Re: muscle cramping and other physical change

[Guest guest]

The cramping you mention is typically seen in hypothyroidsm. If you only had a TSH level, this could be the case, since this level can take many months to start rising. Make sure your FT4 and FT3 are ok. also, sometimes the effects can be temporary as your body acclimates to the lower thyroid hormone levels.

[Guest guest]

Hi

I get muscle cramps when I am hypothyroid. And I also get them

when I am changing - either hyper to hypo or hypo to hyper. When

I am balanced, the muscle cramps seem to go away mostly.

Kate

girliegirlj2001 wrote:

Hello everyone...a quick question....

I have been treated for Graves disease for the past couple of months

with methimazole and after a recent blood test, all my levels are

normal as far as I can tell. I've been experiencing unusual muscle

cramping in my chest, arms and torso. I was wondering if this could

have anything to do with the Graves or the meds. I just wanted to

know if anyone else ever had this happen. Also my hair has changed

texture dramatically, which I heard can happen with treatment.

Just curious...thanks!

[Guest guest]

Hi Kate,

I would like to "pick your brain" a wee bit, if I could. It seems like you have been precisely where I am now - off medication, but NOT QUITE in balance. I am trying to figure out what the symptoms are for being just a teensy bit hyper vs. a teensy bit hypo. We have all discussed these palpitations at both hyper and hypo and now you talk about the muscle cramps (which I am currently experiencing) at both hypo and hyper.

Right now, I have been off PTU for a couple of weeks, waiting for my next blood test (haven't had one for almost two months now, and am due mid February). I had extreme nervousness when I first time I went off PTU in December (not because I was worried about going off meds, but started new job), had palpitations, etc. So I went back onto 25 mg. PTU. I stayed like this for around another month and then went off completely two weeks ago, but continued to have palpitations, so went back on bugleweed tincture and now have these horrible pains in my arms and back. Also, I have headaches in the morning, which go away when I get up from bed. (this was hypo symptom for me before). I know I am SO CLOSE, but haven't struck that complete balance yet, so any help you or others can give me here would be greatly appreciated. My temperature is normal, which had been a symptom for me before when I was really hypo (low temp - like 96)

When I was really hypo or really hyper, I do know those symptoms, but not just a little bit. Thanks so much,

Arlene

PS: Girliegirl - I think magnesium helps with muscle cramping too...

Re: muscle cramping and other physical change

Hi I get muscle cramps when I am hypothyroid. And I also get them when I am changing - either hyper to hypo or hypo to hyper. When I am balanced, the muscle cramps seem to go away mostly. Kate girliegirlj2001 wrote: Hello everyone...a quick question.... I have been treated for Graves disease for the past couple of months with methimazole and after a recent blood test, all my levels are normal as far as I can tell. I've been experiencing unusual muscle cramping in my chest, arms and torso. I was wondering if this could have anything to do with the Graves or the meds. I just wanted to know if anyone else ever had this happen. Also my hair has changed texture dramatically, which I heard can happen with treatment. Just curious...thanks!

[Guest guest]

Hi!

I took get unusual symptoms with the muscles, though I

wouldn't exactly call it cramping. I get twiches, and

weakness, and burning when I climb stairs (and it

doesn't have to be a lot) Sometimes, right before the

hyper goes a little mad....I get a feeling throughout

all the muscles in the body, where the are sore and

achy....as if I'd went to a gym and seriously worked

every muscle in the body out.

I'm not on any medical treatment, just

vitamin/minerals.

E

--- girliegirlj2001 <girliegirlj2001@...> wrote:

> Hello everyone...a quick question....

>

> I have been treated for Graves disease for the past

> couple of months

> with methimazole and after a recent blood test, all

> my levels are

> normal as far as I can tell. I've been experiencing

> unusual muscle

> cramping in my chest, arms and torso. I was

> wondering if this could

> have anything to do with the Graves or the meds. I

> just wanted to

> know if anyone else ever had this happen. Also my

> hair has changed

> texture dramatically, which I heard can happen with

> treatment.

>

> Just curious...thanks!

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

This is me too! I have been on 20MG/day of methimazole since October

and just now got my blood test back saying my TSH is in the normal

range. I am still on methimazole and for the past few weeks I have

had

the muscle aches all over my body like I have just worked out at the

gym too. Sometimes I can't decide if it is muscle or joint pain. I

have had swelling in my knee joints too.

Is this a side effect of methimazole? Would taking MSM work?

My hair is also very dry now.

Lori

> > Hello everyone...a quick question....

> >

> > I have been treated for Graves disease for the past

> > couple of months

> > with methimazole and after a recent blood test, all

> > my levels are

> > normal as far as I can tell. I've been experiencing

> > unusual muscle

> > cramping in my chest, arms and torso. I was

> > wondering if this could

> > have anything to do with the Graves or the meds. I

> > just wanted to

> > know if anyone else ever had this happen. Also my

> > hair has changed

> > texture dramatically, which I heard can happen with

> > treatment.

> >

> > Just curious...thanks!

> >

> >

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>

[Guest guest]

A little more insight...

My levels after the blood test are in the normal range according to

the lab...but maybe someone can tell me a little more detail? My T4

Free is 1.2 and my T3 Total is 144.

Does that mean anything to anyone?

I'm a little confused! BTW, Thanks everyone for responding...looks

like this happens to a lot of people. When I see my endo on Tuesday,

I'll ask her about it too.

Jen

> TSH is a pituitary, not a thyroid hormone. It can be normal even

though

> you're hypothyroid if you're on anti-thyroid drugs because it lags

far behind

> what your thyroid hormone levels are. Your FT4 and FT3 levels are

> measurements of how much thyroid hormone is in your blood. If

you're being

> monitored by a TSH test alone, you can easily be hypothyroid. This

is also

> true because of the thyroid autoantibodies in autoimmune thyroid

disease.

> They react with TSH receptors in the pituitary gland in place of

thyroid

> hormone. The pituitary thinks we have adequate thyroid hormone so

secretes

> less TSH. MSM could help but if hypothyroidsim is your new problem,

symptoms

> will increase until you're on a low dose of the anti-thyroid drug.

Initially,

> you start at a fairly high dose which has maximum effects in 6-8

weeks. At

> this time, the dosage is reduced.

[Guest guest]

Thanks that is very interesting! My family dr said she watches the

TSH level to see if I am getting better. I will definately follow up

on the T3 and T4 levels now.

Lori

> TSH is a pituitary, not a thyroid hormone. It can be normal even

though

> you're hypothyroid if you're on anti-thyroid drugs because it lags

far behind

> what your thyroid hormone levels are. Your FT4 and FT3 levels are

> measurements of how much thyroid hormone is in your blood. If

you're being

> monitored by a TSH test alone, you can easily be hypothyroid. This

is also

> true because of the thyroid autoantibodies in autoimmune thyroid

disease.

> They react with TSH receptors in the pituitary gland in place of

thyroid

> hormone. The pituitary thinks we have adequate thyroid hormone so

secretes

> less TSH. MSM could help but if hypothyroidsim is your new problem,

symptoms

> will increase until you're on a low dose of the anti-thyroid drug.

Initially,

> you start at a fairly high dose which has maximum effects in 6-8

weeks. At

> this time, the dosage is reduced.

[Guest guest]

Hi Arlene

The only way I know where I stand is to pay close attention to what

my body is telling me. I think 'normal' for each of us is very individually

defined. I sometimes look back and see where I was a year ago and

where I am now and can draw some conclusions from that. I have kept

a chart all along with various symptoms and lab values. I tried charts

galore and found nothing that was consistant so just kept on getting TSH,

Free T3 and Free T4 tested, and writing down my symptoms. I also

track any other meds taken for other illnesses. For example, I have

been on propranalol right from the first with Graves. As I had RAI,

I had expected the need for propranalol to go away. It hasn't.

The muscle cramps are very definitely a result in my case of being

hypo. I have experimented with my supplements, but the calcium and

magnesium don't seem to improve or worsen my muscle spasms. I also

get viscious headaches - 5 days out of 7 - when I am hypo. It is

really hilarious to look back a year at where you were. Sometimes

I become infuriated when I see that I have complained to a doctor about

a symptom repeatedly for 5-6 months and am nowhere closer to a resolution.

Then I know it's time to push it with the doc.

I could go on forever and ever. All I can tell you is to write

down your symptoms. You think you will remember them but we forget

a surprising lot. I thought I had had gall stone type pain for a

month and when I looked back, I discovered I had first complained about

it 8 months ago.

Hang in there

Kate

Arlene and Bill Houghton wrote:

Hi

Kate,I would like to "pick

your brain" a wee bit, if I could. It seems like you have been precisely

where I am now - off medication, but NOT QUITE in balance. I am trying

to figure out what the symptoms are for being just a teensy bit hyper vs.

a teensy bit hypo. We have all discussed these palpitations at both

hyper and hypo and now you talk about the muscle cramps (which I am currently

experiencing) at both hypo and hyper. Right

now, I have been off PTU for a couple of weeks, waiting for my next blood

test (haven't had one for almost two months now, and am due mid February).

I had extreme nervousness when I first time I went off PTU in December

(not because I was worried about going off meds, but started new job),

had palpitations, etc. So I went back onto 25 mg. PTU. I stayed

like this for around another month and then went off completely two weeks

ago, but continued to have palpitations, so went back on bugleweed tincture

and now have these horrible pains in my arms and back. Also, I have

headaches in the morning, which go away when I get up from bed. (this

was hypo symptom for me before). I know I am SO CLOSE, but haven't

struck that complete balance yet, so any help you or others can give me

here would be greatly appreciated. My temperature is normal, which

had been a symptom for me before when I was really hypo (low temp - like

96) When I was really

hypo or really hyper, I do know those symptoms, but not just a little bit.

Thanks so much, ArlenePS:

Girliegirl - I think magnesium helps with muscle cramping too...

Re: muscle

cramping and other physical change

Hi

I get muscle cramps when I am hypothyroid. And I also get them

when I am changing - either hyper to hypo or hypo to hyper. When

I am balanced, the muscle cramps seem to go away mostly.

Kate

girliegirlj2001 wrote:

Hello everyone...a quick question....

I have been treated for Graves disease for the past couple of months

with methimazole and after a recent blood test, all my levels are

normal as far as I can tell. I've been experiencing unusual muscle

cramping in my chest, arms and torso. I was wondering if this could

have anything to do with the Graves or the meds. I just wanted to

know if anyone else ever had this happen. Also my hair has changed

texture dramatically, which I heard can happen with treatment.

Just curious...thanks!

[Guest guest]

are the abdominal cramps like spasms where you just have to try and

'stretch'out the muscle so you can move? i used to get this when i first

started yoga, and also if i coughed too much, my abdomen would 'spasm', for

want of a better word. it hasn't happened for approx 6 months now (my t4

levels have been borderline hypo for the same amount of time), but i don't

really know if this has helped or not.

i would also suffer from leg cramps in the middle of the night that would

wake me up and i would have to 'stretch' on my toes to relieve the cramp.

i also haven't suffered from these for several months, but i'm not sure why

!

i have been on neomercazole for approx 6 years, this time around, and i'm

sure the cramps aren't a result of the meds, more likely our bodies response

to the graves.

hope this makes sense, jules

muscle cramping and other physical change

> Hello everyone...a quick question....

>

> I have been treated for Graves disease for the past couple of months

> with methimazole and after a recent blood test, all my levels are

> normal as far as I can tell. I've been experiencing unusual muscle

> cramping in my chest, arms and torso. I was wondering if this could

> have anything to do with the Graves or the meds. I just wanted to

> know if anyone else ever had this happen. Also my hair has changed

> texture dramatically, which I heard can happen with treatment.

>

> Just curious...thanks!

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, just wanted to respond to your e-mail. Often times muscle cramping is a

sign of Potassium deficiency. When a person is hyper-t, they are usually

deficient in many important nutrients in the body. When I had my hair

analysis, I had not traceable amounts of Potassium and I was have muscle

cramping. Give potassium a try, it should help the cramping. By the way, a

persons daily allowance for potassium is high. See ithyroid.com for

specifics.

[Guest guest]

Hi Kate,

Thanks for your answer to my question and for your encouragement and support. Yes, I have been writing down these syptoms and trying to figure things out, but I feel like I am totally in the dark about this journey. Sorta like when I had a baby plopped in my arms and no family around me (3000 miles away from my birth family)...all new stuff and only my own instincts to rely on.

I seem to be flip-flopping between hyper and hypo with just a little play in between. What I am doing is watching my hands shake, trying to monitor the palpitations and then on the other hand (hypo), watching headaches and achiness...very precarious place here. But my naturopath has said that you need to take the bugleweed tincture twice a day for it to be beneficial, and this is WAAAAY too much for me right now, plus I don't even seem to need it every day. So, I am just trusting my own instincts and not even taking that every day, except when I see the tremors in my hand and feel a bit shaky.

Thanks so much for your help!

Arlene

Re: muscle cramping and other physical change Hi I get muscle cramps when I am hypothyroid. And I also get them when I am changing - either hyper to hypo or hypo to hyper. When I am balanced, the muscle cramps seem to go away mostly. Kate girliegirlj2001 wrote: Hello everyone...a quick question.... I have been treated for Graves disease for the past couple of months with methimazole and after a recent blood test, all my levels are normal as far as I can tell. I've been experiencing unusual muscle cramping in my chest, arms and torso. I was wondering if this could have anything to do with the Graves or the meds. I just wanted to know if anyone else ever had this happen. Also my hair has changed texture dramatically, which I heard can happen with treatment. Just curious...thanks!