Thyroid medication and heart

I have recently been diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.  My TSH levels, when tested, have never been over 5.50 and my T4 and T3 were in the normal ranges.  I have not yet received my latest test results.  My endo gave me Synthroid 50mcg to take to help with the goiter I have and hopefully to ease symptoms that I believe are related to my thyroid.  After I got home I read up on Synthroid and am concerned about the risk of heart attack/problems related to it.  I am a 44 yo female and I did have a cardiac workup in March 2006 which included:  blood work, EKGs, 48 hr. heart moniter, echocardiogram, thallium stress test and heart cath.  The cardiologist proclaimed it to be anxiety related (I do have anxiety/panic issues).

I have it in my mind that I have developed heart disease since that time and if I take the Synthroid it will cause me to have a heart attack and die.  Is this a legitimate concern or is my medicine phobia and anxiety clouding my thinking?

Thank you for any response!

[anandbharti]

Hello,

I take syntheroid (100 mcg). Initially (for a couple of weeks) it did give me problems of pulse & blood pressure going up. Things have settled down now. Your Dr may prescribe you Beta blocker which should keep your heart rate and possibly anxiety down. In addition to the thyroid problem I have diabetes (take insulin for that) & heart disease (Had bypass surgery , take four medications for that & have an ICD defibrillator )  With all the modern drugs and procedures I feel  confident that I have more than 20 years still left on this planet  Incidentally , I  am a 48 year old man.in full time work and family to take care of.

I wish you all the best

[anandbharti]

Hello,

I take syntheroid (100 mcg). Initially (for a couple of weeks) it did give me problems of pulse & blood pressure going up. Things have settled down now. Your Dr may prescribe you Beta blocker which should keep your heart rate and possibly anxiety down. In addition to the thyroid problem I have diabetes (take insulin for that) & heart disease (Had bypass surgery , take four medications for that & have an ICD defibrillator )  With all the modern drugs and procedures I feel  confident that I have more than 20 years still left on this planet  Incidentally , I  am a 48 year old man.in full time work and family to take care of.

I wish you all the best

[maggiemag]

IMO, your medication phobia and anxiety are clouding your thinking! LOL.  Seriously, Synthroid is not going to cause a heart attack.  Heart attacks are from clogged arteries usually.  HyPOthyroidism can lead to enlarged heart and other cardiac issues, though, so I would definitely take the drug.  Your TSH should be about 1.0!   You might want to start reading the thyroid forum; he is a good guy and I trust his information.

[SwanSong]

If you have been diagnosed with a heart condition then the only thyroid medication you should steer clear of is Cytomel or T3. This medication does act directly upon the heart muscle.

Otherwise Synthroid isn't a problem unless it is increased too fast for the patient. Most people, when they reach the correct dose of thyroid replacement, go through about one week of hyperthyroid-like symptoms. This is normal and to be expected. Those type of symptoms can include a racing heart beat, anxiety, and sweating. They subside after a week.

BTW panic and anxiety symptoms are very common with Hashimoto's. They should dissipate when you get adjusted on the correct dose of medication. This usually takes about 6 months to a year. Though some people don't find relief with the thyroid replacement medication for their anxiety and panic attacks. You might need medication for those symptoms.