Head/neck pressure

[Murphysmum]

Does anyone know what causes this?

I had it a few years back, right at the start of my thyroid journey, and when I now know I was on levo but it was doing nothing.

Since swapping to T3 only about 4/5 years ago I haven’t had it at all. Until now. And weirdly, it happens at the same time each night. Around tea time, sometimes before I’ve taken my evening dose, sometimes after, but it lasts about an hour and it’s really uncomfortable and concerning.

I have a blood test ready to do, but clearly I can’t send it off right now. I recently (8 weeks ago after posting on here) dropped my T3 by about 10mcg as I suddenly became very over medicated. So maybe I’m a little under, but I dropped incrementally over that period and feel absolutely fine other than for this hour each evening.

I’m tempted to check my bp when it happens, because that’s exactly what it feels like - it feels like when as a kid you hung upside down from a tree and your neck and head began to pressure and pulse. Except I’m sitting doing nothing, or at worst pottering making dinner. I did in the past check when it happened and my bp was absolutely fine, hadn’t moved compared to other times so I suspect this is the same, although I also know my bp is slightly raised recently than it was back then. Joys of aging and menopause!

I have asked in the past if anyone knows what might cause this but didn’t have any joy, however I wonder if anyone has any more recent insights?

I’ll check back with results later in the week once I’ve done them.

thanks!

[Buddy195 Administrator]

When did you last test thyroid levels Murphysmum? I’m presuming you lowered by 10mcg Liothyronine based on your symptoms.

I know in your last post you were advised to recheck key thyroid vitamins, so I’d definitely test these alongside your thyroid bloods.

I had increased head pressure in the evening in peri menopause (alleviated with HRT), but I’ve also had similar symptoms when both over & under medicated thyroid wise. I also find taking magnesium early evening helps me relax and unwind.

[Murphysmum in reply to Buddy195]

interesting, thanks! It’s clearly peri ag play because I’ve been stable for years. Then recently suddenly there’s quite a large swing (going by symptoms) and I haven done anything!

I do need to do vits and mins, though I’ll no doubt need to convince a gp and thats the only reason I haven’t yet really. Will get onto it once things reopen.

Yes I lowered purely on symptoms, and 10mcg is massive for me, so if I’m a bit “low” then that wouldn’t surprise me, although I may have to do a series of tests because things are fluctuating all the time just now.

Thanks re the magnesium- I do supplement but find it helps hugely with anxiety… another peri bonus!

[Brightness14]

It could be low TF3 before or just after taking your dose. I have a thick head feel, not funny,

when just before or after T3.

[Tlflom]

Are you eating or drinking before the episodes? Maybe an allergy or a sensitivity? Between 5 and 6 my sinuses fill up. In the last few years I have had a complete workup by 3 allergists. Only the last actually was successful. I am overall better except this evening episode. I stopped food with positive outcomes. A certain mold was also positive. However, the environment is very dry year around. More testing is in my future.

[Incoguto]

Yes, had that with a dose that was too high and when high cortisol, very uncomfortable. I'd adjust t3 by 2.5mcg at first if that's what you want to do, either up or down. Dropping t3 by 10mcg is a lot, so yeah you could be a little underdosed too.

[Murphysmum]

UPDATE: so my bloods came back.

I have a previous post discussing this but as a quick recap - for some reason, after about 2.5 years of being on a steady dose, I suddenly felt unwell and v overmedicated on holiday about 8 weeks ago. I dropped my dose by 5, then another 5mcg and felt fine about from about two weeks afterwards until last week.

These are my results and I’m quite happy that the FT3 level is low for me. Where I’ve highlighted on the tracker is where I feel best, so I’ll increase by 5mcg again and see if I can get back there.

I can only assume that some perimenopause hormone fluctuations are at work, because nothing else has changed. I do need to do a vits n mins test to see where I am but I wouldn’t expect anything wildly out of kilter as I supplement regularly.

If anyone has any ideas what’s going on I’d be very grateful, I fear I may have to go and have an HRT chat at some point to avoid this in future!

Tracker of FT3 results going back two years

[jstein1979]

Could be histamine overload try some benadryl