Afraid

[casgold]

I am scared that I have been mis-diagnosed! Have irregular heart rate varies from 50's to 90's bpm skipped beats all the time and been prescribed 2.5mg. Bisoprolol by cardiologist. Now heart feels like it struggles to beat! I have arthritis and take cocodamol for pain also prescribed gabapentin which I'm scared to take because of side effects help!!!!!!!

[shaws Administrator]

Welcome casgold,

I can understand you being afraid when your heart doesn't seem to be functioning as it should do, as I had similar.

You don't give any information on your profile page as to whether or not you've been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism and, if so, when? What medication and dose you are taking? How long you've been diagnosed.

Answers to these would be helpful..

[casgold in reply to shaws]

Hi shaw thanks for your reply☺. I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid about 20 years ago been on 100mcg levothyroxin forever!! All checks say normal!

[shaws Administrator in reply to casgold]

Well casgold,

That's one word we must ignore i.e. 'normal'. When doctors pronounce that 'word' it usually means that we have reached a 'plateau' in the range which brings us within it. It could be anywhere between 0 and 5. My reasoning is that the range dictates whether we are hyper or hypo, i.e. above five for hypo but the BTA says that we have to reach 10 before confirms diagnosed. In other countries it could be 3 before getting medication.

In fact, most of us feel better when our TSH is low, i.e. around 1 or below or suppressed.

You have to take things in hand.

First I would suggest your ask for a new Full Thyroid Function Test, TSH, T4, T3, Free T4 and Free T3 plus Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, iron, ferritin and folate. Just tell your GP you want to be the best you can possibly be and the fact that you are now getting palpitations would suggest your thyroid hormones may not be sufficient as our heart can suffer if we don't have sufficient. I, on levo, was in and out of the A&E with palps etc. Beta blockers can also interfere with the uptake of the thyroid hormones (maybe GP doesn't know this but you do need to take them when your heart is playing up and I know how awful it is as it interferes with your whole day).

Make the appointment as early as possible and don't take levothyroxine before it, take it after. Taking it before can skew results.

Get a print-out of your results, with the ranges, and post on a new question for members to comment. We are usually deficient in B12 etc and they can also cause problems.

The Free T3 test is the most important (but some labs wont do it if TSH is in 'normal' range) so it might be worthwhile getting a private one and we have some labs which will do it. This is an excerpt from the following link:-

FT3 = FREE T3

T4 converts to T3 and is the only thyroid hormone actually used by the body's cells.

The approx. reference range for Free T3 is 4 to 8.3

We at Thyroid UK believe that you need to know your Free T3 level too because this will often show low if you are not converting, and high if you have blocked receptor cells. Even if you are converting, the body needs the extra T3 that a normal thyroid produces. There has been some research to show that people feel better on a mixture of Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3). Effects of Thyroxine as Compared with Thyroxine plus Triiodothyronine in patients with hypothyroidism – The New England Journal of Medicine Feb.11, 99 Vol. 340. (Click here for this article).

With all of these tests, your results could be anywhere within the range and you would be classed as "normal". If you are at the very edge of the range, either at the bottom or at the top, you could be classed as "borderline". Neither you nor your doctor truly knows what your normal is, if you did not have a blood test done before you became ill. There are also particular reasons why the blood tests remain in the normal range. If you are not converting from T4 to T3 or if your cells are not taking up the T3 normally, your T4 levels and your TSH levels will still show as normal.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

(P.S. If you copy and paste your history into your profile, members can refer to it rather than you answering the same questions).

[Marz in reply to casgold]

Am sure shaws will reply - but we must never accept 'normal ' from the test results ! They may be in range - but that is very different from being normal. We need them to be optimal. Where in the range are these so called normal results ? Please obtain copies of all your tests and post here - with ranges. Best to pop them into a new post.

When we see the results we can help you in a more positive way.

Have you been tested for Iron - Ferritin - Folate - B12 - VitD ? These all need to be optimal in their individual ranges for you to feel well.

Do you have RA or OA. If it is RA I would suggest having your thyroid anti-bodies tested - Anti-TPO and Anti-Tg. Auto-immune issues can hunt in packs ! Anaemia can cause irregular heart-beats would you believe. Not familiar with the drugs you mention - so cannot be helpful

[sandywandy1]

Is your heart rate significantly different when sitting and standing or is the difference random?

I ask because I have Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) and my heart rate goes high when I stand. Sandy.

[shaws Administrator in reply to sandywandy1]

I have posted a link below. Just for your information.

[casgold in reply to sandywandy1]

Hi Sandy, the difference is random can happen anytime no rhyme or reason !!!!

[deniD in reply to casgold]

Iu derstand what you mean about feels like heart struggles to beat! I've mentioned this to do in past.... He didn't bat an eye lid! Mine is random too and makes me feel kind of light headed? And as if my breathings slowed too hate it when I'm tierd. And going to sleep.... I don't panic l always wake up but itsnotvery nice!

[shaws Administrator]

This is a link re heart and thyroid hormone.

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

[Angel_of_the_North]

I have much the same (but lower heart rate). Cardio said that taking beta blockers would make me feel worse, and that ectopic beats weren't dangerous (of themselves). I found that lots of coQ10 helps a bit.

[casgold in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Thanks for that😀

[Clutter]

Casgold, 2.5mg may be too much for you. Have you tried halving the dose to see whether that is more comfortable?

[casgold in reply to Clutter]

Yes that is exactly what I'm doing I still think its too much though only started them on Tuesday and feel really weird!!!

[Clutter in reply to casgold]

Casgold, it can take a week or two to acclimatise to new meds. If the feeling doesn't improve contact the cardio or your GP to see whether there is an alternative which might suit you better.

[casgold in reply to Clutter]

Thanks for that I will stick with it for a while. and see how it goes it is helping a bit but has worn off by teatime and palps start back up again hey ho happy days !!!