Hyperthyroidism and Afib

Does anyone know if HYPERthyroidism can make us more sensitive to the normal triggers for Afib? And if the hyperthyroid state just started, maybe from taking too much iodine, if it will go back to normal after the diet is changed back to low iodine?

The thyroid is regulated first by pituitrin, which affects the pituitary gland, and then my thyroxin, which the pituitary is supposed to regulate. In your case, I think you (it has been many years since I looked into this), you produce too much thyroxin, so your thyroid is overactive, and this tends to elevate metabolism, states of arousal, heart rate, etc.

[www.mayoclinic.org]

With a generally heightened state of arousal, with all the attendant mechanisms that serve the arousal (fight or flight) response, I would say that the usual or verifiable triggers, for you, could certainly have an easier time of it. but you already have a propensity for a more rapid heartbeat.

This condition is outside my learning, so beyond this speculation I won't go. However, I don't think taking too much iodine in the diet leads to an overactive thyroid, but I will keep reading. I say this because taking iodine tablets during times of radioactive fallout, such as near a nuclear accident, is the treatment they give for the sake of preserving the thyroid gland. It does take up iodine, but during fallout it might take up too much of the radioactive iodine, and then you run a higher risk of thyroid cancer.

Thanks, I'm just trying to figure this out. Last March my TSH was 1.29 , March 2024 it was .019. I had been afib free for over 3 years, except for one episode the night my dog died.... Over the past few months, I've noticed a tremor in my left hand, super dry and cracked lips, feeling my heart beat when at rest, also in January I had an afib episode, 2 in February and one March 27. My T4 was high this year, so all of that points to hyperthyroid when I've never had it before. 3 things changed between those two tests. I took 12.5 Mg Ioderol every day for six months. I stopped after my 24 hour urine iodine test came back at 523 where the higher limit on reference range is 500. I went from keto-ish eating to mostly arugula salads (I just learned that raw cruciferous vegetables are hard on the thyroid) and added a lot of seafood to my diet, 3rd thing was, I had covid in September very sick almost 2 weeks to clear it. I'm 70 and NEVER had thyroid issues of any kind before this (maybe a little hypo-ish) I'm just wondering if any of the above is making me more susceptible to Afib and if I go back to my old diet with no iodine supplementation that my heart will behave again?

This is where an endocrinologist would be helpful.

I became hyper thyroid back in 1993, at that time they nuked my thyroid (they did leave a little in), I then had to take a thyroid pill. I was feeling a little tried and in talking to the Paramisit he told me to take a little more thyroid pill, well at that time I did not have a computor and was stupid so I took a little more thyroid pills. Well, I became hyper and went into AF. So, be careful your thyroid can cause AF.

Liz