thyroid swing - heart palpitations

[CharlyMae]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all your support on my last post. I reduced my thyroxine to 25mg and for a week my heart palpitations stopped but now it’s back.

I’m considering not taking my meds for a few days, thoughts?

My last TSH reading was 0.01

[Buddy195 Administrator]

I’ve had heart palpitations and even ended up in A and E when I’ve both increased or decreased my medication too quickly. I have to make adjustments super slowly, so for me I adjust only by 12.5mcg Levo alternate days at first. I gradually build up to a 25mcg increase or decrease and I find a pill cutter extremely useful. I’ve definitely become more of a ‘tortoise’ than a ‘hare’ when making adjustments.

On occasion that my FT4 was over range (I had tremor, high anxiety, sweating, weight loss in addition to palpitations) I have stopped taking thyroid medication completely for 24 hours, then restarted it very slowly. When ever I have had these ‘hyper-like’ phases (obviously not true ‘hyperthyroid ’ as I’m hypo) they have passed.

I hope this offers you some reassurance CharlyMae 🦋

[SlowDragon Administrator]

What’s happening about your very low ferritin levels

Has GP done full iron panel test and are you on iron supplements

cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anae...

Serum ferritin level is the biochemical test, which most reliably correlates with relative total body iron stores. In all people, a serum ferritin level of less than 30 micrograms/L confirms the diagnosis of iron deficiency.

Never supplement iron without doing full iron panel test for anaemia first and retest 3-4 times a year if self supplementing. It’s possible to have low ferritin but high iron 

Medichecks iron panel test 

medichecks.com/products/iro...

Look at increasing iron rich foods in diet 

Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption

List of iron rich foods

dailyiron.net

Links about iron and ferritin

An article that explains why Low ferritin and low thyroid levels are often linked 

preventmiscarriage.com/iron...

irondisorders.org/too-littl...

davidg170.sg-host.com/wp-co...

Great in-depth article on low ferritin 

oatext.com/iron-deficiency-...

drhedberg.com/ferritin-hypo...

This is interesting because I have noticed that many patients with Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, start to feel worse when their ferritin drops below 80 and usually there is hair loss when it drops below 50.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Thyroid disease is as much about optimising vitamins as thyroid hormones

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

restartmed.com/hypothyroidi...

Post discussing just how long it can take to raise low ferritin 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Iron and thyroid link

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Excellent article on iron and thyroid 

cambridge.org/core/journals...

Posts discussing why important to do full iron panel test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Chicken livers if iron is good, but ferritin low

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Shellfish and Mussels are excellent source of iron 

healthline.com/nutrition/he...

Heme iron v non heme

hsph.harvard.edu/nutritions...

Ferritin over 100 to alleviate symptoms 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Great research article discussing similar…..ferritin over 100 often necessary 

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Low Iron implicated in hypothyroidism 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Ferritin range on Medichecks 

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

We have received further information the lab about ferritin reference ranges. They confirm that they are sex dependent up to the age of 60, then beyond the age of 60 the reference range is the same for both sexes: 

Males 16-60: 30-400 ug/L

Female's: 16-60: 30-150

Both >60: 30-650 

The lower limit of 30 ug/L is in accordance with the updated NICE guidance and the upper limits are in accordance with guidance from the Association of Clinical Biochemists. ‘

[CharlyMae in reply to SlowDragon]

They have put me on this once a day to ease the palpitations

Medicine

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to CharlyMae]

That’s quite a large dose

Suggest you ask for 10mg tablets and try either as required or 2-3 times a day

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Are you taking daily vitamin B complex and separate B12 supplement for low B12 and folate

When was vitamin D last tested and how much vitamin D are you currently taking

[CharlyMae in reply to SlowDragon]

I have an iron supplement myself and I take Vitamin D & B12.

They want to put me on Beta Blockers to calm my heart down?

They believe I have swung to overactive because of my autoimmune thyroiditis

They don’t believe I have an iron problem as it’s low but in range.

It’s so hard to speak to doctors on the NHS, they just don’t understand.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to CharlyMae]

Suggest you get at least TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 tested yourself

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/

Test early Monday or Tuesday morning

I was on propranolol (beta blocker) almost 20 years as well as levothyroxine

More on my profile

[thyreoidea in reply to CharlyMae]

I think it is advisable to take the advice in this case of your GP, if they do no good then they will offer a different dose or course of action as not every ailment is due to the thyroid but with your very low TSH reading only 20 days before posting this it is possible, did you titrate your Levothyroxine down as advised as it can take weeks to have an effect. You can always reduce the dose of propranolol once things have settled in liaison with your GP. I was on Propranonol for a few years for ectopic random heartbeats, they also slow the heart down as you say, I don't think 40mg is a high dose at all. Have you had an ecg whilst it has been occurring as it is sometimes difficult to catch or been booked for a 24hour monitor which they sometimes do.

[Tel3s]

hi, I had a terrible time with heart palpitations, anxiety and black moods. It worked out it was down to the brand of thyroxine I was being given. See if you can get Mercury Pharma from your chemist on your next prescription. It could really help.