Muscle pain ,joint stiffness, cramps,

[wesleychapel2008]

Hi I was told I had hyperthyroidism when I was 33 . I was given meds for that for a while till my head and body just fell apart. I was told the meds just was not working. So my thyroid doctor said he was going to make me hypo then he could control my thyroid better. Well He's the doctor so I said ok do it. Well thats was the beginning of my hell with hypothyroidism. I have been to many Doctors since then now i take 300 mg a day of levothyroxine And 350 mg of somas 4 times a day. now my thyroid levels can be fine but my body isnt. I have told all my Doctors of all the pain in my muscles, joint stiffness, non stoping cramps, no energy can't sleep, weakness, my memory its toasted.fatigue depresstion ,head aches that last a week at a time. But it all seems to go in one ear and out the other. Like it has nothing to do with my thyroid. Has anyone had this problem with there Doctors? I no i'm not crazy after 10 years of this. I feel the doctor who fried my thyroid messed my body up, cause i have never been the same since then. I just wish it would go away. Or a Doctor would tell me whats wrong and help me get better.

[LazyMoose]

You will surly learn some technics to get the muscle pain under control from Donna F, I'm maybe even a little jealous! It can be painful at first if your whole body is tight and knotted; sound like you. I was like that three years ago at the worst point. With so much inflammation and muscle knotting its hard to find the specific starting points, this is important in the early stages of treatment. Very difficult as they may be only the diameter of a pencil. I used the cap end of a fat sharpie marker to find the points, then go from there. Finding and treating referred pain trigger points Is real detective work, but the areas become more obvious as your muscles start to recover. For me, some problem areas are still reoccurring but now manageable. I can treat a tight knot before it manifests itself into a spasm. Part of my exercise routine. I gauge my muscle recovery by how much and type of exercise I can take before (or if) knots form the next few days after. Slow progress is so much better than misery. One last note: Once you loosen those knots and can start to exercise efficiency (it is important to strengthen the damaged muscle), Whey protein powder (easier on the stomach) will help your muscles recover; its not just for steroid pumped 'meat heads' at the gym.

[corky21]

Hi Lazymoose,

Yes in the spring you gave me great advice. You were the first person I've met online that knew exactly what I was thinking.

The weird thing is this. I figured I had triggers about 1 1/2 years ago when a P/T guy mentioned them. But when he elbowed me in those areas, I'd get muscle spasms a few days later where I couldn't get out of bed, so I stopped his treatment. Then I just laid low and was living with these pains as usual, but still searching. I connected the thyroid with it and started that, but still not optimal after 12 months.

I kept trying to exercise and once in awhile I'd read the Trigger Point manual by Claire Davies in the bookstore and I'd try some of her treatments, but then I'd get worse again and I would stop. There was another book next to hers by this Donna Finando. She had bascially the same information, and also stretches to do for each trigger.

Two weeks ago after paying a lot of money for a massage therapist, I thought, I can't afford this so I have buy Claire's book and this other therapist, Donna. I bought them and started studying. I got the theracane and the foam roller and I did some of the treatments. I found that when I use the roller on my thighs, pain there bad too, never knew that. Then I'd feel worse for a week, so I stopped.

I was at my wits end, thinking, I'll start again in January when I have nothing coming up that I need to do. Then one day a thought came in my head while at this computer and I thought let me google this Donna person.

All I could find were the list of books she'd written on trigger therapy and one site with her bio and address. The bio said she trained with Janet Travell and she has been practicing massage, acpuncture, and trigger therapy since 1976, and she was located an hour away.

I felt like I hit the lottery. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. She's not that expensive and I'd rather spend the money with her for a few sessions since she's written  a lot about the therapy, then the therapists I've paid so far.

I will try and remember to post here after a few treatments with her to let you know.

I'm now going to google that Rubz ball and see about ordering that too. Thanks for the great advice and tips. Have a great holiday

Colleen

[LazyMoose]

"I have wondered about how much of my thyroid my doctor did fry. is there anyway to find out? could that be why i am on so high of a dose of my meds?"

You need to find out what he did, get the records. As far as I know they used to remove it, now sometimes they do the Radioactive Iodine - I'm not sure what its called - someone will chime in I bet. A few people here have plenty of experience with this- you might post a new question pertaining to 'killing your thyroid" or similar.

I still have a thyroid, it doesn't do much from Hoshis' for years though.

You are on a high dose of T4,...... are you also a 'bigger' guy?

"And 350 mg of somas 4 times a day" -Being a Hoshi, I am not familiar with somas, (spelling?) or is that a anti hypERthyroid med?

[LazyMoose]

How lucky you are, get to meet a 'student' of Jannet Travell.  I remember commenting with you on trigger point release this spring. If you learn any new tricks from a 'master' please share them.

I did find a new useful too, a semi hard ball for feet called the Rubz, bought at a specialty shoe store. Between a golf ball and a tennis ball in size and firmness, perfect for the IT band and glutes when used on the floor.

I've done trigger point release for a 1- 1/2 years now, not as much daily anymore, but still after hard physical activity. Skied Sunday, released trigger points Monday, feel good today. Last spring it took my muscles one week to recover. Two years ago four weeks to recover ( I could not ski any more+ many other things from hypo). That's what a change  release muscle trigger points and T3 has done to me. A lot of hypos have this and do know it. It so nice to save the money from doing this your self!

[wesleychapel2008]

I have wondered about how much of my thyroid my doctor did fry. is there anyway to find out? could that be why i am on so high of a dose of my meds?

[LazyMoose]

HealthcheckUSA.com     tsh only like $40.......tsh , free t3 and free t4 $85. Pay online go to nearest lab, if your near a city. You can even drop this off at you doc if he is understanding and knows your unemployed.  Labs are a guide.

Trigger Point release Workbook $22, re-written by Clair Davis (original by Janet Travell) at Barnes and Noble books. People thinks its all smoke and mirrors till they try it.

And like said above, some feel T3 meds are a blessing. I am at or a liitle above the top of free t3 range, I need it for symptom relief. T4 only does not help some of us. So, if you really have no thyroid, (doc killed it?) you need T3.

There you go, you got the same advice from two people!

[wesleychapel2008]

thanks Tamra  and corky21 for your input. I would post my levels but I am one of the many unemployed right now with no insurance. I still get my meds from the doctor but cant get no blood work right now. I really think something is really wrong with my thyroid . My thoat and glands are very swollen. my neck does not look or feel normal. I have pain that shoots down my left side of my thyroid. and hurts when i eat or drink. from what I  read them are not good signs. I hope to get to see my doc soon then i will post my levels.  

[TamraW]

Post your current FT3 and FT4 levels. Also, have you been checked for vitamin D and B12 levels? Have you been checked for other auto-immunities like Sjrogen's?

Maybe you should try adding a T3 like Cytomel or getting off the synthetics and going natural like Nature-Throid or Westthroid.

Below is a link of recommended endos:

http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/

Call the endos office and ask how many thyroid patients the doc sees. Some see far more diabetes patients and don't know enough about thyroid.

:) Tamra

[corky21]

My endo doctors didn't pay any attention to all my body pain. I've found out in the last year that much of my pain is from trigger knots. I also believe some of it is also low grade fibromyalgia. Both triggers and fibro are also or rather can be the result of low thyroid. Also having a problem caused Reverse T3 seems to be very related to fibro pain. This is when you don't convert enough T3 to the proper tissues, you convert more the wrong way and they fill up the receptors at tissues of organs, etc. and the healthy T3 cannot get in, so basically hypothyroidism but b/c of a conversion problem.

Some people just don't make enough T4. Their pituitary doesn't send the  message to get T4 out, so they start to get very high TSH levels. This is a signal more more, but no hormone T4 comes, so hypo. But you can have enough or even low levels of t4, but you don't convert it properly b/c of low adrenals, low ferritin, B12, to name a few or even because of a virus you may have had, or a lot of stress at one time. The body doesn't switch back at times to convert the hormone properly.

Many people with fibro pain and/ trigger knots take high doses of T3 only when they discover they have a Reverse T3 prob lem and I've read many success stories of people getting rid of their fibro pain from being at the high level of T3 and sometimes even over the range.

I suffer every day with pain from knots, and also I believe moderate fibro and I'm on thyroid now a year. But the first 10 months I was on the lowest dose and it did nothing for me. Taking a little Cytomel seems to help at times, but again, still being kept at low doses.

I'm seeing a therapist in January that wrote a few books on trigger knots and who studied with JAnet Travell, the mother of trigger pain. I couldn't believe she was near my home. I'd looked at her book quite a bit in the past, but never thought to look her up. I did yesterday and she's nearby and I see her in January.

I'm hoping she can help me with these knots and show me how to do it at home with my theracane. Get a theracane and get the Trigger Point Workbook (Claire Davies) and there is another one by Donna Finando (she's the one I'm going to see). They are very helpful.

It will take a long time to get rid of any knots you may have. But I believe getting good T3 levels is a big help.