For the past 9 months I've been suffering from intermittent chest pain, which varies from heavy feeling in centre of chest and different feelings of discomfort in all areas of my chest. It's being investigated but so slowly. I've had a cat scan, ct chest scan and waiting for a stress test. Ct scan showed small amount of granulomas (sign of previous infection) bloods showed elevated white blood cells, high allergy, high cholesterol. I'm beyond frustrated and off work again sick, plus I'm poorly with the low energy and all the things we can experience. I was in the doctors again crying, saying why is nobody thinking this could be to do with hashimotos, nobody is even mentioning it. In this time or maybe before this all started my levothyroxine was changed from 100mcg to 75mcg, I'm wondering if this is anything to do with it. I'm definitely gonna be asked to be referred to an endocrinologist! Has anyone experienced this or am I going mad. Thanks in advance x
Hasimotos and chest pain: For the past 9 months I... - Thyroid UK
Hasimotos and chest pain
With any form of thyroid disease it is common to have low nutrient levels. In my personal experience I will get chest pain when I have low levels of iron and/or ferritin. You could ask your doctor to do a full iron panel and ask for a copy of the results including reference ranges. Once you have the results you could post the results and ranges in a new post and ask for feedback.
I would also suggest asking for vitamin B12, folate and vitamin D to be tested as well because they are also commonly deficient in people like us.
Do you live in the UK? If you do there are ways and means of paying to get tests done without involving a doctor.
First thing is, do you have any actual blood test results? if not will need to get hold of copies. You are legally entitled to printed copies of your blood test results and ranges.
You want to see results from when you were on 100mcg and now on 75mcg
UK GP practices are supposed to offer online access for blood test results. Ring and ask if this is available and apply to do so if possible, if it is you may need "enhanced access" to see blood results.
In reality many GP surgeries do not have blood test results online yet
Alternatively ring receptionist and request printed copies of results. Allow couple of days and then go and pick up.
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also extremely important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if Thyroid antibodies are raised
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and fasting. This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
Last Levothyroxine dose should be 24 hours prior to test, (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
75mcg is only one step up from starter dose of 50mcg
Bloods should never be adjusted on just TSH. Always need FT3 and FT4 tested. But NHS rarely tests these
Chest pain can be low iron / ferritin
Ask GP to test vitamins
Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies or all vitamins
thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...
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 special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random
The aim of Levothyroxine is to increase the dose slowly in 25mcg steps upwards until TSH is under 2 (many need TSH significantly under one) and most important is that FT4 in top third of range and FT3 at least half way in range
All four vitamins need to be regularly tested and frequently need supplementing to maintain optimal levels
NHS guidelines on Levothyroxine including that most patients eventually need somewhere between 100mcg and 200mcg Levothyroxine.
nhs.uk/medicines/levothyrox...
Also what foods to avoid (eg recommended to avoid calcium rich foods at least four hours from taking Levo)
Any suspicion/history of Lyme disease, and thereby Lyme carditis?
Thanks for all the advice guys. I will dig out my results (I always ask for copies) and post them for feedback. No mention of Lyme, they suspected TB first. I think I just want to know if this is normal for hashimoto's or is it something else. Thanks again x
I live in the Republic of Ireland btw
I am also Hashimoto sufferer, with continual vitamin D deficiency. My last cholesterol test had gone sky high 8.7. I know our condition can elevate this. Last year I had series of heart checks as I was getting weird arrhythmia and palpitations. I had monitor, stress test, echo cardigan and mri. All showed little things but nothing significant that warranted further action. The miss Rd beats are called ectopic, the arrhythmia was called sinus tachycardia.
I started trying to lower cholesterol by eating more fish and using milk and spread and yoghurts with plant stamps. I’ve had a retest of Cholesterol going to find out results today. Fingers crossed.
What about Gerd, this can also cause chest pains?
I had the same, I removed dairy from my diet and now they have gone...
I have had this both when marginally overmedicated (TSH becoming too low as a consequence) and also twice, during a panic attack (according to my GP, not according to me - but I had never had panic attacks before then).
Hope one of the tests will help you. And do post your thyroid results.
I'm not sure how it is with your condition I have grave's but I would say to monitor it persistently because I used to get facial drooping, slurred speech and pins and needles and it could quite possibly be transient ischemic attacks which is basically a mini stroke.
Feeling so similar...last year, my GP retired. I’d been on 100 mcg Levothyroxine for six years, and really stable. New GP reduced dose from 100 to 75, to 50; then to 25, between mid July and September. I crashed, couldn’t think, walk, sleep etc. Increased my dose back up after I pled for her to do so. Went up to 75 by October, but then had chest pain. Felt like heart attack, but they said ECG normal. Put me on stress test the next pm! Thought I might arrest! Sent me home with beta blockers! Didn’t take them, as heart rate already low and I just knew it was wrong. Since then saw good cardio, who also identified viral issue in January, and had me given echocardiogram. That was ok, but just had CT angiogram too, no results yet. But even my dentist seems to understand thyroid issues better than my GP surgery...🤔 Thank goodness for this site.
You are not going mad! I so feel for you. Am now retired, but struggled through work for years before Hypo diagnosis. Keep believing in yourself. Get some Reiki as it may help you cope. Xxx
Hi I was in exact same situation so I differently understand your situation and now iav tried NDT to try stabilise and feel alot better and my heart issues have improved
I have had these issues when under medicated and when I had a brand which I didn't tolerate and had bad reactions so it can be under or over medicated I think in your case it's under medicated so you need to increase your levo but I would get your thyroid panel done and work from there or look into NDT
Definitely natural healing will help balance emotions while your trying to stablise and help relieve stress and anxiety.
I have been having chest pains as well. they were intermittent, waking me up at night. Then I stopped dairy for 2 weeks because my upper abdomen was enlarged, and chest pains became more regular with shortness of breath, fatigue, irritability.
I thought maybe I was taking too Much iron, so I stopped that. Mistake - soon I had almost constant chest pains. I went back on iron, and it's getting better. and back on dairy! I'm still having some heart tests done this week that were already scheduled, but for me, think it was the lowish ferritin.
So not saying this is the case for you, but I agree with those that suggest you get your iron/ferritin and other things tested. Make sure they test ferritin, my iron levels are fine.
Hope you find answers and you're not going mad!
Hi guys thanks do much for all your responses. This website always helps in my dark times. I have an answer! I saw an amazing consultant today who spent 40 mins listening to me and trying to understand. I wrote an A4 page of my symptoms, which is really good idea - especially as i have broken down in tears with three health professionals this week. He has diagnosed Fibromyalgia and has increased my Levo back to my original 100mcg hooray. They are still doing a full check on my bloods and he is going to see me again at the end of august. It makes the biggest difference when you are listened too x
I had chest pain when i was on Levo. Better blockers didnt help me at all. I decided to stop Levo and start NDT. My chest pain disappeared completely. In my case it was Levo which gave me chest pain.
I have been on levo since 2016 and chest pain only started last year. The Dr said it is muscular and it seems to feel better with heat. Also feels better since I have a diagnosis, the stress of worry was making it worse I believe. It looks like there could be so many reasons for chest pain and I'm glad you've found an answer. The problem with chest pain is you wonder if it your lings, heart etc. Whereas mine appears to be muscular, well Ive been told anyway! Ha x
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