I am in a lot of pain. All my muscles are very tight and stiff. ROCK HARD. My arms, shoulders. legs, butt, back, neck......there is no part on my body that isn't rock hard tight. I had someone touch my upper arm lightly, they were shocked how rock hard my arm was. It hurts to bend, sit, stand, walk.
I have to sit in a very, very hot bath for a very long time and massage my whole body to relax these muscles for at least 40 minutes every morning. They relax, I feel better, but 4 hours later/next day pain comes again. It's like cramps that don't go away, they last all day.
Blood test back, doc says we checked everything, everything ok. I asked for a copy today, everything ok....vitamin d 91.
Rheumatoid factor ok.
TSH 1.7 mu/L.
Calcium level 2.36, corrected is 2.33
I've been taking a lot of magnesium and potassium for weeks now, doesn't really help.
I also don't have a lot of energy. Get tired and weak quickly.
Could thyroid cause this? Do i need more thyroid tests? TSH was the only one done.
Can someone help, I feel horrible and everything hurts.
What could this be?
Thank you!!!
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BlueStars01
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Hi there - have been doing some research and I know potassium is something that should not be taken lightly - it can cause paralysis i.e. muscle issues.
Hi OK - good you know it can be a 'nasty' but would it be worth stopping it for a few days to see if that helped with the pains. Although you said the pains started first so might be a waste of time I suppose.
I would suggest that you give yourself a week off the magnesium and potassium to see if it helps.
Are you taking anything prescribed apart from thyroid hormones e.g. statins? Statins can cause muscle damage.
Do you include salt in your diet? If you take extra potassium you may need extra salt too. There is a careful balance required between salt and potassium, and disturbing this balance can cause problems.
Why do you take potassium? I take it for cramp and muscle spasm/twitching, but only when I need to, not all the time. If you are taking it every day it may be too much.
Do you hyperventilate? Excess CO2 in the blood can cause muscle rigidity.
Could you be dehydrated? Being dehydrated can cause problems with tight muscles. It's simple to test. Drink a glass of water and see what happens.
Could you be waterlogged? Do you drink too much fluids? You could be diluting your electrolytes (magnesium, potassium and sodium are all electrolytes.)
Referring to magnesium oxide, this is a very poor supplement that is poorly absorbed. If the three types of magnesium you take are all one product can you give me the name of the product (or products if there is more than one), please. A link to the product(s) would be helpful too.
Ditto for the potassium gluconate.
Are your kidneys working well? Excess magnesium ought to be excreted by the kidneys in urine if the kidneys are working properly. The magnesium could build up in your body if your kidneys can't excrete the excess.
I think your problem is way beyond my limited knowledge.
I can suggest some limited things you can search for to see if you can identify your problem, but you really need a doctor. You could go to A&E if the problem persists.
Potassium is NOT a mineral one would want to mess with.
Speaking of which have you had all you minerals checked?
When I was over medicated on thyroid meds my muscles ached a lot. So possibly being under medicated or not medicated at all could have same effect if needed. My doctor said the 450 mcg T3 a day he was prescribing me ‘wouldn’t hurt’ either. And I believe him... because he’s a doctor. When I told him I felt terrible, he just kept increasing the dose. It’s awful, the misinformation we might get.
450 mcg T3 a day! I have never heard of such a high dose. Your body must be struggling massively to need that that. Even with zero thyroid function for over sixty years I could not take that. Take care
That problem is caused by doctors using only the TSH to monitor your response to medication. They need to be testing Free T4 and Free T3 to see how far through the range your results are. Overmedication becomes immediately obvious when the Frees are over range.
How long have you been suffering—when did it start? Was it after an illness or just a random “woke up one day and had it ever since” scenario? Gradually getting worse or ebbs and flows? Are you male or female? How old?
I can’t see that your doctor has tested everything—something that might be worth a test is Vit B12 and folate. On the face of it, this doesn’t seem thyroid-related but your doctor’s only done one of the tests so it’s not definitive.
I’d lay off the potassium—it would be unusual for you to have a deficiency and it doesn’t look like it’s making any difference. You’re just making it harder for your body to achieve a balance and it could throw off your heart rate.
I’d do some more guessing but you’ve not given us much to go on so far.
Hi, I wanted to say a huge thank you for replying. It turned out to be a reaction from artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols!!! After doing a lot of research I found a blog post where a lady had the exact same problem and she figured out it was a reaction from artificial sweeteners. She was sweetening her ice tea with a diet artificial sweetener. She stopped taking it and all her muscles and joints relaxed and pain away. Another medical journal where a lady diagnosed with fibromyalgia stopped taking sucralose artificial sweetener after 10 years and her fibro went away in weeks!!! I was taking vitamins which contained sugar alcohols like sorbitol and artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, stopped taking them, a month later muscles relaxed and this was completely gone! I then accidentally drank a drink with an artifical sweetener my friend gave me and it came back! Now it's completely gone and hasn't come back!!! I'm still shocked something simple like an artificial sweetener can cause this.....it was like a crazy side effect........thank you again for answering and trying to help!!
That’s really interesting—and slightly scary in some ways because increasingly artificial sweeteners are being put in all sorts of foodstuffs because it’s “better” than sugar. Maybe not!
Might be something for me to consider, in fact...
So glad that you’re feeling better—thanks for the update x
Sorry to see youre having such a hard time at the moment, Im in exactly the same situation so I understand very well.
It definitely is hypothyroidism, a significant percentage have muscle pain and stiffness its one the classic symptoms and references to it can easily be found. I have sore tight extremely dry and itchy skin too not much fun on such painful muscles. I also have the exhaustion and weaknesss plus plenty hypo symptoms, and I bet you have too.
Google hypothyroidisms effect on muscles and you’ll find countless articles on it. Muscles are described as being a major target for thyroid hormone and they need lots of it to work properly . Hypothyroidism causes muscles to lose their plasticity hence the reason for the stiffness, the muscle fibres change and are easily damaged and take much longer to repair. Basically it all goes wrong and its easy to understand why they are so painful. My worst are shoulders, back, ribs which feel unbearably stiff tight and painful, calves and feet and the pain can feel unbearable at times. Ive described the pain as being like having muscles filled with broken glass, its horrible and very hard to deal with.
Ive been in this position many times and usually an increase in levo would see a total resolution of symptoms within a few weeks but unfortunately not this time though. I think its low cortisol thats keeping me hypo so Im trying to get it sorted .
The only thing that fixes this is optimal thyroid treatment and all the previous times its happened the difference in a matter of a few weeks with proper treatment is staggering, to go from this to symptom free in weeks is nothing short of amazing.
Normal thyroid tests mean nothing, many many people are told the same despite being unwell, yet doctors insist nothing wrong so it cant be thyroid. Were told it must be something else, I was recently told fibromyalgia, absolutely not, he was supposed to be an expert and an expensive one with it. I have no thyroid with very obvious severe hypo symptoms but it must be something else as my blood tests look good. Hell no !!, for me that was the final straw with doctors with my thyroid.
Theres a number of things that can stop thyroid treatment working, vitamin deficiencies, for some its food intolerances, too high or too low cortisol and Im sure theres probably more.
Tsh is useless test, doctors are obsessed by it but it doesnt tell you anything worth while . You need T4 and T3 ( the most important one) but its rare to get your doctor to do those most of us have to pay to get our own. I use medichecks a lot of us do here and Ive always found them good.
Theres always a reason why thyroid treatment isnt working well its just figuring out what that is which takes time.
Sorry but Il have to leave it for now Im not good and need to stop but hopefully someone more knowledgable will be a long soon to tell some of things to start checking. If not write a new post asking. It
Hi, I wanted to say a huge thank you for replying. It turned out to be a reaction from artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols!!! After doing a lot of research I found a blog post where a lady had the exact same problem and she figured out it was a reaction from artificial sweeteners. She was sweetening her ice tea with a diet artificial sweetener. She stopped taking it and all her muscles and joints relaxed and pain away. Another medical journal where a lady diagnosed with fibromyalgia stopped taking sucralose artificial sweetener after 10 years and her fibro went away in weeks!!! I was taking vitamins which contained sugar alcohols like sorbitol and artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, stopped taking them, a month later muscles relaxed and this was completely gone! I then accidentally drank a drink with an artifical sweetener my friend gave me and it came back! Now it's completely gone and hasn't come back!!! I'm still shocked something simple like an artificial sweetener can cause this.....it was like a crazy side effect........thank you again for answering and trying to help!!
have u just started or increased thyroid natural hormone OR T3 by itself. I got those tight muscles when starting n THYROID extract (natural pigs thyroid)..I assumed it was the T3? I had to back off and add in more T4. Without the fT3 levels and fT4 levels you will not know.. My most worry so=ytpkm on taking my first 1/2 grain of THYROID was my bladder muscle locked up and I couldn't pee. I stopped thyroid meds for 3 days..and the muscle relaxed and it came out. I figured it was just the muscles were not used to having thyroid T3 hormones. With the bladder I was told by a urologist that there is a sphincter that is very sensitive to T3..which explains it. Heart muscle is also sensitive but not as much so for me!
I can't tell you or advise you on anything but if really worried then just stop the thyroid hormones. by day 3 you will know for sure if it was them or not...
I had extremely tight thigh muscles at another time too... I really didn't work it out but maybe it was that my autoimmune system was reacting to foreign thyroid hormones. I took thyroid for about 16 years before I then came down with PMR (which has very painful but not tight muscles..after which I was on prednisone. I have always found when on any steroid-like cortisol or prednisone that I no longer need T3 the T4 seems to convert OK? or the T3 can get used up somehow more easily by my body..again it's not a known. all I know is I'm fine now on synthetic T4..at least until I come off pred. I ended up with brain vessels damage (moyamoya -like syndrome) and I do not know how..so maybe do not ignore it just as no one knows. Hope someone DOES know though. That's why I told you about my stopping when I couldn't get my bladder to empty. after 3 days I knew what caused it. If nothing changes look for something else you have done or changed
Tell your dr to check your T4 and T3 levels. That is very important as well. Also ask them to check your Vitamin B12 levels . Maybe also check for autoimmune diseases
Correction, the FREE T3 and FREE T4. If you just say T3 and T4 to a doctor, they will order your Total T3 and T4. A lot of the Total is bound up and can't be used by your body.
Hi, I wanted to say a huge thank you for replying. It turned out to be a reaction from artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols!!! After doing a lot of research I found a blog post where a lady had the exact same problem and she figured out it was a reaction from artificial sweeteners. She was sweetening her ice tea with a diet artificial sweetener. She stopped taking it and all her muscles and joints relaxed and pain away. Another medical journal where a lady diagnosed with fibromyalgia stopped taking sucralose artificial sweetener after 10 years and her fibro went away in weeks!!! I was taking vitamins which contained sugar alcohols like sorbitol and artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, stopped taking them, a month later muscles relaxed and this was completely gone! I then accidentally drank a drink with an artifical sweetener my friend gave me and it came back! Now it's completely gone and hasn't come back!!! I'm still shocked something simple like an artificial sweetener can cause this.....it was like a crazy side effect........thank you again for answering and trying to help!!
Eat a banana every day and try electrolytes. When I started meds gor my Thyroid since my FT3 was very low I was also given that and my creatine kinase was high indicating muscle damage it eventually went away.
I’m going to propose something alternative yet simple as I too have woken up today with aching legs.
I ate bread last night and I know this is always a trigger hence I rarely eat bread.
Would you be prepared to try and experiment? Cut out all wheat and flour for a week - bread, pasta, cakes, etc.
You may also try other common culprits like milk, sugar and other grains to see if you get relief. I feel best on a low carb diet free of all processed food.
I echo gluten free. Just try it. Give it 4-6 weeks as it takes that long to clear the body. And it’s in everything so be specific. Soy sauce, some mustards.... so many things have gluten. It’s not just bread and pasta.
Thyroid issues are auto immune. Gluten sensitivity is autoimmune. Not saying you’re celiac. I’m not, but can’t eat gluten. I feel awful when I do. Not as you describe but exhausted, puffy, hivey.... as DK123 says: just try it.
my celiac test came back negative but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a degree of insensitivity/intolerance. Doctors don’t really get involved in nuances.
I would also suggest stripping out all processed foods as you just don’t know what’s lurking in them.
Hi, I wanted to say a huge thank you for replying. It turned out to be a reaction from artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols!!! After doing a lot of research I found a blog post where a lady had the exact same problem and she figured out it was a reaction from artificial sweeteners. She was sweetening her ice tea with a diet artificial sweetener. She stopped taking it and all her muscles and joints relaxed and pain away. Another medical journal where a lady diagnosed with fibromyalgia stopped taking sucralose artificial sweetener after 10 years and her fibro went away in weeks!!! I was taking vitamins which contained sugar alcohols like sorbitol and artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, stopped taking them, a month later muscles relaxed and this was completely gone! I then accidentally drank a drink with an artifical sweetener my friend gave me and it came back! Now it's completely gone and hasn't come back!!! I'm still shocked something simple like an artificial sweetener can cause this.... by the way bread can contain artifical sweeteners!! .it was like a crazy side effect........thank you again for answering and being helpful!
Hi, when did your symptoms start? It's just a thought, but consider getting a Covid-19 test too, to check if you still have antibodies (which would confirm you had it). Severe muscle pain and fatigue are some of the key, recurring symptoms reported by those with Long Covid, some eight months on from being diagnosed with or suspected as having caught. Some symptoms last hours, days or weeks, and recur after periods of feeling better. I am on a Long Covid social media group.
Hi, I wanted to say a huge thank you for replying. It turned out to be a reaction from artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols!!! After doing a lot of research I found a blog post where a lady had the exact same problem and she figured out it was a reaction from artificial sweeteners. She was sweetening her ice tea with a diet artificial sweetener. She stopped taking it and all her muscles and joints relaxed and pain away. Another medical journal where a lady diagnosed with fibromyalgia stopped taking sucralose artificial sweetener after 10 years and her fibro went away in weeks!!! Another journal describing a man who was chewing gum every day with a sweetner had horrible arm pain for 2 years and it wouldn't move. Once he stopped chewing, it went away. I was taking vitamins which contained sugar alcohols like sorbitol and artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, stopped taking them, a month later muscles relaxed and this was completely gone! I then accidentally drank a drink with an artifical sweetener my friend gave me and it came back! Now it's completely gone and hasn't come back!!! I'm still shocked something simple like an artificial sweetener can cause this.....it was like a crazy side effect........thank you again for answering and trying to help!!
Hi, I wanted to say a huge thank you for replying. It turned out to be a reaction from artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols!!! After doing a lot of research I found a blog post where a lady had the exact same problem and she figured out it was a reaction from artificial sweeteners. She was sweetening her ice tea with a diet artificial sweetener. She stopped taking it and all her muscles and joints relaxed and pain away. Another medical journal where a lady diagnosed with fibromyalgia stopped taking sucralose artificial sweetener after 10 years and her fibro went away in weeks!!! I was taking vitamins which contained sugar alcohols like sorbitol and artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, stopped taking them, a month later muscles relaxed and this was completely gone! I then accidentally drank a drink with an artifical sweetener my friend gave me and it came back! Now it's completely gone and hasn't come back!!! I'm still shocked something simple like an artificial sweetener can cause this.....it was like a crazy side effect........thank you again for answering and being helpful!
Certain medications, such as statins, can also cause muscle rigidity.
Some medical conditions may also contribute to it. These include:
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes nerve problems and a loss of control of voluntary muscles
chronic exertional compartment syndrome, which is an exercise-induced muscle and nerve condition that causes pain and swelling
chronic fatigue syndrome, which is a condition that causes extreme fatigue, sleep abnormalities, and muscle pain
claudication, which is a condition in which cramping occurs due to a lack of blood flow to the muscles, usually in the legs
dehydration, which is a condition that develops as a result of not drinking enough water
delayed-onset muscle soreness, which is a condition characterized by muscle pain and stiffness that develops hours or days after very strenuous exercise
dystonia, which is a condition that causes random and involuntary muscle contractions
fibromyalgia, which is a chronic disorder that can cause muscle soreness, pain, and rigidity
lupus, which is a chronic inflammatory disease that can cause pain and stiffness in the joints
Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which are tick-borne illnesses that can cause nerve damage
myofascial pain syndrome, which is a chronic disorder in which pressure on sensitive points in the muscles causes pain
Parkinson’s disease, which is a progressive neurological disease that affects movement
polymyalgia rheumatica, which is a chronic inflammatory disease that can cause muscle pain and stiffness, especially in the shoulders
repetitive strain injury, which is an injury to the muscles or nerves as a result of muscle overuse
rheumatoid arthritis, which is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting the joints, especially those in the hands and feet
Hi, I wanted to say a huge thank you for replying. It turned out to be a reaction from artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols!!! After doing a lot of research I found a blog post where a lady had the exact same problem and she figured out it was a reaction from artificial sweeteners. She was sweetening her ice tea with a diet artificial sweetener. She stopped taking it and all her muscles and joints relaxed and pain away. Another medical journal where a lady diagnosed with fibromyalgia stopped taking sucralose artificial sweetener after 10 years and her fibro went away in weeks!!! I was taking vitamins which contained sugar alcohols like sorbitol and artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, stopped taking them, a month later muscles relaxed and this was completely gone! I then accidentally drank a drink with an artifical sweetener my friend gave me and it came back! Now it's completely gone and hasn't come back!!! I'm still shocked something simple like an artificial sweetener can cause this.....it was like a crazy side effect........thank you again for answering and being helpful!
Hi, I wanted to say a huge thank you for replying. It turned out to be a reaction from artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols!!! After doing a lot of research I found a blog post where a lady had the exact same problem and she figured out it was a reaction from artificial sweeteners. She was sweetening her ice tea with a diet artificial sweetener. She stopped taking it and all her muscles and joints relaxed and pain away. Another medical journal where a lady diagnosed with fibromyalgia stopped taking sucralose artificial sweetener after 10 years and her fibro went away in weeks!!! I was taking vitamins which contained sugar alcohols like sorbitol and artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, stopped taking them, a month later muscles relaxed and this was completely gone! I then accidentally drank a drink with an artifical sweetener my friend gave me and it came back! Now it's completely gone and hasn't come back!!! I'm still shocked something simple like an artificial sweetener can cause this.....it was like a crazy side effect........thank you again for answering and trying to help!!
I'm so sorry your experiencing very debilitating symptoms. From my personal experience I found that I had terrible muscular pain in my thighs making it very difficult for me to climb stairs from T3/NDT that was way to high for me even though it was a low dose . But for me it was obviously to much. Lowering my T3/NDT made a huge improvement and raising the T4 just a minute amount to compensate for the lower T3 . Adding magnesium vitamin "D"/K2 , calcium, fish oil, boron vitamin "C", Celtic Sea Salt for electrolytes/adrenals. . I found to be very helpful.
Hi, I wanted to say a huge thank you for replying. It turned out to be a reaction from artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols!!! After doing a lot of research I found a blog post where a lady had the exact same problem and she figured out it was a reaction from artificial sweeteners. She was sweetening her ice tea with a diet artificial sweetener. She stopped taking it and all her muscles and joints relaxed and pain away. Another medical journal where a lady diagnosed with fibromyalgia stopped taking sucralose artificial sweetener after 10 years and her fibro went away in weeks!!! I was taking vitamins which contained sugar alcohols like sorbitol and artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, stopped taking them, a month later muscles relaxed and this was completely gone! I then accidentally drank a drink with an artifical sweetener my friend gave me and it came back! Now it's completely gone and hasn't come back!!! I'm still shocked something simple like an artificial sweetener can cause this.....it was like a crazy side effect........thank you again for answering and being helpful!
BlueStars01 Thank You so much for your Great and very Informative up date. I'm so happy that you resolved what causes your muscle problems. It's very interesting that many times we find that certain foods can cause us aches/pains . Night shades e.g. sweet potatoes ,tomatoes, peppers etc may cause arthritic pains. Thank you for sharing your information . I'm sure many will find it very helpful including myself.
Hi there I am very surprised I didn't pick up on the fact it was sweeteners - having had a terrible experience with them - I used to ache like mad when I took anything with aspartame etc. in the food etc. - I used to drink nothing but diet coke years ago and it has been said that it can cause Lupus taken in high amounts - which I did - I used to drink loads of diet coke thinking it was better than normal coke. After that if I had any sweetener without knowing it - I would ache and really badly - particularly the legs and thighs - and then my husband would go hunting for what product contained the sweetener so we could avoid it ! Considering it was developed as an ant killer and got through the FDA rather hurriedly - it is a neuro toxin for ants and doesn't particularly warrant being used in the food industry - in my opinion - so when food companies say they have reduced sugar - yes great - for what - a sweetener which can issues. Glad you have realised what it is - also keep an eye out for mannitol which can cause bowel problems. Keep well.
I replied b4, but I agree with jgellis. Also as she mentioned magnesium, Epsom salt baths recommended immediatley.(at least a 30 min soak and 45 mins to an r if possible every day)..just keep adding hot water to stay warm! It helped with the tight muscles symptoms..as did lowering the dose of Natual Thyroid (or T3) and slightly adding i some plain T4. Magnesium is a muscle relaxant. It was/ maybe still is used in hospitals to prevent labpur contractions ..so if can hold off those by relaxing , it can relax everything...which is also does by causing diarrhoea and loss of control of all of that too... (well it did to the person who said it was used on here in hospital to hold off and delay the contractions)... If I remember right. I do know it's a muscle relaxant and Epsom salts beths..while not a cure will provide a little partial relief.
Hi, I wanted to say a huge thank you for replying. It turned out to be a reaction from artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols!!! After doing a lot of research I found a blog post where a lady had the exact same problem and she figured out it was a reaction from artificial sweeteners. She was sweetening her ice tea with a diet artificial sweetener. She stopped taking it and all her muscles and joints relaxed and pain away. Another medical journal where a lady diagnosed with fibromyalgia stopped taking sucralose artificial sweetener after 10 years and her fibro went away in weeks!!! I was taking vitamins which contained sugar alcohols like sorbitol and artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, stopped taking them, a month later muscles relaxed and this was completely gone! I then accidentally drank a drink with an artifical sweetener my friend gave me and it came back! Now it's completely gone and hasn't come back!!! I'm still shocked something simple like an artificial sweetener can cause this.....it was like a crazy side effect........thank you again for answering and being helpful!
wow, that's interesting and so pleased you found the cause!! I'd already stopped all artificial sweeteners, and I knew sorbitol was bad as my son as a baby (1983( had back-arching fits after a panadol where they had changed the sugar to sorbitol..apparently it killed some babies, but nothing on the label and nothing ever said. I was told to use Panamax in future...hope that is still real sugar! .. good to know in case I am ever tempted with the late prednisone weight gain!
Hi, I wanted to say a huge thank you for replying. It turned out to be a reaction from artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols!!! After doing a lot of research I found a blog post where a lady had the exact same problem and she figured out it was a reaction from artificial sweeteners. She was sweetening her ice tea with a diet artificial sweetener. She stopped taking it and all her muscles and joints relaxed and pain away. Another medical journal where a lady diagnosed with fibromyalgia stopped taking sucralose artificial sweetener after 10 years and her fibro went away in weeks!!! I was taking vitamins which contained sugar alcohols like sorbitol and artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, stopped taking them, a month later muscles relaxed and this was completely gone! I then accidentally drank a drink with an artifical sweetener my friend gave me and it came back! Now it's completely gone and hasn't come back!!! I'm still shocked something simple like an artificial sweetener can cause this.....it was like a crazy side effect........thank you again for answering and trying to help!!
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