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Hypothroidism - feeling unwell

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matt91885
matt91885

Hey all, been diagnosed with hypothyroidism eventually after around 2 years of low mood and general fatigue. Im in the UK so only check TSH here. Initial blood test shows a TSH of 22. Been on 50mcg of Levothyroxine, initially i had much anxiety and palps which improved over time, last reading showed TSH of 8.4 - great ... NO meds get increased to 75mcg and palps back anxiety back and generally feeling like im going to have a heart attack or something. I know i need an increase in meds to get better but i cant seem to tolerate a higher dose ? Getting ECG s done which appear fine however heart rate on my watch shows irregular heart rate , 42 then 100 56 etc is this normal is it the meds or the condition , would be great to hear from others who have been through this as im starting to feel like a hypocondriac

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • matt91885
    matt91885

    Posted

    Sorry to add to this ive tried my watch on others and bpm is consistant with them.
  • dave64969
    dave64969 matt91885

    Posted

    Has your mood/tiredness improved at all? Based on the reported experience of others it is likely that your palpitations are indeed the result of the medication, but these symptoms can ease over time. If you want to measure your heart rate and  blood pressure often, why not buy one of those little devices you strap to your wrist when you want to check?
    • matt91885
      matt91885 dave64969

      Posted

      Hi Dave, yes im still symptomatic but theres an improvement. The terrible mind fog has dissipated, mood slightly elevated its really the palpatations, which in turn lead to anxiety
  • sweetmelissa
    sweetmelissa matt91885

    Posted

    I agree it's a side effect od the levo too, as when I first started my medication, I had terrible anxiety and the jitter's.  I was so jittery and so much nervousness that I actually had to stop drinking caffine in the mornings... and I love my morning coffee.  It also caused me to have more SVT episodes with my heart more than normal.  To help me with the inital side effects, I began to split my dose in half and took half in the morning and half at night.  Of course, with my doctors permission.  He agreed it was a great idea.  Well.. the difference was amazing!  I was even able to start drinking coffee again.  After about a year, I was finally on the right dose and my TSH was hanging around 1.00, which is where my endocrinologist said that most of his patients feel best at.  I was then able to go back to taking my full dose in the mornings, with no side effects at all.  So, maybe think about splitting your dose?  I know the inital side effects of levo can be rough until your body gets used to it, and that can take a while with all the dose changes.  As for your heart rate, I would say that it can also effect your heart beat.   I have a handheld ECG machine and it will say missed heart beat, irregular heart beat..ect.  sometimes.  It's purpose is not to diagnose, and is just a reference, as I'm sure so is your watch..  I showed my heart doctor the readings, that record for 30 seconds at a time, and he was not worried at all either.  A lot of problems with the heart, such as missed heart beats, palpltations, PVC's, SVT's..ect... are not life threatning and there is no need for medical intervention.  So, I'm assuming your doctor may have seen it, but it was irrelevent, and saw no reason to make you worried.  Anyway, if your still worried about it, just buy a small handheld ecg machine and then you can show your doctor the actual recording..  That's what I did and that's how I got diagnosed SVT.  Best wishes...

    • matt91885
      matt91885 sweetmelissa

      Posted

      Thats an excellent idea Melissa i cant beleive i have not thought of splitting the meds before .. genius - how long do you leave it if you take vitamin suppliments or rennies etc.
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