Is Levothyroxine causing this?

Please post your hypothyroidism questions here for our experts to answer.

Moderator: talkhealth

Locked
5 posts
laladrew
Posts: 30
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:43 pm
Quote

by laladrew on Mon Jan 30, 2012 10:39 am

Is Levothyroxine causing this?

Hi

Almost an hour after taking my thyroxine, at night, I experience a sort of 'rush', palpitations and a feeling of extreme flushing and heat. It's very frightening, I feel breathless and almost winded. It really is every night after the thyroxine. I surmise it's this causing it as the only other pills i take now are bisoprolol (for fast heart rate, again I believe caused by thyroxine) and calcium/alfacalcidol for broken parathyroid glands.

Is there a connection? I am in the bottom half of the T4 range and below in the T3 range. TSH is 1.75.

Many thanks.

laladrew
Posts: 30
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:43 pm
Quote

by laladrew on Mon Jan 30, 2012 10:43 am

Re: Is Levothyroxine causing this?

I should have said, my dose is now 75mcg after five years of being on 100mcg. This was to try to reduce palpitations. I have experienced this the entire time I've taken thyroxine so not a new symptom.

laladrew
Posts: 30
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:43 pm
Quote

by laladrew on Mon Jan 30, 2012 6:13 pm

Re: Is Levothyroxine causing this?

Please could a specialist answer this for me?

laladrew
Posts: 30
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:43 pm
Quote

by laladrew on Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:40 pm

Re: Is Levothyroxine causing this?

Pretty Please?

I m just back from the GP and she admitted she has no indepth knowledge of thyroid complexities, which is fair enough being a general practitioner. However, my endocrinologist told me that fatigue, headaches and palpitations were not thyroid related as my bloods are 'normal'.


Can this be true?

Please for the love of God will a specialist do me the courtesy of answering this one question. T3 is below range, T4 bottom half of range, TSH 1.75

User avatar
Dr Petros Perros
Posts: 59
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2012 3:29 pm
Quote

by Dr Petros Perros on Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:01 am

Re: Is Levothyroxine causing this?

DEAR LALADREW

I THINK IT IS UNLIKLEY THAT THE THYROXINE IS CAUSING YOUR SYMPTOMS. THE LEVELS OF THYROID HORMONES VARY VERY LITTLE AFTER AN ORAL DOSE OF THYROXINE. THIS IS BECAUSE THERE ARE VARIOUS PROTEINS IN THE BLOOD THAT BIND TO THYROID HORMONES AND “BUFFER” THEM, ALSO ENZYMES IN THE LIVER AND ELSEWHERE IN THE BODY CONVERT T4 TO T4 AND VICE VERSA, SO THAT THE LEVELS ARE KEPT PRETTY CONSTANT. BUT, A SIMPLE OF WAY OF FINDING OUT IS TO CHAGE THE TIMING OF TAKIGN YOUR THYROXINE (SAY IN THE MORNING) AND SEE IF YOUR SYMPTOMS DISAPPEAR.

IF THEY ARE UNRELATED TO THE DOSING OF THYROXINE WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE? FIRSTLY IT MAY SIMPLY BE AN AWARENESS OF A NORMAL HEART BEAT. WE ARE USUALLY NOT CONSCIOUS OF IT, BUT AT NIGHT WHEN WE ARE LYING STILL IN BED AND IT IS QUIET, IT IS NOT AT ALL UNUSUAL TO FEEL OUR HEART BEAT AND THAT CAN SOMETIMES BE ALARMING, AND THEN IT CAN CAUSE ANXIETY AND WE CAN BECOME EVEN MORE AWARE OF THE HEART BEATING. THERE ARE OTHER CAUSES OF YOUR SYMPTOMS. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE CONSULTED YOUR GP AND YOUR ENDOCRINOLOGIST AND JUDGING BY WHAT YOU HAVE STATED THEY MUST FEEL THAT THESE SYMPTOMS ARE NOT INDICATIVE OF ANYTHIG SERIOUS.
Dr Petros Perros
Consultant Endcorinologist

Locked
5 posts