Has anyone experienced severe joint pain from taking levothyroxine?

Hi there

Has your doctor checked you reverse T3 cause that can give you hypothyroid symptoms if it is too high even if your TSH is normal.

I have a sensitive system and took Levo for 7 months with all the same complaints that you have. I thought I was dying. I searched out a naturalistic doctor at the advice of the Endo I was seeing cause she told me she cannot give me anything but Levo due to the contracts with the manufacturers of Levo. So when I got my natural doctor I went on Armour but it contains aluminum and so I switched to naturethroid and still it was not right. I am now on Cytomel 20 mcg a day. I do not think it is still quite right and we are adjusting according. But my reverse T3 is gone and the body does not need it anyway. I gained from 165 to 203 on Levo and lost 10 pounds when I went to Armour and Naturethroid and now I am 180 pounds on Cytomel. I am slowly losing the weight I put on. Also the water retention has diminished. I would gain on top of my weight 7 to 9 pounds of water.  The joint pain that I had was so terrible and especially with the swelling from the water retention while I was on Levo. I still had terrible water retention from being on Armour and more with Naturethroid but the doctor began checking my progesterone levels and my ratio was so low on the progesterone compared to my estrogen and so she put me on 200 mg of natural progesterone daily and I am just now beginning to feel like my ole self again before I got hypothyroidism. I am amazed at my progress. I am still thinking I need a bit more progesterone because of the water retention but my water retention has diminished also. I now retain only about 4 pounds of water instead of the 7 to 9 I was retaining every day. My clothes that have not fit me for a couple of years are finally beginning to fit again.  My advice to you is if you are able to search out a natural doctor then do so. To get to Cytomel you will gave to try at least a couple of the other natural meds. Most doctors are reluctant to give a t3 only med. Endo's do not like to at all and many refuse too. I do not take any T4 only T3 and I am doing great from what I was doing. But I started on Levo and if I had known what I know now about Hashimoto's I would never have went to an endo or been put on Levo. Not everyone can take Levo.  I really wish you well in your Hypo journey to wellness. 

But be sure to tell your doctor right away the symptoms you have. If you feel that you cannot take Levo then tell your doctor you need something different. See lf they will give you something else. It causes terrible joint pain. I had it so bad I could not make fists in my two hands. I was so glad to get off of Levo finally. Keep up on your vitamins cause that helps the joint pain and get your hormones checked especially your progesterone to estrogen ratio. Good luck!

Cameron

I went through  a bunch of different mes. Unfortunately, after two plus years on the Levo, I can’t tolerate anything and now take essential amino acids supplements for my (advanced) thyroid disease.  Worth a try.

If you want something more bioidentical, a ThyroGold is very good- my mother takes it and it’s done wonders for her.

Hi . I am also suffering neck shoulder arm wrist pain.feels sore too. I'm havingvtrouble sleeping on my side it hurts so much. Been getting flare ups regular now, however my bloods have come back hypo, meaning I need to up my dose . It never seems to be 100 % stable . I was thinking it could be fibromyalgia I had after reading the symptoms of that. But now I've seen this it could the levothyroxine.

I have just raised my levothyroxine from 50mcg to 75mcg and I am not sure if it's a coincidence or I had just had a flare up, but my shoulders neck etc are starting to feel a little better today . ( My bloods came back hypo) was getting bad eye pain too. Migraines.