Just back from Cardiologist

Hi - just some questions.

I often have a restig heart rate over 100 for no apparent reason.  I have just returned from my cardiologist today who has been testing me for the past week (ekgs, holter, echo etc).  He says my heart is perfectly fine but that I do have a fast heart rate.

Over 24 hours my HR averaged at 81 bpm.  I thought that was fine but the cardiologist said it was "too fast" and that I need to engage in active sports to keep it down.  Sure, I could be fitter than I am, but I am far from unfit!

Anyhow, then he gave me back my blood tests which he said were "perfect".  I have just looked at them and the thyroid level seems to be a bit odd.  My TSH is 4.98, which I understand is a bit high.  The reference range on the test results were 0.35 - 5.00 as normal.  But from what I have read elsewhere anything over 3.00 is abnormal.

If I am hypothyroid, it does not really fit well with my symptoms - fast heart rate, flushing now and again, heat intolerance.  They are all the symptoms of hyperthyroidism.  

I mean the cardio is an expert.  And if he says I need to exercise more then thats great.  I am convinced that something else causes my fast HR.  Yesterday I was just watching tv and suddendly it went to over 120 for a couple of hours.  Could my thyroid be playing a role?  Should I see a thyroid specialist?  I'm tired of worrying about my health :(  

[KLB32]

Since when is 81 bpm a fast resting heart rate?  I thought anything form 60-100 was normal?  Maybe that is too high for a sleeping heart rate but for a normal resting one, it sounds normal to me.

I could be wrong, but I think if your TSH levels are high, that means hyperactive thyroid and low levels mean hypoactive thyroid.  You seem to be the bit on the high side and have the symptoms of hyperactive thyroid.  A friend of mine has Graves Disease which is hyperthyroidism and she can get a really rapid heart rate when her Graves is not under control.

Maybe you should see an endocrinologist to get a second opinion?

[anacyde]

Hmm.  My average heart rate was around 79 and my cardiologist thought that was great.  Yours isn't much different.  I'm puzzled.

As for the TSH values, normals may vary from lab to lab.  3.0 might be the cutoff for Lab A, but for Lab B, 5.0 might be the upper range.  Yours looks within limits for the lab that tested you.  

Hope all is well!

[Smitty150]

Maybe we could make the "Subject/Title" more specific to our

question/s?

[Dan1981]

Thanks for the reply.  I think what he meant was: taking into account that I slept for 9 out of the 24 hours, 81 is too high.  I still think it is good though.  He is a sport fanatic so he probably does not like a pulse rate this high.  I am really not sure what to do about the TSH.  To be honest, I have worried so much about my heart that I want to celebrate the good news and forget about my health.  But this TSH is at the back of my mind.  The Cardio said it was normal but everything I have read said that it is high, even though the range for that lab was up to 5.0.  I dont know what to do!  Maybe I should wait a couple of months and then get my TSH checked again!

[tanns]

I would retest it before you worry about it.  No need to add something else!  I had my tsh at .67 (normal by my lab .50-5.50) and thought it was low.  My doc said it was fine, even the endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic was not concerned.  I was tested again and it was 1.34.  I would test again and then still not worry, take your concerns to an endocrinologist if it will help ease your mind.

Best wishes.

[bip]

hi, I know a resting heart is 60 to 100 I went to see my cardiologist and my pulse was in the 90s and he said to do more excercise to lower it cause it was a little fast but the resting heart beat is 60 to 100 maybe it was to fast for me.

[kitcurious]

If your TSH is elevated it suggests HYPOthyroidism, and symptoms would be those suggesting a slowing of your metabolism ( fatigue, cold intolerance etc)

  Did they check your antibodies? Your TSH test is a little borderline and if you are producing antibodies you may have  an early case of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the most common cause of hypothyroidism. It would not explain a high resting rate, but yours isn't all that high, not abnormal.

Maybe your doc was suggesting exercise because at 81bpm  it wasn't stellar and could be better.