# Any ideas?TMI



## proud-armywife (Jul 29, 2011)

Lately I have been experiencing pretty bad pain in my big toe joint-also pointer finger pain. Sounds crazy huh? But the toe on my left foot hurts bad enough that it is difficult to wear shoes without repeating all day my toes hurt. They hurt in flip flops too- but shoes kill me! Also intermittent bouts of diarrhea (like water) for about a month. My ANA is positive 1:80 homogenous 1.60 is weak positive and below is negative. I also have constant brown bloody (girl) discharge. I thought maybe I got gluten by accident but I have been careful and still have the diarrhea off and on. I am getting up in morning at a reasonable hour but by the end of the day, I have nothing to give. I mean nothing-restless leg so bad I want to rip my skin off and I have poor word recall( sounds crazy) but I cannot remember simple words - it is embarrassing or I say the wrong word......swollen lymph nodes in back and side of neck... I have not had a thyroid test since last year... my husband has changed jobs and our unit doc no longer treats me, so they spit us back out into the system, which means I am starting over...... my RA test came back at 7 anything below 14 is negative. Hair loss is crazy had to cut hair off- it is even loss all over...... Got a job teaching autistic kids for 4 hours a day it makes me happy, but I have not gotten to the root of my exhaustion. I am afraid.....Any thoughts? Thank you all!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

proud-armywife said:


> Lately I have been experiencing pretty bad pain in my big toe joint-also pointer finger pain. Sounds crazy huh? But the toe on my left foot hurts bad enough that it is difficult to wear shoes without repeating all day my toes hurt. They hurt in flip flops too- but shoes kill me! Also intermittent bouts of diarrhea (like water) for about a month. My ANA is positive 1:80 homogenous 1.60 is weak positive and below is negative. I also have constant brown bloody (girl) discharge. I thought maybe I got gluten by accident but I have been careful and still have the diarrhea off and on. I am getting up in morning at a reasonable hour but by the end of the day, I have nothing to give. I mean nothing-restless leg so bad I want to rip my skin off and I have poor word recall( sounds crazy) but I cannot remember simple words - it is embarrassing or I say the wrong word......swollen lymph nodes in back and side of neck... I have not had a thyroid test since last year... my husband has changed jobs and our unit doc no longer treats me, so they spit us back out into the system, which means I am starting over...... my RA test came back at 7 anything below 14 is negative. Hair loss is crazy had to cut hair off- it is even loss all over...... Got a job teaching autistic kids for 4 hours a day it makes me happy, but I have not gotten to the root of my exhaustion. I am afraid.....Any thoughts? Thank you all!


Sounds to me like you are severely electrolyte deficient for starters. That can cause some of the painful symptoms you are describing.

Are you on thyroxine replacement? If so, what and how much?

Have you had an ultra-sound?

I do remember you but not your medical history. I am sorry you are feeling so unwell.

Of course you know you should also see a gynecologist. Could be a fibroid or something to that effect.


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## proud-armywife (Jul 29, 2011)

Yes I take levothyroxine 100 mcg.. no ultrasound my tonsils are also swollen but they have been that way for awhile. They are not painful. I had a uterine ablation to stop the uterine bleeding so the discharge is not a lot but more than I am used to. I am very active and do drink quite a bit.....


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Actually, none of it sounds crazy at all. The joint pain, diarrhea, memory problems, mild aphasia, excessive fatigue, and restless legs all sound familiar. Since you haven't had the thyroid labs done for a year, I think that jumps out at me first and foremost. Who knows where they are at this point; you could be needing a medication increase, you could be converting your active T3 to inactive Reverse T3, you could be a poor converter of T4->T3 in general (thus needing T3-containing meds.), the thyroid antibodies could be way up, etc. In addition, your adrenals could be shot, testosterone / estrogen / DHEA could be out of whack, and so forth.

When you say you "drink quite a bit" -- are we talking about water and Gatorade here, or alcohol? If alcohol, I would politely remind you that impaired liver function can affect a lot of things, thyroid being one of them: http://qjmed.oxfordjournals.org/content/95/9/559.full.pdf

And here is another interesting article about women with thyroid disease and its unfortunate relation to pregnancy complications: http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/91/7/2500.full


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## proud-armywife (Jul 29, 2011)

I love you bigfoot! LOL I need to clarify.... that I do drink fluids of which are NOT alcohol! Pellegrino and lime with a splash of cranberry is my favorite, I drink Kool-Aid, PowerAde, and a chai latte here and there. I think if I was to be honest I could stand to drink more, but I do hydrate often... Thank you Andros and bigfoot for your reply, I appreciate it


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

proud-armywife said:


> Yes I take levothyroxine 100 mcg.. no ultrasound my tonsils are also swollen but they have been that way for awhile. They are not painful. I had a uterine ablation to stop the uterine bleeding so the discharge is not a lot but more than I am used to. I am very active and do drink quite a bit.....


When do you think that you can see the new doctor and get some labs run for your thyroid?

And ultra-sound if very very important if you can convince the doc to do this especially since your tonsils are swollen. There is such a thing as sublingual thyroid tissue which could invade the tonsils.

Do you mean you drink beer, wine or water or or or??? LOL!!
When you say active are you engaged in sports aside from daily activities?

Good to see you!


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## proud-armywife (Jul 29, 2011)

Ok I will ask for ultrasound, glad this can be thyroid related need to push for scan. I have not been involved in sports since I have been sick but I have four kids and three large dogs we take walks together- and my house is four floors so lots of stairs to do laundry...... I don't sit down often, clean house pic up kids throw football around chase after the dogs...... I really want to start the elliptical again but when my energy goes it is like dropping off a cliff I am fine and then all of the sudden I am done.... it is unpredictable. So I find myself prioritizing tasks and finishing what I can before it is gone.... does that make sense? Thanks again for your response and as stated above Pellegrino with lime is my drink of choice! LOL (mineral water) although some days I could sure go for a real drink I don't very often. I'm a lightweight


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

proud-armywife said:


> I love you bigfoot! LOL I need to clarify.... that I do drink fluids of which are NOT alcohol! Pellegrino and lime with a splash of cranberry is my favorite, I drink Kool-Aid, PowerAde, and a chai latte here and there. I think if I was to be honest I could stand to drink more, but I do hydrate often... Thank you Andros and bigfoot for your reply, I appreciate it


Okay, haha, no sweat, just checking. :anim_32: Please do be careful with all of the sugar in the sports drinks and so on, though. I was surprised to see how much is in Powerade vs other drinks. At that rate, I think I'd just rather grab an ice-cold Coke for a treat!

Out of random curiosity, have they ever done a liver panel on you or sent you to a gastrointestinal doc? One never knows nowadays. I imagine the military's medical care is run similar to HMOs, where tests and specialist consults are kept to a minimum to keep costs low.


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## hashimotocoaster (Mar 22, 2013)

Oh, so strange--I'm having the EXACT SAME BIG TOE JOINT PAIN IN MY LEFT FOOT.

The doctor told me I probably had a bunion and to stop wearing high heels (which is hilarious, considering I don't own any!), but I think it's Hashimoto's related.

Maybe this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chondrocalcinosis


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## proud-armywife (Jul 29, 2011)

Good info hashicoaster! Thank you for your input... called today to get urgent care appointment with any doc it is so painful! I will keep you all posted!!!! Hope I get an answer soon!


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## jsgarden1 (Aug 29, 2009)

Could it be gout? Have they tested your uric acid? Do women get gout? I know my dad and brother have had it and it's always their big toe that is horrible.


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## hashimotocoaster (Mar 22, 2013)

proud-armywife said:


> Good info hashicoaster! Thank you for your input... called today to get urgent care appointment with any doc it is so painful! I will keep you all posted!!!! Hope I get an answer soon!


Please do update! I'm interested to know what the doctor says about it. I've got an appointment tomorrow and I'm going to ask about mine, also.


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## proud-armywife (Jul 29, 2011)

Just wanted you all to know that this is gout! I was diagnosed at the beginning of the week. I was soo happy to know I wasn't nuts! So happy to know it is something real. He said the hallmark sign is extreme pain in one joint usually big toe swelling redness and inability to bend joint. Pain is pretty bad I have to say...........hope this helps and the feedback was great thank you all


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