Hi, i have just found this site and it looks like a great place for help & information!
I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid about 5 years ago. I was put on 100mcg of Levothyroxine and am still on the same dose now. Since being diagnosed, i have been treated for high cholesterol (Atorvastatin) and high blood pressure (Ramipril). I also had carpel tunnel surgery about 10 years ago. Over the last 6-12 months, i have been waking up with pains in my arms, hands & elbows. I have been given ointments and even supports and physiotherapy to help. I had to go for a blood test last week as i have only been taking the Ramipril for about 4 weeks so need to check my liver function. I phoned for my results and the receptionist said i had to make an appointment to discuss with doctor - must be bad news! I then got a call from the surgery apologising for not getting a thyroid test done and would call up this week to do another test.
This got me thinking that the liver function test and thyroid test were probably linked. After a bit of research, i then wondered if my high blood pressure and high cholesterol were a result of my underactive thyroid? If this is the case, would i be correct in thinking an increase in Levothyroxine would have being more suitable than statins & Ramipril?
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alfie9710
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High blood pressure, increased cholesterol levels and carpal tunnel syndrome can ALL be symptoms of un- or under-medicated hypothyroidism. As can be pains in the hands and arms, for some. Statins for many of us, would be considered a no-no, and mention of them can invoke their own rise in blood pressure ... and if you haven't done so already, it's worth reading up on them to form your own opinion. Yes, optimal treatment of hypothyroidism to achieve optimal levels of thyroid hormones, can address and resolve many symptoms. I have recently read though that hypertension is not always quite as readily addressed, and anti-hypertensives may still be required - I take a combo of three different meds, plus a beta blocker for another issue, which you would think in total, would beat the high BP into submission, but even being optimally medicated, it continues to put up a great fight lol. I'm not personally familiar with Ramiprol but I understand that any resultant liver damage would be very rare. Yes there is an interconnectedness between thyroid and liver in both directions. Many drugs are of course, subject to first pass in the liver, so any hepatic injury would interfere with that; but specifically the liver has an important role in thyroid hormone metabolism, and the level of thyroid hormones is also important to normal hepatic function. The liver is a site of much of the T4 to T3 conversion. If you wish, you could post your latest blood test results together with their ranges, and post them here for members to comment on their likely adequacy.
Welcome to the site. When you have your thyroid blood test, make sure it’s as early in the day as possible, 8/8.30am. Also, fasting is best and don’t take your thyroxine for 24hrs before blood is drawn.
Hi, and welcome. I've only been on this forum a few months, and found it tremendously helpful.
Have you been diagnosed with an autoimmune thyroid disorder? In other words have you had antibodies tested and which ones, and were they high? This is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. the thyroid is attacked by your own antibodies by mistake, which gradually gets destroyed.
I don't know about Ramipril, but I gave up statins after reading and discussing on here. According to Dr Malcom Kendrick the only proper scientific evidence that statins help anyone live longer is for men (not women for some reason) who have had a heart attack.
Drug companies are desperate to make more money, and many highly qualified doctors are sponsored or paid by these companies and are subtly, or overtly, pressurised to get the evidence the companies want, even through poorly designed research. No results, or the "Wrong" results, mean there will be no more research grants or jobs. The temptation to ignore any contrary results and boost the positive ones must be extremely great.
I have a science qualification (biology - wanted to be a doctor but didn't get good enough A levels!) and was at first "Properly" sceptical about what seemed to be merely scare stories about statins, but various medical articles, and the advice of folks on here, eventually convinced me. Especially as I am 70 and at the age when the risk of statin side effects is higher.
As MaisieGray said, low thyroid hormones can cause many, many problems in any area of the body. That's because thyroxine (in the active form - T3) is needed to help supply energy to every cell. Low levels of vitamins and minerals are common because our gut isn't working well and unable to absorb them normally. Cholesterol is used in repair of blood vessels, but if thyroid levels are low it is often raised because the liver can't process it fast enough.
I haven't had many aches and pains but, for several years, found myself very stiff, especially first thing or after sitting down - even for a short while. I thought it might be to do with the statins, but since being on Levothyroxine the stiffness is almost completely gone!
You've had good responses but, very unfortunately, the majority of doctors or endocrinologists have no knowledge of the clinical symptoms we can develop if we're hypo and they give us 'other' medications for the symptoms rather than an optimum of thyroid hormones.
You are taking levothyroxine and do you get a print-out of your blood test results? If not, make sure you get one each time you have a blood test. For interest, request a copy of your previous one with the ranges and put them on a new post. Always get a print-out from the surgery of your blood tests, for your own records.
Levothyroxine is a synthetic T4 and is an inactive hormone which has to convert to T3. It is T3 which is the Active hormone and is needed in our millions of T3 receptor cells.
Ranges are important. Tick off the symptoms you have on the list below:-.
The aim is a TSH of 1 or lower - not higher. Most doctors think if it is somewhere in the 'range' (up to 5) is fine.
Our Frees (FT4 and FT3) should be in the upper part of the ranges but rarely tested.
Levothyroxine is an inactive hormone (T4) and it has to convert to T3 (liothyronine) and it is T3 alone which is required in our millions of T3 receptor cells in order for our body to function optimally and we have no symptoms. Our brain and heart have the most T3 receptor cells.
There are private labs that do home pin-prick tests and if you decide to do this make sure you are well hydrated a few days before you draw blood and they are finger pin-prick tests. Blood draw has to be at the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose and test and take afterwards.
Your doctor should also check B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate. Everything has to be optimal. I suspect you are on too low a dose if you've not had an increase for quite some time.
Hello, welcome, I'm new to the forum as well but I pop by every week to see what's new.
I also have a healthcare background, although currently I am in between jobs to get my health sorted 😊. Not enough to advise on hormone levels etc though.
I'm a great believer in sorting out one thing at a time if possible, especially if they are interlinked.
My cholesterol was sky high before my hypothyroidism was diagnosed it was even high aged 21 size 8 !! Borderline underweight.
I take BP meds as for some reason nO seems to be the resistant one, however my cholesterol has reduced steadily, albeit very slowly, as my thyroid treatment has moved closer towards optimal.
I initially took Ramipril but it gave me a horrible nervous type cough. I changed to Candestartan, which is less than ideal but better.
What I refused to do was take statins, preferring to do the whole lifestyle approach and wait and see. Everyone makes their own decision as has been said above, but there is too much controversy for me, and I already have muscle aches and fatigue. If this is a mistake I probably won't know anway....😂 annoyingly though, I have never done the whole takeaway, pizza, chips, crisps chocolate thing anyway ( sulk sulk )!
Seriously though, listen to the medics but do your own research. I've managed to keep my average blood sugar just below the danger zone, and my BP and cholesterol okay ish by diet. No weight loss though.
Treating the thyroid issue has certainly helped all round but with slight long term improvement rather than monthly results. Good luck
I'm on Bendroflumethiazide for blood pressure, a low dose that seems to have few side effects or interactions (took me a fortnight to be able to remember the word!!!) Other BP medications gave me a cough and/or made my ankles swell. My cholesterol went down a bit since taking thyroxine, but hasn't been tested for a few months. Just as well since I've given up statins!) They wanted to double the dose because my cholesterol was still rather high and not coming down fast enough! But after reading Dr Kendrick, and advice on here about the harmful effects and fact they probably don't help anyway, I couldn't face the thought and stopped taking them instead!
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