Thyroid/Arthritis/Cancer

[Susan615]

Can someone tell me if there is a correlation between hypothryroid and arthritis?  Also, if you are hypo can you still get thyroid cancer or do all your symptoms have to be hyper to indicate cancer?

[Susan615]

Thanks for the replies.  I have been hypo for 30 years (I posted on here before) and have to occassionally adjust my meds but lately, the last year or so, my levels have not been controllable.  It was recommended by several on this site that I get the doc to test more than TSH, which he is going to do later this month.  In the meantime I just had a dose decrease in late Sept.  Since then I feel awful  I usually don't really notice any difference with my meds or at least it is subtle.  Now it is like I was run over!!  I woke up the other day and could hardly move my joints hurt so bad.  My knees are swollen, my lymph node(s) are swollen, with one in particular that is going to be biopsied in Nov. but the aching is awful.  My dose only went down from 250 mcg of Levoxyll to 225 mcg.  My TSH was 38.6 then all the way down to .19.  Next time I will have more info.  I already had some arthritis but this feels really bad.  It hit me Friday and I am still in pain.  Just wondering if the 2 are connected.

[jeano22383]

i am hypo and I have thyroid cancer... I read that usually being hypo or hyper probably means no cancer (guess I'm an oddball, or that it can happen to anyone)

[goolarra]

Many of us who are hypo have Hashi's, an autoimmune disease.  Once you have one autoimmune disease, you are much more susceptible than the general public to developing other autoimmune diseases.  Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease also, so there is a connection there.

However, being hypo can make any arthritic condition worse.  Before I went on meds, my back was horrible.  Once on meds, it improved tremendously.  I have arthritis in my spine, so all is not completely well, but the improvement is remarkable.  For a while just before diagnosis, I could barely walk.

Anyone can get thyroid cancer.

[dawnangela]

I'm not familiar with the Arthritis, but anyone can certainly get thyroid cancer whether Hypo or Hyper, no one is immune to it..I do have Hashimoto disease and by what i read with that your chances of cancer are up a little bit with that..Dawn