Low blood pressure, sugar crash, sweats

[CharlyMae]

Does anyone else have episodes where they get hot very quickly, cold sweats, blood pressure drop, palpitations and shaky?

The only thing that helps me is eating sugar.

I had my sugar levels tested a few months ago and they were normal so it can’t be diabetes.

My mum and my aunt are type 1 so I am always cautious.

My last thyroid TSH was 0.88

Any thoughts? Could it be my thyroid doing this to me?

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Looking at previous posts you haven’t been on levothyroxine long

These symptoms suggest under medicated

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

Which brand

When were iron and ferritin last tested

Also vitamin D, folate and B12

As you have Hashimoto’s have you had coeliac blood test done yet

[Josephineinamachine]

I had this a lot when I was still increasing my Levo so I think it was being under medicated. I even bought a blood sugar monitor (which wasn’t expensive but now I realise a waste of money 🙄) because I became convinced I had blood sugar problems. Eating very regularly helped I found.

[Jazzw]

In a word, yes. It’s often the first sign I have that my thyroid replacement dosage isn’t optimal (and usually, it’s a sign of being a bit undermedicated).

But—for me, it can also be a sign of having low Vit D, low B12, low folate or low ferritin (and on occasion, because I was low in all of those!).

You may need to do some detective work! 🕵️‍♀️

[CharlyMae in reply to Jazzw]

My TSH is 0.88 which is good right?

[Jazzw in reply to CharlyMae]

Well… it might be. Then again, it might not be.

The numbers you really need are for FT4 and FT3. You need to see how much unbound (free—that’s what the F stands for) thyroid hormone is available in your blood to be able to gauge for sure whether you’re on a high enough dosage.

Many GPs have been taught that TSH is the only reading that matters. Unfortunately that isn’t true.

[CharlyMae in reply to Jazzw]

Thank you, I have another TSH and T3 test coming up but T4 isn’t on there, I will mention it and see if they can add it!

[Jazzw in reply to CharlyMae]

It’s encouraging that you have a test for T3 (hopefully it’ll be for Free T3 rather than Total T3). Many of us need FT3 to be well up in its reference range to feel well.

[Batty1]

Yes, I occasionally have this problem and like you I have had my sugar tested so many times because Im convinced I developed sugar problems but every test shows Im fine. I reduced my carbs.

[Hidden]

Yeah it is happening to me on increasing Levo now, I also have breathlessness to go with it.