Palpitations

[duckie21]

Are there many on beta blockers for uneven heart beats. If so what dose do you take . Mine have got worse as I've aged . My thyroid blood tests are quite good just now. .

[Lora7again]

Sometimes an increased heart rate can be a sign of low iron or ferritin. Do you have any blood results to share with us?

[duckie21 in reply to Lora7again]

My iron and ferritin are all good . Had blood test today t4 13.0 (7-16) TSH 0.61 (0.3 -5.0) T3 4.5(3.6-6.5)

[Lora7again in reply to duckie21]

Yes they do look ok to me as well. Has your doctor listened to your heart and taken your blood pressure? We as a family have our own blood pressure machine because I can sometimes get a high heart rate because I suffer from Graves’ disease. Caffeine can cause me to get palpitations because it effects me so I do try to avoid having too much coffee

[duckie21 in reply to Lora7again]

Yes I've been checked for heart issues. I suppose just another problem with having thyroid issues .thanks for your answer

[McPammy]

Low ferritin can be a cause of palpitations. What is your latest ferritin result? Or could be low folate or B12. Anemias can cause palpitations at times. Your thyroid results look fine but T3 a little low.

[duckie21 in reply to McPammy]

My folate and b12 are all good but not sure about ferritin haven't had that checked for some time .

[Lora7again in reply to duckie21]

My ferritin was very low at one time but is now quite high because of inflammation

[duckie21 in reply to Lora7again]

Actually, in the past mine has also always been on the high side

[Lora7again in reply to duckie21]

That could be inflammation

[McPammy in reply to duckie21]

If it was me I’d be requesting a ferritin blood test soon. How’s your diet. Do you eat red meat. I live with low ferritin and take ferris fumerate 210mcg daily that keeps my level nicely around 100. Be careful around levothyroxine as there is a contraindication. Always leave 4hrs away from taking levo. I don’t eat meat and haven’t for decades. I also need b12 injections probably due to lack of meat in my diet too. I get my thyroid levels checked every 3 months by my GP and also vit D, B12, Folate and Ferritin, Lipids, HBA1C. If you can get into a routine of checking as many bloods as you can at regular intervals. It’s being proactive and preventative treatment.

[duckie21 in reply to McPammy]

Yes I do get regular blood tests . In the past my ferritin has always been high . But will get it checked next time.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Free T4 (fT4) 13 pmol/L (7 - 16) 

Ft4 66.7% through range

Free T3 (fT3) 4.5 pmol/L (3.6 - 6.5) 

Ft3 only 31.0% through range

Was test done as recommended, early morning, ideally before 9am only drinking water between waking and test and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test

Assuming yes…….results show currently poor conversion

What vitamin supplements are you taking

Please add most recent vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 results and ranges

[duckie21 in reply to SlowDragon]

All vit D, folate, etc in good range . I realize t3 is a bit low it always is . But been advised not to take t3 as I've had a few small heart attacks caused by being overmedicated .

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to duckie21]

How much Levo are you taking

How much do you weigh in kilo

Ft4 only 66% through range

You probably have room to increase dose Levo by 12.5mcg daily

[duckie21 in reply to SlowDragon]

I don't like to get my dose any higher as that's when I get chest pain . My t4 has been 16 for a long time and as I've got it down to13 I'm feeling a lot better . I seem to get missed heart beats a lot lately so maybe it's not thyroid related

[kiefer in reply to duckie21]

Low potassium levels can cause skipped heart beats. I was having this issue, along with a lot of muscle pain from trigger points and when I had my potassium level checked, it was near the very bottom of the normal range.

Beta blockers have a tendency to inhibit the conversion of T4 to T3. The higher the dose, the more effect it has.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/168...

Potassium levels

[Judithdalston in reply to duckie21]

Are you saying that you reduced your levo.to get blood FT4 down to 13, and you felt better, but now have greater palpitations? So isn’t there a link suggested that lower dose has increased them? I have recently seen my first NHS endo.after over 20 years diagnosed hypothyroid as my GP was insisting my high HR was ‘overmedicated on Levothyroxine’ ….he went thru my lab results from over 22 years and was quite happy to say it wasn’t thyroid hormone replacement causing the odd HR ( I have had Long Covid nearly 5 years now and have diagnosed postural hypotension with v.low BP and high HR ( 150) to compensate)…the GP had spent the summer reducing my levo.dose so I got FT4 at 29% and FT3 at 46%…but certainly did not improve HR , if anything made it worse, as heart does need its thyroid hormones! Incidentally had been on beta blocker, bisoprolol, for 2 years but the Falls consultant who diagnosed PH with tilt table test took me off those immediately as I needed the high HR to get oxygen to brain… Still on 4 other hypertensives for high BP at rest from LC though.

[bikebabe]

I take betablockers - bisoprolol - lowest dose - 2 hrs away from levo as per instructions. This is mainly because I’ve had long term cardiac issues and lifelong hypothyroidism. My rest g hr was in the 90s now 50s and no palpitations

[duckie21 in reply to bikebabe]

Yes I'm very much like you. I'm going to increase my beta blocker as that's what the doctor wanted me to do so I'll see how that goes.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

so the lower Ft4 might suit you better

But the lower Ft3 could be responsible for irregular heart beat

Do you wear a fitness watch that can record ECG - very useful for recording sporadic ectopic heart beats

presumably you supplement vitamin D

Are you taking any magnesium too

[duckie21 in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes I take magnesium

[annnsandell]

I was put on bisoprolol 2.5 by the hospital heart dept. for palpatations. This was recently increased to 5mg to help with high blood pressure (already taking blood pressure meditation as well). All my vitamins and iron etc. are ok although, T3 is low but in range. Bisoprolol stopped my palpatations. I usually only drink decaffinated coffee.

There is certainly a link between T3 and the heart and a few studies out there. Whether problems are caused by low T3 or just replacement medication rather than a real Thyroid performing well. I was originally on suppression dose Levothyroxine when the problem arose and they said it was the Levothyroxine causing it rather than not enough. Cardia vascular problems also occur with age, another reason perhaps that Levothyroxine should not be stopped in older people.

How is your blood pressure and do you do brisk excercise?

[duckie21 in reply to annnsandell]

I'm on blood pressure meds as well as abeta blocker. I have a tread mill but don't do it every day .that's my new years resolution!!!! I really think I need to increase my beta blocker . It's hard to say if T3 helps the palpitations. I did try it year's ago and I thought back then it didn't help . Of cause the doctor is dead against it as I've had a few small heart attacks when I've been over dosed .

[Judithdalston in reply to annnsandell]

Curious who were ‘they’ that said levo.causing your heart problems so reduced your levo? See my post higher up, the NHS endo. I choose to see is one who has a particular interest in hypothyroidism and heart problems, and published on this subject, he recognises the need for good thyroid hormone replacement levels …and poopooed my GP wanting to reduce my levo.dose as my HR would go high.

[annnsandell in reply to Judithdalston]

Hi Judithdalston. The heart department at Carlisle hospital said Levo was causing the heart problems (have had thyroid removed). They put me on a beta blocker. I was then on suppression level Levo because of Thyroid cancer. I have since had Levo reduced to "normal" levels around TSH 1 as now considered very low risk of cancer after about 13 years. The Levo wasn't reduced because of heart problems. I no longer get palpatations but an occasional missed beat that can be detected on a blood pressure monitor.

[Judithdalston in reply to annnsandell]

I live in Carlisle, but went to Gateshead to see Dr Razvi endo. interested in heart and hypothyroidism ( I wasn’t convinced Carlisle endos knew much about levo ‘overmedication’, seemed to be diabetes specialists). And the Falls specialist with tilt table there too, now retired. I have never got to see a cardio dr.in Carlisle just had ecgs and echocardiogram and because they were all right dismissed back to GP who had me on 5 hypertensives!

[annnsandell in reply to Judithdalston]

As far as I am aware, the only Endo in Carlisle deals with diabetese, I saw her for polysistic overaries and she tried to interfere with Levo dose which was then being handled by the Carlisle cancer surgeon. I had radium treatment at the Freeman, Newcastle (might have been Dr. Razvi, sounds familiar). Heart scan at Kendal and Carlisle heart department. Bone desity at Workington. We live 50 miles south of Carlisle and try to be referred to Carlisle because I can go by train. No current Endo, Thyroglobin and full level results go to Carlisle cancer surgeon once a year.

[annnsandell]

Sounds like an increase in Beta Blocker will help, what dose are you on? What does the GP say? Have you ever been referred to a heart specialist?

[duckie21 in reply to annnsandell]

Yes I seen a few heart specialists they say it probably thyroid related. My GP wanted me to increase meds but I was reluctant to do it but I will. Thanks for your feed back . All the best for the New Year 😀

[humanbean]

I take 2.5 mg Bisoprolol per day. I built up to that gradually when I felt it necessary. I was prescribed it for tachycardia, which was caused by deficient iron and ferritin. But unfortunately, once triggered, the tachycardia never went away even when I massively improved my iron and ferritin.

[jgelliss in reply to humanbean]

It's very interesting the statement that you make Humanbean. I was on lab very low Iron /Ferritin I was experiencing palpitations. Would never know when it would come on. Yet Dr's knowingly never flaged it. I read and joined Thankfully this Wonderful Forum and learned that palpitations come from low Iron and low T3. The heart has a large receptor sights for T3. As do all muscles and the heart is a muscle. It's just tough that there are no tests for Cells. Labs are just results of the moment the labs are done. Cellular is very telling it's what one Feels.

[humanbean in reply to jgelliss]

Would never know when it would come on. Yet Dr's knowingly never flaged it.

Doctors never flagged it for me either. I started testing and treating my own low iron and ferritin because doctors didn't take the problem seriously. I don't remember now how long it took before I realised that my chest pain was diminishing and my tachycardia was reducing in the number of episodes I had and in the severity of it.

When I made the connection I did find papers online mentioning the connection between very low iron/ferritin, chest pain, and tachycardia. Fixing my iron did eliminate the chest pain but not the tachycardia, although it isn't as bad now as it used to be. I still need the beta blockers to slow my heart down.

[jgelliss in reply to humanbean]

Very interesting. For me personally the Iron helped a lot with palpitations but adding some T3 was very helpful to. Since I'm not a good T4 to T3 converter. But I must add here too that the fillers in Synthroid also caused me to have palpitations. It's many factors that we have to consider. It taught me a good lesson to be pro active in my own care and not to rely on Dr's. Who would have ever thought that we would need a crash coarse with our thyroid journey. It's very tragic. But I'm grateful that I had an awakening and didn't have to accept that these feelings are the new way . There is definitely Hope. Don't ever give up.

[duckie21 in reply to jgelliss]

Could you please tell me how much T3 you take

[jgelliss in reply to duckie21]

I don't take much. 5mcg and if I have an unusual hectic day I will add 2.5mcg extra.Everyone is very individual with different needs. I found that tune in helps me very much.

Best wishes.

[Margareta3]

If you mean by "uneven heart beats" irregular heart beats, it is most probably Atrial Fibrillation. Please, try to contact a cardiologist for a proper investigation. Beta blockers do not make "uneven" that is, "irregular" heart beats regular. They only slow heart rate. Many people with thyroid problem develop AFib. It seems an inevitable payment for years long Levothyroxine so called "treatment".