Post viral thyroiditis and friends

Hi everyone, sorry for the long story.

I had been especially healthy in the last few years. Lots of energy, exercising, sleeping well and not remotely concerned about my health. At the beginning of this year, I got some kind of viral infection. It just felt like the flu, nothing too bad and I had seemed to have recovered from it within a few weeks. I then got a panic attack seemingly out of the blue. I don't remember ever having one before (maybe when I was a teenager). I wasn't too concerned, I thought whatever it was would resolve quickly. I got the all clear from the doctor and was given lorazepam (Ativan) to take as needed but I didn't want to take any as I didn't want to mask whatever was happening to me I took maybe 2 or 3 1mg doses over the course of about six weeks. The panic attacks started getting worse. It felt like I had been taking stimulants. I had awareness of my heartbeat, strange missed heartbeat sensations, odd chest pains etc I also started having trouble concentrating. I went back to the doctor and was had blood tests. I was also given beta blockers but they made me feel strange. The blood tests were all okay except for low leucocytes and slightly high ft4 (still in normal range). I had a chest xray and everything was fine. I ended up seeing a cardiologist and he gave me the all clear for my heart. I felt a bit better after this and began trying to exercise again.

After a couple of weeks of feeling a bit better, I was hit with vertigo and flu like symptoms. I was also obviously feeling quite anxious. (This was probably in the middle of april). I went to the doc for more tests, and my ft4 was now high. I made an appointment with an endocrinologist. I started to take the Ativan at night to try and get to sleep more easily. I started to feel terrible. I stopped the Ativan after a few nights because I thought that the feeling may have something to do with that but continued to feel like I have never felt before. I felt like being conscious was pure torture. My appointment with the endo came up and he diagnosed me with thyroiditis with transient thyrotoxicosis but said that this didn't explain how I was feeling. He tested my vitamin D and it was low (18) and put me on 50,000iu twice a week as well as a selenium supplement for my thyroid and pregenenolone for my adrenals. I also decided to go on Cipralex (escitalopram) and was given Azor (alprazolam, xanax) by my GP. I started the cirpalex and also the azor as needed and I started to feel much better. The terrible feeling left but I still had anxiety, brainfog, palpitations etc. I also started getting horrible headaches, more sinus issues and horrible tinnitus. I felt like i was making headway and tried to take as little of the Azor as I could.

I went to see an ENT to check my sinuses and he said they were a bit inflamed but looked okay, he said my tinnitus, headaches, dizziness could be from a tmj type issue and gave me celebrex, an anti-inflammatory. I was actually feeling pretty good for a couple of days but then had a mini panic attack one night and thought that it may be due to the celebrex so I stopped that. A couple of days later, I had a the worst panic attack that I have ever had (I think it was triggered by a particularly bad headache). It was one that I could not control. I was sure that iI would die that night. I could not even count my heartbeat and I was very cold and tingling all over. I went to the ER and was given Ativan (I think about 2 mg) and within a couple of hours I felt fantastic. The docs said I looked fine and did some blood tests. The next day I felt okay but then the terrible feelings that I had previously had after Ativan use came back along with terrible anxiety. At that point I felt that a huge part of how I had been feeling was due to the Ativan. I decided that I wanted off all of these psychotropic drugs especially because I got lab results back from the ER and my ft4 was now in the normal range. I started tapering off the cipralex and then the azor and I started to feel a lot better. I even managed to get out of the house a couple of times. I have been of the cipralex for about 2 and a half weeks and the azor for about 10 days.

I felt like I was on my road to recovery but over the last few nights I have felt pretty bad. I have had anxiety, dizziness, strange headaches, flu like symptoms, weakness and horrible tingling in my face, upper back, hands and occasionally feet. These symptoms seem to come and go (usually worse as the day goes on) the only thing that is constant is my tinnitus. I am not sure what my thyroid levels are like at the moment but I have a feeling that I could be hypo (I know that if it is indeed post viral thyroiditis that I have then I would likely be in a hypo phase at the moment). I am hoping that some of these symptoms (especially the tingling) can be explained by this. My endo wants to wait until the end of this month before I test all of my levels again but I am hoping to go sooner. I have an appointment with a neurolgist next week.

I just feel like my life has been taken away from me and I am hoping that I recover to the point where I can live some vague form of my former life soon. I wonder if anyone has been through something similar? Hope you are all making good progress with your thyroid issues.