Shins hurt really bad sometimes

[Knoxtn865]

Have you guys with over active thyroid ever experience real bad pain in your shins? Could this be another bad thing that comes with graves disease?

[humanbean]

Really bad shin pain could be shin splints :

nhs.uk/conditions/shin-spli...

It is usually attributed to exercise or running. But for anyone with thyroid problems of any kind I would always be suspicious that the thyroid had something to do with any health issue.

[LowB12]

As ‘humanbean’ say it could be ‘shin splints’. If related to exercise then a likely cause.

Being new to this forum I’ve read about hypo being related to vit absorption, including vit D. I’m not sure if this is also the case for graves.

If it is then should get this checked out, as low or insufficient vit D affects calcium absorption and has been linked with bone stress reactions in runners / athletes. Usually impact or load through the shin related, can cause night pain in shins.

[humanbean in reply to LowB12]

I think, but can't remember where I got this idea, that low nutrients can be common in Graves' Disease / hyperthyroidism. The body's metabolism is running so fast that nutrients can get used up very quickly. I have no idea whether this is true.

[Arlenka in reply to humanbean]

When I was hyperthyroid I couldn’t tolerate freezing for dental work. It would go out of my body so fast that it was ineffective. So, yes I agree that nutrients also go through far too quickly.

[duster]

Yes I get this and it’s usually the first sign I’m going overactive.

It’s particularly painful when walking up hill.

[Marymary7]

My friend had this when she was underactive with her thyroid while being treated with Thyroxine. Resolved when on correct dose.

[spongecat in reply to Marymary7]

Same here. OK now but I don't tempt fate as I got it again when I tried jogging, so brisk walking only for me....and to stay on top of optimal vitamins and minerals such as D3/K2 mk-7 and magnesium etc..

[Thalia56]

For me, shin pain is a sign either my vitamin D or my iron is low. It doesn't have to be catastrophically low or out of range for the pain to start, just lower than optimal.

[posthinking01]

Hi as someone who has adrenal insufficiency and has to support my thyroid with cortisol taken three times a day (hydrocortisone) - shinsplints - can be as a result of exercise and strain on the muscles but in a thyroid patient's case it is more often than not due to low cortisol - i.e the more thyroid hormone you take the more your adrenals are put under pressure to perform and speed up in correlation with the thyroid hormone. So the less thyroid hormone you take the less pressure on the adrenals. I have found this out to my detriment as I tried to get down from 200 mg of HC after Sepsis in 2017 - as I got down nearer a more manageable level - shinsplints started as the adrenals were struggling to provide the cortisol needed - it was SO painful. Vitamin C makes cortisol in the adrenals so you could try taking 1,000 mg of C - see link. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/156... as Vit C will help produce more cortisol for you.

Quote: Vitamin C helps the body deal with stress, as the adrenal glands contain the highest concentration of Vitamin C of any part of the body. The adrenal glands help assist in the manufacture of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol Unquote

NB: a note from experience - if you should start to sweat and feel hot when taking C then 1,000 mg too much as it can turn from cortisol production to adrenaline particularly in hot weather. Another great item I have used for my muscle problems (I am hyper-mobile too) is Magnesium oil - by a company called Better you. Get the original one if you are thinking of buying it ........rub the oil onto your shins and you should get relief - I know I do as low magnesium is prevalent in us thyroid people. Hope this helps.

[t3rr]

I was treated for shin splints, but it turned out not to be the case, and had hyperparathyroidism, have your calcium levels tested, if normal could be shin splints, if high you will need to have a parathyroid blood test.

[Palioly]

Medial tibial stress syndrome, more commonly referred to as “shin splints,” is probably the most universally-known running injury.

[Countrykitten]

I used to have such bad shin pain it kept me awake at night and made driving painful..My GP suspected a bone cyst but X rays clear. Then I was diagnosed hypo and very low Vit D. I started with a loading dose and pain soon decreased. I now take 1000iu D3 daily, but missed a few weeks and shin pain started coming back, so get your levels checked.

[Djb20]

Although my shins do not hurt, the skin there has become chicken-like and itches like murder. I have lost all hair there but nowhere else on my body.

[Tasker in reply to Djb20]

Really interesting - I get very itchy skin in my shins from time to time, but hadn't previously connected it to my hypothyroidism.

[Djb20 in reply to Tasker]

I can scratch until I bleed sometimes. No amount of creme or hydration seem to help. But once my levo meds are upped it soon stops. When my legs itch it's a very good sign my blood needs testing again.

[Arlenka]

I used to have really bad shin splints... to the point that I had to stop jogging/exercise class / many years ago when they had exercise class

[Astridnova]

Yes, with hypothyroidism. As it got worse, my lower legs swelled and my knee joints became unstable. Corrected with NDT.

[Knoxtn865 in reply to Astridnova]

May sound dumb but what's ndt?

[misky]

Maybe it's related to Graves' dermopathy? I know when I was hyper, my shins itched like crazy. I didn't have Graves' dermopathy, but I think that area is somehow affected.

[NtombiSA]

Hi Knoxtn....I did not have shin pain, but my Achilles tendons were very painful for many years. I could not wear shoes with heels, but had to walk with flat shoes, which was fine for me as my work did not require me to dress 'smart'. Since stopping my thyroid meds, this symptom has disappeared.

[Benadrove5]

Hi, I have underactive thyroid and suffer shin pain quite often especially on exercise..I don’t know the answer as I have never told my GP but think I will mention it now..

[Caalineundy]

Get your B12 levels checked. I have Graves also have Pernicious anemia and a Vit D deficiency. Had a total Thyroidectomy too. All autoimmune conditions that come with Graves I take 9 pills a day and feel brand new. It has taken 3 years to get here.