UC and Muscle Pain - Need feedback from others with this symptom

Hi & thanks for reading.
I have pain is in my legs, feet, groin area and hands mainly. Hands and feet are achy and my legs feel like I just had a major work out (lactic acid feeling). The fatigue is crippling and I am not able to work anymore. (before I was in an exec position working 12hrs a day, going to the gym, eating and living healthy)

Many specialists have seen me and the only controversial diagnosis has been positive testing for Rickettsia and Urine (not blood) high lead and mercury. I am/have been going through treatment for both with no changes to my symptoms. (most doctors don't even believe in Rickettsia as a diagnosis I found out).

11 years ago I was diagnosed with Severe UC. I surprised my GI Doc by recovering very quickly on Asacol and after a year I came off the meds and have only had one very minor out break since. 5 months before I got sick with this unknown illness I had a follow up colonoscopy and there was no sign of anything wrong. The GI Doc said I was a very, very rare case where I only had one or two flare ups and technically don't have UC anymore.

Strange coincidence is that my best friend was just diagnosed with moderate UC. He started taking meds, was recovering when it came back with a vengeance and besides the bowel issues got severe muscle pain and his ankle has swollen up like cantaloupe. He is on crutches right now as it is so bad. He was told that the UC associated arthritis and muscle pain do not register on regular blood-work as they are not ostio or rheumatoid.

Turns out that other than the bloody stool and swelling my muscle and joint pain is identical to his and now I am wondering if all of my issues are related to UC? I have not bled but have not had a "normal" movement in years. Just loose and crampy. (excuse the gruesome details) lol...

I am wondering if anyone else on here has had muscle and join symptoms without a flare up or with mild UC symptoms. If so, I would love to hear what your pain/symptoms are.
Cheers!

[Kaceyv]

I also have UC. I also have/had the same things, everything came out negative. It got a lot worse with stress. I have found out what mine is though. I dont really know how to describe it other than....You actually feel the pain, all the tests come out negative and cause a lot of different pains and WEIRD thing. My hands turn purple I think its a blood problem.... I dont know if yours gets worse with stress? Mine got to the point where it was causing constant seizures for hours.
Write me back please thanks!
Kacey

[Nwicks01]

My situation is very similar to yours.  In 2008 I wa diagnosed and was given a high dosage of meds that seemed to help.  I was then med free until November 2009 when I started having flare ups.  My joints started hurting, fatigue, loss of weight (165 lbs down to 120 lbs.  Only now back up to 135 lbs), blood in stools, etc.  All of the above have decreased in the past 3 weeks however i'm having severe lower back pain. Feels like the muscles are being elbowed all through the night.  My flare ups are not as bad but when the back gets bad then the abdominal area starts acting up.

Right now i'm on pain killers for my back but they don't work that well.