Muscles/ joint Pain/weakness in Hashimoto's Patient

[rohit_786]

First i must say this is the best forum i have found so far in which people not really share their stories but also give some advice.
I have been struggling with symptoms for last 11 months. Started in May i have some tingling in arms , feet and some eye floaters started . I went to doctor he did blood test but could not find anything wrong there so concluded anxiety , my TSH at that time was 3.5. In June i started have muscles cramp /spasm /tiredness /lack of energy and increase tingling/numbess in my palm.I went to neurologist in August 06 , he performed EMG and also did series blood test . The EMG came back fine than he discovered my TSH was 13. Started with Stanford Endo , she performed Thyroid TPO Ab to find out reason and that AB was high so diagnoses was confirmed that it is Hashimoto's . I started Levothyroxine 100mcg , started feeling better but muscles weakness/joint pain remains . My GP perform some more test in OCT which include B12 level as well that found to be 282 , so she consider it is  low and gave me some oral b12 . In Dec 06 i went to Neuro again  as my Endo said my throid is now normal (TSH 1.2 ,FT4 1.68) . Neuro perfomed again series of test which inlude MMA ,Homeocystiene/ANA/ESR/CPK and AB for Mystheneia Gravis , all came back normal accept MMA was 345 even my B12 was 577.He said everything is fine and started giving me Gabapentin 300mg and Cymbalta 30 mg.
In Feb my Endo started to think about giving me Cytomel 5x2 mcg and 75mcg Levoxyl to give some energy . In March i started to feel more weakness/joint pain even if press my joints/more floaters/lack of energy /completely fatigue /high palpitation . Went to GP she did some test again and found my TSH dropped down to .002 , so she said i am now Hyperthyroid, based my MMA high she started to give me 1ml Hydroxcynocobolomin inject 1x7 days and than 1x4/week . I have some Peripheral neuropathic symptoms like burning sensation in feet , numbess.tingling in my palm and weakness in wrist.

[Kali_Sama]

ok i know this is going to sound strange but to hashimoto's is more difficult to treat that normal hypothyroidism and can take longer to get the right medication for the individual, it also doesn't always get rid of all symptoms even, my advice would be to get yourself down to a gym for a light cardiovascular workout this sounds strange i know but hashimoto's is associated with Muscle deterioration and i have a theory that because our metabolism slows down we can't get rid of the toxins which build up with every day movement so we tend to feel like we've just run a marathon just going up the stairs, so go to the gym or work out a exercise regime at home which will get you moving both the lower and upper parts of your body for about half and hour every two days and over time build in some weight exercises which will strengthen you muscles and because we are also more prone to injuries than most don't go jogging a fast walk yes but no running you'll end up seriously hurting yourself, this is why i suggest a gym because its a more controlled environment and your less likely to hurt yourself, over time you may find some symptoms returning don't stop what you need to do is to increase the weights you using, also consider whether its possible you may have fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome all three diseases hashimoto's, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome are very similar to the point that german and american scientists think that they many be that same disease, and if you have one of them you are far more likely to have another. ok hope this helps you, love em*

[GravesLady]

I have not come across any information on floaters being associated with Hashi.  I have them myself and I am Hyper/Graves'.  
I have read that blurred vision is associated with Hypo/Hashi as well as in Graves' Disease.  Have you been to an ophthalmologist to rule out other causes. And it would be good for the ophthalmologist to have a record to compare your eyes with for any future problems such as thyroid eye disease.

Treatment has no effects on antibodies. Antibodies are not curable or treatable and nothing can be done about them. However, thyroid antibodies wax and wan (fluctuate up and down) or they may remain positive for years.

Loss of energy and/or fatigue is a thyroid issue for both Hashi's and Gravers
I have to take cat naps, sometimes several throughout the day just to rejuvenate so I can go on.  I would tend to believe that your energy loss would be due to your low TSH.  The lower my TSH was (0.03) the more cap naps I needed.  Now my TSH level is in Labs range I can go the day with only one cat nap or sometimes none.
Once your TSH is within your Labs reference range, some if not all your symptoms should subside.

Thank you for the kind words, but you must remember and take into consideration that I am a mere thyroid patient myself - not a doctor ;)

Good Luck and better health soon.

GL
GravesDiseaseAndRAI

[rohit_786]

Once again thanks a lot for your reply .
Have you ever heard Hives in hashimoto'/Hypothyroidism ?. My skin is really dry which is one the symptoms of thyroid and also getting hair loss and too much grey hairs , the grey been there even before diagnose Hypothyroid , could be because i may have Antibody present , not sure ..

But Hives are really killing me , if i scratch my skin it just give red patach which tend to go away in few seconds  and see hives on my face ..

Thanks again for your help.

[jd2]

hi
i also reckon this is the best forum, and was sooo releived and happy when i found it.
i have hashimotos and my vision has been blurry for the last year. i havent even been able to read or drive for longer than 5 minutes for the past year coz its hard to concentrate coz of my vision, and then i get really really tired and feel sick...
but this week i have been seeing a bit better and have been driving! (well, the 10min to the gym or a different beach...) but im not counting on this to last!!
i have recently been trying to find the right dosage of synthroid for me, and hopefully im close to it and that could be why my vision is getting better. although i am hypo at the moment coz i stopped the medication and i've been seeing  people in my peripheral vision who are not there (and i get such a huge fright from it!) - it used to happen before i was diagnosed and i thought i was losing it!! hahaha thank god it's from thyroid!
anyways, finding the right dosage of thyroid medication might help your vision problems (i hope if fixes mine too!). i've heard t3 can help with vision. im going to a new doc this week and gonna ask for a free t3 blood test to see if i need it.
i think there was a post last week from someone with blurry vision. i'll see if i can find it and will put it here.
i understand why this worries you. i have not been able to work coz ive been so sick and couldnt read. now i can read for a while but not 8hours a day!

[glasswitch]

I started out hyper/graves, had RAI (2005)now hypo/graves. Still having a lot of ups and downs. My TSH has chnaged 3 times in the past 6 weeks. I have told both of my doctors, endo and PCP how I feel and get no where. Muscle aches, weakness, fatigue, also have perphial vison problems which sometime follow with horrible migraines,  low blood sugar attacks, and have been diagnosed  compressed periphial nerves, I have no strength cannot hold my nieces (2 yrs old & 6 months) for very long, working in my yard kills me, house work, i have muscle cramps, spasms etc. I am 29yrs old with 2 kids.
End of Feb. TSH 1.79
Middle March TSH 3.25
1st week April TSH 1.58

I am on 75mcg synthroid (for now). I am tired of going back and forth between doctors. I am tired of feeling this way. I have decided to try to build my self back up slowly by going to the gym and working muscles slow and easy to see if I cannot build their strength back to where it should be. I stop before I think I might go to far and end up in pain. I am walking during my lunch hour, its not easy either but I am hoping it will help. I just keep pushing my self. I am eating healthier also. The doctors don't seem to be much help, all they want to go by is the numbers and not how I acutally feel/hurt.  I had total labs done and it came back showing low white blood count, low pottassium, and TSH of 3.25 and yet doc said I was OK. So I have given up on them for a while.
I know when something is wrong, its your body, you live in it not them.

Good luck to you and hope you get to feeling better..........      

[rohit_786]

Thanks for sharing your story with me.. Hope you feel better but don't give in search for good doctor.
I also have vision issues which seems to be because of thyroid. My vision get blury /eye floaters and migraine sort of pain in my head. I always feel lightheadedness ..
I am currently taking 100mcg levoxyl and praying every day to get my same life back..

[rohit_786]

I am wondering if Graveslady can add some comments , i read lot of questions posted and found she is actively answer questions.

[rohit_786]

I must say your are surely well informed in subject of thyroid . I really appreciate your effort and time to answer questions in this forum.
I just have one more question.

Have you heard issues of eye floater/bluryvision some time in Hashimoto's patients?.


Initially when i diagnosed to  Hypothyroidism my TPO AB was 285 which was high but recently we test again and it was 44 so it dropped down , Would that be possible after some time of treatment Ab can go passive and don't damage thyroid gland even if i stop taking medicine ?

My major complain is dizziness/fatigue and muscles weakness with Peripheral neuropathy , which did calm down in last 5 days when i am on 100mcg levoxyl after TSH result 0.002 but not resolved yet. After 6:00PM i feel like no more energy to do further work , is this normal ?..


Once again the help you are offering can't compare with new cost , it is really valuable , God will give you benefit for this work ..

Thanks

[GravesLady]

Is your TSH  still at .002?  this is way too low, so no wonder you are feeling adverse symptoms.  You are not hyper per se, but rather hyper from med. induced. This level can cause adverse and irreversable health consequences.

Unless you are having a conversion problem, in which is very rare, there may be no need for  T-3 (Cytomel).  For some T-3 will work (doctors give it as a placebo) others it does not help.  There is no Scientifics proving that T3 helps well being any more than T4 medication. However, to each his (her) own.

TSH 1.28 FT4 1.68 FT3 2.6 looks like Cytomel levels, which would be normal.

If still feeling bad then adjust med. dose either way from there until you find the level, within Labs reference range, that makes you feel your best.  However give plenty of time for the medication to  its job before changing doses, and go slow with small doses at a time. This is going to take time and patients, but will worth it in the end.

It takes time for the body to heal once we find our correct level to where we feel our best. Each person it different in their healing time, no one is a like. Plus some symptoms take long to heal from than others. You probably had Hashi a long time before being diagnosed, likewise healing. You will get there, so hang in there, do your home work and hopefully you have a doctor whose willing to work with you, in which is half the battle.
If you still are feeling bad then either you are not at the correct level for you (within Labs reference range) or some other health issues is going on.

Don't rush things or you will be ping ponging back and forth with med. dose changes and levels which will take you longer to get to your goal of healing.  I know for I rushed it and at 10 years still trying to find my level.

Good Luck - Feel Better Soon!

GL/
GravesDiseaseAndRAI.msnw

[rohit_786]

Thanks for your reply.
I pushed my doctor to use cytomel to feel better based so much research but for me it worked differently , i was infact feel worst after 2 weeks .
Before we start cytomel my test results are

TSH 1.28
FT4 1.68
FT3 2.6

I really want to feel better , i went through series of doctor done numerous number of test but all at the end point to thyroid is the curlprit and thryoid doctor said once before my tsh went to .002 that my thyroid is fine , i should look for other possibiities .Not sure where to go.

[venora]

I am taking combo of synthroid in the am 125mcg and 25 mg cytomel 3X a day.
What a difference it has made.I am still coming out of hypohell after RAI.But I am doing sooooo much better and improving every day.
see how your next labs go and then maybe add the cytomel.EVeryone is different and not everybody can convert the T4 in synthorid to t3 too so you need to take both some of us.
Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.
Love Venora

[rohit_786]

Ran out of Limit , Remaining portion of last thread is here .

I can hold my 3 years old daughter longer than 5 minutes and she is under weight.

My concerns is , how long does thyroid takes to come normal and resolve all my sympyoms , or should i go for some other direction.
I am really worried and my anxiety is adding day by day thinking about infectous disease which has similar symptoms  but my doctor said it is just thyroid give it some time to completely recover.

Any help  or similar stories here are  highly appreciate it