Synthroid & Fast Heartrate - Heart Disorders Message Board

MARILYNJ1 · 03-20-2008, 01:44 PM

My Resting Heartrate Is 120-130, About A 5 Min. Pain In My Left Chest When I Lie Down, Then It Subsides. I Have Thyroid Cancer, Had Ablation And 2 Radioactive Iodine Treatments. I Am On 100 Mcgs Of Synthroid Daily.
No High Blood Pressure, But Stay Fatigued All The Time. The Synthroid Meds Are To Keep My Tsh Levels Down Because I Have Some Residual Thyroid Tumor Wrapped Around The Recurrent Nerve And Is Inoperable. Any Suggestions For Reducing My Heartrate?

ChristineVA · 03-20-2008, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MARILYNJ1

My Resting Heartrate Is 120-130, About A 5 Min. Pain In My Left Chest When I Lie Down, Then It Subsides. I Have Thyroid Cancer, Had Ablation And 2 Radioactive Iodine Treatments. I Am On 100 Mcgs Of Synthroid Daily.
No High Blood Pressure, But Stay Fatigued All The Time. The Synthroid Meds Are To Keep My Tsh Levels Down Because I Have Some Residual Thyroid Tumor Wrapped Around The Recurrent Nerve And Is Inoperable. Any Suggestions For Reducing My Heartrate?

Hi Marilyn,

I am also a thyroid cancer survivor.

Quite honestly, I am surprised that your dosage of Synthroid is elevating your heart rate. As dosages go, it is not that high, but everyone reacts differently.

The standard protocol for treating rapid heart rate in thyroid cancer patients on suppressive doses of Synthroid is to add a daily dose of a beta blocker (propanolol is a popular one). This will counteract the higher dose of Synthroid and bring the heart rate down. Many, many thyroid cancer patients have to do this.

hopesprings2 · 03-21-2008, 10:06 AM

i would ask my doctor about it and see what can be done for the high pulse

MARILYNJ1 · 03-27-2008, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChristineVA

Hi Marilyn,

I am also a thyroid cancer survivor.

Quite honestly, I am surprised that your dosage of Synthroid is elevating your heart rate. As dosages go, it is not that high, but everyone reacts differently.

The standard protocol for treating rapid heart rate in thyroid cancer patients on suppressive doses of Synthroid is to add a daily dose of a beta blocker (propanolol is a popular one). This will counteract the higher dose of Synthroid and bring the heart rate down. Many, many thyroid cancer patients have to do this.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY. I APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT. IS YOUR THYROID CANCER COMPLETELY GONE? I HOPE SO. I SEEM TO BE HAVING A LOT OF HEALTH ISSUES THESE LAST 4 YEARS SINCE MY THYROID SURGERY. I STILL HAVE A PIECE OF THE GLAND, BUT THEY ARE NOT SURE IF IT IS CANCEROUS. IT SEEMS THAT MY WHOLE BODY IS TREMBLING INSIDE AND I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO ENERGY. MAYBE I AM NOT TAKING ENOUGH SYNTHROID, BUT 137 MCGS PUT ME INTO THE EMERGENCY ROOM WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A HEART PROBLEM, BUT IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE AN ANXIETY ATTACK. LATER, MY ENDOCRINOLOGIST SAID IT WAS PROBABLY HER FAULT THAT SHE HAD RAISED MY SYNTHROID LEVEL TOO HIGH. SO IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY DELICATE BALANCE. BUT, MY CHEST SOMETIMES HURTS A LITTLE AND I AM ALWAYS OUT OF BREATH. IT IS SCARY. DO YOU ALSO HAVE THOSE PROBLEM? YOUR HELP IS REALLY APPRECIATED. IT IS NICE TO HAVE SOMEONE TO TALK WITH.

ChristineVA · 03-28-2008, 10:54 AM

Marilyn,

I had my thyroid cancer in 1995 and I had a total thyroidectomy. Now that you've explained that you still have a bit of your thyroid gland left, then I can understand why your heart rate is so high. My surgeon had told me that you can leave a very small amount of the gland in and it will "pick up the slack" and produce enough hormone. So your thyroid gland is still producing thyroid hormone AND you are taking Synthroid. It sounds as if you have too much thyroid hormone. No wonder your heart rate is like this.

Have you had a TSH test done? You need to find out what that number is. You may need much less thyroid hormone.

Can I ask why they left part of your gland in? That is usually not what they do when they KNOW you have cancer. It can be risky to leave it in and it makes it VERY hard to follow up the disease if there is any remaining tissue.

I had to have two surgeries to get all my thyroid gland out and then I followed up with the radioactive iodine treatments. As far as I know, I am cancer free and it has been almost 13 years.

It is a struggle, though, getting regulated and I really didn't feel well for many years after surgery. I'm more stable now but I have NEVER felt as good as I did prior to surgery.