Synthroid and blood clots

[donna_sue_72]

Does anyone know if there is any correlation between a blood clot and hypothyroid/synthroid? i haven't found anything online. I know some people get DVT, pulmonary embolism from Birth Control and i know that thyroid/synthroid stuff is hormone related but is there any significance or anything documented about hypothyroid/synthroid etc.. and pulmonary embolism? I can't find a reason why this happened to me. I had a PE a few weeks ago with no DVT and docs can't find a reason for it?? I was on Celexa for a very short period of time as well and i'm a smoker but there are no "in your face" reasons why this happened and i want to prevent any in the future without staying on blood thinners the rest of my life.. thanks for reading and any info you can help with..

[Barb135]

DoneWithThyroidMeds... there's nothing in Synthroid (or other thyroid medications) to cause blood clots.  The active ingredient is identical to the T4 hormone your body would produce if it could.

Do you know what your actual thyroid hormone levels are?  Those would be Free T4 and Free T3?  If you have them, you could post them here and perhaps we could help you figure out what might be going on.  Be sure to post any reference ranges with all lab reports, since ranges vary from lab to lab...

[DoneWithThyroidMeds]

Hi Donna, I was on levothyroxin (generic Synthroid, a synthetic T4) for several years and no ther meds. I became so I'll from this medication that I've chosen to go without meds and treated with amino acid therapy. On the meds, my period was light. Off the meds, it stopped altogether. Six months later, it's come back and has been going for weeks. I suspect this is due to a blood clot. I had horrible bone degeneration with this drug, and feel the massive bone loss has contributed to blood factors that would result in blood clotting. I also have many lesions in my liver and meds enteric blood clots. The massive breakdown of bone tissue releases bone construe to into the blood for disposal. But the bone loss triggers the body into thinking its starving, so it holds onto the bone "waste" trying o recycle it back into the system to rebuild the bones. Meanwhile, the blood is jammed up with all this stuff the body can't process. I figure that's as good an explanation as any. I have no history of blood clots prior to this medication, very clean diet and lifestyle, no history of blood clots in my family.

My opinion, YES! This medication causes blood clots!!! Yes, yes, yes!!

[Kbella73]

I have the G20210a factor 2 prothrombin mutation along with thyroid disease. It is a blood clotting mutation that causes DVT. I had a thyroidectomy several years ago. I came across the mutation by chance. It can be caught with an easy blood test. It is not one that is often prescribed on its own, however.

[Mthfrohmy]

Mthfr can be an indicator of risk for clots, PE. I have Mthfr with clots, PEs. Family too. I am now pursuing thyroid.

[Mthfrohmy]

You may want to look into the MTHFR mutation. If you have this, a simple blood test can tell you, it appears it can have a high correlation with thyroid disorders.

[donna_sue_72]

Thanks for the info.. I'll add that to the list of blood tests.. My hematologist pulled me off of Coumadin and put me on Lovenox injections so that he could do some of the testing.. I guess coumadin can affect the results of some of the tests he wants to do. I was actually wondering if coumadin or lovenox could affect my thyroid absorption etc.. I'm pretty much maxed out on my synthroid and have been stable and feeling good for awhile now but since starting the new meds i feel more hypo symptoms creeping in.. Might be a good idea to get my wonderful thyroid levels checked to see if there's anything going on..

[gradyfamily]

I advise you to be tested for Antiphospholipid Syndrome.  It is an autoimmune disease which results in blood clots.  Its a simple blood test and can be treated most simply w the medication Pradaxa (a blood thinner).  Before this patients used to have to use Coumadin which only complicated treating the Hypothyroidism as there can be interference.

[donna_sue_72]

Thanks for the information.. I found the same information on Celexa as well but because it's so "rare", i think my doc believes it couldn't have been that. I stopped taking it anyway and quitting smoking, exercising more and keeping hydrated so hopefully it will resolve and not reoccur.. Thanks again for the information.

[Red_Star]

I have hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's thyroiditis) and have tested positive for a rare condition called cryofibrinogenemia.  I have various symptoms of this condition but nothing severe as i live in Qld, Australia with over 300+ days of sunshine a year and it never snows here.  

In winter, my toes in particular are affected. My toes turn white and my toenails turn purple; my toes are like ice! I am very sensitive to cold. When i travelled overseas some years back my leg swelled excessively. At the time i thought it was a blood clot and it may well have been after knowing i have this condition.  I have livedo reticularis year round.

Cryofibrinogen is an abnormal type of fibrinogen very rarely found in human plasma and precipitates in cooled plasma at 4°C (39.2F) and dissolves at 37°C (98.6F).  Defects in the fibrinolysis process can lead to cryfibrinogen accumulation and clotting in the small and medium arteries.

Some sufferers are asymptomatic (no symptoms) whereas other develop thrombosis or skin symptoms in response to exposure to cold. Patients with livedo reticularis or subtle areas of microlivedo, purpura, ecchymoses, and painful ulcerations are strangely not commonly precipitated by cold temperatures.

Cryofibrinogenemia may be primary (idiopathic or essential) or secondary to an underlying disorder.

Causes of secondary cryofibrinogenemia include:

Carcinoma
Acute infections
Inflammatory processes
Collagen vascular or thromboembolic diseases
Chronic lung disease
Acute myocardial infarction
Hypothyroidism
Diabetes
Pregnancy
Oral contraceptives  

When cryofibrinogenemia causes signs and symptoms, they may include:

Cutaneous symptoms (ischaemia, purpura, livedo reticularis, ecchymosis, ulcers, necrosis and gangrene)
Sensitivity to cold, including itching, redness, swelling, or hives
Poor circulation
Arthralgia
Nephritic syndrome
Multinevritis
Myalgia and muscle weakness
Fever
Arterial and/or venous thrombosis
Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs)
Phlebitis (swelling caused by a blood clot, usually in the legs)
Bleeding events
Stroke
Heart attack

Thrombotic events occur in 25% of patients with secondary cryofibrinogenemia irrespective of the amount of cryofibrinogen in serum.  Treatment of cryofibrinogenemia may include stanozolol, plasmapheresis, and fibrinolytics.

[goolarra]

I've been on the forum for many years and have never heard of blood clots being related to hypo or levothyroxine.  

My mother-in-law recently had the same problem.  Her doctors suggested that it might have had to do with the drug she was taking so she wouldn't have to urinate so frequently/urgently.  Dehydration, especially coupled with inactivity can also influence clotting.

I did see some correlation to Celexa (under RARE side effects) on a quick google search.