Hey I am new here and really wondered if anyone else has had problems with joint pain that is caused by your thyroid? I started having joint pain in my wrists several months ago. Soon I started having joint pain in the ankles. I should add that I had been feeling fatigued for the last couple of years but put it down to getting older. I had also started experiencing some hair loss. I had a positive ANA so my doc sent me to a rheumatologist. He concluded that it was probably caused by thyroid autoimmune disease. I went to see the endocrinologist and because of the antibodies being present and having an elevated thyroglobulin she started me on levothyroxine. My symptoms got better initially. Joint pain was better, and I was less fatigued. Within 4 weeks I started having even more hair loss And the joint pain returned, although no where near as bad as it was. I called the doc & she switched me to synthroid & it helped with the hair loss but I am still having some joint pain. Just wondered if this sounds familiar to anyone else?
I should add that all my other lab values have been normal. TSH & T4 are always normal. I forgot to mention the brain fog & lack of concentration that I had been feeling for awhile.
Hi I had severe joint pain before I was diagnosed hypo. Don't know your age or if you're menopausal but low calcium will give me ankle pain. After about a week it eases up. Just a thought. Cathy
So sorry you are experiencing this. I know exactly how you feel. I have been struggling with the same thing. I had a partial thyroidectomy this past October & after about 6 weeks I started feeling horrible. My main symptom is joint pain. It is especially bad in my shoulders but i also have some pain in my knees & hands. I'm very fatigued and breathless as well.
Doc 1st raised my Levothyroxine (T4) from 25 mcgs to 50 mcgs but that didn't do the trick although it brought my TSH down to 1.38 from 4.28. Now he is raising my Liothyronine (T3) from 2.5 to 5.0. We will see if that helps.
Have you checked your ferritin levels? My iron can be normal but if my ferritin levels are low - even moderately low - I can get anemia symptoms & my joint pain worsens. I am taking iron supps to raise ferritin but it can be a slow process.
If my FT3 is low, I get joint pain, if it's in a good place for me, no pain! See exactly where your FT3 is. Always ask for copies of your labs, don't take "normal" for an answer. You could be too low in the range for you.Also get about 2,000 of vitamin D or more, people with auto immune thyroid disease always have low levels of D. I had mine tested, it was at 43. I was taking 1600. My doc said bump it up to 2,000. this helps with pain too.
Thanks so much. I will definitely check the ferritin levels. I am just so tired of hurting & feeling so tired. My quality of life has really gone down hill since all this started. It is really frustrating!
I have been reading how some people have to take Armour in addition to synthroid because of the t3. The last time labs were done my doc didn't check my t3. She never said anything about the t3 from my initial labs either. I go back in February and I will ask about it. The endocrinologists don't seem to be overly concerned with symptoms as much as they are the lab results. I will also look into the vitamin d.
Mine always ask how I am feeling and I always say I am tired lethargic weight gain hair loss but she will not check my t3!!! She is the only in my area too. I am stuck. Cathy
I am stuck. Cathy
