Taking Levothyroxine for Hashimoto's thyroiditis
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and have been taking levothyroxine since April. (I should add i also had a heart attack and two stents placed in LAD and RCA in April, as well) and am taking medications for that as well. Yesterday, October 22, I started having terrible pain in my right hip joint and cannot find a way to get comfortable when lying down or sitting, but if i walk fast it hurts less than when I walk slow or sit. Has anyone had any joint pain side effects from levothyroxine?
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Welcome back to Connect @taffmorello.
I'm tagging fellow members @taterjoy @michellecrcrn @kyjeanne @dogmamat @sebley12 and @jillnc, all of whom have experience with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and in some cases have mentioned taking levothyroxine. I also think @dawn_giacabazi @jmbjar and @predictable might have some valuable insight to your specific questions.
Taffmorello, have you made an appointment to see your doctor about this new pain? Given that it is the weekend, have you considered going to ER?
Hi, @taffmorello, I'd like to add a brief early comment on your troubling situation and, in the process, help to resolve your main question here: Is Levothyroxine causing joint pain? I doubt it. My wife and I had extensive treatment by endocrinologists a few years ago in connection with my hypertension and her thyroid problem. She has been on 75mcg daily Levothyroxine for several years after her doctor found thyroid deficiency in her metabolism. She was under treatment for Diabetes 2. So far as we can tell, she has had no symptoms of pain or discomfort from the medication and, in fact, has generally positive conditions, including a moderately heavy daily exercise regimen that exceeds what you'd expect for a 78-year-old woman by 5-6 hours a week.
We haven't found information on Levothyroxine that suggests a role for it in treatment of thyroiditis, including inflammation from immune system attack on the thyroid gland. It is used mainly for replacing a deficient thyroid hormone. Would you mind sharing what your daily dosage of Levothroxine is? And what medications are involved in treating your post-operative heart condition?
I won't speculate about what's causing your hip pain -- only comment that it's strange to hear that your hip joint is more painful at rest (or nearly so) than when it's moving fairly rapidly. Would your medical team provide any insights on that? Or would they call in a neurologist and an orthopedic specialist to order an MRI image of your hip in motion? I hope these questions will help in your search for information on your painful hip.
I have been on Levothyroxine since april. Started with .5 then .75 and finally good at .100. I had joint pain in knees, hips when pressure applied, and wrists/hands. My aunt was convinced I had RA as that's what she had so I went to an RA dr and found out I have sjogren's syndrome which can mimic a lot of things. She put me on 5mg of predisone fir awhile and I'm now being weened off of it.. joint pain as so far stayed away. I also take something for sjogren's as well. I would suggest going to an RA dr for the joint pain, they can usually figure that out and mine is very good about sending to other drs to rule other things out too. <br><br><br>
@jillnc, you offer a very good recommendation to @taffmorello for investigation of her hip pain -- specialist in Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is often an immune system disorder, similar to her Hashimoto's thyroiditis! As we know about immune system disorders, one is often a clue to another -- sometimes a few others.
Hi, Colleen. I have not made an appointment yet. I will do so tomorrow morning.
Thank you @predictable. I am taking 50 mg of levothyroxine daily for Hashimoto's. The rest of my meds include baby aspirin, daily; Brillinta b.i.d., Carvedilol b.i.d., Atorvastatin daily; and Losartan daily. But, I'm thinking that this hip pain, which is now radiating to my glute (right side) and down my right leg may be related to my sciatic nerve. I did a lot of sitting and working on the computer this last week for work and writing a paper. This may be more of a back/mechanical/muscle issue. I will see a healthcare provider tomorrow. Thank you for sharing your information about your wife's use of levothyroxine. I'm glad she is very athletic at this time, as I am hoping to be very athletic, as well.
Thank you, I will ask my provider to consider RA, as well.
@taffmorello, a couple of quick comments. Your hip pain may be attributable to Atorvastatin, which (as with most statins) has muscle and joint side effects. I take Carvedilol and have taken Losartan for hypertension. Brilinta is an anti-coagulant, isn't it? I'm taking Warfarin to discourage formation of clots in the heart. As to the sciatic nerve possibility, I had pain in the middle of my pelvis for months. Orthopedic specialists wanted to operate and/or puncture me with pain killer shots. No thanks. I delayed and ultimately found out that my sacroiliac joints were inflamed. Anti inflammatory injections directly into the joints did two things: confirmed that diagnosis and also ended the pain. No pain now for over two years. You might ask your medical team about these possibilities.
I hope you get a good night's rest tonight @taffmorello. Please let us know what you find out from your appointment.
Thank you, @predictable!