Happy that I stumbled onto this site.

Posted , 2 users are following.

I had a total throidectomy a little over a month ago.  My ENT had been watching my nodules for three years, but a chest x-ray showed that my trachea was being pushed out of alignment by the gargantuan left lobe of my thyroid.  The lobe was five inches long, under my collar bone and touching my aorta.  It had to come out.  There was the possibility that a cardiothorasic surgeon would have to crack my breastbone to get the bottom of the lobe, but fortunately my head and neck surgeon was able to get it all through a neck incision.  I was put on levothyroxine.  After a couple of weeks, I woke up one morning with extreme pain in my left shoulder.  I am a side sleeper and I extend my arm under my head and thought that was the cause, but now I'm not so sure.  After a few days, I began taking Naproxin Sodium, and it took the pain level from a 9 to about a 3-4.  I then noticed that the pain was not only in the joint, but in the muscles of my upper arm.  Next, the muscles in my other shoulder started aching, followed by occasional pain in my hands.  I was glad to find this site early on.  I plan to see my doctor today to discuss a plan of attack.  I have done a little research online and have found that there is a connection between hypothyroidism and rheumatory arthritis.  This really scares me because, despite being 67, I previously had no persistent joint pain.  Good luck, everyone

1 like, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Lois, please see the manufacturer's list of side effects and the thousands of posts on this site about unacceptable effects of levothyroxin.

    Your experience is pretty typical for thus medication, as thyroid disease is autoimmune and levothyroxin has been linked with lupis and fibromyalgia side effects.

    An alternative medication, once you're fed up with the Levo, is OTC ThyroGold.

    Hope you find a quick resolution to your pain, as clearly, you've been through hell. 

  • Posted

    And,  yes, rheumatoid arthritis is another side effect.

    My feeling is that the synthetic medications should not be used long term, or better yet, not at all.  A natural medication has far fewer side effects. 

    There is tons to learn about the meds. Lots posted from others on this site if you search. 

    Also, lots you can do to help your overall health with fury and supplements.

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.