Low Thyroid and Heart Palpitations?

[HeidiHay]

I was diagnosed as low thyroid the same week that I found out I was pregnant. My son is now seven months old and I am going through a rollercoaster of issues. Shortly after I had him my hair starting falling out profusely and I was extrememly exhausted. I had my thyroid rechecked, but my doc said it was still normal (I was taking 50 mcg of synthroid).  I went to an endocrinologist and he confirmed that it was actually low and raised my doese to 75 mcg.  About a month later I started having A LOT of heart palpitations.  I went to the ER and they did an EKG that came back normal and the doc said my heart seemed fine. He did indicate that he could see my palpitations on the heart monitor. My blood pressure was 100/65 and my pulse was 65.  He tested my TSH and it was at 25. He told me to drop my synthroid down to 50 mcg until I saw my doc because he thought the medication may be the cause of my palpitations.  I did this for a couple of days and my palpitations did not go away and I felt terrible. I was very lethargic and my limbs felt like they weighed a ton.  I called my endo and she put me on 88 mcg.  After a week, my palpitations have not gone away but my energy has increased and I feel fine otherwise.  I can't take the palpitations anymore!  My endo wants to recheck my levels next week and she thinks that I may have postpartum thyroiditis, but she can't explain the palpitations.  What could this be from?  Thanks so much!

[Ebeth09]

HH-I'm so sorry for all you've been through! At least you had a successful pregnancy! Congratulations!!! :-)

[Ebeth09]

HeidiHay-thanks! I went to a cardiologist because the palps were and are driving me crazy!!! He drew my blood for which was the upteenth time for me over the past month and he said my magnesium was low! So now I'm taking magnesium pills. I go back to get an echo done on my heart tomorrow and a heart monitor, which, I'm sure all will be fine, since I've had two EKGs and all are normal. I know it's the synthroid! I've never had heart palpitations/racing heart before in my life! I just don't get why my endro won't prescribe something else!!! Ugh!!!

[medicmommy]

Hello!
Do you know what your vitamin D levels are? It may have been coincidence, but I'd had heart palpitations over a year (tons of tests didn't show why) and my Naturopath found me to be low in vitamin D and also diagnosed me with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. My palpitations seems to disappear when the level went above 50 (I was 15) -tyhis took about 3 months. I am also taking vitamins and my vitamin D3 intake is 10,000 units per day. -I hope this helps! ~MM

[Ebeth09]

Hello-

I was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism in early November of this past year. I found out I was hypo because I was having trouble getting pregnant...sure enough...after two weeks of being on Synthroid, I got pregnant! We could not believe it after we had been trying for almost a year with no luck!

Now the bad news...a few weeks later, I had a miscarraige!!! SOOO HORRIBLE! Now I've been reading online like crazy about synthroid and about being hypothyroid. Turns out if you are hypothyroid...you are more prone to have a miscarraige! Just wonderful! Not!!!

I was on 100 MCG...felt my heart racing in my chest and some chest tightness after about a month and 1/2 of taking it before the miscarraige. Then after the miscarriage, I felt even more heart palpitations and UNBEARABLE chest pain and headaches. I called my endroc. and he cut my dosage in half...

Two weeks went by...still major chest pain. deep feeling in chest, and still heart palps!!! I freaked out so bad, went back to my endro, he said that's it's all anxiety. He sent me to a cardiologist even though he didn't really think I needed it. I go back Monday for an Echo and to get a heart monitor that I have to wear for 24 hours.

What makes me SO MAD is that everybody thinks I'm crazy and doesn't believe me about the heart palps. I keep telling me endrocronoglist about them and he INSISTS every time I go see him that it's my anxiety and not the synthroid! I even told him point blank that even when I was on Paxil that I NEVER HAD HEART PALPITATIONS or unbearble chest pain.

I'm SO SICK OF DOCTORS NOT CARING ABOUT THEIR PATIENT'S SYMPTOMS and only looking at their numbers and levels. They have no idea how much trouble and pain Synthroid causes some people. I even told my Doctor that all the symptoms I was having are even listed in the box that it comes with, still doesn't buy it! He REFUSES to prescribe me anything else!

Has anyone else had this same problem and their doctor not care?!!! I'M GOING CRAZY AND JUST WANT TO FEEL BETTER!!!

p.s. So far no palps since Sunday afternoon...yeah!!! :-)

Thanks in Advance!!!

[Newbee2000]

I also had heart palps for many months when my tsh was high (hypo). They started just prior to my hashimoto's hypo diagnosis and continued for months after I started treatment (synthroid). The palps were always worst when I was in bed or laying down, especially if I'd move in bed, I'd have a heart palp. They improved and have pretty much stopped (except for an occasional palp) after SEVERAL months of synthroid treatment AND finally MAINTAINING a TSH of 1 for MANY MONTHS.  MD told me some hypo symptoms can linger in some patients until their TSH level has been normal (or  1) for a FEW MONTHS. The symptoms jst don't stop for some of us, they take time to recover. So yes, being hypo can cause heart palps, BUT taking too high a dose of synthroid can also cause heart palps. I've never experienced that latter, but other here have. Your MD should test your blood for your TSH level every 6 weeks or so until you're in the normal range (usually 1) and feel better. Also, post pregnancy can aggravate being hypo or induce it, so definitely monitor you thyroid levels now! If you feel concerned about the heart palps, you might see a cardiologist just to check it out. Good luck!

[jd2]

i got palpitations when i was hypo (not taking enough meds) from eating chocolate flavoured biscuits. i had to stop eating it for 2 weeks for the palpiations to go away. i cant even eat one biscuit now without getting palpitations for a week. same goes for coffee, coke, cola flavoured stuff and chocolate for me.

[ifupleze]

What kind of medication are you on?  If you are on a generic form of medication, try changing to the real synthroid, levoxyl, etc.  You might be getting a reaction to the filler.