[Brit1124]

#1019851

Hi There Everyone,

Well, my story is like most people that I have read on here. However, I haven’t seen, or maybe I overlooked, anyone complain about joint pain. I am a twenty year old female with some outrageous joint pain sometimes. Usually it is in my knees, and right shoulder. Then there are times where I feel I have to crack every bone in my body to relieve some pressure. It is at its worst when it comes to settling down into bed or just relaxing. Is this something im only experiencing or is it associated with Graves Disease???

Thanks ” title=”Very Happy” />

[Bobbi]

#1074565

Joint pain is not a symptom of Graves. It can be a symptom of a complication due to the antithyroid medication. So, if you are on PTU or methimazole, you need to tell your doctor.

We can experience more stress on joints if we continue to exercise while hyperthyroid. Because excessive levels of thyroid hormone weaken our muscles, we can experience injuries if we continue to run, or play tennis, or whatever, until our levels have been normalized, and we have the time and opportunity to retrain the muscle strength.

It is going to be hard for anyone online to tell you what is going on. Your doctor is going to be your best guide.

[mammaw]

#1074566

Try going to a Rheumatologist. My GP didn’t think I should go, but the Rheumatologist started treating me right away with Plaquenil and Mobic for the pain. I have what is called serum-negative RA. It doesn’t show on the tests, but it’s real. The insurance even have a code, name, and they pay. I did not have any issues prior to Graves.

Having numerous autoimmune diseases after Graves is not abnormal. It seems like no one likes to talk about it much on this site. But, I think it would be better to discuss the possibilities and probabilitites of this occuring, instead of not associating these new problems with the disease, Graves, that may have been the source of their beginnings. Graves causes enough emotional upheaval and we deal with doctors, family, and friends not believing there is anything wrong with us. Let’s discuss the broader spectrum of problems and association possibly to Graves.

[TaraPetit]

#1074567

My Dr thought my back pain wasn’t due to the meds and gave me some gentle excercises to do. However, now five days w/o my meds, and my back pain is just about non-existant. I only get it at the end of the day, and no where near as intense. Same for the major gastric discomfort.

Tara

[jennifer8055]

#1074568

Hi,
I have recently been taking a product called lyprinol ( http://www.lyprinol.info ) for my joint pain and it has helped me quite a bit. The pain used to be pretty bad particularly in my knees and elbows and I found it quite difficult to even walk properly. I have been taking this product for about two weeks now and I feel that the pain is much lesser and I’m able to move my legs and arms properly.

[DianneW]

#1074569

Before I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease I thought I had arthritis because I had pain in many of my joints. In fact, my endo tested me for rheumatoid arthritis, and when the test came back negative he told me that it was probably just the thyroid imbalance causing the joint pain. Fortunately he was correct, because it gradually went away when my thyroid levels were normalized (though I had more joint pain later on when I was hypo).

This doesn’t mean that’s what is going on for you, but I thought you’d want to know it’s a possibility. There are so many different possible symptoms for people with hyperthyroidism that not all of them make it in the patient books that most people read. I also had thyroid neuropathy, another uncommon symptom that isn’t ever listed. I don’t know if I had some of the unusual complications because I had the disease many years undiagnosed, or because I was just "lucky", but it took months of normal thyroid levels before some of these problems went away. It wasn’t an immediate "cure" when my blood tests showed normal. I gradually got better over time.

Always talk to your doctor about these symptoms and make sure he’s aware. I hope you feel better soon.

Dianne W

[nikitasa]

#1074570

Any tips on preventing back pain due to standing for long periods of time? When standing for long periods of time, for example at concerts, I experience lower back pains. I have tried taking pain medication [Tylenol] beforehand to combat pain that will inevitably arrive and it doesn’t work.

[scubarn]

#1074571

My joint pain began as soon as the HYPO symptoms began.
Thyroid hormones affect every cell in our bodies. I don’t believe we have all the answers yet in Grave’s disease. I have learned the hard way that just because a test/lab value is negative does not mean that the symptom is not real.
I knew in 2001 that something PHYSICAL was wrong. Rapid symptom onsets were: I had an eye bugging out, constant eye watering, weakness, fatigue, irritability, night sweats, insomnia, weight GAIN followed by rapid weight LOSS, and a rapid heart rate. The tests were all negative for thyroid for over 6 months so I was told that I needed Xanax because "I was JUST an anxious woman". The best MD’s at Stanford Medical University AND UCLA Medical Center wrongly diagnosed me with a rare, bizarre disease that put everyone on the wrong track.
There is a saying I like to quote from a retinal surgeon I work with:
"If it walks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it’s probably NOT a zebra." ” title=”Smile” />
The worst part is that I have practiced in the critical care arena of the medical field for over 20 years now. I trust my symptoms now and I don’t let the doctors blow off my symptoms as unimportant or not related.
Though there is no written scientific evidence that I have found relating to joint pain and thyroid levels specifically, it makes sense to me that my joint pain could "possibly" be related to my new hypo symptoms.
I had a carpal tunnel surgery in 2007. I now know that carpal tunnel disease (in my case) was due to the fluctuating thyroid hormone levels. It was such a rapid onset once I lowered my thyroid levels. I had muscle atrophy and bone loss due to Grave’s HYPER thyroid. I have hypertrophied eye muscles due to Grave’s. I now have HYPO symptoms status post total thyroidectomy.
2/2009 was my thyroidectomy. Three weeks after my Thyroidectomy I went very hypo in my levels. That is when my right ring finger began to hurt, and "get stuck" each morning. When I am too hypo my joints hurt. MD’s immediately rush into bizarre, exotic disease diagnoses, but I know my body. For me, HYPO means a whole new set of symptoms. In my case, joint pain is one of them. It is joint pain in just my right ring and middle finger now. I have no answers, but I have the symptom. I hope this helps someone who is experiencing the same symptoms.

[RhondaG4]

#1074572

Wow….Joint pain. Didn’t know that was associated with GD, but I’m not surprised. I know that the Osteopenia I have can be associated. I suppose having weak bones could also make your joints hurt. I know my Endo told me that the muscle pain I was having, and then a muscle in my shoulder decided it wanted to seperate, was probably due to my Graves. All of this while I was/ still am hyper? My labs show my levels are within normal range, and we are waiting for me to go hypo. Like Mamabear was saying, there are other auto immune disorders, and from what I understand once you have one, chances go up from there that you could have another. Bad part is that my Endo is leaving town, and the PA that I go to thinks that now that I’ve had the RAI that everything with my GD is all better. Can anyone recommend a book I can get her? At least my Endo sent me to another doc before he leaves town, and she is the one looking into other possibilites.

[sickofgraves]

#1074573

I have joint pain and had it as soon I came out of an 8 year GD remission. The way it manifests is soreness after relaxing…as in first thing in the morning as I get out of bed and any other time I am just sitting or reclining for a long period. When I get up in the morning even my feet are sore. I also have shoulder aches like never before. I am an active 5’6" 122lbs. So, it’s not like I am holding any extra weight. It’s a mystery to me.

I am two weeks into Tapazole and I must admit it’s getting less painful. I am trying to be good to my body and not work it too hard and also am soaking more and getting a massage when I can. For me, I am just doing the best I can. It’s a real one day at a time and no two days are ever alike. It is getting better though.

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