HRT interacting with thyroid medication?

[PrettyParrot]

I've got an underactive thyroid which has been managed with levothyroxine for the past 11 years. I started HRT in November, at which point my TSH and T4 were fine.

Fast forward 7 months and I feel basically dead - all the symptoms of an underactive thyroid. Turns out that HRT stops levothyroxine being taken up as effectively :( posting here in case anyone else has experience of this and can talk about their experience being a perimenopausal woman with an underactive thyroid. Thank you!

Yes this happened to me. On levo and lio. Endo agreed that’s what it was. Both were increased.

Interesting. I have under active thyroid and been taking HRT a couple of years. Need to get blood test anyway so will make sure all is checked

I also have an under active thyroid and have been on 125 levothyroxine for about 10 years. I only use estrogen hrt because I have had a hysterectomy but this has not affected my thyroid levels.

worth keeping an eye on your cholesterol too as an under active thyroid - even medicated - raises your risk.

Thanks for this OP, my last bloods showed my TSH had gone right up to 4ish (like a pp I’m also on levo and lio so TSH is usually suppressed).
GP didn’t notice! Going to request an MOT with cholesterol and TFT.

I have familial high cholesterol post-menopause (led to my grandmother’s vascular dementia) and eat lowish carb so eager to deal with that but I also have suffered with depression in and off for years and am worried about statins. I understand that there’s not a proven causal relationship but I’m concerned nonetheless.

Thanks all. I am a bit less peeved with the Dr now I have seen that transdermal oestrogen (my type) is less likely to cause this. It's the only thing that has changed though, and my levo worked nicely for over a decade before that, so I accuse the HRT meds (dramatic revelation).

I hope this is useful to someone else! A key symptom of an underactive thyroid for me is dry lips. I had them this time and didn't put 2 and 2 together....

I’m on patches and have been for 10 years (full hysterectomy) I’ve been stable on 100 levo for about 7 years but last couple of months I’ve been freezing, sat every night huddled under a heated throw, electric blanket on all the time etc. I’d put it down to loosing a load of weight but actually my levo needed upping - I queried why it’s gibe up as I’d have thought loosing the weight (just under 11 stone) would have meant it needing decreasing. Doctor reckons I was still producing some of my own but it’s tapering off. He’s upped me to 125 levo and at nearly 2 weeks in I’m finally not feeling quite so cold.