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Muscle/Tendon Pain with Hypothyroidisn

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I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism for 4 years now and am still struggling with my endocrinologist to get my dose right. The last few months I have been suffering with severe pain in my shoulder - which a physio says could be related to my thyroid problem. I thought others might like to be aware that an under-active thyroid can cause muscle and joint pain - I certainly did not realise. I have been reading the info on this site and now I can connect other things like stiffness and difficulty walking upstairs at times, odd pains in other joints - knees, hips and back ache.

12 likes, 82 replies

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  • barbara98940
    barbara98940 Guest

    Posted

    We're also more likely to suffer muscular skeletal disorders. Research 'neck forward syndrome'.
  • mrspinkrat
    mrspinkrat Guest

    Posted

    I've had severe aching in my ribcage for almost a year noe with no explanation despite many tests. Have recently started with shoulder pain and have general overall stiffness. Bending is tricky as are stairs. I have lots of tender areas all over my body.

    I've been on 75mcg levo for 2 1/2 years and have not felt well in all that time. I feel 76, not 46....

    My GP refuses to accept my pain and stiffness relates to being hypo as my TSH is always 'in range'. I'm a positive person with a high pain threshold but this is all starting to take its toll... :'(

    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 mrspinkrat

      Posted

      Have you thought of switching to NDT? I suggest you pick one without fillers such as westhroid-P (prescription), or ThyroGold (non-prescription as classed a nutritional supplement).
    • mrspinkrat
      mrspinkrat barbara98940

      Posted

      Hi Barbara - I'll mention this to my GP! If I can't get the prescribed one and go with the ThyroGold, do I still need to take my Levo? Xx
    • barbara98940
      barbara98940 mrspinkrat

      Posted

      Hi mrspinkrat,

      ThyroGold will replace your levothyroxine. It is a Natural Desiccated Thyroid medication made from ground up new zealand cow's thyroid (according to the label).

      I've been on ThyroGold since 23rd June 2015 and my monthly blood tests for TSH, T3 and T4, confirm that it does have this in it.

      Are you in UK or US? If you are in the UK you are very unlikely to get NDT prescribed.

      A note of caution, your question leads me to be concerned that you have a lot of reading and understanding to do before you embark on self medication.

      If you do decide to self medicate with ThyroGold, it is essential that you read all the information on the site so that you can do so safely. You need to monitor your symptoms, pulse and temperature so you are aware when you are under- or over-medicating. There is a symptoms checklist on the site and detailed instructions in the question and answer section, plus essential awareness and dosing information in the 3 free pdf chapters of his book. It isn't necessary to buy his book to self medicate, but do take self medicating seriously and keep records so you can look back and be sure of what symptoms you had at what dose and when. Just be cautious and start on 150mg and increase slowly e.g by 150mg every 2 weeks until you get to a dose where your symptoms are controlled. Having said this, I went up from 150mg to 300ng after 5 days because the underactive symptoms were getting unbearable & my basal pulse was under 60 beats per minute & my basal temperature was 35.4C. I can't remember, but I think I also stopped levothyroxine 3-4 days before starting on ThyroGold. My GP was very supportive and ran monthly blood tests to check my thyroid hormone levels. This was a reassurance to me whilst I embarked on, what to me at the time, was a very scary step into the unknown.

      Good luck! I hope it works as well for you as it has for me. Xx

  • anita2157
    anita2157 Guest

    Posted

    Hi. Iam newly joined. I have hypothyriodism since one year now. First my level was 8. I didnt take medicine but went for ayurvedic medicine. It didnt work. After 7 months i got my level upto 24.86 now started proper meds. I have just started with medicine 12.5 dose since one month now

    Iam facing back pain severe.my life is real low now. Have 2 girls to take care of . I have thyriod plus i have fibriod 13 cms. Doctora say to operate n remove uterus. I am scared and very afraid of operations. Iam 46 yrs old. I have very bad headaches that last for 3 days also.

    I dont know what to eat and i weigh 85 kgs.

    Iam very stressed and lonely. I cry alot. N say lit of prayers.

    Anyone can help me on food advise.

    My periods monthly are strong n heavy.

    Do u think i should operate on fibriod.

    Any advice will do. I live in india.

    • layalove
      layalove anita2157

      Posted

      ask your Dr to try you on Armour thyroid I was FEEL so low on regular T4 meds. When I got on T4/T3 I started feeling more like myself but I am just dealing with shoulder pain at nite is the worse😩

  • stefanie70431
    stefanie70431 Guest

    Posted

    I was diagnosed Hypothryroid (Hashimotos) about 10 years ago.  I took Synthroid for about 2 years when I started noticing pain in the butt (literally).  I thought it was my coccyx.  Over the years the pain got worse and worse and I started having extreme difficulty making it through the work day sitting.  My GP referred me for pain mgt and physical therapy.  Finally, after some rather embarrassing coccyx massage treatments done by the physical therapist, she palpated the coccyx and there was no pain.  She concluded it could be Piriformis syndrome.  She showed me a few stretches to help that particular muscle and it made a huge difference.  At this time I also wondered if Synthroid was causing me to have pain in the small joints of my fingers.  Reluctantly my GP agreed to put me on Armour which is an NDT.  While I still struggle with the piriformis I have learned to stretch it which helps.  Now, years later I am now having all kinds of tendonitis.  In the shoulder and if I miss a dose of Armour I feel it elsewhere.  I strongly believe that all of my muscle tightness and pain is attributed to my thryoid disease.
  • deborah12809
    deborah12809 Guest

    Posted

    Hi, I am fairly new to this site, but i came across your post and wanted to find out your outcome?  I started getting severe pain in my shoulders and arms, hip and groin area about a month ago.  My doctor told me to see a rheaumatologist....but i have a sneaky suspicion it could be my thyroid, becuse it is not every joint..it is only my two shoulders and upper and sides of my arms...(can't lift my arms hardly) and sometimes my hips and groin area...(can't hardly walk)

    So if it were arthritis, wouldnt it be all my joints???

    So I wanted to find out if your pain was related to your thyroid?

    thanks

    • LayneTX
      LayneTX deborah12809

      Posted

      May I ask your age? I got Polymyalgia Rheumatica 1 1/2 years ago. It affects people as young as 47, but doctors think it's just older people.

      i hope it is NOT that for you. It affects bi laterally, shoulders, hips, ...

      Bowen technique is often good for pains if you have a practitioner near you.

       

    • deborah12809
      deborah12809 LayneTX

      Posted

      Thanks for your comments. I'm 61 and extremely active. The pain is in both of my shoulders but only in the right hip groin area. I have no pain in any other joints.....

      Crazy huh?

      I hope you are doing ok. I know it is difficult to live in constant pain...

      I hope you are able to experience times without pain.

      Thank you again for your comments

    • tammy24350
      tammy24350 deborah12809

      Posted

      Deborah, you're symptoms sound so familiar I was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism and that's exactly how I feel especially when I first wake up in the morning I can barely walk if that all I have to get up very early and take Ibuprofen just to be able to get to work and sometimes the shoulder pain is so excruciating can't even lift my arms I've never experienced anything like this and my doctor suggested something about rheumatory arthritis is well I find it hard to believe as all of this happened at once so I'm just in the beginning stages of this did you ever fun relief how is your thyroid now and how was your pain now

    • deborah12809
      deborah12809 LayneTX

      Posted

      Yes, I was diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica.  Started on high dosage of prednisone a year ago I am down to 1 mg of prednisone every other day now... I am 62 and have always been very active so this was a major set back for me... but I am doing better...
    • deborah12809
      deborah12809 tammy24350

      Posted

      Hello, yes I was diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica last August.  I am doing much better after being on prednisone since then.  I am only on 1 mg every other day now, with great improvement... 
  • Williemae
    Williemae Guest

    Posted

    Yes I have been diagnosed with thyroid problems for about 20 years or more. I am experiencing so much pain that my life has changed so much. I was very active and now it hurts so bad to exercise. I am in so much pain. Please can so one let me know if this is normal
    • layalove
      layalove Williemae

      Posted

      My Endro changed my meds to Armour thyroid I am doing a lot better. So see if they could do that for you
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