I think I have a tendency to compensate with adrenaline if my thyroid hormones are low.
I get heart palpitations and insomnia when my thyroid is too low. But these can also be symptoms of taking too much thyroid hormone.
So I am just wondering what anyone elses experience is with their symptoms of adrenaline vs. too much thyroid hormone symptoms, and how you tell them apart?
Have you noticed what your personal symptoms are for each (adrenaline vs too much thyroid hormone), and are there any ways in which you can tell them apart?
Many thanks.
Written by
Carrie234
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coincidentally, I found out something about this at the beginning of the week: when your thyroid is stressed/untreated hypo, you’re stressed and running off adrenaline, and that mimics hypoglycaemia tachycardia bursts, feeling odd, etc. I can’t remember the exact term/reference but can try and find it later in the day. I’m pretty sure that’s me (a variety of reasons). I started that conversation with my doctor yesterday, and he’s open to continuing it at a later date once we’ve got some other things out of the way. (Not a medic, so just my research results).
Yes this was exactly me earlier this year after recovering from pneumonia and being very under medicated! I've never felt so unwell and weird. I could feel the adrenaline kick in when I needed it and then when it dropped off I was a mess and had to go to bed. Eventually it became exhausted and I was bed bound for weeks
Well Carrie, I can happily confirm that adrenaline kicks in when thyroid meds are too low (or the wrong combination perhaps) for me. Adrenaline can be a lifeline under those circumstances. E.g. sleep apnoea. This happens to me regularly when under medicated - only I don’t necessarily have confirmation of thyroid status until testing time. 99% of the time it happens is when I am asleep when virtually no self anxiety is present. However as I awake with a start, I need to get into a calming state of mind as quickly as I can. It’s taken a bit of practice.
I bought one of those oximeters humanbean suggestion. Thank you again humanbean. However I was apprehensive to use it at first. Between attempting to allow the adrenaline to pass and finally checking my pulse with the oxymeter, I found my HR was not nearly as high as I thought it was. It was just outside ‘normal’.
My perception was my HR was very fast. I put this down to my resting heart rate being very low. So yes it was fast for me at double its ‘normal’ rate but was just over 100. In some books you read 100 is considered ‘normal’.
If your resting HR is also low (not enough thyroid hormone circulating) boosts of adrenaline are going to literally make you sit up and pay attention.
I found my HR was not nearly as high as I thought it was. It was just outside ‘normal’.
I found my pulse oximeter was useful because, by knowing what my heart rate was, it stopped me making things worse by panicking. I've now tested my pulse so often and I'm not dead yet, so I assume that, since I don't have chest pain with a high pulse I am probably okay, so no need to panic.
I forgot to say, I find having a fast heart rate uncomfortable when it gets to 90+. I am prescribed beta blockers, specifically Bisoprolol at a dose of 2.5mg per pill. I used to take it only when my heart was going too fast for comfort. But I discovered I only needed half a pill to slow my heart rate down. Gradually, over about 10 years, my heart became fast more often and would only slow down with a whole pill. I am currently taking the full dose I was initially prescribed - 2.5mg once a day, and have done for no more than a year.
I think the overuse of the description ‘only palpitations’ by medics denigrates our experience. It’s a truly horrible experience.
Recently (due to allowing the wool to be pulled over my eyes re: an endo experience) I have had increased HR to deal with a lot! I lowered my Levo in expectation of a T3 prescription in line with what the endo proposed. He then declined to treat me. Idiot that I am. I have had no end of high HR incidents. I am back on my relatively ‘safe’ dose of Levo, finally. I am not well but the HR incidents are much rarer.
So Carrie I am certain my ‘palpitations’ are due to not enough thyroid hormone as opposed to too much.
When I was recently in N.I. I had a very sensible experience with a paramedic. He was much more aware/empathetic than any doctor. I learned a lot from him.
Too much thyroid hormone (for me) is a reaction as if I am suffering cerebral palsy. I am not in charge of my limbs. Often can’t lift my head. Feel as if I had suffered a stroke.
As everyone’s experience is different, its mostly time and awareness that makes you sure. Unfortunately.
I've never really understood what palpitations are, to be honest. I've had episodes where my heart seems to become quite irregular for just a few seconds but it has been doing that occasionally for decades, it's definitely not new. I've had regular beating of my heart but it has been far too fast. That's become common for me in the last 10 - 15 years.
I wonder if I have atrial fibrillation sometimes, when I get the irregular beating. But I've never understood how it is diagnosed and what it feels like.
My fastest ever heart rate when I'm not doing anything to justify it is about 170. And that was very, very uncomfortable.
170 is high but AF goes much higher even than that. My husband has AF and his HR has been well over that. Luckily for him? He does not sense it. Different issue.
I have had some fluttering of heart which I do think of as palpitations.
I think what we are experiencing is tachycardia. It’s horrible but not AF - unless it is. I am not medically associated. It’s known to be a hypothyroid symptom but much more associated by doctors with hyperthyroidism, according to my reading. Hence many of us feeling we are over medicated.
Then of course there are all the other reasons e.g. hypoglycaemia, anemia etc.
Have had experience of both a number of years ago on separate occasions. My high adrenaline was linked to issues I had with an adrenal tumour at the time - felt dreadful - sensations of acute fear, dizziness and panic attacks were my worst symptoms. After that tumour was removed I then slowly became over medicated thyroid wise with FT4 in the high twenties and suppressed TSH for months - didnt feel that bad and it wasn't picked up until annual blood tests - all i remember was a hand tremor. I do however have issues with sleeping and heart palpitations when my ferritin levels get low.
Pretty sure I was running on adrenaline (quite literally) through my 8 undiagnosed years… I ran two marathons during that time and countless half marathons and lots of other races.
I’ve researched but don’t remember my conclusions about the difference between adrenaline and cortisol - but they are different and both at play - and I’ve also only lightly read up on it but I think they say that all those years of being undiagnosed and having adrenaline/cortisol make up for the thyroid - it can burn out the adrenal system. Lots is posted on this forum about adrenal fatigue and adrenal cocktails. I haven’t gotten there yet.
The waking-with-a-start… and wired tired … and any variety of those feelings are still something I manage as I am a couple years into Levo/T3 and nearing optimal. My biggest issues started when I started t3 too much too fast. After a year that is settling too.
But I do hope the longer my thyroid hormones are optimal the more my adrenaline response will calm down and heal.
Hi there, I often wake in the night with that anxious, stressed feeling, often sweating, fast pulse. I did read up about it but can't quite remember, but it's linked to low thyroid, insulin clearing too much sugar from the blood, resulting in low blood sugar, so cortisol is released to try to bring blood sugar back to normal. I find that eating something like an oatcake helps in the middle of the night. Google low thyroid and blood sugar.
Thanks so much everyone, it's really helpful to hear your experiences. I do identify with the heart/adrenaline symptoms. I sometimes wonder if one sign of being over-medicated for me might be feeling rather not myself - just an unnatural feeling. Hard to describe and I'm still trying to work it out! Good point also that Rollercoaster made about low ferritin also causing heart palps/insomnia.
Please remember that adrenaline is not the only stress hormone. There is also cortisol, which is probably the more important of the stress hormones in terms of creating symptoms that people on this forum might be familiar with.
Very low levels of cortisol are found in Adrenal Insufficiency/hypocortisolism.
Very high levels of cortisol are found in Cushing's Disease, Cushing's Syndrome, and Pseudo-Cushing's Syndrome, and each of these conditions have different causes.
Both low and high cortisol can lead to feeling of stress, depression, anxiety, panic, fast heart rate. But there are many other symptoms including weight gain.
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