low resting heart rate

[Thyroid_mum]

Hi All,

I have Low resting heart rate, regardless of upping dose. I’ve upped my T3 meds from 20mcg to 25mcg and I take 100mcg of Levo and my resting hr stays at 52/51bpm my resting heart rate was the same at 15mcg T3 too. Initially when I up the dose for 2-3 days resting heart rate will increase to 57ish and then drops again.

Anyone able to give advice? I wear a garmin watch which measures the heart rate.

When I was on T4 only at 200mcg (no thyroid) my resting heart rate was 70bpm

So confused 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

Did you manage to retest recently as per your reply here? healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

As was said before, your FT4 is too low so your thyroid levels arent yet optimal.

[Thyroid_mum in reply to Jaydee1507]

Yes, I’ve attached the most recent test. I need to test again in 4 weeks as I upped to 25mcg t3 last week.

[DippyDame]

I'm on high dose T3-only and my RHR drops if my dose is too low....usually 65bpm... I just noticed it had dropped a few days ago so monitoring level with a view to perhaps increasing slightly.

As you know your FT3 is very low. FT3 is the most important result followed by FT4.

For good health every cell in the body must be flooded with T3 by way of an adequate and constant supply....your dosing protocol isn't doing this

Your FT4 doesn't appear to be producing much T3. I take it you established poor conversion before you added T3... your T3 will now have lowered your FT4.

At that point I decided T4 had to go but that is a huge step and the last resort which I'm not suggesting you take!

I was self medicating so didn't have to consider medic's questionable opinions or rely on NHS prescriptions!

However, in your shoes I might consider a further T3 increase....in fact I might reduce levo to 75mcg in time as T3 dose rises. But only change one thing at a time

But first, wait and see how your next labs are then try to raise your FT3

Just a few thoughts based on my own journey

[Murphysmum]

My RHR is always low. I now feel well almost all of the time - unless I add in a supplement or something and mess it up! - and I’m on T3 only, 60mcg/day.

My RHR will sit around 55bpm, but often down to nearer 50bpm. If my levels aren’t right for some reason, it can drop to the mid/low 40s. But this is always a sign for me that something is wrong, I don’t always feel other symptoms.

My FT3 is top of range, and if I do raise my dose then it becomes very uncomfortable, so I know my levels are right for me and I guess I just have to relax about the RHR.

Like DippyDame (whose advice I took often!) I started with a mix of levo and T3 but that didn’t work for me, and after several years of adjusting and decreasing I ended up where I am now. For me, levo “blocked” the T3, and I immediately felt the benefit once it was out of my system.

Again like Dippy - this was a long slow process and I wouldn’t advocate it. It worked for me, but my RHR is still nothing wonderful, and I’m resigned to that just being how it is 🙂

[Thyroid_mum in reply to Murphysmum]

Do you have the DIO1 and dio2 mutated genes? I feel I might have the same issue with t4 blocking my t3. My reverse t3 is at 30

[Murphysmum in reply to Thyroid_mum]

No idea! It was something I always had on my list to get tested but I never got round to it (or could afford it maybe!)

I’m guessing because of how rare it seems to react the way I did that maybe I do, but that’s nothing more than a guess.

It was only because of trial and error and trying again, that I discovered what worked for me. And other than going private to get T3 to begin with, avoiding discussing it at all with the medical fraternity!