Left bundle branch block (LBBB) caused by thyroid problem? Any info?

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone and Happy New Year

I was diagnosed with LBBB about one year after starting my T4 only thyroid

treatment but before I was on the T3 only/HC regime that seems to have sorted me

out (mostly!). I had tests to say my heart was functioning OK and not to worry

and that I had probably always had it.

I have just found an ECG I had when I was much younger with no signs of LBBB. I

have tried to do a bit of searching and there are some places referencing

thyroid disease as a cause of heart problems which cause LBBB.

Does anyone have any info about any links to the development of LBBB and

especially if recovery is possible once treatment for the thyroid is being

followed?

Thanks in advance, Louise

[Guest guest]

Hi Louise,

Not exactly sure what LBBB is, but Dr Mark Starr's book, Hypothyroidisn covers

quite a bit about heart disease and thyroid,along with pictures of the heart

before and after thyroid replacement.... may be worth looking at. Here's the

amazon link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hypothyroidism-Type-Epidemic-Mark-Starr/dp/0975262408/re\

f=sr_1_1?s=books & ie=UTF8 & qid=1295306774 & sr=1-1

x

>

> Hello everyone and Happy New Year

>

> I was diagnosed with LBBB about one year after starting my T4 only thyroid

treatment but before I was on the T3 only/HC regime that

[Guest guest]

Hi Louise.

My cousin has LBBB and also is hypothyroid (as I am) and she also has pernicious

anemia. I don't know if hypo has caused the LBBB but you could be on to

something here.

Unfortunately although I have given her Dr Peatfields book she hasn't tried NDT

or T3.

I also will be interested to see if anyone has any experience of this.

Judy

>

> Hello everyone and Happy New Year

>

> I was diagnosed with LBBB about one year after starting my T4 only thyroid

treatment but before I was on the T3 only/HC regime that seems to have sorted me

out (mostly!).

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the book suggestion and news of someone else who may be in the same

boat.

I'll try and explain LBBB which is when the electrical current that makes the

heart beat is blocked and does not travel up the left branch of the heart. The

right side still fires and then there is some sort of conduction that makes the

electricity pass to the left side whereupon it fires too - a bit late. My heart

beat sounded like a disco rather than your normal boom boom boom. From what I

understand, Right Bundle Branch Block is more common and many people have this

from birth and I think if the block becomes complete then the left side can take

over. LBBB is not so common and is normally a symptom of cornonary heart

disease or something else very serious. If the right side should then fail then

you are a goner (and I wonder if this might be the cause of the deaths in

seemingly healthy people having heart attacks?)

I am going to have another ECG done just to see if there is any difference now I

am on different meds and don't take T4 any more.

I have found info on the web about this but much is very technical medical-speak

(need Bob methinks!).

I found this link re: a 90 year old lady whose right bundle branch block was

reversed when severe hypothyroidism was addressed with T4 -

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2245813/

Also this case of a 32 year old who was thyrotoxic and her LBBB reversed when

her TSH and T4 were in normal range after 11 months -

http://www.endocrine-abstracts.org/ea/0013/ea0013p23.htm

Nevertheless, from what I DO know then if I was not born with it then something

caused my heart to mal-function. Sadly for me my TSH and T4 are never normal

but my GP accepts these readings because in myself I am feeling healthy enough.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and any further help/experience gratefully received,

kind regards, Louise

PS the NHS endocrinologist who was totally horrid to me by making me feel I had

made it all up, ridiculed my experience and current symptoms, and sugggested

that I had created my own illness by self-medicating, thought any link between

thyroid problems and LBBB was highly unlikely.

[Guest guest]

Hi Louise,

Get your endocrinologist to enquire of the University of Bristol medical team

(endocrinology) Prof Stafford LiIghtman in particular.

My DW had a thyroid storm on just L-T4 (and no hydrocortisone) that left her

with a pacemaker and beta blockers plus hydrocortisone.

She had repeated torsade de pointes during the thyroid storm.

My supposition is that she became thyrotoxic on just L-T4 and her pituitary

wasn't working well, hence the need for hydrocortisone.

A magnesium deficiency can be triggered during hyperthyroidism, as opposed to

the usual (apparent) magnesium excess during hypothyroidism.

It results in the use of more magnesium inside cells, hyperthyroidism provoking

enhanced metabolism, therefore the cell needs more potassium(and magnesium) to

keep it firing above its normal metabolic rate.

Swing from hypothyroid to hyperthyroid too quickly and the cell(s) becomes

confused about both its fuel requirements and its ability to function under

rapidly changing electrical conditions.

I don't know if LBBB would show up under thyroid storm conditions but the

potassium/magnesium level certainly will show up on an ECG (check).

best wishes

Bob

>

> Thanks for the book suggestion and news of someone else who may be in the same

boat.

>

> I'll try and explain LBBB which is when the electrical current that makes the

heart beat is blocked and does not travel up the left branch of the heart.

[Guest guest]

Thanks Bob!

I had another ECG and the results were the same i.e. still have the same LBBB

heart problem. I will have a double appointment with the doctor at our sugery

who covers this side of things so I will find out more then. Can't believe that

I had completely forgotten having had an earlier ECG that proves I was not born

with the condition as the cardiologist suggested was most likely the case. Oh

to have a memory!! Can't believe that I forgot that!!

I think I will get that book that was recommended.

Thanks to all, kind regards, Louise