Painful shins

[Bate]

Since having to increase thyroxine to 175mcg I have been experiencing what I can only describe as shin splints ! Is this a known side effect of thyroxine?

[RedApple Administrator]

Bate, painful shins can be a symptom of both too little and too much thyroid hormone. If you didn't have this problem before increasing your levo dose, it might mean that you're now on too much levo. I would be tempted to try alternate days of 150mcg and 175mcg to see if that solves the issue.

[Bate in reply to RedApple]

Thanks it’s most bizarre!

[RedApple Administrator in reply to Bate]

If it's thyroid related, it's likely to be bizarre

[Sid_Arthur]

Hello Bate - saw your post, & thought you may appreciate this info:

One underlying biochemical cause of (long term) shin splints could be calcitriol levels being too high, consistently. Calcitriol is the ACTIVE hormone in the (misnamed) "vit D" system.

However, you are relating the appearance of your shin splints to increasing thyroxine ( - interestingly !). Would be interesting to know how the thyroid hormones affect calcitriol levels. Does it increase them by any chance ? Worth considering.

One reason calcitriol blood levels can become high, especially with supplementation of cholecalciferol ( - or "vit D3"), is the presence of chronic inflammation-causing or auto-immune type conditions - there is a whole range of such conditions. The presence of any one of such conditions is likely to also be indicated by elevated CRP and ESR levels - how are yours ?

Will be interested to know if the present shin splints symptom improves by reducing your thyroxine dose for a week or . . . . . three. You may like to consider whether that is worth a trial in your case ?

AtB,

Sid

23 June 2020

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[Bate in reply to Sid_Arthur]

Hi Sid thanks for the info,interestingly I have been taking vit D3 since beginning of lockdown as I’d read it has benefits if infected with Covid ! I’m actually feeling less symptomatic from thyroid issues since increase in Levo so hopefully TSH beginning to head towards 1 or just below where I know I feel so much better.I will stop taking vit D and see if things improve,due for another TSH level in a couple of weeks so will see where things are then 😊