All of these? What should I mention to my dr on Friday?
Hi there. I'm hoping this board is active, I need some feedback. Female. Mid 40's. I have had various pains that I individualized up until about 6 months ago. Here recently, like the last few weeks, I've noticed specific pains that I cannot ignore. SO...lemme begin.
Lower back pain that sometimes cause me not to be able to stand up straight. Years ago I was diagnosed with plantar faciaitis but then the pain radiated not only from the "bottom" of my feet, but into my toes. My shoulders have had varying levels of pain wherein I could not lift my arm entirely. If sleeping, and I stretched my arm to under my head, the pain would wake me. I struggled to drag my arm down from the up position. This has been going on for about 12 months or more. My hips started hurting after my lower back saga...and continue to hurt depending on activity level. Next my knees. They crack and crunch-standing up OR sitting down but not "in" the sitting position or "in" the standing position. And now my hands ache. They almost burn. All inside, plus the fingers. Then the pain radiates from hips to knees. Painful to sit for long periods; stand for long periods.
I'm super tired of the pain..and while I've been living with a typical day of "3" some days are a "6" or a "7." I got so used to living with daily pain that the conflagration of all the pain together makes me mad at my body and irritable.
What of these symptoms are common? I'm over researching inter webs. I do like anecdotal evidence as well. I am ready for some level of pain management. Taking Alleve does nothing, really.
Thanks.
Tell the doctor all of that and answer his questions as if he was asking about your worst day. Tell him you are there because it has gotten worse and you can no longer tolerate it with Aleve alone. You need help. He will likely run blood tests. He is going to want to know how it effects your activities of daily living. Can you do normal stuff? If so, how long does it take and what modifications you have to make to do them. Stairs. Standing. Walking. Bending over. Dressing. Showering. Do you use a computer at work? Has your typing slowed down? Do you still do hobbies and social activities? Does this impact your family? When they hear these things, they start to take you seriously. I think just focusing on pain, although important, doesn't tell the whole story.
Foot pain is common. Back pain. Hips. Hands. Knees. Elbows, but everyone is different. I have never had hot, red joints.
I recommend a doctor visit. Maybe a primary will run an ANA blood test to see if it is positive. If it is positive, go to a Rheumatologist.
Hope you get to feeling better.
Thanks for the reply. Friday IS with the rheumatologist, so that's hopeful. He is at the local teaching hospital and came highly recommended. I work from home, from the computer, so that does add to the hand pain of course. My grandmother was wheelchair bound with arthritis and died in 1967 so, really, this could be hereditary. I'm guessing she had RA but they didn't call it that back then. The pains are just too much. I'm convinced it is NOT fibro, though, because...well, it's in the joints, it's bilateral, and frankly, it's not random pain. I am also a fighter and stubborn, which is to say I'll keep working through pain until or unless I'm unable. That has happened a few times. I'm also in MORE pain after working out-jogging or lifting weights-so that annoys the crap out of me! LOL....
I'm also curious if anyone has suffered with enflamed lymph nodes....oddly I have had a recurrence of this in my armpits. I use a titanium razor, I use dr bronners, I use a natural deodorant....it's not like I'm not trying to solve the issue...and while the lumps may go away, the come back. I had an involved mammo a little over a year ago-had the regular 3D, then sent to a specialist for an invasive mammo, and nothing that way...but this is nuts!
Yes! I have inflamed lymph nodes too! Very painful. They did a core needle biopsy to rule out cancer, sarcoidosis etc, but looks like it is just lympadenopathy. My SED rate is good. CRP is good, but they decided to change my meds anyway because of it. Also having chronic tendonitis in my Achilles tendon... all inflammation related. I just got back from the doctor where I found out I have elevated Free Light Chains both Kappa and Lamda and there is a problem with my IGG. They are running more tests. No idea what this means other than something with my B cells. I have a Hematologist/Oncologist working on the problem, so no reason to worry until I know something. I go back the 23rd, possibly for my new biologic, Actemra.
I would have your doctors rule out some stuff with your lymph nodes just to make sure it is only lymphadenopathy. It is painful. Some days I can't wear a bra. I thought that mammogram was going to kill me.
