Jaw and Shoulder Pain

[HeartWoman]

Did anyone have jaw and/or shoulder pain that was eventually relieved once they found their sweetspot?

I am 24 days on 100mcg T4 and 5mcg T3. I have the jaw and shoulder pain, plus still very tired. I think the brain fog is somewhat better. It is hard to sort out brain fog and fatigue at times. I can still get moody at times.

I have seen neurologist, orthopedic specialist, allergist, etc. and they find nothing that would cause these symptoms.

All the recommended nutritional levels are optimal and I take 2000-3000iu of D3 a day. I am also on estrogen and have been for a long time. I take Adderall to keep me going so that I can continue to work.

I am on a CPAP and have met with a slept tech 3 times and nothing really stands out there, but I am going to try a different mask to see if I rest better.

My GP, who is working with me, wonders if something else is going on. I was treated for Lyme disease in 2016 and he wonders if that has flared back up.

I am hoping as I get closer to my optimal dose these pesty things go away. I don't do the things I enjoy or keep a house clean to my standards right now. Thus is very unlike me. I am generally looking for the next adventure.

I have my order for bloodwork at the 6 week point. I wonder if a bump up in T3 will do the trick. I guess I will know after I get the bloodwork. Actually, I hope this is my dose and it greatly improves over the next few weeks.

Just wondering if anyone had the jaw and shoulder pain and it was eventually resolved after getting on thyroid.

[GlowCoach Administrator]

6 weeks ago you went up to 75mcgs Levo only and now you are on 100mcgs levo plus 5mcgs T3. Thats a lot of change in a short space of time firstly. Its recommended to change just one thing at a time to know what is helping and what isn't.

What were your blood results on 75mcgs levo?

Sleeping with CPAP can put a strain on neck/jaw muscles so do check out a good pillow that is supportive in whatever position you usually sleep in.

Being hypo causes weakness and also we may not be as active as we were before. Doctors are really not good at all with functional muscle and joint issues. Unless they can see it on an x ray or MRI then they are stumped.

I have found a chiropractor helpful for soft tissue injuries or you could try an osteopath if the thyroid hormone doesn't do the trick.

[HeartWoman in reply to GlowCoach]

I have been on 5mcg of T3 since January. I was on 75mcg of T4 for almost 6 weeks and increased to 100mcg 3 weeks ago. The only change was the increase in T4. I was surprised my doctor didn't get my bloods drawn before the increase, but I was so symptomatic he just increased. I don't know if it was the best decision, but sticking to it for now. I had the jaw pain prior to the increase, so was wondering if others had this too from hypothyroidism.

I have been on CPAP for 6 years and the pain in my jaw started about 2 years ago. It has been off and on, but seems more on than off for the last 5 or so months. I had bad jaw pain several years ago, but when I went on NatureThroid, it eventually went away along with my other symptoms. Once it went out of production in 2017, it has been a struggle. I was on 2.5 grains.

I have been under or not medicated for thyroid for several years now. I am really hoping once this dose settles in, things will be much better. I don't want to go through another dose increase. I just don't feel luke me at all and haven't for some time.

[GlowCoach Administrator in reply to HeartWoman]

I had bad jaw pain several years ago, but when I went on NatureThroid, it eventually went away along with my other symptoms.

That's probably your answer right there. get your thyroid hormone levels right with levo+ T3 and it will resolve.

Are you also working on vitamin levels?

[HeartWoman in reply to GlowCoach]

I take Vitamin D. Everything else was optimal.

[SovietSong in reply to HeartWoman]

Also surprised your GP didn't take bloods prior to that latest increase.There are plenty of crossover symptoms regarding over and undermedication and plenty of people have gone to there GP's seeking an increase when in fact they need a decrease.

[HeartWoman in reply to SovietSong]

Maybe....I didn't request an increase. I just told him my symptoms.

I just emailed him to let him know I was still struggling. I definitely still felt awful on 75mcg., so not sure what his thinking was. Maybe it was the right amount and just needed more time to settle. I guess I will know more in a few weeks.

I don't know if getting bloodwork now would help much.

[SovietSong in reply to HeartWoman]

Yeah jaydee is much more clued up than me on this and I'm speaking from my own experience but I'd say she's right about your dose going up to quick and not having time to settle properly. I've been guilty myself in the past. Not easy to be patient when having so many symptoms and we just want to feel well.

[SovietSong]

I have increased my Levo too quickly in the past and gotten those symptoms you mention shoulder, jaw and ear pain as well as the brain fog.Im only now getting to know my symptoms of hypo/hyper.If I'm undermedicated I get fatique, constipation, joint pain and chills and if I'm overmedicated I get the ones you mention above along with stomach issues.

[HeartWoman]

I have had the jaw and joint pain for a long time. I definitely still have the fatigue, constipation, and low body temperature. I don't have stomach issues. I haven't improved much on the 100mcg increase yet.

[MrPeaPaw in reply to HeartWoman]

I had jaw pain and a "restless ankle" on T4 only. Now that I'm on T3 mono therapy my life long constipation and fatigue are finally resolved as well as the jaw pain.

Most people get better on T4. I hope you find your "sweet spot". My early treatment in 2020 was seriously botched and I'm not really sure I gave levothyroxine an adequate chance, so I'm not advocating for any specific therapy.

[SovietSong]

After over a year of my GP messing my dosage about I'm only now getting back to a settled level.From my personal experience take any thyroid related views from your doctor with a large pinch of salt.

[HeartWoman in reply to SovietSong]

I know...but when you feel awful and finally have a doctor willing to work with you, it is hard to know what to do. For so long my symptoms were ignored by all the other doctors. I do wish he would have tested now though. I don't have new symptoms, so I don't think I am over medicated. I pretty well have the same ones I have dealt with for a very long time.

[SovietSong in reply to HeartWoman]

Yeah defo should have done bloods.Thing is you are only just over 3 weeks on new dose and can't really be tested for another 3-5 weeks now.

[arTistapple in reply to HeartWoman]

By all means work with the doctor. However I bet you find out before too long the depth of their ignorance. If it’s otherwise, click your heels and get on with it. I get jaw and shoulder pains. Shoulder pains I have been living with for ages. Anything can set it off, although it’s present in some form all the time. Under jaw and in front of ear comes and goes. For me it’s under medication. In fact I have muscle problems everywhere truth be known. I think they are a bit better or I am used to them and choose to not let them get to me now. Although I had high hopes when I started medicating. What a disappointment that was! So back to working through it. I look forward to being properly medicated as I am sure that will set me up much better but it’s a long road.

[HeartWoman in reply to arTistapple]

I hope you feel better soon.

[Brightness14]

Yes I have pain sometimes when low on T3. Mine started with pain in a forty year old injury in my ankle. When I was about to take my second PM dose of NDT it usually started to hurt.

Then I had a pain in my knee which was over 20 years old injury. Now my brain is directing the pain to my back but when I reach my correct level of FT3 these disappear weird but true. I find it strange that nobody else has suggested it before.

Patients are misdiagnosed with all sorts of odd things which cannot be tested they are just labels.

Today I have no pain as I am once again reaching my correct level of T3.

[Batty1]

Maybe you have TMJ or your grinding/ clenching your teeth which can cause jaw pains.

[HeartWoman in reply to Batty1]

Maybe, but I don't know what is causing it. I am not stressed or anything like that.

[Gingernut44]

Jaw and neck pain, usually glands in my neck, is a sure sign to me that my T3 level is too low. Hang on in there until your dose is optimal for you and then you’ll know if it’s something else.

[Bearo]

I don’t have continual jaw pain but the right side of my jaw won’t go back into place properly if I open my mouth too wide and then it hurts for a while and makes eating and yawning difficult as it feels like it’s going to dislocate. Just recently I did start wondering if it’s linked to thyroid.

Also shoulder pain. Never had problems before but recently felt like I’d pulled a muscle and I haven’t been able to reach up for weeks without feeling a lot of pain. If it was a pulled muscle it’s taking a long time to get better. Again, not sure if thyroid related.

[jade_s]

Yes I had a stabbing pain around my shoulder blade areas that went away after many months of treatment. My knees were doing weird things too.

What Batty said for the jaw. If on the wrong mask/pressure you might be grinding teeth at night.

Low D & B12 can also cause pains.

[HeartWoman in reply to jade_s]

I don't have low D or B12.

I just changed to a different CPAP mask, so maybe that will help. I am trying different pressures and paying close attention to my numbers.

I am 4 weeks today on this dose. The fatigue is pretty bad right now. The pain comes and goes.

I did request to see a sleep specialist to see of she sees anything with my sleep.