I have an under active thyroid and now my husband is presenting with symptoms too. He has put on 4 kgs in as many weeks, can go to sleep at the drop of a hat and his brain fog rivals mine.
The one thing he has which is very worrying is a very low heart rate. Tuesday he has an ecg at the surgery. We may be clutching at thyroid straws, but did anyone else have a low heart rate before treatment?
Hylda
Slow/weak pulse is listed as one of the signs/symptoms of hypothyroidism on ThyroidUK's website under Blood Pressure/Pulse here
thyroiduk.org/if-you-are-un...
That’s what he is thinking. Will try and talk them into a blood test when he goes on Tuesday.
Hylda
For best chance of diagnosis always advised here, when having thyroid tests:
* Blood draw no later than 9am. This is because TSH is highest early morning and lowers throughout the day. If looking for a diagnosis of hypothyroidism, an increase in dose of Levo or to avoid a reduction then we need the highest possible TSH
* Nothing to eat or drink except water before the blood draw. This is because eating can lower TSH and coffee can affect TSH.
[* If taking thyroid hormone replacement, last dose of Levo should be 24 hours before blood draw, if taking NDT or T3 then last dose should be 8-12 hours before blood draw. Adjust timing the day before if necessary. This avoids measuring hormone levels at their peak after ingestion of hormone replacement. Take your thyroid meds after the blood draw. Taking your dose too close to the blood draw will give false high results, leaving any longer gap will give false low results.]
* If you take Biotin or a B Complex containing Biotin (B7), leave this off for 7 days before any blood test. This is because if Biotin is used in the testing procedure it can give false results (most labs use biotin).
These are patient to patient tips which we don't discuss with phlebotomists or doctors.
They will probably only do TSH but it's worth asking for a full thyroid panel to include TSH, FT4, FT3 and thyroid antibodies.
Low heart rate was my reason for going to see my gp initially. Mind you i had to ask the doctor to investigate my thyroid as i’d read it was a symptom of hypothyroidism .
Think this is what we will do. Trying to remember what prompted mine. It was only afterwards that things like PCOS, Carpal Tunnel etc added up. We may be barking up the wrong tree entirely. Who knows!!
My husband has a slow heart rate and it doesn't cause him any problems. He also used to play squash so I think that's the reason for his low pulse but he also has R.A. (rheumatoid arthritis) but is well and has had no flare-ups for sometime.
This is a link that may be helpful:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
I hope your husband's appointment goes well.
My husband has a low heart rate but no thyroid problems at all. He is usually about 40 bpm. Can get up to 60 once seriously excercising. He also has brain fog which is much worse than anything I have ever had. Yes he can gin weight really quickly but doesn’t struggle to shed it either. More effort than 40/50 years ago but it comes off with low carb diet.
The GP doesn’t worry about the low heart rate and hasn’t been told about the brain fog. I suspect because my husband is seventy this year and his mother has dementia on doubt scared to admit to any mental health concern.
I am delighted your husband is not so silly.
I should say my OH had a heart attack about seven years ago, however did not need stents or other surgery and has been well ever since.
I hope the GP is rigorous when he speaks to your husband.
Unfortunately his appointment is only with a nurse and I had to fight to get him that!! The pulse is in the 30s and he is 6’7” and usually weighs 75kgs when soaking wet so any weight gain is very noticeable
With a heart rate that low you should be considering heart disease, he won't be getting enough oxygen to his brain so him passing out is a possibility, my late husband collapsed twice with heart block and needed a pacemaker, he was also hypothyroid but it had nothing to do with that.
I also have bradycardia and have a pacemaker, again nothing to do with being hypothyroid.
That’s why I insisted on an ECG sooner rather than later. He has started having dizzy spells. I now take a key every time I go out so I can get in again.
A quick ECG done at the GP surgery may not show the problem, if it doesn't then insist on further cardiac tests at hospital. It took several ECGs, an Echocardiogram, stress test and 7 day monitor before I got a diagnosis !
He was seen by a cardiologist last year so
We may contact her if no further forward Tuesday.
Yep to the low heart rate, it used to drop into the 30s at times but generally ran in the low 40s. I think my record low was 33, and there was a correlation to how shit I felt and how low my RHR was.My doc also booked me in for a ECG, they stick the leads on, give it a few seconds to record, then say stay there in case we need to do it again, ring the ECG people who record it down the phone line (wheee whir buzzing noises like the old style dial up tones), then they get the all clear (I don't know what happens if no all clear).
The only comment I got was I had a low heart rate, 48, and that was under stressful conditions of having an ECG.
Mine is low but not that low! Do you have a blood pressure monitor at home? Also can you tell if the weight is fluid from his heart pumping slowly so not clearing the lymph fluid as opposed to fat?
I don't mean to scare you but I'd be calling 111 if it was me and they'll probably get him into urgent care today for the ECG if you have one nearby as it could be heart failure, if the GP doesn't know how low the heart rate is I'd give them a call back at least.
With his height they may also ask about Marfans syndrome and get him straight to A&E if that is a possibility.
Hopefully it's nothing serious but 111 would be best placed to advice if seeing someone today would be a good idea
We finally got to see a Dr this morning and an ambulance was called to take him to A&E
Glad you got him to where he needed to be. Hope you don't have too much of a wait and fingers crossed its easily treatable or even better some bug or other and not serious
On cardio ward overnight. Possibility of pacemaker xx
Similar thing happened with my grandad he felt much better after pace maker fitted and body was getting the oxygen needed. They monitored him overnight to see if it resolved then pacemaker when didn't, surgery was quick and I think might have even been discharged the same day.It's difficult not being able to be with him but hopefully he'll be back out in no time x
Thank you. He’s in the right place. Hope they have a slot to fit him in soon. X
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