Pain and symptoms related to stress?

I am a 25 year old female, and have been dealing with pain and swelling in my hands and feet for 7 months. The pain comes mostly with movement such as walking in the balls of my feet and I have a constant tight feeling (probably related to the swelling). I have been worked up by my PCP, rhematology, platics, dermatology, and orthopaedics with no answers. I have had plain films of my hands and feet, and blood work with all results coming back normal. My question is: could this be related to stress. I work 12 hour night shifts in a highly stressful job, I go to school almost full time, and I run several apartment buildings. I do not feel very stressed out, but I am out of options as to what this is and what is causing it. I have been feeling depressed lately, mostly due to fear of what the diagnosis will be, and I feel that the symptoms are where most of my stress is coming from.

I am unable to do many things that I have done in the past (like running). I actually had to have my wedding band cut off becuase my finger swelled so badly. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

It is not a familiar symptom of anxiety or stress...the pain may be, but not the swelling.  It sounds much more like fluid retention so ask your doctor about low salt diets and diuretics as a trial.