AFib from hyperthyroid??

[Guest guest]

Does anyone here on the list have AFib as a result of a hyperthyroid

condition? Does anyone know anything about this?

Thanks,

Jim Showker

[Guest guest]

>

> Does anyone here on the list have AFib as a result of a hyperthyroid

> condition? Does anyone know anything about this?

>

> Thanks,

> Jim Showker

>-----------------------------

Jim

There is what I consider an excellent book " Lone Atrial Fibrillation

Towards A Cure " by Hans R. Larsen which does address both

Hyperthyrodism and Hypothyroldism. Someone on this site mentioned

this book a while back and I believe some of the people on here are

familiar with him.

Anyhow he does contend in his book that hyperthyroldism is clearly

linked to increased risk of afib but that only 3% of LAF patients

have hyperthyroldism. I have been interested in his book because it

may be that I have hypothyroldism (underactive) which he also

centends could be associated with AFIB.

Have you been diagnosed with Hyperthyroldism? If so, sounds like it

might be something for you to investigate as to the possibility of a

link

BARB IN PA

[Guest guest]

I am convinced there is a link for some people with thyroxin levels aqnd

Afib.

I myself am hypothyroid too, (treated with thyroxin).

There is a school of thought that an under active thyroid condition doesn't

always need treating with a thyroxin supplement, as when I first went to a

cardiologist years ago...he asked me why I was taking thyroxin and I said

because my Doctor had told me to and put me on a finely metered dose, personaly

tailored with blood tests etc...... and the cardiologist said..

'If you take my advice..you will stop taking all thyroxin supplementation,

it plays havoc with your heart and most people diagnosed as hypothyroid do not

need it'.

I questioned him as to why I had gone from being a person who was cold to

the bone all the time, who retained fluid and had puffy face and who had

slowed down physically, whose energy levels had slumped, who had started to

steadily gain weight even though I was not eating more, who had started to

suffer

chronic allergies, constipation and most alarmingly, seemed to be losing my

memory, and had poor concentration to my normal well self again after being

disgnosed and treated for hypothyriodism.

He had no answer for that!

When I was diagnosed as hypothyroid and put on thryoxin, ALL these symptoms

of underactive thyroid gland function, rectified, and I once again felt

'well' again, as I hadnt in a few years.

However I had to admit, when given my first doses of thyroid supplement, it

landed me in Hospital Casualty three days after starting the daily dose, with

my first ever case of 'Afib' , but I was told it was directly due to too

much thyroxin.

My heart rate was 130 bpm and more and I had asked my husband to drive me to

hospital after getting breathless (alarmingly so) while walking around the

shops with him.

Scared the life out of me (and him!) but after some treatment, a few hours

later my heart rate dropped and I was allowed home, with strict instructions

not to take any more thyroxin until I had consulted my Doctor again. I didnt

have another episode of Afib for 15 years!

I was soon put back on the same daily dose of thyroxin, but I took it split

over the day, which any Doctor would be able to tell you shouldnt make a

ha'peth of difference as its supposed to be taken all in one dose at the

beginning of the day, absorbed by the thyroid gland and then used as required

by the

body over the course of the day.

I did talk to my Doctor about what the cardiologist had said regarding

thyroid supplementaion (I had been seeing the Cardiologist for problems of

breathlessness without evidence of asthma after having Glandular Fever) and he

asked

me 'whose advice I wanted to follow'.......!!

I know my Doctor didnt want to be accused of advising against the advice of

his higher ranked colleague (my cardiologist).

I said there wasn't really a choice to be made as I saw it, as I had been

feeling quite unwell and not my usual self at all for years, until I was

diagnosed with a blood test as hypothyroid and given thyroid supplementation.

However 20 years later I was diagnosed with Afib and modern diagnostic

techniques meant they also picked up on the Mitral Valve Prolapse I had, which

may have been a contributary factor to my breathlessness in years gone by.

I have also read on the Internet about 's Thyroid Syndrome' since the

thyroid debate with my Doctor and Cardiologist too.

Needless to say, I dont have the same cardiologist now as I persisted with

my treatment for hypothyroidism all these years ago!

Haze

Afib controlled for 3 years with organic wholefood diet, no medication for

rate or rythmn control.

In a message dated 15/04/2006 23:39:25 GMT Standard Time,

jshowker@... writes:

> There is what I consider an excellent book " Lone Atrial Fibrillation

> Towards A Cure " by Hans R. Larsen which does address both

> Hyperthyrodism and Hypothyroldism. Someone on this site mentioned

> this book a while back and I believe some of the people on here are

> familiar with him.

>

> Anyhow he does contend in his book that hyperthyroldism is clearly

> linked to increased risk of afib but that only 3% of LAF patients

> have hyperthyroldism. I have been interested in his book because it

> may be that I have hypothyroldism (underactive) which he also

> centends could be associated with AFIB.

>

> Have you been diagnosed with Hyperthyroldism? If so, sounds like it

> might be something for you to investigate as to the possibility of a

> link

>

> BARB IN PA

[Guest guest]

No, I have not been diagnosed with Hyperthyroid. I found an article about

it on the web, looked up the symptoms, and realized that I might have that.

Since my cardiologist seems to be a buffoon, I will get another Dr I know to

order a blood workup on me to find out.

Jim

> There is what I consider an excellent book " Lone Atrial Fibrillation

> Towards A Cure " by Hans R. Larsen which does address both

> Hyperthyrodism and Hypothyroldism. Someone on this site mentioned

> this book a while back and I believe some of the people on here are

> familiar with him.

>

> Anyhow he does contend in his book that hyperthyroldism is clearly

> linked to increased risk of afib but that only 3% of LAF patients

> have hyperthyroldism. I have been interested in his book because it

> may be that I have hypothyroldism (underactive) which he also

> centends could be associated with AFIB.

>

> Have you been diagnosed with Hyperthyroldism? If so, sounds like it

> might be something for you to investigate as to the possibility of a

> link

>

> BARB IN PA

>

>

>

>

>

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> List owner: AFIBsupport-owner

> For help on how to use the group, including how to drive it via email,

> send a blank email to AFIBsupport-help

>

> Nothing in this message should be considered as medical advice, or should

be acted upon without consultation with one's physician.

>

[Guest guest]

I have A_fib and hypothyroidism. I don't know whether it is connected. I

have regular blood tests and so far it has been ok. One Doctor thought I

might have been hyperthyroid before I went under and that could have caused my

heart problems. Pat

[Guest guest]

Pat, I don't know if your thyriod condition is related. I do know that at the

onset of my AF my doc ordered a thyriod work up off the bat.

STahaney@... wrote: I have A_fib and hypothyroidism. I don't know whether

it is connected. I

have regular blood tests and so far it has been ok. One Doctor thought I

might have been hyperthyroid before I went under and that could have caused my

heart problems. Pat

[Guest guest]

hypERthyroid can definitely cause heart palpitations, but once controlled, they

should no longer be a problem. HypOthyroid should not cause afib, although the

question about whether they are related or not, is open for discussion.

There are many of us here who have afib and hypothryoidism.... it's not likely

that one is causing the other... the connection likely lies in a bigger picture

issue, such as autoimmune dysfunction or some other whole body " issue " that has

yet to be discovered.

STahaney@... wrote:

I have A_fib and hypothyroidism. I don't know whether it is connected. I

have regular blood tests and so far it has been ok. One Doctor thought I

might have been hyperthyroid before I went under and that could have caused my

heart problems. Pat

[Guest guest]

AMEN to this Haze! I had all kinds of things " wrong " that I didn't even know

I had prior to my hypothyroidism diagnosis... and I didn't realize how crappy I

felt until I felt well again!

I also had afib BEFORE being diagnosed with hypothyroidism, so never had to

worry that my dose of synthroid (which is very high at 250 mcg per day) was the

cause of the afib.

***************************

Haze wrote:

When I was diagnosed as hypothyroid and put on thryoxin, ALL these symptoms of

underactive thyroid gland function, rectified, and I once again felt

'well' again, as I hadnt in a few years.

[Guest guest]

A blood workup is not sufficient by itself to diagnose hyper or hypo -

thyroidism.. it can give you a ball park, but the blood test must be looked at

in conjunction with the patient to be accurate.

My levels of whatever it is they measure, were in the " normal " range, however,

I had many of the classic signs of hypothyroidism.... now I'm medicated, and

probably more in the hyper range, however, I show none of the symptoms of

hyperthyroidism at all, so for me and my doctor, my current range is " normal "

despite what the blood tests say!

Jim Showker jshowker@...> wrote:

No, I have not been diagnosed with Hyperthyroid. I found an article about it

on the web, looked up the symptoms, and realized that I might have that.

Since my cardiologist seems to be a buffoon, I will get another Dr I know to

order a blood workup on me to find out.

Jim

[Guest guest]

> No, I have not been diagnosed with Hyperthyroid. I found an

article about it on the web, looked up the symptoms, and realized

that I might have that.

> Since my cardiologist seems to be a buffoon, I will get another Dr

I know to order a blood workup on me to find out.

>

> Jim

Jim: I suggest you see an endocrinologist. Mine, who teaches the

stuff at UCSF, says that for us hyper types the key measurement is

the Free T4. The TSH test follows the T4 changes by a month or

two. The standard medication for Amiodarone induced hyperthyroid is

Tapazole which stops the TSH from recognizing the call to make more

thyroid. And, yes hyper does frequently cause cardiac stimulation

and resulting symptoms. Hyper also causes a variety of other

symptoms. He says that hypo does not cause any cardiac stimulation.

My only exam for the diagnosis other than the blood tests was him

feeling my thyroid while swallowing some water and him palpating it

for size. I now get a blood test bout every 6 weeks to see if the

readings are headed for the normal range, which thank goodness they

are. The job now is not to overshoot with the mediction, according

to him.

Gordon