# Unsettling symptoms (heart rate, breathing)?



## eorhythm (Jan 3, 2011)

I posted in my introductory thread that I don't have a terrible case of hypothyroid, so I literally almost forgot about it while I was on Nature-throid for the past three years. When I went off of it and on to T4, it took me a while to develop symptoms again. At least, that's what I think is going on right now, but I'm worried and waiting on some basic (TSH, free T4, T3) results.

I think I would feel more comforted knowing I wasn't the only [suspected Hashi's] sufferer with these symptoms, but it's always a tense situation given my other problems (factor V Leiden, mitral valve regurgitation, and an unknown connective tissue problem). The symptoms are as follows:

- About a month ago I started to develop what feels to me like "central sleep apnea," which I have had before but only for a couple days at most in each bout. This, however, has been endless for weeks. Some nights I can barely sleep, either because I can't fall asleep or I get woken up. The feeling is as if my brain just doesn't cut in and start breathing as soon as I fall asleep. It feels like there's nothing obstructive, and I don't snore. During the day, I breathe very shallowly, as if my muscles just aren't doing what they should. This is counteracted with a reflexive desire to yawn or take a deep breath ("air hunger," "the sighs"). I'm afraid it's neurological, obviously, but I've heard this has been reported rarely with hypothyroidism.

- In just two weeks I saw my heart rate go from high-normal, to suddenly very, very low. By that I mean 40 beat per minute while alert, awake and sitting. At night I've felt it go as low as 35, and sometimes I can't even exercise or have severe anxiety and have it break 65. It causes me dizziness, mild intermittent chest pain, and obvious fatigue. My heart feels ok, and cardiac enzymes came back great. At first it was relaxing, now it's just scary.

- My blood pressure rarely rises above 114/65, and usually sits around 105/65 and lower.

- I get seemingly extreme water retention when I have a good load of sodium. When this happens I don't really swell a hell of a lot, but I don't urinate as much as I should be -- maybe four times a day, and not very much when I do.

The other thing that worries me is I don't have the classic signs of hypothyroidism like I used to when it would get worse. I'm heat intolerant, jittery, occasionally manic, have the opposite of constipation, and often insatiably hungry. Further, I don't gain weight very well, and sometimes I can't gain it despite trying. This seems hyperthyroid, so I don't know what to think now. It's as if I have both at the same exact time, rather than fluctuating between like I'm used to.

Does anyone have any insight? I would really appreciate it!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

eorhythm said:


> I posted in my introductory thread that I don't have a terrible case of hypothyroid, so I literally almost forgot about it while I was on Nature-throid for the past three years. When I went off of it and on to T4, it took me a while to develop symptoms again. At least, that's what I think is going on right now, but I'm worried and waiting on some basic (TSH, free T4, T3) results.
> 
> I think I would feel more comforted knowing I wasn't the only [suspected Hashi's] sufferer with these symptoms, but it's always a tense situation given my other problems (factor V Leiden, mitral valve regurgitation, and an unknown connective tissue problem). The symptoms are as follows:
> 
> ...


Gee................you have some things going on. At the outset, it sounds like you are in hyperthyroid state. Did you have labs to confirm this or disconfirm?

Are you still taking T4? Or did you go back to Nature-throid?

TSH, FREE T3 and FREE T4

Also, a TSI (thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin.)

TSI

Results and Values
What do the test results mean?
Normally, there is no TSI in the blood. If TSI is found in the blood, this indicates that the thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin is the cause of the of a person's hyperthyroidism.

http://www.medicineonline.com/topics/t/2/Thyroid-Stimulating-Immunoglobulin/TSI.html

It is not uncommon to change directions. I did and ended up with full-blown Graves' but was hypo for years.

Let us know what you think about my suggestions.


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## eorhythm (Jan 3, 2011)

I definitely need to get a TPO, so that's next on my list. I'm starting to think there's something else going on, though, and that my already just-below-functioning thyroid may not be struggling or causing my symptoms. If it weren't for this apnea/bradycardia stuff, I think I'd feel closer to my normal self. I always have flare-ups of "something?" in the winter, usually unrelated to thyroid function. Whatever the "something?" is, it runs in the family very prevalently, often independently of thyroid (as far as anyone can tell).

I'm starting to think the apnea is causing a right bundle branch block in my heart, thus slowing it significantly. What scares me is the apnea itself, which has no known origin. It's profoundly vexing, to say the least, because I'll have to go through a battery of tests to rule out every possibility, and I'm left fearing the worst - cancer, of course.

If anything turns out to be thyroid, or even if it's not, I'll update this thread.  I thank you so much for your input. Hopefully I'll be able to provide something for people in similar situations.


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