Ectopic Heart Beats on T3/T4 combo

[whatevs]

I keep getting ectopic Heart Beats in the morning primarily about an hour or so after taking my T3 dose. I know they're basically harmless but they still scare me half to death when they happen. Latest results all look good in the range so definitely not hyper but I used to get them randomly before I started treatment too.

Here are my latest bloods :

100mcg T4, 18.75mcg T3

THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE *0.218 mIU/L 0.27 - 4.20

FREE THYROXINE 16.700 pmol/L 12.00 - 22.00

FREE T3 5.55 pmol/L 3.10 - 6.80

I've been taking my T3 in one dose in the morning - should I try spreading it out ? Or or is my T4 too low ? Feeling lost

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

whatevs

From what you say it might be worth experimenting and splitting your T3 dose to see if taking a smaller amount in the morning makes a difference to the ectopic heartbeats.

As for the question is your FT4 to low, nobody can answer that. It would be too low for me, it would be absolutely fine for someone else. It's a case of tweaking doses to see where you feel best. It took me best part of 2 years to know for definite the right balance of Levo and T3 and where my FT4 and FT3 needed to be.

[whatevs in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks again SeasideSusie,

Looks like the experimentation has to continue - I'll try taking less in the morning and I might try increasing the levo to 125mcg as it's the less 'volatile' variable of the two.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to whatevs]

whatevs

What do you feel with the ectopic heart beats?

I have sporadic tachycardia and I definitely know when that happens. But my 24 hour and 2 week heart monitors recorded ectopic heart beats and I don't feel anything at all with those (tachycardia episodes never happened whilst on the heart monitors).

[whatevs in reply to SeasideSusie]

I get a thump and it feels like my heart stops for a brief second before it resumes it's normal rhythm.

I've worn a heart monitor, had an echo, ecg and even a stress test and everything came back normal with my heart luckily.

I think they're definitely thyroid related.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to whatevs]

I've had all those too, but unfortunately I have plenty going on Probably a good job I don't feel the ectopics then

From what I've read there doesn't seem to be a clear cause for ectopics and they're mostly harmless. Not sure if they're thyroid related.

[whatevs in reply to SeasideSusie]

Yes Susie, yours sounds like a vastly more complex case.

All I can say is that once I commenced T4 therapy the amount of ectopics definitely lessened and I could go months without having one.

Good luck with your own battle !

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to whatevs]

Mine are like that and if I get friends to listen to my heart they say they can hear the uneven beat. I just say my heart plays reggae ...

[Angel_of_the_North]

I get them when I'm due another dose, so it might be that the T3 hasn't kicked in yet after an hour and your body is protesting. Can you take smaller doses more often?

[whatevs in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Hi Angel,

I did try splitting my T3 initially but I found I was having problems with shortness of breath , like I wasn't getting enough T3 in the morning.

I have no idea whether the ectopics are caused by too much or too little T3 !!?

[Mollie2]

Yes definately T3 related. This is proved by the incidence of the ectopic beats about 2 hrs after taking meds. I had this plus many many holters, stress tests, ECG’s etc. showed nothing. They said it was nothing but it scared me so I decreased the dose and the ectopics stopped. I then split my meds to half morning and evening. It worked. I did this after reading a blog on a fb page. The doc was ok with me fiddling too. Saved him the decision I guess.

[whatevs in reply to Mollie2]

That's comforting Mollie.

I never had them when I was on T4 but they were really bad before I started treatment. It's very strange as I'd been using T3 for about 2 weeks before the ectopics reared their head again earlier this week but I did increase the T3 dose on Sunday to it's highest level (18.75 mcg) - so perhaps I just can't take all of that in one go.

Gonna try splitting my dose to see if it helps.....which will be fun with 18.75 mcg !!! Ha.

[shaws]

Some doctors are nervous about T3. If you go to the dates December 24, 1997 and November 9, 2005 on the following link which are self-explanatory.

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

[whatevs]

*Update*

Just in case anyone has similar problems when adding T3 to T4 here's how I've now stopped my ectopics.

*In my case I was deficient in Folic Acid and within days of taking a 5mg prescribed supplement the ectopics stopped. I also added an iron supplement too just to be safe.

In my case the deficiency is probably caused by usage of Lansoprazole but if you do have ectopics when introducing T3 please get your folate/iron/b12 checked - because if your thyroid hormones are in range then it's probably that which is causing the problem !

[Contra21 in reply to whatevs]

What is this t3 supplement u speak of isnt it just thyroxine

[whatevs in reply to Contra21]

No T3 is liothyronine

[Contra21 in reply to whatevs]

If he hadn't mentioned it must be ok i assume