thyroid problems

[potplants]

has any one had muscle weakness related to thyroid problems

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Do you have any recent thyroid results?

How much levothyroxine are you taking

Previous post you wrote a year ago ……

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

nhs.uk/conditions/statins/c...

If you have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), treatment may be delayed until this problem is treated. This is because having an underactive thyroid can lead to an increased cholesterol level, and treating hypothyroidism may cause your cholesterol level to decrease, without the need for statins. Statins are also more likely to cause muscle damage in people with an underactive thyroid.

[RedApple Administrator]

Yes potplants. Muscle weakness is a common symptom of thyroid hormone imbalance. It can be caused by both too much or too little thyroid medication.

How much levothyroxine are you taking?

Has your GP tested your thyroid levels recently? If yes, do you have the results?

[PurpleNails Administrator]

It can be due to thyroid, but also other causes too.

Are you on the right level of replacement?

A good starting point is to know your thyroid levels. You can obtain them from your doctor, ask at reception. You need a printout with lab ranges. Ranges vary so always needed

Most feel well with TSH around 1, FT4 in top 3rd of range FT3 in top half of range.

Sometimes treatment is based on TSH alone & this isn’t reliable. See what has been tested.

Important to also test folate, ferritin, B12 & Vitamin D. as if these aren’t optimal your replacement might not convert well & if deficient will also cause similar symptoms, weakness, sore muscle, feeling tired ect.

If Doctor won’t test there are options to arrange privately. You order a kit & take blood sample at home by DIY fingerpick. Is that something you think you’d be able to manage?

[JoJoloveschocolate]

I seem to have muscle weakness. For a while before diagnosis, I struggled to get upstairs (sometimes kind of using my arms and legs to get up the stairs on all-fours) and also struggled to get up off the floor. Also I couldn’t ever hold my hairdryer up properly to dry my hair. My muscle weakness seems to be in my arms and thighs. A few weeks after I started levothyroxine I started to feel a bit stronger and one day I actually ran up the stairs without even thinking about it! Unheard of. I’m still in the process of trying to get the right dosage that suits me though so after a couple of weeks of feeling really well, I started to go backwards again (members on here have said that is fairly common when moving through the stages of dose increases) have recently had my levothyroxine dose increased. The improvement in my muscle strength and tone (albeit fairly brief improvement at the time) made me think it was all thyroid related.) I’ll know better if it happens again this time after I’ve been on the 75mcg dose for a while.

[HealthStarDust in reply to JoJoloveschocolate]

I don’t know of this will help, but I also initially feel better before the affects trial off for all sorts of symptoms. It appears to be dose specific at the moment.

[JoJoloveschocolate in reply to HealthStarDust]

Thank you for sharing your experience. It does really help to know that it’s not unusual for things to go up and down in this way. I started 75mcg last week and this morning I felt awful. I dragged myself out of bed, considered stopping the treatment altogether…and then felt a bit better again after breakfast, even managed to go shopping and went for a coffee in the cafe. Now I’ve just had lunch and feel like I’ve totally and utterly run out of steam for the day! I’m going to give in to it and go and curl up in bed for a snooze! x

[HealthStarDust in reply to JoJoloveschocolate]

Snooze helps. As dose pace. I’ve learned that in those rare moments, and they are rare, where I feel almost 70% human doing things that require effort, even going to the GPs will soon remind me that I need to rest. These days when I feel OK enough I tend to my hygiene needs as keeping on top of those is hard enough right now.

Take care.

[JoJoloveschocolate in reply to HealthStarDust]

Totally understand what you mean. I curled up in bed and had a good rest and feel a bit better now. I woke myself up by snoring! Going to see the GP wears me out - physically, mentally, emotionally! Very draining. We just have to do what we can don’t we and try to be kind to ourselves. You take care too x

[HealthStarDust in reply to JoJoloveschocolate]

Yes. I found sleep helps a lot to how I feel. I guess it’s my body’s way to persevering. Just woke up from a snooze now, so I never got round to using the little strength I thought had to tend to kitchen tasks.

We just have to remind ourselves it’s this way for now, and that’s OK. Asking ourselves how long it’ll take won’t help near as much as accepting it’ll take as long as it takes. But, I hear ya! It’s very tough.

Hang in there.

[JoJoloveschocolate in reply to HealthStarDust]

You absolutely spot-on there with everything you said! It’s the “accepting” that’s hard, but necessary. I feel like I’ve finally found the answer to all that ails me (although it’s probably not that simple!😂) so I feel impatient with it all and how long it’s going to take. I felt soooo ill earlier today I thought to myself - I don’t think I’m going to get through this! I had a rest and something to eat and, although I feel tired still, I don’t feel quite as achy/bad. I’m going to take some painkillers later. It feels like such a rollercoaster at the moment. Tomorrow is a new day. Thank you so much for your kindness and understanding. Everyone here really “gets it” and even that keeps making me emotional - being understood is half the battle in a way xxx

[HealthStarDust in reply to JoJoloveschocolate]

I hear ya! I probably hang around the forum too much but that’s the side effect of my #SofaLife that helps me accept this is just how things are for now! Some days, I have a good cry over it all. So, all you can do is be kind to yourself 🫶🏽

[Batty1]

Yes and I never thought it could possibly be from thyroid.