Status update

It has been some time since I have posted on this board and I'm pleased to say that the reason is that I have been in constant NSR. My last episode occurred while I was on the operating table have a routine pacemaker battery replacement. It was a long lasting episode and the VA admitted me until they could get me back in NSR. They blamed the episode on the fact that my TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) was essentially zero....a fact that is entirely normal for someone taking Armour thyroid. In fact at the time of my episode my Free T3 numbers were completely normal. The reason for the episode was a combination of something else combined with surgically sticking electrode in my heart. Prior to the pacemaker replacement I had had several other afib outbreaks which my course of supplements wasn't able to quell. Over the years I've been a success story for the standard supplement regimen advocated on this board.

After the pacemaker episode the VA started me on a course of Amiodarone. My expectations about a drug solution to my afib were not very high, but my expectations proved wrong. Taking the prescribed dose I have remained in solid NSR with very few ectopic beats ever since. About 6 months ago I was alerted to the possibility that Amiodarone my had a reputation of pulmonary damage. The VA was negligent in not giving me a baseline pulmonary function test and follow that up with regular monitoring. That has since begun and so far my lungs remain normal for an 82 year old man. However on my own initiative I reduced my Amiodarone dose by half and so far I have not had any outbreaks.

I have of course continued with my supplement regimen.

Sir:

It is not normal to have a TSH at zero, I understand that you say your t3 is normal (what are the numbers?). A few months ago I had an increase in my thyroid meds, my TSH went to 1.0 and my T3 was normal but I started getting AF around twice a week which was an increase from once every couple of months. I went back to my thyroid meds before the increase after a few weeks my AF episodes have stopped. The reason I got AF in the first place was because of an increase in my thyroid meds., too much thyroid hormone will most definitely cause AF, especially in older people.

Liz

Hello Josiah ~ Your thyroid report is of interest to me....especially on the Armour thyroid hormone topic. As we know, thyroid experts say the TSH is not considered the major number of importance, but rather where you stand with the Free T3 and most importantly.... symptoms that reflect how your thyroid is actually functioning.

It's also known that in older patients, there can be more tendency toward arrhythmia for some individuals and it's smart to try to use the lowest dose possible that allows functionality. So if you continue having periodic afib breakthroughs, you should consider cutting back on your Armour dosage.

Others have noted that after the reformulation of Armour thyroid hormone several years ago, it does not perform as well in many patients and advise switching to Nature-Throid or Westhroid supplied through compounding pharmacies.

Thanks for checking in again. Good to hear from you.

Be well,
Jackie

Hi Josiah,

Regarding Armour Thyroid, you are correct it is very common for desiccated porcine thyroid such as Armour Thyroid, Natur-throid, ERFA thyroid and a few others that have almost identical levels of the two main thyroid hormones T3 and T4 as well as trace amount of T2 etc, and including various fillers that can differ per brand ... and that produce serum lab results showing a very low to absent TSH reading when, in fact, the person's active thyroid hormone function and levels of Free T3 and Free T4 are in a decent range for their bodies,

This reflects one of the weaknesses of depending solely on TSH readings in thyroid function analysis, especially in using TSH alone to adjust dosing adjustments of hypothyroid patients. People taking porcine desiccated thyroid formula should definitely add Free T3 and Free T4 to their serum TSH lab for regular monitoring, Typically, though, when a patient is prescribed desiccated thyroid it is by a savvy physician who understands the very low TSH reading resulting from such combined T4/T3 desiccated preparations does not at all necessarily mean hyperthyroidism, as would typically be the diagnosis if a regular MD should see a TSH of 0 without knowing the patient was on a solid dose of desiccated thryoid.

For those wanting to understand more about the different approaches to thyroid treatment, here is a good patient advocate website with a lot of very good information. StoptheThyroidMadness.com

It is true that afibber's need to be more careful with thyroid meds and often it is better to err somewhat on the side of under-treatment but not to the point of significant increase in Hypothyroid symptoms either as that too can be pro-arrhythmic .. A smart and savvy thyroid specialist ( and not necessarily a traditional endocrinologist) can be a great asset especially in managing an AFIB patient to get the best balance of decent thyroid function without overdoing it. A well trained thyroid doc will know how to use all the thyroid hormone forms in a nuanced manner.

Cheers!
Shannon

I had a Dr. that had used alot of Amio. He said the side effects were over-rated. I tried it, and stopped taking it at 400mg/day because I began wheezing with 2 days. He then tried to get me to drop to 200mg/day. He said it was the best Anti-Arrythmic available. What is the dosage that you are taking right now?

A Cardiologist I spoke to once said Consultants called Amiodarone "The Poison". Says it all.