Exercise Intolerance: pain, weakness and injury

[mrspickle]

I've read that hypothyroidism can cause exercise intolerance.  I have been very ill since exposure to some toxic pesticides.  Part of the poisoning is that I became hypothyroid.  I used to be a keen athlete cycling many miles a week and competing often.  Now I am unable to do any exercise.  I suffer from pain in my joints, particularly my knees.  If I try and do any level of exercise, I suffer injuries and weakness afterwards which take ages to heal (some haven't healed at all).  For example, an hour's walk incorporating a hill can leave my foot flexors so weak that I can then struggle to lift up my foot for weeks at a time and have to back off doing anything at all.  Swimming can cause sharp shoulder pain and weakness.  

I have some periods when I feel a bit better (relatively- nothing like when I was well). I notice that the joint pains are worse when I get my period.  Could this exercise intolerance be due to hypothyroidism?  I am struggling to work out what is the direct result of poisoning and what is the result of hypothyroidism. Anyone experience similar?  My TSH is now 4.88 (still too high- was below 2 when well).  However, it did get to 0.7 a few months ago and I still had these problems.  Free T4 is now 14.1 (range is 12-22 I think). Free T4 did go up to 18.1 a few months ago and I still had these difficulties.  Free T3 is now 5.1 (range 4-8 I think).  This is higher than it has been since I got ill.  It was 4.3 earlier on in the year.  When it was that low I could barely walk on the flat.

Any info much appreciated.  Thank you

[Brucergoldberg]

by the way, what pesticides are you referring to?   When i was a kid , i was exposed to a lot of DDT.  We lived in new orleans and we had a mosquito fogger hit our street every night.  Of course we were kids but we would play outside in the middle of the fog....  every night..  for like 10 years.  

[mrspickle]

Hello,

I have been on the T3 regime just over 2 weeks. At first I felt no different, but at about day 10, my knees felt normal for the first time in over a year.  I could walk without orthotics and even managed a bit of bare foot padding around.  I was elated.  However, just a few days later, I'm back to how I was with awful knees.  Is it normal to have a few ups and downs before things get evened out?

This may be completely unrelated, but I'd had a room painted on the day I started to go down hill again.  Could this be related?  Is the thyroid that sensitive does anyone know (bearing in mind my hypo seems to have been kicked off by a chemical exposure.).

Many thanks,

Yolande

[mrspickle]

Thanks LazyMoose, much appreciated.  

[LazyMoose]

TGab test is very commonly taken at the same time as TPO. Thyroglobulin antibodies "TgAb" is a test used to check blood levels of antibodies the body has made against the compound thyroglobulin, a protein produced and used by the thyroid gland. People with Hashimoto can have high TPO , and/or/also high TGab. Anyone thats been here a while knows this, your DR should too. Is not a thyroid cancer diagnostic.

Magnessium, specifically magnessium glycinate or magnessium taurate and the 2nd best - mag citrate will help ease muscle pain in pretty much anyone, even if mag levels are OK. Mag cannot be OD'd, you will just "go" easier in the morning - thats how you guess your dose. Best if taken at night (while the body rebuilds) sepparated from thyroid meds.

Vit tested by D-25 is best at 50 or above.

B6 is important for muscles and nerves.

[mrspickle]

Thanks so much all for your comments.

I saw my GP this morning and as per suggestions, am going to start taking T3 at a much lower dose- initially 2.5mcg/day and then increasing to 5mcg (taken 2.5mcg in AM and 2.5mcg PM) if I can tolerate it.  Will also take T4.  

GP didn't know about the Tgab test.  I've looked up online and can only find info relating to this test be used in relation to thyroid cancer here.  Is it definitely used to rule out Hashimotos too?  If so, any info would be useful, as I may be able to use that to persuade my GP I should have that test too.

The organophosphates I have in my fat and on DNA (cholormandelic acid) are a metabolite of some different original organophosphate.  They're not sure what, but have given a suggestion, so will look up the side effects of that- thanks for the suggestion.  I got ill after my house was treated by a pest control company who said they only used carbamate (I also have that in my fat but not to anywhere near the same extent).  You paid them once and they guaranteed to rid the house of fleas.  I had them round 3 times as the fleas didn't go and I wonder if they got fed up with coming out and put down something they weren't allowed to (they of course say they only used a very dilute carbamate, but I can't see how else I would be riddled with organophosphate).  This of course makes matters difficult for me, as I don't know for sure which organophosphate I was exposed to.  

I have had tests to look at nutritional status etc and I was deficient in Vit D and B12 and low in selenium and zinc.  Magnesium and iron were ok.  II have been on supplements for all I was low in since May (as well as high dose vit C, a high dose multi-B supplement, milk thistle and evening primrose oil) and am now in the normal range. Is this what you mean by hard minerals, Stella 5349, or should I be looking at something else too?

Thanks so much for all of your thoughts- what a mine of information and wisdom you all are.    

[LazyMoose]

well, I'm going on forever here arent I?

[ "When you say multi-dosing, do you mean trying to add in T3 again, on top of the levothyroxine?" ]

- Specifically taking T3 again with your levothyroxine, but splitting and taking the daily dose of T3 two separate times. Most do this and feel better since T3 works for about 4-5 hours and is very strong feeling at first.

Its quite a puzzle you have to work out. In time you will figure it out.
Happy new year!