Aa
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis questions
Hi
I had a baby in NOV of 06 and ever since have not been right. I have been having palapitations and sinus tachycardia so they did and echo and heart monitor and the echo was basicly ok it showed some mild regergitation. everything else was great. then about 3 weeks ago I had an episode of SVT and went to the emergency room and they checked my thyroid and it was high and showed hypo...which didnt account for the high heart rate I thought. so my doctor did a free t4 and t3 and the one for hypo came in at .1 above normal and said it was fine....then my heart rate has gone up and just stayed up my resting is around 100 give or take and when my feet hit the ground it goes up to as high as 140 and comes down but stays up with minimal activity. Which I thought would be HYPER......or something else all together like pots or IST...I have been reading and I get mixed answers on if hashimoto can cause high heart rate or not...I read there is something called an antibody test that can be positive even if other thyroid tests are normal is this true? and I read that if you have hashimoto you can have some symptoms of hyper thyroidism like the high heart rate...is this true? with not normal thyroid test and a test that was .1 away from not being normal is this worth check and could this maybe explain the high heart rate. I read both..... please any help would be greatly appreciated. I went to clevland heart clinic and they said my echo was find so this is not caused from a heart problem....thank you
I had a baby in NOV of 06 and ever since have not been right. I have been having palapitations and sinus tachycardia so they did and echo and heart monitor and the echo was basicly ok it showed some mild regergitation. everything else was great. then about 3 weeks ago I had an episode of SVT and went to the emergency room and they checked my thyroid and it was high and showed hypo...which didnt account for the high heart rate I thought. so my doctor did a free t4 and t3 and the one for hypo came in at .1 above normal and said it was fine....then my heart rate has gone up and just stayed up my resting is around 100 give or take and when my feet hit the ground it goes up to as high as 140 and comes down but stays up with minimal activity. Which I thought would be HYPER......or something else all together like pots or IST...I have been reading and I get mixed answers on if hashimoto can cause high heart rate or not...I read there is something called an antibody test that can be positive even if other thyroid tests are normal is this true? and I read that if you have hashimoto you can have some symptoms of hyper thyroidism like the high heart rate...is this true? with not normal thyroid test and a test that was .1 away from not being normal is this worth check and could this maybe explain the high heart rate. I read both..... please any help would be greatly appreciated. I went to clevland heart clinic and they said my echo was find so this is not caused from a heart problem....thank you
I too had/have a problem with my right side. However, after some time..it has become better. My very brand new doctor (Internist) has questioned that this may be thyroiditis. Some resolve...some don't- they become hypothyroid. My TgAbs were elevated.
I have been taking Prilosec for many months now and have to say, it has helped some. SOME that is. ;-) What I experience is, LPR. Outside of that, I am most certain that a number of my problems is thyroid related. That and possibly P.C.O.S. (elevated Testosterone & Dhea-s)
Anyway, best to you in your quest for understanding.
~Kate
I have been taking Prilosec for many months now and have to say, it has helped some. SOME that is. ;-) What I experience is, LPR. Outside of that, I am most certain that a number of my problems is thyroid related. That and possibly P.C.O.S. (elevated Testosterone & Dhea-s)
Anyway, best to you in your quest for understanding.
~Kate
Thank you I will post that question and see wht I get...I have started having pain when I swallow on the right side of me neck is this related at all???weird! thank y ou for the information!
Also from Dr. Lupo to a patient with high heart rate, antibodies and relatively decent labs.:
Question:
Beklyn23
08/24/06
My GP sent me to an endocrinologist because he was concerned with high levels of antibodies.
31 YR OLD FEMALE rapid heartrate, palpitations chest pain.
MY RESULTS: LAB REF. RANGE March 06 TSH .080 0.40-5.50
MY RESULTS: LAB REF. RANGE
July 06 TSH 0.60 > 20yrs. 0.40-5.50
T3 91 60.181
FREE T-4 1.3 0.8-1.8
T-4 TOTAL 4.9 4.5-12.5
2 weeks later in JULY he tested my thyroid antibodies.
(he was concerned TSH dropping too fast even know TSH in normal range)
MY RESULTS: LAB REF. RANGE
THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES 86 H <20 IU/ML
THYROID PEROXIDASE 122 H <35 IU/ML
Endo says I do not have thyroid disease because TSH in normal range.
Says I was born w/ those antibodies and may develop thyroid disease later in life.
GP is not pleased w/ endo response so, is testing all thyroid hormone and antibodies again.
My questions: Is my elevated antibodies a concern?
Do people normally have elevated antibodies and not have an autoimmune disorder?
And should I have a 2nd endo opinion?
Answer:
Forum-M.D.-ML
08/24/06
Antibodies are seen in up to 10% of the female population (in some studies). This means you do have Autoimmune Thyroid Disease. Your most recent TSH, etc are fine. The one from March however suggested a mild-moderate HYPERthyroidism -- consistent with the symptoms you mentioned.
No treatment is indicated at this time, but would keep a close eye on the levels (ie, every 3 months for the next year).
Question:
Beklyn23
08/24/06
My GP sent me to an endocrinologist because he was concerned with high levels of antibodies.
31 YR OLD FEMALE rapid heartrate, palpitations chest pain.
MY RESULTS: LAB REF. RANGE March 06 TSH .080 0.40-5.50
MY RESULTS: LAB REF. RANGE
July 06 TSH 0.60 > 20yrs. 0.40-5.50
T3 91 60.181
FREE T-4 1.3 0.8-1.8
T-4 TOTAL 4.9 4.5-12.5
2 weeks later in JULY he tested my thyroid antibodies.
(he was concerned TSH dropping too fast even know TSH in normal range)
MY RESULTS: LAB REF. RANGE
THYROGLOBULIN ANTIBODIES 86 H <20 IU/ML
THYROID PEROXIDASE 122 H <35 IU/ML
Endo says I do not have thyroid disease because TSH in normal range.
Says I was born w/ those antibodies and may develop thyroid disease later in life.
GP is not pleased w/ endo response so, is testing all thyroid hormone and antibodies again.
My questions: Is my elevated antibodies a concern?
Do people normally have elevated antibodies and not have an autoimmune disorder?
And should I have a 2nd endo opinion?
Answer:
Forum-M.D.-ML
08/24/06
Antibodies are seen in up to 10% of the female population (in some studies). This means you do have Autoimmune Thyroid Disease. Your most recent TSH, etc are fine. The one from March however suggested a mild-moderate HYPERthyroidism -- consistent with the symptoms you mentioned.
No treatment is indicated at this time, but would keep a close eye on the levels (ie, every 3 months for the next year).
I have heard that *some* with Hashis & Hypothyroid have a high heart rate. Though, it seems of the two, those with Hypothyroid claimed this more than Hashis.
Perhaps if you start another post asking something like, "Do you have Hashis & a high heart rate?" Will give you a better picture. Of course, it would be interesting to know if the elevated heart rate came pre or post medication.
Smoking can cause an elevated heart rate a.k.a. "smokers heart."
Below are two recent replies from Dr. Mark Lupo re antibodies and TSH.
"treatment or not"
A:
Woud look at thyroid antibodies to document what is likely Hashimoto's with mild hypothyroidism. A TSH >3 in the presene of antibodies for an otherwise young/healthy person is probably not normal and a trial of thyroid medication could be considered.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/290507
"hoshimoto's"
A:
Antibodies mean Hashimoto's in this case. In terms of when to start treatment -- >10 definitely. But then it gets confusing. Many patients have no symptoms until TSH is >10 or higher. But some may have symptoms with a TSH >2.5 (or even lower). Selenium can reduce the antibodies and may delay the hypothyroid onset, but only the antibody reduction has been proven so far (it's about a 10-15% reduction).
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/289330
Perhaps if you start another post asking something like, "Do you have Hashis & a high heart rate?" Will give you a better picture. Of course, it would be interesting to know if the elevated heart rate came pre or post medication.
Smoking can cause an elevated heart rate a.k.a. "smokers heart."
Below are two recent replies from Dr. Mark Lupo re antibodies and TSH.
"treatment or not"
A:
Woud look at thyroid antibodies to document what is likely Hashimoto's with mild hypothyroidism. A TSH >3 in the presene of antibodies for an otherwise young/healthy person is probably not normal and a trial of thyroid medication could be considered.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/290507
"hoshimoto's"
A:
Antibodies mean Hashimoto's in this case. In terms of when to start treatment -- >10 definitely. But then it gets confusing. Many patients have no symptoms until TSH is >10 or higher. But some may have symptoms with a TSH >2.5 (or even lower). Selenium can reduce the antibodies and may delay the hypothyroid onset, but only the antibody reduction has been proven so far (it's about a 10-15% reduction).
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/289330
Hi!
Yes, it's the same one from the heart board. :-)
It was a twisted road to a diagnosis for me. Sorry if this entry is a bit long.
The doctor's visits started in Fall 2004 to try and find out why I had ever-present dizziness.
A doctor friend told me it sounded like labrynthitis and to see an ENT,
ENT said I had nystagmus. Eventually they said BPPV ( benign paroxsysmal positional vertigo, the nurse at my pre-employment physical thought that diagnosis was laughable, that I was too young). They did two treatments for it (that failed) and it went on so long they sent me to a (very sweet)neurologist who found Carpal Tunnel and confirmed the ENT's nurse's (screaming) reaction to my pulse, but cause for the dizziness.
That tachycardia ( and a murmur internist found) brought in the first cardiologist who diagnosed the MVP (thickened, redundant, very thin chordae, mild regurge, mild diastolic dysfunction) typical and doesn't cause constant dizziness LOL
Nobody had any help for the dizziness which continued, unrelentingly, all day, every day, for 18 months. It finally went mostly away on its own, and only returns a few times a day now. People may think that's bad, but compared to getting a "hit" everytime you move it's heaven.
My new cardiologist ordered bloodwork and that's how I found out I was hypo. That was in May, 2007. After that, ultra sound showed a goiter, a few solid nodules and bloodwork confirmed Hashis.
Funnily enough, I had gone to the internist in September 2006 c/o feeling a lump in my throat all the time. He fixed on a GI cause. GI tests, all unpleasant, were also all normal. Maybe because my thyroid was swelling at the time?
So, the things I know to be likely thyroid related are the Carpal Tunnel, the constant body aches, the legs feeling heavy like lead weights, the memory loss, poor sleep, skin drying and peeling, and eyebrows and lashes falling out at an accelerated rate.
The goiter and largest nodule are on the right side and I started getting migraine headaches on that side. Don't know if that is possibly related, but I had never had migraines before my TSH went up in the last few years. Turns out (I looked at old routine bloodwork from physicals) 2.5 years ago my TSH was 4.7. Too high by AACE standards even then.
The first cardiologist who had me pushing salt for the dizziness, then turned around and tried to dx me with essential hypertension (it was 140/90 in her office ) . All over the place. Since I started Levoxyl, the BP reading at the last docs appointment was 107/63 and a cardiologist here at medhelp did say that the levoxyl (treating the thyroid problem) could cause it to drop.
Technically I am now hyperthyroid from my meds but the endo wants to keep the meds the same until my next check in September. I must say that, overall, I feel better but have momentary relapses into the old hypo feelings. I am grateful to have a bit more energy than before, and, considering the body is attacking itself, I guess am lucky to feel better at all.
I still don't know exactly why I have the light-headedness. Doc friend thinks I should have a tilt-table test. A line in a "House" episode I taped a while back was "Tilt table never works" LOLOL
Yes, it's the same one from the heart board. :-)
It was a twisted road to a diagnosis for me. Sorry if this entry is a bit long.
The doctor's visits started in Fall 2004 to try and find out why I had ever-present dizziness.
A doctor friend told me it sounded like labrynthitis and to see an ENT,
ENT said I had nystagmus. Eventually they said BPPV ( benign paroxsysmal positional vertigo, the nurse at my pre-employment physical thought that diagnosis was laughable, that I was too young). They did two treatments for it (that failed) and it went on so long they sent me to a (very sweet)neurologist who found Carpal Tunnel and confirmed the ENT's nurse's (screaming) reaction to my pulse, but cause for the dizziness.
That tachycardia ( and a murmur internist found) brought in the first cardiologist who diagnosed the MVP (thickened, redundant, very thin chordae, mild regurge, mild diastolic dysfunction) typical and doesn't cause constant dizziness LOL
Nobody had any help for the dizziness which continued, unrelentingly, all day, every day, for 18 months. It finally went mostly away on its own, and only returns a few times a day now. People may think that's bad, but compared to getting a "hit" everytime you move it's heaven.
My new cardiologist ordered bloodwork and that's how I found out I was hypo. That was in May, 2007. After that, ultra sound showed a goiter, a few solid nodules and bloodwork confirmed Hashis.
Funnily enough, I had gone to the internist in September 2006 c/o feeling a lump in my throat all the time. He fixed on a GI cause. GI tests, all unpleasant, were also all normal. Maybe because my thyroid was swelling at the time?
So, the things I know to be likely thyroid related are the Carpal Tunnel, the constant body aches, the legs feeling heavy like lead weights, the memory loss, poor sleep, skin drying and peeling, and eyebrows and lashes falling out at an accelerated rate.
The goiter and largest nodule are on the right side and I started getting migraine headaches on that side. Don't know if that is possibly related, but I had never had migraines before my TSH went up in the last few years. Turns out (I looked at old routine bloodwork from physicals) 2.5 years ago my TSH was 4.7. Too high by AACE standards even then.
The first cardiologist who had me pushing salt for the dizziness, then turned around and tried to dx me with essential hypertension (it was 140/90 in her office ) . All over the place. Since I started Levoxyl, the BP reading at the last docs appointment was 107/63 and a cardiologist here at medhelp did say that the levoxyl (treating the thyroid problem) could cause it to drop.
Technically I am now hyperthyroid from my meds but the endo wants to keep the meds the same until my next check in September. I must say that, overall, I feel better but have momentary relapses into the old hypo feelings. I am grateful to have a bit more energy than before, and, considering the body is attacking itself, I guess am lucky to feel better at all.
I still don't know exactly why I have the light-headedness. Doc friend thinks I should have a tilt-table test. A line in a "House" episode I taped a while back was "Tilt table never works" LOLOL
Hi there,
Can I ask you some questions about your hashimoto's diagnosis? What symptoms were you having and what tests did you have done while having these symptoms? I too was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in April this year and am now hypothyroid. I hope you don't mind my asking because I'm still feeling lousy. Did you turn up with antibodies too? Are you the same kitcurious from the heart forum board too? I recognize the name. Thanks!
momto3girls (:
Can I ask you some questions about your hashimoto's diagnosis? What symptoms were you having and what tests did you have done while having these symptoms? I too was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in April this year and am now hypothyroid. I hope you don't mind my asking because I'm still feeling lousy. Did you turn up with antibodies too? Are you the same kitcurious from the heart forum board too? I recognize the name. Thanks!
momto3girls (:
Hi again :-)
I have Hashis (came up hypothyroid in May) and MVP. I do have a mildly elevated heart rate during the day, and slow hr recovery after exercise. I got home from cycling almost an hour ago, but it's still 110 bpm and I am not dehydrated. IST had been suggested prior to definitive Hashis diagnosis in July. I didn't know it was elevated until nurses told me at check ups I had for different reasons ( ENT, pre-employment physical etc.) one let out a little scream LOL.
It doesn't bother me and the risk of developing a cardiomyopathy from mild elevation doesn't seem to be all that high so I'll just get regular checks. Beta blockers sometimes make people who are bothered by it feel better. Since I don't notice it they won't do much for me but makje me tired, and with thyroid I can' t tolerate being any more tired. I do get light headed periodically but they told me to consume more salt.
It only bothers me in theory, by that I mean I am curious as to why. There seem to be several possibilities involving catecholamines?
As Graves Lady said, many people have antibodies but not everyone develops Hashis. One good example on a website I visited were identical twin boys , both with the anitbodies . One developed Hashis and the other twin who did not develop Hashis.
The propensity seems to be genetically influened, but the trigger? Who knows?
I have Hashis (came up hypothyroid in May) and MVP. I do have a mildly elevated heart rate during the day, and slow hr recovery after exercise. I got home from cycling almost an hour ago, but it's still 110 bpm and I am not dehydrated. IST had been suggested prior to definitive Hashis diagnosis in July. I didn't know it was elevated until nurses told me at check ups I had for different reasons ( ENT, pre-employment physical etc.) one let out a little scream LOL.
It doesn't bother me and the risk of developing a cardiomyopathy from mild elevation doesn't seem to be all that high so I'll just get regular checks. Beta blockers sometimes make people who are bothered by it feel better. Since I don't notice it they won't do much for me but makje me tired, and with thyroid I can' t tolerate being any more tired. I do get light headed periodically but they told me to consume more salt.
It only bothers me in theory, by that I mean I am curious as to why. There seem to be several possibilities involving catecholamines?
As Graves Lady said, many people have antibodies but not everyone develops Hashis. One good example on a website I visited were identical twin boys , both with the anitbodies . One developed Hashis and the other twin who did not develop Hashis.
The propensity seems to be genetically influened, but the trigger? Who knows?
I have Hashimoto's, am hypo, and have a very irregular heartbeat. It thumps hard, then slows down. I have an extra heartbeat, which an emergency room doctor said was "way cool", because she had only been told about it in medical school, but had never actually heard one. Well, I do aim to please...So, as far as I can tell, heart racing, pounding, etc. are part of the disease. At least part of mine.
At clevland heart clinic they said that the regergitation in my tricuspid valve is not causing the heart rate. so you can have antibodies and not have hypothyroidism? Im still trying to understand this....I have read about people having antibodies for hoshimoto that had high heart rate...Im just trying to see if anyone else have experienced this that was causeed by hoshimotos.....
Can't tell if you are Hypo/Hashi by symptoms alone and without knowing all three of your test with labs reference range.
Thyroid symptoms are non-specific and can mimic other health conditions.
Lots of people with normal thyroids have antibodies as well as other health conditions.
Levels are the prevailing diagnose of thyroid conditions. All the other test (antibodies, etc.) just confirm what the levels already show.
Do you have MVP (mild regurgitation) can cause some of your symptoms.
Doctor can put you on meds. for a while that can help with the high heart rate. Surprised he hasn't already do so.
Redo your test again 6 weeks after your first test to see if levels repeat or close to repeating.
If they still show within Labs range, then get test on a regular bases, you might show up thyroid in the future.
Good Luck!
Thyroid symptoms are non-specific and can mimic other health conditions.
Lots of people with normal thyroids have antibodies as well as other health conditions.
Levels are the prevailing diagnose of thyroid conditions. All the other test (antibodies, etc.) just confirm what the levels already show.
Do you have MVP (mild regurgitation) can cause some of your symptoms.
Doctor can put you on meds. for a while that can help with the high heart rate. Surprised he hasn't already do so.
Redo your test again 6 weeks after your first test to see if levels repeat or close to repeating.
If they still show within Labs range, then get test on a regular bases, you might show up thyroid in the future.
Good Luck!
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