Thyroid, osteoarthritis unrelated
Dear Dr. Gott: I’m a very tired 63-year-old female. I had cancer of the thyroid 30 years ago and am on a thyroid replacement. I have severe degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis. I suffer from a great deal of pain in both hip joints that travels upward to my neck and down my legs. Could my thyroid condition be causing the problems elsewhere in my body? I can’t determine if all these ailments are related and why they make me so fatigued.
Dear Reader: You appear to have two distinct and unrelated conditions.
Thyroid replacement is necessary to suppress the formation of new cancer cells in your thyroid gland. Patients with a history of thyroid cancer are customarily prescribed thyroid supplements for this purpose.
To assess whether you’re receiving the proper amount of medicine, your doctor should order a blood test, called a TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level. If your dose of supplemental thyroid is too low and is the cause of your fatigue, the test will reflect this, enabling your physician to make the necessary adjustments in dose.
Osteoarthritis, the wearing down of joints due to age, commonly affects the spine, where it may cause stiffness, discomfort and – in cases where the spinal discs are affected – pain, the location of which depends on where the spinal nerves are irritated. Problems with discs in the lower spine may lead to sciatica, pinched nerves that cause pain in the buttocks or legs.
In addition, osteoarthritis will affect other joints, principally the weight-bearing surfaces, such as hips and knees.
Most patients with osteoarthritic pain are helped by over-the-counter anti-inflammatory/analgesic drugs, such as Motrin or Advil. More advanced and serious cases may require prescription medicine, such as Indocin or Lodine.
As a general rule, osteoarthritis (with or without spinal involvement) doesn’t cause feelings of generalized ill health. Therefore, I urge you to address these symptoms with your family doctor, who may wish to check your blood for other common conditions, such as anemia, that cause fatigue and malaise.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Understanding Osteoarthritis.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
Dear Dr. Gott: I recently read in your column about a drug that is useful in combating stage fright, a problem from which I have suffered for years. However, I lost the column. Please provide information.
Dear Reader: The drug is propranolol. I suggest 10 milligrams in preparation for psychological stress. The medication does not affect memory, performance or strength. However, it may totally block out stage fright. Ask your doctor about this medication.