Is hyperthyroidism the cause of my tendonitis and thigh pain?

[PpCaz555]

I have been suffering from crippling tendonitis in both Achilles for about 6 months now which has become really debilitating, I am also suffering from pains in my thighs, mostly my right side and my hip. I have never known anything as painful and it is affecting my mobility. I am undergoing tests for "mild" hyperthyroidism, and currently awaiting the results of my isotope scan. Has anyone else with a thyroid disorder suffered with these symptoms or are they a symptom of something else completely? My life doesn't seem worth living most days, I'm in my 50's but most day's I feel 70!

[Danifox6]

Yes I have hypermobility and am hypo thyroid. Also the so called fibromyalgia (according to the nhs). I suffer muscle aches and spasms, thighs and hips. I am 40 this year and feel like an oap. My mum is 69 recovering from lung cancer, copd and has an enormous hiatus hernia and she is more mobile than me !! But I have a son, so life must go on

[PpCaz555]

Thank you. I just feel terrible every day of my life. It's been a bad day today in terms of pain, my hip and Achilles tendons are so bad I feel sick with the pain, I have thigh and groin pain and my elbow and shoulder joints ache. I am not this bad every day but I have not been totally pain free for about 6 months. I just don't know where to turn for help, it seems the wheels of the NHS turn very slowly when trying to get a firm diagnosis to a problem!

[Tory]

Yes I'm too suffering with huge problems with my legs. I was diagnosed with Graves last year and although the endo is pleased with my TSH my legs are the most frustrating symptom I am left with. I used to be very mobile. I used to do zumba and long walks. Now even a little swim is difficult. Just started swimming and the session I'm doing is with retired (Very friendly) people. It makes me very aware how lifting my legs getting dressed is even a problem and they are dressed and nearly running out of the building - they are gone and I'm trying to walk up the stairs slowly and painfully!

[Hidden]

Hello caz I haven't had this myself but only wanted to say that my mum,many years ago now,when she was early in her early sixties, and having been suffering with every symptom for years of an underactive thyroid, but not treated for it,had excruciating pain in 1 Achilles heel for around 6 months.Her doctor was treating it as a type of sport injury!with injections for pain relief into the heel. She suffered badly with the pain, eventually the foot dropped completely and never returned to normal.She was hospitalised and checked for clots,stroke and all those things, nothing was found.It was at that point she was diagnosed with thyroid problems and started on thyroxine.Was told at that time the dropped foot 'could' have been caused by the thyroid problem untreated for so long.She also suffered with groin pain for several years before this happened.Please don't be alarmed by this,it was many years ago and my mum bless her was of the generation that never questioned a doctors judgement and put it all down to getting older,I desperately hope things may be different now that we do question and push for answers much more.It was just to say that yes,in her case it appeared to be linked but was never defined totally. Hope you get relief soon.

[thedoghouse]

In my experience yes, no question. Taking T4 alone made it so much worse, walking 50 yards was almost impossible. I remember gazing for ages at a mobility scooter in a charity shop and wondering if I should buy it. Taking T3 with the T4 helped a lot. I have also found that taking Selenium helps too, I noticed the difference almost from the first dose. Hope you feel better soon.

[marram]

Many of the symptoms of hypo and hyper are very similar, I have been both so I can tell you that the pain you are feeling could well be the result of being hyper.

I thought I would say good bye to my pains when I had a total thyroidectomy but I still have them now, because I cannot get the correct dose of Thyroxine replacement.

[shaws Administrator]

This is a link with info:-

thyroid-info.com/articles/m...

[Hidden]

I too could hardly walk, had thighbone and hip pain, then frozen shoulders - my 2nd frozen shoulder melted immediately after I had a nodule removed (as well as other hyper symptoms). I don't know if it may help you, but Vitamin D has helped me since with finger, wrist, elbow, rib, shoulder and come to think of it, weak ankles & general leg pain. - worth testing to rule out any deficiency anyway (as well as irons/ferritin B12/folate maybe calcium too). J

[Hidden]

Yup, it is.

[piglet725]

P555pcaz

I have been suffering with the same complaint for two years now. I know the pain you are going through, chewing pain killers as if they were sweets, not good. I also suffer from scleraderma. When I went to seethe consultant at this clinic I told him about this and he sent me for an xray of my hip took the usual blood test, on methatrexate as well as levothyroxine 200mg. The consultant said he will talk to the surgeon and see if he is willing to operate on my hip. Because of the scleraderma the surgeons are reluctant to operate. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will do it. I have another appointment with the consultant in three months time, hopefully with some good news. I will keep you posted on that. I hope you are getting some where with your consultant. John Denver has a song called "Some days are diamonds and some days are stone" this fits in with how I feel. Today is a diamond day.

good luck to you. xx

[piglet725]

Sorry about the jumble up of your name don't know what happened.

Sandra x

[cein]

I have had this hip pain etc your speaking of for 11 years ... 8 years ago after having ultra sound on my veins and arteries and x rays of my spine I was diagnosed with hip bursitis ? ? . I have been having steroid injections approx every 3 months for the last 8 years now.

About two months ago I got to see the Dr who initially diagnosed me with bursitis and after another two injections he is sending me for physio .... at the intitial consultation with the physio she told me I have no muscletone in my legs or pelvis and she isnt altogether sure or happy that all the pain is caused by burstis.

I go tomorrow for my first physio treatment so only time will tell.

After reading all the blogs it makes me wonder if I have been having all these steroid injections for nothing .... because NO they havent helped with the pain or with my walking.

[Nathalie70]

I have Graves too and the pain in my thighs and calves used to be very strong too. I simply took anti-inflammatory drugs and irom and I now exercise 5 times a week - gym and power-walking - without any problem.

[Nathalie70]

Most people that answered are actually hypo. I have Graves too and I have posted my answer ay the bottom. I would add that you shouldn't suffer from any pain with the proper anti-inflammatory drugs, a proper ferritin level after 6-8 month of normal T4 and TSH. As long as your TSH is not back, pain problems are common.

[brimstone]

I suffer from hasimo and I suffer from severe pain in both my ankles and knees,plus my hips as well. Mind you a back injury I sustained some years ago does not help I have one leg longer then the other due to a twisted pelvis and it is higher one side than the other.Only a trip to a chiro clincic discovered this problem and I have been seeing him ever since [over 10 years now] so I know how energy sapping this is and very depressing I used to be a dance teacher and keep fit instructer now its a much as I can do to get out of bed and go to work which is only 3 hours which is enough as I work in retail and I am on my feet all the time, but I am adament I am not going give in keep calm and carry on, more tea please is my motto so good luck folks

[greenginger]

This thread is a good example of how people keep confusing HYPO and HYPER.

Yes some problems are similar for both but some arent.

I know people are trying to be helpful but if you are hyper then surely having hypos answer makes it harder for the original poster to sort out the useful replies from the non relevant ones.

Just a thought people. After all I dont see HYPERS telling HYPOS how to take their levo and where t0 buy T3 etc.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to greenginger]

greenginger,

The differences between hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism can be significant and can cause confusion.

However, at least in this case, the confusion is rather deeper. The original poster’s first post (only back in January) was about HYPO. Her current testing is to check for “mild” HYPERthyroidism. She has a goitre. And she has been concerned at the possibility of other diseases.

At this stage, even though she has seen an endo, I would be holding back from a final diagnosis, at least on the basis of what we have seen. Some people find they have had quite prolonged hyper episodes in a history of overall hypothyroidism, especially in Hashimoto’s.

Finally, the poster’s antepenultimate sentence starts: Has anyone else with a thyroid disorder suffered…. I take that as soliciting responses from anyone with a thyroid disorder who has had experiences relevant to what the poster is asking about.

PpCaz555,

May I ask, do you feel confused by the mixture of responses from people who are HYPO as well as HYPER? Or, and please do not be led by my phrasing, was this what you were asking/expecting as you posted your question?

Rod

[PpCaz555 in reply to helvella]

Rod

To say I am confused would be an understatement.

Please remember that until January I hadn't even heard of Hypo/Hyperthyroidism! I had a bad bout of flu and woke up one morning with a goitre! I realised it was my thyroid gland but didn't know anything about actual thyroidism or any of the related symptoms. It's only after reading everything in this forum and buying the book "Thyroid Disorders" by Dr Tony Toft that I began to understand the condition a little.... As you know, I started off having blood tests, I seemed to have all of the HYPO symptoms but when the results came back, my GP said I was borderline HYPER! This was a shock to me. I had the ultrasound scan then an appointment with the Endo at the end of February. As reported in an earlier blog, he put my mind at rest. He advised me to CANCEL a pre-booked appointment for 18th March with a surgeon (I couldn't really understand this) he said it was too early to see a surgeon as I had to have other tests first and that the surgeon I was booked in to see was a general surgeon, not an endo surgeon.(it was my GP who had referred me to this surgeon and I fear she was getting rather ahead of herself) Depending on the results of an isotope scan he would decide if I needed medication and if I needed a referral to a surgeon who specialised in this field? So, I had the isotope scan and more blood tests early March and I waited weeks for the results, ringing both my GP surgery and the hospital to chase them up. On Tuesday this week, my results finally reached my GP surgery, given to me by a receptionist over the phone who couldn't even pronounce the word "Isotope" but told me, "everything seems ok" and that my doctor hadn't requested a follow up appointment! It beggars belief! I have made an appointment and I intend to sit in that surgery until someone listens to me but unfortunately I can't see my doctor until 12th April! I don't know why we have an NHS service.... All I want is proper advice, a firm diagnosis and medication to relieve my symptoms. That surely isn't too much to ask? Thank you all for sharing your experiences. Caz

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to PpCaz555]

Caz,

Just been having a read back at your earlier posts.

The handling of your case is clearly a mess. I am glad you had ultrasound and isotope scans.

Do you have your actual FT4, FT3 and TSH blood test results? If you have, then posting them might help us to see what is going on. If you don't have them, I suggest you get them. Please get the reference ranges!

A lot of people have transient spikes of thyroid hormone, and troughs of inadequate thyroid hormone - with or without a goitre. Unfortunately, these often occur as people are suffering autoimmune thyroid attack - as in Hashimoto's. And such spikes and troughs can muddy the waters.

I would like to think that you have also had a Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies test (TPOab)? That helps to show whether or not you have an autoimmune thyroid disorder.

Further, maybe start a new question with your results? We are quite a long way down a thread here and many people would miss any further posts.

Rod

[Cazza23]

Hi there Caz I know it's sometime since you posted but I just came across your question as I have same symptoms have had for over a year now and getting nowhere with docs who just give me advice on diet and exercise and dismiss me - did you ever get to the truth of your problems I am getting worse by the day now and don't know where to turn yours in desperation I hope you've had more success with the docs

[rmleonard in reply to Cazza23]

i have the same symptoms plus my heart rate doubled i had 3 para thyroids removed did great for 3 months now problem has returned

[hypothy]

I have pain in my finger, leg,elbow and shoulder last few days. I am suffering Hypothyroidism since 1997. How can I overcomes my health problems.