Joint pain

[Cmch1]

Hi everyone

6 weeks ago my tsh was 4.97, I had thyroid antibodies of 66. As I want to ttc I was told my tsh needs to be below 2.5.

I was started on 50mcg levothyroxine and at my blood test last week my tsh was down to 2.58 and my antibodies had gone down to 55.

As I was just above 2.5 they advised to increase my dose to 75mcg on alternating days as they didn’t want to decrease my tsh too much.

My issue is since last week I have been in so much pain. All of my bodies joints are aching, my wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, back. And when I get out of bed in the morning the soles of my feet are burning. And I’m so so tired.

Does anyone have any input on this? Is it because of my thyroxine? I feel worse now than I did when my tsh was higher.

[Ness54]

I was on thyroxine and I was almost bed bound, everyday pain in my joints, I could not dress myself as my arms were so painful. My gp put me on NDT eventually after I had bought Armour for 3 years from abroad, and almost overnight all my pains went away and I became so active again. Levothyroxine is just not suitable to everyone. It certainly made me so ill. Good Luck.

[loueldhen]

Levo didn’t agree with me either (though it took me 7 years to work out). I started levo post pregnancies. Both times I managed the ttc process to the end I was on an extremely clean diet. Meat fish veg water. Levo doesn’t suit everyone. If you’ve had no benefit go to gp/stop taking it. Did you have FT3 ft4 measured as well as tsh?

[Cmch1 in reply to loueldhen]

Thanks. I thought I was having benefit from it, I’ve had 3 miscarriages where I’ve not been on it so felt better knowing my tsh was getting to where it should be. I feel so hopeless.

[Cmch1 in reply to loueldhen]

I have no idea what they tested, I’m not very knowledgable about this yet. I think they only looked at my tsh and antibodies

[loueldhen in reply to Cmch1]

Who did tests? GP?

[loueldhen]

It’s a tricky process. Took me ages to get pregnant. I had two miscarriages between two pregnancies. But I firmly believe if you look after your body with what you feed/water it with you give it the best chance of working. Fortunately for me all this info wasn’t around then so I was unaware of what my tsh was. If I’d been on levo I’m absolutely sure I’d never have got pregnant. About 15% hypothyroid patients don’t get on with it. You’ll need a full thyroid blood test to know if you have a problem and even then it’s tricky. GP wouldn’t do this/be able to do this.

[Cmch1 in reply to loueldhen]

Thanks. Who can do this?

[loueldhen]

Private thumbprick test. Blue horizon or medichecks. Thyroid uk webpage or search here have discounted days. Then post results here.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Cmch1

As you've increased from 50 to 50/75mcg Levo, how was extra added? A 25mcg tablet? Is this the same brand as your 50mcg tablet?

Have you by any chance been given TEVA 25mcg tablets and your 50mcg tablets are a different brand?

[Cmch1 in reply to SeasideSusie]

All of my tablets are 25mcg teva tablets, I’ve to take 3, could this be the issue?

[Cmch1 in reply to Cmch1]

In fact I had to pick up more the other day and hadn’t opened them yet and I’ve now got 50mcg and 25mcg, both mercurypharma but like I say I haven’t used any of these yet

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Cmch1]

So you've been on Teva all along then? If so then I don't think that's the problem. Teva brand does cause adverse reactions for many, many members (although some do very well on it). I was thinking if your original 50mcg was a different brand and you'd been given Teva 25mcg now, then that might be your problem. But if you've been on Teva from the start then it can't be that as you'd have had any reaction before, not just with this increase.

[Cmch1 in reply to SeasideSusie]

I’ve only been on levothyroxine for about 6 weeks. Would you say then that since my joint pain has only started in the last week or so that it might not even be linked to my thyroxine?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Cmch1]

If your joint pain had coincided with starting Teva levo I would have said it could possibly be linked. As you had been on Teva for a few weeks before you experienced joint pain then it is less likely to be linked to the Teva.

Joint pain is often linked to low Vit D. It would be a good idea to have the following tested, which is always advised on the forum for us hypo patients:

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin