Palpatations

[Cazianne]

Hi.. been getting palpatations..on thyroxine and recent test shows I'm under replaced so tablets have been raised..Doctor said could be reason for palpations.. anyone else experienced this..I thought palpatations were only if you were having too much thyroxine..thankyou

[tattybogle]

yes ..

i never knew what a palpitation felt like until earlier this year when i found myself with fT3 lower than it had ever been and TSH went up to 5 ... and then my heart started banging around in the evenings .

in contrast , a few yrs ago i developed all sorts of symptoms due to overmedicated on levo .but it took a while to figure out overmedication was the problem because i had no heart symptoms at all .

research does show that low levels of thyroid hormone are known to affect the heart just as much as high levels ... risks of all sorts of cardiovascular issues and dysrhythmia's are known to be raised in sub clinical hypothyroidism .

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Like tattybogle ive experienced similar symptoms when both over and under medicated thyroid wise. I even ended up in A and E with palpitations/ tremor/ fast pulse when adjusting thyroid medication. What triggered these symptoms for me was trying to adjust medication too quickly.I now adjust super slowly- adding 12.5mcg Levo until well tolerated (and, if needed, only reduce medication slowly)

[SlowDragon Administrator]

also important to test and maintain GOOD vitamin levels

When were vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 last tested

what vitamin supplements are you taking

Low iron/ferritin can also cause irregular or fast heart rate

[FallingInReverse]

I’ve never been over-replaced and have had endless months of palpitations.

[Janine159]

When first on them I had discomfort in chest heart et c the Dr by phone dished out beta blockers .I never had any medication in my life apart from anti bios once in a blue moon or painkiller .here I was needing all these things . Guess may be taking half and building up slowly might be a help ..as other say ..x

[rosco1]

Hi Cazianne,I too am on Levothyroxine and was told it could be palpitations, was referred to my local hospital to have a Holter fitted ( 24hrs ) to record my heart function.

Results off the Holter recording came back normal but I wonder if you can still experience palpitations and nothing show up in the heart Holter.

Previously to going to the hospital I had my blood taken which wasn't normal so I've to have it took again in a months time.

[crimple]

Hi Cazianne, I used to have palpitations when on Levothyroxine only. My T3 level was low. Once I got some T3 the palpitations stopped and my T3 is now 75% in range.

[Jingley]

Most definitely yes. I used to get this a lot before I was diagnosed hypo. Now just occasionally.It's like my heart is trying to catch up with itself.

[jgelliss]

Sympathy for you. I too experienced countless of palpitations. What I learned was that fillers in the T4 can be very much causing . Not yet being on the Optimal dose. Iron very much plays a tremendous part in palpitations. I had low Iron levels over the years and for sure it was a problem too having palpitations. If your not a good converter T4 to T3 can cause palpitations. The heart has a large receptor sights for T3 as do all muscles and brain. The heart is a muscle.Vitamins are a large components for our thyroid hormones to work well for us.

Best wishes.

[Insomania]

Yes, under and over medicated I get palpitations. Low iron too with breathlessness and air hunger.

I think I was slightly over medicated recently and I had palpitations but there was also this pressure across chest, head, ears. It was unpleasant.

I’ve gone back to splitting the doses and am feeling much better within 24h.

[Tina_Maria]

I am astonished that your doctor recognised this as a symptom of under replacement, most are not aware of this or make the link.

Low thyroid hormones can cause heart palpitations by affecting the heart's electrical activity and muscle function, which can lead to reduced cardiac contractility. Low hormones can also cause the heart muscle to pump less vigorously and weaken and can delay the conduction of electrical stimulation in the heart.

In addition, if you have too little thyroid hormones it can cause the blood vessels to stiffen, which can lead to high blood pressure and increased systemic vascular resistance.

Therefore it is important to be on an optimal dose of thyroid medication, so your heart can function properly.

[Jazzw]

It could be confirmation bias (I think that’s what it’s called) but I’ve noticed an increasing number of us seem to be suffering from palpitations.

Some have speculated on whether it has something to do with Covid, which is been rife just lately. You might not even know you’ve had it other than having these symptoms.

For me, I’m suspecting a late menopause surge. I thought I was through the menopause—periods stopped when I was 47 and I’m now nearly 55–but earlier this year a whole slew of menopause symptoms came to bite me which threw me completely.

And changes in other hormone levels can impact on how much thyroid hormone we need. I’ve reduced slightly and seem to be doing better—but I genuinely don’t know whether it’s because I did that or because I got over a virus I didn’t know I had—or whether having figured out it was menopause related, I concentrated lots on trying to do more things to keep myself calm and centred.