[meb]

#1019724

Hi there, I have been treated with radioactive iodine for my Graves disease and am on maintenance synthetic thyroid hormones. I have just developed bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar tunnel syndrome, and a search of the internet and a few medical journals shows a potential connection between Graves and/or hypothyroidism and nerve problems like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Have any of you had this problem, and if so, what were the treatment options?

I believe I am subclinical hypothyroid, meaning I’m within the normal range with my current medication, but it’s possible that I need to increase my dosage anyway. Or perhaps the connection is not that simple and an increase in dosage will not solve the problem. I don’t know what to think at this point. Of course, it’s also possible the two conditions are unrelated in my case.

I’m going to make an appointment with a Graves expert if I can get one, but I suspect that most doctors will not know anything more about this connection than I do after searching the net. I previously had pulmonary hypertension when I was still hyperthyroid and no one but the rare expert knew anything at all about the connection – the pulmonary hypertension did resolve with treatment of the hyperthyroidism.

Thanks.

PS I just noticed two archived postings on the subject of "pain in hands" – including pain in the thumb at night. That is a classic carpal tunnel symptom. If any of those people still need help, they should ask their doctors about carpal tunnel treatments including wrist splints which are worn at night to keep the wrists from bending and causing pain.

[meb]

#1073705

This is an update to my post yesterday. I just spoke on the phone briefly with a Graves expert I’ve seen before. He said that my bilateral carpal tunnel and ulnar tunnel syndromes are likely related to the Graves (I’m young to have them otherwise, though it’s not unheard of), but that typically there is no special treatment I can seek, so long as I’ve got a good dosage of Synthroid. There is simply a predisposition toward nervous disorders like these.

Of use to note, though, is that he said there is a separate predisposition to carpal tunnel syndrome from hypothyroidism, because of associated swelling, etc. So I will look into whether increasing my dosage of Synthroid may help alleviate the carpal tunnel. It’s pretty painful at the moment.

[erobinson219]

#1073706

I had carpal tunnel and suffered for so many years before I finally had surgery. I wnet to a neurogist who tested my nerve function int ehands/arms and said if I didn;t get the surgey soon I would probably lose a lot of my thumb function down the line – and not too far down the line either. I already lost muscle in the thumb. I had the surgery by an orthopedic surgeon and it went very well. That was 6 years ago. I never heard that Garves was associated. Bothe my sister and brother had carpal tunnel but neither of them has graves.

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