History-diagnosed Hypothroid December 2013, no idea which type e.g. sub clinical etc. Commenced Levothyroxine 50mcg which then in March 2014 increased to 75mgs followed by further increase to 100mcg in November 2014 where it has remained since.
My blood sugar has steadily increased over the last 4 to 5 years to the extent that I am informed I am at risk of Type 2 Diabetes. Recent tests state my Cholesterol is too high and on my records it says “see nurse and consider Statins”.
I am a fit 67 year old otherwise and walk approx 4-5 miles most days.
I have been unable to see a Doctor in person since May 2019. There have been e consults for my annual blood tests which I have instigated and I have seen practise nurses at GP remote access requests but when I raise my concerns they are just not interested.
Any advice help gratefully received
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Chippa
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Does taking Levothyroxine long term cause havoc with High Cholesterol and High Blood Sugar?
Speaking from personal experience of being on Levo for 47 years, the answer in my case is no.
Lipids tested in April this year show HDL cholesterol level 2.1 (range >1.2mmol/L). Unfortunately the other cholesterol results don't have a range, but it's triglycerides that are the most important test, mine was 1.4 (range <2.0mmol/L).
HbA1C was done in Novembe 2021 and my resut was 36 (range <48mmol/mol).
Glucose was tested in September 2020 and was 5.2 (range 3.0-7.7).
High cholesterol is a symptom of hypothyroidism, are you optimally medicated? If undermedicated cholesterol may be high but look at the triglyceride results.
Statins aren't recommended for females and can cause muscle damage in people with hypothyroidism. NHS says this
If you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), treatment may be delayed until this problem is treated. This is because having an underactive thyroid can lead to an increased cholesterol level, and treating hypothyroidism may cause your cholesterol level to decrease, without the need for statins. Statins are also more likely to cause muscle damage in people with an underactive thyroid.
High cholesterol levels suggests you may be under medicated and in need of dose increase in levothyroxine
When were thyroid and vitamin levels last tested
Please add most recent results and ranges
ALWAYS test thyroid levels early morning, ideally before 9am and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
Which brand of levothyroxine are you currently taking
Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription
What vitamin supplements are you currently taking
Is your hypothyroidism autoimmune thyroid disease, also called Hashimoto’s, usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies
Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose change or brand change in levothyroxine
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 tested
plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested at least once
Very important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once year minimum
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s or Ord’s thyroiditis) usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies
but 20% of autoimmune thyroid patients never have high thyroid antibodies and ultrasound scan of thyroid can get diagnosis
Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s
Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis.
Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.
In U.K. medics hardly ever refer to autoimmune thyroid disease as Hashimoto’s (or Ord’s thyroiditis)
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally before 9am and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or all relevant vitamins
List of private testing options and money off codes
Thank you Slow Dragon, the Levothyroxine I am on is North Star. I don’t believe I am sensitive to lactulose just dairy, milk, butter, cream.The Vitamin D I am on is 1000 iu (D3 25mgs)
Will get private tests done soon, please can you post all I should be getting now. Do I need to cut out vitamins before tests.
I’m not aware of levothyroxine causing increases… it does state Liothyronine (T3) can increase blood pressure and blood sugar in literature given in packets of Morningside I have.
However my BP has been good actually lower than year before (without T3) but I also have lost a small amount of weight so might be a contributing factor.
In a week or so I’m having my annual bloods done and review so be interesting to see what my blood sugar is like too.I was ok before.
I’ve had blood sugar levels creeping up, and I controlled this with my diet.
I know my main cause was free from alternatives, my spike happened as I was diagnosed with coeliac & hypothyroidism nearly decade ago and I just tried all alternatives not even considering what junk they actually put in these things… obviously to mask the tasteless stuff they make them with…I only buy gf pasta and flour really now and do all cooking myself from mostly natural gf food items.
My blood sugar lowered by cutting out all free from junk and reducing my starchy carbs.
Unless you have other medication or conditions that are exacerbating blood sugar, type 2 diabetes is predominantly a lifestyle and diet related problem and more problematic in women as we age due to hormonal shifts.
Just having the menopause is enough to tip some over in this area… exercise & diet helps.
Exercise helps use up the glucose through our muscles.
Diet, starchy carbs if eaten in excess although this measurement really is an individual thing what is excess to one can be ok or normal for another, so it’s basically finding how you can control this.
Keep the white potatoes, flour pasta rice and white grains to a minimum, best if you can swap these for brown/fibre rich alternatives.
There’s various hacks in helping lower blood sugar.
Look up Glucose Goddess on social media.
A lot of people have genetic predisposition to these problems but they don’t need to be switched on, if caught early enough you can easily reverse these things.
As for cholesterol treat it the same it isn’t eggs and fat that’s the problem, again sugary items and starchy carbs.
For Cholesterol/Statin advice look up Cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra
Hashimotos can bring cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension, not the medication. I fight colesterol by eating healthy, lots of exercise. I don't eat meat, little chicken and fish. Mostly high fiber, vegetables. I am celiac which in a way forces you to eat healthy. I am medicated for hypertension. I think the most important thing is diet and exercise.
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Replacing sugar with sweeteners does not affect weight control in long term, WHO says
How long does it take for levothyroxine to reduce TSH?
High cholesterol & blood pressure, will T3 help?
long term use of Levothyroxin
How long does it take to work?
