Tingling feet: For many years I have had pins and... - Thyroid UK

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Tingling feet

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For many years I have had pins and needles in my feet. Drs haven’t been interested, but lately the feeling has spread up my shins and my hands also tingle. The soles of my feet feel as if they are on fire. Today’s Dr, yet another locum was at a loss. My B12 and D3 are fine, no sign of diabetes.

Does anyone else experience this?

Di

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30 Replies
greygoose profile image
greygoose

When my B12 is low, yes. What do you call a 'fine' B12? Is it over 550?

Is your hypo adequately treated? Being hypo can cause all sorts of problems with feet, including neuropathy, which it sounds as if you're suffering from. :)

in reply to greygoose

B12 was 433 but I now take 1,000 sublingual. He also ruled out neuropathy because I could feel him touch my feet.

Hypo fine. TSH 0.02 but I prefer it down there.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to

OK, that all sounds good. Are you also taking a B complex, to keep the Bs balanced?

Have you had your potassium tested? When my potassium is low, I feel it in my feet.

in reply to greygoose

Taking a B complex but will get potassium tested. Thank you.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to

You're welcome. :)

in reply to

Hi Hylda it might be a reaction to nicotinamide present in over the counter prescriptions. The symptoms are like those described with tingling and burning feet. Niacin is linked to liver damage. To cool down feet you could try peppermint foot lotion after soaking feet in a tepid bath. Dry skin on legs can be treated with Neutrogena foot cream . Removal of over supplementation of niacin may improve the burning and tingling . Had the same problem with prescription of nicotinamide or niacin. Some foods can be too high in niacin. You can try myfooddata.com which gives daily values of vitamin b in foods. Compression gloves and socks can take the tingling away. Your doctor should be able to advise you about this .Niacin or nicotinamide is known to affect the liver as a side effect. I had a similar problem and stopping niacin made the burn itch disappear.

in reply to

Many thanks, food for thought.

in reply to

You are welcome.

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

The soles of my feet feel as if they are on fire.

I have had that from time to time. I know it's not my B12 because both Total B12 and Active B12 levels are very good.

Burning feet syndrome is listed in signs/symptoms of hypothyroidism:

thyroiduk.org/tuk/about_the...

It's in the "Pain" category.

What are your current thyroid test results/ranges, not just TSH but FT4/FT3?

FT4 12.6 (7-20 )FT3 5.04 (3.10-6.8)

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering

Hylda

FT4 12.6 (7-20 ) = 43% through range

FT3 5.04 (3.10-6.8)= 52% through range

How do you feel, thyroid-wise?

What thyroid meds are you on?

Those levels could be better. The aim of a hypo patient generally, when on Levo only, is for TSH to be 1 or below or wherever it needs to be for FT4 and FT3 to be in the upper part of their reference ranges, if that is where you feel well. If on combination - NDT or Levo plus T3 - one would expect to see FT3 highish in range and FT4 can be wherever it is needed to suit the individual.

Am on 125 Levo and have sourced T3 myself. Take 12.5 and due another Medichecks in a couple of weeks. Keep trying to balance because of AF.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to

What sort of a balance are you trying to keep? I don't understand that comment. :)

FancyPants54 profile image
FancyPants54 in reply to greygoose

She has atrial fibrillation.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to FancyPants54

Yes, I do know what AF is. :) I'm interested in what she means by 'balancing' - balancing what?

FancyPants54 profile image
FancyPants54 in reply to greygoose

Sorry. Thought you might thing she meant adrenal fatigue, when I know Hylda is in the Atrial Fibrillation group. Only trying to help.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to FancyPants54

Yes, I know. Thank you. :)

in reply to greygoose

Drs are continuously worried that if your TSH is very low then it must be the Levo aggravating the AF. I feel better with it very low and my cardiologist doesn’t see that as a problem but the Drs keep wanting to cut my Levo.

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to

Just tell them that TSH has nothing to do with hearts. It has two jobs: Stimulate the thyroid to make thyroid hormone. Stimulate conversion of T4 to T3. That's all it does. It doesn't even tell you if you're on the right dose of levo, because TSH is affected by two hormones: T4 and T3. So, your TSH could be suppressed, but your FT3 too low.

T3 is the active hormone, needed by every single cell in your body - including the heart - the heart needs a lot of T3, and is likely to be adversely affected by low T3 - having the right amount of T3 in your blood will more than likely suppress your TSH. So, their logic is totally skewed.

in reply to greygoose

Luckily last time I had a Dr who went by symptoms. I have added 12.5 T3 to the mix but don’t seem to be having miraculous results like others

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply to

Miraculous results on just 12.5 mcg T3 would be very rare. It's only a small dose. Besides, it takes time. A lot of your T3 receptors will have been turned off, and the body will need to feel secure in the supply of T3 before it will turn them all on again.

The problem with going by symptoms is that so many symptoms can be both over and under-medicated. You should always have labs to back them up. Just not go by the TSH because that tells you so little.

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to

Hylda

If you click on the blue REPLY directly below the message you are responding to that member is then sent notification of your reply, otherwise it can go unnoticed as you are replying in the box that says "Reply to Hylda".

Considering that you are taking combination replacement hormone, your FT4 may be fine but your FT3 is rather low, may be best around 70% through range, perhaps 5.7+ so maybe a small increase in your T3 at this stage.

What are your current levels (results rather than just saying "fine") of Vit D, Folate and Ferritin. I'd also test Active B12 as that is a better test than to total B12.

in reply to SeasideSusie

Folate 23.2. Range 4-20. Ferritin 79 12-250. D3 told normal.

SeasideSusie profile image
SeasideSusieRemembering in reply to

Folate 23.2. Range 4-20

Folate should be at least half way through range. High folate, I have read, is supposed to be OK if B12 is high.

Ferritin 79 12-250

Ferritin is recommended to be half way through range. If you aren't supplementing then you can raise ferritin by eating liver regularly, maximum 200g per week due to it's high Vit A content, also liver pate, black pudding, and including lots of iron rich foods in your diet

apjcn.nhri.org.tw/server/in...

D3 told normal

Ask what the level plus unit of measurement is. Normal doesn't mean anything. Adequate, according to the NHS, is >50nmol/L but the level recommended by the Vit D Council/Vit D Society/Grassroots Health is 100-150nmol/L.

Too much Levo makes palpitations start. Too little and I’m urgh!

Eating plenty of pate. D3 73 (30-300) so I supplement. Maybe I need to lower fruit intake to lower my folate.

SlowDragon profile image
SlowDragonAdministrator

This is peripheral neuropathy

Vitamin D is likely too low.

How much vitamin D do you supplement?

Do you take magnesium

If vitamin D is low, B vitamins may be too. As explained by Dr Gominack

drgominak.com/sleep/vitamin...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Your thyroid levels look a bit low

Remember to stop taking any supplements that contain biotin a week before any blood tests (e.g. Vitamin B complex)

Supplement D3 1000iu and Magnesium 2x187.5 mg. As I’ve said before I also have Atrial Fibrilation and if I over do the Levo I have long episodes. It’s a fight with Drs to keep it at 125. Have to wheel out the Cardiologist.

Den1987UK profile image
Den1987UK

Hello Hylda good evening Yes I experience this It has a name Burning Feet Syndrome I think it is on the symptoms list on thyroid UK website and Periphiural Neuropathy both common with under medicated hypothyroidism.

in reply to Den1987UK

I mentioned neuropathy to the Dr today but he didn’t think so as I could feel him touching my feet! Think I will push for a referral to a neurologist if it gets much worse.

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