Joint and muscle pain no diagnosis

[J_mom]

Hi everyone,

I m desperate to get any help. I have been diagnosed with Graves disease last summer. Got Methimazole 5 mg onde a day from July to December and have benn off it and euthyroid since...all labs ok...went from 0.02 to 6.5 TSH in those 6 months and now at 2.6. I had mild reaction to meds some hip pain back pain...headache...dizziness...but arround time I have stopped taking meds i started feeling aches and pains all over mostly left side of my body...the aches became persistent and are now all over...i m not shure is it bones...is it joint is it muscles or tendos...but litterraly everything hurts from fingers to toes...my gp ran all blood works and everything is fine...no inflamation markers...no RA factor only positive thing is ANA at 1:80...he says nothing major...there is no sweeling no stifness pain is at worst when around my period...no one in familly had any RA no Lupus nothing reumatoid...x rays are fine...but I feel like truck went over me...as if I painter the whole house and ran a marathon...every day...Ihavent seen a reumatologist i am still waiting...my gp gave me Celebrex but is doesnt do much...now he wants me to try Cymbalta...not sure what to make of all of this...I am 39 and scared as hell...

Thanks for any advice

J

[Hidden]

Sorry you’re not doing so well We’re not medical people here, so can’t offer an opinion. I would suggest you get a second opinion from a GP if you’re not happy with current treatment, cheers Deb

[helixhelix]

You need to have a frank talk to your GP about what he/she is considering. It sounds as if the fact that you are not responding to celebrex, an anti-inflammatory, is making the doctor consider that you don’t have an inflammatory disease like RA. And cymbalta is often prescribed for fibromyalgia - so did he/she discuss whether this could be a possibility with you? It’s rubbish to leave you in the dark.

And if you don’t feel you are being listened to, or that the doctor is not talking to you properly, then change your doctor!

[Mmrr]

Have you been referred to or seen by a rheumatologist ?

It might be worth discussing this with your GP. Seronegative RA will not show any inflammitory markers and plain xrays not much good for identifying many of the problems people with RD have ?

After such a long spell it sounds as if you require specialist input.

[J_mom]

Thanks to all for writting... I am waiting for specialist...but I live in Canada...that will take a while...in a mean time its so hard to just do my every day things and be there for my 7 yearld boy...there are days I cant stop crying...like today...

[hoxtonchris]

Sorry to hear of your pains i am not a doctor but your symptoms sound very similar to my partners who has fybromialga ask doc to rule this out? Regards hoxtonchris

[BonnieT]

Please go to rheumatologist. I got no relief until I went to mine. Nothing was showing in my tests previously either. Still have pain but a bit more manageable. I suffered for years until my rheumatologist.

[Angels54]

Shouldn’t feel like that , need to push for more tests.

[OzarkLdy]

So sorry for your pain & struggles! I have seronegative RA. Nothing "standard" shows in my blood. But my full body nuclear scan blew my rheumy away. There ARE things that may stand out that neither you or GP know are autoimmune hallmarks, like low vit D, anemia. Most of us have to wait several months in the US for specialists too. It's an agonizing phase. Celebrex is insanely expensive (especially if it's not working) while prednisone is rather inexpensive. Most GP's won't pull an actual disease modifying drug off a scrip pad because they know they aren't qualified. But, they might do a trial of prednisone. And if you are autoimmune it will likely have a positive effect. Be advised they have some nasty side effects, weight gain being a big non favorite. But others more serious. Still...it may really make it possible for you to take care of your lil bit until you can see the specialist and get you on some better treatment. Hang in there and way to go on reaching out for support! I encourage you to look into support groups for autoimmune disorders. There are several that can not only help bolster your spirits, you'll also have a big pool of people who can speak to your current experience, medications, etc. One last caution. I know it is very tempting to want to stay away from some of the meds for AI diseases. You will even find whole groups dedicated to that. Don't fall for it if you're confirmed to have autoimmune. Yes diet and yoga and oils can help symptoms. But they will not fix you and your body will continue to deteriorate, often silently. That damage is irreversible. There is NO cure for AI, there is only slowing it as much as possible & the occasional extreme rarity of remission. I know. My GP's didn't send me to a specialist & I wasn't that bad then and didn't know any better. By the time I got bad, so much damage was already done to my body. Eventually I lost everything I loved about my life. My career, hobbies, significant other and he used the disease against me to take our 7 year old daughter away from me. Even though I was her primary caretaker. Push for whatever it takes so you can get some semblance of your life back. May the spoons be ever in your favor.

(Google Christine Miserandino & Spoon Theory)