Taken out of my hands: Hi All, Just a quick... - Thyroid UK

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Taken out of my hands

Moggie profile image
22 Replies

Hi All,

Just a quick update on the difficult situation I find myself in regarding my heart arrythmia's and an impending operation.

Looks like the hospital is taking no chances and I now have an appt with an anestetist before the pre-admissions nurse. She sounded lovely and admitted that the anestetist will probably know a lot more regarding thyroid issues than my GP (we can live in hope) so it looks like the decision to have/not have this op will now be taken out of my hands and put in the hands on the experts, which makes me breath a lot easier.

Moggie x

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Moggie profile image
Moggie
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22 Replies
shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

I send my best wishes and you will be glad the decision is taken out of your hands.

PinkNinja profile image
PinkNinja

All the best for the op. I hope it goes well and you are all the better for it.

Carolyn x

Moggie profile image
Moggie in reply toPinkNinja

Really dont think it will be going ahead Carolyn - not until I get this problem of mine sorted out, but it will be interesting to hear what the anestetist's views on thyroid patients and their medication.

Thanks for the kind words.

Moggie x

PinkNinja profile image
PinkNinja in reply toMoggie

Oh sorry :( I think I slightly misunderstood. I hope they get it sorted out. It must be really stressing you out. Please let us know how you get on.

Carolyn x

Jackie profile image
Jackie

Hi Moggie,

I think that is a really good step forward to you as the nurse can refer you if she thinks it is important. Some specialists nurses are better than doctors!

Best wishes,

jackie

Mumtoboy profile image
Mumtoboy

Good luck! I'm in a similar situation and seeing anaesthetist today because I have a racing heart and thyroidectomy due Monday. It's horrible not knowing the plan. I guess it's good that they will definitely know the safety of having anaesthetic with this problem and hopefully refer us on if it needs treatment.

I keep telling myself that they only cancel or postpone operations for a reason but I know it's stressful to psyche yourself up for something and then find out last minute that it may not be happening.

Moggie profile image
Moggie in reply toMumtoboy

I really hope it goes well for you today as, like you said, its horrible not knowing as your life is on hold until you do (my work doesn't know wether I'll be in to do my job or not)

Please let me know later today or tomorrow how you got on wont you as it will be interesting to have another persons, and their medical teams, view on this situation we both find ourselves in.

Good luck

Moggie x

Mumtoboy profile image
Mumtoboy in reply toMoggie

I'm still none the wiser I'm afraid. They just repeated all the tests (bloods and ECG) then said they would let me know by Monday which is when the op is!

I only saw the nurse who said that hyperthyroid can cause the rapid pulse that I have so hopefully it's that.

Hope you get some answers soon.

nightingale-56 profile image
nightingale-56 in reply toMumtoboy

Hi Mtb, When I had my sub-total Thyroidectomy in 1978 I was put on 3 day bed rest before the operation to bring my body into a relaxed a state as possible to try and lower blood pressure. I came through the operation very well with no-problems. So, in the absence of them taking you into hospital for rest beforehand, maybe you could rest as much as possible yourself at home. I wish you the best of luck. Janet.

Moggie profile image
Moggie in reply toMumtoboy

Thanks for letting me know how you got on - or didn't get on, which is more to the point. Sounds like they're not to sure what to do either, makes you wonder what would happen if we were taken into hosp suddenly and they HAD to operate. Do you know what bloods they have ordered?

Sorry that you didn't get the definate answers that you wanted and your still left hanging on but I am now thinking along the lines of "what will be will be" and, in my case, if they cancel they must have a good reason for it.

Please keep in touch and let us know how it pans out.

Moggie x

DeniseR profile image
DeniseR

Hope you get it all sorted Moggie. I know you must be desperate to get the op out of the way but must feel much better being put in an experts hands.

It's nice for someone else to be competent enough to decide on our health for a change! lol Good luck!

D X x x

Moggie profile image
Moggie in reply toDeniseR

Thanks Den,

How are your palps going - I've just had an interesting chat with my GP. My TSH when on T3 was below 0.05 (baring in mind I stopped the T3 two days before test) and now on 75mcg's T4 its 1.41, which she said was fine and I said wasn't, she then agreed that it may not be fine for me but to leave it as it was until after the op.

Yesterday I did a bit of backtracking on this site at all my blogs and found out exactly when this heart thing started and it ties in EXACTLY to when I started the T3. I still honestly do think that I dont need T3 and the bad brain fog and a lot of other symptoms that I thought was thyroid were in fact down to my very low VitD levels.

I will be pushing my GP for a referral to a cardio though, once this op is out of the way (IF I ever have it done), as she said that I might have always had a slight problem but the thyroid drugs are agitating it (dont believe that one).

She is also going to re-test my parathyroid and VitD levels in a couple of months time, so all in all not a bad appt but it was a definate NO on the liquid eltroxin.

Also talked the nurse into doing a magnesium test which had come back at at 0.88 (range 0.7 - 1.03) so I think I'll carry on with my epsom Salt baths for a while.

Dont leave the palps to long Den as, going by me, the longer you leave them the more trouble they cause.

Moggie x

DeniseR profile image
DeniseR in reply toMoggie

Hi Moggie

Still having the palps and kind of got used to them now. I'm still waiting for the endo to get back to me re: my appointment 2 week ago. Got another TFT blood test on Friday but going to see if I can get some other done at the same time(Vit D, Calcium, Potassium, B12 again), as none of these have been checked for ages and not since I've been on T3.

I'm also thinking of starting back on the higher dose of T3 after my blood test, which was left up to me until I hear from the endo????

It's good that you're managing to get the tests you want, my GP's pretty good about this too. I just hope you can get to the bottom of things sooner rather than later. Let me know if you get to see a cardio and what they say, I might talk to my Gp about the palps again, she did say to let her know.

Hope you get it all sorted about the op too and can have it done and out of the way, hopefully it will make a difference to how you feel.

D X x x

Moggie profile image
Moggie in reply toDeniseR

Thanks Den and please do speak to your GP regarding the palps.

Moggie x

DeniseR profile image
DeniseR in reply toMoggie

Will do :) x

You don't have to put up with palpitations. (temporary conditions excluded). If you are troubled by them there are Beta Blockers or if you are Asthmatic therefore allergic to Beta Blockers then Verapamil (Calcium Channel Blocker) is a good one. It takes a little time on these to calm down the heart and if palpitations are a problem they can be calmed down a lot by medications. I was lucky when I had an op, the Anaesthetist was an Arrhythmia sufferer so he was able to put my mind right at rest and although I was scared out of my mind I never got any of the expected extra palpitations. Weird that!

Moggie profile image
Moggie in reply to

Hi Phoebs,

Thanks for the input, very helpful. So were you on beta blockers before the op? My GP did say that we need to talk about Beta Blockers but she hasn't mentioned it since, although I've got to admit I dont really want to go on them but want to find out what's causing them, which I think IS caused by the thyroid meds. I did tell my GP that giving me Beta Blockers was like putting a sticking plaster over the situation, which she agreed with.

It will be interesting to hear what the anaesthetist has to say and hopefully I will get one as good as your's. Also interesting that they never got worse for you, even though, like me, you were scared and your adrenaline must have been pumping.

Thanks again for your comment.

Moggie x

Hi Moggie, I have had my Arrhythmia for over 30 years and been on a couple of different medications. If you can take Beta Blockers they can be really effective and you don't have to stay on them you can use them just to have a rest from the thing for a while. I found them too disruptive to just get on with, you can't do that, they take over and frighten you even though they are not dangerous. People who don't get them don't know how it feels. I explain it a bit by telling them it's a bit like when you step onto a step that isn't there...! Every few minutes...that soon lets them know what it's like! Not everyone of course has them that badly though.

Moggie profile image
Moggie in reply to

Thanks for the comment Phoebs, and mine are no where near as bad as yours are by the sound of it.

To tell you the truth they have calmed down to almost nil over the last week or so. No rapid heart rate for over a week and no missed beats now since last Wednesday so, hopefully, coming off the T3 has done the trick. I have now gone from being overmedicated to really under medicated, which isn't helpful either.

Lets hope that the anaesthetist acutally LISTENS to me and make the right decision.

You've been really helpful so once again thank you very much.

Moggie x

Pleasure, let us know how you get on.

Moggie profile image
Moggie in reply to

Will do - I'm going tomorrow so I'll let you know on Wednesday if its a yes or not.

Moggie x

Moggie profile image
Moggie in reply to

Hi Phoebs,

Have just written a blog regarding my experience yesterday at my anesthestist appt. Wish all doctors were like this one. Have a read and see what you think.

Moggie x

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