I've had a sudden onset (started on Boxing Day 2016). of numbness, tingling and discomfort in hands, thumbs, fingers, wrist and sometimes right elbow in particular.
I have Hashi's and read that B12 deficiency can be the cause. But I actually began taking B12 in mid December!
I already have Sjögren's syndrome and the panicky scared side of me is thinking worse case scenario kind of thoughts- like perhaps it's the beginnings of Multiple Sclerosis or something.
Anyone else out there experiencing this tingling, pins and needles with their thyroid issues?
I'm going to get an appointment with the doctor asap, as I am concerned now.
Written by
tracyd59
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Yes! I am. I was having this issue last spring. After bringing my iron/b12 and d3 up as well as starting NDT, it went away. It has been back now for about 1.5 mths. I'm just waiting to get lab results to see if anything stands out. I have also been having heart palpitations, so I know for sure something is off balance.
Thanks Daisylain. I'm also about to embark on NDT, from Thailand. I hope your lab results enable you to find out what might be going on. It's scary sometimes with all these symptoms that appear
I was so nervous that my numb hands in the past was ms, I didn't tell my doctor. But it's definitely a symptom or related to thyroid. I even had an mri to check for ms. Best of luck with everything and with your NDT. I am in Canada, so my doctor prescribes it for me. In regards to your b12, do you know where your labs are at? My doctor wants it close to 2000, I think the recommended high end is about 350. So she feels it needs to be much higher. I take it through my sinuses. Strange method but it works.
Hi Daisylain, I don't know my B12 levels but I'll soon find out with a private blood test in the UK. I actually live in Australia but am visiting my family back in the UK in Feb so I'm really looking forward to this blood test (which is a weird thing to say)
Hi, I have Hashi's & recently have been diagnosed with B12 deficiency. I will be having B12 injections as B12 can not be absorbed by the gut when you have a deficiency so tablets wouldn't help. May be worth getting tested as I have had numbness, tingling along with other symptoms for several months.
Thank you, thank you goldengirl. I'm much reassured by your reply. I read that taking B12 sublingually in methylcobalamin form was pretty beneficial if injections weren't feasible. Anyway, first step is the blood test which is the next thing I'll do.
No probs, my result came back at 188. The range on form was 191-663 so I was definitely low. I initially went to GP because I've been having gastric problems, bouts of diarrhoea & pain & she ran full spectrum tests including B12. I've read about the sublingual sprays & some people say they are not as good as the injections but may get some to 'top up' between injections if needed. NHS guidelines say that patients should have injections every 3 months but if neurological symptoms are present every 2 months. Good luck with your tests.
I have Hashis and I too have numbness and pins and needles but only in the early hours of the morning in my arms. I think it might be the start of carpal tunnel. Although before I started levo it was much worse as I'd get it during the day too. I'm only on levo 50 and I'm due a blood test next week. I've also found it gets worse before my period..
Thanks ChrissyS1, my numbness/tingling is pretty constant. I read in bed and my wrists get painful/pins & needles holding the book or Kindle up at the right angle. As I say, this started suddenly on Boxing Day (a nice belated Xmas pressie - not!) so it didn't creep up on me over a period of weeks or months. Xmas Day I was fine - the day after - this new and scary symptom. Thanks for your input. It all helps me get things in proportion.
My b12 neuropathy started in the early am, I figured I was always sleeping funny or something, but it ended up being b12. But I be also had carpal tunnel-like symptoms since childhood.
These all sound like the neuropathy from a B12 deficiency. Have you been tested for it? The reasons for the deficiency are varied, vegetarian diet, certain medication, long term PPI use, previous gastric surgery or the autoimmune condition pernicious anaemia. If it the latter you will need your doctor to test for Intrinsic factor antibodies. As you already have two different autoimmune conditions it's more than likely you have third. Unfortunately you may have skewed any results for B12 with your supplementing if you haven't already been tested but doctor may take symptoms into consideration and test for antibodies any way. Treatment for pernicious anaemia is b12 injections for life, painful but necessary.
Check out the pernicious anaemia society website and their forum here on health unlocked. There is a sympton checker on the main website as well,.
thanks singoutloud. Blood test will happen when I get to Uk in a couple of weeks time. Maybe I should stop the B12 in that case between now and the blood test? So that the results would be more accurate?
It will probably take at least 3 or 4 months for the b12 you've supplemented to leave your body so b12 serum test will be skewed anyway. I think the test for Intrinsic factor antibodies can still be done whilst supplementing but is often inaccurate and brings back a false negative but this shouldn't disprove pernicious anaemia and clinical symptoms should always be taken into consideration and treated accordingly. However, I refused to take any b12 until I had a diagnosis (took six months) and I ended up a total mess.
PAS forum here in health unlocked are great. Very friendly and wise people with lots of knowledge. Might be worth having a search through some of their previous posts.
Are you tapering or withdrawing any type of medication? I had pins, needles, numbness, etc in both hands and feet and scared myself by thinking I had MS so dId lab works and MRI's and nothing. Only later after going to different doctors with no answers and finally figuring out on my own did it become clear that I was going through antidepressant withdrawal.
If you aren't taking any such meds then it is pretty common for those that have hypothyroidism to be susceptible to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Id bn complaining about numb tingly hands esp at night on and off for 8/10 yrs . Anyway after my thyroidectomy 2 yrs ago i started researching my health and realised that although my b12 level was in normal range so deemed normal by gp anything under 500 can cause neurological symptoms. The gp should hve known this and that my multivit containing b12 may hve skewed results anyway. My symptoms increased dramatically post TT leaving me so full of brain fog muscle pain and tiredness i was barely able to walk to end of my road at my worst. So with advice fm healthunlocked i started taking 5000 sublingual methylcobalamin. My goodness my improvment started within days . So now no more numb hands for me Except recently when i tried lowering my dose to one tablet every other day. Within couple weeks numb hands were back.
I had same symptoms and had the carpal tunnel op on one hand. Regretted this as later found out it was my thyroid medication out of sync. What a waste of time and money as professionals should have known this!
Tracy ... I have Graves' disease and I had those wrist pains and pins and needles before my diagnosis every morning . My husband used to massage my hands and I'd steep them in hot water .. which helped greatly .
Once I'd started on Carbimazole and all the supplements I still take ... it STOPPED completely .
B12 was a favourite supplement
D3
B1
B Complex
Selenium
Zinc and copper
And a few others .......
I believable they all now keep me well
You might want to google them all ... by asking Eg...
I am so glad you have mentioned prob with pins n needles as I have had them since June of last year. It is also in very specific places ..my right hand along edge on little finger side, the right side of my mouth and my right foot big toe! Had all the tests and MRI and cat scan but neurologist decided it was a spread of another condition I have (comp!ex regional pain syndrome) and just prescribed anti epilepsy medication. I did read something about the parathyroid that can present with these symptoms but maybe its just another element of hypothyroidism. My TSH is now down from 7.9 to 2 so feeling better in that I am not as much of a zombie but if I could get rid of tingling it would be amazing!
I had exactly the same! I now got the gp to agree to weekly injections of b12 I give myself. You may not be having enough b12 most gps offer it 3 monthly and frankly just isn't enough. I also top up daily with a sublingual spray to keep me going. B12 is water soluble vitamin so you can't overdose on it. Most people with thyroid probs don't have enough of it.
I have Hashimotos. For about a year now I have constant severe tingling in feet, legs, hands arms, face head and tongue. I had a neurological test which consisted of putting a needle into my muscles. It was normal.
My Dr says my B12 is normal and Ferritin normal. I just don't know what causes it but it's horrid.
I hope you have success with your blood test and get an answer.
My one concern is that the symptoms came on suddenly. In general thyroid symptoms start off really vague and gradually get worse. It is always possible that some part of your system woke up and said 'enough is enough', but more likely something else happened to trigger it.
I don't want to scare you, but tingling down her arm was the only sign a friend had that she had had a minor stroke (in her early 50s). I think you should get it checked out - and emphasise that it started suddenly.
Thanks Ruthi. That is definitely something I will get checked out as it did start suddenly. I'll book an appt with GP tomorrow.👍🏻
Easy answer - carpal tunnel syndrome. Get a referral to a hospital that carries out simple electrical tests of nerves in your arm. If that's what it is it's a simple little op to permanently cure it, not perfectly but close to 100% relief. Just one hand at a time as you really do get to know who your friends are if both done at same time!
Not at all sure if additional vitamins etc give any relief.
It's quick, painless and guaranteed to work which is more than can be said for trying to get your levels right when whatever dose of levo you take leaves you with hypo symptoms.
Getting your levels right won't necessarily make it go away, if the damage is done then the op is the only answer. As Panda says it's quick and it works but I wouldn't go as far as to say it's painless, the actual op is but the few days after most definitely weren't painless, for me anyway. The surgeon who did mine said I shouldn't have left it so long as the damage was quite bad and made the op slightly more difficult.
Hi tracyd59, I know this is an older post but did you ever get to the bottom of your tingling? I was diagnosed with hashimotos in August and I have tingling in my feet, shoulder and face as well at twitching calf muscles and I'm also worried about MS, curious about how things worked out for you.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Pins and needles 
New symptoms of burning pain & calf pain / pins & needles & numb toes after increase in levo !
Exhaling problems and pins and needles
Finger and wrist pain.
