thyroid/arthritis connection

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2004
thyroid/arthritis connection
9
Thu, 07-15-2004 - 3:10pm
Does anyone know...

Is there any connection between thyroid disorder and any type

of arthritis, specifically rheumatoid arthritis?

Thanks

Shelly

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Thu, 07-15-2004 - 5:35pm
Yes, they can both be autoimmune conditions. If you have autoimmune hypothyroidism - which would be caused by Hashimoto's disease - then that leaves you vulnerable to all other autoimmune conditions. So that's not great news, I know! Cathy
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-28-2004
Thu, 07-15-2004 - 6:07pm
Interesting that you should say that, because I have a weird lump on one hand, on the bottom side of the knuckle joint, that I'm supposed to have checked out. I sure hope its not arthritis.

Cathy

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2004
Thu, 07-15-2004 - 10:32pm
Hey there,

There is a connection between autoimmune thyroid disorders and rheumatoid arthiritis. I know its not good news. My endo wants me to see an rheumatist b/c of the pain I have in my knuckles, wrists and sometimes knees.

From what I've read when you treat one autoimmune disorder it generally helps the others. My family doc told me I'm very autoimmune... so we will see what the future holds.

I have been taking some herbs for my thyroid that is supposed to be great for arthiritis too. Its a combo of Quercetin & Bromelain. They work together to lesson inflamation, there's dosages recomended on the websites for arthiritis, for sinus, allergies, & sprains, & hives. here's the links: http://www.wholefoods.com/healthinfo/wholehealth/quercetin.html

http://www.wholefoods.com/healthinfo/wholehealth/bromelain.html

I bought mine from Swanson vitamins. (CHEAP!)

Also, Knox nutrajoint is great for arthirits. Its a powdered gelatin, you can mix it into anything. After taking 1 serving every day or every other day for about 2 months you will see a big diff. My mother in law has arthiritis in her knuckle, it was swollen-like yours and she's been taking it regularly and her swelling has gone down. The geletin allows the fluids to get back into the joints and help everything work the way its supposed to. Plus it comes unflavored--so you can put it in whatever you want, juice, coffee etc. Or flavored.

Here's some info I pulled off a couple websites...

**Contains Glucosamine, which provides building blocks for the lubricating structure in cartilage

Also provides building blocks for structural protein in cartilage and bone

Nutrients include Calcium, Vitamin D, Zinc, Manganese, Vitamin K, and Copper

**1) Gelatin, the prime ingredient in NutraJoint, contains amino acids (proline and glycine) that are also found in cartilage. The assumption is that if you supplement your diet with gelatin, you will consume more of these amino acids, and this will help rejuvenate your joints. 2) Vitamin C is a free radical fighting antioxidant. Free radicals are destructive molecules produced in the body by a chemical process called oxidation. The idea here it that NutraJoint will reduce the free radicals in your body and thus lessen cartilage damage. 3) Calcium helps to keep bone healthy. As cartilage deteriorates, the underlying bone can break down. Taking more calcium by consuming NutraJoint will slow the progression of this bone loss.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2004
Fri, 07-16-2004 - 9:13am
Thanks for all the info.

Actually, a friend of mine was diagnosed with an enlarged thyroid, but the surgeon just wants to 'wait and see' before they do anything. Her TSH was 'normal' so her dr didn't want to medicate. And she was having trouble with her knee, so she went to an orthopedic

dr and then had some more blood work done, and the levels came back high, indicating that she may also have arthritis. She's still waiting to speak to the Dr about how they are going to treat it. That's why I was wondering if there was a connection.

I just had another TSH and a iron test done, I go for my appt on Tuesday and was wondering if I should ask for the arthritis test. When I saw my ob/gyn a few weeks ago, she suggested that my FP might check into other autoimmune diseases, like arthritis, lupus and lyme disease. I have terrbile stiffness in my hands and feet just about all

the time. My lower back hurts everyday and has for months and my legs get very stiff, too. And lately I've noticed more stiffness in my wrists that wasn't there before. I actually go into the bathroom a few times a day and run warm water over my hands to make

them feel better!



iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2004
Fri, 07-16-2004 - 10:47am
Hey there! I have aches in my wrists, knuckles, sometimes knees and lower back too. Mine started when I had mono last spring--2003. Not only did I have the mono, but I have an autoimmune thyroid condition (that wasn't found until spring 2004--and is still unofficially undiagnosed!).

I love the feel of the warm water on my hands too! It helps to relieve it. Also I massage mine with lotion. For some reason the pressure makes it feel better. Its not too often I get stiffness though like you, I hear aleve is supposed to be a good pain reliever for arthiritis, I'm not sure.

Well, I know what its like being unsure of what's going on with your body, I had to be in my docs office crying because I was convinced I had cancer before he ran a arthiritis/mono/etc etc etc tests. I was really sick and getting sicker everyday! I couldn't even work, I spent all day sleeping. I was so relieved to find out it was mono. But even my new doc still tells me that I can have problems with mono symptoms for years. I guess as an adult it stays active longer, more of a chronic thing. but I'm not exactly happy about the thought that it could be rheumatism...

Just know that you are not alone in this. Plus achy joints is a very common symptom along with hypothyroidism, especially if you have hashimoto's--the hypo autoimmune disease.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2004
Fri, 07-16-2004 - 11:24am
It's so nice to know I'm not alone! For months, before I found this site, I felt

like no one in the world knew what I was going through. And it was hard to explain,

sometimes I felt like people thought I was just making it up.

I guess that when I have my Dr visit next week, I will ask her to do a full thyroid test, not just tsh, and the arthiritis test also. I don't understand why they have to be so stubborn about it! They tell me, your symptoms could be 'this, this or this' and they

test one thing at a time, bring me back in 3 months and try something else. Why not just

do all the blood work and go from there? I guess that would cut down on their money?!

They've got my iron levels up with vitamins, the Lexapro is helping with the depression but the achiness, swelling and weigh gain hasn't gotten any better and they just seem to

ignore that!

I've made up my mind, this is going to be my last visit to this Dr if she doesn't do

something to help me. The last time I was there, she said diet and exercise and come

back in 4 months. How in the world are you supposed to excercise when you can barely get out of bed!? I have a full-time job and 3 boys and a house to look after, most days it

kills me to stand long enough to fix dinner, and she thinks I'm gonna excercise! UGH!!!

Sorry, I just needed to vent a little ;o)

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Fri, 07-16-2004 - 11:53am
You can come here and vent anytime!! We all understand! You might want to start exploring other options for doctors now because the wait to get into an endo's office is sometimes very long. So you might not want to wait until your current doctor fails you once again! :) When I was first diagnosed, I told my NP that I thought I might be hypo because I just couldn't lose weight no matter how much I exercised or how careful I was in my eating and she told me maybe I just had a "fat gene"! So there's no end to their stupidity or I guess I should say, their insensitivity! I don't want to make it sound like I'm down on doctors because obviously, they're the ones we need to turn to for help and when their good, they're really lifesavers. But so many of us have terrible experiences with ignorant and/or rude doctors and their staff that it's hard not to get frustrated over it. It's our health that's at stake and sometimes it hangs in the balance of whether or not a doctor knows the new lab ranges or what to do with an enlarged thyroid! Ok - that's *my* rant for the day. :)

And your friend should really go for a second opinion with her enlarged thryoid. How long does her doctor want her to wait? And what will she wait for ... everything to get worse?? Maybe you can talk to her about it and suggest that she explore some other options, too. Just a thought!! Cathy :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2004
Fri, 07-16-2004 - 12:13pm
I have the number of another FP that I got off of a 'top thyroid doctors' list

and I also have the name of an endo that was reccomended to me by a few different

people. I should call their office to see if they require a referral. My ins. doesnt

but I've been reading that some endo. offices to.

A fat gene, huh? That's a good one. I've never been really 'skinny' but I was alot

thinner than I am now. When I had my youngest, I weighed 230 at delvery and I got down

to 155, so there wasn't any problem losing weight then. And with my twins I was about 220

and got down to 145, of course that was about 14 years ago! Now I am about 215 and I didn't do anything different! That's the part that irritates me the most. The Dr's act like I just became a couch potato and went on an eating binge!!!

I will talk to my friend later today, she's supposed to get a call from her Dr. And I will suggest the 2nd opinion. Hopefully, they will decide to go ahead and do something

about it.

Shell

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2004
Fri, 07-16-2004 - 2:55pm
Hey there Shelly,

I just caught the part of your post that talks about your friend with the swollen thyroid. Yah unless you have "abnormal" test results they don't do much. My TSH is "Normal" although at the time I was closer to hyper than anything else. But my endo told me there wasn't anything to do until we found out which way my TSH was going to go. Thanks doc, you get a gold star for that. Come to find out its the truth. But at the time I didn't like what I heard.

The only time they will do surgeries for goiters is if they are compressing on your esophagus (sp?) or other throat structures, if they have protruded below your sternum into your chest cavity or if they are unsightly. (unsightly is more important than how uncomfortable it is?) Now its a totally different story if there is cancer.

Even though my endo seems like a good doc, she was thourough, just went over it so fast it took a while for the info to sink in... she couldn't give me any nutritional or vitamin/supplemental advice.

I've been taking Quercetin & Bromelain, I think I posted that already I'm not sure, but your friend could try it. Those herbs are great for all kinds of inflamation--especially arthiritis. After about my 5th dose of it I haven't felt any more compression symtoms. The only problem I have had is that if I start to nod off on the couch I will wake up coughing, feeling like I'm choked--its common with a swollen thyroid. But I do not have the pressure on my throat and collar bone like I did before.

Plus I read about inflammed thyroids kind of go through 3 stages. Basically all thyroiditis (think of arthiritis itis=swelling of the thyroid) goes through the swelling, and eventually back to normal which can take up to 1 year! So, the swelling can be triggered by an autoimmune thyroid condition, or a viral infection that affects the thyroid. Unfortunately it can be a wait and see kind of thing, which sucks--it does! But we have to inform ourselves, and just like you are learning, sometimes our doctors too.

I hope you and your friend can find some relief, even if its tempoary.

Do you take vitamins/supplements? A good B complex vitamin can help boost energy, so does bee pollen. Plus vitamin C never hurt anybody! That's good stuff there! :) If you do decide to take any just take them well after you've had your thyroid meds so there isnt any intteractions.

Okay, I'll check in with you later and see how you are doing. Take care of yourself, try to sneak in a nap if you can. --Lisa!