Sorry for the confusing headline, I wasn't really sure how to put it!
So basically about 3 months ago I think an endocrinologist finally decided to put me on levothyroxine due to having ruled out cortisol issues and finding that my TSH was normal (1.8) but T4 fluctuates between lowish (12) and normal (16) but my T3 is consistently low (3.1 or 3.7 ref range 3 - 6.8).
So about 2 months ago I started on a very low dose of levothyroxine, only 25mcgs and very gradually actually started to feel a little better in terms of energy. At first I felt like my heart was pounding quite alot but that did settle. I could only start on a low dose due to my heart condition.
I have been experiencing EXTREMELY severe perimenopause symptoms aswell which were getting so bad that I was self harming and becoming very concerned for my safety so the doctors decided to put me back on HRT.
The plan was to have transdermal gel oestrogen and the mirena coil because I did struggle with nausea on the progesterone last time I did HRT.
But I have to have the coil fitted in hospital due to a heart condition and there is a very long waiting list to be seen so I started the oestrogen part of the HRT about 3 weeks ago and I also increased my sertraline dose slightly.
On 1.5 pumps of oestrogen a day, levo of 25mcgs and sertraline of 75mgs, I've finally started feeling tentatively a little better. Energy levels increased a little, heart fairly settled and MUCH better mentally.
But 😬
I have to have some form of progesterone so whilst I am waiting for the coil appointment they have given me generic progesterone capsules and I started them last Friday so a week ago and all this week I have been suffering from SEVERE sleepiness. Such severe sleepiness that it has been a struggle each day to just keep my eyes open and do anything other than sleep. I am feeling anxious and not well when I try to do anything and all my body really wants to do is just sleep.
But worse than that, on Monday I had a run of irregular heart rhythm out of the blue, basically ectopic heart beats.
Then this evening I have had another run of these ectopic/ skipped beats which lasted a good five minutes and my heart has been "Skippy" ever since.
It does seem that it must be the progesterone that is triggering my heart and the extreme sleepiness because they were both fine before starting it. Plus my ectopic beats are normally worse when my progesterone levels are naturally higher in the run up to my period.
Now I've been reading up online a little and apparently there is a strong connection / interaction between progesterone and the thyroid and it can really interfere with levo and thyroid levels but I don't really understand how and I'm wondering if anyone can explain it to me?
Could the progesterone have caused my thyroid to go a bit whacky and that's what's triggered my ectopics to worsen or is it more likely to be simply the progesterone that my body just isn't liking?
Should the levo be increased? I am very reluctant to stop the levo as it seems to have helped.
Should I stop the progesterone though it will put me at risk of endometrial lining cancers.
I'm asking questions because my GPs are unhelpful and borderline defensively rude and completely un keen to help me after I put in a GMC complaint earlier in the year (yes I am considering changing GPs but my health history is too complex at the moment to pass onto someone else) so I will get zero help or input from them.
I will ring them tomorrow for advice but I suspect they will say either keep taking the progesterone and live with the arrhythmia (difficult mentally for me) or stop the HRT completely which is an absolute no go for me as I was getting dangerously suicidal off the HRT and I also suspect they will say they do not have a clue about how the levothyroxine and thyroid fits into all this.
Sorry for the long post and I'm not really sure what my question is 😬, I'm guessing I'm just looking for any information as to how all these hormones fit together because I'm having to be my own doctor to navigate through all this 😬
I really do not want to increase my arrhythmia because it already destroys my life as it is so I'm a bit gutted tonight that my heart is doing this but not overall surprising knowing that both progesterone and levothyroxine are heart irritants.