Reversing hypertension.

[Michaela_l]

Hi,

I am aware that with hypothyroidism comes stiff arteries and hypertension. Im 27 and been hypertensive for a few years now, but since realising I have hypothyroidism and going on levothyroxin I'm just wondering how long it took, if at all, for peoples BP to come down. As it turns out, after looking at my bloods, I've had hypothyroidism for years.

Various studies I've looked at suggest that upon receiving treatment, hypothyroid patients high BP tends to drop...but I can't seem to find a time scale..of course it'll be different for everyone, but I'm just wondering what everyone's experience is.

Been on levo for around 9 months.

Thanks.

[MaisieGray]

Starting with the menopause, my thyroid health took a downward turn (for the previous 30 years on Levo it had been fine), and one of the problems that cropped up was high blood pressure. I have been on a combination of three drugs for it in the 10 yrs since, plus a beta blocker for another condition but which should also help my BP; and even with the four meds, I have to say that my BP remains on the high side, and sometimes on the really really high side. A few years back I went to the wrong surgery of the two, for my GP appointment, then drove like a mad thing to get to the other surgery in time - result, a systolic reading of 199 lol. So my experience is that it isn't always an easy fix. I'm sure others will have more positive experiences to report.

[Michaela_l in reply to MaisieGray]

Hey, thanks for the reply, sorry to hear your thyroid health hasn't been great. My systolic was found to be higher than 200, as well as a high diastolic, over 100 on occasion, this was when I was, say, 24ish. So I wasn't happy to learn this..only found out while investigating my acid reflux, which accidentally found I had an abberant artery..which can become aneurysmal..so my BP is important to me.

I'm hoping with time it might improve, I'm still young to say I have hypertension and it may well be in my genes.

Since fighting to be on levo..and it was a fight, despite a TSH of 26, I have stopped taking ranitadine (I refused to take PPIs) and also stopped my beta blockers...rather than going bradycardic, I was going tachycardic..hence the fight to get on levo... "Oh you have anxiety".

Thanks again

[MaisieGray in reply to Michaela_l]

A TSH of 26 and you were still fighting for Levo? For heaven's sake! Your Dr hadn't read the NICE guidelines then ...... Yes, you have relative youth and muscle strength on your side, so hopefully will have a better response as your time on Levo improves things generally.

[Michaela_l in reply to MaisieGray]

Yep! But because my ft4 was normal everyone ignored it!! As it turns out, I run high on thyroxin, so that wasn't normal for me! My GP mentioned years ago it was high, said they'd keep an eye on it... despite many blood tests.. nothing was said...all was marked as normal! I collapsed a few times while a student at uni, and then again in the last hospital I worked at..but still nothing was said! So it got to the point where I was getting chest pain, tachycardia and a few ectopic heart beats. Then I couldn't stand without going dizzy, then I couldn't eat without going tachy, dizzy, etc etc..it was horrible. Consultant saw me on CCU with as TSH of 22, said repeat bloods in a month... despite tpo antibodies being present. He then didn't want to see me for 6 months, but I begged the secretary. He put me on a poxy 25 levo, then saw me again and took me off it, saying my blurry eyes and tachycardia are nothing to do with it, that I should go on antidepressants and stop the levo! I went private, he checked my pituitary, orded my GP to put me on high dose vitamin D and said if I need to go on levo, go on it..but again, he was more on the side of depression.

Despite all this, I found a gp who understood I run high on ft4...so I was on 25 levo for ages, then 37.5, then 50 and now 75. I returned to work and burst out crying like an idiot, because despite me not having depression and anxiety back then, it's given me anxiety which I'm trying to deal with..I felt so ill for so long, and it's taken my confidence away. I'm glad I did so much research and have a big mouth! I have ST changes on my ECG, and it is all to do with my thyroid!! Idiot!

Sorry, I'm still angry about it.

[greygoose]

With me it took about ten/fifteen years. Not really sure when it came down, because I didn't get it checked that often. Still don't.

[Michaela_l in reply to greygoose]

That's great to hear I did mine today at work and fair enough, I'm still on 50 of losartan, but it's come down. 147/83...it was that stubborn diastolic value that didn't wanna budge..so I'm glad to see it come down... systolic, yep.. hypertensive, but I was at work always high at work! I've got cardiology telling me to increase my salt intake due to my BP dropping slightly when I stand, though I've finally been discharged from them. I thanked the guy, he was the only one that said up your levo! Endocrinology at the same time, told me I had depression and that I didn't need levo..I've finally put in a complaint about him. I believe my thyroid has been dodgy for years, at least since 2015, (can't view bloods further back than that date) and as a result my adrenals took the stress...drs ignored my crappy cortisol levels but I didn't!

With the help of a good gp, slowly upped my levo. I helped my adrenals by eating first thing in the morning, with in half an hour of getting up. It's been crap and I shouldn't have been left to get that bad! It nearly cost me my job, ruined my wedding day and had to cancel our honeymoon! I'm just hoping my BP is part of the journey of getting better..I know I'm never going to feel normal again, but I'm better than I was half a year ago!

Thanks

[greygoose in reply to Michaela_l]

It will get better, if you get the right treatment. And, that's the problem. The majority of doctors just don't know how to treat thyroid. And they know even less about adrenals! It's not that they're just ignoring it, they don't know what to do about it.

I would just say that you do need a good intake of salt for your adrenals - they need salt. But, salt only rarely has any effect on blood pressure - it's not the menace most doctors believe!

[Michaela_l in reply to greygoose]

I'm gonna do one thing at a time. Currently moving house but once that's done, gluten and soy free! Got myself an Epic water filter, which filters out 99% of flouride, without increasing potassium content. Gonna get myself a lot of house plants to try and clean up the air....see what my BP is doing.

Aye, it will get better..I imagine I've been unwell for years, well..I know I have, but how many years before it started showing, I do not know..so it's gonna take years to get 'better'.

Thanks.

[greygoose in reply to Michaela_l]

It certainly isn't going to get better over-night, that's for sure.

[Michaela_l in reply to greygoose]

Definitely not..but we're in the right direction.

Thanks

[greygoose in reply to Michaela_l]

Yes. And that's the main thing.

[fedupinthenorth]

I've been hypo since 17 and was diagnosed at 18. I've had the opposite problem of my BP being too low at times and fainting. I've just had my BP taken recently and it's in the normal range. First ever it's not been on the low side. I think it comes down to your levels being treated properly as to getting it normal. Sorry I can't be more help but the best suggestions I have for you are make sure you aren't stressing yourself about stuff tagts not that important in the grand scheme of things and keep greeting your BP checked regularly to monitor the situation.

[Michaela_l in reply to fedupinthenorth]

Thanks, while off work I took on meditation and mindfulness, which has helped on the stress side. Unfortunately where I work, stress is gonna happen...but I try to keep it minimal.

I was fainting, I am generally hypertensive, but when I got ill, my bp was dropping when I stood up..hence the faint.

Glad to hear your BP is stabilising!

Thanks.