Fast heart rate from medication

[Ajva]

Does anyone else have problems with thyroid medication levo or armour NDT causing fast rapid heart rate? I do have POTs, I am also wondering if anyone else with underactive thyroid also suffers with this condition?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Looking at previous posts

You’re on Armour and only been on it a month

Do you split the dose into 2 or 3 smaller doses through the day

When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 last tested

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Do you have autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after any dose change

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested.

Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s or Ord’s thyroiditis)

Low vitamin levels common as we get older too

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water

Even if you don’t normally split NDT

On day before blood test, split Armour into 3 smaller doses, at roughly equal 8 hour intervals, taking last 1/3rd of daily dose approx 8-12 hours before test

Obviously essential to test Ft3 on NDT

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3

£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off down to £26.10 if go on thyroid uk for code

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

monitormyhealth.org.uk/

NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £29 via

vitamindtest.org.uk

[Ajva in reply to SlowDragon]

No have been on armour since may. I have only just got up to 1 grain as really struggle with each increase with my HR.

I am awaiting on a blood test results that has checked my RT3 as well as vitamins etc. I have hashimotos and underactive thyroid. I split my dose of armour into 2. I have to take one dose before dinner (an hour before) then I take 2nd dose at 10pm 3 hours after food and do not eat until the morning. This is the only way I can tolerate taking it as I get the side effects when sleeping. I can’t tolerate medication well during the day.

Also, by the evening I have had heart medication during the day to help with HR.

Vitamin levels are good but iron is low. I take supplements omega 3, multi vit, probiotic, iron

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Ajva]

Multivitamins are never recommended on here

Most contain iodine not recommended for Hashimoto’s unless tested and found deficient

What’s your diet like

Are you vegetarian or vegan

How low is iron

All replacement thyroid hormones need optimal vitamin levels to work well

Best to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 and supplement as required

[Cavapoochonowner]

Hello there, I have graves disease and was on 100mcg levothyroxine per day and 40mg carbimazole per day as block and replace.I had to reduce my thyroxine as I started getting weekly migraines and ended up in A ànd E with heart rate of 106.I had to have my levothyroxine reduced and started on proprananol to help migraines and lower heart rate. I was stable on this dose for quite a while.I don't know why it suddenly went haywire. At the moment I've slowly increased levothyroxine to 100mcg in the week and 50mcg at weekends(average about 86mcg per day).My heart rate thus morning before I took my proprananol was 102.I also have a bit of a headache and feel shaky.I did have my booster covid on Saturday so that may have skewed things.I'm due for blood tests again in Feb but will do some private ones at the same time to test T3 as the endo doesn't test that.The advice from members is that T4, T3 and TSH gives a clearer picture .Haven't been on new dose long enough to test so will have to wait a while.Hope this helps in some way.

[Ajva in reply to Cavapoochonowner]

It is awful. My HR resting is 140 today. Keeps going up to 150-160 walking round my house. I am on Ivabradine for my HR which is a bit like a beta blocker but directs the heart. I know thyroid meds can cause racing heart as a side affect. Although the endo did not agree, levo used to make me pass out so that is why I changed to armour

[Cavapoochonowner in reply to Ajva]

Sorry to hear that.You sound in a worse place than me.Someone suggested that I split my dose but it's difficult because of having to take levothyroxine away from food and other meds. I'm at a loss to know what's happening with me.It may be connected to my graves disease as my thyroid eye disease has flared up again after being stable.It's a devil isn't it.I hope you manage to find a solution.

[Ajva in reply to Cavapoochonowner]

Thank you. Have you tried taking your levo before bed? I find it easier I take half of armour at 5 an hour before dinner then the other half at 10pm as I haven’t eaten for hours then won’t eat till the morning. Might be worth a try? I then take heart meds first thing at 7am so they kick in when I need to rush about a bit

[Cavapoochonowner in reply to Ajva]

At the moment I take it when I get up in the night to use the toilet but I could split it and take the other half say before lunch.That might work for me .Thankyou for the advice.

[lisan1]

Yes, I have both hypothyroidism and pots. ☹️

[Ajva in reply to lisan1]

Are you on anything for your pots? Also do you take levo? I am wondering whether to try levo again as my HR is silly crazy making me so dozzy

[shaws Administrator]

Levothyroxine caused me to have severe palpitations in the middle of the night.

Liothyronine resolved the problems and the Cardiologist did not need to put an implant in my heart to 'see what was going on' re palpitations.

When I took T3 only, palpitations reduced and pulse returned to normal and I didn't need an implant..

[Ajva in reply to shaws]

That is interesting. I have tried a t3 only medication. I am only on armour as I struggled to tolerate levo. I was not on levo for long only a few days.

If I go up another grain and things get much worse I may have to swap to another drug. Where do you source your t3 only from?

[shaws Administrator in reply to Ajva]

My body didn't like levothyroxine - I got terrible palpitations especially during the night.

Cardiologist was contemplating putting an implant in my heart t 'see what was going on' but I was prescribed liothyronine/levothyroxine and felt an improvement then went onto T3 alone and it has resolved all palpitations.

I'm sorry for a late response. I am prescribed T3 by an Endocrinologist and GP puts order to pharmacist every month.

[Ajva in reply to shaws]

I am switching in a few weeks to tirosint and compounded t3 to see if I can get on better with these. NDT is great but it is causing me too many heart and histamine issues. I also have very high t3, low t4 and high tsh. I need a raise but my t3 is high 6.3 so I will end up going over with an increase.