Throxine palpitations & Paleo diet advice needed!

[MissFG]

Is it usual to get palpitations after you eat when on thyroxine. I've only been on it 2 weeks and when I eat straight away I have bad palpitations. I've also ordered a paleo diet book as I've seen its supposed to help. Has anyone found any benefits to hypothyroidism by being on the paleo diet? And can you get gluten free products on prescription from your gp if your hypo? Thanks

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

You have to have a diagnosis of coeliac disease for a prescription for gluten free products. Your GP would arrange the test if he thought you might have coeliac disease, it's not really anything to do with hypo as such.

Sorry, can't help with your other questions, I've never had palps after eating and been on thyroxine over 40 years.

[MissFG in reply to SeasideSusie]

I was tested 18 months ago as we thought my symptoms were coeliac but they said I was all clear but my mum has coeliac

[shaws Administrator]

Do you take levothyroxine when you get up a.m. with 1 glass of water and do you leave approx 1 hour after taking levothyroxine before you eat?

[MissFG in reply to shaws]

Yes tbh I've not been eating very well as I'm so tired and struggling swallowing and feel sick. I take my tablet when I wake and leave an hour before eating and cut out my morning coffee too. I've just noticed as soon as I eat I get really bad palpitations n feel really bad. Today I've not eaten all day until 2 as I've been in bed. And now feel worse that I've eaten

[shaws Administrator]

I've see that you've only been on levothyroxine for two weeks and I must admit it sometimes makes us feel worse initially.

I don't know why food affects you and I note you have stopped coffee a.m. as it does interfere with the uptake of levo.

It might be that within the next few weeks your body will settle down with levo as it takes about six weeks initially to gradually work up.

You can try taking levothyroxine at bedtime, as long as you've last eaten about 2.5 hours before. It might work better for you - at least you wont eat for around 10 to 12 hours.

[MissFG in reply to shaws]

Thanks I think I'm just struggling with the side effects overall and maybe with the thyroxine speeding up my metabolism it's giving me palpitations when I eat. Does it make any difference if you have it at night or in the morning as long as you avoid food? honestly think I feel worse on thyroxine than when I did before

[Clutter in reply to MissFG]

MissFG, try taking Levothyroxine at night (2 hours after food and drink other than water). Some patients do feel worse initially but the symptoms usually improve after 2-3 weeks.

[shaws Administrator in reply to MissFG]

Many people prefer bedtime dosing as long as their stomach is empty and you have all night for levo to be absorbed without interference. You breakfast in the a.m. as you did before hypo.

If you go for a blood test, you miss the night's dose and take it after blood test and you will have fasted before blood test (you can drink water). You can also take levo at night as usual. I've read some take a whole week's levo but I doubt I would do that.

I felt much worse on levo and many do initially till their body settles.

I think doctors are completely unaware how bad we can feel and they appear only interested in the TSH, so make sure your TSH gets to around 1 or lower as some GPs think anywhere in the range is fine.

Thanks to this forum many of us would be out on a limb, I feel.

[MissFG in reply to shaws]

So is my TSH 149.58 high? Everyone's seems abnormal at 5-10 I haven't seen anyone comment on it being that high? Can I have wine or ginger & lemon tea in the evening or just water? I like a glass of wine occasionally it's my only treat but think I'll feel better taking thyroxine at night or at least try it

[shaws Administrator in reply to MissFG]

Your TSH is through the roof - no wonder you feel absolutely awful.

Mine was 100 and I know exactly how unwell I felt - I thought I must be dying as I was discharged the night before from A&E as 'probably viral with high cholesterol'.

I wasn't diagnosed until 3 days later as I obtained a blood test form for thyroid and GP phoned me 3 hours later to say come and get prescription you have hypothyroidism - she then asked how did I get a blood test form. That's another story.

So you are even higher. How is it that doctors are unaware of clinical symptoms. I saw about ten doctors (some private) and it was a first aider who finally suggested 'thyroid'.

As your TSH begins to come down, it will gradually, until it comes right down. You should have a blood test every 6 weeks with an increase of 25mcg of levo until you begin to feel well again. Always get a print-out of your blood test results with the ranges (labs differ) for your own records and so you can post if you have a query. If you've not already had B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate tested ask for these at next blood test

[MissFG in reply to shaws]

Thank you!

It's so nice to get good advice from someone who understands. It's a very lonely place right now as none of my friends understand and I look & feel pretty rotten too which doesn't help my self esteem. Fortunately my doctor has got me a throat scan which is next week and I'm on the waiting list approx 2 months to see an endo consultant. But antibodies have been requested & next blood test brough forward to 6 not 8 weeks as I said I want to increase my thyroxine as soon as I can at a safe level as I can't function like this!

The only positive is that I now know what I'm dealing with and gave found this forum which is helping me a great deal. The consultant isn't going to like me much when I go with a list of tests etc I want!

THANK YOU x

[shaws Administrator in reply to MissFG]

Some of them get a bit miffed if we talk 'internet'. It puts some of their backs up. Some are very nice so hope you get a nice sympathetic Endo.

[katielou1980]

I am the same and have been unable to have a glass of wine for 2 years (so depressing!) as I instantlt get awful palpatations and anxiety afterwards. nearly 3 years in and I still hate the way levothyroxine makes me feel (I felt better pre diagnosis and before they put me on a synthetic drug. I hope things settle down. Tsh is very high, aim for between 1-3

[katielou1980 in reply to katielou1980]

ps I had a baby 9 months ago and drank ginger tea to help with morning sickness and felt no side effects/ nor did my endo discourage me from drinking it

[MissFG in reply to katielou1980]

Can I ask did you find it easy to fall pregnant? I've come off my pill to see if it's affecting my cycle n ovulation but another baby in the future might be a possibility if I can. I'm just worried about my medication etc too if I got pregnant x

[katielou1980 in reply to MissFG]

Id strongly recommend getting your levels right before trying to best chances on getting and staying pregnant (poor thyroid function can contribute to miscarriage). I saw an endocrinologist my tsh was around 1.5 when I fell pregnant and I had to up my thyroxine as the baby takes some so it can impact on your levels. It is ok to take thyroxine during pregnancy and breastfeeding. I found my thyroid went a bit crazy after the birth (tsh varied from 0.01 hyper to 38 hypo in a number of weeks so just make sure you are closely monitored). My little boy is healthy. Wishing you the best

[shaws Administrator in reply to katielou1980]

The real aim of levothyroxine or any other thyroid hormones is to restore us to a normal, healthy life. That usually means a TSH of 1 or below. Some might need it slightly higher.

Many members on this site after years of being on levo are still unwell. I put that down to the doctors insisting that the TSH is anywhere in the range or adjusting dose unnecessarily to raise the TSH. That's not good for us.

The real aim of levothyroxine or any other thyroid hormones is to restore us to a normal, healthy life. Feeling well and energetic - I know that might seem far away at present but it is possible if we have good doctors who treat the patient rather than the blood test results.

That usually means a TSH of 1 or below. Some might need it slightly higher and some suppressed.

I felt worse too on levothyroxine. You must find it difficult to cope with a new baby too when you aren't 100%.

[shaws Administrator]

You do need some comfort so I doubt a glass of wine will come amiss as long as it's a couple of hours apart from levo but there's a link below which may help you decide..

Ginger and lemon tea will also be o.k. whenever you feel like it.

livestrong.com/article/5194...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...