nature.com/articles/s41598-...
Published: 13 September 2019
There is a very clear diagram Fig. 1 - describes the thyroid hormone network highlighting the biologically active triiodothyronine (T3).
It is worth scrolling down to Fig. 1 showing T4, T3, rT3, T2 and the role of DIO1, DIO2, DIO3 and also MCT8.
I’m afraid most of that is lost to me... but as I have RA and OA and Hashimoto’s I had always assumed there was a connection. I did ask the Rheumatologist if my Arthritis’ (plural) were a by product of incorrectly treated Hypothyroidism... funnily he said No!
Very helpful. Thanks for posting.
I’ve printed this off and I’m going to give it to my orthopaedic consultant. I’m experiencing excruciating pain in my hips, yet xrays, MRI scans etc are not showing very badly degenerated hip joints. I think he is almost at a loss as to how to proceed. I have hashimotos and I have been wondering whether there is a link to all this. The article doesn’t make for easy reading for the layman but I could glean a bit from it. Am I correct in interpreting that Thyroid can influence the amount ( or quality) of synovial fluid around joints?
Thanks for posting!
I’ve had joint pain for years and years and have Hashimoto’s. Not RA or OA but just pain, tightness and inflammation. I take an amazing drug called Celebrex. It’s a cox-2 inhibitor and it’s changed my life! Try it. Don’t let them give you pregab or gabipentin, they are addictive and vile!
Could you explain a bit more about that please? I'm feeling very low with chronic pain , mainly in my legs, which is partly arthritis in knees and big toes, but mainly Hashimotos plus DIO2 polymorphism. I've tried most things, and am constantly searching for something that addresses the cause rather than painkillers and physical treatments to keep things flowing as well as possible.
There seems to be many people who are being treated for hypothyroidism but still have chronic pain. This would suggest that they may be under-medicated and if adequately treated their pain could be relieved.
Some on this forum have had no other option than to give up on doctors and self-medicate in order to get the treatment they need.
Celebrex is a very effective pain killer, much more than an anti-inflammatory. It does not just suppress pain in the joints where pain is felt, but will suppress all pain. This is not always good as pain can be an important warning that something is wrong. There are also many risks associated with long-term use.
It is possible that better treatment for your Hashimoto’s will help the pain.
Celebrex seems to have quite a few dangers! drugs.com/celebrex.html
Celebrex may cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, which can be fatal. These conditions can occur without warning while you are using this medicine, especially in older adults. You should not take this medicine if you already have bleeding in your stomach or intestines.
Celecoxib can increase your risk of fatal heart attack or stroke, even if you don't have any risk factors. Do not use Celebrex just before or after heart bypass surgery.
Fox123, this may not be relevant but I had an extremely painful hip, so much so that I recall sitting on a pavement in London crying with pain. There seemed to be nothing wrong with the hip joint. I bore with this for a few years, moderating my exercise, until I was privileged to train in Bonework with Sharon Wheeler. I mentioned my bad hip and Sharon said that this is a common problem caused by the rotation of the top of the femur. She showed a student how to apply pressure to the femur and the top of the bone just moved back into its correct place. The relief from pain was immediate and long-lasting. I have not come across anyone, other than those of us trained by Sharon, who know of this. Might this be worth investigation?
Thanks Penny. Sounds interesting. Trouble is, as you probably know, I’m getting very sceptical after having spent a fortune at a “Wellness” clinic ( basically a chiropractor acting like a witch doctor!!!!) and getting no relief. There’s so many people out there trying to take advantage of people in pain. I’ll have a Google about Bonework though! All I want to do is to be able to ride my beloved horse again. At the moment it’s just too painful to even sit in the saddle. 😞.
I’m not a fan of chiropractic work. Shoving bones through soft tissue wears a path through soft tissue therefore making it easier for the bone to move out of kilter each time. In Bonework the bone moves of its own accord, we do not push or pull them.
If you would like me to I can see if there is a Boneworker near you; some of us do do pro bono work for those who cannot afford the fees, also spread payments. The good news is that the particular treatment for the relocation of my femur took 30 seconds. It is advisable to have full body treatment after that as we change how we hold our bodies and this needs to be corrected. I’m a Body Realigner and, although it is recommended that clients have a session of 6 treatments I have often found that after only one my client is pain-free and won’t then see me for another 6-12 months.
“If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got.”
I’m in Cheshire. I found someone in Bradford, Yorkshire, on Google I’m awaiting her response to my query. Are you any closer to Cheshire, Penny?
No, I’m in the south. Is the person you found a Boneworker as trained by Sharon Wheeler?
Hi Fox123, I've just stumbled on this post. I'm not sure if this will be any use to you, but I was researching a completely different school of body alignment. I heard a podcast interview with a guy called Gary Ward. His argument is that loads of pain in the knees, hips and even above is caused by how we hold our feet and how we've learned to move over the years. He also believes that events like accidents in our early life can impact how we hold our bodies later in life to eventually cause pain and even very serious impairment. It made me start to think that some of the bad instructions I'd been given in a ballet class at age 5 could be linked to all the knee trouble I'm having today.
Anyway... I don't live too far away from you, in Liverpool, and the nearest practitioner of these methods I could find was in Chester. Might be much less difficult for you to try your luck with this guy. He assigns exercises, and even just tell you how to hold your feet and make your stride, rather than touching and manipulating you himself, I believe.
I will try to dig out the podcast I heard, too, so you can see if you like the sound of the method.
Podcast with Gary Ward interviewed about is methods. drchatterjee.com/garyward/
Thank you for this informative post .
I am sure we all know people with OA and RA and undiagnosed Hashi's/Hypo. Scrolling through to read Discussion is informative - for those of us who find research papers challenging.
The problem will be that orthapaedic consultants will stay within their discipline and not consider low T3. Likewise with Cardiologists ... Time to treat the body as a whole with all the specialities coming together for further discussion. Of course I am a dreamer !
Knowledge of the connection between arthritis and thyroid is not new. Broda Barnes in his book "Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness" (published in 1976) has a chapter on arthritis. In it he mentions Hertoghe, who in 1914 was pointing out that many patients with rheumatic complaints (old name for arthritis) were improved with thyroid therapy.
You're also just as informative and clever now you are back in Uk Marz . Keep dreaming that they might, one day, begin to treat us a 'whole'.
Hubby and I have our first GP appointments soon to discuss our meds! ( both T3 only ) and nothing else ! Should be fun !
Goodluck with that Marz . Keep us informed. xx
Am going to offer my services free to train the front desk to engage with a more user friendly approach !! First impressions are key - & we were not impressed. It created a negative feeling about the whole place for us both - which is wrong. They would never survive in a Sales environment !!
Seems to be the new way of working for NHS now. Think that is because they are now trying to lead us into a Sales environment.
Thanks. Not read it yet but note that Figure 1 is incomplete. DIO1 equally converts T4 to T3 and rT3, so DIO1 should appear on the T4 -> rT3 arm. DIO1 also converts T3 to T2. Figure 1 gives the impression DIO1 has equal T3 generating effects to DIO2, this is not so, DIO1 only converts half the T4 to T3 whilst generating equal amounts of rT3.
Fantastic article!
It’s probably just the tip of the iceberg. We know how the thyroid affects the heart and recent research has shown the effect of T3 on the heart - they’re even starting to use T3 in the emergency room for heart patients. Now they see a role in arthritis and the synovial fluid. Wouldn’t it be just about right to find out that if you get the thyroid healthy many other systems in the body stay healthy?!
I read with particular interest and emphasis of how enzymes play a role in the conversion process of T4 and T3!
I know for sure enzymes have made a difference in my life and the conversion process. Further documentation here is just too cool.
Interesting study. My mother suffered very badly with RA for most of her life, but was never diagnosed with a thyroid disorder, despite having a multitude of symptoms pointing to hypothyroidism.
Fascinating article, thank you Hugh and one I shall share with RA friends. I have numerous AIs including 'Fibromyalgia'. Will check out your ebook too truly appreciate your investigations.
DIAGNOSIS OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: How reliable are free thyroid and total T3 hormone assays?Thyroid Hormone, Thyroid Hormone Metabolites and Mast Cells: A Less Explored IssueThe use of thyroid hormone liothyronine in patients with heart failure - Another Pearce-linked TrialRole of hepatic deiodinases in thyroid hormone homeostasis and liver metabolism, inflammation, and fibrosis
Distinguishing different responses to thyroid hormone medication in a group of patients on T4 only
