AF and thyroid function

[Mrspat]

I wonder if anyone else is in the same situation as me?

I was prescribed Levothyroxine many years ago as a result of my thyroid being affected by Amiodarone. It is several years since I stopped taking Amiodarone and I had no prior history or family history of thyroid problems and no symptoms.

New research has been published in the last few days showing that many patients gain no benefit from thyroid medication. As my annual medication blood tests are due, I am wondering whether to ask my GP to wean me off the Levothyroxine and how this might affect my persistent AF. I now take Bisoprolol and Digoxin for the AF.

[jeanjeannie50]

That's a tricky question.

Amiodarone damaged my thyroid too. When I stopped taking it my GP left me for years with an under-active one hoping it would right itself. During that time I would feel totally drained and anything that required energy such as walking, or gardening, wore me out quickly and I often slept in the afternoons. Not understanding the thyroid function I blamed these symptoms on my AF.

Then I had a blood test, about three years ago, when I went to see a consultant (not AF related) at my local hospital. He wrote to my GP saying I needed to be on Levothyroxine.

I can't tell you how much better I felt taking it and I never want to go back to those days of low energy. I hate taking medication of any kind, so will be interested to hear how you get on if you do reduce and eventually stop yours.

I too had no family history of thyroid problems and have read somewhere that an under-active one can cause AF too.

Jean

[Auriculaire in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I do not look at my Levothyrox prescription as medication. Nor the HRT. They are hormones replacing what my body no longer makes in sufficient quantities. Unlike medications which are compounds alien to the human body and invariably have unwanted side effects.

[jeanjeannie50]

This talk is interesting re the thyroid and what it needs naturally for us to be without Levo:

youtube.com/watch?v=4xXjv8_...(Not working as expected?)

[10gingercats in reply to jeanjeannie50]

This is an amazingly simple and informative video and should be rolled out to every patient visiting a GP who has,query, a thyroid problem.......and afib....or where there is a possibility of it.If i had had this info. 15 years ago I would have been living those years to the full instead of dragging myself around with thyroid probs. and undiagnosed Afib. that developed from thy untreated thyroid problem.

Hospital dismissed me as 'nutty'......acompanying spouse could not believe his ears .Every person with Afib. prob. needs a FULL investig. as to the state of their thyroid status.My own situation was recently tweaked by a sharped eyed cardiologist and there have been other new 'pay off' bonuses such as an improvement in skin conditions that only responded a litle to external creams and ointments.

[Norm]

Funny that this should come up now.

Went to see my GP few weeks ago and asked my Levothyroxine which I was put on after five months on Amiodarone back in 2016.

She did a blood test and I saw her again when results were back.

Doc: Results are OK

Me: Can I come of off Levothyroxine

Doc: You can if you wish But I would expect that you have to go back on again in a short while. It will not do you any harm if you stay on it.

So I stay on it.

BTW I do not have Afib at present, not since cardioversion in Nov. 2016. Not that it will not return at some time.

I would be grateful if you could post again after your blood test and what your GP says.

[kathie659 in reply to Norm]

I've been on thyroid meds for 18 yrs. I have no thyroid function. The two effects of being on more thyroid meds than are needed are weakened bones and an anxious feeling (jittery)? I would ask doctor if a calcium supplement or bone density test was in order if your thyroid tests ate normal, but you are still on meds.

[mavisrich]

been on levothyroxine for over 20 years no chance of coming off it and had af for about 9 years and on bisoprolol and edoxaban (warfarin previously) so just keep on taking the meds. x

[4EvrVT]

You sound like my twin. I was diagnosed as hypo-thyroid about 15 years ago and on levothyroxine as well and don't really feel any different and only thing is losing hair but told that is in part from xarelto. I had one event related episode of AF July 2017 and nothing since. I know the exact moment when it started as I was scheduled to travel to parents' (yes both) funeral services the next day and kind of emotionally exploded and now, I'm on all these meds. I had the thing up through the groin and was told no damage, no blockage, no heart disease and had been told prior...2 heart attacks but that was incorrect...NO heart attacks. I am confused by all that has gone on and why doctor doesn't seem to want to really be clear about what happened or what to expect. I had a sleep study that came out OK (mild apnea but seems EVERYBODY had apnea these days)....and two 48-hour monitors. One came with a "few seconds" of AF but when I asked to see what it looked like on the print out, was declined. I did a second monitor about 2 weeks ago and get results in about a week...really want to get off some of these meds. This group is great but it seems everybody knows so much more than me. I kind of blindly take the meds and go about my business...