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Treatment Making It Worse?

Posted , 11 users are following.

Jaybird10
Jaybird10

Hi everyone.  This story doesn’t make sense, at least to me, but here it goes.  I began not feeling myself in January, if not sooner. I eventually noticed my blood pressure was elevated.  This had happened a time or two in the past, but on the rare occasion it did happen, a day or two and it would go back to normal.  This time, however, it lasted weeks without going away. 

When at the doctor for the sudden rise in blood pressure, I mentioned how “everything would make sense if my thyroid wasn’t functioning right”.  She went ahead and did the test, which showed hypothyroidism.  My TSH was 5.35.  I had suspected this for quite a while, but this was the first time blood work had confirmed it.  My father also had hypothyroidism, so it wasn’t a surprise. 

I am a 35 year old slim male (trying to stay slim anyway), 5’6”, 140 pounds or so.  Frequently go to the gym and try to be as active as I can despite having a desk job.  I went on medications for both nearly the same day in January of this year– Levythroxine (Synthroid) and Linisopril for blood pressure.  The issues continued and I began to suffer from severe insomnia, which I pinned to the Levythroxine.  Linisopril, oddly enough gave me a pressor response and elevated my blood pressure much higher.  I had to go off of it and was then given Losortan.

Despite my thyroid levels showing up in the normal range on the follow-up blood work, I continued to not feel right.  My BP was still all over the place.  I was having major depression for the first time in quite a while and began to actually think this was going to kill me.  The insomnia surely didn’t help.  I continued to gain weight, which is all in my stomach.  As someone that goes to the gym about 5 times a week, it was extremely frustrating and played into why I was depressed.  I have went from around 137-ish to 147 (154 in doctor’s office) early in the year.  My stomach was larger than it was when I was in my 160’s, which was over a decade ago. 

No matter how good I ate or how tightly I restricted calories, I either maintained or gained weight. I log my foods/macros daily using the MyFitnessPal app, so the fact the scale kept going up has been a bit of a surprise and a setback.

When going back to the doctor and telling her about how miserable I felt, my TSH level was within “normal” range at 3.88 and free T4 was 1.2.  Due to this fact, it seemed as if I had no further options until I seen an endocrinologist, which is in late July.  That’s quite a wait, given this all actually took place a couple months ago.    

As I had felt like I had lost my life (not even going to the gym would make me happy anymore, as it just reminded me I couldn’t control my health anymore), along with frequent severe headaches, I decided I had nothing to lose by going off LevoThyroxine.  Magically, things began falling into place, and this is where even I get a bit confused.

I am still an insomniac.  Apparently that was not being caused by the Levothyroxine, though it seemed to start the instant I began taking it.  I’ve learned to deal with that and have done my best to adjust my schedule.  Basically, I cannot sleep between the hours of around 11 PM and 7 AM.  Otherwise, I am fine. 

My weight has gone down a few pounds – still more than I was when I began having problems, but it’s at least gone somewhat in the right direction.  My blood pressure has dropped to normal as well after going off Levythyroxine.  The headaches are gone.  The depression is gone.  I haven’t been back to the doctor since, so I’m obviously not sure what my TSH level is.  I am not sure if it’s even worth going back at this point.  I am managing day to day, doing much better, and just waiting to see the endo.  My last day of the Levythyroxine was April 25, and I have not had ONE instance of high blood pressure or headaches since. 

I am not sure why I still can’t sleep.  I am not sure what’s going on with me at all really… but is there anyone that can make any sense out of this?  Unfortunately, my doctor has not done anything except blood work for free T4 and TSH levels.  Why would Levythyroxine be like a poison to me?  Why would it raise my blood pressure?  Why can’t I sleep?  Why suddenly the thyroid issues after my levels were always in the “normal” range before?  In 2016, my typical TSH was around 2.6 on my blood work.  Guess I’ll find the answers (hopefully) in July…

0 likes, 58 replies

58 Replies

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  • mar75090
    mar75090 Jaybird10

    Posted

    You probably have high cortisol at night that is what might be the cause of your insomnia. High or low cortisol can cause problems when taking levo and can increase anxiety blood pressure etc. You can tell your doctor about a study done in Denmark which showed.that ppl on T4 meds alone were deficient in. T3 when they sampled their cerebral spinal fluids even though their blood levels of T3 were within range. And CSF is from the brain. So their brains are T3 deficient. Which is very serious and hinders brain functioning.
  • mar75090
    mar75090 Jaybird10

    Posted

    You probably have high cortisol at night that is what might be the cause of your insomnia. High or low cortisol can cause problems when taking levo and can increase anxiety blood pressure etc. You can tell your doctor about a study done in Denmark which showed.that ppl on T4 meds alone were deficient in. T3 when they sampled their cerebral spinal fluids even though their blood levels of T3 were within range. And CSF is from the brain. So their brains are T3 deficient. Which is very serious and hinders brain functioning.
  • mar75090
    mar75090 Jaybird10

    Posted

    Ps dont restrict calorie below your daily needs. Restricting calories below required daily needs increases.Reverse T3 and lowers FT3 as well.as your metabolism. That is why people who gone on strict diets easily gain back their weight once they stop dieting. They have slowed down their metabolism and raised RT3 and some may gain back more weight than.what they lost. They have reset their metabolism so keeping.within normal daily calorie requirements will now make them gain not maintain weight. This can take years to undo in some.
    • MtViewCatherine
      MtViewCatherine mar75090

      Posted

      Restriction worked great for me along with healthy calorie budgeting and some other tricks. Kept the weight off for ten years. It was awesome!

      I gained 60 pounds on the levo. Prior to that I’d gained 10-15 when my thyroid had hone kaphut. Before that, my weight was stable and very slender for ten years.

    • mar75090
      mar75090 MtViewCatherine

      Posted

      I'm the same weight now as before I started Levo decades ago. I gained weight when I worked a lot and would go out or be taken out to big dinners. Drove more than walked.That wasnt Levo that was lifestyle. I lost that extra weight on Levo without restricting just lowering calories and walking more. Levo is what dramatically lowered my antibodies to almost 0. So it does help in that respect, even though think that adding T3 would've helped energy levels and well-being back then.

  • mar75090
    mar75090 Jaybird10

    Posted

    FreeT3 and FT3 are the same. Total T3 or TT3 or just T3 includes both bound and unbound (FT3).
  • Jaybird10
    Jaybird10

    Posted

    I faxed some information to Kansas University on Friday morning in hopes they can get me in before November!
  • mar75090
    mar75090 Jaybird10

    Posted

    Your blood pressire meds may have turned T4 into Reverse T3. Reverse T3 can give you belly fat. T4 is needed to convert Vit B2 into FAD which will give you more energy. Read up on Vit B2 deficiency. Hope you're making enough active B2. Active B2 is also needed for folate to be used properly and that's.for detoxing heavy metals and other toxins. Maybe you were undermedicated which can cause many problems. People with migraines are advised to take Vit B2 400mcg BUT their T4 most be adequate. T3 has nothing to do with converting Vit B2 into active B2 or FAD. You should get a homocysteine test to make sure it's neither too.high.or too low. Methylfolate is needed to lower homocysteine but first your active B12 must be optimal. You can get either an active B12 or serum MMA. Both will give the docs a better picture of your health status. Many people with thyroid problems have genetic changes in methylation enzymes C677 and/ or 1298. With all your symptoms you may have one or more of these. Could be the reason for your hypertension.kidney problems headaches etc.

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