I hate to jinx myself but I’ve had a couple of fairly good days. I felt better yesterday than I have in months. My joint pain was so minimal, no fog, no tingles. It was wonderful to be able to clean house and do laundry AND vaccumm! I’ve been keeping track of my days because all of this started when I started treatment for low thyroid. About 5 weeks after I started the medicine I was in so much pain in every joint in my body and I couldn’t ever sleep enough. I continued my thyroid medicine and my doctor added the anti inflammatory and the fibro meds. I ran out of my thyroid meds one weekend and ended up going without for 4 or 5 days and my pain was better within a day or 2. Once I started taking them again, I started hurting. So I started taking half my thyroid just to see. Well the pain didn’t really change and I started havng low thyroid symptoms again so I went back to the full dose. Its only been a few days on the full dose and I’m not having any more pain than usual. So bizarre. I was reading about hoshimotos and I don’t have the swollen neck but all other symptoms. Its as if my thyroid is going up and down even though blood work shows I’m within the normal range now. Is anyone familiar with hoshimotos? Could starting thyroid medicine just throw my body into a complete fibro mess or could it be something else? Or am I just grasping at straws? Lol I also deal with extreme swelling in my legs and feet and have for years and my very worse day since all of this I was swollen so bad I couldn’t wear shoes and my body was flushed all over like a sunburn. Lupus tests came out normal too.
HI I HAVE HYPOTHYROID/HASHIMOTOS I WAS DIAGNOSED APRIL 21 2010 I DIDNT START TAKING FIBRO MEDS UNTIL. JAN 2012 IVE READ ONLINE THAT THE SYMPTOMS FOR HYPOTHTYROID AND FIBROMYALGIA ARE THE SAME ILL HAVE TO GO ONLINE AGAIN MAYBE SOME OF THE OTHERS KNOW WERE A SMART I FORMED GROUP
I’ve had mild symptoms for a few years but of course I just assumed it was my age and stress. Now that I’ve done all this research I’m just wondering if that might be my problem. I see an endocrinologist next month and I would like to be prepared.
Hi MrsK!
I would recommend calling your doctor, because if you think the thyroid meds are making you worse or not working, they most likely need to be adjusted or replaced with something else.
Hashimoto's is one of the autoimmune disorders that can be mistaken for Fibromyalgia. Because the symptoms closely mimic each other, I think you might be on the right track in your thoughts -- I would definitely tell the doctor this so he can run some blood tests. Hashimoto's causes your thyroid levels to fluctuate high and low, so I would think that if the medication isn't correct for you, it would only be working when your levels were low, and make you feel worse the rest of the time.
Let us know how you make out -
Hugs!
Renie♥
I told my family doctor about the issues with what I felt was the thyroid and what I tried and she referred me to an endo because she didn’t know what else to do because my blood work showed the normal range. I have an appt next month so I will bring it up to him.
Hi MrsK.
I have had such problems with hypothyroid/hashimoto's. I learned so much about why doctors don't know everything about thyroid regulation. Hypothyroid causes the same body pain that fibro causes, and the 2 are often misdiagnosed as one or the other. Your thyroid DOES secrete different amounts of thyroid hormones, just like a diabetic's pancreas secretes different amounts of insulin, making it harder to regulate. The range of "normal" on thyroid tests is huge, and they usually only test 2 or 3 chemicals made by the thyroid, such as T3, T4, and TSH from another organ (fibro fog has hit again). Pituitary maybe. There are 12 hormones in the thyroid gland, and instead of just taking a synthetic pill that treats only T3 or T4, it's better to as your Dr. to prescribe natural thyroid, which contains all the hormones in the thyroid gland. You can read more about it at www.StopTheThyroidMadness.com. There is also a book by the same name that will help you regulate your thyroid, with your door's help. Hashimoto's/hypothyroid causes dozens of nasty symptoms that doctors often blame on something else.
Hypothyroidism is one of the many symptoms of fibromyalgia. You have fibromyalgia. Your hypothyroisim is probably caused by the fibro and not Hashimotos. Why? Hashimotos is exceptionally rare. It develops from a lack of sodium/salt in our diets. The Western diet, even if you don't put salt on your food, will supply you with plenty of sodium (in fact, too much). Look in your cupboards, pantry, fridge and pull out products that are boxed, canned, premade such as juices etc..Look at the sodium content. Whoever diagozed you is either wrong, or you are new to the confusing world of Life with Fibromyalgia. Re-check with your doctor or get a second opinion if s/he insists upon the Hashimoto's syndrome. Thus said, I too developed hypothyroidism as a symptom of fibro. I put on a lot of weight and I was always underweight. Now I am back to being stable at the proper weight for me - small. Good luck, my friend.
Hi Mrs. k
As you know, the thyroid can be overactive (hyperthyroidism) or under active (hypothyroid). Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. Graves disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. Some symptoms of hypothyroidism
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Fatigue, loss of energy, lethargy
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Weight gain
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Decreased appetite
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Cold intolerance
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Dry skin
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Hair loss
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Sleepiness
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Muscle pain, joint pain, weakness in the extremities
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Depression
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Emotional lability, mental impairment
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Forgetfulness, impaired memory, inability to concentrate
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Constipation
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Menstrual disturbances, impaired fertility
Some symptoms specific to Hashimoto's are:
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Feeling of fullness in the throat
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Painless thyroid enlargement
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Exhaustion
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Transient neck pain, sore throat, or both
And some symptoms of hyperthyroidism:
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Nervousness
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Anxiety
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Increased perspiration
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Heat intolerance
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Hyperactivity
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Palpitations
Both of these diseases(Graves disease and Hashimoto's) are sometimes associated with other autoimmune disorders, including Addison’s disease (adrenal insufficiency), type 1 diabetes mellitus, hypoparathyroidism, vitiligo, premature graying of hair, pernicious anemia, connective tissue disorders (eg, RA, SLE, Sjögren’s syndrome), celiac disease, and Schmidt’s syndrome (Addison’s disease, diabetes, and hypothyroidism secondary to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis).
The thing with these two diseases is that both usually initially present with the thyroid bouncing between an overactive and under active state. I do not think you being on thyroid medication threw your body out of whack. These are immune diseases and we are not sure what triggers them, but I doubt thyroid medication does. It could be that your body is in the early phase of one of these diseases and is bouncing between the two states. It is important to monitor your levels of thyroid antibodies in your blood and the TSH to see which direction the thyroid is going. I went through this with Graves disease. First I was treated for under active disease for months but then the thryoid went overactive and yes, me being on thyroid med did make it worse.
Sorry this is so long of a response. But you are in the early phase of something. The sucky part is that you might not know for a few months, although the endo person might do more advanced testing to determine which disease you have. I know it is hard but adjusting your thyroid med yourself is not good. Perhaps find a dose you can deal with and stay on this dose at least until you see endo. Good luck
The Endocrinologist is the best person to see. Even if it's not Hashimoto's, they will be the ones who know more about the various medications to help you with your current symptoms.
I found this on the Mayo Clinic's website :
In Hashimoto's disease, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, your immune system attacks your thyroid gland. The resulting inflammation often leads to an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).
Hashimoto's disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. It primarily affects middle-aged women, but also can occur in men and women of any age and in children.
You can read the rest of the article here, it's got some good information!
Renie♥
Other than the sore throat or enlarged neck, I’ve had every symptom for both and yes it is hard to know. I also know that I am so sensitive to medicine and my body seems to do a rebound thing when I take new medicine or change medicine. And I think I did jinx myself saying I felt good because I feel particulary crappy and foggy tonight 
suzy isn't wrong, Hashimoto's and Fibromyalgia DO mimic each other. Hashimoto's is considered an autoimmune disorder, which would not be greatly affected by any dietary habits. Many of the auto-immune disorders have the same symptoms as Fibromyalgia, which is why it's so difficult to diagnose without any definitive medical tests. Hashimoto's disease is also the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States according to the Mayo Clinic.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hashimotos-disease/DS00567
Hope this helps,
Renie♥
DISCLAIMER:
Only a doctor can determine your diagnosis, and all medical concerns should always be referred to them. Never rely on things that you hear or read, the only way to get an accurate diagnosis is by a thorough examination by your physician.
I was diagnosed with hypothyroid in Feb. I have since gained 20 lbs. I don’t understand. I thought the mess were supposed to do the opposite?
hypothyroidism does put on weight and even when you are treated, it is hard to lose that weight. Sorry
I’ve gained 8 pounds since all my problems started a few months ago and I don’t eat any different and I walk everyday twice a day for 30 to 45 minutes each time.
I hear you ladies! I have the hashimotos symptoms also but my doctor thinks I’m a hypochondriac and refuses to discuss. I have had hypothyroid for fifteen years and it always gives me symptoms while bloodwork is fine. I don’t understand it either. When will there be just Fibro Specialists? Maybe I should become the first…lol. Dr. Dee is who I always wanted to become before FM.
Dee
I take dessicated thyroid. It's not prescription, you buy it on your own. It is better than the synthetic T4 or T3 because it is the whole thyroid gland of either a pig or a cow, almost exact to human thyroid, including the 12 different chemicals/hormones in the thyroid gland, which are not treated with just T3 or T4..I've tried many brands of "whole thyroid" from health food stores, I found one that works best for me. I get mine here. http://www.nutri-meds.com/thyroid_supplements_s/33.htm