Muscle Aches while sleeping or resting?

[Bruce_Wayne]

All my muscles, but most of the time is below my waist, feel sore and achy (dull, not sharp) that I need to contract, massage or stretch them for some relief. I'm regularly wigging my feet and fingers for relief.  My muscles aches are most intense during prolonged rest or during sleep. As I start to drift into sleep, my muscle aches start to intensify. During sleep, I feel it the most, tossing and turning. But the amazing thing is: if I wake up (and open my eyes), the muscle aches dramatically decreases.

It could be maddening sometimes.

I also get lightheaded when I stand from a seated position. I frequently wake up tired. My bones feel weak. I have back pain. I play a lot of basketball (an obsession), and I feel that playing places a lot of stress on my body when it shouldn't, because I am weak. Even though I am above average athletically, it takes me a long time to warm up. Sometimes I feel good. But when I go exercise, I crashed like for a week. Horrible.

I'm 22. This has been going on for the past 5 years. But during the past year, it's has gotten worst. Whereas before, it was just a minor annoyance.

I do everything right (sleep, diet, exercise, etc, I make sure.), and my blood work and heart echo were normal.

TSH: 4.36, 1.65, 2.97.  (normal range: 0.27-4.20)

They said thyroid function was perfectly normal.

I've had GAD since I could talk, so they suggested that may be the cause. But I was under a lot of stress during my school years, and I never remember feeling this way. They also suggested depression. But I know what true depression feels like, because I became depressed with suicidal thoughts "invading" my mind after I had a flu.

As a side note: I was very energetic and hyperactive before 16. Some teachers thought that I was on speed drugs, others thought that I had ADHD. This reminds me of the first time I smoked weed (last new year's eve), and about half hour later, I all my muscles were aching, trembling , my heart was racing, lightheadedness, fatigue, and dry mouth.

[Bruce_Wayne]

I had no fatigue and muscle problems with anxiety before I was 16. The only time I had those problems was when I had panic attacks.

So far, almost everyone has suggested Hashimotos AI. And I believe that that could be a possibility.

I will try the magnesium and possibly the skullcap sooner or later.

[Paxiled]

I asked because one of the most common side effects of antidepressants is muscle cramping and the like.  So we can rule that out.  I have a similar problem, but I've been suffering a rare prolonged medication problem and can't get enough sleep, but one thing I notice is that I'm very anxious even when I'm sleeping and I'm working my muscles as hard as I do at the gym.  On the other hand, I'm a lot older than you are and at your age had no problem whatsoever, but it still could be you're not relaxed while you're sleeping.  It could be lack of electrolytes, particularly magnesium.  Something you can try is a magnesium supplement and maybe an herb called skullcap, a muscle relaxant, before you go to sleep and see if it helps.  This is a pickle.

[Bruce_Wayne]

No medications. And thank you the valuable info.

[Bruce_Wayne]

I'm NOT taking any medications.

[Red_Star]

The book has some interesting info.  You haven't mentioned if you are taking any medication as you also have to consider the side effects.  While TSH fluctuations are normal (higher in the morning and lower in the afternoon), a TSH above 2.5mU/L is highly suspicious.

"In the future, it is likely that the upper limit of the serum TSH euthyroid reference range will be reduced to 2.5 because > 95% of rigorously screened normal euthyroid volunteers have serum TSH values between 0.4 and 2.5" - National Association of Clinical Biochemistry.

I found a August 2012 study entitled "Clinical Significance of TSH Circadian Variability in Patients with Hypothyroidism" (Sviridonova MA, et. al).  Researchers of this study found an average morning TSH level in the subclinically hypothyroid group was 5.83 mU/L and in the afternoon was 3.79 mU/L; 73% TSH circadian variability.  

The average morning TSH level in the hypothyroid group taking levothyroxine was 3.27 mU/L and in the afternoon was 2.18 mU/L; 64.7% TSH circadian variability.  Morning: 8 - 9 am. Afternoon: 2 - 4pm.

[Paxiled]

Are you on any medications, especially antidepressants?  

[Bruce_Wayne]

Very interesting about the Hashimoto patient with fluctuating TSH levels.  I will definitely look into this when whenever I have my next doc visit.

[Red_Star]

Waking up tired, anxiety, aches and pains, orthostatic hypotension, exercise intolerance, hyperthyroid symptoms (can occur in some people, usually in the early stages), fluctuating TSH levels = Hashimoto's thyroiditis until proven otherwise. Also, pain can be due to concurrent vitamin D deficiency (92% with Hashi's are deficient).  

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is autoimmune thyroid disease and the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the western world. Thyroid labs: TSH, free T4, free T3, thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb), thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb).

Excerpt from the book "Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? When My Lab Tests Are Normal" by Dr Kharrazian...

"Hashimoto's Disease and "Normal" Lab Results

Jan - TSH 4.5
Feb - TSH 0.08
Mar - TSH 2.3
April - TSH 3.8
May - TSH 8.7
June - TSH 7.4
July - TSH 1.6

One reason hypothyroidism goes misdiagnosed is because a person with Hashimoto's can present with normal TSH. This graph illustrates the monthy TSH levels of a person with Hashimoto's who is receiving no treatment. As the autoimmune condition fluctuates, TSH levels vary wildly. Using standard lab range of 0.45 - 4.5 this person would fail to be diagnosed. During the month of March the patient's TSH even falls within functional range 1.8 - 3.0. That's why also testing for immune antibodies and evaluating symptoms and history are so vital."