numbness after starting meds

Profesionalmama · 03-10-2004, 08:36 AM

~2 weeks ago I went into to see a new ER. He put me on compouunded thyroid T3/T4 15MG. I had to wait for it to arrive in the mail so I have only been on it about a week. Here is my question. When I was there the nurse drawing my blood hit the nerve in left arm. It hurt like crazy and I had a numb like feeling (kind of numb...but I have sensation...kind of like they are swollen and stiff but they aren't) in 3 of my fingers. Shortly after starting the meds I started having this numb like sensation in my right hand. At first I thought it was a sympathy healing thing but now the numb feeling is moving up my arms on both sides. Could this be the result of the new meds? (BTY don't know if this has any bearing but I always have very low blood pressure)

shenacat · 03-12-2004, 01:50 PM

While the numbness is disconcerting I doubt it has anything to do with your thyroid meds? I've never heard of such a side effect.

Is it numb all the time or just sometimes? 15mg is a really, really small dose... are they planning on upping it, eventually having you on a normal dose?

PaintedDaisy · 03-12-2004, 02:05 PM

Which 3 fingers are numb feeling?

Two major nerves serve the hand, the median and the ulnar. By describing which fingers have the problem, one can determine which nerve is affected.

I don't know if it's possible that the medication you're on can cause this problem, but it has to be something. Perhaps an injury or something else unrelated but coincidental.

Be sure to talk to your doctor, though, because I'm sure the numbess isn't in your mind and the way the nerves work, you'll typically only have problems in one half of your hand (unless both nerves are affected).

Profesionalmama · 03-12-2004, 06:03 PM

It is the middle to the pinki fingers. For a few days the sensation was moving up to my elbow. I haven't had that for a day or two but I had it again today while doing quite a bit of driving. My BIL is a chiropractor so I am going to have him check things over.

As for the meds they will be upping them but very very slowly. I tried Armour about 18 months ago. It casued extreem panic attacks. so we are starting low and going slow.

PaintedDaisy · 03-12-2004, 07:15 PM

That would be your ulnar nerve. Sounds great that you can ask your BIL. It's possible you injured the nerve somehow, or it could be something like carpal tunnel syndrome. There are a lot of reasons why that nerve can be aggrevated and hopefully your BIL can help.

Unfortunately I know what the pain is like

When I was 12 years old I injured my ulnar nerve. I was sitting in a chair with a wooden armrest and banged my elbow on it, only the corner of the wood went between the bones. My arm and half my hand was numb for week and slowly got better. I saw a doctor and he said it was doubtful that I would ever fully recover and he's been right. It's now 12 years later and my ring finger, pinky, and that part of the my hand gets numb frequently.

I hope it's just something minor for you and that your BIL and fix you up in no time

Profesionalmama · 03-12-2004, 10:54 PM

That sounds like what he said...that it is that nerve. We didn't have time for an adjustment but maybe in the morning. It just seems weird that it started at the same time.

shenacat · 03-13-2004, 11:38 AM

One of the oddities of thyroid hormone replacement is that as you start normalizing your levels, new symptoms can pop up related to thyroid disease that you didn't have previous. Luckily they should also clear away as you progress in healing, but it can confuse people because it seems like you're getting worse before you get better.

Carpal tunnel is a symptom of low thyroid, believe it or not. I suffered from symptoms of carpal tunnel for years before I was treated - after I was optimized on medication, the only time I *ever* experienced symptoms again was when I needed a medication adjustment. It was just as you say, the outside fingers of my hand would go numb. Also my wrist would ache, hurt and not stop hurting until I wrapped it up in an ace bandage for a day or so to reduce swelling.

The reason carpal tunnel like symptoms occur with hypothyroidism is that hypothyroidism causes edema - another word for hypothyroidism is myxedema or non-pitting edema. The swelling will pinch nerves, and the pinching of the nerve will cause carpal tunnel problems (also tennis elbow, other things like that). The swelling can cause other issues like ringing in your ears (tinnitus) and so forth.

Other conditions that cause you to retain water will have similar effects. During pregnancy since you retain water it is common to complain of carpal tunnel and ringing in the ears.

I'd suggest getting a wrist brace or ace bandages and wearing them at night. For some reason it's how you sleep a lot of the time that exacerbates the swelling, and if you can nip it in the bud at night you do better during the day.

Profesionalmama · 03-13-2004, 12:24 PM

Wow that is interesting. I have ringing in my ears and it comes and goes! Also the edema stuff makes sense. I often feel like I am retaining water but other people don't see it. I notice it most in my rings...it can vary hour by hour. Sounds like this may be part of the problem! Thanks for the great info.