Thyroid and heart issues

Hi, I’ve had thyroid issues since my early twenties and have always been under active. Since having my son 8 years ago it’s been a struggle to get my levels right with meds. Last year I started with Atrial Fibrillation and the sea think it may be due to my thyroid which has now gone overactive! My meds have been reduced once and I’m due a blood test soon to check them again. My endocrinologist is sure I need to go lower and he thinks this will help with the AF. I’d like to hear from anyone else who has AF alongside their thyroid issues. Thanks

[greygoose]

Sounds as if you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, where the immune system slowly destroys the thyroid, and thyroid hormone levels swing between hypo and false 'hyper'. You're in a hyper-phase at the moment, but you will eventually go hypo again.

The heart can be affected by thyroid hormone levels that are both too high and too low.

[coppeen in reply to greygoose]

I certainly suffered from AF when I have tried to raise my dose even a fraction. Fine now and stable but only through trial and error. But as the other poster says, there may be other causes of AF. But if I raise dose by 12 mg I will have AF within a couple of days.

[Freddiestar1234 in reply to coppeen]

I thought AF is something which stays with you as my dad has it ?

[Marz]

Am wondering why your dose of T4 was reduced ? Do you have any recent results with ranges you could share ? You are only over dosed if your T3 is over range. Was it tested ?

Also low iron can be an issue with low thyroid and AF. So it's important to test B12 - Folate - Ferritin - VitD. Anxiety can be a problem should the results above be low in range.

You haven't mentioned your dose - could it be that it is not enough rather than too much.

[Hidden in reply to Marz]

Not sure if my T4 was reduced! I was on 200mcg Levo now on 175mcg. Iron and B12 etc was all ok when last tested. I have graphs of most recent TSH and T4 I’ll post them.

Graph is results

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

You mentioned your dose had been reduced in your opening post. Levo is T4.

Being told your results are normal/fine/OK is an opinion rather than a result. Sadly Docs think you are normal/fine/OK when you are in range. It is WHERE you are in the range that is the key to wellness.

Important to obtain copies of all results to monitor your progress and check what has been missed !

Sadly it seems your dose has been reduced based on your TSH result - this is wrong. The TSH is a Pituitary hormone .. You need the T3 result - the Active thyroid hormone - if it is over range then a dose reduction could be considered appropriate.

[Jodypody]

Have you had covid by any chance

[Hidden in reply to Jodypody]

Nope! I’ve been lucky so far

[Jodypody in reply to Hidden]

Ah right I heard and experienced a peak in T3 whilst recovering and had the same heart issues. Subsided now

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

Hi Pingu7813 - I responded to you 5 hours ago - happy to help if you have some answers to the questions 😊

[Hidden in reply to Marz]

Hi I’ve just replied to you x

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

Thank you ...

[bantam12]

I have AF but it’s not related to my thyroid or Levo dose.

[humanbean]

Low iron and/or ferritin [iron stores] have bad effects on the heart, and can cause chest pain and heart arrhythmia if the deficiency is bad enough.

Levels of T3 which are too high OR too low can cause arrhythmia too.

[Hylda2]

I have an under active thyroid and AF. Both are treated by medication and I’m fine. 78 years old

[Hidden in reply to Hylda2]

That’s reassuring to know x

[Freddiestar1234 in reply to Hylda2]

❤️ x

[Redditch]

At the Cambridge post graduate thyroid conference a few years ago.... Cardiff University Medical research team found that the only permanent heart issues were with women whose FT4 was over 40. Anything else they saw as transitory and not harmful. Palpitations and even AF can be on and off. I've had both over the years..