Terrible leg pain at night - two weeks in on Levothyroxine

[Harribear]

Hi everyone, only two weeks in and I've learned such a lot on here already! It is another 4 weeks till my next blood tests and I'm a bit all over the place with my energy levels, which I guess is only to be expected and which I can cope with. What I'm struggling with is the terrible leg pains that wake me up every single night and which paracetamol seem to have very little effect on. They affect mainly below my knees and disappear during the day when I get up. What's strange is that I am finding it easier to get up the stairs and get around (I just put the muscle weakness down to being unfit and overweight) now that I am on levo, but this pain in the night is driving me crazy. I had a telephone appt with my gp last night and at my next bloods I will also be checked for b12, as my mum can't absorb it, but he did say this is not something that runs in families.

Any advice on how to deal with this pain would be appreciated.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Harribear

It's not cramp is it? If ever I get cramp it's always in my feet/legs and only ever in bed.

Have you had Vit D tested? Muscle and joint aches and pains can be low Vit D.

If your mum can't absorb B12 that surely is Pernicious Anaemia and it can be familial.

[Harribear in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thank you for your reply. The pain usn't sudden its just a really bad ache (not sure if that counts as cramp) Not had anything other than the basic blood test, which showed my tsh to be 78. I am very tempted to just pay for a vitamin test just to know for sure. When I spoke with the gp yesterday I mentioned the b12 and didnt think he was correct when he said it didn't run in families.

[Sparklingsunshine in reply to Harribear]

Hi

If its PA then it's definitely a family thing lol. Same as thyroid disorders run in families. Many autoimmune diseases are genetic. My son has asthma as I do, they both get Hayfever which I suffered from badly as a child but I largely grew out of. Number 1 son gets it badly. Your GP needs to educate him/ herself.

[Harribear in reply to Sparklingsunshine]

He's lovely, but he clearly hadn't read my notes as he wasn't sure why I had an appointment yesterday.... He had no idea that my thyroid results had come back so high and was discussing the anti depressants I'd been put on two weeks before diagnosis. At least he sent me for bloods though, as I'd probably still be undiagnosed now.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Harribear]

You need vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12 tested NOW

and testing for pernicious anaemia as your Mum has PA

Also thyroid antibodies and coeliac blood test, as detailed in previous post

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu....

You could test vitamin D now

Vitamindtest.org.U.K.

vitamindtest.org.uk

[greygoose]

Cramp is when your muscles suddenly sieze up. You could try taking some magnesium, see if it helps - most people are deficient in magnesium.

Is it muscle pain? Or joint pain? Or even skin pain? The skin on my feet and legs is painful when my B vits are low. If it's muscle pain, you could be deficient in zinc - a lot of hypos are - but best to get that tested first. Test zinc and copper together, because they need to be kept balanced.

[Harribear in reply to greygoose]

It's definitely not cramp then, as it's a constant painful ache; it feels like I've walked 20 miles (which I certainly haven't!). I will try magnesium, as I have some in the cupboard that my daughter takes. Think I will bite the bullet and get some tests done. Thank you x

[greygoose in reply to Harribear]

Yes, I think testing nutrients is the best way to go.

[humanbean]

Personal anecdote :

One or more of the following have caused leg pain in me at some point in the last few years. I don't always find it easy to identify which one might be affecting me on any particular day.

1) Low iron

2) Low magnesium

3) Low potassium

4) Low sodium

5) Low vitamin D (no longer an issue since I supplement regularly)

What I do if I get pain...

I create a "potion" containing quarter of a level teaspoon each of magnesium citrate powder and potassium bicarbonate in water (it doesn't taste nice) or a small beaker of orange juice (which disguises the taste to some extent).

If it is going to work it will do so within 5 - 10 minutes.

If I still have pain I will take an iron tablet - I use ferrous fumarate 210mg. I used this to raise and then maintain my iron and ferritin levels for several years, but I no longer take iron as a general rule, other than the very occasional one for leg or knee pain.

If I still have pain after that I try taking quarter of a level teaspoon of salt (for the sodium) in water. Again, it should work within 5 - 10 minutes if it is going to work.

If I don't get any relief from any of the above then I will use extra pillows in bed to give extra support where it might help - usually under my knees.

[humanbean in reply to humanbean]

I should point out that I am an ex-heavy smoker and I'm in my 60s. I suspect the source of any leg/knee pain that I get is due to poor circulation caused by my age and history of smoking.