IRREGULAR HEARTBEAT

A symptom of Graves’ Disease is heart palpitations. I often wake up in the middle of the night to a discomforting sensation of an irregular heartbeat. My heart will feel like it is racing and skipping beats. I spoke with both my family doctor and Endocrinologist about my frightening experiences but everyone seems to have a different interpretation of heart palpitations and their link to the thyroid hormones.

 

GRAVES’ DISEASE

I have been dealing with Graves’ Disease for about five years now. In the beginning, my heart would race and skip beats constantly throughout the day and night. A beta-blocker is given in the early stages of my diagnosis. The doctor tapers me off after the symptoms tame down to a level where I can function better because there are side effects to the beta-blocker.

 

IRREGULAR HEARTBEAT

An irregular heartbeat, also known as arrhythmia, is the main cause of atrial fibrillation. Symptoms include fatigue, confusion, faintness, and irregular heartbeats. Often someone who has high blood pressure, or suffers from sleep apnea, or is older in age, has the association with challenges of atrial fibrillation. Does the association relate to age or individuals becoming sick with old age?

 

ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

After doing some research of my own, I find researchers relate atrial fibrillation to hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is the main cause of Graves’ Disease. Individuals may have atrial fibrillation from a hyperthyroid state of Hashimoto’s. Thanks to information from Thyroid Problems Doctor, I learn how too much thyroid hormone can dump into your system and cause damage to certain tissues. Being over-medicated can also lead to atrial fibrillation.

 

VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION

There is also ventricular fibrillation in association with low blood pressure, dizziness, shortness of breath, fainting, and irregular heartbeat. With ventricular fibrillation, the association is due to cellular hyperthyroidism and there is a reduction in thyroid hormone at a cellular level. My blood pressure is often on the low side and I am always visiting a cardiologist for a second opinion. Drives me nuts!

 

MY JOURNEY

Arguments still take place between me and my doctors. I feel no one will give me the same explanation as I struggle with heart palpitations. If the thyroid levels are in a normal range, I should not be experiencing times where my heartbeat is irregular. My anti-body level is still very high, so this has to mean something in my journey here everyone!

 

DECISION ON TREATMENT

Whether you have symptoms of atrial or ventricular fibrillation, will your doctor review all thyroid levels before a decision on treatment is given? This is scary information because blood thinners, beta-blockers, and other medications can create a whole different world of health complications due to the side effects of the medicine. Addressing thyroid hormone physiology might be a way of coping with heart palpitations.

 

THYROID HORMONES

I feel so much better now having some basic knowledge of thyroid hormones and how they relate to having Graves’ Disease. Just remember if you suffer from heart palpitations check your thyroid physiology. Is too much thyroid hormone dumping into your cellular system or not enough? Search for answers and speak up about any concerns. Remember treating the symptoms of an irregular heartbeat is not always the solution because treating symptoms may make matters worse. So, let’s be careful and not trigger autoimmune conditions!