Cramps in legs toes hands ribs

[sued007]

Hi after a tt a few years back I'm on thyroxine 200/150 on alternate days but getting lots of cramps despite being hydrated take electrolyte drink but no real help any ideas.

[AliTai]

Hi Sued007,

Talk to your doctor about your calcium levels. When they take your thyroid they often traumatise your parathyroid and that interrupts your ability to absorb calcium properly. I had pins and needles and muscle cramps for ages and tried everything (apart from a proper calcium supplement that is) my doctor put me an Adcal and low and behold... no more cramps or pins and needles.

Hope this helps and keep well

[jimh111 in reply to AliTai]

Very good advice. Low calcium can be dangerous. Since it would be difficult to get a blood test at the moment I would supplement with Adcal or similar, speak to a pharmacist. Sometimes calcium deficiency can be due to low magnesium so I would take a magnesium supplement also but not poorly absorbed forms such as magnesium oxide. Magnesium deficiency can also cause cramps but perhaps not as widespread as yours.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Low vitamin D is EXTREMELY common on levothyroxine and this often leads to very low magnesium too

betterbones.com/bone-nutrit...

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

livescience.com/61866-magne...

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

Magnesium supplements frequently help improve cramps

Magnesium must be four hours away from taking levothyroxine. Best taken afternoon or evening as helps sleep too.

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common,

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Is this how you do your tests?

Private tests are available. Thousands on here forced to do this as NHS often refuses to test FT3 or antibodies

thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testin...

For thyroid including antibodies and vitamins

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin or Blue Horizon Thyroid plus eleven are the most popular choice. DIY finger prick test or option to pay extra for private blood draw. Both companies often have special offers, Medichecks usually have offers on Thursdays, Blue Horizon its more random

Come back with new post once you get results

[pennyannie]

Hello Sued

Can I just say, that a fully functioning working thyroid would be supporting you on daily basis with approximately 100 T4- ( Levothyroxine is synthetic T4 thyroid replacement ) plus 10 T3 - ( Liothyronine is synthetic T3 thyroid replacement ) :

Personally, I just think it makes common sense that if there has been a medical intervention and the thyroid either surgically removed or ablated with RAI that both these vital hormones be on the patients prescription for if and probably when necessary.

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 a level of wellbeing acceptable to the patient.

The body runs on T3 not T4 and read T3 is about 4 times more powerful than T4.

So if only on monotherapy with T4 thyroid hormone replacement you have already ' lost ' your own T3 production of about 10 which equates to about 20% of your overall wellbeing.

Your conversion of T4 into T3 within your body can also be compromised if your vitamins and minerals are not optimal in the ranges. It is not acceptable, to be just in the ranges, as frequently deemed ok by the medical profession.

Over time this down regulation may take it's toll, your body may not be able to compensate long term without putting a further strain on your body.

The thyroid is a major gland, responsible for full body synchronisation, your mental, physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing, your inner central heating system and your metabolism.

In order to have a more detailed reply of your own situation it is necessary to undertake a full thyroid blood test including the vitamins and minerals as already detailed on this amazing website. There are private companies who can action this for you, and whom offer home visits.

If your thyroid was removed because of Graves Disease you might like to take a look at the Elaine Moore Graves Disease Foundation website.

You also might like to acquire the book Your Thyroid and How To Keep It Healthy written by a doctor who hypothyroidism. Barry Durrant-Peatfield writes in an easy, sometimes funny, insightful way and we do need to know what this amazing little gland does so we can try and compensate accordingly.