Re: Elaine - question ref heart disturbances...

April 1, 2003

Hi

You could be describing my heart. But you need to get it checked out at your

doctor's. I've been tested lots and so far all the results are okay - no

reason, just the nature of my heart. But I do have to take beta blockers. Do

you get irregular rhythms mostly when you're lying down? That's when I notice

them. Also when I've run upstairs - my heart pounds and I'm very short of

breath. Sometimes I get wakened up at night too. I'm curious what Elaine will

have to say.

Kate

Alison wrote:

> Hello there - hope you're all hunkydorey!

>

> I'm a bit puzzled - I have some recent results:-

>

> 19th March 2003

>

> TSH - 2.1 (RR 0.4 to 4.5)

> Free T3 - 4.2 (RR 2.3 to 4.9)

> Free T4 - 15.9 (RR 11.5 to 23.0)

>

> The reason I'm puzzled is that things look fairly 'normal' - my TSH says I'm a

bit hypo (from past experience), my free T3 says I'm a bit hyper (from past

experience) and my free T4 reckons I'm neither and yet I'm still getting heart

'disturbances'. But the last time my levels looked this 'normal' the heart

disturbances - of all sorts - completely disappeared. So now I'm wondering why

they're hanging around. I never had any kinds of heart disturbances before all

this thyroid stuff started.

>

> I've often read about the racing heart that Graves' people get on a little

exertion - or even without any exertion at all. And people mention

'palpitations'. But now I'm wondering exactly what is meant. The disturbances

I get are like this:-

>

> a pause and then a bang and then it's as though the beats after that speed up

for a second or so

>

> a little trill or a little run of beats so close together it feels as though

there's no space in between them

>

> just a missed beat

>

> a thud that makes me feel as though my whole body has shuddered

>

> like my heart takes a sudden dive down into stomach

>

> like my heart is trilling in throat

>

> They only last a second or two, if that.

>

> I don't have to be exerting myself - I can be lying in bed having just woken

up and get a big thumpy one.

>

> Some days are busier in this respect than others, but every day must average

one 'disturbance' an hour.

>

> What do you think??

>

> Thanks for your thoughts.

>

April 2, 2003

Hi

That's simple - caffeine is bad for your heart. Chocolate has caffeine. I was

told to stop all caffeine several years ago. Once in a while I will have a

square of chocolate and thoroughly enjoy it. But I pay for it in arrythmia

every time.

Kate

Alison wrote:

> Hello Kate

>

> Sometimes I get them when I'm lying down - when I've woken in the morning but

am still lying in bed. I was tested early on but the cardiologist said it was

thyroid-related and sure enough when my levels smoothed out they went away, but

they came back when my levels got upset again, but I would have expected them to

have gone away again now...

>

> Something that sounds really silly..... But I do try not to eat sugar these

days (which usually with me means chocolate)........ - my heart disturbances do

seem to lessen considerably when I binge out on chocolate and then become more

numerous again when I've gone a few days off sugar altogether. What do you make

of that???

>

> Re: Elaine - question ref heart disturbances...

>

> Hi

> You could be describing my heart. But you need to get it checked out at

your doctor's. I've been tested lots and so far all the results are okay - no

reason, just the nature of my heart. But I do have to take beta blockers. Do

you get irregular rhythms mostly when you're lying down? That's when I notice

them. Also when I've run upstairs - my heart pounds and I'm very short of

breath. Sometimes I get wakened up at night too. I'm curious what Elaine will

have to say.

>

> Kate

>

> Alison wrote:

>

> > Hello there - hope you're all hunkydorey!

> >

> > I'm a bit puzzled - I have some recent results:-

> >

> > 19th March 2003

> >

> > TSH - 2.1 (RR 0.4 to 4.5)

> > Free T3 - 4.2 (RR 2.3 to 4.9)

> > Free T4 - 15.9 (RR 11.5 to 23.0)

> >

> > The reason I'm puzzled is that things look fairly 'normal' - my TSH says

I'm a bit hypo (from past experience), my free T3 says I'm a bit hyper (from

past experience) and my free T4 reckons I'm neither and yet I'm still getting

heart 'disturbances'. But the last time my levels looked this 'normal' the

heart disturbances - of all sorts - completely disappeared. So now I'm

wondering why they're hanging around. I never had any kinds of heart

disturbances before all this thyroid stuff started.

> >

> > I've often read about the racing heart that Graves' people get on a little

exertion - or even without any exertion at all. And people mention

'palpitations'. But now I'm wondering exactly what is meant. The disturbances

I get are like this:-

> >

> > a pause and then a bang and then it's as though the beats after that speed

up for a second or so

> >

> > a little trill or a little run of beats so close together it feels as

though there's no space in between them

> >

> > just a missed beat

> >

> > a thud that makes me feel as though my whole body has shuddered

> >

> > like my heart takes a sudden dive down into stomach

> >

> > like my heart is trilling in throat

> >

> > They only last a second or two, if that.

> >

> > I don't have to be exerting myself - I can be lying in bed having just

woken up and get a big thumpy one.

> >

> > Some days are busier in this respect than others, but every day must

average one 'disturbance' an hour.

> >

> > What do you think??

> >

> > Thanks for your thoughts.

> >

April 3, 2003

Dear :

I had irregular heartbeat when I was first diagnosed " hyperthyroid " .

I had to go to a heart specialist and did some test. I was prescribed

" Toprol " 50mg for it and had to take Cumadin (blood thinner).

I could not catch my breath when I walked upstairs. Other than that, I

couldn't feel anything different.

After 2months on the above medicine along with Tapazol (Anti-thyroid

medicine " , my blood work came up normal and my heart

is back to normal as well. So, the doctor took me off the Toprol and

cumadin within a week.

If your blood work shows normal but your heart is not back to normal, I think

you need to go see a heart specialist, or ask your doctor that treats you to

prescribe " beta blocker " medicine for you.

Hope you feel better soon.

Sincerely,

Pam

April 3, 2003

Hi ,

Boy, it's hard to tell from your symptoms because both hypo and hyper can

cause palpitations and cardiac arrhythmias. With your labs normal but

suggesting a move toward hypo I'd suspect they're hypot symptoms. Or if

you're still producing TSI, you could be having little bursts of thryoid

hormone causing occasionaly hyper symptoms. Since heart problems can be

serious and there are so many good meds out there for relieving symptoms, I

think you should keep a diary of symptoms and mention this at your next

appointment. Or you can call the office and talk to the nurse. If your heart

rate isn't too low, like below 60, they might prescribe beta blockers, or

they may have you come in sooner. There are also some very good blood tests

we do to assess heart function, like CK, CKMB Fractionation, Myoglobin and

Troponin. Your doc could even order these labs on an outpatient basis. Let me

know what you find out. Take care, Elaine

April 4, 2003

Hello Kate

Sometimes I get them when I'm lying down - when I've woken in the morning but am

still lying in bed. I was tested early on but the cardiologist said it was

thyroid-related and sure enough when my levels smoothed out they went away, but

they came back when my levels got upset again, but I would have expected them to

have gone away again now...

Something that sounds really silly..... But I do try not to eat sugar these

days (which usually with me means chocolate)........ - my heart disturbances do

seem to lessen considerably when I binge out on chocolate and then become more

numerous again when I've gone a few days off sugar altogether. What do you make

of that???

Re: Elaine - question ref heart disturbances...

Hi

You could be describing my heart. But you need to get it checked out at your

doctor's. I've been tested lots and so far all the results are okay - no

reason, just the nature of my heart. But I do have to take beta blockers. Do

you get irregular rhythms mostly when you're lying down? That's when I notice

them. Also when I've run upstairs - my heart pounds and I'm very short of

breath. Sometimes I get wakened up at night too. I'm curious what Elaine will

have to say.

Kate

Alison wrote:

> Hello there - hope you're all hunkydorey!

>

> I'm a bit puzzled - I have some recent results:-

>

> 19th March 2003

>

> TSH - 2.1 (RR 0.4 to 4.5)

> Free T3 - 4.2 (RR 2.3 to 4.9)

> Free T4 - 15.9 (RR 11.5 to 23.0)

>

> The reason I'm puzzled is that things look fairly 'normal' - my TSH says I'm

a bit hypo (from past experience), my free T3 says I'm a bit hyper (from past

experience) and my free T4 reckons I'm neither and yet I'm still getting heart

'disturbances'. But the last time my levels looked this 'normal' the heart

disturbances - of all sorts - completely disappeared. So now I'm wondering why

they're hanging around. I never had any kinds of heart disturbances before all

this thyroid stuff started.

>

> I've often read about the racing heart that Graves' people get on a little

exertion - or even without any exertion at all. And people mention

'palpitations'. But now I'm wondering exactly what is meant. The disturbances

I get are like this:-

>

> a pause and then a bang and then it's as though the beats after that speed

up for a second or so

>

> a little trill or a little run of beats so close together it feels as though

there's no space in between them

>

> just a missed beat

>

> a thud that makes me feel as though my whole body has shuddered

>

> like my heart takes a sudden dive down into stomach

>

> like my heart is trilling in throat

>

> They only last a second or two, if that.

>

> I don't have to be exerting myself - I can be lying in bed having just woken

up and get a big thumpy one.

>

> Some days are busier in this respect than others, but every day must average

one 'disturbance' an hour.

>

> What do you think??

>

> Thanks for your thoughts.

>

April 4, 2003

Hello Pam

Thanks for your reply. Trouble with me is that I seem to be very sensitive to

my own thyroid hormone and so my test results only need to be a little bit

either way and I'm definitely hypo or hyper, so it may be that I'm still not

right even though my figures don't look too bad. Glad to hear you're doing

better.

Re: Elaine - question ref heart disturbances...

Dear :

I had irregular heartbeat when I was first diagnosed " hyperthyroid " .

I had to go to a heart specialist and did some test. I was prescribed

" Toprol " 50mg for it and had to take Cumadin (blood thinner).

I could not catch my breath when I walked upstairs. Other than that, I

couldn't feel anything different.

After 2months on the above medicine along with Tapazol (Anti-thyroid

medicine " , my blood work came up normal and my heart

is back to normal as well. So, the doctor took me off the Toprol and

cumadin within a week.

If your blood work shows normal but your heart is not back to normal, I think

you need to go see a heart specialist, or ask your doctor that treats you to

prescribe " beta blocker " medicine for you.

Hope you feel better soon.

Sincerely,

Pam

April 4, 2003

Hello Elaine

Thanks for your reply. I really appreciate the time you spend helping us along.

That's such a good idea - to keep a diary of events - I shall start one

forthwith! Maybe it is because I'm hypo - as you say, difficult to tell

especially as I seem to react to minute changes in my levels.

Something I wrote to Kate - I wonder what you think: - I know it sounds

really silly..... But I do try not to eat sugar these days (which usually with

me means chocolate)........ - my heart disturbances seem to lessen considerably

when I binge out on chocolate and then become more numerous again when I've gone

a few days off sugar altogether. What do you make of that???

Do you think there's some element in chocolate that I should be getting and I'm

not in my ordinary, virtuous sugar-free diet that would effect my heart like

that???