For a few years now I have been suffering with pain in the front of my lower legs and feet. I was able to bare with it and it mostly came after a lot of walking. But, this year it has gotten a lot worse. It is hard to describe on some days and the pain can be different. Most of the time my lower legs feel like I walked a marathon although I have been resting and they ache. Sometimes my lower legs have a burning pain. My foot pain also changes. Most of the time the pain is on the top of the foot near toes, but if I go walking the entire foot can hurt really badly like I just walked on rocks the entire time.
I have been seeing my general doctor, a podiatrist and a neurologist for months now (since last year), but I have yet to find a cause. I have blood tests, nerve conduction studies, an EMG etc and nothing was found. Although my neurologist did say I have a pinched nerve in my back, she said there was no nerve damage found and the pain isn't going from my back down my leg. It only starts from my lower leg. I do not have diabetes and my blood sugar level is normal. I have high cholesterol and take simvastatin . I just finished therapy with my podiatrist and I am going to a follow up appointment on Tuesday, but I am just going to tell him it didn't help. He said that he will send me to do an MRI if the therapy didn't help. I am lucky to have insurance, but I still have been spending a lot because of the frequency I have been seeing doctors. The pain is hard to deal with and is causing me anxiety and sleep problems. Can anyone give any advice? Have any idea what may be the cause? Is there any particular doctor you think I should see? Should I get a second opinion from another neurologist or podiatrist?
A few extra notes that I think are important:
I have flat feet, so my podiatrist prescribed orthotics that I wear all the time.
I am taking 800mg Ibuprofin that was prescribed by my podiatrist. Isn't really all that effective.
Using lidocaine cream and patches.
I was Vitamin D deficient, but I am not anymore and I take 5000IU Vitamin D daily as recommned by my neurologist.
I am trying other supplements including turmeric, Coq10, Gingko Bilboa
I am overweight: 5'10" 235-240lbs
I am 28 years old and male
Written by
ViralCipher
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I have to say straight off : has nobody considered that the pain might be caused by the statins? Taking statins really isn't a good idea, because they can cause all sorts of symptoms. And high cholesterol is rarely a problem, anyway. Cholesterol does not cause heart attacks and strokes as doctors would have you believe. Cholesterol is an essential nutrient, and you really shouldn't try to reduce it artificially. High cholesterol is often a symptom of low thyroid hormone...
So, have you had your thyroid tested? I don't see any mention of that in your post - did I miss it? Low T3 can cause all sorts of horrible pains, in just about every part of the body. So, if you haven't had that tested, that should be your next step. But, if you do have it tested, don't forget to ask for a print-out of the results! That is very, very important. And, you do have other hypo symptoms, like weight-gain, and flat feet.
So, what sort of pain is it exactly? Is it the bones that hurt? Or the muscles? Or even the skin? The skin on my lower legs and feet often hurts due to B12 deficiency. Have you had your B12 tested? Zinc deficiency can make muscles hurt. And, of course, low vit D will cause all sorts of pains. And, as your vit D was low, your other nutrients could be, too. So, they would also be good to test for.
So, before you go looking for some other sort of doctor, just see if your GP will test your thyroid - TSH, FT4, FT3 and antibodies - and your nutrients - B12, folate, ferritin, zinc, selenium, and any others you can think of. Then, you can come back here, with the results, and the ranges, and we'll be able to help you understand them, and make suggestions as to where the problem lies.
I had a few of those things tested in September of last year. I was suffering the same pain. I will ask my doctor to test for these additional items as you suggested. I also read up about statins causing pain; however, I had the pain before the statins, but it has gotten worse recently and I started on the statins in the summer of last year. My doctor has not considered that. In fact, I think my cholesterol has been lowered, but he keeps me on it.
TSH 1.12 0.40-4.50 mIU/L MI
VITAMIN B12 792 200-1100 pg/mL
VITAMIN B6, PLASMA 89.7 H 2.1-21.7 ng/mL (My B6 was way too high, I cut back on those energy drinks!)
METHYLMALONIC ACID 66 L 87-318 nmol/L (This was low)
Of course he keeps you on it. It's profitable for him to keep you on it.
You cannot rule out a thyroid problem with just a TSH test. That's only a small part of the story. Your T3 could still be low, even with w good TSH.
Your B12 is good. But it would still be a good idea to get the other nutrients tested.
I don't know very much about them, but energy drinks don't sound like a good idea to me. Have you scrutinised the ingredients? There might be somthing that doesn't agree with you. Do they contain artificial sweeteners?
Only the low carb/zero sugar ones have artificial sweeteners. I am guilty of drinking diet sodas all the time though. That's what everyone in my family drinks. I think I should try avoiding it. I need some form of energy assistance though. My job is stressful and I sometimes have to be on late nights, but still have to be there early next day. I am drinking just coffee now, but it doesn't seem to work as good as the energy drinks did.
Diet sodas are very, very bad for you. And artificial sweeteners won't give you energy, anyway. Good that you're giving them a miss. Only optimal hormones and nutrients are going to give you real energy, anything else is just going to stimulate you. And, after stimulation comes the crash.
Actually if you feel tired, you have optimal nutrient levels and sleep then your body is telling you something is wrong. "Energy assistance" drinks and foods won't help you but will make things worse especially in the long term as they are helping to hide a problem.
So you need to get of the energy drinks and sodas, stay away from coffee, cut down on foods with sugar in them and stay away from junk food.
Get the things tested as stated and start a new thread with your test results and ranges.
I think you need a Full Thyroid Function Test and as your TSH is 'normal' GP probably wont do more. You can get one done privately, we have recommended labs. You need TSH, T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3 and Thyroid Antibodies. The test should be as early as possible, fasting (you can drink water). If you were on thyroid hormones you'd take them after your test and you'd have allowed 24 hours between your last dose and the test.
Statins - read this by one doctor who but I think you may have to slowly reduce but check if you can stop.
We can be given other diagnosis, i.e. Fibromyalgia etc but they may well be due to low thyroid but our TSH doesn't 'fit' the modern method. Before blood tests were introduced to detect hypothyroidism, we were diagnosed upon symptoms alone an prescribed natural dessicated thyrod hormones on a trial basis. If we improved we stayed on them. Nowadyas there is a fixation upon the TSH alone so many thousands must be undiagnosed or given 'other' meds for the symptoms.
May I ask what blood test you requested from Dr. Very detailed and I think it's what I need myself. I have underactive thyroid t4 I believe and have 100mg levothyroxine each day. I am on a statin atorvastin, I was getting restless legs but that's eased off currently but my feet especially my heels are like extortionately painful. I have to sit down alot because of the pain I cannot take another step. I just had a bunion done on fight foot, and surgeon said I have arthritis is joint plus I have in spine I'm only 55. I cannot lose weight, plus flat feet, I have fatty liver, pancreas too. High blood pressure, I feel like my brain is in a fog. I get tired and cannot find the most simplest of words in conversation, my spelling is atrocious thank goodness for spell correction! I had full hysterectomy at 29 when on hrt I felt more with it. I stopped hrt couple of years ago. So hormones are no dust low. I feel tired and old before my time, depression and body hurts so much despite being on tapentadol and Tramadol which my body is showing signs of dependency as come 6'ck I get chills shivers. It would great if I could understand what is really going on with my body as I feel I have not been diagnosed correctly at present. Any advice please.
Grey Goose mine feels like red hot steam irons being held on my feet and legs and can go down to dull pain. I hobble not walk. It did go on Ndt for months and being able to walk without pain was amazing. It has come back. All my blue horizon tests are excellent, i could tolerate increase in my T3 but every time i go over 75 i get a bit wired and emotional and drop it back. My adrenals are bad and im dealing with that so i am at a loss.
I've got gastric,acid reflex I'm taken tablets for that still i feel ill,I have pain, uneasy and uncomfortable. I feel as if I'm not digesting my food too.
I know that the bloody would automatically find away to have ph balance but the problem is where it gets it from which could cause be the problem by substituting from other parts but it would cause many other problem on long run.I am very much fustrated just so exhausted also my sides at the Backs are in pain also my hip very difficult to walk or stand on it. I have been given high blood pressure tabs.
When Hypo people usually suffer from LOW acid - not high. Taking tablets will prevent you absorbing vitamins and minerals well and make you poorly .....
Hi VC, greygoose gave good advice. I would like to endorse the idea of low T3. I have had the leg pain problem when I have caused my T3 to get low (in particular allowing a doc to tell me my TSH is too suppressed so lower your dose!). I do not let that happen any more. As soon a I get the slightest hint of leg pain, which is my first sign of hypothyroidic symptoms, I raise my thy. meds. dose and they go away within an hour. Exercize, however excruciating it might be, I have found will help the leg pain within about three days.
When you say you increase your dose is that thyroxine because I'm just taken 50mcg so how do I deal with this situation how do I address this with the go and take me seriously.help I need address I am losing it on this end with them not listening that I have problem the I not looked at.
First get your Free T3 measured (via blood test). You need to be in the upper range to feel "normal". 50mcg is a very low, starter dose. Doctors, unfortunately are not very well educated on this subject and you will find yourself self medicating to feel well. There are many people on this site (myself included) who have to self medicate to feel well or at least "normal".
Now I am assuming that you are taking some form of synthetic Thyroid medication, i.e. a pure T4 supply - I am going by your units, mcg. But first measure your T3, Free and total. If you are in the lower half of your range then you might want to increase your dose to 75 mcg to start with. You also have to determine if you are converting your T4 (from your Levo meds) to T3. there are a number of vitamins and minerals which facilitate this conversion, Vits D, B12, follic acid, ferritin and selenium, it would be a good idea to measure these, since a deficiency in any of these will suppress conversion. For what it is worth I take all of these dietary supplements and it seems to work well.
After you have increase your dose by this small amount, check your basal pulse rate, temperature and keep a careful note of whether you feel jittery or have palpitations, if you do , drop back to 50 mcg.
The other thing which is essential is that you read up all you can on this subject so that you can stay one step ahead of your doctor. It is a great first step that you have joined this forum. Now read as many articles as you can from the Internet and a book by Barbara Lougheed called Tired Thyroid and a web site called "Stop the Thyroid Madness", or buy the book. It is really essential that you educate yourself on this subject otherwise you will not have optimal health.
Let us know your results (with ranges because we are an international community) and we can probably help you.
It would be useful if you posted your blood results for us to see.
My guess though is that it's the statins, evil things and you're sooo young to be on them! They can give you leg pains. There are other ways to control your cholesterol. How high is it? Diet can make a big difference and if you are hypothyroid switching to NDT (Natural Dessicated Thyroid) or adding T3 to Levo will also bring it down. Mine was high and within a few months of switching to NDT it came right down.
As for weight, that won't be helping. Can I suggest you try gluten free for a few months. You'll probably feel much better and I bet you lose weight.
If you have thyroid issues you may have Hashimotos.
Look in the free from section in the supermarket, lots of products there. Doves farm does lots of gluten free flours.
Schar products are good especially their cheese biscuits.
Kallo gravy is good.
Mrs Crimbles products
Genius pies if you're missing pastry although there's some good gluten free ready made.
Lots of fruit, veg, salad.
I eat loads of stir fries, lots of veg and mushrooms(hardly a ny calories!) bit of spice for flavour. I like to add some nuts and goats cheese too sometimes.
Packet gravies have gluten in, most sauces, bread, pasta, pastry, biscuits..(again lots of options in the free from section if you're missing treats😀.)
I haven't had blood tests for thyroid because I haven't considered it before. After I talk to my podiatrist on Tuesday I'm going to tell him the therapy didn't work and since that's the case hes going to have me get an MRI. If anything comes up in the MRI that's obviously causing the pain and I finally get a treatment that works then that be great. I've already spend hundreds of dollars on tests, blood work and copays so I'm hoping this is the end but it looks like I'm going to have to spend a lot more for thyroid and vitamin deficiently tests.... Sigh...
According to Dr Gominack Taking vitamin D to bring up low vitamin D levels may exacerbate low B 5 - especially if you have any autoimmune issues - e.g. Hashimotos
I live in the United States but I guess I can just find a lab to do testing but it seems pretty expensive. But I cant stand this pain and I already paid hundreds and found no relief yet.
My feet used to cripple me next morning if I'd been walking. They were generally painful until I supplimented with D3 and k2. Never painful now unless I forget to take the vitamins.
I have had this for years. It went completely when i first started on NDT, i was bullied onto levo for 3 months and iit came back with a vengance, I went back to NDT and it didnt help 2nd time around, I am now on T3 only due to RT3 and i still have it. it is crippling some days so bad i cry, sometimes i can do slow doggy walk and house chores but never more than 2 hours before my shins and heels scream with pain.
I have been told B6 and it helped once but not since, this is one of my worse symptoms and i have still not found the reason for it (other than on 75mg T3 am i still hypo, i certainly still have other hypo symptoms)
The only thing that helps is wrapping my legs and feet in cold packs and using tens unit.
All my ducks are in a row and am dealing with adrenal/low cortisol so i am at a loss what it is and the fact that it comes and goes at different levels of pain. Deff if i go out, i went to London recently and after 2 hours of wandering around i literally seize up unable to go a single step more.....its driving me nuts and it is an utter misery. It will be great if we find the reason xxxx
Try D3 with K2, I can't garantee it will work, but I really think it will. Several on here agree it has helped them too. I used to feel like all the bones in my arches to my toes were going to snap when I put weight on them. Getting to loo first thing in the morning was a thing of beauty. 1 fat little lady, 1 hand holding my underneath and the other holding the furniture because feet hurt so much, mincing to the loo and wondering if I'd get there in time. I smile about it now but it was anything but funny at the time. Sometimes the seat would be left up too!
but no matter what they say is the cause here - it is adrenal related due to low thyroid hormone not feeding the muscles correctly - flat feet are thyroid related too.........medicalnewstoday.com/articl...
I would suggest you stop taking any diet drinks as sweeteners are really bad for the body - and take Magnesium Citrate - 300 mg - during the day but not at night. Also make sure you are taking at least 1000 mg of Vitamin C to feed the adrenals to help the achilles tendon which is actually what is screaming for help - also an article here - you might find of interest.
Vitamin K1 is mostly used by the liver to activate calcium-binding proteins involved in blood clotting, while K2 is used to activate proteins that regulate where calcium ends up in the body ie stopping build up in the arteries causing heart disease.
Only because I do not know the person I am writing too - and their current health with regard to thyroid etc. - I once recommended Magnesium to someone who took it at night and their respiratory system relaxed down so much it was dangerous for them.................I take it as a relaxant at night to get off to sleep but I wouldnt recommend it for anyone else unless I knew their issues. What you are doing is fine for you and for me - although zinc can be a bit corrosive on the stomach if without food - but there again zinc isnt absorbed properly with food. Catch 22 - my stomach lining has never been the same since a consultant told me to take zinc at night on an empty stomach for about 3 months non stop because I was so deficient ............just saying...........
Thank you. I've been taking basic b, adrenal support in the morning, d3 and k2 at lunch. Selenium zinc and magnesium plus temazepam at night. Gentle iron and cit c with rosehip during the night and Thyroxine about two hours before I get up. I'm trying to be gluten free and I self inject b12 about 3/4times weekly. This has been for 4 months, only improvementioned is the feet.
Glad it helped - information is power - the thing is that SO many ''conditions'' or even disease states are seen as a separate issues when actually they are coming from one source - hormonal - I used to go to Kingston shopping and could never understand why my foot used to give up - the pain underneath was like someone stabbing it with a screwdriver............previously I used to get impatient with my Mother who it happened to years earlier............talk about what goes around comes around - then one day it was so bad I had to sit down on the pavement as I was unable to walk any further because of the pain..............I was crying with the pain - a Policeman came over to see what was wrong and I told him I had a foot that was playing up and he asked if I needed an ambulance (yes in those days you actually got one !!!) I said I would be OK - sat there for half an hour until the spasm went a little and then walked to the station..............then I had a light bulb moment - why did it always happen when I went to Kingston - I worked out..........................wait for it.....................there was a very steep ramp coming out of the station and my foot muscles would need to clench and have to work really hard to walk down the incline .............also shoes were probably wrong - shoes that slip around don't help either..............still a hormonal muscle issue............the same happened with my back which would go into spasm as I walked UP a KERB - I was low in magnesium and the spasms were caused by the muscles being too taut ..........all these mineral deficiencies including D being thyroid related - also for information I had always had high arches all my life - when suddenly when I became thyroidy they dropped to the floor - now on thyroid meds the arches are back.................if only the medical profession would look into this conditon their medical books would be empty apart from the section marked Thyroid and related conditions and of course a lot of medics would be out of work.
Can I just reconfirm that the adrenals will grab all the Vitamin C it needs to keep you alive....................hence the tendons will be affected if C status is altered and many other areas where Vitamin C is needed.
I was thinking peripheral neuropathy. But your neurologist would know that with a test. And it's usually older people like me (71) who get it but it can be a direct sign of diabetes. You said blood sugar level is ok but how ok is it? Sometimes borderline is enough for peripheral neuropathy. Hoping for good results.
I really want to get off them. My cholesterol is no longer considered "high". It dropped from a total of over 200 to 166. But my Dr says to keep taking them. I want to try alternatives to keeping bad cholesterol down and good cholesterol up that includes diet and natural supplements.
viralcypher...you can lower your cholesterol by changing what you are eating
by reducing your fat intake ......i left those statins off .....it didnt help my leg+feet pains....but by changing the food i ate it lowered my cholesterol !!!
There's a few. My father had an afib and is at high risk of stroke,there are a few family members who had diabetes ( I had my blood sugar test and glucose tolerance test and it all came out good) My aunt died from colon cancer. I also have a lot of anxiety. My grandfather had his knees replaced with metal. He was a dentist and was standing a lot. My grand parents have all passed away and from heart related issues.
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