Does High Blood Pressure cause any symptoms? Or could it be a change in meds?

[KatyMac]

Or could it be a dose change in levothyroxine?

I increased my thyroxine in Feb to 50 - I started on 25 in November and there was no improvement in my blood tests

and at my last appt my blood pressure was high

So I'm a bit queasy, my head is woozy and I have horrid headaches

Depends how high

My morning average is 127/67 and my evening is 135/72

But I have random 188/83 & 114/83 with only minutes between

My higher dose levothyroxine is from a different manufacturer to the lower dose one so I wondered if I'm having a reaction to a filler or something as I have allergies

Those averages look ok to me but I'm not an HCP

Hypertension is called the silent killer. Many people do not have symptoms but yes headache would be one. Start a log. Sit in chair with feet on floor arms at rest. You can give yourself up to 5 minute rest before taking blood pressure. Take it same time everyday for a week. If you are running high take it in the evening too. The boom has been lowered on b/p readings. We used to tell patients 130-140/70-90 was normal
but now anything greater than 120/80 could be considered high. I am not starting medications if my b/p is 123/83 but your readings technically are high. These are USA values. See Cleveland Clinic guide to blood pressure as a resource. A log is the most helpful to your doctor. If your readings are normal talk to the doctor about Levo dose change.

Well I've kept a log, but I haven't done any of those things (Sit in chair with feet on floor arms at rest. You can give yourself up to 5 minute rest before taking blood pressure. Take it same time everyday for a week.)

My doctor told me on Tuesday that I wasn’t to be concerned unless I had readings ( not isolated) of 140/90

I would think it's more likely symptoms of your hypothyroidism. If you're not at the right dosage yet, then you can still have symptoms. Hypothyroidism can cause high blood pressure.

I think it's my thyroid too & 50 isn't a high dose

But I want words I can say as I get flustered and end up saying no aggressively, not assertively, and it's all a mess

It's easier face to face but that hardly happens

Put all your symptoms and data into an email and send to the surgery. State that you would like to see the nurse, they will refer you forward.

How is your general health, exercise, weight, age , diet @KatyMac

Bmi is 27.5 it's gone up since menopause/erratic thyroid blood tests
Meno/hrt is a bit out of kilter, I tried a new type last summer, but I've reverted to my old patch (surgical meno 2018)
Diet is poor due to food intolerance/bowel damage, no eggs dairy mainly bread, root veg, chicken and salmon, cut out bacon etc cos of high cholesterol
I'm 55 and feel 70 plus I have Cfs/me fibromyalgia hypermobility multiple intolerances and allergies

I try to get out on my ebike most days (struggle a bit in the heavy rain and wind so winter is problematic)

When monitoring my BP at home I have been told by both my GP and the hospital clinical pharmacologist to take 3 readings each a couple of minutes apart, and to record only the lowest one.

I also do the other things you mentioned at 22:00 on Saturday.

Try that and see if it makes any difference.

OH that's grim my friend had fibromyalgia. Bread ie yeast can upset the gut. If you're near a Tesco M&S get some kefir milk, yoghurt, try that or some probiotics from Holland and Barrett.

Drinks go caffeine free, avoid orange, alcohol.

You may need a colonoscopy just to check that everything is okay. I had one got the all clear. So it is diet sigh...

Well done with the bike. My DH rides his some days this winter every day is just too hard with the wind and rain we've had.

Retired nurse for relevance but those reading are completely normal and no cause for concern. If regularly over 145/90 I'd be telling you to see the GP about it. Mine was recently 191/122 😱. I had a headache but I have frequent headaches and I developed occular migraines. I'm on medication now and not had any occults migraines since. More headaches thanks to side effects though! I'd see your GP anyway due to your symptoms and they can check you over and advise if anything needs tweaking.

@KatyMac have you been switched to a brand of Levothyroxine called Teva? Teva (and Mercury) are known to make a lot of people feel unwell. In my case it's the acacia in it. Most of the big pharmacy chains stock Teva - must be cheaper for them or something.

I now use an independent pharmacy who can get hold of Wockhardt and Accord brands, which are safe for me.

Just a thought.

A headache is a common symptom of high blood pressure. Your readings aren't really high though. Mine used to be 155/95 type of reading before I was put on blood pressure meds. All my sisters have high blood pressure too. I think it might have a genetic element to it because my Mum and my Gran all had high blood pressure.

Sorry @justasking111 no eggs or dairy, rather than I eat dairy bread etc

I've had 3 colonoscopies for various things and coeliac has been ruled out each time, I may be due for another!

Sunny days are coming - I use my bike for transport so I'll be back out all the time soon

@HoldMyHalo these Headaches are new Headaches on top of existing Headaches! 😑

@AutumnCrow it's Mercury I was on Wockhardt - acacia is a plant isn't it, I have loads of plant allergies (mainly contact allergies) so I may ask the surgery pharmacist

Thanks @caringcarer my mums was high but mine & my dad's were always low

I had a rough day yesterday, then in the evening a burst a blood vessel in my eye, so I will be speaking to the pharmacist today to ask if it's the manufacturer

I was lethargic, and I had funny breathing, sort of long and slow and deep (which might be a thyroid thing) and it was an odd sort of feeling, it's gone today and I just have a headache

So I'm wondering if more than one thing is going on

I suspect he might hand you over to the gpt

I have my suspicions too

The pharmacist at the surgery agreed to try wockhardt againBut the chemist can't give it to me until the pharmacy say that brand and 25 (so I take 2)So 4 phone calls later...Hoping to pick them up tomorrow - fingers crossed they help

I'm due to pick some Wockhardt 25s up tomorrow too hopefully, delayed from last week. It has been such a long saga of talking (over and again) to a GP, 'care navigators', the surgery pharmacist, and the independent pharmacist we use ... who all agree that I should have Wockhardt and have my notes marked for 'acacia intolerance' ... and then try to give me Teva or Mercury on a regular basis! They've done the switcheroo even when the actual prescription has specified 'Wockhardt levothyroxine 25'.

It also means I have to make all my dossette boxes up at home, and can't ask the pharmacy to do it. (I currently have about 30 different tablets a day plus various patches and topicals 😱Advert for health, me.)

What symptoms did you have and how did you isolate acacia as the culprit
(If you don't mind me asking)

On Teva, I started to feel sick, dizzy, headachey and tired. I was googling about Thyroid issues one day and saw all the discussions about Teva making people ill, and blaming the new Teva formulation and excipients (added ingredients); and started to look at what was in all my medication.

I was fine with everything else, which didn't have acacia in.

So I did a test at home with a couple of food items containing it, and yup, acacia makes me sick. GP agreed it was very likely the acacia.

Went onto Wockhardt and Accord brands, and was fine with it. But we still have fun & games at the pharmacy.

Your BP readings look fine, if anything a bit on the low side at times.
You should always take BP at rest after you have been sitting quietly for 10mins.
If you take it after walking up the stairs it will be raised. BP is designed to adjust to our needs so the only way to control are readings day to day is when we are at rest.
There are very few symptoms. I had raised BP for years (high end of normal), if it wasn’t being monitored I would never have known.
I recently tried a new drug for BP, instead of lowering BP it sent it sky high 180/110 at one point. I felt awful with classic BP headaches. I came off the meds quickly and went back to my old meds. Within 24 hrs the symptoms disappeared and BP was back to normal.
A BP headache is difficult to describe, it’s not really painful, more irritating and sort of on the top of your head. I start to get them if I forget my tablets.

Thanks @AutumnCrow that describes it perfectly, what foods can it be in?

I'll google - wine, chewing gum, yogurts, sodas, soups, baked goods, dried egg products, seasoned and coated nuts, dairy products and sugar-free candie

I eat very little or none of most of that - I used to drink Pepsi before it contained sweetners & I occasionally have baked goods - but most of the others are already on my don't eat list - ill check my soups hang on, they arent listed but I guess they could be hidden

I wonder what else its called

@Angrymum22 oh no my headaches are very painful, mine seems higher when Ive eaten and when I need or have just been to the toilet - my BP is normally (historically....maybe 30 yrs worth) quite low 90s over 55-65

Im putting my bet on it being an allergy