Thyroid

[BenHall1]

Mornin’ guys and gals,

This time I’m writing seeking some guidance. Its about Thyroid. I recall many posts on here over a long time about Thyroid and AF but just glossed over them as it didn’t concern me.

On 6th July I had to phone in sick as I didn’t feel able to drive my bus. When I got up that morning I found myself needing to walk to the right while quite definitely walking in a straight line. I was also very light headed BUT NOT dizzy. Not feeling faint or about to pass out. Accompanied by foggy/misty eyesight (wanting to constantly clean my spectacles), very high BP ( for me anyway). I also found myself recently becoming more and more tired. I phoned GP and she organised blood tests ( which I had on Tuesday ) and told me to get eyesight examination which will be tomorrow. She also put me off the road … no bus driving, no car driving, ( but its absolutely fine to drive Mrs BenHall1 crazy) !

Right now I have no AF ! From the best of my memory its at least 18 months since I had an AF event. This morning I had a phone call from Surgery Reception saying that GP is unhappy with Thyroid result as it is outside the normal range. That’s all the info she could give. So I now have to repeat Thyroid blood test in a month, 18 August. I guess this is to confirm/ refute/ or whatever the original blood test results.

I wonder if any of you who have or have experienced Thyroid issues while in AF or while AF is on hold would care to offer me ANY comments on this matter. Or even stand alone Thyroid issues.

Having had a week of being grounded at home my BP is now back where it usually is.

Thank you

John

[jeanjeannie50]

Hi John

Yes, I was diagnosed as having an underactive thyroid due to taking the drug Amiodarone pre and post an ablation. My symptoms were extreme tiredness and at the time I thought it was all part of AF. I found I had energy in the mornings, then felt so tired in the afternoons that I needed to sleep and barely had the energy to do anything. Honestly, I'd go out to weed the garden and after putting the trowel into the earth a few times I'd have to stop and go indoors to rest. Taking the drug Levothyroxine gave me back my life.

Can you find out what your thyroid test result numbers are. That would be really helpful and people here could advise more. Can you look up your results online as I can mine? If not receptionist should be able to tell if you call your docs surgery. Without those can't tell you much.

Jean

[BenHall1 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Hi Jean,

Just rang surgery. They tell me a bit on the low side and told me the value was 0.303.

Does that make sense?

I must say your comments on tiredness are just me ....to a T 😥😥.

I could sleep for the World !!!

John😴😴😴

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to BenHall1]

Ah it may be that you're hyperthyroid (overactive) rather than hypothyroid (underactive). I agree with your doc, you need to have it checked again at a later date. Hidden may be able to advise you a bit on the overactive side

There is a thyroid forum on Health Unlocked called Thyroid UK. The ladies on there know every nit picking thing, but can be a bit fierce at times. You could look at some of the posts and replies on there and see if you want to put your result on as a post.

Jean

[BenHall1 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Jean, thank you v. much. Can thyroid issues be related to gender, more a female issue than male or is it applicable to both genders - do you know?

John

[Hidden in reply to jeanjeannie50]

John couldn’t afford my consultancy rates 😉

Happy to help in anyway I can……

[BenHall1 in reply to Hidden]

Hi there Flapjack,

I'll cut to the quick ............... this is the guts of my post .............

On 6th July I had to phone in sick as I didn’t feel able to drive my bus. When I got up that morning I found myself needing to walk to the right while quite definitely walking in a straight line. I was also very light headed BUT NOT dizzy. Not feeling faint or about to pass out. Accompanied by foggy/misty eyesight (wanting to constantly clean my spectacles), very high BP ( for me anyway). I also found myself recently becoming more and more tired. I phoned GP and she organised blood tests ( which I had on Tuesday ) and told me to get eyesight examination which will be tomorrow. She also put me off the road … no bus driving, no car driving, ( but its absolutely fine to drive Mrs BenHall1 crazy) !

From the above we can eliminate eyesight completely. My session with Optician yesterday which included images behind the eye have concluded that my eyesight issue was purely coincidental with the other weird events. Happily, my vision meets the DVLA standards for me to drive both car and bus. All they detected was a cell growth in the lower left quadrant of the left eye and later, at the appropriate time they can easily clean my new cataract lens up with some laser treatment. So we can delete EYESIGHT FROM THE ABOVE.

So now we are left with the other 'STUFF' ! all the blood tests carried out were fine except Thyroid which gave the result of 0.303. But I don't know what test that applied to... will get a print out of my Thyroid test on Monday. Surgery claimed that it was a bit on the low side and GP wants me to have more Thyroid tests on 18 August. Topbiscuit suggests it was a TSH test.

I have no AF, nor have I had an AF event for at least 18 months ... can't really remember when the last one was. It does seem though my blood pressure is easily led astray ! Also, my blood sugars are fine too. A bit high toward the top end of the normal range but definately not PreDiabetic. I monitor these readings fair regularly as Type 2 Diabetes killed my Dad back in the day.

The thing that blows me a way at the moment is the tiredness. Not a case of wanting to sleep for England but for the whole world. But lets not confuse this with 'nodding off' ... I don't ... just being so bloody tired. Those times when I feel like this usually after lunch ... I just have an hour or so napette !

So, if you wish to comment I'd welcome your input. Just so much to take in on this Thyroid junk. Interestingly, and I raised it earlier ... do Thyroid issues have a genetic base/hereditary base. Several peeps who kindly gave me an opinion in their replies said they thought so. I make this observation in terms of hereditary stuff - strokes, AF and Thyroid issues I can trace back decades and decades and decades in my paternal side of the family. My maternal side had other issues .. kidney/liver and dementia. But no strokes/AF or Thyroid. All very whacko/jacko.

If you are motor homing around Europe enjoy your holidays - but watch the heat. That level of heat is remeniccient of my years in Australia, Have a great and safe holiday.

John

[Hylda2 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

We’re pussycats! 🙀

[Hidden in reply to BenHall1]

Hi John

They will have checked your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and, to to give you an idea, the 'normal' range for TSH given by the lab my GP surgery uses is 0.38 - 5.33. Lab ranges do vary lab to lab but not that much.

TSH is produced by the pituitary gland to stimulate the thyroid to release the required level of thyroid hormone. In your case it looks a bit low (as confirmed by your surgery) which could indicate that your thyroid is producing a bit too much hormone, which is called hyperthyroidism. The thyroid is a master gland that impacts every major system so when it's out of wack in one way or another it can certainly cause a lot of weird effects.

Personally, I have chronic hypOthyroidism - my thyroid is under active - and I am treatment resistant so I do wonder how much effect that's had on the advent of AFib 2 yrs ago. In the past couple of years I have been trickling steadily downhill as far as thyroid function goes and my heart rate goes down to low 40s at night and sometimes I feel a bit...well....weird (weirder than usual, that is!) and when I check my blood pressure is on the low side. Certainly my eyesight is all over the place. Twice over the years I've been referred by an optician to my GP to have my blood sugars checked because of wild swings in my vision but my blood sugars are fine and always have been.

I don't know that any of that will be of any use to you, but definitely a good idea to get it rechecked as suggested.

ps I suggest that when you have it rechecked you ask for a full thyroid work up - as in TSH, serum T4 & T3 - not just TSH which GPs rely on far too much and it's a very inadequate look at thyroid function.

[BenHall1 in reply to Hidden]

Hiya Topbiscuit,

Thank you very much for all that, very informative indeed and a wake up outline for me.

Just a few things, questions if I may .... is/are thyroid issue more common in males or females ? Are thyroid issues genetic ? Is AF and Thyroid always linked, like hand in glove ?

My symptoms ( for want of a better word) ...... incredible tiredness, low heart rate at night usually around low 50's but sometimes down to mid 40's, vision issues, high blood pressure, blood sugar tending to be at the top end of the normal range but not quite prediabetic.

Tomorrow will be interesting when I attend for my eyesight test. Experiences in the past tell me that an optician can tell from the Iris just what other health issues the patient is carrying around. So, it will be interesting to see if he picks up anything on Thyroid.

Thanks for your comments.

John

[Hidden in reply to BenHall1]

Hi John

Thyroid problems are a lot more common in women and I believe it can be hereditary but I'm not sure. And no, AF and thyroid problems aren't always linked but it is one of many possible causes of AF (or perhaps I should say believed to be as I don't think anyone is totally sure about anything to do with AF!).

Tiredness is certainly a symptom of low thyroid but I notice with interest that it's also a symptom of over active thyroid. Generally though over active thyroid will cause things to be a bit speeded up, a bit like too much caffeine, so your lowish HR doesn't fit with that. I can't comment on your high blood pressure or blood sugars. Since a 'one off' blood result without a full panel doesn't tell you much, you'll hopefully get more information next time.

Interesting what you say about your optician! I've had hypothyroidism for 30+ years and never had an optician comment on it - or anything else medical, aside from concerns about blood sugar, for that matter.

[Singwell in reply to Hidden]

Both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are now recognised to be linked to AF. Both my GP and Arrythmia Nurse confirmed this. I was hypothyroid for 5 years pre AF and not treated.

[healingharpist in reply to Singwell]

Yes, Singwell, exactly. And it wasn't always known that hypOthyroidism could trigger or influence AF, esp. when it's not showing up on the tests (subclinical). That's me, and it's hard to know how to treat it except by trial and error. I still don't clearly show up hypo on tests... frustrating, that. Not taking anything for it at the moment.

[Singwell in reply to healingharpist]

It's a real problem in thr UK with the ranges given for testing. You can be out of range and feel fine and within range and feel awful. My GP said as much. I know they also told a friend of mine in the area 'I can't treat you even though I understand you don't feel well, because I'm not allowed to unless your bloods indicate it.' They said they didn't want to be struck off. I think though that if ONE of your levels is out of range you could push for treatment. Might be worth checking into the Thyroid UK forum to find out about getting private tests etc.

[healingharpist in reply to Singwell]

Thanks, Singwell--all helpful info, as usual! Diane

[Singwell in reply to healingharpist]

Do my best!

[pusillanimous in reply to Hidden]

My sister had an overactive thyroid,the weight literally fell off her. At the same time AF was also diagnosed, which is nor surprising as it is familial - I and my 4 sisters all have it. That said ,she was told by the specialist that the thyroid is involved with AF, although the rest of us have normal thyroid function. The thyroid was fixed by the insertion of some radio active material, but she is still on Biso and Xarelto - whether that relates to the thyroid or the family predisposition, or just caution an the part of the specialist I don't know. She has however, now been diagnosed with Diabetes 2 - it appears there is a relationship with that and her thyroid, all to do with hormones.

[Singwell in reply to pusillanimous]

Yes, they are all linked. Thyroid is a major player in the metabolism so if it's off kilter then it impacts pretty much every function in the body. Digestive, vascular, cardiovascular, blood sugar and cholesterol

[Vonnegut in reply to Hidden]

I asked to have a blood test to check thyroid function as it is linked to ME which it seems I have now though the doctor doesn’t agree! They just did a blood “count” and said it was fine which I don’t think quite covers it!

[Hidden in reply to Vonnegut]

I have thyroid problems. My thyroid blood test comes back with an overactive thyroid . But my T-4 and T-3 are in perfectly normal range. Then my blood test will come back with my thyroid normal but right barley in normal. I have all the symptoms, plus I am now down to 99 lbs. I find this thread interesting because my heartbeat has lowered down to 50 -51 bpm at night.

[Singwell in reply to BenHall1]

Ben. If that value is Free T4 then that would confirm LOW thyroid function meaning hypothyroidism, not hyper. You need to find that out and- if I may- IF that was your T4 level you should not be waiting a month to get treatment. Ask the surgery to send full results ASAP. (You're entitled to this btw. ). That way you can see the guide level range that your test lab used. For example my test results last January when I'd Bern on thyroid medication for a month were as follows:SERUM TSH 5.19 (ref 0.27-4.20)

SERUM FREE T4 15.5 (ref 12.00-22.00). These indicate high levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and a suboptimal level of the hormone thyroxine that keeps my thyroid healthy. This makes me subclinical but still needing further treatment and I definitely have symptoms

The So if you look at your results then the 0.03 would indicate possible hyperthyroidism if the 0.03 was of TSH but if it was fir the T4 reading that's a very low level of T4 and means you're hypothyroid.

I'd get my full results pronto if I were you and head to the Thyroid UK forum. Hypothyroidism is more prevalent than hyper I think, also affects women more than men. But there are make admins in the forum too.

If you do need thyroid medication, there's a few of us here in this forum who can share experiences.

[BenHall1 in reply to Singwell]

Hi Singwell,

Gosh, all these replies have done nothing for my sanity. I think for me its a case of back to the drawing board .... I'll ask surgery for my results in hard copy. That's Step One.

The point is this .... following my visit to Optician this morning, eyesight is removed from the equation. Nothing wrong except for cell growth causing shading in the left eye lower left quadrant. Sorted.

From what I've seen on here from all the posts I've waded through Thyroid is all things to all people .... so, any test I have done isn't telling me anything.

Just as a correction my result was 0.303. When I get the hardcopy I'll found out what sort of test it was. For now I throw my hands up in the air. How many bloody tests does any medical condition need for goodness sake ? All I want is to know what is wrong with my Thyroid based on 0.303 ... then the logic is how do we deal with it ? Not rocket science I would have thought ! Simples !

Maybe the way to go ( as someone suggested ) is to go PRIVATE and get a full range of Thyroid tests done and see what story unfolds. How the hell do I go about that. Crickey, drivin' a double decker bus in the crappy roads of Cornwall is a bloody sight easier than all this.

Thanks anyway.

John

[Singwell in reply to BenHall1]

Yes, I get you might be overwhelmed! So glad about the eyesight though- that's excellent news. Clear info from the surgery re test results is what you need first. Don't let them get away without telling you which hormones they tested. The typical ones are TSH and T4. Thats what most labs will do in the UK to start with. But you need the range for the figure they're quoting or you can't know what 'normal' is. Getting private tests might be a 2nd step. There are several companies that do this. Hang in there. Nothing's going to happen between now and Monday.

[BenHall1 in reply to Singwell]

It will happen between now and Monday, another bottle of Wolf Blass Cab Sauv. will be opened. 😂😂😂😂😂

Have a nice weekend. Bless.

John

[Hidden in reply to BenHall1]

Hi John

There's no need to go private to get your Dr to check TSH, T4 & T3. That's just a normal expectation given that you've had one result outside of the 'normal range'.

[BenHall1 in reply to Hidden]

Hiya TopBiscuit,

TBH .... having read through all these posts .... the whole Thyroid game seems like a moveable feast with no standards, no common denominators. For goodness sake .... if every surgery has its own blood test number values and they differ, why bother at all. It means my surgery here in Cornwall could be singing from one hymn sheet while Surgery xyz in, say, Rutland could have a different set of values for the same test. May even different treatments ? So who is trying to prove what ?

Unfortunately, I have a very remote relationship with my GP. Until now I rarely, if ever see her ... why ... because what conditions I have are controlled with either meds or diet or both. Each year I pass my employer organised medicals for my bus driver licence renewal. Further, when we do have a face to face I always ask questions and challenge her statements. Maybe its my Australian - ness she can't handle .... or my age (I'm 78 and she at a guess would be 38). The only thing with this Thyroid glitch is the tiredness. I can't identify with any other symptoms the NHS fact sheet provides on under or over active thyroid. So assuming my reading of 0.303 is a TSH value, tiredness is the only thing that drags my activity levels down.

In this post CoVid world my confidence levels in any part of the NHS are now at gutter levels.

Thanks for putting up with me.

John

[Hidden in reply to BenHall1]

I hear you!

Just to clarify, though - it's not the surgeries that have different values, it's the labs and it's quite normal practice. The only reason I mentioned is that I was comparing your (presumed) TSH value against my own lab results. When you get the full results from your surgery they will state the range that the results are applied to.

Anyway, I hope all goes well with your further testing and that you're able to get to the bottom of your tiredness.

Helen

[Vonnegut in reply to BenHall1]

How come you are still working as a bus driver at 78?

[BenHall1 in reply to Vonnegut]

Hiya Vonnegut,

Not sure I know where to start to answer your question .......... I've driven buses for close on 30 years, in Sydney, Canberra, Surrey/Hampshire and now Cornwall. All sorts of buses from 1983 model manual gearbox Hino single deckers (in Sydney) through to the biggest that has ever been built and used in service in Britain, a 109 seater 40 ft plus long, automatic double decker which I drive in Cornwall.

Why ? Lots of reasons ... not in any particular order of priority or ranking ......... social contact with work mates ( and also many passengers of all ages and genders), I like driving and the challenges it presents. I have a brain .... and I have lost many mates who believe that when you retire you stop ....... and don't last very long afterwards, SO use it or lose it ! I have to stay fit enough to pass a medical annually ( a DVLA requirement before they will even consider renewing my bus drivers licence ). Money is always handy. In the last 12 months I have slowed up a tad from driving full time 12 hour shifts to being a part time driver operating a student (teenagers, 20 somethings and adults) college bus service, driving 30 hours a week (3 hours morning, 3 hours afternoon x 5 days a week) with all weekends off, all school holidays off which means I'm mentally and physically active most of the week. Gives me plenty of time for my hobbies and private travel, including to Australia. It also helps out my employer ... there isn't a bus company in UK that isn't short of bus drivers, in many areas desperately short. If I feel like it I'll put my name down for overtime shifts, particularly in tourist season. Future, dunno ... it depends on the annual medical and whether I'm still getting my jollies and enjoying it all.

John

[Vonnegut in reply to BenHall1]

Ah! So not full full time doing long shifts then! Great, if you enjoy it. I used to have a very full active life until the shingles episode when the pain struck before the rash and I couldn’t get to see a doc for nearly two weeks by which time the rash had arrived, the pain had gone but the fatigue started and the paroxysmal AF and my active life ended! My husband, also 79, is still active enough to look after me as well as the chickens, pony, garden and his business!

[Hidden in reply to BenHall1]

Hi John

I can totally understand why you've found all this information a bit overwhelming! I find it overwhelming at times too and I've been dealing with hypothyroidism for 30+ years.

Unfortunately, that one number (usually TSH) doesn't give a full picture. TSH ,as I mentioned, is produced by the pituatary gland to tell the thyroid to create T4 (thyroid hormone). T4 is then converted to T3 which is what the cells in your body actually use.

So, just as an example, in my case I'm hypothyroid, so my TSH would be high because my body isn't isn't producting enough T4 so the pituatary will release higher levels of TSH to try and whip the thyroid into doing its job. Since the thyroid isn't co-operating I take Levothyroxine (synthetic thyroid hormone called T4)....so all should be well, right? Wrong. My body doesn't convert synthetic T4 into T3 very well, so my TSH and T4 might test as within normal range once I'm on medication but my T3 is bumping along the bottom and I'm suffering from hypothyroid symptoms despite plenty of T4 circulating. Since many GPs only test TSH levels this would not come to light.

There's numerous other ways these 3 factors can interact or not, as the case may be, which is why it's important to look at the full picture. Which your GP should do, and you can ask them to do that if they don't come by that realisation by themself!

Glad to hear you've got the eyesight question resolved at least.

[Hylda2 in reply to BenHall1]

There is a company called Medichecks who do Thyroid tests. They often have Thyroid Thursdays when there is a discount. If your measurement is TSH, it’s not really enough. My doctor does TSH and T4 but very many places won’t test T3 and it’s the T3 every cell in your body needs.

The ladies on Thyroid U.K. will ask about antibodies and the state of your B12 etc. but the basic test will give you a start.

My TSH has been 0.01 after treatment but I’m happy with that.

Di

[BenHall1 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Hiya Jean,

Hope you are well. Well I took the bus into Penzance this morning and kept my appointment with my Optician. They have told me my eyesight meets DVLA driving standards for car and the much higher eyesight standards for driving a bus. However, they also confirmed that my left eye has shading in the lower left quadrant. They have confirmed that this happens in around 20% of patients who receive cataract surgery. (Both eyes have had cataract surgery, the right in 2022 and the left in 2018 ). At this stage the shading is annoying but not a disability. It is caused by a form of localised cell growth. When it gets worse, which it will, they will refer me for a clean up procedure. In their view this is nothing to do with my other issues ... just pure coincidence.

Sorted !

So now its back to the other issues and Thyroid. Wow ! What a maze of answers to wade through from the Thyroid UK forum people. Keep me off the streets reading everything anyway. 😂😂😂😂

Thanks again for your help.

John

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to BenHall1]

You're welcome John. I guess FJ is off on his travels in his campervan or living it up in Portugal. I'm sure he will answer when back, but you'll probably be an expert on the thyroid by then. Yes, thyroid UK is a fascinating forum.

Annoying about your eye. I'd never heard that you can get that problem after having a cataract removed. My eyes are ok, but just the very start of cataracts, so don't know how long I'll go, or if I'll ever need them removed. My eyes do strange things, in certain light it looks like curtains are moving when they're not. I've just started leaving the hall light on when I go to bed, cos I'm a scaredy-cat! Was terrified when I first saw it happening, but now I find it interesting and watching them puts me to sleep, something to do with the hall light I guess.

Take care.

Jean

[baba in reply to BenHall1]

Re: the cataract surgery. I’ve had both eyes done 6 years apart, and was warned that this could happen but promptly forgot until I was nearly blind and wondered why. Sorted by a few seconds completely painless laser treatment. And no problems since.

[BenHall1 in reply to baba]

Thanks baba,

At this stage its more concerning than devastating but that is what they told me lies ahead when it worsens. I gather its like a clean up. Like a laser based vacuum cleaner 😂😂😂😂

John

[Omniscient1]

One thought is that as well as TSH there are other markers which are thyroid related. TSH is your body asking for thyroid,other markers I dictate whether that thyroid is being produced.

[Silvasava]

I've had two operations to remove my enlarged thyroid. The first one my pulse rate was about 40 but I didn't put weight on or feel tired as can happen with hypothyroidism. This took place over 40 years ago. The second one 30 years ago was because the thyroid was enlarging again. The surgeon managed to remove so much there was no evidence of it on a later scan. I've been told thyroid issues are not hereditary but can run in families, my grandmother was hyper. I had a stroke in December 2019 when it was discovered I had Afib.....no thyroid just on thyroxine.

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

There are alot of questions answers you will not know.

TSH less than .5 you are hyperthyroid.

TSH over 34.2 you are hypothyroid.

Risk AF - a rogue bllood clot forming due to AF (an irregular heart beat - either too fast H/R or too low H/R. The word irregular means blood flow out and into your heart is not an even action and bllod can pool.

I am Was rapid. But now controlled in H/R with CCB Calcium Channel Blocker. I am in persistent AF.

The risk now is stroke so an anti.co-agulant is a must now.

As I had stroke with AF and 4th day in hospital which diagnosed me with thyroid cancer.

Purpose of meds is to be CONTROLLED in AF. That means H.R under 100.

My symptoms were sweating excessively, fatigued and had to stop during exertion.

I take 125mg Synthroid. Daily to hae a constant level of TSH 1.0-2.0.

You have your thyroid. It may not be working correctly as its job is the changes in T3 to T4. Also there is your P... under your thyroid.

Never anticipate having RAI to kill your thyroid. Do have it surgically removed.

Thyroxin may help you by taking it your meds will be part of workng your thyroid.

The thyroid is important by the many hormones who keep your body 'working' any process.

Read all about it.

Understand your diagnosis and what it reqired to make you healthy.

The synthetic med e.g.Synthroid has been in use since 19.. ? Years and years.

Your job will be to maintain a level that your Dr and Specialist or Surgeon agree and you feel OK. Taking less with me gives me a higher TSH and more thyroxin brings down the level.

cheri JOY. 74. (NZ)

[Singwell in reply to JOY2THEWORLD49]

Cheri the ranges are important when you talk about being hypo or hyper. Each lab had different ways of assessing the range. So in my case the figure for TSH is much lower than what you've said here but is still too high e.g. SERUM TSH 5.19 (ref 0.27-4.20)

The brackets are the upper and lower reference points for that particular lab. Your lab will have had a different reference point. The 'result' figure in its own doesn't mean anything. Important for Ben to understand.

[JOY2THEWORLD49 in reply to Singwell]

Hi

How the rogue 3 got in before the 4.2 I don't know. A normal range of 0.5 - 4.2 TSH is NORMAL. So apart from the .27 TSH the start of the normal - it is virtually near the same.

Anyone with a TSH 5.19 is slightly hypo but it depends when you take your thyroxin - if you are taking it BY FASTING this makes it more accurate. Also if you read the top USA Thyroid Surgeon (usually relating to those who have had cancer in the thyroid with or without lymph nodes.) he wants me to be TSH 1.0-2.0.

My T3 is 3.9 - 4.0 - and just in the normal range. that means the exchange between t3 and t4 is ok. i can't regulate the T4 thyroxin amount as what is important is the level of TSH. I usually get 19-24 with highest 22 ideal.

Reading about a person with their thyroid without cancer and surgery this surgeon says not to be concerned until hypo of TSH 10 which stays at that level is concerning and needs the introduction of synthetic thyroxin. He says sometimes a few months at TSH spike is quite normal.

Under TSH 0.5 is hyper and one is in suppression which puts strain on one's heart.

This surgeon advocates to be in the normal range but not too high in normal or

too low in normal. Hence TSH1.0-2.0 is ideal for me.

Diet being on thyroxin is no soya, fluoride or chlorine in water or toothpastes. Baking Soda Red Seal best. Licourice interferes with my levels. Other items are oestrogen, and cortiside injections interferes with levels.

I have stayed reasonably level with 125 Synthroid intake daily. Med is a locked container, kiddie proof with an expiry date and a condensation capsule thingy inside.

I have a blood test now once a 6-8 week period.

I read the chapter of my thyroidectomy "Head and Neck Atlas written by this top surgeon.

So with AF H/R and BP controlled and TSH controlled in normal ranges I am steadily gaining my exertion back.

My triage team understand that the undiagnosed thyroid cancer cause AF and then a stroke (embolic type) in 2019. An enlarged left chamber means no ablation for me and cardioversion route ever taken. Also diagnosed new a soft systolic heart murmur

I have now had 3 x yearly neck scans with a 'no cancer' result.

As I have arrived at crossroads where the only way is up. On my meds of CCB aM and BB PM, results show I am as well as can be expected to enjoy life to my full. Thyroxin under controlling my TSH level.

I'll check over this. Lesson learnt. JOY. 74. (NZ)

[Singwell in reply to JOY2THEWORLD49]

Ahh. Rogue typos! Don't we all love those. Stay well Joy.

[Hidden]

Like you, I find the whole situation regarding Thyroid management very confusing. When I was first diagnosed with AF, my Cardiologist said that although I was marginally overactive, he thought it was unlikely that was impacting on my AF. About 8 months after my second ablation, blood tests indicated that levels had got worse and was probably contributing to the return of AF. Long story short, I had RAI treatment which brought me back into range even though my TSH had increased from 0.02 to 0.1 which is still low! My T4 had always been in range but my T3 which had progressively reduced was also back in range. This meant that the 3rd ablation was cancelled and AF has been stable since. My thyroid treatment was managed by an Endocrinologist and as far as I know, all is OK now. I have to say that I was not aware of any symptoms or changes in my behaviour but at the time, my wife says she could see some changes in my temperament but what do they know!!

Let me know if you think I can help more, hope everything settles, good news about the eye test!

Thanks jeanjeannie50

[Jafib53]

Hello. In early October 2022 I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and one symptom of this was Afib. The usual cause of hyperthyroidism is Grave disease (80% or so) and if it is not that it is usually caused by nodules, although some people have thyroiditis which in a few lucky cases can self-resolve. Graves and nodules require treatment. If that number you have is your TSH then it looks very likely that you have hyperthyroidism. Now, I was being treated by a cardiologist and an endocrinologist both of whom agreed that my heart rate and rhythm were unlikely to improve much before my thyroid levels were under control. I was on bisoprolol and an anticoagulant and, at first, some thyroid drugs. However it soon turned out that my thyroid issues weren't caused by the usual culprits of Graves disease or toxic nodulesand it was thought to be a temporary problem and it was thought that it would self resolve, so I came off the thyroid drugs. My thyroid levels came down to near normal in January / February but I remained in persistent (mostly asymptomatic) Afib all that time. My thyroid was completely in range in March but the afib remained constant and so I saw an EP and he suggested an ablation and put me on rhythm drugs. Nothing happened for a week and then I fell back into NSR. I stayed in rhythm and in May reduced my anti-arrhythmic drugs from three pills to one. Still stayed in rhythm and came off them completely two weeks ago. Touch wood, all is good so far. (We had cancelled my ablation after the NSR returned). Patients with Afib caused by temporary thyroid problems that self resolve often fall back into NSR 6-8 weeks after the thyroid levels are normal. (something like two-thirds of such patients) and although afib is generally progressive, with afib caused by hypertyhyroidism it doesn't always recur. I am hoping that will be the case with me.

I am not sure what effect overactive thyroid will have on people who already had afib, however, but it would be worth trying to find out the cause of the hyperthyroidism. The BTF Hyperthyroidism Group on facebook was amazing for me and some of the people on there are very knowledgeable about hyperthyroidism. You will get everything you need to know about lab ranges, what your numbers mean etc there.

Best of luck!