I have posted previously but today I wanted to ask more specifically about the type of pain that some of you suffer with.
Just a tiny bit of background - I am currently waiting on a diagnosis, have a private endo appt next week. I have antibodies for both Graves and Hashimotos and a pituitary enlargement, I feel my long list of symptoms are more linked to Hashimotos, but what do I know??😀
Anyway, I have been having lower back ache for months, but over the last few weeks it’s got much worse. The pain has started to radiate into the top of my right hip. When walking, I’m ok for the first ten minutes before the ache sets in. Today, I took a walk into town, about 20mins and I was aching, so I stopped for a cuppa. When I got up to walk home the ache was there instantly, I felt as though I had bricks sitting on the bottom of my spine, the pain radiated into both hips and then quite suddenly I felt a a really strong tightening sensation down the front of both my thighs, it was as though my thighs were going to go into a cramp, very weird, this lasted all the way home. I had to slow right down and take very short steps, my 20 minute walk home took 45mins.
When I got home I laid on the floor in child’s pose for 10mins which helped hugely. I’m now resting in bed.
Does my experience ring true for anybody else? If so, any suggestions? I am slightly worried this is going to get worse.
Thank you.
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Yuki9
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Eating iron rich foods like liver or liver pate once a week plus other red meat, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate, plus daily orange juice or other vitamin C rich drink can help improve iron absorption
Hi, thanks for replying. I haven’t been prescribed any medication yet, the results I’ve posted on here have been sent to me by the endo secretary, so I haven’t spoken to any medical professional since getting the results. I’m so grateful for this group as I’m learning all I can from them, although I still feel I’m a bit lost as I don’t know if I’ll be told it’s Graves or Hashimotos or Central hypo or if a diagnosis even matters. From what I read on here it seems each individual’s symptoms are what matter, and I fully agree with that. I really hope at my appointment that the consultant focuses on my symptoms as I’m really fed up feeling like this. My appointment in October has been cancelled so I’ve booked myself a private appointment next Wednesday evening as I feel I can’t wait for months to see someone.
Regarding supplements, I’ve started taking Vit D & K2 liquid drops, 4 drops daily, 1 selenium, super b complex x 2 daily and 1 iron complex.
Looks like I’ve made a mistake in taking iron without having a full iron panel to test for anaemia, as you said. I’ve only been doing this for two weeks, would you recommend I stop and get tested?
I haven’t taken magnesium, my husband takes it daily so there’s plenty around, should I be taking it too? How does it help?
yeah I get this occasionally too and I do yoga almost everyday. I can’t quite put my finger on it because it doesn’t hurt during all the pretzel tangled poses, or gardening or doing weights, just walking and take 10-20 minutes to wear off…. I’m wondering if it’s my fibroids or uterine/ovarian. I’ve booked to see the nurse (5week wait)
Good to hear from you, sounds like we’re quite similar as I do yoga most days, actually that’s why it’s taken me a while to respond as I was at a yin yoga class, wasn’t sure whether to go tonight after my painful walk today, but it was good and I feel fine now.
I have had a hysteroscopy done last month for suspected uterine cancer, thankfully biopsy came back benign but I have to have a further procedure done to remove a polyp, I wonder if that causes back pain??
Thanks for your reply and I hope when you see the nurse it’s helpful.
I have had lower back thigh hip pelvic pain for a decade or so… started off thinking just bad back then was it thyroid related (possibly all mentioned collectively) had numerous MRI scans to check out over the decade and only 1 solution is steroid injection to see if a facet problem… as my discs are degenerative and scan showed progression of this over 2yrs but nothing they can really do apart from something to nerves if injection give them clues, the orthopaedic consultant says … but we found gynaecological problems so going down this route at moment.
I had Hysteroscopy and 2 polyps removed and coil fitted last year and the pain subsided somewhat but I’m still getting some but not as intense like what had… so a MRI was done along to check everything out, we knew adenomyosis was found on several ultrasound’s but several Drs wrote that off as causation 🙄 but now found scare tissue like Endometriosis on bowel and pelvic cavity, I have for 8 years thought all this was thyroid related once had scan saying nothing much wrong on MRI.
I had thought these symptoms would disappear after menopause, but I’m late perimenopausal at 58 typically and was still having periods up to having coil fitted and now had 6 months of Decapeptyl injections to switch off ovaries it had some positive effects but not exactly what we hoped for… so I’m pondering my next steps as will the total hysterectomy (everything removed) help? I am slight worried about long term health issues with removing ovaries and prolapses later on, as few friends are having more operations to fix these but it’s not taken pains away for one lady as endometriosis is whole body condition so given hormones will decline, I’m still making my decision … I went privately for mine …I don’t understand why you need another procedure they could of been removed in one go…,did you have local anaesthetic as I had general so maybe why… ultrasound didn’t pick up polyps just adenomyosis… mine generally was being done for abnormal bleeding.
They attempted the first hysteroscopy under local anaesthetic but they could t do it as there was too much scarring and adhesions, they asked if I’d been diagnosed with PCOS or endometriosis, I said no but have been to the GO numerous times regarding pelvic pain, very heavy periods and PMT, just given tablets to help with the bleeding. Next hysteroscopy was under general anaesthetic and they said beforehand that they would be taking biopsies and would remove anything else they found, after I came round in extreme pain, needed two lots of morphine. I didn’t see anyone after the procedure, received a letter in the post today I’m on waiting list to have another hysteroscopy done under general anaesthetic again to remove the polyp, I have no idea why they didn’t do it the first time.
I hope things improve for you.
I was hoping having gone through menopause that I could finally say goodbye to any gynae issues but apparently not😂
Has your gynaecologists mentioned or put you forward for hysterectomy at all? If you’re still getting problems, it’s a long wait list on NHS here, few months if I decide privately.
Although started with pelvic pain my periods were generally ok just a week or so before before was odd…but long and heavy ones is only problem, so lucky it was making me aneamic along with not knowing I had coeliac disease…it’s when I hit my late 40s diagnosed with 3 autoimmune conditions within weeks of each other and all connected and another autoimmune last year and endometriosis and adenomyosis have come later, they are all often linked with thyroid conditions I’m told, amongst other things of course .
I’ve had ovarian cysts and pain cyclically for decades then would bleed with mid cycle bleeds … but nothing ever done, odd extra smear here and there.
It’s truly dreadful women’s health hasn’t had the funding to sort many of these things out … there’s more research and testing for erectile dysfunction but only 19% men get that apparently, where as approximately 90% of women will have gynaecological or period issues and we are to just get on with it!
Your T4 was almost below the range last time you posted - you must be totally exhausted -
It could be your adrenals are trying to pick up the slack as these work with and support the thyroid - I used to have debilitating lower back pain and sciatica -
Try a hot water bottle in the lower back and see if it eases the pain - if no better in the morning I think you need to go to hospital.
Has anything else happened in these past couple of weeks - have you tried to pick up a cancellation appointment save waiting til October ?
Are you on any medication yet ?
The NHS allocate a treatment window with the AT drug for 15-18 months -
all the AT drug does is ' buy you time ' and semi block your new own daily thyroid production while we wait for your immune system to calm down again and your high over range T3 and T4 fall back down into the ranges with your symptoms alleviated.
But since your T3 and T4 are not over range - your T4 is barely in the range and you T3 in the range - it's as though you are you stuck in neutral and running on empty - so you will likely be offered Block & Replace treatment -
In this treatment option - the AT drug is given at a higher dose to fully block your own thyroid hormone production but a measured dose of T4 is prescribed so your T3 and T4 do not fall out the bottom of the range with you experiencing the equally if not worse symptoms of hypothyroidism - which is where I think you may well be.
The NHS treatment window of 15-18 months is just a time line - whether you find remission within that time line is anybody's guess but many are talked into RAI thyroid ablation - I was - and told at my very first hospital appointment I was to have RAI the following year - I didn't know enough to question back in 2004 :
The most current research is suggesting the longer one stays on the AT drug the more likely you are to find remission.
I am exhausted, I’m quite fed up with it, just feels like I keep adding to my never ending list of symptoms! I want to feel well and have some energy and enthusiasm for things rather than dragging my sorry arse around! Sorry😳
I have booked a private endo appointment for next week. I really hope I get listened to and offered some help.
A fully functioning working thyroid would be supporting you on a daily basis with around 10 mcg T3 + 100 mcg T4 - and these thyroid hormones circulate around your body in you blood stream - and the body converts the T4 into T3 as and when needed.
The body runs on T3 which is the active hormone - much like fuel runs a car - and the body will always preserve T3 over T4 and why your results show a higher T3 to T4 in % terms.
A euthyroid - normal functioning thyroid - would have a T4 at around 50% with the T3 tracking slightly lower at around 40/45%.
The 10 mcg T3 the thyroid supports you with each day just kicks start the process of ones metabolism and on any given day you need to be converting T4 into around 50 mcg T3 just to function - with the heart and brain taking the lions share of your available T3
So you need a good level of T4 always circulating in your blood, readily available to be converted into T3 and able to support your daily needs, to give you enough energy to complete your day and repair, restore and replenish your body overnight ready for next day.
Your T3 is in the range but can't be maintained long term as there is not enough T4 circulating freely to support conversion -
Your T3 is not high in the range and you would likely feel better with a higher T3 - but you haven't the T4 stores readily available to convert to more T3 -
so you are somewhat stuck in neutral with no power to even change gear - and this causes pressure throughout the body.
I hope that makes some sense as it's way past my best before time of day.
Thanks, I really appreciate your detailed and easy to understand responses. I will look to get the tests done. I’m also thinking of getting my daughter checked, she’s nearly 16 and has lots of similar symptoms to me, she was diagnosed with Coeliac a few months after me. She is always tired, has been prescribed iron and vit D by the GP over the past 2 years. I took her to the GP to ask about testing her for Hashimotos but they wouldn’t do it, her TSH came back normal. She has a swollen neck, the GP agreed her neck is swollen but said as her tests are normal no further checks to be done. 🙄
I used to get lower back pain so bad it made me cry. Also the pain that started in the lower back, moved down to my bum/hip, then travelled all the way down my leg (sciatica like). Been relatively OK for a while on Levo but it's started again over the last 18 months or so. Discovered my T3 is low so am assuming that's the cause. Doesn't help that I'm doing more sitting around as I don't have the energy or inclination to do much.
I know that feeling of having no energy or inclination.
Sorry your back pain has returned. I’m new to all this but would it help if they upped your Levo, would that improve your T3 levels and in return help with the back pain??
I have a low TSH and high T4 so GP would like to reduce Levo. Not going to happen as more hypo symptoms returned the last time he did that and I had to argue to get it reinstated. I'm currently seriously considering (still research to do) sourcing my own T3 as GP isn't really interested or knowledgeable.
The lovely people on here are a mine of information and are only too happy to help others. Keep asking questions and following advice. The posters are better informed than most GP's and Endos are.
For me, I found a good chyropractor years ago who taught me how to stretch based on the pain(s) and discomfort I had. I have to stretch pretty much ever day (a little/a few different ones) and then on the weekends I spend probably 1 hour stretching. Made a world of difference in not only how I feel but what I am able to do/get done throughout the day.
I have similar lower back pain constantly, about 10 months now, it affects my legs, they just won't go (I walk dogs twice daily about 4 miles), some days I am really slow and stiff, constantly exhausted, no motivation. I am 63, hysterectomy 20 years ago, Doc put me on HRT 6 months ago - no better, has now referred me to rheumatology..... waiting.
Hi Yuki9,Yes I'm the same, suffering from lower back pain and when I've been walking for a short time the pain ends up right in the middle of my back and right down at the bottom off my spine. I feel as if my back is ready to break.
I have a new symptom with the pain in my back, i can only sit for a short time before i have to stand plus i can only stand for a short time before i have to sit down, im up and down like a yoyo.
Painkillers don't even help, I think my body is so used to them that they don't work anymore. I can sympathise with you.
Tried to call my Gp but no success in getting to speak to anyone
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