Is there a connection between low T3 and osteoARTHRITIS??

[Gilbo72]

Has anyone come across any articles about Oesteoarthritis and Hashimotos, or more specifically low T3? (As in erosive arthritis (not Rheumatoid or osteoporosis)) I have had a good look but can't find anything I actually understand. There is a lot about Rheumatoid arthritis and Hashimotos but not much about Oesteoarthritis which is the break down of cartilage and bony outgrowths.

I am off to see an endocrinologist at last. I just wanted to take some back up fodder with me to try and ask for a T3 trial (yeah right!)

So I am now 46, I have had Hashimotos for a least 13 years. In that time I have discovered I now have poorly functioning kidneys and for the last 5 years I have been aware of swelling, pain and bony lumps forming on my finger and thumb joints. GP has tested for rheumatoid arthritis which has come back negative.

Other than that my GP isn't bothered about my low functioning kidneys, or painful deformed fingers, obviously I am.

I am on 125mcg of thyroxine, and my TSH always tends to be on the suppressed side (ie just under the bottom range) and my T3 tends to be on the low side (hovering around the bottom range). He obviously wants to reduce my Levo dose, I want to get T3, hence the trip to endo to see.

Thanks all.

[diogenes Remembering]

I think you would be wasting your time looking. Using T3 or FT3 in studies like this is virtually nonexistent, and the few that may do lack credibility owing to poor design.

[MellowYellow0914]

Hi Gilbo72, I'm curious if you ever found anything out with this? I was referred today to the Mayo clinic for my progressive osteoarthritis. I had bilat hip replacements at 45 and now at 51 need both shoulders done. I have nodules on my fingers as well. As luck would have it, I ironically received my hormone blood levels back today and this particular doctor said my Free T3 is very low and put me on NP Thyroid. The doctor is no relation to the other doctor I met with today about my shoulders being bone on bone that referred me to Mayo. I ran across your post and am curious how it fared for you?

[Gilbo72 in reply to MellowYellow0914]

Hi MellowYellow0914 , well I am now on 150mcg. My FT4 is around 28, well above the top range of 22. My T3 is still at the low end of range. I cant believe this post is 2 years old already! I spoke to my endo yesterday, they are aware that I am a candidate for a trial, but as I don’t really have any symptoms regarding hypothyroidism, I thought I would leave it for the mo. What I would say since this last post, is I have been having a lot of tendon trouble. Tennis elbows, Achilles tendonitis, hamstring tendonipathy and this last year, stiff hips after walking/gardening crouching. Feels like overuse and tendonitis. I have been seeing an osteopath since Jan. He thinks I don’t have osteoarthritis in the hips. But he has mentioned I am slightly hyper mobile. My fingers have got slightly worse though, but I think they have settled down. They tend to ache after certain food. Fatty/fried food or meat I find. I mentioned it to the GP by email and without even seeing me she mentioned fibromyalgia, but I’m not even going to go there!!!

My gut instinct on this, is not so much the low T3, but the constant high T4, or just the lack of all the other T’s! (1 and 2!) Or perhaps the contrast between the two. Problem is the less T4 I am on, the worse I feel. In Jan I did dry January and veganary/antinflammstory and forced myself to drink 2 litres of water every day. Plus the osteopath with shockwave therapy. I feel like I’m getting somewhere. The water consumption really helped with any stiffness. The osteopath has said he thinks something is driving the tendonitis/arthritis. All tests are neg for autoimmune and inflammatory markers are non existent. So as far as I’m concerned it’s thyroid related. A synthetic pill is not going to replicate the intricacies of nature.

I do feel if I don’t get to the bottom of this I am causing damage to my cartiledges and bones. I’m sorry to hear about you. I would be interested to see how you go on the NP. Do keep in touch and let me know! X