New pain in hands/fingers

[Witchgurl31]

Hey! For the past 2 days I've had severe pain in my hands, mainly my fingers! I can't grip or apply pressure at all and they hurt like hell. This is new so I'm rather worried. Could the Levo I've been put on cause this?

[shaws Administrator]

The first thing to do is phone your doctor and ask for an increase in levo to 50mcg. Tell him you've taken advice from the NHS choices for help/advice Thyroiduk.org.uk and a starting dose is 50mcg unless you are frail with a heart disease.

As your TSH is high, 25mcg is too low.

Any blood tests for thyroid hormones should be at the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24hours between your last dose of levo and the test and take afterwards.

At your next blood test also ask for B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate. Everything has to be optimal.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_...

Blood tests have to be every six weeks. Always get a print-out of your results with the ranges for your own records and you can post if you have a query.

[Witchgurl31 in reply to shaws]

Thanks for replying! I've only been on Levo for a week (diagnosed a week ago) and never had any symptoms but the usual fatigue, weight gain, brain fog etc. Funny this should come out now all of a sudden. I doubt my doc would be willing to increase my dose so soon tho as he said when he started my meds last wk that he'd see me again in 3 months!!

[shaws Administrator in reply to Witchgurl31]

Even if you've only been diagnosed a week 50mcg is a starting dose, not 25mcg which is an incremental dose. Do you think you can wait five weeks for another increase of 25mcg levo?

Three months?? ridiculous.

Say you are a member of this forum and you understand now that 50mcg is a starting dose and you have unpleasant pains which could be due to underdosing. He can refuse of course if he thinks he knows best but six weeks is the usual and if patient is worse on 25mcg of levo they are entitled to have a phone consultation.

It is very surprising for us when not improving to find that doctors do not know very much except to look at the TSH result.

[Witchgurl31 in reply to shaws]

I think I'll go and see someone in the morning then. We are lucky we have an open surgery every morning and evening! I thought 3 months was a little long. I definitely can't wait that long. Thanks again for your advice

[shaws Administrator in reply to Witchgurl31]

This is a past post just for information.

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Witchgurl31 in reply to shaws]

Thanks for That! Very useful 😁