Hypothyroidism- fast heart beat

[Cavalierloversam]

Hello,

I’m new here. I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I have been experiencing heart palpitations which is listed as a symptom of hypothyroidism (I know it’s usually associated with a slow heart rate). I’m confused as to why my Dr said my heart palpitations have nothing to do with it. Thank you.

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Welcome to the forum Cavalierloversam,

I experienced rapid heart rate, palpitations & fast pulse with hypothyroidism, but these adverse symptoms eased when thyroid medication and key vitamins were optimised. Many symptoms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism overlap, so it’s important to ask for copies of all blood tests.

So we can offer better advice, can you tell us more about your thyroid condition, eg when you were diagnosed, ongoing symptoms, current medication & dosage, plus blood test results (with ranges in brackets) for:

TSH

FT3

FT4

Plus any antibody and key vitamin tests (ferritin, folate, vitamins D and B12)

If your GP is unable to complete all the above (eg if TSH is within range, some surgeries may not be able to access FT4 and FT3 tests), you could look to do this privately, as many forum members do, for a better picture of your thyroid health:

thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

[Cavalierloversam in reply to Buddy195]

Thank you Buddy195.

I was diagnosed today but have been having symptoms for years. Thank you for your reply. A fast heart rate caused me to be admitted into hospital. They said iron etc all fine (although I don’t know what level they actually are). My potassium is a bit low a 3.6. My thyroid output is low and my pituitary gland is putting out 30 when it should be about 4. It’s all new to me so apologise if the terminology isn’t correct. They’re sending off bloods to check for other autoimmune disease. I get psoriasis which I believe is one.

I might see if I can get a copy of my results somehow.

Thank you

[Buddy195 Administrator in reply to Cavalierloversam]

I too ended up in A and E with similar symptoms & appreciate how scary this experience can feel. Please be reassured that you will feel so much better when thyroid medication and key vitamins are optimal….but it will take time and patience.

100% get copies of all tests, as you are legally entitled to these. Please remember when medics say normal/ within range, this may not be the same as ‘optimal’ where you feel most well. Do share all results and ranges with us, so we can offer better advice. Ranges can vary between laboratories, so put these in brackets after your test results.

Keep posting if you have further questions or need support in any way. We are here to help! 🦋

[Cavalierloversam in reply to Buddy195]

Thank you so much. I think the A&E doctor said she is going to write to me, so I hope she will list things.

I must admit I’m nervous about taking the medication as I’ve seen it can raise your heart rate? Is this something you’ve experienced?

The extra fast rate drama was so horrible, it just makes me worried taking something that might trigger it.

[Buddy195 Administrator in reply to Cavalierloversam]

I took beta blockers in the short term to address the rapid heart beat.

Sending you best wishes 🦋

[PurpleNails Administrator]

Welcome to forum

There’s a huge cross over with symptoms. Drs are taught the most typical

& basic symptoms. They don’t understand when it’s not exactly the same for each case.

If it is unrelated to thyroid is dr checking for other causes? I find Drs are quick to say it’s nothing to do with diagnosis but also ignore the issue, when if they can really state its not a related symptom they should really be investigating what is causing it.

Many say they get palpitations when hypo & or have low heart rate, this can be due to thyroid or because a nutrient such as ferritin can be low.

Its common nutrient become low when hypothyroid because stomach acid can become low.

Have you recently been diagnosed? What is your current replacement dose?

Do you have access to blood test results?

[Dancer57]

Hi

Yes you can have heart palpitations with Hypothyroidism as I had same problem. My GP at the time said the exact same thing to me.

My experience is I ended up in A&E with a very fast heart rate and high blood pressure. Hospital said it has nothing to do with my heart but something else going on in my body and pointed to my high TSH level even though on medication.

I have Hashimotos (Autoimmune Thyroid Disease). To cut the story short, I had an autoimmune attack on my Thyroid which then offloaded too much Thyroxine into my body and I temporarily went into Hyperthyroid symptoms. I was also Folate deficient at the time.

Others on here will have a different reason for experiencing heart palpitations with Hypothyroidism. I am no expert or medic but no doubt you will get good advice from members who have more knowledge than me.

Good luck.

[Cavalierloversam in reply to Dancer57]

Hi Dancer 57,

Thank you for your reply. As well as the incident last week, I had one about five years ago when I ended up in A&E but all they did was an ECG and they kept asking if I’d taken any recreational drugs!! I assured them I definitely hadn’t!!! This time they were more thorough. It was a lovely young Dr who was genuinely concerned and wanted to help me.

They are testing for autoimmune diseases so I guess it’ll be interesting to see what comes back from that.

Thank you so much for sharing. It is validating to know that it’s not just me and shows what can happen if other things are going on in your body which you know nothing about.

[Ukie]

Just in case it helps, I have a lot less instances of rapid heart beat since I went decaf. Coffee and tea tasted weird at first, but I’ve got used to it now.

[Cavalierloversam in reply to Ukie]

Hi Ukie, thanks for that. I have had decaff for years as I have realised that my heart is fast anyway and it pushed it off the scale and I felt unwell.

[jgelliss]

In my experiences with hypo thyroidism not being dosed with optimal thyroid dose and adding T3 and Iron made a huge difference. I hope you sort yourself out well soon.