Hypothyroid and high blood pressure

[Lucy60]

Hi, I have been diagnosed hypothyroid for 4 years. I have now been diagnosed with high blood pressure. I have had call back on my kidney function since taking the BP meds for a month. Is this all linked. Thank you

[greygoose]

You can't be diagnosed with high blood pressure. It's a symptom, not a disease. And, it is very often a symptom of hypothyroidism. Perhaps you are under-medicated. Do you have a copy of your latest blood test results?

[Lucy60 in reply to greygoose]

Hi greygoose, get that BP is a symptom. I haven't got my last full readings. My TSH was 3.5

[greygoose in reply to Lucy60]

Then you are definitely under-medicated. It should come down to 1 or under. With a TSH of over 3 you are still hypo, and your high BP is more than likely related to that. You need an increase in levo, not BP medication.

[Lucy60 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you. GPs don't listen unfortunately

[greygoose in reply to Lucy60]

Tell him that if he doesn't increase your levo you'll buy your own and increase it yourself! That usually gets them moving. Or change GP practice? Or just shout louder. Make a nuisance of yourself until they give you your increase just to get rid of you.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

On levothyroxine TSH should ALWAYS be below 2

Most people when adequately treated will have TSH around or under 1

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

poor kidney function and low GFR directly linked to being hypothyroid and will improve as dose levothyroxine is increased

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl....

cureus.com/articles/138958-...

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

Also 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

About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease, usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

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.

Low vitamin levels are extremely common when hypothyroid, especially with autoimmune thyroid disease

20% of autoimmune thyroid patients never have high thyroid antibodies and ultrasound scan of thyroid can get diagnosis

In U.K. medics hardly ever refer to autoimmune thyroid disease as Hashimoto’s (or Ord’s thyroiditis)

Recommended that all thyroid blood tests early morning, ideally just 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

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins

medichecks.com/products/adv...

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

Monitor My Health also now offer thyroid and vitamin testing, plus cholesterol and HBA1C for £65

(Doesn’t include thyroid antibodies)

monitormyhealth.org.uk/full...

10% off code here

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

NHS easy postal kit vitamin D test £31 via

vitamindtest.org.uk

Only do private testing early Monday or Tuesday morning.

Link about thyroid blood tests

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

thyroiduk.org/wp-content/up...

Tips on how to do DIY finger prick test

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Medichecks and BH also offer private blood draw at clinic near you, or private nurse to your own home…..for an extra fee

[SlowDragon Administrator]

request/politely insist on 25mcg dose increase in levothyroxine

And get thyroid antibodies and vitamins tested via GP now

Or include in full thyroid test 6-8 weeks after increasing dose levothyroxine

guidelines on dose levothyroxine by weight

Unless extremely petite likely to need to be on at least 100mcg levothyroxine per day

Even if we frequently start on only 50mcg, most people need to increase levothyroxine dose slowly upwards in 25mcg steps (retesting 6-8 weeks after each increase) until eventually on, or near full replacement dose

NICE guidelines on full replacement dose

nice.org.uk/guidance/ng145/...

1.3.6

Consider starting levothyroxine at a dosage of 1.6 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day (rounded to the nearest 25 micrograms) for adults under 65 with primary hypothyroidism and no history of cardiovascular disease.

Also here

cks.nice.org.uk/topics/hypo...

pathlabs.rlbuht.nhs.uk/tft_...

Guiding Treatment with Thyroxine:

In the majority of patients 50-100 μg thyroxine can be used as the starting dose. Alterations in dose are achieved by using 25-50 μg increments and adequacy of the new dose can be confirmed by repeat measurement of TSH after 2-3 months.

The majority of patients will be clinically euthyroid with a ‘normal’ TSH and having thyroxine replacement in the range 75-150 μg/day (1.6ug/Kg on average).

The recommended approach is to titrate thyroxine therapy against the TSH concentration whilst assessing clinical well-being. The target is a serum TSH within the reference range.

……The primary target of thyroxine replacement therapy is to make the patient feel well and to achieve a serum TSH that is within the reference range. The corresponding FT4 will be within or slightly above its reference range.

The minimum period to achieve stable concentrations after a change in dose of thyroxine is two months and thyroid function tests should not normally be requested before this period has elapsed.

[Italiangirl123]

I too have high blood pressure which has been treated for a long time - I was unaware of the link with hypothyroidism until I was diagnosed and started, with the help of this forum, researching the condition. At the time of diagnosis I had poor kidney function, high cholesterol and elevated glucose. Since starting on thyroxine - am now on 100mcg - my kidney function and blood glucose have returned to within range levels and my cholesterol level is almost back to what is acceptable. My GP had been pressing me to take statins - am so pleased I refused! Am also hoping to be able to reduce my BP meds…watch this space!