Anemia/ ECTOPICS /hypo : Hi all, when my ECTOPICS... - Thyroid UK

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Anemia/ ECTOPICS /hypo

Contra21 profile image
46 Replies

Hi all, when my ECTOPICS were bad i was taking iron. I stopped thinking they caused it. But my levels were off then and dr assured me it wasn't from an iron tablet. Just coming back from my endocrinologist my tsh is 3.92 ( 2 mths ago was 8) and he is happy with my results and to stay on the same dose, although my ferritin /iron is now 9 & two mths ago 12. Lowest i have ever had in my life. Ive tried every food for iron and it dropped even more. Wth! Question does anyone take thyroxine and iron tablets and are ok and not give them ectopics as mine now have improved think to a good reading a cq10 but scared the iron tablet will make them worse or interfere with my thyroid levels as they are steady but i feel like a sloth from my iron. Stupid I know but i have ectopic ptsd. 😂 its real i have it with vertigo and anxiety too. I just dont want to affect my reading or feeling worse anyone who take this combo or does the same??

Thanks an!

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Contra21 profile image
Contra21
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46 Replies
keeta profile image
keeta

Hi lovely.i.ve been on iron and my tsh was 37.5 it has come down now i.ve stopped .but now i am aneamic and my b12 is low .got to see doc fri.i was told not to take them together which i don.t .

So the answer is don.t know but its strange .good luck xx

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply tokeeta

So you don't take it anymore? How are u going to fix thr aneamia. I was told thyroxine in morning and iron at night. Did you get ectopics andwere you taking iron and thyroxine at the same time?

keeta profile image
keeta in reply toContra21

No wasn.t taking them together hours apart .see doc on fri .think the aneamia is more a b12 problem .so hope she sorts it.eill let you no xx

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply tokeeta

So you saying i shouldnt take themmake my thyroid worse?

keeta profile image
keeta in reply toContra21

Talk to your doctor .as i will on friday .doctors no best .its just very strange x

I tend to have very exciting ectopic beats constantly (double, triples, quads and sometimes more). The better my free T3, the fewer ectopics I have. Cardiologist said I needed a better ferritin level and to take iron, which I did for 6 months. Mostly I just ignore them and do something active when they are particularly annoying. Cardio said they wouldn't kill me.

A TSH that high suggests that you are undermedicated and so free T3 is likely to be too low. Your heart needs T3.

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply toAngel_of_the_North

Wow so brave you ignore them. They stop me in my tracks and cripple me. So iron tablets wont make my ectopics worse ?as my tsh t3 t4 are good right nowi was told by endocrinologist today.

bantam12 profile image
bantam12 in reply toContra21

Have a look at yorkcardiology on YouTube, the Dr has some interesting info on ectopics, apparently magnesium can help.

I get runs of 9 or more, it's horrible.

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply tobantam12

I follow him. Hes great my poat ia more about iron tablet and ectopics.

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply tobantam12

Just think of it as playing reggae - I find that helps ;-)

bantam12 profile image
bantam12 in reply toAngel_of_the_North

Difficult when trying not to collapse 🤔

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply tobantam12

Mine are just irregular, not fast, so annnoying rather than painful.

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply toContra21

Didn't make mine worse, but we are all different. If you do something active, you don't notice the irregularities as much - I dust things or polish the bathroom floor and try not to worry.

greygoose profile image
greygoose

Your TSH is not good. You're still hypo and that will be affecting your heart. How much levo are you taking? You need an increase in dose.

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply togreygoose

Endo today said resuts were better as two months ago tsh was 8. Im taking 100 mon wed fri amd 50mg alternation. Im.concermed aboit o

Iron tablet and levo can they make ectopic worse or alter my thyroid levels

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toContra21

The point of taking levo is to alter your thyroid levels, so yes, it will. But, your thyroid levels need to be altered because your TSH is over 3, which means you are still hypo. It should be 1 or under. Your TSH may be better than it was two months ago, but it is still too high. And, your dose is stupidly low. You should be on 100 mcg every day.

Low thyroid levels cause heart problems. I don't think your endo knows very much about thyroid. Is he a diabetes specialist? Most of them are.

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply togreygoose

No i mean will.me.taking iron supplements.give me.ectopics ? with thyroxine. ? my.last one was but thos endo helps tested.for.free.t3.t4.and other.antiboies vd b12 everything when i forst.saw.him. ive mentioned this before.but he saes your t3 and t4 is most important

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toContra21

Your FT3 and FT4 are most important, that's true. But, with a TSH over 3, your FT3 and FT4 are going to be low. Did he test them on your last test?

I don't think iron supplements will give you ectopics. But, you mustn't take them at the same time as levo. You should leave at least four hours between the two.

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply togreygoose

He did. He always tests.all.3. Many ppl tell me what you do and i tell hom but he says dont be concerned. My 3rd endocrinologist

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toContra21

So, what were your FT4 and FT3 when your TSH was 3.92?

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply togreygoose

Ft4 12.1 range being 9 to 19 and t3 3.8 range 2.6 to 6

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toContra21

And they are both too low, which is why your TSH is over 3. Neither of them are even mid-range. So, you need an increase in levo. Just being in-range is not good enough. They need to be in the right place in the range.

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply togreygoose

Thwy are both over 60% o can't just take more without drs instructions

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toContra21

Um no...

9+19=28 divided by 2 = 14. Your FT4 is 12.1

2.6+6=8.6 divided by 2 = 4.3. Your FT3 is 3.8

That makes a lot less than 60% in my book.

Besides, your TSH is 3.9. A TSH of 3 is hypo. So, you are still hypo. Being hypo has a negative effect on your heart.

No, I wasn't suggesting you self-treat. I was suggesting you tell your endo you want/need an increase in dose.

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply togreygoose

I did. he suggested i didnt. I said isnt it too low ive done reading etc but mayne rhe readings are differenr in every country im in Australia. Are you hypo if so how many years and did you have ectopics?

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toContra21

It doesn't matter that the readings are different in different countries, you always go by the range that goes with the result. That's why we always insist on having ranges. And, if you have the range, you can interpret a result from anywhere, it doesn't matter where.

Yes, I'm hypo, but had very few problems with my heart, a few palps, that's all.

I think you need a new endo if this one thinks you don't need an increase with a TSH over 3. He doesn't know the first thing about treating hypo.

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply togreygoose

Well now im scared. I asked again today and ge said if my tsh drops at 0 my palps return. This eas thr case this time last yr my tsh was o.21 and i felt horrible. I feel better now?

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toContra21

It's got nothing to do with your TSH. TSH doesn't make you feel anything. He is totally wrong to say something like that. He really is a rotten endo.

Palps can just as easily come from under-medication as over-medication. But, having a TSH of zero does not automatically mean you are over-medicated. The most important number is the FT3, because it's T3 that causes symptoms if it is too high or too low.

But, more important than that, is how you feel. If you feel good with the levels you have, then fine, carry on. But, you can on here to find out why you have palps. And I'm just telling you that one of the reasons is that your FT3 is too low, and the other reason is your ferritin is too low. However, you also have a rubbish endo who isn't helping because he doesn't understand much about thyroid. So, what you do about any of those things is down to you to decide. :)

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply togreygoose

I rrally appreciate you. So more thyroxine better t3?

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toContra21

Yes. Thyroxine, which is T4, converts to T3. :)

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply togreygoose

how did you learn so much i put do much faith into my doc

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply toContra21

Reading, reading, reading and more reading. I also had a helpful doctor at one point, who taught me a lot. :)

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply toContra21

Only over 60% if your maths is from another universe. Go here and put the result in the first box on the line and top and bottom of range in next to boxes and click button - that will give you %age. chorobytarczycy.eu/kalkulator

You'll find that they are about half of 60%!

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply toContra21

Very unlikely, but you must take iron 4 hours away from levo.

humanbean profile image
humanbean

Having very low iron can cause heart problems e.g. severe chest pain and tachycardia (heart rate much too fast), ectopic heart beats and arrhythmia. Improving your iron levels will reduce your heart problems not cause them.

If you need both iron and thyroid meds you should take them at least four hours apart.

The other point is that your TSH is much too high for good health. You need a higher dose of thyroid meds to bring your TSH down. It isn't the TSH that causes problems though - it is the low Free T3 you are likely to have as a result of being under-medicated.

Low Free T3 is very bad for the heart.

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply tohumanbean

Wouldnt my endo know this cause hrt probs? My t3 is wothin range he said today.

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply toContra21

Within range is meaningless - at least 60% of range is what you need. Endo might not know but cardio should.

humanbean profile image
humanbean in reply toContra21

I've never seen an endo, but from the reports on here, very few of them know much about the thyroid. Most of them seem to be diabetes specialists.

Regarding a result being in range :

Doctors imply that being in range is healthy. Imagine your Free T3 was one of the following results, in each case the reference range is 3.1 - 6.8 :

1) 3.2

2) 5.0

3) 6.0

All the above results are within range and doctors tell patients with these results that they are fine. But there will be a HUGE difference in how someone will feel with a Free T3 result of 3.2 and how they would feel with a result of 6.0. I think many people on this forum feel at their best with a Free T3 (very, very roughly) between 5.5 and 6.5. But some need the result to be over the range by a little bit. We are all different.

You might find these two links to be of interest :

gponline.com/endocrinology-...

circ.ahajournals.org/conten...

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply tohumanbean

7 yrs of thyroid and still cant wrap my head around whats good or bad

diogenes profile image
diogenesRemembering

For what it is worth, my wife (on T4) has suffered from ectopic beats (palpitations) on occasion. We tried magnesium citrate, and the frequency has significantly dropped and the severity is less. That's just an anecdote which seems to work for her but not necessarily for anyone else.

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply todiogenes

I also find magnesium helps - I use threonate and citrate. Also used a combination of hawthorn and arjuna for about a year, but don't seem to need it now.

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply toAngel_of_the_North

Hhow dod yours get betters. I take cq10 also

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply toContra21

It just did. I still get ectopic beats, but not as bad as they were. But I've had then since my 20s so I doubt they'll go completely. As t3 got better (and cortisol, although I don't know if that is related), I got fewer ectopic beats. If I notice a lot, it usually means I'm overdue for a dose of T3 (I tend to lose track of time easily).

Contra21 profile image
Contra21 in reply toAngel_of_the_North

Oh ok so t3 is thr importerguy. If im within range im ok. Trying to get a better understanding as i dont have anyone in my life that suffrrs from it. So happy i have found you.

Angel_of_the_North profile image
Angel_of_the_North in reply toContra21

In range is not OK. At least 60% up range is OK for most people. Some need it higher. So, with the range you give above, you need Free T3 at least 4.64 (yours is 3.8).

Contra21 profile image
Contra21

Thanks for everybody's hello. I just feel really shit and now have vertigo. Tired of being sick all the time. Its a scary place

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