Joint pain

[Phronsias2]

Hello

I have had joint pain for 5 or 6 years, for the past 10 months or so the pain in my hips and hands has really increased ,I cant put my socks or shoes on, if I drop something I kneel down to pick it up,or just leave it, I find it painful to walk sometimes very painful. Is there anything I can do to relieve the pain ? I also have a compressed spinal cord from August 2019 but I have had joint pain before this.

Thanks in advance

Frank

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Phronias2

Have you tested nutrients? Low Vit D can be a cause of joint and muscle pain.

[Phronsias2 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi

Thanks for your reply,

how do I test these? is it something I can do myself?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Phronsias2]

Phronias2

You could ask your GP but he may not do them all, they don't like doing Vit D as they say it's an expensive test.

Medichecks and Blue Horizon do them, as part of a thyroid/vitamin panel, eg Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold (can be done by fingerprick or venous blood draw) or Medichecks Thyroid Check UltraVit with Folate (can only be done by venous blood draw).

[Phronsias2 in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks

[Bluespots in reply to SeasideSusie]

Useful info for me too if I need extra tests in future. thank you. Do GPs recognise the results of tests from these labs ?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Bluespots]

Bluespots

Some GPs will accept them, some wont. If your GP won't accept them then it's your cue to suggest that he does the tests himself 🙂

[SlowDragon Administrator]

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

Are you currently taking T3 as well?

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

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies

Ask GP to test vitamin levels

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)

If/when also on T3, make sure to take last third or quarter of daily dose 8-12 hours prior to test, even if this means adjusting time or splitting of dose day before test

Is this how you do your tests?

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus vitamins including folate (private blood draw required)

medichecks.com/products/thy...

Thriva Thyroid plus antibodies and vitamins By DIY fingerpick test

thriva.co/tests/thyroid-test

Thriva also offer just vitamin testing

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes antibodies, cortisol and vitamins by DIY fingerprick test

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...

If you can get GP to test vitamins and antibodies then cheapest option for just TSH, FT4 and FT3

£29 (via NHS private service ) and 10% off if go on thyroid uk for code

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...