getting used to the drug.

The drug that helped me most for panic attacks was Ativan (lorazepam). It causes drowsiness and can be habit-forming, so it's for occasional use only, but I was amazed at how well it worked.

You deserve to feel better, so do whatever you have to do to get the proper diagnosis and treatment. In the meantime, you might investigate some deep breathing techniques to help you cope with the anxiety attacks. These exercises can slow down your heart rate and ease that panicky feeling.

Good luck!