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Date: 01.01.2012
From: Mike

Subject: insane multiple joint pain unknown cause any ideas?

Hi all,
Have come to a dead end with GPs reumatologists etc.Hoping someone in this community could shed some light as its quite distressing and I dont know what to do next. Since march, have had increasing pain in hip joints, fingers, toes, ankles, wrists and sometimes knees. They didnt all start at once, but very symmetrical onsets. Worst is right hip which now has pain most of the time. Nothing showing on blood tests. No morning stiffness, inflammation, redness etc. The main hallmark is that it is very painful to stand still for long periods (>30 mins) as hips become very sore. It was like this back in march. Weirldy walking and mild exercise dont hurt at the time, but can be sore after. ANA negative, RF and CPC negative.
Typing can be painful which is a problem for a software engineer!
Ultrasound showed degeneration in hands and MRI showed osteophites and degeneration in right hip . Consultant said it was osteoarthritis and definitely not lupus or RA given the presentation and test results. However Im only 39, and find it hard to believe this would cause such a large onset in so many joints from simple ageing.
The joints just seem very vulnerable. For example landed heavily on one of my wrists (that was already sore from this problem) in a minor bike accident around 3 months ago but it just refuses to heal. Its like theyve all gone soft!

It may be quite a rare form, so hopefully one of you may have seen something similar.

Regards, Mike
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Date: 01.01.2012
From: Kim

Subject: Re: insane multiple joint pain unknown cause any ideas?

Hi
Could it be fibromyalgia?Im no expert on this condition but I have a friend who has it and has very similair symptoms to you. From what I understand it can be a bit tricky to diagnose and some GP's are better at recognising the symptoms than others. I think there may be a forum for this condition, try googling it and see what you think.
Good luck and hope you get some answers soon
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Date: 01.01.2012
From: marlene

Subject: Re: insane multiple joint pain unknown cause any ideas?

Hi Mike, sorry to say that OA has a habit of taking hold quickly sometimes. Age is no concern of OA it is not an old persons condition as most people believe.Osteophites are exactly what oa causes. Oa is not from simple ageing as not all old people suffer with it. It is wear and tear and there are many reasons why we get it at a young age. I was also in my 30s a shock I know but life goes on and can be good.
Try asking your family has any one else suffered with OA. My Dad suffered also from his 30s, I am sure this is a link.
Do you do Sport or Gym training.
Mike if this helps it doesn't sound like a rare form as your story is similar to mine.
I hope this helps you and once again I am sorry to hear you feel left abadoned, but apart from painkillers rest gentle excercise when possible there isn't much else.
Surgery is another road to go down but not when you are so young. I have had two surgeries, it sounds a terrible prospect, but i sometimes think what would i be doing know without it?
Take care keep your chin up, the drs door is always open when you need them. Keep smiling X
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Date: 01.01.2012
From: Dave S

Subject: Re: insane multiple joint pain unknown cause any ideas?

Hi Mike
Sorry to hear you are not good.
I had a similar experiance to you but i kept on insisting at gp that something was wrong. I had not been to gp for over twenty years up untill a couple of years ago so i think they realized that i was not just there for some attention.
I ended up tearing a cartlidge in my knee and after MRI scans and an op they found OA stage four in my knees and ankles.
The GP said that this did not explain the pain in all my other joints and my inflamatory markers were not high and x-rays only showed some wear and tear.
In the end i was sent to rhuematoligist who went through my medical history with me and examined me. He noticed the ridging on my toe nails and my very mild psoraisis and came up with Psoraitic Arthritis which is supposed to be hard to diagnose as it does not show up in tests.
I was put on medication and regular blood tests to monitor if medication was causing any other damage and i am pleased to say that it seems to helping.
At the end of the day you know your own body better than anyone else and if you are in pain keep on insisting with your GP untill you get to the bottom of it.
Good luck and i hope you get sorted in this new year
Dave S
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Date: 02.01.2012
From: marlene

Subject: Re: insane multiple joint pain unknown cause any ideas?

So glad to see lots of advice coming to you Mike, hope it all helps !!!!!
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Date: 02.01.2012
From: Mike

Subject: Re: insane multiple joint pain unknown cause any ideas?

Thanks for all the posts. Youre a helpful bunch.

Ive considered fibromyalgia, but theres no fatigue and does seem focussed on joints. I will check into this one so thanks for the suggestion.

If it is purely osteo, then I keep thinking that this is a secondary thing caused by an unknown primary problem. The reasoning is that it came on so many joints all within a very short time span. Is this what happened to you Marlene? It may be that they are just all begining to degenerate at the same time of course - a sort of reduced shelf life! I dont do much training or exercise at all unfortunately and spend much of my time in a stressed job in front of a computer. Ive considered that this may have a lot to do with it!

Psoraitc arthritis sounds consistent in that (from what Ive just read) it doesn't show up on blood tests, but affects many joints simultaneously and can be symmetrical. Only thing is I have no other signs of it except a scaly rash on my nose (which isn't lupus Im told due to -ve ANA). The rheumatologist has dismissed everything, so Im not sure how I can get this one investigated.

Again, thanks for the suggestions.
Mike
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Date: 02.01.2012
From: marlene

Subject: Re: insane multiple joint pain unknown cause any ideas?

Hi Mike, yes unfortunately this is what happened to me.It isn't uncommon for this to happen. I am glad you have found this forum helpful. We do our best. I hope you get some answers soon. Take Care.
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Date: 02.01.2012
From: Dave S

Subject: Re: insane multiple joint pain unknown cause any ideas?

Hi Mike
I too have the rash on my face and also queeried it as being Lupos but was told it had been checked for on blood tests.
I guess you could queery it with specialist do you have any family history of psorasis.
Good luck and hope you get some help and a diagnosis i know that to have something confirmed and diagnosed helps
Dave S
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Date: 04.01.2012
From: Mike

Subject: Re: insane multiple joint pain unknown cause any ideas?

Apologese keeping on this thread, but its been the most help Ive had recently.

One question which only fellow joint pain persons would know..
Ive noticed that the pain/soreness is brought on by use.. i.e typing causes finger pain, walking/cross-training brings on greater hip pain etc. However the pain doesnt seem to be something you can immediately aggrevate at will. What I mean is that if my fingers are hurting, I cant make it suddenly hurt more by pressing something, pulling the fingers etc. It just hurts. Same goes for hips and ankles. Rest will calm things down so the general pain will decrease.
The toes and wrists are an exception to this.. they hurt by pushing them and this can be quite severe. In these though they have had trauma.

Do you find the same sort of thing with generalised constant pain around the joint or specific pain brought about immediately by direct mechanical action (or both).

I suspect different types of arthritis (inflammatory-systemic /non-inflammatory) would have differnt answers to this one.

Mike
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Date: 04.01.2012
From: marlene

Subject: Re: insane multiple joint pain unknown cause any ideas?

Hi MIke, don't apologise this is what this forum is for. I have OA as you know. I have constant pain, yes over use can cause it to hurt more. Albeit my pain is constant. Then I get days or weeks where the pain is just unbearable and all the strong pain meds come out.
My pain only hurts more suddenly if I bang myself and this can cause more pain for days.
Some movements can irratate the OA sites but I have learned what causes more pain generally.
You are right different types of Arthritis cause different problems.
I hope my post makes sense, little bit high on strong meds at the moment LOL.
Mike, ask all you like this forum was a godsend for me when i first joined and still is. You take care!!!
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Date: 05.01.2012
From: Lynne Gough

Subject: Re: insane multiple joint pain unknown cause any ideas?

Read Dan Dale Alexander's book Arthritis and Common Sense. He advocates taking Cod liver oil but insists it is crucial to take it at the right time along with lot's of other tips including contraversially cutting down on water intake. the book was written in 1935 but I think it makes a lot of good points and has helped me.Lynne
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Date: 22.03.2012
From: Mike

Subject: Re: insane multiple joint pain unknown cause any ideas?

Hi, I hope your all well.

Back again..Its been a difficult few months. Swimming really helps though, and its made me fit! An arthrogram only on the right hip showed up a labral tear and worn cartillage. How the heck Ive done this is a mystery.

Question for Dave S and PA sufferers... Do the toe nail ridges in your PA look like horizontal grooves, or are they discrete ridges of lines sticking upwards. Ive noticed my big toe nails are lightly grooved and bumpy horizontally and wondered about it. They used to be ok.

OR am I right in thinking that it cant be an 'itis' (ie rhematoid, psoriatic etc) because there is no sign of inflammation in the MRI scans.

Any words of wisdom greatly received.

Mike
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