Arthritis Or Thyroid Problems?

[coffeetime]

This may be totally unrelated to celiac but I believe it may be. Last week I was the most fatigued I've been in 10-15 years, then came the joint issues-first my hands and ankles. I then developed a sharp pain in my throat on the left side when I would swallow (about where the thyroid would be) I saw my dr. yesterday and she felt it was arthritis and gave me a prescription for voltaren (twice a day) Today my ankles are fine but I can't lift my arms and have no strength (I'm 48 but feel like an eighty year old)I was on thyroid meds for something very similar 15yrs ago. Does anyone have any advice? I've gritted my jaw so much this week from the joint pain (and weak muscles), even my jaw is starting to hurt. I don't think I've been gluttened since I've had not migraines and that is my normal response.

[ravenwoodglass]

Did your doctor do any bloodwork? If you didn't have the feeling you couldn't lift your arms before yesterday give the office a call back, ask to speak to a nurse and let them know of the new symptom.

[coffeetime]

Did your doctor do any bloodwork? If you didn't have the feeling you couldn't lift your arms before yesterday give the office a call back, ask to speak to a nurse and let them know of the new symptom.

No she did not do any blood work, she felt since I was already dealing with one autoimmune condition that arthritis was the likely cause. My shoulders were hurting yesterday when I woke up and she had worked me in because I seemed to be working my way through all the joints. I had been in a few weeks earlier with extreme fatigue-she did a vit D test, (I was low) and then last week again for weakness, dizzness, low grade fever, and "gallbladder" like symptoms. I've gone from seeing the dr. once a year to having her on speed dial this last year. As my teenage son would day this "really sucks"

[txplowgirl]

Could be a side effect of the meds but then I get those same symptoms when I eat to much soy and/or nightshades. Then again, you may have gotten some gluten or cc somewhere also. Yes, this definetly sucks. I hope you get to feeling better.

[ravenwoodglass]

No she did not do any blood work, she felt since I was already dealing with one autoimmune condition that arthritis was the likely cause. My shoulders were hurting yesterday when I woke up and she had worked me in because I seemed to be working my way through all the joints. I had been in a few weeks earlier with extreme fatigue-she did a vit D test, (I was low) and then last week again for weakness, dizzness, low grade fever, and "gallbladder" like symptoms. I've gone from seeing the dr. once a year to having her on speed dial this last year. As my teenage son would day this "really sucks"

Could you have been glutened? The weakness, dizziness and gallbladder type pain for me would mean gluten snuck in somewhere. Like the last poster I also get severe joint pain from soy. I would try eliminating that and also drop the script she gave you for the 'arthritis' and see if that helps. I also am not much impressed with your doctors 'psychic' form of diagnostics. With your symptoms I feel she should be excluding other possible issues rather than just saying they are arthritis since your problems have been going on for a while. Arthritis wouldn't cause dizziness, low grade fever and stomach pain although for me a glutening would cause all of those. Has anything changed before this started? Even something like a new toiletry item or baking for others for the holidays.

[coffeetime]

Could you have been glutened? The weakness, dizziness and gallbladder type pain for me would mean gluten snuck in somewhere. Like the last poster I also get severe joint pain from soy. I would try eliminating that and also drop the script she gave you for the 'arthritis' and see if that helps. I also am not much impressed with your doctors 'psychic' form of diagnostics. With your symptoms I feel she should be excluding other possible issues rather than just saying they are arthritis since your problems have been going on for a while. Arthritis wouldn't cause dizziness, low grade fever and stomach pain although for me a glutening would cause all of those. Has anything changed before this started? Even something like a new toiletry item or baking for others for the holidays.

No everything is pretty much the same. I had a couple of days at the beginning of this where I thought I might be getting the flu because of the way I felt but no new products. I'll try dropping the soy--I think that will be hard for me but possible. I keep hoping the meds will kick in but I'm just getting worse so I think you are right about that as well. I have to go back to work tomorrow and I'm really dreading it-I will be on my feet all day, which on a positive note is probably a good thing since I have so much trouble getting up because of the weakness and joint pain, I just dread all those little ones with untied shoes I'm going to have to bend down and tie. I plan to call her tomorrow when I get a chance and have her order a CBC just in case there is any type of infection going on, do you think it is worth asking for a thyroid panel or test for thyroid antibodies? My last TSH was 3.6 which all though I know I felt better under 2.0 when I use to take meds, she felt was normal.

[mushroom]

Somehow in this, I am with your doc, it could be RA, but what is she going to do about it??? I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis before I put myself gluten free (and later nightshade free), which has not affected my arthritic symptoms one whit. I have to take Humira shots for my psoriatic arthritis. There are some on this board whose symptoms resolve gluten (and soy, and other) free, but I am not one of them. I hope this is not true for you. After gluten free I experienced this tremendous weakness in my legs, where I had to use the handrail to haul myself up the stairs and had extrene difficulty getting up off the toilet. This lasted for a long while until arthritis meds kicked in again (I have been on several, most of which I became intolerant of). So just to say that arthritis symptoms do not necessarily resolve on gluten free. Hope they do for you

[coffeetime]

Just a quick update, the joint pain has pretty much gone away but the fatigue persists which is primarily due to my newest complaint--my arms falling asleep at night-- as the feeling starts to return it wakes me up, the left arm only takes about 15-20 minutes to feel normal, for the right it is extremely painful as the feeling is returning and it takes about an hour. I also have tingling in both legs but not to the extent I have in my arms. I returned for blood work today, she only wanted to do an Rh factor and ANA but I begged for a thyroid panel and thyroid antibodies and hopefully will have the results by Friday morning. I told my husband today that if everything is "normal" I'm not going back. This is a time when I wish I had someone like Dr. Weil or Dr. Oz who focuses on more than just what is on a lab report, who actually looks at the whole picture. Thanks for reading this post, I know my husband must be getting tired of my whining, so it's nice to be able to vent.

[txplowgirl]

Nightshade vegetables and soy both cause the tingling like you're describing for me. That went away after I was soy free and nightshade free for 6 weeks. I hope you can get some answers.

[coffeetime]

Nightshade vegetables and soy both cause the tingling like you're describing for me. That went away after I was soy free and nightshade free for 6 weeks. I hope you can get some answers.

Thanks for the reply, giving up soy has been a real struggle and I have not been totally successful--yet, I don't even want to think of nightshades yet :)food intolerances are not for the faint of heart, lol

[ravenwoodglass]

--my arms falling asleep at night-- as the feeling starts to return it wakes me up, the left arm only takes about 15-20 minutes to feel normal, for the right it is extremely painful as the feeling is returning and it takes about an hour. I also have tingling in both legs but not to the extent I have in my arms.

You may want to ask for a referral to a physical therapist for evaluation. You may have something that is pinching nerves or such that a PT can help with. Make sure you mention this symptom to your doctor so they can rule out blocked arteries etc. If this is nerve related if your not taking a sublingual B12 you may want to consider adding some in to see if it helps.

[coffeetime]

I spoke with my doctor today, my TSH was 3.58, even though I fit about 95% of hypothyroid symptoms, my TSH is "normal" I did have an increased sedimentation rate but the test for rheumatoid arthritis was within range. I am SLE positive but my ANA was negative, and I'm anemic again. She wants to follow up in a couple of weeks but I have decided that I would see a reflexologist first and try to get my life back in balance. I saw him many years ago and he diagnosed me with migraines and told me to avoid bread, cookies, and cakes--I thought I had a problem with blood sugar only--little did I know 15 years later I would be learning all about gluten. I would love to find a good nutritionist as well but most I have met are totally clueless when it comes to gluten. Does anyone have any good recommendations for books that might help me design a balanced and gluten free diet plan?

[coffeetime]

You may want to ask for a referral to a physical therapist for evaluation. You may have something that is pinching nerves or such that a PT can help with. Make sure you mention this symptom to your doctor so they can rule out blocked arteries etc. If this is nerve related if your not taking a sublingual B12 you may want to consider adding some in to see if it helps.

I forgot to mention in my post that my niece is a physical therapist who will be home over the holidays. She is going to work with me to in regards to the possibility of pinched nerves. I bought some sulingual B12 today, hopefully it will help.

[mushroom]

I would not call a TSH of 3.58 normal. It used to be called "normal" under the old range where anything up to 5 was considered normal. Now, everything over 3 is considered to be abnormal by almost everyone and the lower it is the better. Follow through on this and talk to your doc about it. Also, get tests for Free T3 and Free T4. You almost certainly are hypothyroid.

[coffeetime]

I would not call a TSH of 3.58 normal. It used to be called "normal" under the old range where anything up to 5 was considered normal. Now, everything over 3 is considered to be abnormal by almost everyone and the lower it is the better. Follow through on this and talk to your doc about it. Also, get tests for Free T3 and Free T4. You almost certainly are hypothyroid.

Thank you mushroom, I think so too, the only hypo symptom I don't match is the high cholesterol. Sadly I can't get referred to an specialist because this is the second doctor who believes these are "normal" numbers. I am tempted to bring levothyroxin from abroad (I was taking 125mcg daily before moving to the U.S. several years ago). I know there are herbal remedies that are available that I am hoping the reflexologist will help me with. Luckily he recommends (although he does not sell products)

[Roda]

I would not call a TSH of 3.58 normal. It used to be called "normal" under the old range where anything up to 5 was considered normal. Now, everything over 3 is considered to be abnormal by almost everyone and the lower it is the better. Follow through on this and talk to your doc about it. Also, get tests for Free T3 and Free T4. You almost certainly are hypothyroid.

I agree with mushroom. Your TSH is not normal! Your doctor is going by out of date reference range. You need a referral or self refer if possible to a good endocrinologist. Don't let your doctor brush this off.