Hi, a few weeks back I asked if anyone had tachycardia after eating. I was taken off levothyroxin, now back on 25mcg..but just before going back on it I had another episode of tachycardia (and subsequent feeling that I'm going to collapse) after eating and today was the same. It can be any meal of the day, but not all meals..
My mother's cousin is hypothyroid and she has the same issue, and so does an ex colleague of mine.
I was wondering if anyone knows of any reliable studies which show the link between hypothyroidism and tachycardia after eating.
For perspective; my TSH is ways raised ( currently 9.? off levothyroxin, I believe, at its highest 26) but T3/4 are ok..to high (latest T4 18, off levo). I managed to persuade them to put me back on 25mcg levothyroxin, but obviously were reluctant to as obvs too much and I could just get palpitations from that...
I asked to go back on, as we've never managed to get my TSH below 8, and I am sure I felt better on it.
Thanks
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Michaela_l
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Palpitations can be due to UNDER MEDICATION making you more hypothyroid. Doesn't necessarily mean hyper
Do you have Hashimoto's and have you had vitamins tested?
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4, TT4, FT3 plus TPO and TG thyroid antibodi also very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies
Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have money off offers.
All thyroid tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. When on Levothyroxine, don't take in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take straight after. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, GP will be unaware)
If antibodies are high this is Hashimoto's, (also known by medics here in UK more commonly as autoimmune thyroid disease).
About 90% of all hypothyroidism in Uk is due to Hashimoto's. Low vitamins are especially common with Hashimoto's. Food intolerances are very common too, especially gluten. So it's important to get TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once .
Hi, yep I have high TPO and negative for coeliac. Currently on high dose vitamin D, take ferrous fumarate, as well as my usual medication.
The whole hypothyroidism Vs hyperthyroidism and tachycardia argument, I'm having all the time I speak to a GP..I struggle to see the same one. Local hospital endocrinology consultant is useless so there's that...I wondered if I need more levo than your average patient, maybe I used to run on high..when I wasnt ill.
I just read an article on how being both hypo/hyperthyroid can cause issues with electrolyte imbalances..that doesn't really answer why I get tachycardia after eating :/ feeling a bit rubbish now..been signed off work for yet another month.
Well you are only on half the standard starter dose of 50mcg. Retesting after 6-8 weeks
All thyroid tests should be done as early as possible in morning and fasting and don't take Levo in the 24 hours prior to test, delay and take straight after. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, GP will be unaware)
Dose should be increased in 25mcg steps until TSH is around, or just under one and FT4 towards top of range and FT3 at least half way in range
Most patients slowly increase over many months to somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg. Some eventually needing addition of small dose of T3 as well
But first it's essential to have very good levels of vitamin D, folate, B12 and ferritin and very likely gluten free too
A negative coeliac test does not mean you are not gluten intolerant.
According to Izabella Wentz the Thyroid Pharmacist approx only 5% with Hashimoto's are coeliac, but over 80% find gluten free diet helps, often significantly. Either due to direct gluten intolerance (no test available) or due to leaky gut and gluten causing molecular mimicry (see Amy Myers link)
Changing to a strictly gluten free diet may help reduce symptoms, help gut heal and slowly lower TPO antibodies
There's not much point testing RT3. NHS doesn't offer RT3 anyway
Can you add the ranges
Gluten free is getting easier eating out. Vast majority of restaurants offer GF menu. Eating at friends or family can be tricky. If it's easier just say you're coeliac.
Can you add results and ranges of vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 and say what supplements you are taking
As you have had ileum removed presumably you are on regular B12 injections
Hi, not Crohns. Ye the vitamin D is being sorted..but I am gonna ask for b12 injections. Vitamin d probably that bad due to working in the operating theatre...no sun light! I've ordered a book on b12 that someone recommend on here..so I'm gonna give that a read. I take ranitadine..but I'm gonna ask for pH studies..had acid reflux all my life..found out I have an abnormal subclavian artery which most likely causes that..but I have wondered if there's an issue there. They found that my stomach takes way longer to empty than it should and I'm always (sorry) belching..which sometimes seems to sort my heart out..it seems I have a build up of gas and it presses on my heart or diaphragm..and then it does it when i eat..
No but autoimmune issues run in the family; mother developed kidney failure when she was 15, has me after a transplant..her cousin has Hashimotos I believe..and my dad's mother mentioned her father having an issue with his thyroid, but it's hard to get what exactly...
Ye i started collapsing at university..that was 2010. I had raised tsh a few years back..but nothing was done, and I was told it went back to normal..and with this being when I was young and stupid..didn't look at what 'normal' was..it went up to 5..which I know isn't majorly high, but clearly shows something.
I think I'm just getting a bit stressed now; being off work, then going back, then off again...and getting married in August..I don't even know if I'm safe to go abroad..it's ok drs saying I'm safe, I don't feel safe! Worried something is gonna happen on the plane and I'm stuck..I hate this, it's come at an awful time. Then of course, because I'm getting married, they automatically presume you're stressed because of that..and that's why you get tachycardia..they don't care that this started years ago. Seriously fed up. So thank you for your help I appreciate it!
It's the fact they think that's the primary issue causing the tachycardia.. specially when the endocrinology consultant at my local hospital said there's nothing wrong and to go on antidepressants..hence why I went to see a profeton endocrinology...I get anxious when my heart plays up..not the other way around. Unless they feel it themselves..they'll never know..
The consultant at my local hospital put me on levo then told me to come off it..told me there's nothing wrong then told my GP I had acute thyroiditis...it's not an acute issue...he keeps contradicting himself..so I make it clear to any GP I see that I will not have anything to do with him.
If I have a meal containing, say, rice or pasta, followed by a dessert which includes, say, sponge pudding, it can give me tachycardia.
After I realised the connection I cut my carbs and increased my fat intake and my issue with tachycardia has disappeared. It doesn't take much to trigger it again though - I just need to succumb to temptation with cakes or ice cream or something else very sugary.
I suspect I have a problem with insulin resistance and if I'm not careful my future will involve type 2 diabetes.
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A Free T3 level which is too high or too low can also trigger tachycardia.
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Iron and/or ferritin levels which are too low can cause tachycardia too.
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I've no doubt there are other causes of tachycardia that I've never heard of.
Hi, it does it after low carb meals too I tried that one. I'm just feeling a bit down about it...if it was just the tachycardia, I wouldn't mind it as much...it's the light headedness and feeling that I'm gonna collapse:S
Thanks
This has happened to me a lot over the years. I'm not exactly sure of the cause but there are several suggestions. Hypothyroidism can cause this and, I believe, so can adrenal fatigue. I've suffered both so difficult to gauge which it is. Getting higher levels of T3 helps as this helps control blood sugar levels. I also suffered panic attacks after meals. Dizziness, feeling lightheaded, feeling like I was going to collapse. If you search for reactive hypoglycaemia you'll find some of the symptoms are brought on after eating. Hypothyroidism can cause reactive hypoglycaemia. Adrenal fatigue can cause these "after eating" symptoms. Might be worth getting an adrenal saliva test. Certainly your thyroid levels look too low. Palpitations are common after eating with these untreated/under treated conditions.
Hi, the endocrinology consultant at my local hospital said it's too quick after eating for reactive hypoglycemia :/ though I have seen it go down to 3.? After eating. It's within say ten minutes...not always though, sometimes I'm ok.
Ye Im not too sure why either but I was looking at hypothyroidism and leptin..so I will hopefully look at that more later on.
I had a short synacthen test a few weeks, or months back..which said my adrenal glands were fine..though to me it seemed there wasn't much of a spike..
Where is the best place to purchase a saliva test?
I think I'm gonna continue to monitor my BM after meals to see if that's it...but like I say, I was told it was too soon after eating..
Not sure an endo would understand it to be honest. Well mine certainly didn't. You maybe be lucky and have a good endo.
My problem has pretty much gone since I've got better thyroid levels and supported my adrenals. Only get it mildly (once in a blue moon) after I've over done mental/physical work.
I got my adrenal stress profile from Genova. If you go on Thyroid UK's website it's under testing I think. I went with a private nutritionist.
Oh dear I remember cheese toasties making me feel so bad. A lot more calories too, plus high carbs. I was fearful of eating anything at one point. I found it so unpredictable but I would say symptoms exacerbated when fatigue greatest. Difficult to say whether it's reactive hypoglycemia since it happens so quickly. But still under 4 hours (huge grey area in research into this). You need to repeat your testing with each meal to see what's going on. I have a good app on my phone to monitor blood sugar levels and symptoms. To map them. Well I can monitor anything like thyroid levels, etc.
I would think hypothyroidism is to blame, only because my symptoms have gone since proper treatment. Unless I over do things then the symptoms come back, albeit mildly. Thankfully! Keep me posted on how you get on. I'm genuinely interested.
They're still saying it's only subclinical hypothyroidism.. because my ft4 levels are normal..but I have raised TSH..and have for a while, positive tpo antibodies...so they're reluctant to give me a good dose of levo...so I just feel stuck!
That's dreadful but not surprising. With raised TPo antibodies you have Hashimoto's so you may as well start treatment now. Thyroid levels can fluctuate hugely with Hashi's. You ideally need a full replacement dose of levothyroxine to get TSH down to the 0.3 to 1 ballpark. Plus I would guess your RT3 will be elevated (I know some folk on here don't believe in it) since your B12 and D are low. From what I think I've just read! Getting those levels sorted is good. Very common in Hashi's.
Hi Michaela_I I found that my heart rate has increased and I also had symptoms of tachycardia until I started on Magnesium supplements. I then saw my heart rate reduce day by day as my resting heart rate was quite high and my tachycardia disappear. After a month of high doses I reduced my supplements and after a week of watching my heart rate increase again I realised that it could be my Magnesium. Have you tried taking a Magnesium supplement? Just another idea to try and help you with your symptoms x
Hi, not, my magnesium levels were ok and my resting pulse is alright...I have some sinus arryhmia, but that's ok. It is literally after eating..and sometimes when I wake up..odd. thanks
1) It is natural to have a slightly quicker pulse after eating - usually 15 to 30 min, signals digestion has kicked in. Tachycardia could signal that what you have eaten is something you are sensitive/intolerant to - it is actually a home test for finding food sensitivities to observe your pulse reaction like that. Dairy products, eggs, nightshades, grains, nuts - the list is long.
2) If you have problems with methylation which is very probable - you need to have methylated supplements - vit b12 being one of the major ones.
3) Serum Magnesium testing is notoriously unreliable and you need to have enough magnesium in your cells rather than blood to function properly.
4) Vit d can further deplete magnesium as it works together with it and you might also need vit k2 with it to work well.
5) There is a lot more information in Izabella Wentz's books you might find useful as she had a stressful wedding and beginning to her married life with undiagnosed hypothyroidism. You might relate
Hi, I'm gonna ask for b12 injections tomorrow; levels are 'ok' but given my other symptoms I think I need some..I have no ilium, on ranitadine etc etc...
I understand it's normal to have tachycardia after eating, but this is something else. The last few days I seem to have improved..on the whole tachycardia issue anyways...ive started back on levo on the 9th..
So I'm hoping that b12 injections will do the trick ive always had issues with low foliate and ferritin
Just wanted to chime in and say that I've been hypothyroid for 5+ years and have been dealing with tachycardia after eating as well as at the beginning of each of my menstrual cycles for about 2 years or so now. My numbers (TSH, T4, etc.) are always in range when this occurs. No one can tell me anything, either.
Hi, so my tilt test showed my BP drops hence the tachycardia...so cardiology want to see me again. After looking at my bloods, it seems I've been hypothyroid for years, so I believe as a result, my adrenals compensated for this..so my BP was probably struggling because of this. My short synacthen test showed a small spike in cortisol, yet Drs say it's fine and that it's not a very good test..so why did we bother doing it. Anyways, I run high on thyroxin so everyone was dismissing my symptoms for years. I'm now currently on 75mcg of levo (taken at night)...this has taken ages to get to, and I eat as soon as I get up to help support my adrenals. I'm now back at work. I'm not brilliant but I'm better than I was. I've learnt to deal with the fact I'll never be 'normal'.
I have fought, you need to. Endocrine consultants taking me off levo, that they put me on! Telling me there's nothing wrong and to go on antidepressants! Erm! No!
I feel like I need more levo now, I get numb limbs, pins and needles, head goes all weird. Along side this, which levo hasn't sorted, is like a chronic sinusitis type thing and issues with my eyes, very dry which affects vision.
I went to see the endocrine consultant last month, he said to keep doing what I'm doing..ye, I will! Since you're no help what so ever!
Since being on a decent dose of levo, I'm come off ranitadine and beta lockers. I'm hoping I won't need my losartan after a while. A few years ago I found out I was hypertensive, as well as having an abberant artery..round about the same time I was collapsing but no one found out why. After looking at bloods, I can see I've had a thyroid issue for years..so I'm really hoping to get this under control and my BP return to normal.
Will be going gluten and soy free soon (probably got leaky gut due to bowel resection as a baby), going to get a water filter by Epicwater..who claim to filter out all flouride! All those things should help the autoimmune aspect shouldn't it..we will see
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I tried that one. I'm just feeling a bit down about it...if it was just the tachycardia, I wouldn't mind it as much...it's the light headedness and feeling that I'm gonna collapse:S
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