Tyroid

[RadioAstronomyObserver]

(42 y/o male) double by-pass April '09. Had 95%, 80%, and 65% blockage.  Two were by-passed and the third wasn't because there was too much damage where it would have been reattached.  Currently taking Carvedilol, Lisinopril, and Simvastatin. and Iron pills

Friday, My GP was on vacation so I seen the assistant for an unrelated ear problem.  She seen my blood test results from over two months ago (GP never told me a thing about the test results).  She notice a big problem with my thyroid from looking at the blood tests and immediately prescribed "Amour Thyro 120mg Tab Forest" (how it's wrote on the pill bottle).   I do have a something at the very top of my ribs, dead center, and deep in my throat that feels like a lump that "wants" to close my throat off.  I don't feel this lump with my fingers as much as this is what I would describe the feeling.  Any how, while researching this I found that this Armor Thyroid drug shouldn't be taken within four hours of two other cholesterol drugs, I need to know if this is also true with Simvastatin?  The same research says not to take it with Iron pills. and it also mentions not with heart disease, and a side effect could be a racing heart.  Should I take this with all of this and the current medication?

  Also, would thyroid problems give a feeling of pressure in the head?  Been having this exploding pressure almost every evening, it's not a headache, just very high pressure and keeps me up at night.  I didn't think to mention this to the assistant GP but now that I'm researching things and thinking about it.  I'm wondering if the two are related?

  I picked up the prescription Friday but since I had an astronomy event this weekend I'm waiting till Monday afternoon to start taking these pills.  After reading about these in relation to the pills I already take and the bad heart muscle I'm now having second thoughts!

[fedup100]

Do you realize that 120 mg of armour is quite high. Thyroid patients who have heart problems need to start a low dose and then have their dose titrated up. There is a lot of controversy in the medical community over armour thyroid or synthetic hormone replacement. Synthroid and Levoxyl only contain T4 the storage form of the hormone, Armour contains T3, the active form of the hormone as well. I would recommend making an appointment with an endocrinologist who treats thyroid dysfunction. They are experts in this area, and would probably be better trained to treat your thyroid condition in such a way as to not aggravate your heart condition.

Good Luck and keep me posted.

[MamaBush]

Heart patient and thyroid patient here!

My endo refuses to use Armour Thyroid due to it's inconsistency in maintaining therapeutic levels of T4 and T3.

120 mg of Armour to BEGIN with, especially with a heart patient is extremely high.  The usual starting dose is 30 mg Armour Thyroid, for cardiovascular patients, with additional Armour being added at 15 mg every two to three weeks, which depends on your thyroid hormone levels.  I'm a bit surprised that the physicians assistant started you on such a high dosage, usually a GP will refer a person with abnormal thyroid levels to an endocrinologist first.  Also, when on any thyroid medication, your blood work should be monitored closely for the first six months, then monitored every three months from that point on.

I'm assuming that since you were started on Armour, that you have hypothyroidism.  Be very watchful for hyperthyroidism symptoms, especially since you are also a cardiac patient.  Hyperthyroidism can wreck havok on your heart and other internal organs. All three of my doctors (cardiologist, endocrinologist, and GP) watched my blood levels and heart condition very closely when I first started on thyroid medications.

I am also on Simvastatin (generic Zocor) 60 mg a day.  I take that, along with some of my other cardiac meds an hour after taking my thyroid medications (Synthroid and Cytomel).  I've never heard of having to wait two to four hours to take any cardiac meds after taking a thyroid med.  It's usually recommened that you wait about an hour.

You truly need to be seen by and monitored by an endocrinologist for your thyroid issues....and a good endocrinologist will also be knowledgeable on cardiac issues and medications.  If I were you, I'd be very hesitant taking 120 mg of Armour as your starting dosage.

[RadioAstronomyObserver]

  I have since found out the GP is a "holistic"(spelling?).  I.E. believes in hypnosis and herbs and ect.. over "real" medicine.  I've also found out the hospital has changed from a "real" hospital to more of a herbs and yoga type of hippy hospital.  which makes me believe this may have been the reason I had to wait 1/2 hour to be seen in the ER while I was having the original heart attack.  It looks and smells like a real hospital and 20+ years ago it was.  Apparently things have changed :-(

I did some online research and found for two cholesterol med.s and if we take any Iron supplements, we should wait four hours before taking this and that anyone with heart disease should be closely monitored.  I mentioned my research to the GP and she said it's perfectly safe.  I was going to start taking these pills today but I think I'll find a "endocrinologist" in the other local hospital for a second opinion.

[MamaBush]

Definitely get another opinion, rather than going on just what your "holistic" GP says.
Seriously, if you have a thyroid issue, you truly will need to be monitored closely, since you also have heart disease.

As far as your iron supplements, my endocrinologist made it very very clear that I was to take NO SUPPLEMENTS of any kind.  In the Thyroid forum, many have said they take vitamin D supplements, which I have not had an opportunity to discuss with my endo yet.  I have an appointment next month and will discuss this with him, since he was so stern when telling me I was to take no supplements, since I not only have long-term heart disease, but also thyroid disease.

Keep us posted on what happens with the second opinion.