muscle pain

[butterscotchbaby]

I was treated for HYPERTHYROIDISM 8 years ago with RAI.Labs checked annually have been normal. Six months ago lab results were as follows:
TSH 6.64
T4 12
T3 18.6
T7 2.2
My Doctor said I am not Hypo yet, but to keep an eye on the labs.For the past month, I have been experiencing severe upper back muscle pains which come and go,upon movement of head and arms-I also fractured my toe at the time the pains began.The night I fractured my toe, I took 2 Darvocets and that morning woke up with severe muscle pain. I have taken Darvocets in the past and they never caused a problem.
I have been looking up symptoms of Hypothyroidism, and one of the symptoms it mentioned was muscle pain.
The lab results above in my opinion lean towards HYPO. What I dont understand, is the pain comes on abruptly when I wake up in the morning,lasts about 4 days, then diminishes. Will go about 5-6 days without pain, and then it starts all over again.
It is the oddest thing I have ever experienced. Do the labs above indicate HYPO and would this be causing the muscle pains? I feel like I am 100 years old at the time when I get these muscle pains, because even after sitting for awhile, I feel stiff and achy upon standing. None of these symptoms started until I fractured my toe. Up until then, I have been very active and fairly healthy.
I do have HEP C,mild osteoporosis and osteopenia, and mild scoliosis- but none has ever given me symptoms before.
Like I said, these pains did not start until I fractured my toe rounding the bend too fast and smacking my little toe on a metal chair leg.

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

The labs indicate HYPO and I would be inclined to treat it -- correcting this will allow you to see which symptoms improve and if further investigation into the etiology of persistent symptoms is necessary.

[desert turtle]

I don't have an answer for you but I had a similiar experience.
I injured my foot dancing last year which led to muscle pain
and aches throughout the rest of my body.   I was told that
hobbling around on one foot for a few months throws off the rest of the body resulting in muscle tension and pain.
I also have lab results that are similiar to yours.  I am
anxious to read what the doctor has to say.  Good luck to you
desert turtle

[butterscotchbaby]

Thanks for your input- greatly appreciated. Your labs are similar to mine you say? Has your Doctor prescribed thyroid meds yet?

[butterscotchbaby]

Another thing I forgot to mention, is I have not been hobbling around for the past 2 weeks- never really did hobble. I wore a post op shoe which helped with balance. I fractured my toe at midnight, took 2 pain pills immediatley that my husband had and woke up with a painful back. I cant believe the Darvocets would cause the pain, because I have taken them  off and on in the past and have never had problems.
Was prescribed percodan for the pain, but did not take any for a week, and then I only took one tab and had no problems, but 9 days later had another episode of muscle pain (only took the one percodan 9 days earlier). That lasted 3 or 4 days, then went away and was pain free for about 5 days. Toe began to hurt, so took another Percodan and woke up the next morning with a painful back. Lasted about 4 days, went away and was pain free for another 5 or 6 days. Have not taken any more pain pills for the past 2 weeks, but got up yesterday with a painful muscles in back area. Its like it is cyclic with a mind of its own. Cant figure out what is causing it.
I do have a Doctors appt in mid August, so I will address the problem to him, but worrying in the meantime. Cant see him any sooner.

[MS Hashi]

Your Doctor is wrong. You are definately hypo from those labs and should be treated with the appropriate meds. Get another Doctor.
Good luck.

[Free Bird82]

Hi!  I agree!  You are Hypo, but some doctors don't treat it until you experience more symptoms!  FIND ANOTHER DOCTOR & DEMAND IT.  A normal TSH range is no greater than 5 in most labs.  When I was first diagnosed, my TSH was the same as yours 6.65.  They said, "Oh, we'll re-test in 6 weeks - 8 weeks", but by that time my TSH was 13.5 & I definitely had symptoms.  Then they put me on the smallest dose of Synthroid possible, 12.5mcg (25 mcg. pill cut in half), forgot about me for 8 weeks, by that time my levels increased to 16.3!!  My hair is dry & brittle, my face looks like ****, constipated, etc.  FIND A DOCTOR TO TREAT THIS IMMEDIATELY!!  GOOD LUCK TO YOU!! KEEP US POSTED!!

[SouthernGal32]

Please ask your lab what they consider normal ranges. A great number of labs are STILL going by the old numbers. In late 2002 American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommended that the normal TSH range be narrowed to 0.3 to 3.0, anything over 3.0 should be considered hypothyroid. So millions of people are STILL misdiagnosed. Some thyroid experts even diagnose hypothyroidism with TSH levels above 1.5 or 2.0. I am not a doctor, but according to all this information you ARE hypothyroid and have been misdiagnosed according to old numbers that have been around for decades. Muscle aches and pains are part of hypothyroisism symptoms, having the foot pain or plantars faciitis or any type of numbness or tingling in your hands or feet, also carpel tunnel prolems and osteoporosis are common in women who are hypothyroid. I have PCOS and Hashimotos' Thyroiditis and have plantars fac., carpel tun., very sore joints and back especially sore in my hips and shoulders. I am finding lately that taking 30 minute walks helps me to feel a little less pain. Also, I bought a back brace that has magnets in it for the cramps and pain I get from PCOS and it does help quite a bit to take the edge off the pain. I don't know if that is because of the magnets or the pressure from the tightness of the belt, but at this point I am willing to do anything to ease the pain. My doc WON'T prescribe me anything for pain, he just says "Oh just take some Aleve, That'll do the trick" but it never does. I just try to do other things to helps lessen the pain, like a hot bath or moderate exercise, like walking. I save the pain pills - I think I have 7 left - for when I REALLY am hurting to the point that I am nauseous from pain and crying. Try visiting thyroid-info.com (Thyroid Disease Information Source) on the web, you may find some helpful info there! Good Luck to you!

[butterscotchbaby]

Thanks for your comment. I too have pain pills from when I fractured my toe, but afraid to take them because it seems like every pill out there states contraindications for HYPO. My toe still aches, and OTC meds dont help. Would like to take the Percodan the Doc prescribed, but nervous about it. I took 2 Darvocets the night I fractured my toe, and woke up the following morning with severe back muscle pain- I have taken them in the past without any problem.
Then when I went to the Doc the following day and found the toe fracured, he prescribed Percodan. I was actually afraid to take one, but after a week of severe toe pain from the fracture, I did take one Percodan, but noticed 9 days later, I woke up with back muscle pain again. Mind you, I only took the one percodan, and had no problem, but 9 days later out of the blue- BAM.
Waited another 2 weeks, still having toe pain, and decided to take another Percodan. The following morning woke up with back muscle pain, lasted 4 days, went away for a week and 8 days later the pain returned.
I have only taken 2 percodans since my toe fracture- I am not sure if the muscle pain is related to the HYPO or the pain med. But the pain does not seem to be consistent with the muscle pain.Like when I took it one evening, had no pain the following morning, but started hurting 9 days later. But then the second time I took it, muscle pain the following morning, went away for 4 or 5 days, then returned.
I am so frustrated, because I really needed to take a pain pill due to my toe fracture, but was leary about it, and so I have tolerated the toe pain for the past month.

[JosieBo]

A related discussion, Foot Pain was started.