I am new to posting and would really appreciate some help. I have underactive thyroid with nodules and doc tells me it's auto immune related but not diagnosed as having hashimotos. My main problem is muscle fatigue/weakness, brain fog and pain and stiffness in my feet ( plus plantar fasciitis in one foot).
I have been to see my GP today armed with Dr Toft article to ask about t3 treatment rather than just levothyroxine which I take and which has just been increased to 150mcg but I think worsens my symptoms. I left the docs with info about HRT as I am menopausal. My question is: does anyone else experience similar symptoms and has anyone tried natural treatment rather than HRT? If so, what has helped?
Am at end of my tether with this. I feel like I am doing lots to help symptoms but the docs are not doing their part!
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Louisecla
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Did you get T3 or just an increase in Levothyroxine?
Take HRT 4 hours away from Levothyroxine and/or T3 as it can affect absorption of thyroid replacement.
ps UK doctors don't seem to like the term Hashimoto's and call it autoimmune thyroid disease/thyroiditis, which is a bit odd as they call autoimmune hyperthyroid disease Graves and both are named after the doctors who discovered the relevant antibodies.
If you have plantar fasciitis have you been tested for vit d3 deficiency? I know when I'm deficient again as the plantar fasciitis comes back as well as the aches and pains. It's been bad the last week, hurts just to stand and move about. A few days on a high dose of d3 makes such a difference.
Hi ,that is very intresting, I also have bad plantar fasciitis in one foot which is really bad at the moment I just put it down to the fact I am doing a lot of hours at work.I don't think that my vit d3 levels have ever been tested in 7 years .I am feeling quite lousy at the moment,brain fog and grumpy and achey. My Dr's aren't really that helpful they just dish out the levothyroxine and that it you are fine I am currently on 100mg my levels have been up and down frequently over 7 yr's. I funny enough have an appointment today with the hospital podiatrist so think in will mention it .This site is brillant and info is great ☺.Hope you get it sorted Louisecla I know that feeling I have been up many times to just be told take the levothyroxine and you will be fine.
I personally am not a fan of HRT. Surely we girls have been short-changed over the last goodness knows how many years by being palmed off with HRT ( nice little earner for Big Pharma ) If the Thyroid was correctly tested and treated it would not be needed in many cases.
Ensure you have a full thyroid profile tested - TSH FT4 FT3 Anti-TPO - Anti-Tg.....
ALSO B12 - Ferritin - iron - Folate - VitD. All need to be at the TOP of their ranges for good thyroid health and general well being. Ferritin around 80/90.
Just as RFU has suggested above...
Always obtain copies of all blood tests so you can monitor your own progress....
I had muscle pain which was caused by levothyroxine. Stopped when stopped taking levothyroxine (search to see my other posts to save repeating). Now early days on T3 only, results are encouraging so far.
I'm astonished. Is it possible that my plantar fasciitis is also caused by an underactive thyroid? What about the stiffness and discomfort I am currently getting in my ankles (one ankle in particular) and my shoulder? Is this another symptom? If/when I finally get a diagnosis and treatment, can I expect improvement in these symptoms? I want to compile a comprehensive list of all the symptoms I suffer with, so I can present it to the doctor when I get the results from my next blood test.
My plantar fasciitis has improved - with lots of sitting with foot elevated and regular ice packs and stretching but am still left with general foot pain and stiffness which is worse when i walk or sit still for too long! Very annoying. I have just had blood tests taken to check vit d3 levels so will post once i have those.
Yes PF and shoulder pain are down to thyroid too! Mine both went away on treatment. There is a comprehensive list of symptoms on the main ThyroidUK website that you can download as a PDF. I had 47 of them!
I've suffered for years with painful soles of the feet, in fact from when I was a teenager, incredibly painful, I couldn't stand still, I'd have to hop from one foot to another if I was in queue or at a bus stop. I'm not entirely sure what stopped it but think it might have been vitamin D3, as it has been gone (entirely) for a couple of years now and the only supplement I have taken for the same time period, is D3.
I'm now on B12 injections, various supplements that are commonly mentioned on this forum and 2 grains per day of nature-throid and feeling an awful lot better than I have in many years. The only symptom I haven't seen any improvement in, is muscle fatigue which I feel, is quite extreme.
As far as HRT is concerned, you might be better off trying pregnenolone. My hormones were all over the place, I had a premature and very drawn-out menopause and was put on oestrogen patches which made me feel great for a few months..... then a few months later..... suffered oestrogen dominance (took me a while to find out what the hell was going on) which has been a pain to get rid of. Now I take pregnenolone, 50mg a day and I feel much more balanced but not sure how long I shall take it for, I'm playing it by ear. Pregnenolone is the "master" hormone, please do some research on it before taking prescribed HRT.
Back to the feet ............... I didn't even notice the pain in my feet had all but abated, for such a long time.... it must be a little like childbirth, extremely painful but once it's over, you instantly forget all about the trauma! I'm feeling quite ungrateful right now and keeping fingers crossed that it never revisits!
Now, to fix the muscle fatigue. If you ever find something that helps, please remember me and let me know
ps
Started taking the pregnenolone for adrenal exhaustion fairly recently, not for HRT, though had I known about it back then, I would have given it a trial run and probably saved myself a few more years of additional symptoms!
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