I have been following the advice of people on this forum for awhile. I have followed all suggestions about when to test (time), what to not take until after testing, etc. All vitamins levels are good.
About 6 months ago my legs started with numbness and tingling. Then I had /have weird sensations. Not so much a pain feeling rather electrical charges and not in one spot. The pain travels from shins to hips to rear end and knees. I can't tell where it's coming from; joints or muscles. I also was gaining weight and had cold extremities. My main doctor upped my NP thyroid to 150 mg (2,5 grains) a day which I divide. It hasn't helped with leg issue. He's a homeopath so just said to eat a Mediterranean diet, take Turmeric, Ginger, anti-inflammatory foods, etc. I have always eaten healthy, no junk.
Anyhow the pain sometimes at night will be in one leg, mostly knee and it is getting a bit better because I have started wearing compression socks. I really wanted to know what is causing this; hypothyroidism or something else. So, I went to another doctor he ran Ultrasounds on my arteries and veins and also my thyroid gland. The veins and arteries are ok. My thyroid has a nodule that I have to get a biopsy. But this new doctor said I am taking too much so he wants to lower the dose. He said my TSH levels are too low and that means I am taking to much UGH!!!
Has anyone ever had any pain like this? I read somewhere that if thyroid medication isn't optimum, joint and muscle pain is possible?
Recent blood work
TSH <0.007 ulU/ml Low
T4 6.5 ug/dL in range
T3 4.3 pg/mL in range
<1.8 Thyroglobulin Antibody, S ref range <4.0
Thanks so much for any input!!!
Written by
garden2020
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Yes I split doses; am 1.5 grains and early afternoon 1 grain. I followed all guidelines I have read in this forum for testing. I take many supplements; all required for thyroid function i.e. iodine, selenium, etc plus D-3, Multi, B complex and B-12.
My folate range is correct and was higher last test. I just looked up high folate levels and discovered I am taking too much. There is 400 mcg of folate (folic acid) in my multi my B100's and also my B-12 supplement. I think I have been poisonings myself I just read about high folate levels and it can cause nervous system damage (Legs)? and cause tumor growth (Nodule in throat)? I sure hope I didn't create these health issues. I have to read more about tumor aspect because article mentioned too much folate versus too less.
Thank you for the info. My homeopathic (DO) said I should take iodine. Am so confused with doctors. AND was never tested. Will check out SeasideSusie's info.
Iodine is not recommended unless you have tested and are found to be deficient, and then it should only be supplemented under the guidance of an experienced practioner.
I would urge you to test with a non-loading test which can be done with Genova Diagnostics:
Iodine is an essential trace element, vital for healthy thyroid function. Adequate levels are required to enable the production of T3 and T4 thyroid hormones, whilst also being required in other areas of health.
Deficiencies can lead to impaired heat and energy production, mental function and slow metabolism. Urine iodine is one of the best measures of iodine status. This test is not performed as a loading test, but can be used to establish existing levels or to monitor iodine supplementation.
Thank you for the info. Will check it out. I had asked my doctor why he said I should take iodine (I believe it's a natural source; kelp) he said something about we can't get enough from food or something along those lines. Of course he sells supplements.
It doesn't matter about the source, iodine is iodine. If you include milk in your diet, yogurt, cod or haddock then these are all good sources of iodine. See :
article about nerve damage and folate. I am really thinking my leg pain is from too much folate after reading this and other articles. It would explain the weird sensations not being muscle or joints.
I haven't experienced the pain you are dealing with but I do take Natural Desiccated Thyroid which you take to the relief of symptoms and you certainly do not read or trust a TSH blood test reading when taking any thyroid hormone replacement.
With NDT you will likely have a TSH low suppressed - this is ok :
You may well have a much lower T4 than when on synthetic T4 ;
However your T3 will likely be higher than you had when on T4 synthetic :
and most doctors do not understand how to read NDT blood results as it is not taught in medical school which seems focused on synthetic thyroid hormones as the gold standard.
The TSH test was introduced to help diagnose a case of hypothyroidism and was never intended to be used once the patient was on any form of thyroid hormone replacement.
NDT has been used successfully for over 100 years to treat hypothyroidism and you simply, slowly, increase your dose by 1/4 grain increments until your symptoms reduce or that you feel slightly overmedicated, in which case you drop back down to the previous dose and stay there, letting that dose settle in.
When NDT was introduced there were no blood tests, guidelines or ranges and the doctor treated patients according to symptoms, and dispensed a little piece of pig thyroid to chew on.
If this measure didn't fully resolve the issues, a slightly larger nugget of pig thyroid would be dispensed until such time as the right size of nugget, for that patient, was established.
NDT is a licensed medicine in many countries and the pig thyroid dried down and ground into tablets, referred to as grains and an accepted treatment for hypothyroidism, though in the UK not well understood by current mainstream medical.
The blood test, ranges and guidelines were all introduced to be used alongside Big Pharma launching synthetic thyroid hormone tablets in the middle of the last century.
Do you feel better on NDT to synthetics - has your T3 increased since taking NDT and maybe you need a dose increase ?
No thyroid hormone works well until ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D are maintained at optimal levels and conversion can also be compromised by inflammation, any physiological stress ( emotional or physical ) depression, dieting and ageing.
So there could be issues here, and " knock on " issues, but if your T3 is in range, which it is, you are not overmedicated, and more than likely you may just need a little more NDT .
I have never taken synthetic thyroid. Here in US NDT is by prescription. I feel good on the amount I am taking but the "new" doctor I think is old school. I was worried that the NDT might be causing leg pain i.e. too much but after I read about high folate levels I think I stumbled on my problem. Please read my reply to SlowDragon it explains I have been taking way too much folic acid. I wouldn't have even considered this as the problem if I hadn't found this forum. Now I have to figure out how to reverse it. Buy a whole new set of supplements with not so much folate?
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
I just read about high folate levels and it can cause nervous system damage (Legs)? and cause tumor growth (Nodule in throat)? I sure hope I didn't create these health issues. I have to read more about tumor aspect because article mentioned too much folate versus too less. 
New here...would really appreciate advice! :-) 
Any help/advice will be welcome.
TSH - what should be the best level
