Stopping thyroid meds before surgery is a bad idea

[Daimyo]

Just wanted to share with you guys what a woman who takes Novothyral (Polish T4+T3 med) experienced in hospital. She had some sort of surgery planned, but her TSH was "bellow the norm" (fT3 and fT4 in average range). Her anesthesiologist decided she needs to stop taking her thyroid meds for few days before surgery, as her TSH is too low, so she is "hypothyroid".

After the surgery, she already woke up and all that. One night nurses had to wake her up in the middle of the night as her pulse went to 36...

 

[Blossom]

post 116306 TSH is too low, so she is "hypothyroid".

Wow. That doesn't even any make sense. At least it sounds like the nurse knew what she was doing. I'm actually not shocked.

 

[Daimyo]

That sort of makes sense if you believe TSH is more important indicator of thyroid status than the test for thyroid hormones themselves.

It's kind scary that your average doctor don't know that T3 is much more potent (8x) in decreasing TSH than T4. Like, I'm just a guy with access to internet and no med school training, and I know that.

post 116309 At least it sounds like the nurse knew what she was doing.

Good for her indeed!

How low the pulse can go during the sleep without a person dying?

 

[Blossom]

post 116353
How low the pulse can go during the sleep without a person dying?

I don't think there is an exact low pulse rate that is lethal for everyone except zero! Having an adequate blood pressure would help someone survive a severe low heart rate because they would be more likely to get an adequate blood supply to their vital organs. Once tissue hypoxia sets in from insufficient ventilation, circulation and/or perfusion death often results rapidly without emergency intervention. It sounds like she was probably heading in that direction just from the what you posted. I'm glad she is okay!

 

[Blossom]

There is also the possibility that she had some type of adverse reaction to the anesthesia or pain meds.

 

[mayweatherking]

how is that even possible? you can get off thyroid and your own thyroid will bounce back.. i guess it needs more than a couple of days though...

 

[tara]

post 116537 how is that even possible? you can get off thyroid and your own thyroid will bounce back.. i guess it needs more than a couple of days though...

Maybe if your thryoid was working properly to begin with, and you have more than a few days, and you don't interrupt the process with major trauma and anaesthetic etc ....
Presumably she was supplementing thyroid because she wasn't producing enough on her own?

 

[charlie]

Yes I think its a terrible idea. If anything a person would need more thyroid. A person takes a big metabolic hit from surgery and anesthesia.

 

[answersfound]

Yes I had sinus surgery while extremely hypothyroid and I'm not exaggerating, I felt like I could have died. It was extremely taxing on me and I'm still shocked I didn't have any serious complications. Of course conventional medicine doesn't consider the persons state of health when telling them to get a surgery.