Can taking thyroxine over many years cause higher heart rate or Left ventricle hypertrophy ?

[Kaybe]

[Heloise]

I could believe that it is true for some people and I don't know if it is the T4 hormone or whether it is because of incorrect dosage. I have read about the enlarged ventricle and a lag on the Rwave on an EKG which I was found to have myself. I was on Synthroid for six years but on NDT for the next ten but I do feel I may have been underdosed since that seems to be the usual as long as you are somewhere within the range.

[roslin]

Hi I have no reserch to underpin this but my own experience is that I have had an elevated heartrate since I was put on thyroxine 35 years ago. I am not on T4 since June this year but it is still elevated. I have never had a heartrate under 80bpm and it is about 10 over presurgery I have been told. I have also been told not to be concerned as it is within normal range but I would be interested in what the long term implication is.

Roslin

[Kaybe]

I have a slight thickening of the heart muscle & under a cardiologist but the cause has not been decided yet. Will update when I know more

[Jackie]

Hi Only if you have been on the incorrect dose, ie made Hyper. For any heart condition, all my many Cardios have always said that it is essential to be under an Endo too My Cardios always say important to only have enough thyroid treatment to feel OK... Also my good Endo says that it is vital to have lots of blood tests and never go over range. It is the high FT3 that is especially harmful

Make sure that you are given the drugs to protect and help the card. Also co enzyme Q 10 helps heart muscle and thyroid. However,if already on anti coagulation, take care when introducing it. Otherwise the max dose is desirable.

Your diagnosis is not a well known connection with thyroid, it is the electrolytes that mostly are, so early onset A.F ( Atrial Fibrullation ) etc

Best wishes,

Jackie.

[bantam12]

I was kept on too high a dose for several years and have ended up with the same heart problems plus thinning bones.

People don't generally accept that long term high doses will have an impact on the heart and bones, I am constantly amazed that folks on here and other forums dismiss the warnings from doctors about the dangers of being out of range.

[shaws Administrator]

This is from Dr Lowe re heart and thyroid hormone - some of the links within may not work. In the USA medical professionals are usually given inducements to use a particular medication.

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

[bantam12]

So how is it that when most people are on to high a dose one of the first signs is racing heart !

You have to wonder why these few doctors that appear to have all the answers are the minority and not majority.

[Hidden]

Hypohen - were you hyper ie was your T3 and T4 out of range? A racing heart can be caused by low iron, low B12, sex hormone problems, adrenal issues, and on and on - introducing thyroxine / T3 often also shows up problems that were already there. You have to wonder why endocrinology takes no notice of overwhelming evidence. Many of us would be dead without those few doctors ...

[bantam12 in reply to Hidden]

T3 and 4 were fine and in range TSH was 0.05 and I felt Hypo, wrong ! only when I reduced my dose did I feel better. Heart problems started while I was overmedicated.

Everything else was fine and I had no previous history of heart issues and no family history. MRI and Angiogram showed the damage, 2 top Cardiologists agree that overmedication is the cause.

Presumable the evidence from those few doctors ( 2 not even Endos) is not so overwhelming.

[Hidden]

Hello Kaybe, Aparently I have,or did have when checked 2yrs ago,LVH also. Showed on ecg T wave dodgy. Echocardiogram showed no structural reason and have no treatment or anything for it.EF was ok. hope yours not too big an issue as well.I was told that often causes are high BP over time and structural valve problems etc.Never had high BP to my knowledge but suppose it was possible!it can be just there from birth and most people wouldn't know they had it unless for some reason it is found either by accident or illness. I have only recently started on levo so it was not caused by medication for me.I suspect I may have had thyroid problems for quite a while before tho so IMHO the condition may have caused it not the meds for me!