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

[LazyMoose]

transdermal magnesium spray  - good stuff , but messy, its magnesium cloride, a brine, sprays on oily, soaks in, then leaves salty residue that can be wiped off with a damp cloth. It more for top layers of muscles.

Epsom salt also is a magnessium.

I'd still take any of those oral mags for deep muscles , in addition to using spray on the muscles that really hurt.

[mrspickle]

BTW my GP is going to run the Tgab test when I next have my bloods done (2 weeks' time) so thanks for that suggestion.

[mrspickle]

Thanks so much for all of the info on muscle release and supplements.  The alternative type doctor who did the mitochondrial function (ATP etc) tests which were poo-pooed by the NHS has recommended a transdermal magnesium spray as well as Epsom salt baths. Do you think that's worth trying, or just go straight to oral mag glycinate?  

Thanks in advance

[LazyMoose]

Magnessium malate has a form of malic acid in it. Salts and esters of malic acid are known as malates and seems to mostly be marketed towards the fibromyalgia crowd and muscle heads since it improves the ATP process.

good link on mag and mailc acid:

http://www.betterhealthinternational.com/lib_MamFib.asp

[LazyMoose]

Info pasted from a supplements company about quality and why mag blood level tests vs whats really in the muscles is not that accurate or useful..

[ "Quality of magnesium is important. Magnesium oxide is a cheap salt of magnesium and never used in Wellness Resources products. Oxide salts break apart in metabolism and the oxide requires an antioxidant to neutralize it. Why spend precious antioxidants neutralizing a low quality form of magnesium supplement? Companies using oxide minerals are clearly not quality focused, regardless of what they say.

A lack of magnesium poses an interesting catch-22 in terms of how to get magnesium into cells. This is because magnesium is "pumped" across cell membranes and the pump requires magnesium to function in an optimal way. A supplement of magnesium oxide or chloride may increase blood levels of magnesium, but the magnesium may not be able transport across cell membranes due to the lack of magnesium required to run the pump. " ]

[LazyMoose]

A standard Magnesium blood test is not that accurate. The more accurate one is called RBC Magnesium, (for red blood cell magnesium) and it has a very wide range.

Dosing magnesium is very basic, take preferably at bedtime, and base increase on ease of doing #2 in the morning  LOL! Yes, if you read about it, this is how well known holistic Drs dose it. The key is using only very high quality of magnesium in tablet form as: magnesium glycinate or magnesium taurate and the 2nd best - mag citrate. There are some powdered mix types out there as well, they calm you, Im not sure how effective they are on muscle fiber though. There is a lot of good info about the benefits of magnesium from a holistic point of view. Its food for nerves, brain, digestive system and muscles.

Cheap magnessium< if you read on the back label is mag oxide and will not be absorbed. Its primarily a laxative and a marketing gimmick in tablet form.

Malic acid is a fruit acid that binds with alkaline minerals- calcium and magnesium ,and supposedly can help with the absorption of these. I've read max per day is 2400mg, I only take 1600mg daily (two big capsules).

Foam rollers feel nice but dont penetrate the muscle fiber deep enough to make a lasting effect. Great tool to start with and warm up, best to end with a soft ball or golf ball or just strong thumbs 10 -20 seconds for actual trigger point release. And active release has an actual technique to it of "anchoring" the muscle sorter than its own anchoring point in the shortened position, then moving to the lengthen position. U-tube active release. Its amassing.