Can hypothyroidism cause heart problems?

[deannaspa]

I was diagnosed in late March with hypothyroidism with TSH of 60. I have severe symptoms ranging from extreme fatigue, weak muscles, bloating and weight gain, etc. Started me on Levo and water pills but keep retaining water nonetheless. I chose to be admitted to hospital to rid my poor legs of some fluid. While there the Dr's did more tests and informed me I now have a leaky heart valve. Could this be related to the thyroid issue? I am beside myself with this disease and need some answers soon.

[Barb135]

I'd keep calling until you either get them to order new labs or find the "lost" ones - remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.  

Yes, if your primary doctor made the appointment with them endo for Jan, they may not have relayed the lab work or other information.  By all means, it can't hurt to call and let them know how you feel and see if there's any way you can get in sooner - or at least, get lab work done now.

[deannaspa]

I've been on the 125mcg since Sept 28, and no I'm not feeling any better. Yes, the specialist is an endo. I told the Dr. that Jan. 22 was too far away to wait to adjust the meds, so since I had some extra 25mcgs I've been taking one with the 125mcg. They are supposed to try to find the results and even check with another Dr. for them. I may call the endo myself to see if I can get in sooner.I agree it's too long to wait.

[Barb135]

Your August results indicate that you were quite hypo.  Your TSH was quite high and your FT3 was way below range, with FT4 barely in range.  Your Sept TSH also indicates that you were quite hypo.

If your October lab results were "lost" you should demand that either find them or order new ones NOW, not wait until you're scheduled to see the thyroid specialist (is that an endo?) in Jan... that's too long to wait, considering that both your Aug and Sep labs showed you to be quite hypo.  

Are you feeling any better than you were?  How long have you been on the 125 mcg now?

[deannaspa]

Hi Barb, I have some numbers from Aug;  TSH 27.94; free t3 1.4; free t4 0.9. In Sept my TSH was 27.35. but I don't have the t3 or t4 as the nurse said they weren't checked then. What can you tell me from these numbers?  Thanks!  BTW, I had blood work done at end of Oct too but somehow the results were "lost". Am scheduled to see a thyroid specialist on Jan 22. I'm currently taking 125mcg of Levothyroxine and my PCP won't increase it til I see the thyroid Dr.

[Barb135]

Good that you got blood work done to test the Free T3 and Free T4.  Be sure to get copies of the results for your records and if you'll post them here, we'll help interpret them.  

Also good that you got a referral to a thyroid specialist.  Just keep in mind that not all thyroid specialists are actually good thyroid doctors.  Many of them tend to go only by TSH levels or they believe that any results within the reference ranges are adequate and both of these ideas are completely wrong.

Insomnia can be another hypo symptom, but it can also be caused by lack of activity.  I might suggest that you try to get outside and go for a walk for at least 10-15 minutes, every day, or at least most days. The sunshine and fresh air can do wonders for the way you feel AND the way you sleep.  Sunshine is necessary for the production of vitamin D and lack of vitamin D can also cause some hypo like symptoms.

[deannaspa]

Hi Barb, just wanted to tell you I had my Dr visit today, asked for what lab tests they had been doing, and NO they had not checked Free T3 and T4 but did take bloodwork today to check it. I also got a referral to a thyroid specialist so hopefully things will improve soon.

[Red_Star]

Hypothyroid Mom: Is Your Thyroid KILLING You? Heart Disease...

"High blood pressure
Low blood pressure
Slow/weak pulse (under 60 bpm)
Fast pulse (over 90 bpm at rest)
Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
Skipped beats
Heart palpitations
Chest pain
High cholesterol
High triglycerides
High LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
Mitral valve prolapse
Atherosclerosis
Coronary artery disease
High C-Reactive Protein
Fibrillation
Plaque buildup
Fluid retention
Poor circulation
Enlarged heart
CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE
STROKE
HEART ATTACK

Need I say more?"

[Red_Star]

"MVP [mitral valve prolapse] was found in 28% of patients with Graves' disease, in 23% of patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and in 10% with nonautoimmune goiter. MVP was not present in any members of the healthy group." - WebMD - Heart Valve Defect Common in Patients With Thyroid Disease.

[deannaspa]

My first dosage of Levo was 50mcg in late March. After that, someone dropped the ball on me and I wasn't rechecked til a random ER visit months later. The ER Dr said I should be taking at least double the 50mcg dosage, so that's when they upped it to 75mcg  I was then aware of how often my blood level should be checked so I kept asking my PA about it when I saw her about my blood sugar and pressure issues. I am now on 125mcg after my last ER visit 4 weeks ago.I am not seeing the PA anymore and my next Dr visit is next Wed, so I will ask if they are checking the Free T5 and T4

As far as exercise goes, I am alone most of the day and do make my own meals, do light housework, keep kitchen clean and such, but as active as I used to be compared to now I can see why I look a little "lazy". And, a lot depends on how well I sleep at night. The insomnia has been terrible and my energy level fluctuates.

After my next Dr appt I will decide if I need to find another Dr, preferably a thyroid specialist. I think I have wasted enough time on my current Dr.

Thanks for your time, Barb.

[Barb135]

Yes, it's normal to feel worse before feeling better, as your body readjusts to having hormones it's been doing without and it's very possible that they aren't increasing your medication as they should be, since it appears that they are only testing TSH...

What dose of medication are they giving you?  

Shortness of breath was a very severe symptom for me, when I was very hypo.  Once my FT3 and FT4 started coming up where I needed them to be, it went away.

I know you aren't exaggerating your symptoms, but to a certain extent, your family is right that a little exercise can help.  But the biggest thing is getting your actual thyroid hormones up where you need them, and if they aren't even testing them, you don't have a clue.  

Sounds like you need different doctors...

[deannaspa]

Thanks for the reply Barb. I'm not sure what else they have tested, but I'll find out next Wed.

I should tell you that when I first was admitted to the Hospital I had shortness of breath due to what I thought was bronchitis, and that has since gone away. They diagnosed me with congestive heart failure, diabetes, high blood pressure, and the hypothyroidism. I am on a low-salt diet and doing everything I'm supposed to be doing, but continue to feel horrible. My last TSH was down to 27.4 so it's slowly getting down to where it should be. The problem is I swear I feel worse the last few months than when I was first diagnosed, sometimes even having to use a walker. My family make me feel like I am making up or exaggerating my symptoms, saying I should get up and move around more to feel better. I can't make them understand the severity of my symptoms and I'm just getting more depressed. Is this normal to feel worse before better?  Thanks for your reply.

[Barb135]

While hypothyroidism can be connected to some heart issues, such as rapid heart rate (tachycardia), slow heart rate (bradycardia), etc it's not likely that it would be connected to your heart valve issue.

Are they testing anything besides TSH?  They should also be testing Free T3 and Free T4, which are the actual thyroid hormones.  Those are much more important than TSH.  When I was first diagnosed, my TSH was 55+ and that's all my doctor wanted to test... it didn't take long for my TSH to drop  into the basement (< 0.01) and the doctor panicked and started backing off on my med, but my FT3 and FT4 levels were still way below what I needed... He turned me into a basket case - don't let them do that to you...

Be very careful what you're eating - there are some very "innocent" seeming things that cause me to swell up like a bull frog - licorice is one of them, but there are others... I've had to learn all the triggers that make me swell.  BTW -  all 4 of my heart valves leak... :-)