New to this forum

[JerKat]

Hi all,
Can anyone telI me if steroids can cause issues with your meds. I was started on 50Mcg of Levothyroxine about 2 years ago after years of feeling horrible. It changed my life!! I felt great until about May of this year. I was put on steroids for a sinus infection and started having heart palpitations. (PVC's) after 2 days into a 10 day dose. After 2 weeks of feeling like my heart was going to stop at any minute I went to an urgent care clinic wear the PVC's were diagnost. I asked if the steriods could be effecting my thyroid med and was told no and was told there was nothing to worry about PVC are common and sent home. The PVC's continued heavily for another week so I took my self off Levo for a week and symtoms subsided. I went back on Levo at 25Mcg this time and all was fine until 3 weeks ago I used Varamyst for 2 days and the PVC's came back with a vengence. I tried going off my Levo again but this time PVC's stayed and I started getting Hypo symtoms. So I have went back up to 50Mcg and this has cut the PVC's down alot. (Half as many) But I am still having them alot. (1 out of every 5-10 beats) Any ideas would help.

[stella5349]

Absolutely! The use of steriods paralize the adrenals, hense will affect thyroid function. Steriods take a long time to leave the body also have they have been discontinued.

I avoid using them at all cost!

[JerKat]

Thanks so much for the input.
Sorry, I am new to this and I should have said I have seen my doctor and she has ordered a halter monitor for my heart. She could not give me an answer as to what the interaction of the steroids could or would be. She told me to stay on this dose of Levo for now. I never have had any heart issues until the steroids and I am 53. Since this started after the Veramyst this time I was just wanting to see if anyone else had similar issues and could tell me what they did.  I really don't want to start any meds for the heart issue. I have been back on this dose of 50Mcg for 1 1/2 weeks now and like I said the symptoms have calmed down some but still are enough to drive me nuts.

Thanks again

[Barb135]

Steroids may affect the way levothyroxine is absorbed or carried through the blood.

Some people with heart issues have to be put on a beta blocker when taking thyroid hormones.  Many can stop, or cut down, the beta blocker at some point, once thyroid hormone levels are stable; others will have to stay on it.

You should talk to your doctor about the interaction of these drugs.  Going on and off your thyroid medication will keep you on a roller coaster.  It takes at least 4-6 weeks for a dosage of levothyroxine to stabilize in the blood, so every time you go off it, you're basically starting all over again.

I've never been put on steroids for sinus infection; it's always been antibiotics.