Hi all,

My son was diagnosed with Graves disease just a couple of months ago. He had a reaction to the Methimizole (sp?) so he had an ablation 2.5 weeks ago. I do not have any thyroid issues so I am trying to understand more what he is going through. Recently he has been having terrible leg pains to the point where he refuses to walk or put any pressure on them. He is normally a very active kid and would never lie about this. He wakes up at night screaming with pain. Has anyone had muscle tenderness or pain following an ablation? The doctor described his symptoms as being very typical for a hyperthyroid patient: high anxiety and hyper sensitivity but didn't really say much about his muscle pain. He has been very anxious which I didn't really attribute to his hyperthyroidism but it definitely makes sense now. Does this level out? How long does it take for hormone levels to get under control? I just feel so bad for the little guy and would appreciate any insight.

Thanks so much!
Amy

Hello and welcome!

I would definitely mention this issue to your doctor. I do know that muscle/joint pain can potentially be a sign of hypo, but it seems a little early for that. RAI usually takes anywhere from 6-18 weeks to induce hypothyroidism.

This thread has some general info about children and Graves':

(Note on links: if you click directly on the following links, you will need to use your browser's “back” button to return to the boards after viewing, or you will have to log back in to the forum. As an alternative, you can right-click the link and open it in a new tab or new window).

http://gdatf.org/forum/topic/42445/ [gdatf.org]

Also, if you visit the Foundation's YouTube site, there are two presentations on children and Graves' that will hopefully be of interest:

http://www.youtube.com/user/gravesandthyroid?feature=results_main [youtube.com]

Take care - wishing you and your family all the best!

About one week, give or take, after RAI, we are a lot more hyper than we were before due to the damaged thyroid cells dumping their hormone into the body all at once. After the dump, we then start to go hypo, some of us faster than others. I remember quite stunningly painful calf cramps post RAI. It would wake me up, and I would have to stretch out my heel to try to get it to go away. I tried stretching exercise (mild ones), warm baths, and extra bananas to avoid the painful episodes. I'm not sure how much good any of this did, other than psychologically. I attributed it to the fluctuation of thyroid levels. Hyper is very hard on muscles. Anyway, Kimberly's advice to talk with the doctor is good. But in the meantime, try to get your son to describe where the pain is. If it is his calf, have him lie down, and lift the offending leg and extend the heel to stretch out the hamstring. That usually provides rather immediate pain relief.