Low Heart Rate with hypothyroidism. freak out?
divacat80
Posts: 299 Member
Hi everyone!
I found out that after a year of taking levothyroxine, exercising daily and dieting, my resting heart rate has slowed down quite a bit.
I think I was 58-60bpm at rest not too long ago, now I barely get to 45bpm (it could be even lower than that, since I'm fully awake when I check my HR). My heart rate while being standing and while exercising has slowed down as well. I haven't had my blood pressure checked in like 6 months though.
Should I think this is because of my hypo? My GP is from the national health system, and the protocol says not to check any patients' level more than once per year (unless there has been any changes in dosage or medication type). So I don't know if I should go nag my doctor about this or if I should wait until my yearly checkup in January.
I'm feeling quite fine, still having some of the symptoms I've always had since I got hypo, my hairloss, my brain fogginess and forgetfulness are still there. My weightloss is really slow, but I'm not going to complaint since I know this is troubling many of you who are even seeing the weightloss has stalled or is going even slower than mine.
Maybe my slow heart rate is due to my heart being healthier and stronger?
I don't know much about my hypo (I'm supposed to have Subclinical Hypo) or how things work with this condition. Doctors at the national health system don't do much explaining, and if you do ask for information they treat you like you're hypochondriac.
Any opinions?
thanks!
I found out that after a year of taking levothyroxine, exercising daily and dieting, my resting heart rate has slowed down quite a bit.
I think I was 58-60bpm at rest not too long ago, now I barely get to 45bpm (it could be even lower than that, since I'm fully awake when I check my HR). My heart rate while being standing and while exercising has slowed down as well. I haven't had my blood pressure checked in like 6 months though.
Should I think this is because of my hypo? My GP is from the national health system, and the protocol says not to check any patients' level more than once per year (unless there has been any changes in dosage or medication type). So I don't know if I should go nag my doctor about this or if I should wait until my yearly checkup in January.
I'm feeling quite fine, still having some of the symptoms I've always had since I got hypo, my hairloss, my brain fogginess and forgetfulness are still there. My weightloss is really slow, but I'm not going to complaint since I know this is troubling many of you who are even seeing the weightloss has stalled or is going even slower than mine.
Maybe my slow heart rate is due to my heart being healthier and stronger?
I don't know much about my hypo (I'm supposed to have Subclinical Hypo) or how things work with this condition. Doctors at the national health system don't do much explaining, and if you do ask for information they treat you like you're hypochondriac.
Any opinions?
thanks!
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Replies
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Go to the Dr!!! :noway: Your Dr would want to know if your heart beat is getting really low, it is a symptom, and should be checked out. It may not even be related to your thyroid, so you need to find out.
But that's actually how I discovered that I had hypothyroidism. My heart had slowed down to 37 bpm & I was up & walking around.
Now, I actually had adrenal fatigue on top of hypothyroidism. And apparently taking meds for thyroid without treating the adrenals will do nothing to help you, just change the TSH reading... What good is that!!??
Please go read up on stopthethyroidmadness.com it has a search feature & you can look up different aspects, or just look through the articles. It helped me so much!
My heart rate now is up to 56-58 bpm, and I'm also slowly getting my body temp up. Its now 98.3 degrees. Which is over 4 degrees higher. I'm losing the hypo symptoms & feeling energy like I can't even remember ever having.
Blessings on you! :flowerforyou:
(And Please keep seeking answers! That's what we're here for.)0 -
Everyone is a bit different but for me, I have a pretty good idea of what's going on with my thyroid levels depending on my heart-rate; when it starts to creep up, I'm heading towards hyper, when it starts going down, I'm getting more hypo. You said that you are on levothyroxine but still have a lot of hypo symptoms - the point of being on the meds is that it *should* help relieve/reduce the symptoms! Your heart-rate seems low to me - if you were an elite athlete, a resting low heart rate of in the 40s might make sense. But I think most adults have a range of above 60bpm.
If you haven't had your levels checked in the past 6 months, definitely time to get them checked! I would start nagging - and maybe try to get a referal to an endocrinologist.
Good luck!0 -
Thank you both!
Debbylee22, the problem is that my other levels (the t4 and the others, i don't remember them) were fine. The only thing that was altered was my TSH. I think that's what subclinical hypo is (I THINK ) but i'll talk to my doctor about it. I read the info on that site a few days ago, i'll still ask my doctor about the adrenal fatigue thing in case i misunderstood something. Thanks for the link and the info!
I don't know about my body temp because mercury thermometers (the only reliable ones imho) are prohibited in the EU, and the digital ones give me a different reading anytime but i'm feeling extra cold this year, that might be a sign of a low temp
Cats121, that's what i was wondering. I do demanding cardio exercises 5 times a week... And i have done them for almost a year. But i guess it's impossible that that might have turned my heart into an elite-athletic one.
I had a holter test and a heart ultrasound done around May, because i had heart palpitations and it turned out normal (apart from the palpitations, i was told to take an anxiety medication if they were bothering me too much, but i didn't need them). So my heart itself should be fine, but i'll go nag my doctor about the HR.
Unfortunately, she won't refer me to my endo. On my first (and last) referral visit my endo told me not to be referred back until my TSH reached a certain level, i think it was any upper than 8. ;( and the protocol says i won't get a level test until january (unless there are serious concerns i guess). Maybe it is time to get concerned.
On my last visit my gp told me that if my levels were correct then i had to learn to live with the remaining symptoms, that they should be reduced by levo. It's the nightmare of being stuck in a national health system!
Thank you both! You opened my eyes thank you for your help! 0 -
I have the same issue. When I was subclinical hyper my resting was in the 70s, but after my thyroidectomy it fell to the 50s. And I'm certainly no Lance Armstrong! I used to wig out about it, but just finally decided it was part of everything just slowing down. It's very hard for me to get it in the 140s even while jogging.
Before my surgery, I was put on a pill to raise my levels. Once, at the end of a 33 mile bike ride and going up a steep hill, it suddenly dropped to the low 30s and didn't go back to normal for about an hour. It sent me into a panic because surely it meant that death was imminent!! But that was a one time fluke. Now I think a low HR is just par for the course.0 -
You can call the doctor and see if he/she feels you need to be seen. It does not sound like an emergency, but if you have concerns you certainly should call and let the doctor decide if you need to be seen .0
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Exercise, especially cardio exercise, will strengthen the heart where it will not have to pump as many times to produce the same circulation. Elite athletes have very low resting heart rates. At his peak, Lance Armstrong's resting hr was 32 bpm.
18 months ago when I was running every day my resting hr was 53, something to be proud of considering I am 6' and at the time weighed 225.
As with any muscle, the heart of an athlete is larger than normal, sometimes a fact that concerns doctors who arent aware that the patient is an athlete.
Take your heart rate before getting out of bed in the AM for 5 days to get an average as your heart rate will somewhat fluctuate daily.
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After posting I noticed that you have lost almost 100 lbs. Weight loss will lower the resting heart rate and 100 lbs will certainly create a significant drop.
Assuming that you are comfortable and arent experiencing anything unusual such as chest pounding, breathlessness, dizziness, or ankle swelling, I think you are reaping the benefits of a healthy life style.0 -
Thank you!!!
I'll get my blood pressure tested tomorrow at the drugstore just in case, and I'll call my GP though they don't usually take calls except those from patiens ho are going through a serious illness. I'll also see if my husband can check my pulse while I'm sleeping without waking me up or startling me XD
And yes, I am feeling great! I doubt I should be considered an athlete though I have never been fitter than I am now. We'll see.
Thanks a lot to you all 0 -
If your doctor is just looking at TSH, and not giving you meds until your TSH is over 8, then you need a new doctor. TSH for people with supplements usually needs to be under 2.0, and TSH isn't a test of actual thyroid hormone.
When your doctor tested your free T4 was it just "fine" or "normal" (i.e. within the normal range) or was it "optimal" (top 1/3 of the range your lab uses)?
Did your doctor test free (not total) T3? That is the active thyroid hormone, and you can easily have an elevated free T4 but not enough T3, if your body isn't converting properly. This is especially an issue if you're taking a synthetic T4-only supplement like synthroid or levothyroxine.
You also want to make sure that your level of Vit D, iron and selenium are sufficient as these are critical for converting the T4 into T3.0 -
No, no. My TSH is now normal with the levo, they're just not sending me to the specialist until the TSH is 8 or above 8. I don't remember how good my T4 was, I guess it was just in the normal range but I have to check the tests. I do remember reading that there was free T3 present.
Thank you for your advice about the vit.D,selenium and iron. They certainly didn't say anything about this. I was anemic and I had to insist to get a decent answer to the question. My doctor gave me iron supplements but they are hard to fit in my schedule and I can't take it along with the levo, and it can't be near any meal with milk, cereals and I don't remember what else. So I was told to eat plenty of mussels and clams specially after my periods, along with other foods rich in iron. Maybe this is why I sometimes see a boost in my weightloss when I eat them?0 -
No, no. My TSH is now normal with the levo,
By normal do you mean "within normal range"...? Because again, there just IS no normal when you are already supplementing with meds, and you should NOT be dosed based on TSH.
You are very symptomatic and really need to have your free T3 and free T4 tested (not your total T3/T4, make sure it's free).0 -
No, no. My TSH is now normal with the levo,
By normal do you mean "within normal range"...? Because again, there just IS no normal when you are already supplementing with meds, and you should NOT be dosed based on TSH.
You are very symptomatic and really need to have your free T3 and free T4 tested (not your total T3/T4, make sure it's free).
Thank you for,your reply, I will talk to my doctor about this. But, they follow strict protocols and I bet she won't listen to any of this. Yep, my normal has to be quite below my current TSH, even if it's within 'normal lab range'. I talked to her about all this a few months ago but she didn't even want to recheck my levels. She said the lab would reject the test sample because of the protocol, and that there was nothing she could do without a recent lab test. I'm sure they did test some of the free T, because my last test did say something about it.
I need to go to a private GP and endo ASAP ;( i hope i can afford some insurance soon, the public health system sucks!0 -
Thank you for,your reply, I will talk to my doctor about this. But, they follow strict protocols and I bet she won't listen to any of this. Yep, my normal has to be quite below my current TSH, even if it's within 'normal lab range'. I talked to her about all this a few months ago but she didn't even want to recheck my levels. She said the lab would reject the test sample because of the protocol, and that there was nothing she could do without a recent lab test. I'm sure they did test some of the free T, because my last test did say something about it.
I need to go to a private GP and endo ASAP ;( i hope i can afford some insurance soon, the public health system sucks!
Ya, I think it's really hard to find a good thyroid doctor - hopefully you're able to get one soon!
It's scary that some labs are still using 5.0 as the top range for TSH, when it was amended 10 years ago to 3.0....I'm guessing that the lab she asked for was TSH w/ reflex free T4 and that's what she meant about "rejecting" the sample? Reflex means they only test the free T4 if the TSH is outside the normal range (but that doesn't guarantee they use the correct normal range).
Can you ask your doctors office for a copy of the labs, "for your records"? I always grab a copy because we've moved a lot over the past few years and I like to keep track.0 -
No, what she meant is that she is only allowed to send samples to the lab once per year per patient. Unless, there is a serious concern for the patient's health, of course. And according to her, I'm well and under treatment.
I do have my lab results but I can't find them! I've been looking for them last weekend and I couldn't find the folder, it just dissappeared (along with other important papers).
I called my doctor and she told me that I'm feeling fine so I shouldn't worry much about my heart rate, and it wasn't necessary to go to the office right away. But she told me that if I feel anything weird or like passing out I should go ASAP(the same protocol procedure for my last visit to the emergency room, when I started having the heart palpitations). But, both her and I know that I have an appointment schedule 15 days from now, and she said that she would try to send the samples to the lab (local public health s. hospital lab) and see what happenes. Sending the sample just 15 days away from the due protocol date shouldn't bounce the sample. So I'll keep my fingers crossed.
I've been feeling great lately apart from the other symptoms and I have been running and doing lots of hard exercise.
Thank you for your replies! They're very helpful0 -
I am experiencing this same issue. I am 20 years old and I believe that I am in pretty good shape. I found out that I had hyperthyroidism in basic training last year and had my thyroid removed. Now I do not feel right. I feel as if I have a low heart rate because sometimes I don't even feel my heart beat. Its weird to say, but that is how I feel. I went to the ER about two weeks ago to get my heart checked out and they told me that everything was fine and that I have a heart rate of an athlete. I know that I do not feel right because I have heart palcipations regularly, especially if I lift really heavy objects. I felt like sharing my experience with you all0
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Hi Jason. Sorry to read of your concerns. You mentioned basic training so I assume this was in one of the services, are you able to make use of their medical provision now? I suggest your best course of action would be to have your thyroid hormone levels reviewed to see if they indicate you need a medication review, this is normal, routine others on here will attest to it. A bodies needs can change.
I'm concerned you are lifting "really heavy objects", there are natural limits to what anyone can safely lift so take care and use the relevant methods.
Take care.0 -
Not sure what to do at this point. Had been hyperthyroid so dr changed my dosage of Armour to 30 mg from 45mg though I felt great on 45. TSH now in the normal range and T3 and Free T4 are up a bit now out of the hyper range. Walk 5 to 6 days a wk for 2 miles and keep my cal between 1180 and 1200 which is what my fitbit recommends. Lose only .5 lb weekly, but periodically there is no loss. And my resting rate is 58 -60 also. Still also deal with low body temps 97.5 regularly making me cold during the winter and now overheating with the heat. More recently I have started sleeping about 3 nights a wk only 5 to 6 hrs. Used to be 7.5 to 8. Appreciate any suggestions. I gave up levo a couple of yrs ago for Armour and it was the best decision. Sad to say my dr retired and it is like starting at square one again. Thanks...
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Knowing next to nothing here, it seems to me that as you felt good on 45 mg and have started having troubles on the new 30 mg tablets, you may be best alternating the things, or finding your own personal variation. This is if you can find some medic who will support you in this. I can't remember the persons on here a year or more ago who found this was the best thing for them.
I expect part of your problem is finding a doctor who takes an active interest in thyroid issues. Most will only treat to "the normal range" not allowing for any personal variation. I read, the sample of persons used for this research did not eliminate anyone with a diagnosed thyroid history which will have distorted the charts.
I fear your temp is close enough to normal to be dismissed as, very close to normal, so there will be no interest. Like wise your resting heart rate/pulse is just a little low, rhr 60-80 guidelines. Your sleep pattern is disturbing. If you are US side may I suggest you look for a Doctor from the Stop the Thyroid Madness lists. I really really hope there is some practice there in your vicinity. You may be able to find a practice who will prescribe on line for you. I am not too comfortable with that situation for myself, so please do research.
I'm not surprised you found life on NDT much better. Thyroid UK, somewhere says, 16% of hypothyroid persons do not convert t4 to t3 adequately, there is a gene test which indicates this as a probable. Especially here in the UK medics are supposed to accept, give t4 and everything will take care of itself. I wish!
I hope this helps. All the best.0
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