Breathless

[Tammy40-]

Anyone else have low heart rate and very short of breath one or two days a week with under active thyroid xx I seen to have two bad days a week it feels like I have apple in my throat hard to breath and dry mouth I’m exhausted I don’t no why this is always twice a week I’m taking levy for thyroid also i tend to urinate a lot at night I’ve had check for diabetics and I’m fine

[Pearlteapot]

yes. I have phlegm that won't budge, some days I hardly notice it but other days it feels like a blockage. I am intermittently breathless and feel that my heart is too weak. Other days it is fine. I have stopped wearing my apple watch because seeing my heart rate go so low (or sometimes very high) was giving me panic attacks. My current medication is 75/100 alternate days and I think I have the bad breathless days on the 75mcg days. i am always happy when its a 100mcg day. I know that perhaps rationally this doesn't make sense as the drug has a longer half life and the daily dosage should not make such a difference but somehow it does.

I am assuming that these symptoms mean that i am under medicated and I'm hoping that after my next test I will go up to 100 mcg every day and these feelings will pass. Especially the heart symptoms which freak me out.

What do you think the cause is? Under medication or something else?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Welcome to the forum

How long have you been diagnosed as hypothyroid

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

How long on this dose

Make an appointment with GP to get FULL Thyroid and vitamins tested

Low iron/ferritin levels are extremely common if left on too low a dose of levothyroxine

Low iron/ferritin can cause breathlessness

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose change or brand change in levothyroxine

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) usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease

Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s

Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis.

Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.

In U.K. medics hardly ever refer to autoimmune thyroid disease as Hashimoto’s (or Ord’s thyroiditis)

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally before 9am and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

Is this how you do your tests

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)

Are you in the U.K.?

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

List of private testing options and money off codes

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

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

[Batty1]

Yes, Im thyroid-less and I also have a day or two sometimes three were I feel breathless and my pulse is low …. Don’t know why my labs don’t indicate a problem unless my vitamins are out of whack but that wouldn’t explain why it’s only a couple days of it.

[Tammy40- in reply to Batty1]

Well I had my vitamins ferritin etc done and I was really low on vitamin so the doctor prescribed me vitamin b3 but it makes me feel worse xx thyroid problems causes low vitamins x I hate it I feel like I’m going to stop breathing it worse as I lie down maybe buy some vitamins

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Tammy40-]

Well how much levothyroxine are you currently taking

What are your most recent thyroid results

You may need next dose increase in levothyroxine

[Tammy40-]

He didn’t tell me my levels he just said they’re really low so he increased my tablets from 100mg to 125mg for 6 weeks then I have more bloods taken