Muscle Weakness + Hashimoto’s

Extreme muscle weakness was, in the end the symptom I believe that lead to my diagnosis of Hashimoto’s when I was 22.

I finally realised something was wrong when I had trouble holding my arms up to wash and dry my hair.

Interestingly in this study muscle weakness is particularly connected to muscles connected to the shoulder and pelvis – “difficulty in climbing stairs, getting up from squatting position, and combing hair” is common. Good to know I’m a text book case 😂

This makes me wonder too about my current shoulder bursitis and whether weak shoulder muscles might be playing a part – whilst my current thyroid health is great, prior to the last 6-9mths, it hasn’t been for a few years (ever since taking Duromine – a story for another day)… so I wonder if chronic weakness has contributed 🤔🤷‍♀️

Fatigued muscles can play out in tiredness  – just going for a walk can be too much. Maybe you can’t lift weights like you used to? I have times when my leg muscles feel tired just walking up my stairs and my leg muscles feel ‘heavy. 

Muscle weakness can be a sign of a thyroid flare – so even if you know you have Hashimoto’s be aware of this and if a problem perhaps it’s time for a fresh blood test & trip to your doctor.

Thyroid hormones activate muscles fibres. T3 causes ATP to be produced in muscle tissues, so if your body isn’t converting T4 into T3 you might have muscle weakness and tiredness.

Cramping and stiffness are also common as are slow reflexes.

So, what can we do?

Let’s get practical:

🚩 Get thyroid blood tests and properly medicated. It’s so important that you are being treated appropriately. Symptoms like muscle weakness, when coming from low thyroid function, need to be treated by health professionals to get the thyroid functioning properly first. This can take some time to get right and it can take months for muscles to regain some strength but the core issues must be dealt with, other wise the other lifestyle factors below are really a bandaid.

🚶‍♀️ Very gentle exercise. Now is not the time for strenuous exercise. A walk around the block, restorative/gentle yoga, pilates with an experienced practitioner…

💆‍♀️ Gentle massage.

💦 Essential oils such as ginger, lemongrass, cypress, marjoram, Siberian Fir, or blends like the massage blend of active blend are worth trying massaged with carrier oil into your muscles. I do this most nights before bed and as needed.

💊 Consider a good quality nutritional supplement. I like doTERRA’s Lifelong Vitality but see a health practitioner if you have vitamin or mineral deficiencies as you may need extra supplementation.

🛀 Baths with magnesium flakes/epsom salts is something I’ve found good when my body is weak and has extra aches & pains.

🌀 See a health professional – this is important as muscle weakness can be a symptom of other things too, eg adrenal fatigue or even hyperactive thyroid.

✅ Join the discussion in the group, Let’s Talk Thyroid.

Common Hashimoto's Symptoms Ebook

A practical & positive look at 30 of the most common Hashimoto’s symptoms and what you can do about them.

Symptoms covered include weight gain, fatigue, hair loss, constipation, skin, fertility, mood and so much more.

Whilst Hashimoto’s is complex and must be dealt with from a number of angles, this ebook gives you some ideas and strategies to manage common symptoms so you can feel better whilst working with your health practitioner on root causes and getting your hormone levels under control.

This is a great companion to the Let’s Talk Thyroid book.

Suspect you have a thyroid issue? PLEASE trust your instincts and get it thoroughly checked out with your health practitioner. This thyroid basics page has an overview of what tests to ask for and an affiliate link to use a private lab if your doctor won't order them.

Disclaimer: This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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