Aa
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?
Speaking of JOINT problems...I was originally diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis a little over 1 1/2 yr. ago by the GP, who then sent me to a rheumy. I was taking Celebrex 1-2 times a day with Tylenol for break through joint pain, stiffness and mild swelling of feet, ankles, knees, elbows, wrists and some finger joints. They were just about to start me on Plaquinel, when low and behold, it was discovered that I had a goiter (along with some symptoms of hypothyroid). I was started on just 25 mcg of thyroid hormone and within just 3 DAYS the deep aching pain, etc. I had more than 2 yrs magically went away! It was miraculous! The character of the achiness just changed dramatically overnight. I still have some muscle problems-- mostly a little stiffness and soreness, but nothing I need to take pain pills for. I told my dr that he is a genius! I have been on the thyroid med for only 2 months now and am really looking forward to him bumping up the medication this next month when we redo all the labs to see if we can get rid of any residual muscle problems.
I do!! I'm hypo, but have been on Synthroid 150 for several months and am now slightly hyper. I get twitches in my face, arms and legs. The worst is when I'm tired or hungry, my legs muscles will shake and shake and there's nothing I can do. I also get odd cramps that don't really hurt, just feel weird, in my arms and legs. I often get strange sensations in my neck too.
I know I haven't offered any explanation... but at least you are not alone :)
I know I haven't offered any explanation... but at least you are not alone :)
I also have dizziness as a main symptom when my TSH is too high as well as muscle twitching all over my body.
Dou you know what your actual TSH level is/was? Did you have thyroid antibodies tested?
Any TSH over 2-3 is suspicious, especially with positive thyroid antibodies.
I went for 13 years misdiagnosed with an inner ear problem I do not have because my TSH levels were deemed normal. They were always in the upper end of the range- over 3.5 consistantly.
My endo said I should have been treated several years ago, at least.
The above 2 ladies rarely post here anymore. I am friends with EmpatheticJenny. She recommended her endo to me as we live in the same area.
Dou you know what your actual TSH level is/was? Did you have thyroid antibodies tested?
Any TSH over 2-3 is suspicious, especially with positive thyroid antibodies.
I went for 13 years misdiagnosed with an inner ear problem I do not have because my TSH levels were deemed normal. They were always in the upper end of the range- over 3.5 consistantly.
My endo said I should have been treated several years ago, at least.
The above 2 ladies rarely post here anymore. I am friends with EmpatheticJenny. She recommended her endo to me as we live in the same area.
I've been reading this dialogue with great interest. Surely we can learn from each other's experiences and I'm wondering how much my symptoms have to do with hypothyroidism: pain/aches in my muscles (legs and arms mostly), weakness in legs at times, headaches, some occasional dizziness, twitching feeling and cold sensitivity on occasion.
The TSH results are within normal ranges, so my doctor hasn't suggested hypothyrodism is the culprit, but maybe there's another marker to check as well? I don't want to start taking medication but would do about anything to alleviate these issues.
This all started about 9 months ago. Previously I was a very active 59- year old, having gone through menopause about 5 years ago. I've been to a neurologist, who took a brain MRI, an EMG test (electric probes to check nerve conduction), and an overnight sleep study. Results were normal throughout, thankfully, because like others I was frightened of the prospect of having MS.
A rheumatologist did 4 blood tests: C-Reactive Protein (inflammation, homocysteine levels), a gene marker for rheumatoid arthritis, sedimentation rate and checking on viruses. Again, all normal. She said the aches are likely part of the aging process and suggested I discuss this with my OB/GYN -- maybe consider taking hormone replacement therapy. Haven't been through that yet and frankly do NOT want to take HRT.
I have osteoarthritis and am willing to deal with occasional pain in upper and lower back, but the weakness in the legs, along with aches, dizziness, headache, etc. is just wearing me down. Seems there is no escape from some type of daily assault and I never know what to expect. At times, I'm afriad to travel because the unexpected seems to follow me everywhere. No doubt you all can identify with that helpless feeling regarding the unknown. I keep wondering if the doctors are missing something.
Any thoughts on what else to check to confirmation that this is familiar (in terms of symptoms and tests taken) would be much appreciated. Thanks!
The TSH results are within normal ranges, so my doctor hasn't suggested hypothyrodism is the culprit, but maybe there's another marker to check as well? I don't want to start taking medication but would do about anything to alleviate these issues.
This all started about 9 months ago. Previously I was a very active 59- year old, having gone through menopause about 5 years ago. I've been to a neurologist, who took a brain MRI, an EMG test (electric probes to check nerve conduction), and an overnight sleep study. Results were normal throughout, thankfully, because like others I was frightened of the prospect of having MS.
A rheumatologist did 4 blood tests: C-Reactive Protein (inflammation, homocysteine levels), a gene marker for rheumatoid arthritis, sedimentation rate and checking on viruses. Again, all normal. She said the aches are likely part of the aging process and suggested I discuss this with my OB/GYN -- maybe consider taking hormone replacement therapy. Haven't been through that yet and frankly do NOT want to take HRT.
I have osteoarthritis and am willing to deal with occasional pain in upper and lower back, but the weakness in the legs, along with aches, dizziness, headache, etc. is just wearing me down. Seems there is no escape from some type of daily assault and I never know what to expect. At times, I'm afriad to travel because the unexpected seems to follow me everywhere. No doubt you all can identify with that helpless feeling regarding the unknown. I keep wondering if the doctors are missing something.
Any thoughts on what else to check to confirmation that this is familiar (in terms of symptoms and tests taken) would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Hi, Patue--
I am sorry to have been very slow in replying. I do not have internet access at home, so I was away from the forum all weekend.
It sounds as if your symptoms and mine are a LOT alike. Almost like a reflex, I always encourage anyone who is concerned about a symptom or symptoms to have a medical assessment. Because I am a layperson, I would be a fool to reassure you that you do not have a neurological disease.
All the same, I have to tell you that when my gynecologist looked at a list of my symptoms and became a little concerned about whether I might have MS, it caused me to do some reading about the symptoms of MS. In no time flat, I was thoroughly frightened, because so much of what I was reading was just like what I was experiencing. As I began the process of having my symptoms assessed, I was well braced for hearing terrible news. What a relief to be told that neurologically, I seemed to be in glowingly good health.
At the time, it was a gynecologist who first heard about the symptoms because I had seen a clear-cut relation between my menstrual cycles and the symptoms' severity. Now that I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I wonder how much of my "neurological" weirdness has been related to the perimenopause and menopausal stages of life and how much to a thyroid gland that was slowly but steadily failing. The two kinds of hormones (reproductive and thyroid) are so intimately linked that it may never be possible to be sure of which has been which for me.
In regard to what I do about the symptoms: the twitching has not been with me steadily throughout the years. When I have a spell of it, I have not been able to do anything about it but ignore it. During one of the times when my calves were cramping at night, I could prevent the cramping if I was diligent about exercising aerobically several times a week. Stretching my calf muscles before bedtime also seemed to help. Then I went through a spell of a few months' time when nothing seemed to help. It will be interesting to me to see if muscle cramping goes away once my hypothyroidism is under control (I am still early in the process of adjusting to medication).
I hope that your muscle problems go away, too, as your Hashimoto's is treated. Am I safe in assuming that you are being treated? It is my impression that even if your numbers are in range, having a high level of antibodies is a reason to be given thyroid medication. I do not know if a physician has seen a connection between your miscarriages and having Hashimoto's, but I wonder if there is one.
Whatever the specifics of your situation, I DO care about you, and I am glad if that came through in my comments. You are entirely welcome, of course! I am so sorry that you have had a rough time of it medically for quite a long stretch of time. Do you have a good endocrinologist and/or gynecologist? It sounds as if what you need, first and foremost, is one or more physicians you can work with smoothly. Someone ought to be working with you to help you get your very reasonable wish: a life and a family, and someone certainly should refer you to a specialist for an assessment of your scary symptoms. It is an ongoing strain to have scary stuff going on; how well I remember. If you had that particular strain taken away, it would improve your situation a lot, I am sure.
Wishing you the best,
Jenny
I am sorry to have been very slow in replying. I do not have internet access at home, so I was away from the forum all weekend.
It sounds as if your symptoms and mine are a LOT alike. Almost like a reflex, I always encourage anyone who is concerned about a symptom or symptoms to have a medical assessment. Because I am a layperson, I would be a fool to reassure you that you do not have a neurological disease.
All the same, I have to tell you that when my gynecologist looked at a list of my symptoms and became a little concerned about whether I might have MS, it caused me to do some reading about the symptoms of MS. In no time flat, I was thoroughly frightened, because so much of what I was reading was just like what I was experiencing. As I began the process of having my symptoms assessed, I was well braced for hearing terrible news. What a relief to be told that neurologically, I seemed to be in glowingly good health.
At the time, it was a gynecologist who first heard about the symptoms because I had seen a clear-cut relation between my menstrual cycles and the symptoms' severity. Now that I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I wonder how much of my "neurological" weirdness has been related to the perimenopause and menopausal stages of life and how much to a thyroid gland that was slowly but steadily failing. The two kinds of hormones (reproductive and thyroid) are so intimately linked that it may never be possible to be sure of which has been which for me.
In regard to what I do about the symptoms: the twitching has not been with me steadily throughout the years. When I have a spell of it, I have not been able to do anything about it but ignore it. During one of the times when my calves were cramping at night, I could prevent the cramping if I was diligent about exercising aerobically several times a week. Stretching my calf muscles before bedtime also seemed to help. Then I went through a spell of a few months' time when nothing seemed to help. It will be interesting to me to see if muscle cramping goes away once my hypothyroidism is under control (I am still early in the process of adjusting to medication).
I hope that your muscle problems go away, too, as your Hashimoto's is treated. Am I safe in assuming that you are being treated? It is my impression that even if your numbers are in range, having a high level of antibodies is a reason to be given thyroid medication. I do not know if a physician has seen a connection between your miscarriages and having Hashimoto's, but I wonder if there is one.
Whatever the specifics of your situation, I DO care about you, and I am glad if that came through in my comments. You are entirely welcome, of course! I am so sorry that you have had a rough time of it medically for quite a long stretch of time. Do you have a good endocrinologist and/or gynecologist? It sounds as if what you need, first and foremost, is one or more physicians you can work with smoothly. Someone ought to be working with you to help you get your very reasonable wish: a life and a family, and someone certainly should refer you to a specialist for an assessment of your scary symptoms. It is an ongoing strain to have scary stuff going on; how well I remember. If you had that particular strain taken away, it would improve your situation a lot, I am sure.
Wishing you the best,
Jenny
Dear GL,
In regard to your comments about hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and muscle or joint-related symptoms: thank you for the tutorial! As I look backward in time and rethink the symptoms I have had in light of the still-new knowledge that my thyroid gland has been failing, the framework you have provided is very helpful.
Your opening words "While not generally well-known or understood" made me think of something that has become a running joke during my six-year relationship with a wonderful rheumatologist. The joke is that my LEAST favorite phrase in the English language is "poorly understood."
Best wishes,
Jenny
In regard to your comments about hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and muscle or joint-related symptoms: thank you for the tutorial! As I look backward in time and rethink the symptoms I have had in light of the still-new knowledge that my thyroid gland has been failing, the framework you have provided is very helpful.
Your opening words "While not generally well-known or understood" made me think of something that has become a running joke during my six-year relationship with a wonderful rheumatologist. The joke is that my LEAST favorite phrase in the English language is "poorly understood."
Best wishes,
Jenny
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