Inflammation only on right-side of body? With H... - Thyroid UK

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Inflammation only on right-side of body? With Hashimoto.

Singinginthewind profile image

Hi everyone,

Does anyone experience inflammation only on one side of their body with Hashimoto?

The left side of my body may only get very, very slight inflammation every now and then but the right-side of my body becomes so inflamed and painful; mainly my leg, hip and arm and then some in my face too. This comes when I seem to have a 'flare up' with even very minor stress. My left side stays normal and pain free.

When the right side flares up I get shooting pains in my head on the right side and feel like I am being suffocated on my right-side.

My Endo Consultant said this may be Neurological with the left-side of my brain miscommunicating with the right-side of my body, but I need to follow the Low Dose Naltrexone protocol for the next 8 weeks and see if that helps before an MRI may be required.

Has anyone else had this problem or know anything about it?

I would love to hear anyone's experience with this.

Thank you x

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Singinginthewind
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21 Replies
Lilac200 profile image
Lilac200

Hi. I have a lot of leg swelling on my left side, not nearly as much on my right.

I was originally treated for Graves' Disease (hyperthyroidism) when I was

eleven...did well until they changed the formula of the thyroid-replacement

drug when I was nineteen (a long time ago). Because I have so much trouble

with side-effects on the available drugs in the U.S. (where I am), I've often

been underdosed, just kind of to survive.

My case may not be exactly like yours, but at one point I was told by a big

teaching hospital that my swelling was thyroid-related; they called it

pretibial myxedema, which they say can happen if you've been treated

for Graves' even a long time ago. You can get swelling & redness with this.

Others have just called what I have lymphedema. I don't care what they

call it; in my heart I do think if I had thyroid medicine that really helped

me, I wouldn't have this swelling trouble at all, or more of it would go away.Again, I don't know that anything in my situation is helpful to yours, but

I just wanted you to know that another thyroid patient has trouble with

odd swelling! My best to you....

Josephineinamachine profile image
Josephineinamachine in reply toLilac200

Hi I have left side swelling in my face and my left side hip, leg, knee and shoulder trouble me as well. No idea why - GP no help. Went to an osteopath and he said obviously I want to feel all ‘right’ which he thought was hilarious. I would have thought it funny too if I didn’t have all these weird left-side things! Been going on for about 6 years now - diagnosed Hashis a few years ago. Don’t know if it’s related or not. Treatment hasn’t made it go away. This probably doesn’t help at all sorry - just wanted to let you know you’re not the only one!

Lilac200 profile image
Lilac200 in reply toJosephineinamachine

Thanks, Josephine. I'm in the US and been in a lot of thyroid forums, but I've

NEVER seen anyone bring this up in them. I do think it's related to thyroid,

somehow. I had neck pain where the thyroid gland would be, and had an

ultrasound done there, several months ago. The endocrinologist said my

thyroid gland looked "bumpy & lumpy, as is consistent with Hashimoto's."

And I said, what??? Because I was originally diagnosed with Graves', and

was told most of my gland would stop functioning as the years went on....

My weird swellings started when I began having extra trouble with the

thyroid meds (especially after one of them changed formula--Levoxyl.)

Thank you so much for writing me back, and for others who've responded

on this forum to the OP. I can see from the other posts that there ARE

others who have similar trouble, and it does make me feel a little better.

Especially interesting reading what Omze wrote, too. I'm going to print

out this discussion and talk about it with doctors, next time I go.

They will still probably look at me like I'm crazy, but maybe not.

Wow, your GP was a real comedian! I'm so sorry no one's been able

to help you with this, yet. Me, neither. But your post really helped me

a lot, just to hear from someone else with similar trouble. Thank you

SO much for getting back to me...it means a lot!

Omze profile image
Omze

Yes there is a word known as mirror inflammation , u may have one side inflammation like one lobe of thyroid large , one hand or leg myxedema , once sided clubbing , one sided watery eyes , one sided adrenal gland involvement , one side more swearing one sided more hair loss The main problem in this is ur one sided thymus and adrenal gland enlargement

Treatment in injectable iron

Hth

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply toOmze

'Treatment in injectable iron'

Omze, Please explain fully what you are saying here?

Omze profile image
Omze in reply toRedApple

Well Unilateral inflammation of the body is is very common in autoimmune diseases , where one one side of the body is almost normal and other half is having most of the symptoms of autoimmune disease like hashi , graves , myasthenia, autoimmune adrenaline and so on.The problem creating part of the gland is also on that affected part as well.

People suffering from autoimmune diseases have mostly problem in the thymus a gland in ur chest and adrenal hyperplasia.When u have severe autoimmune inflammation and body can't help to get rid it , it blockes to one half of the body so the other can remain almost normal or functions just like in cerebrovascular paralysis , Law of body survival mechanism achieved by gland thymus.

These people of unilateral inflammation suffer from reversal of adrenal circadian rhythm meaning worst after getting out of bed till evening and after evening till night they feel the best in a day.

Treatment to such a problem of unilateral inflammation, involving any gland thyroid , adrenal , ovary , pituitary etc is normalisation of circadian rhythm which was achieved with injectable iron not the oral and oral magnesium sulphate not the injection.

HOPE that explains.

Take care

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply toOmze

Omze, Where is the information you are giving here coming from? If you have found it online, please post a link so that we can verify what you are telling us.

Omze profile image
Omze in reply toRedApple

Hello againYou can go through Roitts essential immunology book for more details

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply toOmze

Thanks. Are you a medical student?

Omze profile image
Omze in reply toRedApple

Well I am internist and Rheumatologist

RedApple profile image
RedAppleAdministrator in reply toOmze

Interesting. What country?

Omze profile image
Omze in reply toRedApple

Last year I was in LRI leicester UK now in Pakistan

Lilac200 profile image
Lilac200 in reply toOmze

Thank you SO much for writing what you did, and for explaining

all of this. I've never gotten a really good explanation for my

left-sided leg swelling that everyone agrees with. I did start

with a bad case of Graves' when I was eleven (long time ago).

and now they say what's left of my thyroid gland looks like Hashi's.

Not enough antibodies to officially call it Hashimoto's, though.

My odd leg swelling developed after a thyroid-replacement drug

in the US (Levoxyl) changed formula, and I also got a rash on that

left leg, plus other symptoms. It does get a bit better or worse

depending on what thyroid medicine/dose I'm on, but it never

goes away. It's interesting that you mentioned injectable iron

and a form of magnesium in treatment, as I do notice that even

taking some oral iron and magnesium supplements seem to help

the swelling a little...swelling gets worse if my ferritin is too high

and I have to discontinue iron, or I'm not able to tolerate magnesium

for awhile (I have trouble tolerating all vitamins & minerals, sometimes,

as they can cause me hyperthyroid-type symptoms soon after taking.)

I'm going to print off this discussion and talk to my doctors about

what you've said. Your patients are lucky to have you as a doctor,

and I really thank you for giving us such useful information.

limonene7 profile image
limonene7

Yes, I believe there is a difference between the the left and right side of the body when it comes to the immune system. My left side tends to get more affected by inflammation than my right. I have sometimes reacted to nightshades and eggs were by my left cheek starts burning hot and goes very red. I used to put an ice pack on it to cool it down…it only lasted a few minutes but it only happened to my left cheek, my right was never affected.

I also used to see this bi lateral immune reaction on my dog too. His summer hay fever allergies would cause the skin around his right eye to swell and would cause an inflamed/infected irritated right ear. It was clearly his right side half of his body that was affected. I asked the vet about this and they agreed they thought there was a difference in the immune system on both sides.

CatsofCatford profile image
CatsofCatford

Yes, I am the same … well, very similar. Early on in my thyroid journey, after a medication change, I awoke one morning with numbness and tingling all down the right side of my body, and feelings of burning running up my leg. Was diagnosed with a stroke in A&E but later at the stroke clinic and following an MRI, this was ruled out and diagnosis was changed to “possible thyroid event”. Ever since I tend to get burning pain and slight numbness on my right side, particularly ankle/shin, arm and side of face. Some foods can bring it on like soy and nightshades. I also think it’s worse when I’m stressed. For awhile I worried it might be MS but my GP dismissed this snd showed no interest in exploring further so I’ve just got used to living with it. Am very interested in your experience therefore and wonder if you’d keep me updated? Good luck x

Lilac200 profile image
Lilac200 in reply toCatsofCatford

Hi, Cats. Thank you for sharing your experience--and wow, that's

really something how they changed the diagnosis to "possible

thyroid event." With mine, earlier on there were some endocrinologists

who thought it was thyroid-related, but as time goes on, other doctors

(including my current endocrinologist) look at me like I'm crazy when I

bring up a possible connection between the one sided-swelling and thyroid.

And I can't understand this, because my really weird swelling all started

when a thyroid drug I was on called Levoxyl changed formula.

Most of the doctors here just don't listen, or care.

I also can get some numbness on that side when I really feel drained out; ; sometimes taking a bit of thyroid medicine or iron helps with that

for awhile, but I'm still prone to getting the numbness or tingling--

it doesn't surprise me, as none of the US meds we have available now

help me properly, overall, and I still feel this is all thyroid-related. It's been a very long time since these thyroid meds really helped me Another drug, Synthroid, changed formula in the 1980s, and that really

wrecked everything for me, initially, and for my late mother, as well--

also a thyroid patient who'd had Graves'. Thanks for writing what you did--

it helps to hear about others' experiences.

bluejourney profile image
bluejourney

Yes, I also get most of my symptoms on one side - on the left - sudden onset high frequency hearing loss in my left ear, (had MRI brain scan following that, which was normal), restless leg syndrome almost always in my left leg rather than the right, tingling in my left leg, pain in my left hip, and when I had a short Synacthen test a few years ago I went into shock when they gave me the Synacthen, and I had myoclonic jerks all down my left side - face, arm and leg - for about 45 minutes. I thought I was having a stroke, (it wasn’t) and they just said it was an allergic reaction, but later proved not to be when I was given Synacthen successfully by slow IV push. No doctor has ever given me an explanation, and tend to look at me as if I’m totally deluded when I tell them my symptoms are left-sided. So I’m glad you posted on this subject. It’s re-assuring that it is actually a thing and I’m not mad!

nightingale-56 profile image
nightingale-56

During an MRI x-ray, the left side of my body only went very cold when a medium was administered. Shortly after I was taken back to the Ward, I was violently sick quite a few times. I\t has not seemed to affect me in the long term.

annca1 profile image
annca1

Well, thank you for asking this. All my problems are down the left side, intermittent, not constant. Face, shoulder, arm, leg, tingling, numbness. A few months before, left sided throat issues.

HowNowWhatNow profile image
HowNowWhatNow

I have inflammation of my right ear, tingling pains in my right hand and arm from time to time, inflammation of and staph infection in my right side nasal passage currently and have had 2 infections of my (right side - what else?) salivary glands this year.

Singinginthewind profile image
Singinginthewind

Hi everyone,

I have an update about the pain down one-side of body.

I had an MRI that showed all was ok. I then saw a Neurologist who told me it's something called 'Silent Migraine with Aura' and hormones and stress can cause the onset of it and with having Hashimoto, it will aggravate it and he prescribed Amitriptyline to take the nerve pain away. I didn't want to take it after reading some reviews so I just carried on with my normal pain killers.

Then, I went to the Dentist as I hadn't been for a few years and I was thinking I needed teeth out due to the pain one one-side. He x-rayed and done his tests and said my teeth are fine other than very tiny cracks, especially on one-side, due to grinding or clamping my teeth at night. He put some sealant on my back teeth and I am not kidding, my pain on one side of my body (head, arm, torso and leg) went from an 8-9 out of 10 daily, to a 1-2 out of 10. I am shocked. The Dentist told me he now sees regular patients with the same issue of nerve pain all down the body due to the grinding and people are unaware it's that causing all the other nerve an inflammation issues.

I then done some searching online about this and found a guy called Dr. Perry Nickelston who talks about nerve pains and how stagnant lymph and blood flow causes a lot of pain and problems and the site that you feel the problem doesn't necessarily mean it started there. He has a free 'Big 6' lymph routine which I am now doing and it is really helping increase my energy.

I just wanted to mention it incase any of this info may help anyone.

I hope this might help others and you feel better.

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