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T4 and amiodarone

Posted , 4 users are following.

laurie75424
laurie75424

I had bloodwork done in Sept. Which showed high THS and normal T4. Had bloodwork done again in Oct. Showed low end of normal and high T4. I'm on 200mg of amiodarone a day. Is that too much iodine.

Thought I might have heard from my doctor today but no, I didnt.

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • dave64969
    dave64969 laurie75424

    Posted

    If you google Amiodarone you find it's for heart arrhythmia, not thyroid problems. What symptoms led to get tested in the first place?

    Also was the TSH low? That indicates hyperthyroidism, whereas a high TSH indicates hypothyroidism.

    I'm wondering if you had heart flutters which would potentially point to hypo. Ask your doctor for sure.

    • laurie75424
      laurie75424 dave64969

      Posted

      Hi Dave, I was put on amiodarone for ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. I had a sudden cardiac arrest in May of 2016 and another in June of 2016 I now have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator that's shocked me 7 times. Been a rough year. I was just thiking I may be getting to much iodine with the amiodarone and that's what's messing with my thyroid.

      In Sept my ths was 4.3, t4 was normal. A month later my ths is low and my t4 is high.

      Thought that was weird.

      Thanks for the reply.

  • MtViewCatherine
    MtViewCatherine laurie75424

    Posted

    Hi Laurie. Look at all the side effects of your different meds, as thyroid disease and thyroid meds can cause heart arrhythmia. There should be an insert that comes with your medications. Or you can look it up online.  The amiodarone can cause other side effects.

    It’s likely that once you get your thyroid in check, the arrhythmia will stop. 

    Also, what type and dose of thyroid medication are you on?

    You mention iodine, what dose? I would caution against iodine as a natural treatment, as it can be very toxic. Essential amino acids are very helpful and there are many other supplements that are helpful in curbing thyroid disease, hat don’t have side effects.

    • laurie75424
      laurie75424 MtViewCatherine

      Posted

      Hi. I think I worded my question wrong. Lol. Amiodarone was prescribed because I had 2 cardiac arrests. I have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator now. Been shocked 7 times. Amiodarone has a lot of iodine in it. I was just thinking maybe I'm getting to much iodine and that's why my ths dropped and my t4 elevated, within a month.

      I'm on levothyroxine 0.088mg per day. Amiodarone 200mg a day. Plus a bunch of other meds.

  • sweetmelissa
    sweetmelissa laurie75424

    Posted

    Yes.. Amiodarone is not a thyroid medication, but it has been reported to cause either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism in rare cases.  200mg of Amiodarone contains about 75mg of iodine.  Standard maintenance therapy with 200 mg amiodarone can provide more than 100 times the daily iodine requirement. It is highly lipid-soluble and is concentrated in the adipose tissue, muscle, liver, lung, and thyroid gland.  The elimination half-life of amiodarone, ranges from 50-100 days and the body can store the iodine for up to 9 months after discontinuation of the drug.  So, yes, that's a lot of iodine!   Talk to your doctor about switching to a different medication if possible.  It seems that if it is indeed the Amiodarone messing with your thyroid levels, then it would only just keep getting worse.

    • MtViewCatherine
      MtViewCatherine sweetmelissa

      Posted

      Thanks for explaining that Melissa. My mother has thyroid disease and was on Amiodarone for a while, but I found it really messed her up in a bunch of ways. I weaned her off and found she was feeling a lot better without the Amiodarone. I didn’t research it to a great extent, as it was clearly causing a problem for her.
    • laurie75424
      laurie75424 sweetmelissa

      Posted

      Thanks for the reply Melissa. I'm on amiodarone because I had 2 cardiac arrests in may and June of 2017. 7 shocks from my implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Thought it was weird to have that swing in my thyroid labs within a month. From hypo to hyper. I'm thinking it's the amiodarone.

    • sweetmelissa
      sweetmelissa laurie75424

      Posted

      It sounds like it could definitely be a possible cause in your thyroid swings..
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