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levothyroxine and proximal muscle problems

Posted , 38 users are following.

Garywuk
Garywuk

Hi, I have been using levothyroxine for past few years and have recently developed servere muscle problems in hip/groin area (adductor/ periformus and upper thigh) and in both shoulders. Despite being tested for all sorts of problems no firm diagnosis has been made as all the tests have been negative. My question is - has anyone had anything similar or had side effects to taking levothyroxine?

4 likes, 91 replies

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  • Leabond80
    Leabond80 Garywuk

    Posted

    yes i have experienced exactly that i have been on the medication for over 5 years and had nothng but problems. My blood tests keep showing normal but all i have are side effects which the doctor says are nothing to do with my medication. i am considering coming off the drug for a while to see how i feel as i currently can not feel any worse..
    • MtViewCatherine
      MtViewCatherine Leabond80

      Posted

      Lea, I keep seeing these sorts of comments over and over. The meds show up in the blood work but do not alleviate hypothyroid symptoms, and cause tons of side effects.

      Common sense would lead us to the conclusion that these synthetic thyroxin substitutes are similar enough that they fool the blood work, but not similar enough to work in the body. The body is not fooled by the synthetics, they don't work the same, the body realizes thus and you get a huge autoimmune trigger bc of these meds, resulting in immune disease and fibromiagya along with the other side effects. 

      I switched to a non prescription bovine glandular, and feel a lot better after 6 months. The levo felt like poison to me.

    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 MtViewCatherine

      Posted

      Me too. I switched to a different bovine glandular thyroid medication 14 months ago in June 2015, I pay for it myself but it's worth every penny not to itch.

      For those people who are experiencing joint pain, try cutting out sugar (including fruit) and grains. That worked for me.

    • deborah12809
      deborah12809 MtViewCatherine

      Posted

      I am on 88 levo and 5 mcg cytimel...Been on it for almost 20 years. I want to get off this "stuff".

      I was just diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica.... Surprise surprise, an autoimmune disease. I trul believe that it is directly connected to my use of synthetic thyroid medications... I want to go the holistic route using bovine. But don't know where to begin....how much to take or what brand to go with, how to wean myself off and on to the new "meds".....

      Any help you can render to me will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

    • MtViewCatherine
      MtViewCatherine deborah12809

      Posted

      Hi Deborah, it seems there are a lot of posts here from people with severe arthritis and fibromiagya conditions. 

      I figured I couldn't be any worse for trying the bovine non prescription (OTC). I tried it and am doing much better. I will PM you...

    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 deborah12809

      Posted

      I'm on a different bovine NDT to MtViewCatherine. I've pm'd you. I am in UK and buy it from US.

      I've begin on it since June 2015. I too am doing much better on it. All the best, hope it works for you too. Barbara

    • sandria57076
      sandria57076 Leabond80

      Posted

      Hi fid you stop altogether and how are you

      My pains go away as soon as I e stopped. But I've only gone 2 days but like you I can't stand it

    • sandria57076
      sandria57076

      Posted

      Sorry just realised you answered posts and are the same person didn't mean to bombard you

  • deborah12809
    deborah12809 Garywuk

    Posted

    Hello. I have been on Levo for 20 years. In This July developed severe pain in my shoulders upper arms front and sides and hip/pelvic area. So severe, I could barely function. Saw a Rheumatologist who diagnosed me with Polymyalgia Rheumatica. The Dr cannot tell me what has caused this nor can he tell me how I contracted it. He says it can only be "treated " with prednisone and could last for one to two years. I have tried acupuncture, massage and nothing worked until I started the prednisone. I still have the weakness in my arms, but the pain is diminished.. However I must take the prednisone twice a day. If I am late in taking my meds, the pain begins to return...

    I do not want to be on prednisone, but it has been the only thing that has helped me with the pain...

    Hope this helps you out.

  • melba58134
    melba58134 Garywuk

    Posted

    In 2014 I had my thyroid removed, and it took a long while before the doc arrived at a correct dosage of levothyroxin.  It is now the beginning of 2017 and I am having the exact pain you describe on my left side.  It began in my neck and shoulder and has now continued to the hip and groin area with loss of muscle use because of extreme pain, but only on the left side.  All of this severe pain has been within the last 6 or 7 months with reports made to two of my doctors, but not the endocrinologist.  Now I will consider making this info known to all of my doctors.  
  • Oceanlover
    Oceanlover Garywuk

    Posted

    Hi. I was put on Synthroid in which I had taken for three days and my menapausal symptoms came back within that period of time. I had no symptoms before that for a year from going to my Acupuncturist's every month. Migraines and hot flashes so extremely bad so then my doctor switched me to Levothyroxine. Four days after being on that I had such extreme leg and groin pain I could hardly walk! I took myself off of this medicine because the side effects where worse than my thyroid! I still have leg pain three weeks later not as bad but I still feel alit of pain at various times. I think this is crazy because I never in my life had ever had leg pain like this before!! I am know going to a Integrative Medicine doctor who says he can cure my thyroid problem. Integrative doctors get to the root of the problem and don't cover it up with all sorts of medicine. I don't think this pain has anything to do with my body but was caused as a side effect of this medicine!!! I will never take medicine from a normal doctor again unless I see an intergrative medicine doctor first!! I wish you all luck in this journey we are all on.

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