Hypothyroid joint pain

[UKGirl66]

Hello, I would love to hear from anyone who is hypothyroid with joint pain.

I have very swollen knees, lower back pain and now sharp pain in the hip area. Has anyone else suffered this and does anyone have any advise? It does get worse with stress.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Welcome to the forum

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking

How long on that dose

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

Many people find different brands are not interchangeable

ESSENTIAL To test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 at least once a year

When were vitamin levels last tested

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Low vitamin D is EXTREMELY common with hypothyroidism, especially autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

Have you had thyroid antibodies tested

[radd]

UKGirl66,

Welcome to our forum,

Do you have Hashimotos autoimmune disease?

By its very nature Hashi encourages aches & pains due to the accompanying inflammation it creates within our bodies. It also predisposes us to other autoimmune conditions such as RA (rheumatoid arthritis), and so why it is important to lower elevated thyroid antibodies.

Great advice from SD above.

[SarahJane1471]

Yes. Lower back/knees/shoulders/elbows/wrists. Now I am up to 100mcg of Levo the pain is getting a little easier. I take Glucosamine Condroitin along with all my other vits 🤷‍♀️.

[TSH110 in reply to SarahJane1471]

I wonder what your results have been. Sounds like you might still be under medicated if there’s been an improvement with a dose increase. You need 6-8 weeks before it could be increased again if symptoms persist and results indicate there’s room for an increase. Vitamin D can be lacking and can cause problems too so deffo get that tested. Thyroid hormones are very important in things like bone turn over regulation and more, it can cause a plethora of músculo skeletal disorders. I’ve had a belly full - Achilles tendinitis, frozen shoulder, bakers cysts, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis, rib fractures, costochondritis, trapped nerves, TMJ….. It’s a wonder I am still pretty mobile!

I couldn’t get along with glucosamine or condritin they made me feel sick.

There are scholarly articles linking músculo skeletal disorders to thyroid disorder. I’ll try and dig some out for you.

Here goes:

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/128...

jnnp.bmj.com/content/68/6/750

musculoskeletalkey.com/musc...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi...

To give a few….

[SarahJane1471 in reply to TSH110]

Good point! I’ve had knee and Achilles’ tendon pain for 2 years. I didn’t realise it was a symptom. Also carpal tunnel syndrome 🤦‍♀️

[TSH110 in reply to SarahJane1471]

They are classic symptoms

[Anthea55 in reply to SarahJane1471]

I had problems with glucosamine. I understand that it can be made from the shells of shellfish, so beware if you have a shellfish allergy. This link may be useful.

webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingre...

It seems to suggest that you should not take it long term. It also gives side effects and warns of interactions with other drugs.

[Jodypody]

Yep I have this so I increased slightly my dosage but I had associated over replacement symptoms so I’ve had to reduce back again I guess glucosamine might have to do

[Marz]

Inflammatory flare ups can be linked to food sensitivities too. The gut can be the source of so many issues. There are days when all my joints are so painful to touch - and on other days they are more manageable. Swimming is when I feel "normal" ...

A recent badly swollen and painful knee was diagnosed as tendonitis and on-line physio helped me to improve. Have had several attacks of hip bursitis and shoulders and elbows are also OUCH ! I had surgery for spinal stenosis in 2007 - and that has become a daily battle to remain comfortable. Keeping up with the required exercises is challenging ....

I have Hashimotos - take T3 and all the supplements suggested here !

Hope you soon find some answers 🌻

[PrincessAnnie]

I do but this time it’s been really bad,I can usually work through it,I’ve found that yin yoga really helps me.

[radd in reply to PrincessAnnie]

PA & Marz ,Yes, yin yoga allows space for deep connective tissue work, and to just chill, turning inwards. Namaste 🧘‍♀️

[DippyDame]

Yes, I had a lot of pain in all parts of my body before I was optimally medicated.I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia but never convinced about that!

Occasional lower back pain only now, but still a bit stiff....that could be old age though!!

You are very likely undermedicated.....very possibly low T3

Perhaps also low Vit D

Are you currently medicated and if so what dose do you take?

Essential to optimise relevant nutrients ( see below re tests)

Hypothyroidism can cause accumulation of fluid in the body /joints as metabolism slows, this can cause swelling and stiffness which can cause pain

Do you have Hashimoto's disease/thyroid autoimmune disease?

This can also cause inflammation and joint pain.

Full thyroid test will evaluate your thyroid health

TSH, FT4, FT3, vit D, vit B12, folate, ferritin and thyroid antibodies TPO and TG.

Many of us have private tests because NHS tests are limited

thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

Come back with any questions you have and members will help

[JAmanda]

Yes had all that -lower back and hips really awful. Almost perfect now that T3 and t4 are high in range and so long as I supplement folate magnesium and d3+k2. Not absolutely sure which of the abov e actually fixed the pains - suspect magnesium and folate key for me as they get very low as soon as I stop supplementing.

[CoeliacMum1]

HiYes my main problem has been joint stiffness and musculoskeletal aches and pains, especially my back, pelvis and hip, but do also have neck shoulder issues too but those I can cope with, and high creatinine levels… all of which can be thyroid.

The back etc knock me off my feet for months at a time.

I’ve had loads of tests and nothing found, 2 full skeletal mri scans and again majority all ok on scans just a few degenerative discs (wear & tear) which was found to be normal at over 50 and level I have shouldn’t cause any pain, I was told.

I’m obviously coeliac (my name😂) have also hypothyroidism/Hashimoto’s and Pernicious anaemia along with being perimenopausal. 🤦🏻‍♀️

So I’ve eliminated all Drs consider is a possibility weight and dozens of physiotherapy sessions both private and NHS, I don’t have any inflammation so ruled out some things … I had privately £2k worth of immunology and checked for Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus checked for Multiple myopathy panels and dermatomyositis has come back a slight positive, it might mean nothing, it will be checked when 6 months are up. I’m assuming that if it’s still positive it is possible it could have the condition.

Being coeliac and having a high probability that my levothyroxine wasn’t either being absorbed well or a having conversion problem (other food sensitivities can I assume have similar outcomes).

I first made sure I took same brand of levothyroxine as the lactose free definitely caused digestive problems for me, that helped absorption I’m sure my TSH dipped on Accord/Almus and felt a bit better, I kept diary as aware many have problems with additives in these meds.

It was questioning my conversion was the area I went to my GP with, as NHS weren’t willing to look at thyroid more as TSH in range, it was always above 2 sometimes 4 and I could correlate my worse attacks to when my TSH was higher actually, and they wouldn’t test my Free T4/T3 to check conversion.

I got referred to endocrinologist on the basis my GP (the senior of the practice) didn’t know this area very well, and at present taking Liothyronine (T3) my levothyroxine was juggled about and still no increase in FT3.

Now on Liothyronine it’s moved up a bit.

It’s early days but where I’m still getting slight problems, I’ve found my recovery is good so far and I have just had my review on my first lot of meds and I’m taking it for another 4 month’s at least.

I’m going to get a U& E creatinine test very soon to check if it’s helping any in that area too.

Before going on Liothyronine I did start hrt and found that helped with my stiffness.

On looking at conversion of thyroid hormones I am a poor converter only on that basis was I given option to add T3, now at a stage of juggling it all but my endocrinologist wants my Tsh a bit higher 🙄, which think you’ll find is most often the case with mist endocrinologist but I’m at the experimental stages.

Although I went below range I didn’t actually get any hyper symptoms.

I’m persevering with Liothyronine but I think I did expect miracles from it, so we will see if it’s the magic pill I actually need, it’s early days, just need to rule out coincidence of better outcomes to be fair as been here before without Liothyronine.

I’m not aware I’ve had any better cognitive abilities or more energy, definitely no warmer.

Positives maybe a few pounds lighter and it maybe helping muscle recovery, at present still ache but it’s not severe.

I did notice raise in heartbeat but after 2wks that settled that’s about it.

Regarding stress and muscular problems that is often the case, our muscle tense when stressed, I was initially given low dose of diazepam to stop this tension to relax me, but I never took them, I just never fancied them.

If it’s not thyroid related (which many do get)and if not already tried, try magnesium.

I use Neom Magnesium butter topically (it helps) but many need it in diet too it’s a mineral many are deficient in there’s numerous types of magnesium some are better at not causing digestive upset.

Then there’s obviously hrt as amazingly this area is vast regarding symptoms it’s not all just hot sweats and not all women in their 40/50s, younger & older can still have problems.

what others have mentioned regarding getting all thyroid tests done and medication at optimum place along with other tests for Iron, Ferritin and Folate, various vitamin & minerals and these levels in a good place, is where to start.

I’m assuming you’ve ruled out by various scans of any joint problems?

Hope you feel better soon, it’s dreadful being incapacitated

[Batty1]

Yes and its life sucking

[a1glenn]

I experienced joint pain until I started on Cytomel. It made a huge difference.

[jamesal0]

Joint pain for me is not getting enough thyroid hormones . You will also get finger tip and foot sole pain if you overdo thyroid hormones. I would increase levo by 25mcg for a few days and see how you go. Just break a 50mcg in half and add to your normal daily dose. And consider Natural Desiccated Thyroid (NDT) - but that requires a whole lot of work on your part.

[UKGirl66]

Thank you so much for all of the very helpful replies. I am hypothyroid and have been on 50mcg for 23 years. My joint pain along with foggy brain, depression and sleep issues started with the menopause and so I have been trying to pick this apart for the last five years as the cause could be one or both. I have tested thyroid and bit/min levels on several occasions over the past few years but results are always ok. I also changed brands a year ago, thanks to advice on this website, which helped (no mannitol now). I’m on Eltroxin. I also take a magnesium supplement which did help but doesn’t make much difference now. I started HRT a week ago and am still hoping that might help, but no change so far.

I think inflammation is my biggest problem. Mild osteoarthritis has been diagnosed on left knee but both are substantially swollen which limits movement and aches constantly. I wonder if the back and hip problems are a result of this as it affects how I walk with good days and bad days for no apparent reason other than stress. Lots of that lately.

I’m going to get my own blood tests done with Medicheck to see what’s going on as your advice suggests. Has anyone else used this company?

[CoeliacMum1 in reply to UKGirl66]

Over compensation from knee is it causing hip problems or is it hip causing knee has this been ruled out?

My mums conundrum

Her first pain was in her knees, that eased with the help certain bandage type aids, but she got hip pelvis pain, oddly they gave her hip replacements in both hips,, she was bit better at first after op but it’s her knees now, they could see her knees weren’t very good at the time but her hips were far worse condition hence why did replacements first and was told afterwards her knees contributed to her hip problems, but her knees have now wore out.

So was it hip caused knee problems 🤷🏻‍♀️

After her last op she encountered heart problems from anaesthetic so now in chronic pain living on pain relief and steroid injections with limited mobility, as she’s too scared to have knee operation now she’s 80.

I obviously had all these areas checked to rule out hers was osteoarthritis,

I still feel there’s a problem or my posture that is the trigger, but I’m trying to rule out thyroid as so many have musculoskeletal problems.

Your hrt could take a while and may need upping or changing if not absorbing the oestrogen assuming you’re on transdermal.

There’s been a lot of problems with oestrogel

Look on Dr Louise Newson website she is menopause specialist she on most social media platforms and there’s a balance app which might be helpful.

balance-menopause.com/

I had relief within the week for stiffness on hrt but that’s where it stayed, I increased dose then ended up with a bleed so had to eliminate endometrial problems too 🤦🏻‍♀️

I had to come off for various tests and scans before going back on it.

I’m now back on hrt which coincidentally I had started T3 medication few days before so I’m actually not sure which is which that’s helping (probably both) that said I still had many twinges on hrt the previous year and have been a bit better so maybe T3 is actually helping but time will tell.

I’ve only had NHS or referral to specialist for checks … I can’t comment on other companies that do tests as not used them, but I do know my GPs surgery are very sceptical, mainly due to some companies not being regulated.

I have no idea of the one you mentioned is regulated or know any others to suggest.

I guess you could say to GP that you understand NHS won’t test these areas, but if you mentioned you’re willing to get a private test and if anything questionable would they look in to it?

I asked my GP similar regarding getting tested and a dna one for conversion problems, and if she knew of any regulated companies that I could use and would she be willing to look at results and into this area for me… I just got referred to endocrinologist, she said that area was beyond her knowledge in that area, but I did have health insurance, so slightly different circumstances.

[RoboTh]

I have significant pain in my middle finger, wrist pain reduced movement & pain in all fingers on diagnosis of hypo now resolved. Hip pain (new)

[Lulu2607]

Hi UKGirl. I was just wondering if you've had any improvement with your joint pain since you posted and possibly find something to help? I get bad hip pain, ribs etc but recently my ankle has given me a lot of trouble with very bad pain and weakness when walking but no one here has mentioned ankles much.

[UKGirl66]

Hi Lulu,

I have started taking HRT which helped a little and I invested in an EMS machine. Now that has been miraculous. An hour of that relieves pain and gives me lots of flexibility. It obviously reduces the inflammation. I hope this helps.