Get a Thyroid test/Grave's disease

[bananxiety10]

To all my fellow anxiety/depression/mental illness sufferers, I wanted to share a story in hopes that it may help some/many of you. Please read this post in its entirety. When my first anxiety symptoms presented themselves over 5 years ago, my psychiatrist advised a thyroid test. I never got it, we'll get back to that later. So at first we tried xanax for the day and rx sleep meds for the night. My symptoms worsened and the meds didn't work. I was up all night, had tremors, ringing in the ears, irritable, etc. Finally we decided on clonazepam 2mg, which worked at first but soon I moved to 4 mg which worked for 4 years, then it seemed not to be working. As I refused to take any higher dosage because of the side effects, I decided to take control. I went to an endocrinologist and had a thyroid test. My thyroid levels were low, and my thyroid antibodies were high. I then had a radioactive thyroid scan which confirmed Grave's disease. Basically I could have avoided this 5 year battle with anxiety if I just had a thyroid test. Instead, I am now treating my Grave's naturally with supplements and diet through a holistic MD. But I'm now going to have to battle getting off a clonazepam, a benzodiazepam, which I hear is not easy.

If you are experiencing an anxiety disorder, depression, or other "mental illness" symptoms, please have your thyroid checked by an endocrinologist before being placed on a powerful addictive medication.

Best wishes.

[Adrenal]

Totally agree with you, great advice!

But get all your hormone levels checked by the endocrinologist. Adrenal glands can also have hormone producing tumors that mimic anxiety, depression, insomnia symptoms. Sometimes they can remove the gland, the other takes over and no more symptoms! Most MDs don't even suggest seeing an endocrinologist before prescribing, sedating, addicting patients to meds. Be an advocate for your health and rule out things on the preventative side first!