Is there a link between Hypothyroidism and High Blood Pressure?

[Galapagos]

Have recently been diagnosed as stage 1 Hypertension. Average BP reading over 1 week. 149 /90. The highest it go to is 160/90!

I'm seeing doctor. Is there any evidence anywhere of link between Hypothyrodism and HP?

I have been on 50 mg for 3 years.

Blood tests say Thryoid function is normal

TSH level is 3.02 in range( 0.27 - 4.2)

T4 l is 14.2 in range (10 - 21) However I am not without symptoms! Brain fog, sluggish, heavy body, itching, breaking skin, low mood, low libido.....

What should I be saying to doc? I don't want BP medication. I want to iron out any possible link between hypothyroidism and HP - Also need antibodies test including

vitamins B6, B12, Selenium ... anything else? Many thanks

[humanbean]

You are under-medicated with a TSH that high. Most people feel best with a TSH of 1 or below.

To reduce your blood pressure you should try and get your levo dose raised. 50mcg Levo per day is a starter dose and really ought to have been raised.

Another factor is low nutrients. If you can get your vitamin B12, vitamin D, folate and ferritin/iron tested and then optimise your levels you might find your BP improves.

One common affect of hypothyroidism is low blood volume. Low blood volume may raise BP.

Note that in some cases, early in the development of hypothyroidism, BP may actually be low, but then it will eventually rise. Some doctors use a high BP as evidence that someone isn't hypothyroid because they expect it to be low. The lunatics really do run the asylum, sadly.

Some useful links :

stopthethyroidmadness.com/b...

gponline.com/endocrinology-...

[Galapagos in reply to humanbean]

Thanks for this. I was prescribed 75mg in November but had a very strange reaction. Panic attack, irritable, nervous, anxious about insignificant things as well as a strong sense of impending doom like something awful was going to happen. I have 3 sisters all hypothyroidism all with thyroxine doses above 100mg. 3 of them have been hospitalised for mental health issues. 1 has had 3 very severe psychotic episodes. When I reacted as I did to the increase in dosage I was scared that I was on the same path as them and stopped taking the increased dose of 25mg.

[Rapunzel in reply to Galapagos]

maybe try 62.5 with the help of a pill cutter ?My BP was raised but it's always normalish now - I still take BP meds but had been doing so since I was in my 20s so best not stop now I'm 58, I suppose. A stroke would be awful...

If you're in the UK you can buy a fab digital BP monitor for less than £40 which will also measure your heart rate and keep up to 3 a day measurements for a month so you can share with your GP. Buy one with a cuff; medics sneer at the wrist ones apparently. See how it goes and that may reduce your BP as well as your TSH

[humanbean in reply to Galapagos]

When the body is short of thyroid hormones it has to compensate somehow, and it does this by producing more cortisol and adrenaline. These are the hormones produced in greater amounts than normal when we are in danger. Think about "fight or flight".

When someone with low thyroid hormones gets treated the body should reduce its output of cortisol and adrenaline. For many people it works, but for some people the tap doesn't gets turned down - it stays jammed full on.

For those people whose cortisol and adrenaline stays high, the addition of more thyroid hormones can cause lots of problems. They end up with two choices - stay permanently hypothyroid on too low a dose of thyroid hormone, or get rid of hypo symptoms and end up terribly anxious, possibly paranoid, and in some cases psychotic.

I had high cortisol. I also needed thyroid hormones. I couldn't raise my dose of thyroid hormone high enough without unpleasant symptoms.

In the end I found a way of reducing my symptoms of high cortisol and adrenaline and was then able to take a higher dose of thyroid hormones.

None of what I've said above should be acted upon without doing your own research. You would also need quite a bit of testing done. You don't have a Free T3 level. This is very important to know because the brain needs it. If your level is low it may explain some of the mental health issues you've had.

Free T3 is measured with a blood test.

The best way of measuring cortisol is with saliva. Saliva testing is usually done in 4 parts throughout the day. Cortisol in saliva is Free Cortisol (or Unbound Cortisol). Cortisol in blood is Bound Cortisol and is less useful. Guess which test doctors in the UK do? Blood of course.

It is possible to get blood and saliva private testing done in the UK (at a cost of course) without needing to see a doctor.

[Galapagos]

Thank you so much! It is so reassuring to have somewhere to ask these questions and get such brilliant responses. I'll look into all this. What role might the prescribing of T3 have in this?

[humanbean in reply to Galapagos]

The chances of getting a new T3 prescription anywhere in England now are slim to zero. The NHS allowed itself to be overcharged for T3 because of their own stupid rules on pricing. As a result the NHS has now said it is too expensive and they are effectively banning its use in the NHS. Officially they can't remove it from people who need it and already have a prescription. But that won't stop doctors. They'll take it off patients by hook or by crook I think, because it costs so much.

Anywhere else in the world T3 is a fraction of the cost it is for the NHS. Some people buy their own. Some people buy NDT (Natural Dessicated Thyroid) which contains animal thyroid (usually pig) as it provides the active ingredients - T4 and T3.

You really need to find out your nutrient levels and start optimising them as a first step. Low nutrients are common in hypothyroidism and optimising them may reduce depression and anxiety. Fixing gut problems should help too.

Find out your cortisol levels. You may need to raise or lower cortisol. (It is easier to say than to do!)

Improving your cortisol levels may allow you to raise your thyroid hormone levels with fewer side effects.

There are always lots of ifs, buts, and maybes with thyroid treatment. There are never any guarantees. And even successful self-help may take a long time.

If you could get yourself well on Levo it makes life a lot easier with the NHS. But if you can't get on with it no matter what you do, then you do have other options - but the NHS is unlikely to help you with them.

[winjy]

I read an article of oriental doctor about hyperthyroid. When organs do not function well, core temperature is lowered and skin temperature is increased to maintain body temperature (skin pore is closed) making blood flow lower and blood pressure higher.