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muscle aches and twitching
Hi,
I am experiencing lots of muscle pain and muscle twitching all over/specially my legs. Is anyone else experiencing this with hashimoto?
While not generally well-known or understood, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can cause a variety of muscle or joint-related symptoms.
Hypothyroidism can create a variety of muscle and joint-related symptoms. Most commonly, these symptoms are due to swelling of the muscles, or swelling that is pressing on nerves. Various problems seen include:
General muscular weakness and pain, including cramps, and stiffness
General joint pain, achiness, stiffness, known as "arthropathy"
Tendonitis in the arms and legs
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome-- which involves pain, tingling, weakness, achiness or numbness in the wrist, fingers or forearm. It is due to swelling of membranes that compress a nerve in the forearm.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome-- similar to carpal tunnel, with pain, tingling, burning and other discomfort in the arch of your foot, the bottom of the foot, possibly extending into the toes.
Normally the worst of these symptoms and conditions do usually resolve with proper treatment of the thyroid condition. There are a few considerations when muscle and joint pain does not go away with proper thyroid treatment such as: If you are hypothyroid, are you getting sufficient and proper treatment? If you are receiving optimal thyroid treatment, and still suffering joint and muscle problems, you might consider getting a referral to a rheumatologist, for further evaluation and possible treatment. A trained rheumatologist can provide a more thorough evaluation for arthritis and fibromyalgia. Rheumatologists are experts in joint and muscle problems, and treat arthritis, some autoimmune conditions, various musculoskeletal pain disorders, fibromyalgia and tendonitis. Have you been evaluated for fibromyalgia? Some practitioners actually believe that fibromyalgia is actually a manifestation of hypothyroidism. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome that features specific tender points in the body, with widespread weakness and fatigue.
You might look into alternative therapies. Some patients with chronic joint and muscle pain related to their thyroid conditions have had success with therapies such as massage, acupuncture, and myofascial therapy. In terms of supplements, researchers have found that glucosamine and chondroitin "may have some efficacy against the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Muscle cramps are very common with low thyroid levels. Of course we can get them with low potassium levels also. Adding more potassium to your diet might help. Bananas and potatoes are a good source. I often have muscle spasms/Charlie hoarse in different parts of my body so I have been taking potassium pills, along with other vitamins and minerals ( of calcium, V-D, Magnesium) which I finds helps. And put a wrapped bar of soap under your bottom sheet.
Some suggest lack of proper fluids, resulting in a mild case of dehydration can cause muscles to cramp. Some have even said that not getting enough blood circulation can cause cramping.
Just my personal opinion and/or experience. Always discuss your health issue with your doctor , always adhere to your doctors advise and, you always have the right to a second opinion. Nothing is a 100% or a 100%, 100% of the time. However, we are not all alike!
GL,
1990 - Hyper/Graves'
1997 - Dia/RAI
1997 - MVP - Mitral Valve Prolapse
1999 - TED - slight Thyroid Eye Disease
1999 - Visible Nodule (suspect Marine-Lenhart-Syndrom/hyperfunctioning nodule)
2000 - SAS - Short Attention Span (short, spaced paragraphs, sweet and to the point helps)
2002 - IED - Intermittent Explosive Disorder (Graves' Range)
2007 - A/ITP (suspect)
Hypothyroidism can create a variety of muscle and joint-related symptoms. Most commonly, these symptoms are due to swelling of the muscles, or swelling that is pressing on nerves. Various problems seen include:
General muscular weakness and pain, including cramps, and stiffness
General joint pain, achiness, stiffness, known as "arthropathy"
Tendonitis in the arms and legs
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome-- which involves pain, tingling, weakness, achiness or numbness in the wrist, fingers or forearm. It is due to swelling of membranes that compress a nerve in the forearm.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome-- similar to carpal tunnel, with pain, tingling, burning and other discomfort in the arch of your foot, the bottom of the foot, possibly extending into the toes.
Normally the worst of these symptoms and conditions do usually resolve with proper treatment of the thyroid condition. There are a few considerations when muscle and joint pain does not go away with proper thyroid treatment such as: If you are hypothyroid, are you getting sufficient and proper treatment? If you are receiving optimal thyroid treatment, and still suffering joint and muscle problems, you might consider getting a referral to a rheumatologist, for further evaluation and possible treatment. A trained rheumatologist can provide a more thorough evaluation for arthritis and fibromyalgia. Rheumatologists are experts in joint and muscle problems, and treat arthritis, some autoimmune conditions, various musculoskeletal pain disorders, fibromyalgia and tendonitis. Have you been evaluated for fibromyalgia? Some practitioners actually believe that fibromyalgia is actually a manifestation of hypothyroidism. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome that features specific tender points in the body, with widespread weakness and fatigue.
You might look into alternative therapies. Some patients with chronic joint and muscle pain related to their thyroid conditions have had success with therapies such as massage, acupuncture, and myofascial therapy. In terms of supplements, researchers have found that glucosamine and chondroitin "may have some efficacy against the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Muscle cramps are very common with low thyroid levels. Of course we can get them with low potassium levels also. Adding more potassium to your diet might help. Bananas and potatoes are a good source. I often have muscle spasms/Charlie hoarse in different parts of my body so I have been taking potassium pills, along with other vitamins and minerals ( of calcium, V-D, Magnesium) which I finds helps. And put a wrapped bar of soap under your bottom sheet.
Some suggest lack of proper fluids, resulting in a mild case of dehydration can cause muscles to cramp. Some have even said that not getting enough blood circulation can cause cramping.
Just my personal opinion and/or experience. Always discuss your health issue with your doctor , always adhere to your doctors advise and, you always have the right to a second opinion. Nothing is a 100% or a 100%, 100% of the time. However, we are not all alike!
GL,
1990 - Hyper/Graves'
1997 - Dia/RAI
1997 - MVP - Mitral Valve Prolapse
1999 - TED - slight Thyroid Eye Disease
1999 - Visible Nodule (suspect Marine-Lenhart-Syndrom/hyperfunctioning nodule)
2000 - SAS - Short Attention Span (short, spaced paragraphs, sweet and to the point helps)
2002 - IED - Intermittent Explosive Disorder (Graves' Range)
2007 - A/ITP (suspect)
Jenny,
I forgot to ask you what did you do about the pain. I am hoping it's my hashimoto!! the thing is, my numbers are still in range, it's the antibodies that are out of wack.
I forgot to ask you what did you do about the pain. I am hoping it's my hashimoto!! the thing is, my numbers are still in range, it's the antibodies that are out of wack.
God I hope so. I was reading about MS last night and I have myself sick to my stomach. It has been such a difficult 2 years in regards to health. first two miscarriages, then hashimoto and now I don't know what is going on with all the pain and the twitching in my legs, specially the right one. You know, it's usually worst the week after my cycle. Then it goes away...Then it comes back again...I am terrified. I do want to thank you whole heartedly for caring enough to reply so ecouragingly to me. I am 35 and really want to have a life and a family.
Hi, Patue--
I do not have Hashimoto's, but with mild hypothyroidism (possibly caused by radiation treatments for acne way back in the '60s), you and I are in more or less the same thyroid-problem boat. There was a time when I had such muscle twitching in my calves that it sometimes felt as if I had a colony of worms moving around in each calf. My calves were not the only place in which I had twitching, but it was the most dramatic there.
I already had a years-long history of problems with muscle pain. For awhile, I had pronounced problems with my calves cramping at night. The muscle pain and twitching co-existed with some classic perimenopausal symptoms, which probably is part of the reason that my thyroid problem flew right under the radar screen of more than one smart and caring physician.
All of my symptoms crept in while I was in graduate school. I limped along (literally!) with no more medical care than what was available at the student health clinic. Then when I was out of school and had a job with good medical insurance, I wanted to have my symptoms assessed. I thought that they were hormone-related, but I wanted to be sure, and even my new gynecologist, when I presented him with a list of muscle and "neurological" symptoms from the previous few years' time, was a little nervous about whether I might have a demyelinating disorder (such as MS).
I am writing with the encouraging thought that it is possible to have really scary symptoms that are entirely hormonal and quite harmless. I was thoroughly assessed, and all of my wiring checked out just fine. That was several years ago. I wish that I could take the next step and tell you that your muscle pain and twitching are entirely related to your Hashimoto's, but as a layperson who is at a distance, I cannot know. What you describe sure sounds like a piece of my medical history, though, so I at least can tell you that it is entirely possible you have nothing wrong with you beyond having an out-of-whack thyroid gland.
Best wishes,
Jenny
I do not have Hashimoto's, but with mild hypothyroidism (possibly caused by radiation treatments for acne way back in the '60s), you and I are in more or less the same thyroid-problem boat. There was a time when I had such muscle twitching in my calves that it sometimes felt as if I had a colony of worms moving around in each calf. My calves were not the only place in which I had twitching, but it was the most dramatic there.
I already had a years-long history of problems with muscle pain. For awhile, I had pronounced problems with my calves cramping at night. The muscle pain and twitching co-existed with some classic perimenopausal symptoms, which probably is part of the reason that my thyroid problem flew right under the radar screen of more than one smart and caring physician.
All of my symptoms crept in while I was in graduate school. I limped along (literally!) with no more medical care than what was available at the student health clinic. Then when I was out of school and had a job with good medical insurance, I wanted to have my symptoms assessed. I thought that they were hormone-related, but I wanted to be sure, and even my new gynecologist, when I presented him with a list of muscle and "neurological" symptoms from the previous few years' time, was a little nervous about whether I might have a demyelinating disorder (such as MS).
I am writing with the encouraging thought that it is possible to have really scary symptoms that are entirely hormonal and quite harmless. I was thoroughly assessed, and all of my wiring checked out just fine. That was several years ago. I wish that I could take the next step and tell you that your muscle pain and twitching are entirely related to your Hashimoto's, but as a layperson who is at a distance, I cannot know. What you describe sure sounds like a piece of my medical history, though, so I at least can tell you that it is entirely possible you have nothing wrong with you beyond having an out-of-whack thyroid gland.
Best wishes,
Jenny
thanks for your replies. I keep worrying about lupas and MS...specially with constant twitching in my legs. I am not on any meds yet because my dr says I am still in range, although my antibidies keep going up and down.
I got the hypo aches as I call them.The hot tub is getting me through with that and every once in a while an advil pm so I can get some rest.And my body swell to twice its normal size by the endof the day.I just love hypohell. It gets better I promis.
Love Venora
Love Venora
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