Armour + SVT?

[jamierb]

I was diagnosed with Hashimotos last November and started out on Synthroid.  I got awful symptoms from that (burning heart, racing heart when walking up stairs, chest pain, swollen all over, weak muscles) and so my doc finally switched me to Armour (I had found out my T3 was low on Synthroid).  I started the Armour (30 mg in the am and 15mg in the afternoon) the last week in June and for the past few months, my TSH, T4 and T3 have been in normal ranges.  Last week I started getting heart palpitations in sedentary positions.  Got my edo to test my levels which were again in normal range, so saw a cardio.  I wore a holster for 7 days and yesterday she told me I had SVT and wants me on a new medication.  I am not interested in more medication because I think this has to do with my Armour/Hasimotos issue.  Does anyone have any ideas, suggestions, doctor who might be able to help?

[gimel]

Palpitations can be associated with either low or high thyroid hormone levels.  It could be a short term effect from your Hashi's causing some leakage of extra thyroid hormone into your blood, or it could be that your Hashi's has caused a reduction of normal thyroid hormone production that has not been adequately replaced by the medication.  

If you look at this listing of typical hypo symptoms, are you having any of the 26?

Also, please post your latest thyroid test results and reference ranges sown on the lab report so that we can try to assess your hormone levels.

[gimel]

Sorry, I forgot to provide the link.  

http://endocrine-system.emedtv.com/hypothyroidism/hypothyroidism-symptoms-and-signs.html

[jamierb]

Thanks for responding.  I am working on getting my latest labs and will post as soon as I receive them.  For now, all I know about them is that my doc said all of my levels are in normal range.  In terms of other symptoms, I am not experiencing any-- other than this SVT which in turn has made me more tired than usual because when I get it at night I can't sleep.  

[goolarra]

Hi, I posted on another person's thread that you had commented on.  I'm going to cut, edit and paste the relevant information so that it's in your thread as well:

I have both Hashi's and SVT (Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome).

When I was started on too high a dose, when I tried to increase too rapidly and when I was overmedicated, my very first symptom was always increased number, intensity and duration of SVT.   I saw an electrophysiologist for my SVT.  He put me on a beta blocker, which controls the SVT very nicely.

Jamierb, by and large, any thyroid meds with T3 in them (which includes Armour) are contraindicated for patients with heart arrhythmias.  You might want your doctor to re-evaluate meds in light of the recent SVT diagnosis.  T3 has a very direct effect on the heart.  Thyroid meds can exacerbate a known arrhythmia and bring to the forefront previously unknown conditions.  Beta blockers (atenolol, in my case) were a lifesaver.  Please post your labs and ranges as gimel suggested.

Are you aware of the Valsalva maneuver?  You can google it and get a description.  It's a technigue for stopping SVT or other tachycardias and might be something to ask your doctor about.  It was suggested to me by my EPs, and it really does work.