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Hashimoto's and trigger points, muscle spasms, tension-type headaches

Hi,

I am desperately searching for some answers regarding some awful muscle spasms that sound identical to what others described in this old discussion thread:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Thyroid-Cancer-Nodules--Hyperthyroidism/Hashimotos-and-Muscle-tightness/show/263700?forums=forums

My TSH is within normal range, but for the past 2 years, I have had the same constant tension and spastic activity in my neck, shoulders, and back.  I have trigger points, and my muscles feel as hard as rocks.  The tension varies, but when it's really bad my left shoulder is noticeably higher than my right shoulder; the former is up and back, while the latter is torqued down and forward.  The worst part is the headaches, which can be agonizing.  I have this constant sensation of pressure on both sides of my head, as if there is a vise squeezing me, but at its worst, the pain can be 10 of 10.  I've done trigger point injections, a shoebox full of various medications, and even Botox--all to no avail.  I'm at my wit's end.  Is there a Hashimoto connection to all of this?  If so, what can be done about it?  Thanks so much for any help you can offer.



This discussion is related to Hashimoto's and Muscle tightness.
19 Responses
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798555 tn?1292787551
OK, so you have not been diagnosed with low thyroid, or the autoimune version which is Hashimoto.

You need free T3 and free T4 tested not just tsh. The specific antibodies to test for hashimoto are TPO and TgAb.

Obviously, the long term problem of treating symptoms and not the cause, is that you'll coninually be treating them as they will return.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for your thoughts.  I have never even heard of Hashimoto until I stumbled across this blog.  I made an appointment with a doc to have some blood draw next week.  I read up on Hashimoto and I don't have all of the symptoms, especially the "unexplained weight gain".  The one that really stands out to me is the chronic fatigue.  No matter how much sleep I get (I usually try to get around 7-8 hours/night) I never feel rested or recovered.  I had a sleep apnea test done but they said I had an extremely mild case and my O2 stats didn't drop much at all, so I don't think that is the cause of my fatigue.

Accupuncture can work wonders, it helps relieve a lot of the muscle pain but it only treats the symptoms and not the root cause.  
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798555 tn?1292787551
You dont mention any thyroid med , levels ect........?

I had had pain close to what your describing for some years. was then dx'ed with hashimoto, given synthroid and my pain was not improved at all.

Not untill I changed to dessicated thyroid med did my pain improve, that was 3 to 4  years ago. It improved up to a point, like 80% better a couple years ago.

Magnesium glycinate at night makes it a little better too.

I've tried everything but acupuncture and rolfing.

Chiropractic does not hold if your muscles are pulling on the joints.

I learned trigger point release - it work temporarily.

Muscle energy takes many sessions for what it does, and its not that great.

Active Release  Technique done by someone who knows what they are doing can provide lasting relief. LOts of pressure on tendons is the key.I went so much, learned,  then I got creative and do this myself several times  week.

Now I'm learning myofascial release. It takes time (FIVE MIN PER AREA) but still doesnt seem like magic yet

im also searching for other reasons besides thyroid in my case
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Avatar universal
Hey everyone,

I been having the following symptoms for about three years now, been to a bunch of doctors (ortho's, neurologists, etc) and I'm still trying to figure out what is going on.

-random muscle spasms everywhere.  I get them anywhere from my legs, forearms, stomach, lower back, etc.
-Fatigue
-Reduced sex drive (I hate to say it and I'm only 30 yrs old)
-Extremely painful muscle knots or trigger points; whatever you want to call them.  I get them really bad in my triceps to the point where it feels like there are rocks in my arms.  I have tried to use myofascial release techniques on my own (pressure) but it seems to just **** them off.  I normally have to go to an accupuncture therapist to have a few needles driven into them.

Of all these symptoms, the one that I find the most difficult to deal with are the really painful muscle knots simply because I don't know what causes them.  I used to think it was from lifting weights to I stopped and they still show up.  I can surf all day on occasion and be totally fine but them I'll just be doing the dishes and my arms will knot up.  Psychologically, I can't stand it.  I feel as though I've been so "measured" in how I approach life, constantly wondering if my next step or action will cause a knot to develop.

If anybody has any advice or has had/does have similar symptoms I would love to hear what you have done to deal with these problems.

thanks
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am allergic to aspirin, and I am still trying to loose the weight.. i cannot go dairy-free, i need the calcium and such in milk.. gluten free can get expensive, so i am going to try weight watchers... good to know, well, not good, that i am not the only one with the symptom. i too go to chiropractor.
Helpful - 0
2111954 tn?1334268551
I have had the exact feeling you described!  I was diagnosed with Hashimotos in Aug. of last year.  Since then I have had a hard time controlling the memory loss, hair loss, muscle fatigue-like my legs are encased in cement-, strange pressure in my head, as well as feeling a "strong pulse" through my body from time to time.  I started off on synthroid, but felt flu-like systems daily, in addition to the others mentioned above, so my Dr. put me on a compounded T-3.  My symptoms are s-l-o-w-l-y getting better, but not under control.  I just set up an appt. with a chiropractor that speicializes in Hashi's in hopes that I can finally get relief.  I am a 40 year old female, in good physical shape (once I lost 20 of the 30 unexplained pounds I gained due to this disease), and eat a gluten and -almost- dairy free diet.  I take selenium drops daily, and a baby aspirin.  The addition of the aspirin has seemed to help the "pressure issue" a bit.  Will report back after I have seen the chiropractor.
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798555 tn?1292787551
Hashi has many odd symptoms that not everyone gets. Or yours could be something else entirely different thats what I'm saying. Best to make your own post on that subject to get more comments.
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Avatar universal
what kind of symptom?
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798555 tn?1292787551
"head pressure" - does not sound like a muscle problem from Hashimoto, but another symptom.
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Avatar universal
ok, it is more like head pressure, like its going to pop, prob right about the Fibro/hashi, better not be a tumor.
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798555 tn?1292787551
brain squeeze...........???

- No.

Muscle tension from shoulders can spread to my neck and then the base of my head If I dont stop it at the sore shoulder phase.

All muscles are connected with facsia tissue, if not delt with promptly - where you feel the pain might not nessesarily be where it started. This is thought to be how fibromyalgia all over body pain is created. The trick is to be proactive after exercise and eliminate its spreading. Doing nothing in these cases usually results in worse pain and stiffness. I was one DX'd with fibro, but dont believe it (its a name for symptoms of unknown causes). I have Hashimoto, which can be proven, and T3 does help, but not eliminate bady pain.
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Avatar universal
get the brain squeeze too?
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Avatar universal
I get the brain squeeze too, is that the sign of hoshis? im freaking out, i had cat scan and mri 2 yrs ago, now im thinking a tumor grew..:/
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798555 tn?1292787551
Physical therapist, a "manual PT" to be exact, since insurance covers most - it all depends how its billed. I learned some trigger point release from the PT. Then further learned on my own from that point on. I also had it incorperated with Muscle Energy technich, which stretches muscles and sets them into proper positioning. I had many sports related injuries while hypo for years - muscle injuries that did not heal properly from 10 years of doctors only looking at TSH and using only T4 meds.

I went through many Drs for Hashimoto, finally found an endocrinologist that would treat with my suggestions (adding T3, then natural thyroid) -

I really learned on my own, made my own plan, was fed up with Dr's..
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the reply.  Did you see a physical therapist or a Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist at any point?  I've got an appointment with a PT next week, but I was wondering if someone trained in more of the Travell-centric model might be more adequately prepared to help in my case.  Also, did you have to find an endocrinologist to really get your thyroid hormone levels balanced, or were you able to puzzle it out for yourself?  Thanks again.
Helpful - 0
798555 tn?1292787551
To comment on your original Sept post, not everyone with Hashimoto gets unbearable muscle tightness, but for those that do it can be miserable.

Adding some type of T3 seems to help most people with this hypo symptom, and keeping the T3 in the top third of the range. Also, as previously stated some Magnesium helps. The most common type, magnesium oxide will not help with muscle pain, or tension. Mag glycinate is the best for this condition and mag citrate also helps.

Myofascial release or trigger point therapy to release extreme muscle tension does get noted here but rare at best. Having practiced this myself for three years I will say that it works instantly, but needs to be repeated several times a day till the Affected muscles in the area heal.

I think the names of these manual muscle therapies leave people doubting their effectiveness and pass these on as a "smoke and mirrors" or some "snake oil " remedies.

Muscles can get stuck in a bad cycle of tension, flare up, injury and repeat. Sometimes its from unbalanced muscle physio-chemistry. Muscles while in a hypothyroid state can have the ATP rebuilding process out of whack, leaving a toxic buildup of lactic acid, which normally will gradually get flushed out of muscles in a healthy body. Lactic acid that sticks around displaces healthy nutrients and blood flow from the effected area, leading to tightness and weakness that leave muscles in a constant 'firing' state, never relaxed - leading to further injury. It can be a brutal cycle confusing the person and doctors that they seek for this condition.

These lactic acid dominate areas are what is termed as trigger points, often as small as a dime, but hurt when pressure is applied. Trigger point thereapy or Myofascial release is appling pressure to these areas with fingers, thumbs, golf, tennis, baseballs ect for 8 to 20 seconds at a time. This pressure will mechanically 'push out' the lactic acid from the area allowing fresh blood and nutrients to flow in and heal the muscle.

It works and is better than just pain med or muscle relaxant which does not heal the problem anyway. This can take awhile to reset the muscle memory back to its health state. Anywhere from one week to several months, depending how long the problem has been around."The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook" is the easiest book for the every day person to understand with good illustrations - compared to four others I looked at. The original was re-written by Davies and Davies into this more consumer friendly version. Five stars (had to throw that in).

A hypo body must be corrected to proper thyroid levels in order for this to be a good muscle pain solution, but it works wonders as routine maintenance for repeat problem or past injured areas as well. I like.
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Avatar universal
Just wanted to do a follow-up post to this question.  One of my biggest frustrations during this whole process has been seeing open questions that sound like close descriptions of my condition, only to read to the end of the thread and see that no one ever comes back to explain to the community what they've found out.

If you're having muscle spasms of any kind in any location, by default I would at least look into something called Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome, which can have a lot of different components to it, INCLUDING THYROID DISORDERS.  JFK's personal physician wrote a book on the subject, called Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Therapy Manual.  It's a well-established, widespread condition that, unfortunately, not too many physicians are aware of.  Basically your muscles develop hyper-irritable knots in them, which then refer pain to other areas.  Different trigger points have different pain patterns, so a trigger point in your shoulder could be giving you a headache, etc.

Another great resource that differentiates between Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome and Fibromyalgia (while providing great information on both) is Dr. Devin Starlanyl's website: http://www.sover.net/~devstar/  (The key difference between the two is FM entails widespread pain while CMPS entails pain points/trigger points).

Her website even has information sheets you can print out to bring to appointments.  Apparently, she has both CMPS and Fibromyalgia, but was unable to find treatment for several years until she stumbled across the book I mentioned earlier.  She has written a book herself, and I would advise you to go to Amazon and look up any book on trigger points and chronic myofascial pain.  

If you're suffering to the degree that I am, please look into this stuff.  If you have Fibromyalgia, it can be managed very well with the appropriate treatments.  If, like me, you simply have Chronic Myofascial Pain, then you can most likely be cured (pain free), with the provision that you get body work done whenever you start to develop a trigger point again.  
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Avatar universal
Thanks very much for your reply.  I have actually taken magnesium supplements religiously for the past couple of years, due to the link you mention between muscle relaxation and magnesium.  Do you have muscle spasms like this?
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1756321 tn?1547095325
Magnesium is essential to relax muscles. Calcium contracts, magnesium relaxes. This essential mineral is often deficient in thyroid patients.
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