Palpitations, racing heart, what’s going on? - Thyroid UK

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Palpitations, racing heart, what’s going on?

Murphysmum profile image
24 Replies

So I’ve been stable for months now, and nothing has changed this week but since last night I’ve been feeling really uncomfortable and anxious.

My heart feels like it’s racing though in reality it’s never gone higher than about 65 on resting. I do have a low resting rate so this is slightly elevated for me. I feel tight chested though, really anxious and have that funny numb but not numb feeling on one side of my face.

The last time I was like this was a couple of years ago now , pre T3 and with very low thyroid levels. I’ve got a blood test I can send off tomorrow but can anybody suggest what might be going on? I’ve been doing so well!

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Murphysmum profile image
Murphysmum
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24 Replies
shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

It could be due to you having some sensitivity to something in your dose as pharma companies may alter fillers/binders.

This is just a guess on my part.

If you take one anti-histamine one hour before your next dose and if it resolves your palps you would need to ask pharmacist if there's another make you could try.

Murphysmum profile image
Murphysmum in reply to shaws

Thanks shaws.

I have been given a different brand this time and requested my usual, but because no one in my surgery can apparently read, I was given the same brand again.

I requested the script again but now it’s being queried as I’ve asked tooo often! 😩

Boots has a new script for me so here’s hoping it’s my original brand.

I’ve been on the alternate brand for around two weeks now

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply to Murphysmum

It's a horrible feeling when symptoms return and it takes us a while to realise why - or thinking 'why have I got all these symptoms'.

I hope symptoms are soon resolved.

Murphysmum profile image
Murphysmum in reply to shaws

Thanks, me too!

How quickly you forget how awful it is 😩

pffft2017 profile image
pffft2017

What medication are you taking, thyroxine or liothyronine? I take the latter and have found most batches of all brands are inconsistent but usually they err on the weak side so I improvise with the dose and know I've gone too far when I get palpitations and tremors. As lio is fairly instantaneous it soon wears off. Might be an idea to either get a TSH test or lower the dose slightly. Haven't been drinking too much caffeine or vaping too much nicotine have you?

Murphysmum profile image
Murphysmum in reply to pffft2017

I’m on T3.

Nope, no vaping, caffeine etc.

All I can assume is the new brand is different but why would it take two weeks to kick in? 🤷🏼‍♀️

I’m off to boots to get my new script... hopefully that’ll sort it

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply to Murphysmum

It is amazing how some change in the tablet can affect us negatively. At first we don't realise this. Dr Lowe would recommend one anti-histamine 1 hour before your next dose and if you don't have a bad reaction to change to another manufacturer.

Nanaedake profile image
Nanaedake

Do you always get your tablets from Boots? If you get tablets from a surgery dispensary instead of Boots then dispensarys don't have a pharmacist. The dispensers do not have the knowledge or training that a pharmacist has and, in my experience, they do not understand levothyroxine, have no clue and just believe we are being awkward in sticking to one brand. Also, they are tied into a contract and can only supply whatever levothyroxine that supplier delivers. Boots should be able to order in a different brand. If Boots own brand suits you then stick to them. Recently Actavis was bought by Accord and packaging has changed but it hasn't caused me any problems and it's what Boots supplies in its own packaging for the 50mcg dose.

Murphysmum profile image
Murphysmum in reply to Nanaedake

I’m on T3 but tbh, I’ve always found the pharmacists much more supportive of the brand thing. The gp just dismisses that there could be any difference, whereas the pharms agree with me!

Nanaedake profile image
Nanaedake in reply to Murphysmum

Yes, definitely deal with pharmacists, I find them helpful whereas most GPS shrug their shoulders, not their problem, yours to sort out. Sorry, didn't realise it was T3 but same principles apply around pharmacy versus dispensary.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply to Murphysmum

Doctors, unfortunately with regard to dysfunction thyroid glands are very poorly trained and only take notice of the TSH alone - may occasionally take a FT4 and FT3.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

Which brand were you on before it was changed?

Which brand now?

Obviously any change of brand requires blood test 6-8 weeks after changing

Murphysmum profile image
Murphysmum in reply to SlowDragon

I was on Mercury pharma until about two weeks ago when I was given morningside.

Unless I’ve missed a dose somewhere, it’s the only thing that explains it.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to Murphysmum

Morningside is quite a lot stronger than MP in my experience. Took me about 4-5 months to get use to it and that was on 20mcg as split dose - 10mcg waking, 5mcg at 3pm and 5mcg at 11pm.....plus 100 levothyroxine

DippyDame profile image
DippyDame

How much T3 are you taking?

How and when do you take your T3?

Do you split the dose?

Have you changed brands?

I take a huge dose of T3-only and find a difference in strength between the brands I use.

Or, as others have suggested, different excipients.

Might it be that your body/your tissues are now ready for a small increase

Your (possibly inactive)T3 receptors may be "wakening up" and signalling a need for more!

This happened to me while I was titrating T3

If you find it proves too much you can easily drop the dose again....but give it time to work

As you know it's a long slow process....just when you think you've cracked it the symptoms can return.

Other factors can affect your required dose...eg illness, hot weather.

I've been T3 only for over 2 years and I'm only now feeling very close to optimal....and I expect that will change again.

We should not be left in a state of limbo/poor health by medics....but hey, we're women and given to "health anxiety" or what ever similar label they slap on us when they haven't a clue what to do!

I'm cynical with very good reason!

Remember I'm not a medic....just a graduate of the school of hard thyroid knocks like, so many here

Post your results when they arrive and we'll all try to help.

Hope you feel better soon

DD

Murphysmum profile image
Murphysmum in reply to DippyDame

Well, I thought I was fairly optimal and I haven’t had the symptoms I had before needing an increase previously. I’m not ruling it out though.

I’ve been on a split dose (2x) T3 only for around 7/8 months now. I had been dabbling a bit a while back with reintroducing levo, but that was a while ago and my levels were only ever very tiny, so I don’t think it’s that.

I can only assume that I’ve missed a dose, or that the new brand isn’t working for me. As I’ve said above, I’ve requested a new script twice, stating I didn’t like that brand (tbh, not so much “didn’t like” as didn’t want to change) and got the same again. I requested another script and the gp got weird. I’ve been avoiding their calls all week but now boots have let me know they’ve got a script for me so here’s hoping the message has got through!

I’m feeling better this afternoon so hoping it was a blip for some reason, but I’ve never had it waken me during the night like that before, really odd.

I’ll collect the new tablets tomo so hoping I’ll be back to normal in a few days , knowing I can put it down to a change of brand but who knows! Failing that I’ll increase a wee bit 👍🏻

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator in reply to Murphysmum

Independent small pharmacies tend to be much more helpful re Always sticking to same brand

DippyDame profile image
DippyDame

OK, hope things settle down soon.

Sometimes it's just a case of 'Trial and Error'

Murphysmum profile image
Murphysmum

Oh dear! So after feeling mildly better late yesterday, this morning I’ve woken feeling shaky and the dizziness/vertigo is terrible.

I’ve done bloods so they’ll go in the post box just shortly.... how strange - I really hope a change of brand helps because if it’s not that, I’m worried!

DippyDame profile image
DippyDame in reply to Murphysmum

Try not to get anxious...though that is a sign of undermedication!

Hopefully your labs will point the way forward

Meantime take care.

What you described is similar to what I had. Hyperthyroidism. When go unnoticed or untreated with w/ meds or surgery can cause heart issues. Tell your dr. And have blood work down tsh t3,t4 and tsi and possible scan to figure out if thyroid tumor, thyroiditis, grave disease or pituitary tumor or whatever else. The levels can tell the endocrinologist which is rhe underline cause to appropriately treat you.

Murphysmum profile image
Murphysmum in reply to

Thanks, but please be careful dishing out advice.

I don’t have “hyper” thyroidism, quite the opposite in fact. Although I have educated myself well as to my symptoms and treatment, others might not have and may respond differently.

What I have learned is that the thyroid and it’s many complex interactions with other hormones and processes are just that, incredibly complex and each person can be very different. One size does not fit all.

In actual fact what I found was happening here was I retried an intermittent fasting diet I had had success with in the past. I turned out it then caused my thyroid hormone to drop dramatically over the space of a week and with only one fasting day.

No tumour, no hyperthyroidism, thyroiditis, etc.

in reply to Murphysmum

Hi. My patients tend to have what We call “silent thyroiditis” or sometimes acute thyroiditis.

in reply to Murphysmum

You take thyroid hormones for hypothyroid. If taking too much it can cause heart racing etc. as if one has hyperthyroid. There is a negative feedback between thyroid and your nervous system that regulate back and forth. If taking too much thyroid hormones one can have such symptoms and it can be dangerous. Too high Resting heart rate can lead to not enough blood to the brain and the hearts muscle itself. If your dr knows they would investigate the matter or prescribe beta blockers to slow your heart beat down. I had that symptoms where I heard my heart beat in my ear and winded dizziness just going up stair. I have never had any heart issues. That is when I insisted on having thyroid function tests to rule out hyperthyroidism or other conditions. But then I insisted on beta blocker to slow my heart down. (Some md prescribe beta blockers for anxiety patients too). It worked then I found out I sure have hyperthyroidism then differentiated to grave’s disease.

That tiny butterfly thyroid is so powerful. It literally affects all part of the body function (body temp regulation, heart rate, lung function, bone, skin, hair, weight, bowel, nail, nervous system, mental health, memory, liver and kidney). In the US, md tends to recommend RAI or surgery but that approach is changing to more conservative approach with trying meds before doing anything else.

Not getting into politic, there is a different in medical healrh treating practice between social health care (like most European countries and private health care like USA). I can find and switch my own dr I don’t need a referral. If I don’t like my dr who are not responsive to my healrh objective complaints, I can go anywhere. Not all practitioners create the same not have the same knowledge, training, and experience I own a company and I have 40 nurses work for me and we are not the same at all despite our titles are the same.

Providers starting to refer patients out very fast nowadays as liability and punishment with reduction in reimbursement if patients keep returning for the same problem. That is the new way now day for us

God bless all of you living with hashimoto. I. CAnt imagine and do not wish anyone to have that.

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