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Heart Palpitations Forum >> Symptoms and other concerns >> RLR - I have hashimoto's disease, thoughts ?
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Message started by booda on Feb 19^th, 2007, 10:56am

Title: RLR - I have hashimoto's disease, thoughts ?
Post by booda on Feb 19^th, 2007, 10:56am

I started having palps almost 2 years ago (age 39). Cut out caffiene, alcohol, etc.. you know the usual drill ;)

One of the first things they checked was my thyroid, it came back normal (they checked TSH only)

A couple of months later, another doc checked again & my TSH was very high (over 27). It was then confirmed that I have very high antibodies (>1000), and was diagonsed with Hashimoto's disease.

Then, my TSH went down to 1.2. Then back up to over 5. It has been haywire - up, down, up, down... and therefore treatment hasn't been suitable. I was put on Synthroid for a brief time & immediately became hyper, even on 1/4 of the lowest dose tablet.

So, my question is this: Could this "thyroid unrest" be the cause of my palpitations (both PAC's & PVC's shown on EKG) ?? I have them daily.. and I mean, DAILY. Never miss a day.

Thanks for your input!

Title: Re: RLR - I have hashimoto's disease, thoughts ?
Post by RLR on Feb 19^th, 2007, 2:21pm

Without a doubt, fluctuations in thyroid function can potentially cause changes in heart rate or rhythm, although usually far more frequent with "hyperthyroidism" rather than "hypothyroidism."

Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (Hashimoto's disease) typically results in hypothyroidism and produces weight gain, lethargy, etc.

If you don't mind, please provide me with your age (no date of birth) and any other symptoms you've experienced such as muscle twitches, muscle weakness, clumsiness, stumbling or falling episodes, memory problems no matter how slight, changes in your voice, difficulty swallowing or any choking episodes, changes in personality, recent head injury no matter how slight, etc.

I would also ask that you consider having your thyroid values watched closely for signs of change, hopefully obtaining Anti-microsomal / Anti-TPO antibodies every 30 days looking for signs of the thyroid function returning to normal.

Nothing much to worry about at the moment, however, so don't let it overly concern you. Just review the symptoms listed and think carefully about the past 12 to 18 months or so to determine whether any of them apply and if so, how the symptoms have changed during this timeframe.

Best regards and Good Health

Title: Re: RLR - I have hashimoto's disease, thoughts ?
Post by booda on Feb 20^th, 2007, 7:45am

Hi RLR - thanks for the prompt reply.

To answer your questions......

I will turn 41 in 2 weeks.

I've had a problem on & off throughout my life (back to childhood) with swallowing things such as pills, "tough" foods like steak, etc. It's more of a phobia than anything, I believe. But to answer directly, yes - I have difficulty swallowing.

Head injury: I fell backward & hit my head on a floor about 3-4 weeks before my palpitations started (back in 5/05). I did not lose conciousness, nor did I have any bleeding, or lump. (I fell because we were trying to relive our cheerleading days & build a human pyramid, lol)

I had an MRI of my head in June 06 due to dizziness but they said it was fine.
I believe the dizziness was due to the Synthroid I was taking at the time, or the Xanax, or a combo of both. (More info about the Xanax is below.)

I also saw a neurologist who checked my gait, balance, etc. Even went to an ENT - everything came back fine.

I've had a thyroid ultrasound which revealed a normal size gland with a very rough texture, no nodules.

My GP said he will check my TSH every 3 months. I'll be sure to ask him to check the antibodies.
I am currently "borderline low". He suspects that I will eventually settle into hypothyroidism. (My mother and sister both have this as well.)

I do suffer from little twitches in various places on my body. I also experience pins & needles in my extremeties at times.

One thing I should mention - I was given Xanax to help deal with the anxiety of the palps. I took it every day at the advice of a doctor... and became physically dependent after many months. I tapered off of the Xanax (last dose in 12/06) but am suffering withdrawal symptoms such as nervousness, insomnia, foggy thinking, and a host of other things.

(I was never an "anxious" person - I was quite fine until the palpitations started. Xanax only added to my unwell feelings due to the short half-life/daily withdrawal, and tolerance issues.)

I'm part of an online support group for folks who are going through benzo withdrawal syndrome. Many of us have the same symptoms including twitches, memory problems, vocal constriction, mood swings, chest pains, etc. So I've attributed most of my symptoms to that.

Except for the palpitations & chest pains, those came first back in 6/05 ;) To that end, I've had a thallium stress test, echocardiogram, tilt table test, and CT angiogram. So we've covered the ticker, pretty much.

I hope this provides you with the information you need. Thank you very much for your input.

Title: Re: RLR - I have hashimoto's disease, thoughts ?
Post by RLR on Feb 20^th, 2007, 2:09pm

Okay, timeframe is fairly important here, as well as the specific quality of your symptoms in answer to my response. "Difficulty swallowing" in the context I refer to would be in the past year or so, has gotten steadily worse and feels as though you must continually swallow to get food or liquids down. This would normally be accompanied by an increasing cough from the sensation that you inadvertantly took water down the wrong pipe, so to speak and constantly feeling like you can't cough hard enough to get your throat clear.

Based on your general response, it doesn't sound much like anything at this point in time, so take a breath and relax, but be sure to have the thyroid checked and inform me of the values if you don't mind.

Best regards and Good Health