Hypothyroidism Support Group

Hypothyroidism is the disease state caused by insufficient production of thyrohormone by the thyroid gland. There are several distinct causes for chronic hypothyroidism, the most common being Hashimoto's thyroiditis and hypothyroidism following radioiodine therapy for hyperthyroidism. Advanced hypothyroidism may cause severe complications, the most serious one of which is...

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tugboatann 03/08/2011

Can any one relate to my latest symptoms? Yesterday, I felt bad about 3 hours after waking. I usually feel almost normal upon waking except for a slight headache. As the day goes on, I usually start feeling dizzy & sometimes chest pain. It was shortly before noon & my heart started pounding hard & fast & I felt like I was going to pass out. I was at work in the middle of a journal entry. I stopped & put my head down below my knees for awhile then did everything within me to finish the journal entry. I just kept thinking, I need to finish since no one else knows how to do my job. I am a bookkeeper at 2 businesses & have no replacement. I am always so relieved to make it through another payroll week! My heart eventually went back to beating normal & I was able to make it home for lunch. After lunch, I tried to get in to see my doctor, but they wouldn't take any more patients. I go to an urgent care doctor & he does not accept any appointments. In the evening, I went to lay down & felt like I was literally dying & needed to get down on the floor. I stayed in bed & called for my husband. My teeth then started chattering & the rest of my body started shaking. This kept up for almost 20 minutes. (I haven't had the chattering & shaking since last July 2010 in the emergency room. Last year I was on too much thyroid medication & now have worked back up to 75 mcg of Synthroid after being on 100 mcg of levothyroxine, which was too much.) Now I am so afraid it will happen again. I was able to get in to see my doctor today after a 4 hour wait. He has no explanation - so very discouraging. I thought once my labs reached normal that I would feel so much better.

mmztcass 03/09/2011

Get in to see your doctor as soon as possible. Also have your Free T3 checked to see if it's too low. Check the Free T4 as well.

I have a low FT3 which will result in more heart palps as well as severe muscle pains (spasms) and joint pains. I've been taking extra Selenium as well as taking vitamin B complex, Acetyl L-Carnitine, Magnesium, etc.

Good luck and {{{hugs}}}

mmztcass 03/09/2011

P.S. Check your blood pressure as well.

{{{hugs}}}

mmztcass 03/09/2011

Oh, I miss that you have seen the doctor after a 4 hour wait. See another doctor please. It could be your thyroid replacement med causing problems.

{{{hugs}}} :-(

tugboatann 03/10/2011

Thanks everyone for your replies. My blood pressure was up by late morning. Here are the blood pressure readings I took the day all this happened. 156/91 @ 2:40pm, 150/84 @ 3:40pm after laying down an hour, 153/88 @ 4:10 pm & 153/88 @ 7:50 pm. By 10pm it was down to 136/81. My blood sugar at 8:43 pm was 172. It could have been higher during the attack/shaking. I have been monitoring every vital I can since last April when I became toxic from 100 mcg of Levothyroxine. Over time I had finally increased back up to 75 mcg of Synthroid by combining 50 + 25. I finally ran out of the 25s & started taking the 75 mcg that the endo gave me. My body could tell the difference even though it should be the exact same dose! I am going to try & switch to Armour.

mmztcass 03/10/2011

Wow...glad you kept an eye on blood pressure and blood sugar. When I'm hypO (not hypER) these things are up for me. Not fun either.

Let us know how you are doing after making the replacement med changes.

See another doctor too.

{{{hugs}}}

tugboatann 03/10/2011

I do have an appointment with another doctor on Monday. He normally treats OLD people, but I guess I'm getting there! Sure hope he shows some concern for my well being. I know of another older woman in town that he treats. She almost died in the ER because they thought she was having a heart attack & actually stopped & started her heart back up. It turned out to be hypo symptoms. She is only on 50 Synthroid right now along with blood pressure meds & oxygen. I live in a rural community that has NO endocrinologist. The one I used to go to is 220 miles from here. The new one isn't any better. I refuse to keep driving so far when they could care less about helping me!

deleted_user 03/10/2011

Sounds like it could have been an anxiety or panic attack? I've had a few, thankfully not for awhile and they are really scarey. First one I was sure I was having a heart attack or was dying. Mine start with a rapid heart beat, feeling very weak and difficulty swallowing. I usually lay or sit down at this point and ride it out...at the end I have shakiness, chattering teeth and am extremely exhausted. A lot of this sounds similar to what you are having.

tugboatann 03/10/2011

I usually don't have a rapid heart beat, just a feeling that my heart is pounding out of my chest with extremely high blood pressure. The teeth chattering starts first & then spreads to the rest of my body. I am very conscience the whole time & no trouble swallowing. It feels like my body is on too much of something. Last year it felt like an overload of adrenaline & it seemed to help when I had a blood draw. At first, I thought I was freezing because of the cold ER room, but then stayed home one time in bed & my husband asked me if I was cold & I was actually hot. That's when I realized it had nothing to do with being cold. Too much thyroid medication is very dangerous!

deleted_user 03/12/2011

Um hi I am hypothyroid and my doc gave me too much synthroid and i had an axiety attack...and my tsh levels were low so i was in hyperthyroidism, you need to get ur levels rechecked i had that happen to me and went straight to the er and my thyroid levels came back where i was hyperthyroidism..so my doc stopped my med and i go back in june for more testing but i have been off of synthroid since jan of this yr..and i feel alot better but def get ur levels rechecked and tell ur family physician whats going on..or go see an endo...but u could be having a panic attack cause ur scared

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