Hey everyone,
I need some advice on what to do about a medical situation.
About a year ago, I switched from a traditional high carb diet to a diet with lots of veggies and meat, and little else. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, full fat yogurt, seeds and nuts, and meat. For a while I took a whey protein shake too, but I've stopped that now. My protein intake is about 160g per day. I weigh 82kg, so 180 pounds.
Anyway, a few months after doing that, I started getting heart palpitations. Not too severe, and always at night or in the early morning. I thought that my new dietary changes had made me deficient in magnesium or potassium, so I tried eating more foods that contained those. But it didn't work, and instead got worse.
Last week Wednesday, I was dizzy and light headed, I was having spiking chest pains, and severe heart palpitations. I felt like I was going to pass out. I nearly went to the hospital and in fact regret not going (because know we would know what is going on). The next day, I saw my GP.
My GP did an ECG and got me to do some blood tests the following day. He tested total cholesterol, BUN, creatinine and TSH. I'm not sure if he tested electrolyte levels, but he did say he was 99% certain it was not an electrolyte problem. ECG showed a slight arhythmia but that is all. The reason he tested TSH is that he said I might be hyperthyroid. He asked me if I am normally hotter than other people, and the answer is yes, always. I don't use heaters or extra blankets in winter - I wake up covered in sweat if I do. I'm the one that asks for the aircon to be made colder.
Anyway, the results came back and he said everything is fine except that my BUN and creatinine were a little high. Note that he only tested TSH, not T4, and I seldom have heart palpitations in the day. He wants to retest that in 2 weeks - from a bit of googling that is normal for a bodybuilder. I do have a high protein intake, take creatine, and do weightlifting.
Thing is, I wasn't happy with his response because he seemed far more concerned with my kidney function than any potential heart or thyroid issues. When I asked him what the next step would be about my heart palpitations, he kinda brushed it off and said I should see a cardiologist - as if it wasn't his concern anymore.
So I booked the cardiologist appointment for next Thursday, but, I'm worried that a cardiologist is not the right person to see. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that it is something with my endocrine system, and the heart palpitations are just a symptom. So, based on that, I have now also booked to see an endocrinologist on Friday afternoon. Based on what he says, I can either cancel the cardiologist appointment or still go to see the cardiologist.
The actual question:
Am I doing the right thing by seeing the endo? I don't want to waste my money. Both specialist doctors are pretty expensive. Something definitely has to be done because my symptoms (palpitations included) are getting worse. Rapidly.
The following is a list of symptoms that makes me think it is something endocrine related and possibly Grave's disease:
Have always been hotter than other people at night. Can't sleep in anything than boxer shorts and a thin comforter/duvet even in winter.
Recent bouts of unexplained muscular aches and pains
Recent difficulty sleeping leaves me fatigued during the day. I can sleep fine in the afternoon but not at night.
Right eye feels... strange. Like a little drier than the left.
Heart palpitations in the morning and evening. Sometimes during the day but not often.
Last week Wednesday I had extremely bad palpitations coupled with dizziness and chest pains.
This past Saturday, I got lost while driving to a destination I knew well. I have never got lost in my entire life. Normally I can picture the route in my head, on Saturday morning I was unable to.
Arguments against it being thyroid function
TSH apparently came back normal.
I need some advice on what to do about a medical situation.
About a year ago, I switched from a traditional high carb diet to a diet with lots of veggies and meat, and little else. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, full fat yogurt, seeds and nuts, and meat. For a while I took a whey protein shake too, but I've stopped that now. My protein intake is about 160g per day. I weigh 82kg, so 180 pounds.
Anyway, a few months after doing that, I started getting heart palpitations. Not too severe, and always at night or in the early morning. I thought that my new dietary changes had made me deficient in magnesium or potassium, so I tried eating more foods that contained those. But it didn't work, and instead got worse.
Last week Wednesday, I was dizzy and light headed, I was having spiking chest pains, and severe heart palpitations. I felt like I was going to pass out. I nearly went to the hospital and in fact regret not going (because know we would know what is going on). The next day, I saw my GP.
My GP did an ECG and got me to do some blood tests the following day. He tested total cholesterol, BUN, creatinine and TSH. I'm not sure if he tested electrolyte levels, but he did say he was 99% certain it was not an electrolyte problem. ECG showed a slight arhythmia but that is all. The reason he tested TSH is that he said I might be hyperthyroid. He asked me if I am normally hotter than other people, and the answer is yes, always. I don't use heaters or extra blankets in winter - I wake up covered in sweat if I do. I'm the one that asks for the aircon to be made colder.
Anyway, the results came back and he said everything is fine except that my BUN and creatinine were a little high. Note that he only tested TSH, not T4, and I seldom have heart palpitations in the day. He wants to retest that in 2 weeks - from a bit of googling that is normal for a bodybuilder. I do have a high protein intake, take creatine, and do weightlifting.
Thing is, I wasn't happy with his response because he seemed far more concerned with my kidney function than any potential heart or thyroid issues. When I asked him what the next step would be about my heart palpitations, he kinda brushed it off and said I should see a cardiologist - as if it wasn't his concern anymore.
So I booked the cardiologist appointment for next Thursday, but, I'm worried that a cardiologist is not the right person to see. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that it is something with my endocrine system, and the heart palpitations are just a symptom. So, based on that, I have now also booked to see an endocrinologist on Friday afternoon. Based on what he says, I can either cancel the cardiologist appointment or still go to see the cardiologist.
The actual question:
Am I doing the right thing by seeing the endo? I don't want to waste my money. Both specialist doctors are pretty expensive. Something definitely has to be done because my symptoms (palpitations included) are getting worse. Rapidly.
The following is a list of symptoms that makes me think it is something endocrine related and possibly Grave's disease:
Have always been hotter than other people at night. Can't sleep in anything than boxer shorts and a thin comforter/duvet even in winter.
Recent bouts of unexplained muscular aches and pains
Recent difficulty sleeping leaves me fatigued during the day. I can sleep fine in the afternoon but not at night.
Right eye feels... strange. Like a little drier than the left.
Heart palpitations in the morning and evening. Sometimes during the day but not often.
Last week Wednesday I had extremely bad palpitations coupled with dizziness and chest pains.
This past Saturday, I got lost while driving to a destination I knew well. I have never got lost in my entire life. Normally I can picture the route in my head, on Saturday morning I was unable to.
Arguments against it being thyroid function
TSH apparently came back normal.
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