Plantar Fasciitis, Vitamin D definciency & Tendonitis - 3 pronged attack!!

[Cankles]

First of all, I would like to thank you all for your questions, comments and advice on here...I am a bit of a silent member but regularly check-in and find this forum invaluable for support and insight.

I have been on Levo for about a year now and my levels are currently within normal range. I take 75 Levo a day. My carpal tunnel has disappeared and my swollen feet, legs and ankles have dissapated - YAY!

I do, however, have other symptoms that are still there and they are finally being "treated" or looked at as seperate entities after months and months of the doctors saying "let's see what happens, give it time" or "it's all in your head".

PLANTAR FASCIITIS: have been given exercises and ONE, ONE! pair of insoles to wear, it's early days but, already, they are smelly and squashed. Does anyone know of where I can get some more? And do they actually work?

TOTAL UTTER EXHAUSTION: was referred to a specialist and he arranged for various tests - all blood tests came back normal apart from vitamin D - my level is 12 on a range of 50-100. Have just started on 20,000 units 3 times a week of Colecalciferol. Has anyone else had this experience and can tell me if it helped/made them feel any better/how long did it take to feel better? I also have an appt at the sleep clinic in August to test for Sleep Apnea. Again, anyone any experiece of this?

TENDONITIS: I have had this in my wrists down to my thumbs for nearly 8 months now, it came on suddenly and is incredibly limiting. I can't write, chop, lift heavy things, use scissors (a bugger as I'm a hairdresser!) but I have struggled on and put up with the pain as I can't afford not to work. A stint with the physio, laser treatment and wrist splints have not helped so I have now been referred to a specialist with a view of maybe getting steroid injections. Anyone any experience of this?

Apologies for the essay - I would really appreciate any input. After years of banging my head against a brick wall with doctors things seem to finally be moving forward but I am reluctant to rejoice just yet...one step, one day at a time!

[helvella Administrator]

More, of anything related to feet, here:

algeos.com

They also have a "retail" site - but darned if I can find it right now! They have always supplied me directly provided I meet their minimum order value.

My plantar fasciitis seemed to be due to a combination of hypothyroidism and my very odd feet. Decent level of levothyroxine plus soft diabetic insoles AND small, soft heel wedges seemed to resolve it almost entirely. Your feet will be different to mine (that much, I 100% guarantee!) - so you might well need a very different orthotic regime.

I'd be tempted to give your vitamin D a chance before rushing down any other routes. But I could be wrong.

Rod

[TraceyLE]

Hi Cankles

I had PF for well over a year, about a year before I got diagnosed with hypo. We all have different feet but I found that a square pad on elastic from which you slipped over the foot and placed the pad under the arch of the foot really relieved the pain as it pressed into the area of pain. I could wear them around the house in slippers and also when bad, in bed. This particularly helped in the summer when I couldn't wear the heavier shoes within inner soles. I do not suffer from it now (touch wood) since diagnosis and getting thyroid partially sorted. I did buy some very thin solid inners which I moved from shoe to shoe.

Vit D - Again very tired and lack of energy so on advice from this site had my D tested. My result was 16, which doctor said was fine so I have been taking my own vit D recommended on here BioCare Bio Mulsion D 1000u daily. My B12 was very low so I have supplementing this aswell. My joint pain has all but disappeared however, I still have very weak arms and low energy and can't say if this is due to B12 or Vit D supps.

I was also sent to a physio with carpel tunnel and tennis elbow prior to diagnosis but both have these have disappeared once thyroid improved.

I believe the vit increases have helped me a lot and although not there yet (been taking them for 6 weeks) I am hoping they will get even better in the next 6 weeks. If not I will be checking out other things that could help.

Good luck

Tracey

[Willowluv]

I had plantar facilitis and was due to being hypo and a little over weigjt which peed me off slightly as my doc had reduced my meds so I found it hard to loose weight but when meds increased this disappeared andaybe was also due to me loosing a little weight cos the anti ds had made me fat. I also suffered tendonitis which I firmly believe is due to hypo too ...all my problems started when my new doc then kept messimg with my dise nearly every couple of months..x

[Hidden]

Never been totally convinced that Plantar fasciitis is related to Thyroid, as I have suffered it often, but intermittently for over 20 years, and it has never been in any sort of "sync" with how well or how badly my hypothyroidism is controlled. I am *very* well controlled at the moment, yet my PF is worse than it has been for some time, such that I have to sleep right down the bed hanging my heels off the bottom of the mattress!

(Interesting too to see Rory Bremner on TV recently complaining of his problems with PF, so it's not just those of us who are overweight! ("Policeman's heel or foot")

Vitamin B5 helped my CTS a reasonable amount when I initially started supplementing it, but it has never totally resolved either. Just for once it would be nice if something actually got better!

[alitom123]

I was recently given insoles but the consultant I saw thought I was suffering from a neuroma but when I had an utrasound scan, no neuroma showed up. He then decided it must be inflammation of the lining of a nerve and I was referred to the orthotics department. Since I had the insoles a couple of months ago they also have become smelly and squashed. I met a lady whose daughter had to wear similar insoles and she said she'd put her daughter's insoles in the washing machine and they'd turned out fine. I haven't tried mine in the washing machine yet. Since I asked the orthotics lady whether my nexxt pair can be washable ones, I hope she's made a note of that.I have found that, since my problem manifested itself, I have to wear wide fitting shoes + the insoles and it does give me relief. Luckily, wide fitting shoes aren't so old-fashioned as they used to be.

[Femme1 in reply to alitom123]

Hi cankles, I had a bad bout of Plantar Fasciitis last year, at first I wasn't even aware what it was, also suffered with bad cramps in affected foot too.

Anyway, the doctor explained what it was and said the simplest remedy was a pair of heeled shoes, I wasn't impressed with such simplistic advice, but to be honest I tried some heeled boots (not stillettos) bit more chunky and about 3 inches high, and tried to wear them for a while every day. They were very supportive with being a boot rather than a shoe. To begin I got a few cramps when I went back to bare feet or flats, but believe it or not the situation seemed to remedy itself over a short period of time. It was so nice not to get out of bed and feel that horrible tearing sensation under foot when putting feet to ground and taking first steps!

Cant answer for the other stuff because I am still exhausted and untreated, looking to trial soon though if no Dr Skinner referral.

Good look with turning things around

[jacrjacr]

Vionic shoes with a very high arch awesome for PF.....orthoticshop.com let u try them for 30 day and return....the only shoe i can wear .....