Hi, slightly off topic, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me why having Thyroid disease might result in a higher risk of having a hip bursitis?
I fell on my right hip whilst playing with my grandson in the garden last year. No ill effects, not even a bruise. Had been struggling with sitting on the floor, can’t cross my legs due to the pain in my hip. I put it down to maybe a bit of arthritis. In the last few months it’s got a lot worse. I am a side sleeper and swap from one side to the other several times in the night. My right side being the most comfortable. But no longer……. I see an osteopath who keeps my muscles relaxed about every 5 weeks. I mentioned the pain to her and she tested a few things and said it is probably Trochanteric bursitis. She said to not lay on it and ice it 3 x a day. The ice helps a bit but not always doable. I’m finding it frustrating not sleeping on that side too. Sleeping on my back makes my back stiff and I don’t like it as I also tend to snore.
I looked up T Bursitis and followed the instructions from a couple of medical places. One said that having thyroid disease might make me at a higher risk. It turns out my sister (who also has Hashimoto’s) had this issue several years ago. She had to have the cortisol injection to get rid of hers.
I had Coccydynia back in 1997 and had a cortisol injection to calm that. It worked and I just get the odd twinge now and then. Maybe I’m more susceptible?
Thoughts on the subject would be great and any advice also helpful.
I have a docs (phone) appointment on 22nd sept. I will mention it to her (the list is growing as I’ve had to wait 2 months), but it would be nice to know more about it so I can get some help more quickly than being fobbed off etc.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post ☺️ 🧁
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TSH 0.01 (range irrelevant, but 0.27-4.2 and 0.35-4.94)
FT4 15.7 April - (11.2-20.2) 12.2 July - (9-19.1)
FT3 4.9 April (3.2-6.8) 4.8 July - (2.4-6)
B12 April 1040 (180-770)
Folate April 5.9 (4-26)
Ferritin April 201 (30-300)
HbA1c 38
Followed the thyroid meds protocol for both tests. Taken at 9am
Stopped B complex for June and July, with just a methyl folate. Always struggle with folate level.
I take 100mcg levo and 12.5mcg T3 (Thybon) per day 5, 2.5, 5
Also have vitD plus k2 spray. Magnesium each evening.
Turmeric capsules with my evening meal.
B complex Thorne basic. VitD Betteryou. Mg and turmeric The Autoimmune Institute
DF and soy free. Struggle with GF. Have done it. Didn’t help masses, plus the alternatives give me tummy pains. Cook mainly from scratch. Eat plain food as can’t tolerate chillis and spices due to migraines (plus inside of nose closing up with chillis)
Not sure the issue is inflammation. Have had this at least a year. But it’s got worse in the last 3-4 months. Keeping it at bay.
I think the site I read said we could be more prone to it, but didn’t say it would be the cause. Inflammation as you say, probably not helpful in this situation.
I had a DEXA bone scan done end of July. The results were lost in the post………🤦🏻♀️ After me chasing and requesting (receptionist said they had “no capacity to chase” ), it was emailed. Doc appointment postponed by them to 22nd sept. I will go in an upgrade my Patient Access once this hot weather has flown off.
Thank you SD, I was actually thinking the very same thing about my Levo this morning! I have some 25mcg tablets, but they are Teva and I don’t like them. I’m going to ask the doc to prescribe some, writing not Teva on the script.
I’ve already upped my folate intake and will ask for that to be retested on next thyroid panel.
I won’t go via the endo as he wanted me to lower my Levo last year to try and get my TSH up to 0.03 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️ Really messed things up for me. So we’ll do it my way now (that’s the healthunlocked way tbh). I only keep him for the Thybon. Really do not want to change brands on that. I know Roseway might do it for me if I send my results, but not sure even they will be happy with a TSH of 0.01 🤷♀️
I’m a physio and SlowDragon is exactly right. It’s because of the underlying inflammatory issues.
Your osteo is spot on about icing it. There is a more invasive option often used to try and reduce the pain associated with bursitis, and that’s corticosteroids injection.
I’m not a big fan - there are so many associated risks with injecting steroids into your hip and in my experience I’ve only seen it work about 50% of the time. It might be worth considering if the pain is debilitating and not improving.
Some GPs advise they can do the injection but for the best success you want an injection done by a musculoskeletal expert and ideally under ultrasound guidance so they know they are getting it in the right place. There are some physios who undertake postgraduate education and are trained to do it, otherwise it would be best seeing an orthopaedic or sports medicine consultant.
Thank you for your advice. I will look into that once my GP has said her plan of action.
I had one of those injections in 1997. My Coccyx was inflamed. My then GP gave me the injection around the base of my spine. It was extremely painful and I nearly crawled up the wall. But it did work. I only get the odd twinge now. Although this bursitis is not helping that either.
Osteopaths are Ok but I would always advise when having joint problems to have them looked at by a doctor so X-rays/scans can be taken to give a correct diagnosis and lead to the correct advice/treatment. A friend of mine suffered from severe Sciatic nerve issues for 5 months, his visits to the Osteopath were expensive and they had no answers which they actually admitted to!
fortunately he was also seeng his doctor at the same time who pinpointed the problem with tests and treated him successfully and he made full recovery.
Hi thyreoidea, any chance you could know what tests/treatments your friend with sciatica had ? Being a sufferer myself I would be really interested to know ☺️. Thanks.
I have just spoken to my friend, he says that he had an MRI scan in the end as one of his big toes went numb and and has he is also diabetic it was a precaution, prior to that no other tests . He was on pain killers for quite a while but he says that when they gave him Gabapentin it was the next day that he had relief, he was on them for a short time but no reoccurrence of his Sciatica. Overall his lasted around 5 months.
Thank you for your reply. My osteo is not treating the issue. I asked her to investigate in can it was a tight glute causing the problem. She checked and said she was confident it is hip bursitis and to check with my doc.
Haven’t been able to even speak to my doc yet. And the appointment I had on 12th was pushed back to 22nd 🤨
I hope you get some speedy relief. I have had some ongoing joint problems and never thought of it being linked to my Hypothyroidism but will look into it.
Because we need adequate levels of thyroid hormones for our bodies to function best.
There exists a lot of bidirectional crosstalk between the endocrine and the immune system. T3 is a regulator of inflammation and the HPT is directly influenced by infection, inflammation and virus (think of the increased thyrotoxic cases during covid).
The other angle worth considering is if you have Hashi that induces chronic inflammation by its very nature. It can help to manage thyroid antibodies through g/f diet and use natural anti-inflammatories such as Vit D, curcumin, fish oils, etc, I have similar to you but affecting one of my knee pads. Ice is good, and I use a spray magnesium after exercise.
Hi I have RA as well as Hypothyroidism & get hip bursitis. Mine makes sleeping on my side very sore. If I touch a particular spot it’s extremely painful. I’ve had mine injected several times by my Rheumatologist & if done correctly into the exact spot then they work well for me. The relief is almost immediate & can last for a few years for me. Rheumy tell me I can have up to 3 injections a year but I’ve never needed to.
Hi yes you are exactly right about the correct person to do the injection. Also that it done correctly. You should be laid flat & rest for 48 hours after. I remember having one where I was standing & it didn’t last long at all. ( I’d forgotten about that actually) I’m not sure what to suggest as your best option as a Rheumy appointment would take months. Hope your GP has some suggestions x
Thanks. Yes, before covid hit I might have got an appointment pretty quickly here. Not so sure now. Ah well it will be an interesting conversation on 22nd ☺️
I had bursitis in both hips two years ago and it was extremely painful and limited my ability to exercise and live life normally. I am also hypothyroid and was undermedicated at the time.
I had Cortizone injections which helped with a pain, but did really fix the problem. I then had platelet enhanced plasma reinjected into my hips, and that finally has solved problem.
I had to see a sports medicine doctor privately in order to find a solution.
Ooh wow! That sounds painful. I will add you suggestions to my list. Let’s hope I don’t need the plasma. But if I do, I’ll be grateful for your suggestion
Thank you. I’ll definitely look into it. Although if you have to have decent platelet levels that might not be me. I have given blood, also my daughter. Asked if would donate platelets and neither of us had enough to spare.
Doctors, physios and chiropractors diagnose on ‘guesswork’ and more often than not guess wrongly. An XRay is useless with trochanteric bursitis. This is something I have been through for a good number of years now. Without an official diagnosis (official diagnosis is in fact trochanteric bursitis) I have come up myself with a diagnosis of hypothyroid myalgia or even hypothyroid myotonia. Whilst it’s in its inflamed state ice packs are the best thing. You can alternate with a hot water bottle but most important to always ice it firstand foremost, to reduce the inflammation. The inflamed state passes after some time but the hip can remain a problem. In my case, I can’t walk any distance without it kicking in. I just stop and start. However as my hypothyroidism still seems to be far from optimally treated and I still have the problem. I have had it so long now (with my very late diagnosis of hypothyroidism) that I have no idea if it will improve. I first noted it in 2009. My physio does not recommend a cortisone injection and as I have no faith in doctors now, I would not dream of getting one. I feel my best chance is to get my thyroid medication sorted.
Thank you for replying. I’m sorry to hear you have had this issue for so long.
My sister had the same problem about 5/6 years ago. Physio didn’t help her but an injection did. We now know she was hypo back then, but she was not even aware of the problem till they tested her for B12 deficiency and happened to add in a thyroid test.
I will definitely ice before heat. I have calmed it down somewhat with the ice. It’s not red and blotchy on that place now. But I’m desperate to sleep on that side. It’s my most comfortable side for my head, neck and shoulder.
I just hope I don’t get a bad migraine as I won’t know where to put myself with my hip so sore.
Ice pack for head neck and shoulders too. I have a drawer full ready in the freezer of the blooming things and three hot water bottles on standby too. Must admit over time I need them considerably less. They have been on hand for frozen shoulders, lower back etc. Inflammation has been under control in hip for a while now, even although it is still debilitating. Thank goodness.
Yes you can link almost any condition to hypothyroidism. However it’s because the condition is “the great pretender”. It can simulate the symptoms of many many conditions. Like this hip ‘bursitis’, which in my case isn’t. This is why huge amounts of money is spent by the medical profession on so many unnecessary investigations and false treatments. If the medics even half knew their business, (re: hypothyroid link) this sort of thing could be stopped before it becomes chronic, making recovery much more doubtful.
My legs were always the strongest part of me. Upper body not so good.
I’m a ballroom and Latin dance teacher. Used to teach children for 4 hrs on a Saturday, including rock n roll and freestyle etc. always joined in with the younger ones.
But since being undiagnosed and then diagnosed with Hashimoto’s I gradually did less. Then down to 2 evenings of adult classes (less exhausting). Also doing seated classes in a couple of care homes. Covid put paid to all that (I can’t wear a mask for too long due to migraines plus you can’t communicate with the elderly so well). And my first grandson arrived. So playing lots with him and now his brother.
But a lot of the pressure on my hip might come from sleeping on that side. And in the last 13 years (worst was 2010-2018) migraines sending me to bed longer and resting on my right side is better for my head (and recovery).
I’m determined that it has to go. It’s messing everything up. Can’t even do much housework without issues! I don’t do that much as it is and can’t afford a cleaner.
I’m going to try all the suggestions and am keeping a positive mindset that it will go. (A lot less positive watching England play cricket today mind you) 🤓
Sorry, by weak I did not necessarily mean weak weak, just a part of the body that gives inflammation an "in" (for whatever reason), even though they might look strong. And there might be parts of the body one would expect to be affected long before the other ones and nothing (that we can tell) happens.
Being a ballroom and Latin dance teacher sounds pretty cool to me. I hope you get this bursitis issue figured out. I assume you really like working with children, teaching them dance and also playing with your grandchildren. Hopefully this will still continue to be a big part of your life, then. Hashimoto's can do a number on the body. It can be very frustrating. From my experience it is a constant battle (with some reprieve in between). Often, just when I thought I figured it out, something else pops up. Sometimes I feel like it's a full time job just trying to keep up.
I wish you all the best (and a doctor who knows how to help).
That’s a good analogy about something popping up just when you think you’re winning.
I love children (most of them 😉). I have been an invigilator in a secondary school too, so maybe a glutton for punishment 😂 There are too many adults I can’t be bothered with (or is that just the medical profession?). I absolutely adore my grandsons and if I can’t look after them and help them learn and have fun, then no point me being here. (Don’t mean to upset anyone, it’s just how I feel).
Love the teaching too, but unfortunately I haven’t had the energy to start that up again. Maybe one day. Family first.
Thank you for your replies, all the best for you too
I don’t know about weakest parts of body but I do agree with “different for different people”. I call it our individual “brand” of hypothyroidism. I certainly used to be very strong. Big muscles etc and even in my sixties could out lift many of the men at my gym - even after developing the ‘bursitis’.
I’ve never been strong, maybe strong minded. Except perhaps when I’d just had my children and picking them up plus the heavy pushchair etc. We didn’t get help on buses etc back then either.
I was probably at my fittest when I went trampolining with a friend. My core muscles were good then. But at 30/31 you don’t do that sport for too long. Apart from it being amazing but a bit frightening, I think it contributed to my coccyx becoming inflamed. We did enter a competition. Our little team won 2nd in the over 21s 🏅Probably only 3 or 4 teams in it mind you 😂
Reading your post reminded me that before hypo dx I was sleeping really badly and was constantly swapping sides in bed because of my painful hips. During the day it wasn’t really painful at all. GP said ‘bursitis’. He pressed a finger into my thigh and it really hurt. He said ‘lose some weight’.
Since taking Levo it’s gone.
I also had lower back pain on and off, sometimes severe, for thirty years. Spent quite a lot £ at the osteopath. That’s gone, too.
I did titrate Levo up slightly too high - FT4 went just above range and FT3 went high in range. lost quite a bit of weight - and developed piles from the too frequent loo visits - had to reduce by 12mcg.
So sometimes things just get better - probably not very helpful.
On the other hand my vestibular problems (like motion sickness without the boat) clicking jaw, and hearing loss haven’t improved and I think blood pressure has gone up.
I too have motion sickness without the boat. Always been bad in a car unless I drive. Can’t even watch a film at the cinema without having issues. I watch some things on tv through my fingers with half an eye to stop the issue.
I have put on weight in the last 12m. Mostly around my middle. I have terrible morning fatigue (cortisol test was ok). If I don’t get enough sleep then I’m no use to anyone. Now the heat has gone, I’ll try and do some walking.
I’m hoping it will just get lost one of these days. But I will definitely try the suggestions in the meantime.
I also have the pain in my hip for last 6 months getting worse. I too sleep on my side with the bad side being my favourite. Now have to sleep on the other side. What has helped is a knee pillow for <£15 which gives support at night. Also as others have said ice block wrapped in a tea towel. Bath salts can help. I am also going to a good chiropractor who uses acupuncture. He has given me exercises to do also. The pain gels can work if it gets too bad. I only take ibuprofen as a last resort. I hope you get some relief as I know how miserable it can be.
Thanks for the tips. I do have a pillow for between my knees. I have v pillows for my neck (get migraines) and a normal pillow too. I use an ice block daily, and a frozen heat pad during the day. I don’t have a bath.
I have a long awaited docs appointment and this issue is on the list. If she doesn’t come up with something that I don’t have to wait months for, then great. Otherwise I’ll be looking for a private alternative.
I too take pain relief as a last resort (sometimes voltarol too) as I don’t want issues for when my head is bad.
Let’s hope we are all able to get rid of this pain in the “almost” backside and sleep more easily soon
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I hope you get this bursitis issue figured out. I assume you really like working with children, teaching them dance and also playing with your grandchildren. Hopefully this will still continue to be a big part of your life, then. Hashimoto's can do a number on the body. It can be very frustrating. From my experience it is a constant battle (with some reprieve in between). Often, just when I thought I figured it out, something else pops up. Sometimes I feel like it's a full time job just trying to keep up.
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