Can't sleep as heart beating faster than normal and not slowing down

[Pinktijen]

Been on Levo for 8 days now since TT. Laid here trying to sleep but i can feel my heart beating faster than normal. Not rapid. But not my normal. It doesn't seem to be slowing down. I have been very irritable too, taking deep breaths. I am taking 100mg of oral levo. Could it be a bit too much?

[WobblyX]

It really takes a few weeks to settle after a TT. I was on 125 after my TT, they should test you after 6 weeks and adjust if needed. 8 Days is very early & I remember being really anxious about lots of things, having lots of different symptoms & generally feeling a mess! Be kind to your self, it is a small scar but is major surgery as Your body has been robbed of a part which had a huge regulatory influence on the whole body. I remember being awake lots at night & reading lots on here. It might b useful to take your pulse and note your rate - between 70-100 is ok I believe. Try to relax & there is lots of good reading on hereXx

[SlowDragon Administrator]

You could ask your GP to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 now

These need to be at good levels for thyroid hormones to work well. They are often too low

Getting blood thyroid levels retested 6 weeks after each dose change

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. Last Levothyroxine dose should be 24 hours prior to test, (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw). This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Come back with new post once you get any results

[Pinktijen in reply to SlowDragon]

Thanks. Had bloods done last week. B12 is above the normal range! D3 normal range. Folate and ferritin normal but on lowest normal. Many thanks

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Pinktijen]

Can you add the actual results and ranges

Sounds like folate and ferritin will need improving

Vitamin D at least around 80nmol and around 100nmol may be better

Ferritin at least half way in range

Folate similar

[JUDYMSHAW]

Go visit your GP if just for peace of mind get it checked

[Hidden]

It take a few weeks to adjust your body has had a huge shock with your TT. You probably still have some thyroid hormone in your body. They started me on 100 Levo but after the blood test adjusted it. Good Luck.

[Celestialbeing]

I highly suggest you get your vitals and thyroid hormone levels checked. I am in the USA. After my TT, I was started on 125mcg of synthetic T4. During the middle of the first week, I experienced the same symptoms as you describe. Instead of recuperating, I was becoming more sick. I didn’t go into the surgery with these ailments. I went to the cancer center ER. My heart rate was 120 and blood pressure was 190/100. They gave me a CT scan to see if I had a pulmonary embolism. Of course, it was clear. Turned out that my dose was way too high. I was given Atenolol to combat the side effects of the T4 dose. The doctor reduced my T4 dose. Eventually, I only needed 88mcg!

Side note... the atenolol was the lowest dose (25mg) but made my heart rate and BP drop too much. I began experiencing side effects such as lightheadedness. I could not get them up even during cardio exercise. I had to lower the dose by cutting it in half, but I still experienced the same side effects (to a lesser degree). I had to wean off it by skipping doses. Never stop this med instantly, you must wean off it.

Long story short, eventually, after 3 years of feeling horrible, crashing during the day, I learned from friends in these groups, that I was not converting the T4 into T3. It was evident in my high-end FT4 and low-end FT3 results. After going through 4 endos, 1 integrative m.d., in less than 6 months, I made the switch to desiccated thyroid extract (DTE) that is pharmaceutical grade, contains both T4 and T3 and is porcine derived. I feel so much better!

[Gcart]

I agree with judymshaw.

Get checked. My dose was based on my weight after TT Has that method been used .

Be gentle to yourself as well 🙂

[humanbean]

1) Low iron and ferritin can cause the heart to go too fast. You would need to be properly tested for this. Taking iron when it isn't needed is a very bad idea. There is a private finger-prick test you can do and there is a money-off code you can use :

medichecks.com/iron-tests/i...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

2) Another cause of the heart going too fast is eating a high carbohydrate/sugar diet. Cut down on sugar/carbs and eat more fat/protein and see if it helps.

3) Personally I find that lower than optimal vitamin D can raise my heart rate.

4) I supplement with magnesium fairly frequently, and this helps slow my heart down too. The blood test for magnesium is not very reliable. I would suggest just trying a magnesium supplement and seeing if it helps. Magnesium supplements come in many forms, so try the one that appeals to you the most - it can be swallowed, rubbed on the skin, or put in the bath, depending on the type chosen. :

realfarmacy.com/magnesium-s...

5) Both low T3 and high T3 speed up my heart.

...

For short term benefit you could try the Valsalva Manoeuvre :

healthline.com/health/valsa...

I've never tried it personally - I keep meaning to try it but I always forget.

[Poniesrfun]

I had similar symptoms after my TT. My initial script was for 100mcg of levothyroxine. I skipped two days, felt better and called the surgeon’s office - they had me go on half dose (50 mcg) until my first tests then I worked slowly back up.

Sometimes the manipulation during surgery can cause the thyroid to release a substantial amount of thyroxine which may take a week or more to clear and the effects to wear off. Can you call the surgery and ask about skipping a couple of doses and/or lowering the dose for a while?

Patti in AZ