Joint issues (jaw and shoulders): Hashi's related?

[puncturedbicycle]

I'm hypo/Hashi's on treatment, pretty well treated on t3 and t4 but I think I've been having hypo/hyper wobbles which make it hard to know if my dose is good at any given moment.

About two years ago I had twinges in my left shoulder, like muscle cramp, which eventually became excruciating. I had a limited range of movement - I couldn't raise my arm over waist height or reach behind me - for about 18 months and now it is close to normal but not as flexible as it used to be.

For a week or two my right shoulder has felt tight like it might be getting ready to go in the same direction. Yesterday I was eating a sandwich (nothing hard or challenging) and suddenly the left side of my jaw went. Nothing popped or cracked, it just hurt and I couldn't bring my back teeth together. Two weeks ago I had dental surgery which took about an hour and the dentist seems to think that it may have strained my jaw (though it happened once before about six months ago). He keeps telling me 'don't worry' but I'm not worried - it just hurts! (I was also surprised in my own smug know-all way that he didn't twig that it could be heart-related, though I doubt that it is. Feels pretty muscular.)

Just one more thought. I'm engaged in a very stressful struggle with the local council (maintenance issues they're failing to attend to on the exterior of the block where my ex-LA flat is) and although my life is generally pretty relaxed, this has been ongoing for a month and I must admit it is driving me potty so I suppose it could be provoking some tmj issues.

Any thoughts? Is this a Hashi's/hypo thing? xx

[LouiseRoberts]

Sorry you had no replies - it may be that your Question was missed, or that no one with relevant knowledge has spotted it yet... hopefully someone helpful will pick it up from Latest activity....

L

x

[puncturedbicycle in reply to LouiseRoberts]

Thanks Louise. x

[Aurealis]

I have had joint problems when hypo and muscle soreness when hyper, so your symptoms sound like a mixture of hypo and hyper to me. I think that can happen if your levels are unstable and all I can think of is that you stay on same dose and hope it settles out.. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Aurealis]

Thanks for your reply.

[TSH110]

I have had both those problems. I know frozen shoulder is related to hypothyroidism. I was told to swim by the practice physiotherapist and do stretching exercises daily and it did sort it out eventually - front crawl is best for the stretching action. I had to reach up to the top of the door for one excercise, he said to do it so there was a little bit of pain but nothing excruciating because you can only improve it that way. The alternate hand clasp behind the back was another one ok one way very hard the other but it helped to keep at it till I could just touch the fingers. My sister had her thyroid removed cos it was cancerous and she also got a frozen shoulder (she became hypo obviously although it was working fine with two boiled egg sized tumours that she had been totally unaware of - now pickled for teaching purposes). The tendons can be affected by hypothyroidism too and I assume that is why my jaw went funny, it was bad for two years and resolved as mysteriously as it appeared. I had chronic Achilles tendinitis too which required an op to improve things - I was walking with a severe limp. I believe they are all related to my hypothyroidism. I was never told which type I have and think it is a form of thyroiditis rather than hashimotos but I seem to have similar problems to others here who are hypo. I hope you get these symptoms and your other issues resolved.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to TSH110]

Thanks so much for the reply. Interested to hear what happened to your jaw.

My physio was thinking about recommending swimming but she really wanted me to keep the shoulder warm so she said to leave it for a while. At this stage I reckon it would really help though, as it is no longer stiff and painful like it used to be. Right shoulder is giving me twinges but maybe it's better to start now before it goes the way of the left one.

I'm going to give your hand clasps a go. I used to be so flexible but suddenly have gone all stiff and creaky! I never had frozen shoulder - I was lucky! - but a very painful rotator cuff injury. It used to ache and throb something rotten and was virtually useless for most things for the better part of a year.

I have had a lot of wobble on my thyroid - I seem to go from high to low to high etc - so perhaps this is an indication that i've gone hypo again.

Gosh, your sister's thyroid sounds hair-raising! I hope I never have anything that they want to pickle for teaching purposes.

[TSH110 in reply to puncturedbicycle]

I lived in Oxford the where there was a superb outdoor heated lido so the swimming was not just therapeutic but warm and lovely the lido is in a park so I could lie on my back and look at the sky and trees. Best check those exercises are appropriate for you I could not even put my own coat on it became so inflexible. I think my sister was quite proud of her lumps being so hideous they were worth preserving and deemed of value for educating medics. I suppose it turns a negative into a positive! She never felt ill from them either. The op must have been scary, my mum's thyroid cancer was too big to operate on and emergency chemotherapy saved her life. She died of it about 8 years later cos it came back - so sad.

[Hidden in reply to TSH110]

The crux was I couldn't put coat on with a frozen shoulder either - mine disappeared (well the second one) right after my PT op - so I think it could have been more hyper-related for me - first one lasted nearly 2 years - gradually went perhpas the bit of swimming helped (baths never warm enough 'tho!)

I'm sorry to hear about what happened to your mum J x

[TSH110 in reply to Hidden]

It must have been awful to have it for two years I was lucky mine went in less than 6 months. Yes my poor mother really suffered, she must have been hypo for decades and hid her grotesque goitre because she was terrified of having her neck cut to remove it. It nearly suffocated her, the chemo was very effective halving its size in 24hrs - quite miraculous. She always saw her eight years remission as a bonus and made the most if it.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to TSH110]

TSH110 that seems a remarkably positive attitude. x

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Hidden]

spareribs they seem to take 18-24 mos to go. My mum (also ht) had the same, took the same time to heal.

Mine was less severe than yours but I had to put my coat on left arm first and ease it up my arm, then put the right arm in. It was the first time I realised I must always put my coat on right arm first because I'd put my right arm in then fail to be able to move my left arm then have to take it off altogether and put my left arm in - this whole song and dance every time I put on a coat/shirt/cardi etc.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to TSH110]

Bless you TSH110, how awful for your mum, and for you and your sister. I'm so sorry.

I will check but I think the main thing is that I treat the shoulder(s) gently and never force anything. The left one is almost completely recovered and the other one is (so far) okayish, so that exercise should be fine. (I used to be able to clasp hands behind my back and it would be nice if I could again. It's a good stretch.) xx

[TSH110 in reply to puncturedbicycle]

Thanks puncturedbicycle. I think they got the worse deal to be honest. I never had any operations or bits of me chopped out. My sister also got endomeitral cancer more recently. She read about the symptoms in Woman's Realm at the dentist, thought hells bells, and went straight to the doctor. It was removed within a week and they got it all - she said it was of no use to her anymore anyway! Massive relief that she is ok.

Once I could clasp the hands both ways the shoulder was much better and soon fully recovered. I hope it works for you too

[puncturedbicycle in reply to TSH110]

Crumbs, that is crazy. Your sister was so lucky to pick up the magazine! x

[TSH110]

Oh I only noticed it was you posting puncturedbicycle - do you think we might be twins lol! So many similar symptoms

[puncturedbicycle in reply to TSH110]

Perhaps we're the same person in parallel universes!

[TSH110 in reply to puncturedbicycle]

Lol love it!

[Charlie3055]

Hi, when I've been really hypo I've had neck and back problems, I once pulled a muscle in by back when I got too cold and could barely move for days. It's all a lot better now, other than my clicking and stiff jaw which I mentioned in my last question but what I was going to say was that I found drinking caffeine made all my joints really stiff after I'd been sat still for a little while, I felt like an old lady but once I stopped the caffeine, it went away. I only drink a cup of caffeine tea in the morning now and the rest of the day I drink rooibos which is caffeine free and full of antioxidants, it's very good for you. I drink it like normal tea with milk in.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Charlie3055]

Hmm, I have been told that caffeine can affect muscles. A very long time ago a chiropractor told me this and said I could use one tea bag a day. It didn't matter how much tea I drank, but I could only make all of it with one tea bag. I preferred (and still prefer) builders' so it was a difficult transition.

I notice that when I'm tired/hypo I really lean heavily on caffeine to keep me going. But will try to drink rooibos instead. I drink it the same as you, with milk (and strong). It looks so much like ordinary tea, which somehow makes a difference.

[Charlie3055]

I like my tea strong too so I leave the rooibos teabag in which let's out even more goodness. (I hope some research doesn't suddenly come to light that it's actually bad for you or anything! ). Happy tea drinking!

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Charlie3055]

Last week I left my rooibos tea on the coffee table and thought the dog may have got some (he is mad for tea, or maybe just the milk in the tea) so I was googling madly to find out if it was bad for him and apparently it is good for dogs too! (Can't remember why though.)