Euthyroid Sick

[lazybeagle]

Been diagnosed with Euthyroid Sick though they dont know the original illness yet. (Among many other symptoms)  For years I had leg fullness/light cramping and now I have such sever cramping I can barely walk and lifting even a can of food causes cramps.  Twitching in muscles is also a major issue. My t3 and t4 are only slightly below normal.  Because they havent found the original cause I worry whether its the actual illness causing the muscle issues or its because Im hypothyroid.  Would even moderately low t3 cause such severe cramping?  Ive tried magnes, potass, vit e, etc...is there ANYTHING at all I can do to relieve the muscle cramps until they find my true illness? Neurologists, rheumatolists (at Uchicago or Mayo Clinic cant find any other cause for my cramping).


In hypothyroid should I have had light cramping all over my body to start, or is it common to start in the legs and then later on spread to the arms, back etc?  I have hd cold intolerance for 6 years but just this past year heat became even worse.  Is heat intolerance possible for hypothyroid?

Thank You for any feedback & suggestions.


Tom C

[Mark Lupo, M.D.]

This appears to be a complicated case.  If the T4 and T3 are low and TSH is low or normal, would consider euthyroid-sick vs pituitary.  You have been to excellent institutions, so I imagine this has been thought out.

Muscle cramping can be do to low thyroid; cold intolerance is more common than heat intolerance, but in general, temperature sensitivity is not unusual with low thyroid.

The question would be whether or not there is a pituitary issue then whether or not a trial of levothyroxine would be worthwhile.

[lazybeagle]

Thank You Dr.