Relationship Between Thyroid Issues and Low Blood Pressure

[wkingmom]

Does anyone know if issues with their thyroid has caused problems with their blood pressure?

I have always thought I have low blood sugar.  But recently one of the doctors I saw gave me a glucose monitor to check my blood sugar.  Every time I've checked my blood sugar it comes back around 80 - even fasting it comes back around 80.

Somehow I online I came across symptoms about low blood PRESSURE - lightheadedness, especially when going from lying down to sitting up, fatigue, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, blurred vision.  Check, check, check, I have all these symptoms, the most obvious one is when I get up first thing in the morning I almost pass out.

I started checking my medical history and looking at what my BP has been in the past.  Anything below 120/80 is consider low blood pressure - my scores have been 102/60, 119/67, 98/60, etc. etc.    And then I saw that low blood pressure could be caused by a thyroid problems.  

Does anyone else have thyroid issues and low blood pressure?

[wkingmom]

Thanks, I will!

[goolarra]

You should ask for a copy of the lab report.  Both TPOab and TGab have to be tested to rule out Hashi's since some of us are positive for one, some the other and some both.

[wkingmom]

Thanks for explaining that.  

I don't know which antibodies the Dr tested.  He said he suspected I had thryoiditis and wanted to see if I tested positive for antibodies.  He didn't tell me the name of the antibodies he tested for.

[goolarra]

If your TSH is low, it usually means you are hyperthyroid.  However, TSH is a pituitary hormone and an indirect measure of thyroid status.  Any number of factors can throw TSH off.  FT3 and FT4 are low when hypo, high when hyper.  FT3 and FT4 are very direct measures of thyroid status.  When TSH is low, FT3 and FT4 should be high; when TSH is high, FT3 and FT4 should be low.  

Your FT4 is below range, indicating your thyroid is not able to produce enough.  Your FT3 is very low in the range, far from the upper half of range that's the target for FT3.  Both of those direct measures indicate hypo.

All your symptoms, except weight loss, are typical hypo symptoms.  Although weight loss is usually associated with hyper, some people lose weight hypo or hyper.  

If you have a hyperfunctioning adenoma, it's not producing very much hormone, yet at least.  Your FT3 and FT4 aren't high enough to be depressing your TSH, so I tend to think there might be pituitary involvement.  

A hyperfunctioning adenoma is kind of like a little thyroid within your thyroid.  It cranks out hormone, but it doesn't need TSH to stimulate it to do so.  So, it's not under pituitary control and cranks out the hormone indiscriminately.    

Were both antibodies, TPOab and TGab, tested?  

[wkingmom]

Regarding treatment, I haven't gotten to that point yet.  

I first went to one doctor who ran these tests and told me all my results were normal.  So I brought the lab results to a different endocrinologist.  He looked at all my results and said they did not test me for antibodies.  So he ran that test.  He also did an ultrasound of my thyroid.

His assistant called a couple of days later and told me the test for antibodies came back negative which means I do not have thyroiditis, but the doctor wanted me to get a scan done of my thyroid.  The Dr. believed I had a "hot" nodule that was hyperfunctioning.  I had the scan done this past Monday.  

I had the scan done at the same hospital that has an online system where you can check your results.  So I was able to see the test results as of last night.  This is what it said----

EXAMINATION: Sodium pertechnetate UPTAKE AND SCAN

INDICATION: possible hot nodule in Left Lobe. possible hot nodule in Left Lobe

FINDINGS:  Static images of the thyroid demonstrate homogeneous uptake of radioiodine throughout both lobes of thyroid gland. There is focal radiotracer uptake noted within the right lower lobe. There are no visualized accessory lobes of the thyroid gland.

IMPRESSION:  Increased radiotracer uptake within right lower lobe likely representing a hyperfunctioning adenoma.

-----------------

So I called my doctor to follow up, but they have not gotten the results yet to explain them to me.  I don't understand how I can be hypothyroid.  I thought if your scores were low that meant you were hyperthyroid?

[goolarra]

You are definitely hypothyroid.  FT4 is below range, and FT3 is very low in the range.  FT4 should be about midrange, and FT3 the upper half of range.  Unfortunately, your TSH is within normal range, a little on the low side.  I say "unfortunately" because many doctors think that TSH is the gold standard in thyroid testing and will ignore FT3 and FT4 results if TSH is in range.  When FT3 and FT4 levels are low, TSH should be high.  However, there is a condition called secondary hypothyroidism.  With secondary, your pituitary doesn't put out enough TSH to stimulate your thyroid to produce enough hormone.  It's actually a pituitary dysfunction, but the result is that you are hypo.

Is your doctor suggesting treatment?

[wkingmom]

Yes, I had my thyroid tested 7/20/2015

Lab results:

TSH             My value 0.533   (Standard Range 0.358- 3.74)  
T4 FREE     My value 0.72     (Standard Range 0.76 -1.46)
T3FREE      My value 2.6       (Standard Range 2.3-4.2)

My Symptoms:
Weight loss of 15 lbs in the past year
Fatigue - 18+ years
Always cold - 18+ years
Sleep for 8 hours but feel like I haven’t slept at all - 18+ years
Shortness of breath - 1 yr
Heart palpitations - 1 yr
Depression - don't know how long
Poor memory/concentration - 1yr

[goolarra]

Low BP is a fairly common symptom of thyroid dysfunction.  Both HR and BP are often lowered.  Of course, low BP can also be a personal trait.

Have you had thyroid testing?