[LSofolo February 28, 2017 at 2:41 pm Post count: 2]

#1060823

Hello,
I am a parent of a 10 year old child with Graves Disease and we are still sifting through all her symptoms. We first discovered her Graves Disease by accident when we went to the doctor about her muscle weakness and extreme inflexibility. She began taking methimazole in July last year and her levels have been in a normal range for a few months now. While her muscle strength is coming back, she still is having a difficult time with her range of motion. We have done physical therapy and have been cleared by a neurologist as to other causes of her muscle problems. But her endocrinologist has told us these issues aren’t related to her thyroid. I am trying to see what other direction we might need to take.

Has anyone else, after getting their levels in a normal range, ever experienced muscle and/or movement issues? For a perspective, when asked to touch her toes, she can’t reach her hands past her thighs and if she is sitting and wants to lift her leg from a 90 degree to 180 she can make it about 30 degrees.

Thanks for any info!

[KimberlyOnline Facilitator March 1, 2017 at 9:59 am Post count: 4288]

#1184958

Hello and welcome!

The muscle weakness is common with Graves’, but should continue to improve as your daughter’s levels get to a place where they are normal and stable.

Personally, I’ve had both knee issues and shoulder issues in the years since my Graves’ diagnosis, and I’ve heard anecdotal stories from others as well. I’ve also noticed a decrease in range of motion during this time, but I spend a lot of the day sitting, *and* I’m a lot older than your daughter!

I wish this was an area where we had more info, but some researchers are beginning to explore this connection; for example, here’s a piece on tendon issues and thyroid dysfunction:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3838329/

For more general info on Graves’ disease in children, check out the videos and playlists on our YouTube channel. There are videos from Dr. Scott Rivkees and Dr. Michael Gottschalk, as well as a playlist (on a separate “Playlist” tab) featuring several doctors from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia:

https://www.youtube.com/user/GravesAndThyroid/videos

(Note on links: if you click directly on the above links, you will need to use your browser’s “back” button to return to the boards after viewing, or you will have to log back in to the forum. As an alternative, you can right-click the link and open it in a new tab or new window).

Wishing you and your family all the best!

[LSofolo March 6, 2017 at 7:15 pm Post count: 2]

#1184959

Thank you for the information. Much appreciated!

[Author]

Posts