Covid, Thyroid meds and elevated pulse

[Batty1]

I’m not sure if this question is allowed but Im struggling right now and feel like my thyroid meds could be complicating my covid recovery.

I caught covid a week ago and have been suffering with all the usual issues from it coughing, dry heaves, body aches, horrible fatigue, clogged nose and no taste and no smell …. My biggest issue has been sleeping I feel like my breathing stops (it doesn’t) but it feels like it and whatever this is its causing my pulse to soars to 80 bpm to over 100bpm …. My question is can covid mess with your thyroid medication by making you feel hyper or does this seem impossible?

Prior to being sick my resting pulse was always in the low 70’s now it’s hitting between 80 to over 100 and it really makes me feel crummy….. I have also lost 11 pounds since I caught covid.

UPDATE: I have lost 2 more pounds since I made this post doing absolutely nothing different…,Im not complaining about losing weight seems super odd that my pulse is high and the weight is dropping off my body with no effort.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

My question is can covid mess with your thyroid medication by making you feel hyper or does this seem impossible?

There are so many unknowns with Covid and people are reacting differently. Some people may have experienced what you have, others wont have. Maybe it's just how Covid is affecting you and nothing to do with Covid messing with your thyroid meds.

I don't think it's possible for anyone to give a definitive answer to your question.

[radd]

Batty1,

There are been thousands of documented cases where thyroid hormones have been raised during or after COVID.

If you are confident you could reduce your dose, and retest TSH, FT4 & FT3 using MMH test for £26.10 in a few weeks. If you aren’t confident or feel too unwell to think, you could ask your doctors opinion and get TFT’s in a few weeks through your surgery.

Hope you feel better soon 😊

[Batty1 in reply to radd]

I don’t have a thyroid so could covid still mess with my thyroid levels? I could stop 1/2 of my dose and see if this helps just seems so weird.

[radd in reply to Batty1]

Batty1,

Ah, no in that case I wouldn't mess with thyroid meds. My point related to the damage & destruction to the follicular epithelial cells causing thyroid gland injury that COVID can incur.

You need your meds to keep your immune system strong. Hope you feel better soon 😊

[GlowCoach Administrator]

A temperature or sickness in itself can cause a raised pulse rate. My Mum was a nurse and if I was sick she always used to check my pulse. They do that as part of observations when you're in hospital too. I'd be cautious about dropping your dose too soon in case it settles?

bannerhealth.com/healthcare...

[Star13]

I’ve had similar Covid symptoms to you and I don’t think it’s anything to do with my thyroid meds, more secondary infection which has required steroids and antibiotics. Covid is awful and some of us just don’t handle it well . Speak to your GP to see if you need other meds too.

[Catseyes235]

sounds a bit early to tell what’s what. Everyone seems to get a variety of symptoms. I had very few just sneezing and runny nose for a few days but felt pretty tired for about 6 weeks after until I felt recovered. Sorry but think you’ll have to give it a few weeks to see if things improve!

[Batty1 in reply to Catseyes235]

I hope it doesn’t take weeks .

[jade_s]

Shoot i just typed out a long reply & lost it. Will try to elaborate tomorrow but the summary is get b12 tested and/or try increasing your dose if you're already supplementing. This has helped those of us who inject b12 and got covid, and there are several papers & studies looking into b12 levels of those who got sicker and in long covid. Best wishes x

[Joyya]

In the literature there are documented cases of thyroiditis that results in people manifesting hyperthyroid symptoms, but most cases return to normal after 6 weeks, a few cases become hypo after.

[Hashiboy]

Hi Batty1 it could be thyroid but I had COVID a couple if years back and was left with many months if long covid symptoms. One of the symptoms many of us first wave COVID cases had was a very elevated heart rate and breathlessness on very mild exertion. This was accompanied by weakness or shakiness in dinner people. For me, it also affected my blood pressure. Doctors had not really recognised these kind of symptoms early on in the epidemic but they should be more aware now. It can be caused by cardio vascular effects of the virus or neurological affects. Just to be sure you get all the help you might need and to get reassurance maybe talk to your GP and explain your symptoms. Good luck and hope you feel better soon.

[HGP1]

You mentioned weight loss that in itself can affect dose required.

[AbiKat1]

Hi Batty, my answer to your question is yes. I have had an underactive thyroid for 30 years. I was in 125mcg thyroxine until recently.

I caught covid, I felt terrible for ages, 2 months after I started to develop palpitations and high pulse. I went to the A&E and I had turned thyrotoxic - TSH was totally suppressed at 0.01 and T3 7.4 T4 29. I had flipped to completely overactive. I had developed de quervains thyroiditis. It’s something you can get following covid or viral infection.

A lot of doctors did not understand what was going on, I ended up having a thyroid storm and put onto beta blockers to slow the heart down. The raised thyroid made everything go barmy. Headaches, numb face and extremities, shaking, tremors, siezures, speech and memory difficulty, I just felt awful. I was taken off thyroxine. I have been off it for 2 months now. I’m cycling down to underactive, it’s a real rollercoaster.

Iv been put in Vit D and Vit B and expected to start back in 50mcg of thyroxine soon.

It’s not fun but that the result of covid.

For 30 years I was told I am not auto immune, I’m now diagnosed with hashimotos that can flip to over active when I catch a virus.

So my answer to your question is yes. You need to get your thyroid bloods tested asap if you haven't already.

I’d also welcome any advice from anyone with regards to this.

Wish you better !

[Batty1 in reply to AbiKat1]

interesting only problem is I don’t have a thyroid so I doubt Im having a thyroid storm.

[AbiKat1]

Well that definitely puts a different spin on it. I hope you find your answers and feel much better soon.