Questions posted in the Heart Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Question Title: hypothyroid and chest pain

Forum: The Heart Forum
Topic: Heart Disease

Posted by Angela on May 22, 1999 at 21:52:59

I am a 20 year old female. About six weeks back I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, and was put on .025 synthroid. I had a problem with chest pain which I figured was indigestion, and after being on the synthroid for a couple of weeks it went away. But now it's back, only worse than before. I went to my general practioner, who gave me an EKG that turned out normal. She then put me on prevacid 15 mg. It has helped me with the indigestion a bit, but the chest pain remains. It tends to be a dullish pain right over my heart that sometimes radiates to my arm, shoulder and neck. Occasionally it becomes sharp, but not often. I know that hypothyroidism can cause muscle pains in just about any area of the body, but I also know that an EKG does not necessarily rule out heart disease, and heart disease and hypothyroidism can go hand in hand. So I guess what I am wondering is if this could be anything else that my doctor is perhaps not catching. Thanks.

Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - MTR on May 23, 1999 at 12:34:40


Dear Angela, thank you for your question. Since you are a 20 year old female, the chance that you have atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries as the cause of your chest pain is very, very, very small. I understand your concern regarding thyroid disease and cardiac disease, but I think you most likely have a "non-cardiac" cause of chest pain that may be acid indigestion or inflammation of the cartilage/muscle of the chest wall. The prevacid may help and you may want to speak with your physician regarding treatment with an anti-inflammatory medication.

I hope you find this information useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Specific diagnoses and advice can only be provided by your physician. However, please feel free to write back with additional questions.

If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, call 1-800-223-2273 and ask for the Cardiology Appointments Desk. Alternatively, you can inquire online at the Heart Center web site (www.ccf.org/heartcenter) where you can make an appointment requests via the internet.



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