Achy bones

[jennyleex]

Does anyone suffer with achy bones after thyroid removal? I had papillary thyroid cancer last year, and the past few months my left hip bone, literally all the way down to my left foot aches, I have to elevate my leg to get some relief! Something to get checked out or part & parcel of loosing the thyroid?? The human body is a mysterious thing!!! 🤦🏼‍♀️

[Hennerton]

I am sorry to say that since my thyroid was removed in 2006, I have had constant trouble with my musculoskeletal system and I constantly have sciatic pain, stiff joints, painful hip etc. My thyroid levels are fine and I also take T3, so I cannot blame it on not being given the best chance. My belief is that there is still something missing thyroid wise in our bodies that has not yet been discovered. One day...big sigh!

[jennyleex in reply to Hennerton]

Hi....thanks for your reply, I’m seeing g my oncologist next month so I’ll ask them, but I mentioned it before and was told not thyroid related and to seek gp advice if I’m worried! The joys hey!

[shaws Administrator in reply to jennyleex]

As your thyroid gland was removed, how can he state that your aches/pains aren't connected? You state you take T3 but if it isn't at optimum you may still have symptoms.

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/about_the_thyroid/hypothyroidism_signs_symptoms.html

Have you had Free T3 and Free T4 checked

[greygoose]

Have you had vit D, calcium and parathyroid hormone checked? If not, I would definitely ask for those.

[Hennerton in reply to greygoose]

I realise you are not answering me but my levels of all that you mention are good and I do honestly thInk that the body is enormously compromised without a thyroid. People seem to be affected in totally different ways, so it is always difficult to make blanket statements on how any one person should be reacting to the loss of this gland.

[Hennerton in reply to greygoose]

Sorry, I think that came out wrongly but you probably know what I mean. Basically no thyroid is a big impediment to a normal life and we just have to keep battling on with checking all the things you mention and many others besides.

[greygoose in reply to Hennerton]

Not really, no. I wasn't making a blanket statement, I was suggesting further testing. That seems to me like a reasonable thing to do without someone jumping down my throat.

[Hennerton in reply to greygoose]

I honestly was not jumping down your throat and am so sorry if you are offended as we usually seem to “talk from the same page”. I simply feel that unless people do not have a thyroid, they never know how far reaching its loss is. Many apologies and please let us not fall out.

[greygoose in reply to Hennerton]

OK, well, did you not understand what I was saying? I wasn't trying to diagnose the OP, just suggesting the usual suspects for bone pain.

[Margo in reply to Hennerton]

Well said Hennerton , couldn't agree more!

[jennyleex in reply to greygoose]

Hi ya, calcium levels all normal, parathyroid glands intact & unharmed....👍🏻

[greygoose in reply to jennyleex]

Vit D?

[jennyleex in reply to greygoose]

Don’t think I’ve had that checked🤔 I might speak to GP, could maybe open options to arthritis maybe? My knees are getting creaky too lol I’m only 34! 😂

[greygoose in reply to jennyleex]

It's very important to get vit D checked for many reasons. You need optimal vit D for your body to be able to use thyroid hormone correctly.

[pennyannie]

Hello Jennyleex

Well, just as a point of reference, a fully functioning working thyroid would be supporting you daily with approximately 100 T4 +10 T3. T4 being Levothyroxine and T3 being liothyronine which is said to be approximately 4 times more powerful than Levothyroxine.

I just think it makes sense that if there has been a surgical intervention and the thyroid either removed or ablated in situ, that both these essential hormones should be on the patients prescription for if, and possibly when, needed.

Some people can get by on T4 alone, some people, at some point in time, simply stop converting the T4 into T3, and some people simply need both these vital hormones dosed and monitored independently, to bring them into balance and to a level of wellbeing acceptable to the patient, which generally finds both T3 and T4 in the upper quadrants of the ranges.

The thyroid is a major gland responsible for full body synchronisation, your physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual wellbeing, not forgetting your internal central heating system and your metabolism.

If on Levothyroxine only, it is up to your body to convert this prohormone into the active hormone T3 which is what the body runs on. Conversion of thyroid hormones can be compromised if your core strength isn't strong, and ferritin, folate, B12 vitamin D all need to be optimal within the ranges.

If on Levothyroxine alone, your body has automatically been down regulated by that proportion of T3 that your own thyroid used to supply you with, and that is said to be about 20% of your daily T3 requirements.

You might like the following book :- Your Thyroid and How To Keep It Healthy written by a doctor, Barry Durrant-Peatfield who has hypothyroidism himself. It is a easy read, sometimes funny and insightful, and though we now don't have this amazing little gland we do ned to know what it does so we can compensate accordingly.

In order to offer a more detailed response to your post it will be necessary to have a full thyroid panel taken along with vitamins and minerals as detailed, where upon people better able than me will be able to give informed opinion on what you can do next.

I am with Graves Disease, having had my thyroid ablated in 2005 with RAI. Thanks to this amazing site I have now turned my health issues around and m getting back on track. It has meant that I have had to buy my own thyroid hormone replacement but I am much improved and can function again, and am not as housebound.

[jennyleex in reply to pennyannie]

Hi, thanks for ur detailed reply.......I’m over medicated atm so oncologist sorting that out next month when I get my annual body scan results! Just one worry after another!

[Batty1]

I had thyroidectomy for cancer 2016 and I've been house bound most of time in horrible pains from my hips to my toe. A year ago I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis but I still believe the thyroidectomy and poor medical care is the real cause.

[jennyleex in reply to Batty1]

Hi, sorry to hear ur journey isn’t going too well, must really be awful feeling in pain all the time! Mine comes and goes but mainly at night, other than that I’m generally feeling well with out my thyroid...considering! 😩

[shaws Administrator in reply to Batty1]

Are you on a T4/T3 combination?

[Batty1 in reply to shaws]

Yes , I've been on t3/t4 combo now for 2 yrs.

I had a recent reduction in meds from 2 grains Armour Thyroid my hands shook to much after a year and just recently switched to 88mcg/synthyroid and 10mcg/cytomel and finally my pains have reduced...could be just a coincidence either way it feels good and of course I still have issues,...seems to be my life now.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Batty1]

Sometimes we just have to trial different combinations/hormones to find one that helps reduce symptoms. It can be 'trial and error' until we feel much improved. I'm glad yours has worked and that you feel better.

[jgelliss in reply to Batty1]

Bone pain can come from high FT4 too .

[Noisette13]

I had RAI 2 yrs ago I was fine for about 18mths then I got horrendous aches n pains. Cdnt walk up the stairs except for 1 at a time. I read on a forum that it cd be the brand of Levo. Actavis cd be the problem so I changed to TEVA. I changed on 7th September- I can now go up stairs at speed and walk around with no more aches n pains!!!! Coincidental possibly but I don’t care I actually feel like I’m becoming human again!!!!

[jamesal0]

@jennyleex try dropping 25mcg of Levo perday and adding 15mg NDT twice a day. NDT is wounderfull stuff it has all these extra Thryoids that your thyroid gland would normal produce. T4 plus T3 as well as small amounts of thyroid co-factors T1, T2, calcitonin and iodine.

[jennyleex in reply to jamesal0]

Hi sorry what does NDT stand for? I’ve got oncology next month so will discuss medication then, as she said I’m over medicated but wants to see my body scan results first before changing meds 👌🏻

[jamesal0 in reply to jennyleex]

pig thyroid

[helvella Administrator in reply to jennyleex]

You might find my list of abbreviations and acronyms of some use:

dropbox.com/s/og3lmxa1dqadb...

NDT = Natural Desiccated Thyroid. Powdered animal thyroid glands, standardised by strength and formed into tablets. At present, I think all are based on pig thyroids.

Other products based on animal thyroids are available but there is uncertainty about their thyroid hormone content. If they declare any content they would be prescription-only but by not declaring, or suggesting or claiming they have no hormone contet, they can be over-the-counter products. Some are made from cattle. These are sometimes called glandulars.