slow laboured breathing: It seem to be a real... - Thyroid UK

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slow laboured breathing

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It seem to be a real effort to breath this evening ad my breathing seems slow and I dont feel I am getting enough oxygen. I have had breathing difficaultys before due to low thyroid hormones but I have just increased my dose by grain this week and my T3 was in upper half of range before this.My pulse is 96 so wondering if too much hormone could do this or wether I should take some more.I havephoned 111 andoutof hours doctor is going to phone in next couple of hours. I feel I dont haveaccess to any emergency treatment due to my unregognosed dependance on thyroid hormones.

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23 Replies
Trixie33 profile image
Trixie33

Don’t take anything until you get medical advice. Try to stay calm until you get it. Take care.

in reply to Trixie33

Thanks trixie. dont know who just phoned from out of hours but I wasasked some questions rather abruptly and told I could be seen at outof hours GP service or wait untill the morning. I dont have the taxi fare to go tonight and I feel little bit better although still not right.

silverfox7 profile image
silverfox7

A grain seems a huge increase so please get things checked out.

in reply to silverfox7

Who by? I will cut down by half a grain today. Funnily enough having read several posts about breathing issues last night I found links to studys re vitamin D and took some lipisomal spray of D3 and K2 and it really seemed to help. I suspect I might have a chest infection and wondering whether to get anti biotics for it.I am convinced that antibiotics cause weight gain and I am alarmingly huge as it is. Thank you for your reply.

silverfox7 profile image
silverfox7 in reply to

I was thinking along the lines of having your bloods done again so need to get your doctor to do that.

in reply to silverfox7

Thanks yes. I am having a lot of blood done recently and thyroids done a couple of weeks ago, the increase was inspired by this. I am due some more blood tests soon and I think my GP actually learns from me bless him.I told him a while ago that I thought the blood ranges kept people alive but not nessasarity fit and healthy and he has now orderred more blood on the basis of some of them being near the top of the range.

in reply to silverfox7

Thank you. yes theyhave been taken recently and GP asking for more to be done. I will see him this week anyway.

NatChap profile image
NatChap

Is that 1 grain you increased by? If so that could absolutely cause a fast pulse! I agree with the other comments though, get checked out and get help with the weight loss x

in reply to NatChap

Thanks. I have no worrys about my heart and am happy with my weigth but relucant to take anything that would increase. A pulse of 96 is not worrying but was prohibative toward a furthur dose. I am due some more bloods next week . My dose of thyroid hormones does vary from day to day, according to symptoms and activity levels.I have not taken as much today so far.Breathing problems do seem to occur as a result of my levels of hormones being too low and normally the nibble of some NDT helps. Thank you for all your response.I seem to have survived the night and feel better this morning.I need to get hold of my last blood to check iron levels. I wish I could have a lemsip but full of caffiene and I cannot tolerate such luxury these days.

jgelliss profile image
jgelliss

mandyjane•,

I hope you can get it resolved as soon as possible . But having high pulse can be from either hypo or hyper symptoms . Please get medical attention as soon as possible .

Wishing Wellness and Please let us know how your doing .

Thank you jgellis. I am a qualified although retired nurse. A pulse of 96 in a 54 year old overweight female is an indication of reduced fitness rather than anything sinister and in myself an indication of my trying to titrate my hormone dose. What is concerning for me is the breathing issue which seems to have improved.There is very little is if any point in my trying to get medical attention for a thyroid condition not diagnosed on the NHS and could create big problems for me as if for example I was additted to hospital in an emergency I would not be treated for my hypothyroidism and as my health has been very fragile since onthe advice of an endo I stopped taking thyroid hormones 18months ago I am not willing to raise lot of alarm bells re a 'heart condition' that is very unlikely to exist. I am seeing my GP who is lovely, well aware and supportive of my self treament, in regard to symptoms we cannot make sense of and we are generally on the case. But thank you for your response it I am grateful for your concern

Aurealis profile image
Aurealis

i guess it’s a bit of a shock to your system, a 1 grain increase. I have experienced the slow laboured breathing symptom - in me this is a hypo symptom. I’ve never sought medical advice for it, it resolves once I get on the right dose. Obviously we are all different ...Good luck.

in reply to Aurealis

Thank you yes and i think combined with this cold virus. Doctors seem to think treating thyroid issues is so easy but the more I learn the more like rocket science it seems to be. Nothing is straight forward and so many different variables. I am better today but suspect it will re emerge as the evening progresses. Thank you for your understanding I have reduce my increase to 0.5 of a grain

Aurealis profile image
Aurealis in reply to

Do you take it all at the same time or split across the day - sometimes you can even out symptoms by taking in two or more doses?

I have tended to take most of it in the morning but have often found that during the day I need to top up when the whossy head starts comming back and the vertigo. Seems to happen when I talk to much.I nibble some NDT. I have taken half a grain extra on a morning and then another later in the day since the increase to try to prevent the break though symptoms and quite often the symptoms are some air hunger as well as the swimming head.A grain is a sudden jump but I have often nibbled more than a grain if I am feeling ill when I just keep nibbling until I feel better with no ill effects.I think maybe this is all viral, my pulse is higher than usual this evening but I have reduced my dose. It is so hard to see the wood for the trees sometimes.I am however unable to sleep which is a sign of too much thyroid hormones in me.A furthur reduction tommorow and maybe stick to nibbles rather than set increase.

silverfox7 profile image
silverfox7

I'be been trying to find the results of the tests you had a few weeks back. Could you post them please. I've been on NDT for quite a while now and it was also what was first prescribed by the NHS over 30 years ago now. The only problem I had this second time was that I followed the STTM Regime for swapping over which was get up to 2 grains then go slowly in quarters so I missed my sweet spot which was 1.75. Once in any stable dose then I'm reading thatcchangesxshould be made in quarters than then held and then retested unless an endocrinologist intervenes. So that is why I suggested that your increase was far too high. I'm not saying you don't need that amount butvits too much to throw at you body as well. Nibbling when you think you are low possibly means you are getting more than a recognised dose change as well so your body is probably very confused. Try sticking to the one dose then get bloods done and post results for guidance. Patience is very necessary to get things right fo you. If you feel you are struggling before next test time then conserve your energy as that will also conserve your T3 till resultsxshow what you need to do next. Nothing in the Thyroid world is aquick fix, it doesn't work like that as I'm sure you know but being slow and careful and following a regime can offer be quicker than responding to knee jerk actions. Check the Vit D, B12, folate and ferritin abdxget them optimal. SeasideSusie isthe expert at that both with the required levels and how to get them there. It really does work very well. Plus can help conversion issues and rid or reduce some symptoms-you have mentioned air hunger and that can be low B12. Making changes though needs to be one thing at a time and wait 2 weeks before adding anything else into the mix. That way if anything upsets you then it's easier to see which it is.

I don't know whether you are aware but this forum is managed by Thyroid Uk so have a look of their site as they have lots of good, sound advice you may not be aware of. It can sound a bit regimental but it works and it's aimed at getting the most out of our treatment and promoting wellness. GP's tell us very little I'm afraid and can the 'lick' of the draw but there are some very knowledgeable people on here. You can learn a lot from them, I certainly have but it takes time and you need to be strict with yourself and not cut corners. Keep talking, reading and listening and you will see and feel improvements but always remember it takes time.

in reply to silverfox7

Thanks you silver fox.I will reobtain my results and post as well as another lot I have had done since.

silverfox7 profile image
silverfox7

Thanks mandyjane! That may help us to offer more tailored advise. It's a lonely journey on our own but we are here to help if we can

I'm on 2 grains of Armour Thyroid and was taking them together and was experiencing breathlessness and slight palpitations as soon as I split my 2 grains one in the Am and the other early afternoon and no more mild palpitations or breathlessness. It's odd since I have always taken synthyroid and 15mcg Cytomel and never had issues.

in reply to

Thank you.Iknow I need to split but worry I might forget. working on it.

in reply to

lol....forgetting is my specialty. I set my fitbit alarm.

MariLiz profile image
MariLiz

I too am on thyroid medication, but about four years ago I began to have breathing problems. My GP treated me for asthma, but I still had some difficulty breathing and kept getting colds and flu symptoms. Eventually another GP did bloods and discovered I had low B12, not unusual for us thyroid people to have this too. The B12 injections helped all my symptoms including the breathing.

in reply to MariLiz

Thanks mariliz. I do jab myself weekly with B12 so up to speed on this one. I have taken too much thryoid hormones Iam sure.I have skipped taking them today and noramally I wouldreally know it, if I did this.The problem withme is memory and I thinkI forgot what I big dose a whole grain was and it is a part return to one I used along while back. Mybody sometimes seem to overreact to a new formula or supplement. I ahve been taking thyrod gold when I firststarted this I had a simlar experince of taking too much, vist to the doctors and propranolol for a day. I have since been of a higher dose of thyrogold than I took then and it has not been enough. Rocket science, muddling through with brain fog not a great mix.

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