Fast heart beat in early morning - thyroid issues?

I have posted recently about lack of sleep due to nightly, hours- long, strong and fast heart beats (not afib) and my cardiologist shrugs if off without offering an explanation.

I have had Hashimoto's Thyroiditis for many years and wonder if high cortisol levels and/or thyroid issues could be triggering my heart at night.

Do many participants on this board have Thyroid problems?

Carol

Carol,

Very low blood glucose ( hypoglycemia) can cause palpitations and atrial fib .
Jackie has written many posts about this topic from own experience.
I suggest that you test your blood glucose late at night at least to exclude this possibility.

best wishes,


Ben



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2020 09:58AM by ben saif.

I also have Hasimotos Thyroiditis. It was diagnosed years before the afib/flutter developed. Not she of the connection. I take Levothyroxine daily. I do know lack of sleep causes me ectopic beats mostly PAC’s.

Cortisol, Hypoglycemia can cause your fast heartbeats, thyroid can if you are hyper. Do you know what your thyroid numbers are, what is your TSH, your free T4 and your free T3? I had Graves disease a long time ago and had my Thyroid nuked and went on Synthroid, there was a time when I was a little hypo and took a little extra thyroid med. I then became hyper and got my first episode of AFIB, too much thyroid meds caused my AFIB. I try to get my Thyroid checked more often because too much or too little thyroid meds can put me in AFIB.

I also eat a little protein/fat an hour before going to bed because I do tend to get a fast heartbeat if I am too hungry. Do you take magnesium, I take some magnesium also before going to bed. There are still times I have awaken with a fast heartbeat and just try to relax and breathe slowly, just concentrate on my breath, usually I fall back to sleep.

Liz



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/2020 08:28PM by Elizabeth.

Hi Carol - I did have thyroid problems and had written about the various 'remedies' tried by several physicians but it was not Hashimoto's...

Eventually, I was found to be iodine deficient and while I live in the area known as "The Goiter Belt," I was not tested for many years prior and it caused the severe problem with fibrocystic breast disease, uterine fibroids and large, palpable thyroid nodules.

I didn't start the Afib problem until many years later... but by then, the doctors I did see were aware of the challenge to normalize thyroid function and at the same time, not to trigger arrhythmia problems. I was prescribed Armour thyroid and tested regularly to be sure I was in a specific (safe) range because of the AF.

After my last ablation in 2015, neither my primary care physician nor my FM MD felt comfortable prescribing Armour Thyroid, although Dr. Natale said it was OK to use as long as I kept the dose in the low range. So, the problem was
that I felt I was becoming hypothyroid... lots of fatigue... and the remedy was to take small doses of potassium iodide and test to see if that provided a stable range. It did and I continue to use that and test every 6 months. At one point, The endocrinologist that I saw once a year for an ultrasound of the thyroid nodules was totally amazed when the nodule size was reduced and several, actually disappeared. I mentioned that I was using the potassium iodide and selenium and she looked 'startled'... but said..well, keep on doing what you are doing and see me next year. So, I go once a year for the scan and each time, more nodules are either gone or are much smaller.

Typically, it's a caveat for Hashimoto's patients not to take iodine...so I'm not suggesting that. But because I have done so much research for thyroid issues, a number of years ago, I heard a webinar by Nikolas Hedberg of Ashville, NC who has a specialty practice treating thyroid disorders. Since then, I've heard several more and read his book. Worth looking into if you find no solutions. Check these links: [duckduckgo.com]

Jackie



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/08/2020 02:08PM by Jackie.

I cured my Hashimotos quite quickly by stopping an Iodide supplement I was taking and cutting gluten out of my diet.

I had Hashimoto's thyroiditis with goiter & suspicion of cancer after an aspiration needle biopsy in 2005. The cancer scare led to a surgery to determine that & during the procedure the surgeon felt it best to do a total thyroidectomy "because of the nodules that would continue to grow." Unfortunately, I had never been given the chance to do any treatment of meds before all this. And no cancer was found on the final path after surgery.

I don't know if that means I still have Hashimoto's, but I am thinking it does not since my thyroid is gone. Of course, I have to take medicine daily for life. I took natural dessicated thyroid for many years & I believe having too much the last few years ended up messing up my heart. My cholesterol is great. I am physically fit as well. I do have a bit of a problem with gluten, but not enough that I have gone totally gluten free because for me that is extremely hard. I try my best to limit gluten & treat mouth ulcers that are my most visible symptom of gluten sensitivity, which are pretty painful.

I had the Natale ablation this summer. I just got my7-day Zio patch report (5 months out) & did not pass well enough to get off the Xarelto. I have not seen the Holter, but the NP told me I had 13 episodes of SVTs & one 12-beat run of 197 BPM (the latter which was from a Zumba class I attended the last day wearing my patch - the 1st time for me to do any heavy aerobic activity in quite some time). I knew I was very out of breath, but never knew my heart was out of whack - that is hard for me to determine. They will run another patch test in 3 mo & reevaluate me. I was very disappointed. I am off the antiarrhythmic though. I am taking a low dose of beta blocker carvedilol, but hesitant about it because of some ototoxic side effects as well as some breathing issues.

I take my pulse and/or BP from time to time & sometimes they are fine & other times too high. I wonder if it would be best to monitor at the same time more routinely to assess things (such as on waking, after exercise, after eating, or when feeling racy). My EKGs are free of afib.

I am beginning to feel like my heart problem is going to be ongoing because of the sensitivity to thyroid meds perhaps. The drs want to go a lot by TSH, but when having no thyroid, I think it is even less of a good indicator of how one is doing. It will always be low. My FT3 & FT4 have come down a lot (esp FT3) since going on synthetic Levoxyl & lowering my meds. I take Levoxyl 88 mcg daily & I do take Iodoral (form of iodine) 12.5 mg every day. Lately, I am wondering if I should skip the iodine, maybe on the weekend. It is supposed to be good for you, but it is adding to my thyroid levels a bit I believe, tho I do not think my FT3 or FT4 are too high. The drs only worry about the low TSH. It is very frustrating & confusing trying to normalize heart & thyroid satisfactorily.

If anyone has any comments to offer, I am all ears.

Madeline:

I had my thyroid nuked about 25 years ago, I probably have a little thyroid left, I take 125 mcg. a day of Synthroid, I have since it was nuked. What is your TSH, free T3 and free T4? My thyroid was responsible for my first AF episode, it was a long time ago I had taken a little more thyroid med and became hyper which put me into my episode of AF. I was taking a little extra last summer because my TSH was around 6.5 after a few months it dropped to 0.55 which was last Oct., I got the shakes and felt bad, I think I had a thyroid storm, I stopped all of my meds for about 5 days (which I shouldn't have, it was too long) and felt very bad for quite a while this put me into permanent AF So, you bet, too much thyroid or too little can raise cain with your thyroid. My Holistic Doctor thought my TSH at 0.55 was ok, well, it wasn't, I find that I am ok if it runs around 2.0, my free T3 and free T4 are ok.

Without a thyroid your TSH would be high, too much thyroid meds your TSH would be low.

Liz

same here - AF caused by a holistic dr getting my TSH too low also was on "natural" meds (Armor) ended up in ER. That was 11yrs ago and for awhile only had an episode every year or so but have had more frequent episodes in past couple of years. Am on Levothyroxin 50mcg daily and blood tests are ok, I get tested every 6mths. I have Hashimotos so I do not take any iodine supplement but I do snack on a toasted Nori sheet a few times a week as its very low in iodine and apparently food form is generally safe

Anneth::

Gee, you aren't using the same Holistic doc. that I am? I live in Michigan. In Jan. Feb. March of last year my TSH. was 6.3 which made me hypo, I was taking 125 mcg./day, so he had me increase it to 2 pills at 137mcg. twice a week, I took that amount starting in May my TSH started climbing. I then saw my Holistic Doc. in Sept. of last year and my TSH was 0.55 he thought that was good. Well a few weeks later I started having the shakes, my arms and hands. I figured I may have gotten hyper and stopped my thyroid med. for 5 days, then I was very tried, just felt terrible, wanting to sleep. I resumed my thyroid meds at the 125mcg. I went into AF around the first of Nov. maybe it could have been sooner. My AF has always been sensitive with my Thyroid.

I had my thyroid level run a week ago and my TSH is at 1.3, which is probably ok. I don't understand why in the early months of last year taking 125mcgs. my TSH was around 6, and now at 125mcgs. it is at 1.3. I believe something is going on, I will see my Holistic Doc. in March and I will have a long discussion with him. I had my thyroid nuked, but I had a little left I am wondering if some thyroid has grown back, (which can happen). My thyroid has caused my AF in the first place so maybe something is occurring with it and why I can't convert back to NSR.

Liz