I posted last week about having an increased heart rate and palpitations - I had bloods done on 8th Jan (attached) T3 was a bit low, vits and minerals weren't good (Dosage, 150mcg Levo, 300mcg Thyrogold - for last 6 months). I started taking desiccated liver, Vit D spray and Igennus Super B. Over the last 7 days my heart has been going crazy, 90+ at rest, I took my dog for a walk on Weds and I'd only got around the block and it was 157bpm, feeling hot and shaky etc. I spoke to a doctor on Wed who made an appointment for yesterday and told me not to move about too much until I could get to appointment - he advised me if it went above 120bpm to call an ambulance. I stopped taking my thyroid meds 5 days ago because I was concerned about taking them when my heart was so erratic. I had a medichecks test which I was saving because I'd bough it on offer and took it yesterday morning. Then at about 10am yesterday morning sitting on the sofa it spiked to 170bpm, I felt really hot and shaky, chest pain/pressure etc. My husband called NHS111 who told me they would send an ambulance or go to a&e immediately.
I showed A&E docs my results from 8th Jan and explained that my TSH is always low but the FT's were ok/low in range. A&E ran bloods (which they said included Thyroid but was TSH only) and concluded that I was overmedicated. I explained that I haven't had any medication for 5 days but they said TSH blah, blah, blah. I said to the doc about T3 levels, he said only TSH counts, I argued and asked why after all this time would I suddenly be overmedicated? He said TSH can only tell when your body is low in hormones not high?!?! I've had my second bloods back (also attached), TSH is very low, T3 is only slightly higher, and T4 is lower. I assumed I was having a hyper swing, or that taking iron/Vit D had caused T4 that had pooled because of low ferritin to suddenly be utilised - but I'm confused by latest results. Hospital doctors discharged me after a full day in hospital saying I had to reduce medication to 100mcg, and take 1.25 Bisapropol. Heart is less erratic but still high pulse. I'm very worried and confused about what move to make next. I was planning to try T3 only because 8th Jan T3 blood results were poor, but I'm now going to be locked into a cycle of thyroid testing with GP even though he doesn't know anything about thyroid.
29th Jan:
Inflammation
CRP HS 3.27 mg/L (Range: < 5)
Iron Status
Ferritin 28.10 ug/L (Range: 13 - 150)
Vitamins
Folate - Serum 6.69 ug/L (Range: > 3.89)
Vitamin B12 - Active 90.300 pmol/L (Range: > 37.5)
Hi SlowDragon thank you. I'm currently taking Vit D spray, magnesium, ingennus B, dessicated liver tablets for iron(which naturally contains K2). My periods are heavy.
I have been taking Thryogold for 6 months so I'm surprised that it would suddenly cause overmedication after this length of time. Interestingly since the bloods on 8th Jan, to bloods taken yesterday there has been an increase in T3 and decrease TSH (despite stopping all meds 5 days ago) - that's the part I'm finding most difficult to understand.
Would you advise starting to take Levo again even though I'm still experiencing a racing heart (the betablockers have slowed it down slightly).
They've prescribed bisoprolol. I'm not sure that my post is clear that there are 2 sets of results, one from 8th Jan (pre-heart problems) and one from 29th Jan. The T3 has increased since I stopped taking the medication, which is the odd part.
The vitamin D has came up from 46 to 111 in those 2 weeks. The iron has increased however, I didn't stop taking any supplements because I just wanted to use that to see what FT's were doing (so I'm not sure that's reliable in terms of vitamin levels).
Suggests slightly under medicated and extremely poor conversion of Ft4 to Ft3
29th jan
TSH X 0.01 mIU/L (Range: 0.27 - 4.2)
Free T3 5.10 pmol/L (Range: 3.1 - 6.8)
Free Thyroxine 13.600 pmol/L (Range: 12 - 22)
Ft4 is 15% through range
Ft3 is 54% through range
Common to see improvement in conversion initially when you stop levothyroxine.....probably why people often feel better when first stop levothyroxine....it doesn’t last
The low Ft4 means there will soon be drop in Ft3 as well
Thank you for the percentage calculator that’s really helpful. So 8th Jan I’d been taking Levo & Thyrogold for 6 months - despite that T3 was low. Then all of a sudden I had these heart symptoms - so I stopped meds for last 5/6 days. Do you think that starting the vit D and extra iron would boost conversion and cause overmedication? I’m not gluten free anymore, I was strictly gf for 12 months a few years ago but it didn’t appear to make any difference.
I would say that going back to eating gluten is likely to have contributed significantly to issues, reducing conversion of Ft4 to Ft3 and might have made vitamin levels worse too
Before considering adding any medication that contains T3 we need all four vitamins optimal and stable at optimal levels
Frequently necessary to be absolutely strictly gluten free too
Personally I couldn’t tolerate any T3 until well over a year being absolutely strictly gluten free, all four vitamins at very good ranges for well over a year too
PS: I used the Vit D calculator you linked me to last time to work our cut D loading dose and it appears to have worked within 10 days to bring it up - so thank you very much!
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