Is the pain normal

[Meno27]

Hi just been diagnosed with under performing thyroid is it normal to be in agony with joints and muscles thxs

[Lalatoot]

Yes it is.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

It's quite common to have low nutrient levels when Hypo. Low Vit D can lead to joint and muscle pain. Ask your GP to test

Vit D

B12

Folate

Ferritin

If GP wont do them then we have recommended labs where we can get private tests done.

Do you have your test results from your recent diagnosis? Always ask for a print out of your results, it will be invaluable in helping you understand your condition and whether or not you are optimally medicated. If you don't have your results then just ask the receptionist for a print out, in the UK we are legally entitled to our results and they can't charge for them. Don't accept verbal or hand written results, always get a print out.

For a full picture of thyroid status we need:

TSH

FT4

FT3

Thyroid antibodies

Post any results you have and include the reference ranges and members will comment. They will look something like:

TSH: 2.5 (0.2-4.2)

FT4: 15 (12-22)

[Meno27 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thxs I will

[jimh111]

Hypothyroidism can lead to low intracellular magnesium levels (is not reflected in magnesium blood tests) Low magnesium can cause hyperalgesia, excess sensitivity to pain. So, take a magnesium supplement but not magnesium oxide or hydroxide as they are no good.

[msmono in reply to jimh111]

Really useful info - now going to check I'm taking the correct type of magnesium. 🙂

[Howard39 in reply to jimh111]

Hi

A red cell magnesium would tell you if you are very low. ( serum magnesium does not)

See wwwdhill.co.uk and under test on the left of the home page you can search for magnesium. Two great articles on what your GP definitely will not know.

I have injections much to my current GP annoyance.

However my levels were nil and I had an epileptic fit due to being so low. Now after daily injections for 12 years they are nearly in range and I have no awful night cramps.

According to the above Specialist she has tested 10000 patients only 2 had good results.

Mangnesium chloride is a good supplement or a better me spray.

[jimh111 in reply to Howard39]

rbc (red blood cell) magnesium is a better test than serum magnesium but still not reliable. The 'gold standard' is the magenesium loading test where they give magnesium and measure the clinical effect, usually done in a research lab. In real life the best test is to take it and see if it works! The chloride form is better than oxide or hydroxide but there are better forms, I prefer magnesium citrate as I know it works but other forms will also work.

[Howard39 in reply to jimh111]

To be fair a Gp or most specialists aren’t going to go along with that.

I found the red cell test v reliable. I was lucky my specialist does allow me to have the injections. However it’s a hard enough job getting it on prescription with a result of nil. Having a GP to prescribe it with any evidence would be nigh on impossible. They have only heard of serum magnesium.

Magnesium citrate is fine so long as you have no stomach issues. Many people with Hashimotos do. In the main it’s used for constipation.

[Hillwoman]

Besides nutritional deficiencies, another thing that can cause severe pain in joints and muscles is the build-up of mucin in hypothyroidism. It can be quite extreme for some of us. I spent 30 years in severe pain, but gradually my joints and muscles became more mobile after I moved on to T3 monotherapy (levo doesn't work for me), and the pain dissipated. I could also see visible mucin deposits, e.g. along my jaw line, shrink and disappear.

[jimh111 in reply to Hillwoman]

Yes, a similar process can cause carpel tunnel syndrome, I had tingles in my fingers which cleared up on levothyroxine. Fortunately, it never got to the pain stage.

[Hillwoman in reply to jimh111]

Yes, I've had that too. If I don't increase my dose of T3 early enough in the autumn, the pain returns to let me know I've been a bit slack.

[Batty1]

Absolutely not normal I've been suffering with joint and tendon pains for 3 yrs after thyroidectomy only recently has it reduced a bit.

[Hurtlocker]

Sure is...my pain started in left knee..physio helped a bit but pain remains..arms.neck and shoulders all ache down arms into wrists and fingers..other knee now starting to pain..thing is nobody believes me..Endo says pain not related to thyroid... i know for sure it is since I was fit and active before thytoid kicked off two years ago.. will get there again without condescendjng assistance...off to yoga and do my best to keep moving!!! Good luvk and dont stop moving....

[Hidden]

I've never had much joint pain, thankfully, but for several years had gradually increasing stiffness. Even sitting down for just a few minutes could do it. Getting up on the morning meant gradually working leg and foot muscles for several seconds before even trying to walk. Otherwise I might fall over!

After being diagnosed with "Subclinical" hypothyroidism and eventually given thyroxine, I suddenly realised after a few months that the stiffness had gone!

[Meno27]

Thxs