Hashimoto

[Flute56]

I have had underactive thyroid since 2008. i was put on thyroxine and my thyroid was fine so long as I took the medicaton. Now my blood tests show I am slightly over active. I have quite a painful shoulder and painful arm and am exhausted a lot of the time. My GP said my tiredness is due to my thyoid being over active so she lowered my medication to see if that help and I am to have a follow up blood test in a few weeks. Someone I know had similar symptoms to me and she wondered if she had developed Hashimoto and her GP said no but she was not getting the proper blood test so she looked online and found Medicheck centre where you can pay for the right blood test to find out if you have Hashimoto. She paid for the test and the results were positive for Hashimoto. I am a bit sceptical about Medicheck and I do not know if they are a scam or what. I have another appointment with another GP next week to ask about this and to insist that I get either an xray or a scan to see why my shoulder is painful because the GP I would not send me for a scan or xray and she said she would refer me to physio and they can send me for an xray etc but I am reluctant to go to physio because I want to know what is going on so they know what they are dealing with. How can they give physio if they do not know whether it is muscular or the tendon or arthritis. I feel let down by my GP

isnt anyone going to respond to this.

In my experience doctors don’t touch sore joints but physios will touch and feel and move it about and can often tell what’s wrong without needing scans or X-rays. I would highly recommend going to the physio. If you can afford a private physio (about £45) even better as they have more time often. I would always rather see a physio than go down the hospital/consultant route if possible.

Or even go to a sports massage therapist or acupuncture. I understand you wanting a scan. I would too.

Around 90% of people with an underactive thyroid actually have autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's) so it's pretty likely but not certain you'll have raised antibodies. I have Hashi's and did a Medichecks finger prick blood test which confirmed raised antibodies (both Thyroglobulin antibodies and Thyroid Peroxidase antibodies, although you don't have to have both raised to have Hashi's, and the number of antibodies can vary enormously depending on whether you're having a 'Hashi flare' or not.)

Painful joints/muscles are all part and parcel of the lovely Hashimoto's. Everyone's different as to what symptoms they get, but it's pretty common. I second the suggestion to see a Physio.