Chest pain advice please

[Flecmac]

I’ve been on 75mcg since March and recently have had occasional indigestion type pain but on left side of chest. I was told that if any symptoms, to reduce levo. It’s taken 12-15 years to get 75 mcg and have had TPO ab 13000 until I went GF, now halved. If I go to docs they will stop levo or at least lower, but I can’t carry on having this pain, no way of being sure of the cause or how dangerous this could be. I have had palpitations for years even when not on levo, but this is worrying as Gp always said higher dose can cause heart failure!! Thanks.

[greygoose]

Your doctor considers 75 mcg levo to be a high dose? It's not much more than a starter dose. But, if you're worried about chest pain, you really ought to get it checked out. Is there a different doctor you can see if you're worried your normal GP will stop your levo?

It's rather over-dramatic to tell you any dose of levo is going to cause heart failure. That's highly unlikely. And, it's nothing to do with the size of the dose, anyway, it's the level of thyroid hormones in your cells. Not all the dose you take ever gets into your cells. Unfortunately, you can't measure how much does, but you can measure how much gets into your blood. When did you last have a blood test? Do you have the results of that last blood test? If not, ring the surgery and ask them to print them out for you - it's your legal right to have a copy - and pick them up at their convenience. If you haven't had a test recently, then you should ask for one. That would be a sensible first step. In any case, your doctor shouldn't stop your levo for any reason without replacing it with something else. If you are hypo - and presumably you are - you need thyroid hormone replacement of some sort for life. He must know that.

[Aurealis]

Well I’m sure you already know the official advice - that if you have chest pain dial 999. That said, low thyroid hormones are as bad for the heart as high ones. Have you taken your pulse or blood pressure or temperature? These could be useful to you in building up a bigger picture of what is going on. If your levels have been low for a while you may have angina on your higher dose, not because thyroid levels are too high but due to effects of undertreatment over time. As you say the pain has been there for a while I think you should get checked out. But I have to say that chest pain on raising dose is something I’ve experienced and it has resolved with continuation on same dose, though quicker than you. Medics worry about too high a dose as then it’s their fault! I’ve spent years with palpitations listening to advice that it’s my ingested hormone that’s to blame, only to find on eventually raising dose that the palpitations disappeared - I can only assume they were due to a too low dose. This is a vile business, living by the seat of your pants, go-alone healthcare. What have we come to. And what are we paying our money for?

[Flecmac]

My results as follows:-

Collected: 15 Jul 2019

Received: 15 Jul 2019

Provider Sample ID: 0019N426280

Pathology Investigations

FREE T4+FT3+TSH

Serum free T4 level 18.8 pmol/L [10.0 - 20.0]

Serum TSH level 0.03 mu/L [0.5 - 4.4]

Below low reference limit

Serum free triiodothyronine level 5.5 pmol/L [3.5 - 6.5]

[greygoose in reply to Flecmac]

Well, your FT4/3 are nicely in-range. So, you're not over-medicated. Those results were on 75 mcg levo?

[Flecmac in reply to greygoose]

Yes.

[greygoose in reply to Flecmac]

OK, so I very much doubt that your chest pains have anything to do with your thyroid levels.

[Flecmac in reply to greygoose]

Thanks.

[Hidden]

Has your GP sent you for an ecg and taken bloods to rule out heart issues? And I am presuming it is he that has told you that this is indigestion. Following that train of thought logically does he think levo cause indigestion especially at higher doses which is not something I have ever heard of.

If your GP has not properly ruled out heart problem as above dial 999 and get it properly checked.

I think it has been established that a below range TSH in people with hyperthyroidism (overactive) happens alongside heart failure sometimes. It is also known that lack of treatment for an under active thyroid leads to the same. There has been a study done on people who have had treatment for thyroid cancer who need to have a dose of thyroid hormones large enough to suppress the TSH and it was found that thyroid hormones such as levo do not even at quite high doses cause heart failure. Other people on here are better at finding links to studys than me but you also might be able to find it on tuk website.

Have you had taken your Vitmain D, folate, B12 and ferretin? as these may be relevant.

[Flecmac in reply to Hidden]

Thanks.

I’ve just been to see nurse and she’s arranged ecg for this afternoon.

[Flecmac in reply to Hidden]

Yes had those tests done too but not recently. May ‘19

Vit D 112 nmol/L (50.0-200.0)

Ferritin 74ug/L 12.0-300.0)

Last Dec folate was 10.0 Ug/L (3.3-19.3)

B12 > 2000 ng/L (191-663) supplemented.

[danym in reply to Flecmac]

wow, your vitamin d levels are good, do you taking anything for vitamin d?

[Flecmac in reply to danym]

Yes, vitamin d and k spray from body kind. My level was low at 50 and the spray has done a great job! 😊

[danym in reply to Flecmac]

is that sublingual?

[Flecmac in reply to danym]

Spray inside cheek xx