[snelsen]

#1063209

Hi, I sure am sorry you are having to deal with this! I have not had this set of experiences, although I do have cardiac issues which are unrelated to hyperthyroidism. This site is pretty much limited to people’s experiences, and none of us are qualified to give medical advice,and I realize you are not asking that. But here are some of my thoughts.

It does seem that you are having very appropriate follow-up on your situation. Certainly there enough going on, combined with your tachycardia, your abnormal Holter, failing the stress test.
And you want to get a diagnosis and treatment. The unknowns are the most difficult to deal with. Ask the docs, or look up a reliable reference for the many possibilities that a high C-Reactive Protein and high cholesterol may indicate. It was very appropriate to do those labs, and I am sure you may have had additional labs. Pretty reasonable for them to think of hyperthyroidism, so glad you take along your labs to show them. Since you have not had them since July, have they drawn another thyroid panel, so they have a recent thyroid lab?

But I do think you are getting good care. Everything you say about IST is right on-even the diagnosis of IST, and the term itself, is only about 20+ years old. After you have your chest CT, I suggest you meet with your cardiologist again, which i imagine he/she will want to do after further testing. Then, ask to have a second opinion. IST is kind of a new diagnosis when all things cardiac have been ruled out, but I don’t think you are there yet, are you? It seems that your docs are unsure at this time of what is going on with you. That is an unsettling feeling. A lot of things have to be ruled out, including supraventricular tachycardia, which may have been mentioned to you by your cardiologist.

In summary, I sure understand why you are worried and frustrated. It is wearing and stressful to have all these tests and appointments and not yet have an ANSWER! YOu can ask your cardiologist if there are long term cardiac implications after Graves’ and RAI, and maybe someone from this board will write if they have had this experience when all things endocrine and thyroid are normal, which is your situation.
I wish you the best, do keep writing.
Shirley Nelsen

[spenanelson]

#1063210

Thank you for the response. I agree, while y’all are not doctors y’all have an abundant supply of knowledge and that is what I hope to tap into.

My doctors are good – no question about that. I do like my cardiologist. His office has gone up against my insurance company beyond what you would expect. And my gp is great as well. My last thyroid panel was in mid October so it is pretty current. And he did have just about every thyroid test performed, which is more than what my endo request. He only test T4 and tsh. However I may ask for another work up again from my GP and hope for the best.

And thanks for the new topics to research. I will do that soon. I guess I just fear that all the years of stress on my body from the Graves’ has finally taken a tole on my.

[spenanelson]

#1018198

I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease about 7 years ago after I passed out in the shower. My heart rate was resting at 120 and would spike close to 200 with moderate activity. The heart rate issue has always been a problem as long as I could remeber but it was always treated as anxiety until I was officially diagnosed with Graves’.

Since the orginal diagnoses, I have had 2 RAI treatments. We thought the first one killed all my thyroid but 3 years later it was back and very pissed off. I had pre-cancerous cells in my thyroid and my heart rate was once again on the rampage. So I had a second RAI with a dosage that was double the first one. It has been 3 years since the second treatment and my levels are finally stable with 135 mg of Synthroid a day.

But this summer, I started getting heart palpitation again and racing heart rate. My thyroid panels are find. All with in normal ranges. the only two things that were high were my cholesterol levels and C-reactive Protein. I was referred to a cardiologist and I failed my stress test, and the results from my 48 hour halter showed something that worried the dr. He referred me to an Eletrophysiologist and he has diagnosed me with Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia. But throughout this whole ordeal, they keep asking me about my thyroid level and I keep showing them the lab results for the two test I have had since this summer. I am now scheduled for a CT- Chest this week to make sure that my heart muscles are getting the right amount of oxygen.

So my question is, are there any long term effects on the heart following Graves’ disease and or RAI? I am worried that the dr’s are missing something and have just given me the diagnoses of IST because it is the easiest thing to do. And from what I have read about IST makes it sound like just another diagnoses for anxiety or panic attacks – which I do not believe this is.

Thanks for any help on this! I really appreciate it.

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