Tsh

Have just found out I have Afib.Doc decre,asked my thyroxine. Level for tsh 5. Is this too high.Dont go to specialist till end of month,feel terrible.

[shaws Administrator]

Oh, TSH of 5 is far too high. You must be suffering terribly.

Have you seen a cardiologist and had heart investigations and are you having treatment for Afib. Are you under the care of an Endocrinologist?

When I was on levothyroxine, I had never-ending palpitations, particularly worse around 4 a.m. I have also had lots of heart investigations and have been given the all-clear.

I remember writing a letter to GP roughly saying - Dear Doctor, I am still awake since 2 a.m. and my pulse is 120 bpm at present.........

I am fine now on T3 only - even the addition of T4 to T3 was very helpful.

I read your question and note that GP reduced your T4 - he shouldn't have done that just due to your TSH result (they really don't understand whatsoever how metabolism works) and tell him you are upping your dose till you see the Endocrinologist.

If you don't have sufficient thyroid hormones, our heart cannot pump efficiently as our metabolism is too slow.

I hope you feel better soon.

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

It was the endrocologist who put it down.I was on 75 a day for Years.I did take it 50 for 2 days and 75 which made it 400 one week and 425 the other.He put me on 425 every week,the when had tachardia he put it down to 375 a week.Going to see him end of month.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Hidden]

Is it really worth seeing this person who calls himself an Endocrinologist. I think maybe he is just computer literate but it's not getting you well. Post a new question and ask for a Private Message to be sent to you with a recommendation, if possible in or around your area.

So even though your heart has been playing up, you've not had your heart checked? Ask your GP to refer you for a check-up.

If the Endocrinologist is adjusting your dose according to your TSH and ignoring your symptoms I would suggest a change is due.

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

Am going to heart specialist in a couple of weeks,have been before ,I was there a couple of weeks ago,he gave me nitro patch,didn't examine me ,was new to me ,doc wrote to him for urgent consultation I have said for the last 4 years it is my thyroid I feel as though they think I am hypochondriac.Am on monitor , it for my husband who has had heart problems ,septisemia, prostate op,burst appendix ,he stressed me out ,nurse looks after me and says ,keep going to your doc and pester them,that is what they are there for,have been put on antidepressants,can't take them,now on Valium.better of the 2 evils. Have ECG shows tachcardio.Just taken another 25 thyroxine.It is 8.20 here in Aus.Have been really stressed out all day,don't like company,it was Mother's Day.Never used to feel like this till they started changing my dose of thyroxine.Hope it dosnt keep me awake alnight.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Hidden]

Yes, I had tachycardia too but don't now. Is it possible for you to get a print-out of your most recent thyroid hormones results with the ranges and post on a new question.

They are unaware but changes our doses will-nilly according to our TSH is what causes us even more symptoms/problems but they don't appear to understand that.

If you've not had a recent blood test for your thyroid hormones, request one now

I think you are underdosed which is causing you additional problems (as well as dealing with a very sick husband - it is very stressful).

Ask if your doctor can add some T3 to your T4 on a trial basis for 3 months, just to see if you have an improvement. Studies have shown that 1 T3 for 3 T4 should be prescribed i.e. 20mcg of T3 (UK) plus 50mcg T4 (it should be 60mcg but 50mcg is nearest) or 75mcg T4 plus 25mcg T3 (or equivalents of these to suit you).

With T3, if you find yourself feeling you've had a little too much you can split your dose to take slightly less. In fact the more I reduced T4 and increased T3 the better I became. T3 calmed my palpitations and heart. This is an excerpt:

An excerpt:

Why would T3 help? What does T3 do in the central nervous system? Well, a lot. The thyroid has fingers in almost every physiological pie, after all. And T3 not only may act as a direct neurotransmitter, but it also seems to increase the efficiency of serotonin signaling, much like a modern SSRI. T3 also enhances neurogenesis in the central nervous system and could also enhance noradrenergic signaling. The conversion from T4 to T3 occurs all over the body, but in the central nervous system it uses different active genes than in the periphery and occurs within the cells. These differences could explain my own clinical observations--that T3 augmentation seems to work best in folks already diagnosed hypothyroid that are on T4 monotherapy.

evolutionarypsychiatry.blog... the literature (such as it is) seems to support my observation (1).

evolutionarypsychiatry.blog...

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

Thank you very much ,will ask when I go to see him at end of month. Tried everything else,including changing docs.

This one seems to listen to me one seems to listen to me. I feel like an hypochondriac.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Hidden]

When our thyroid hormones are not sufficient, all our symptoms because they are so varied are probably classified by doctors as 'hypochondria'. He might learn if he treats you properly how it should be done to give patients back their lives.

[Hidden]

Only had T4 tested on 5th May, (5.3). Previous was 24th March. free T4 16.5

TSH 2.9. Free T3 was Aug 2014.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Free T3 3.7 Aug.2014