Bone Pain

[Myown]

Is it common to have bone pain in legs with Hep c. I'm not tx yet, so its not from meds. Once before I had the bone pain in my legs, right before I was dx, but the pain went away and now it returned. Keep me awake all night.

I have it going down the back of my legs, also in hips and rear end.

[NYgirl]

I think a lot of us have it and I don't know if it's the meds or disease - I've had it really only for the past few months and never had any symptoms of HCV that I noticed before...so i think it's the meds personally.

Although of course...I don't know.

[Mister beagle bailey]

I also had the leg pains while doing tx and before starting.

Beagle

[merlino]

I have noticed in the past year I get pain in my knees. I haven't started tx yet either.

[Myown]

I guess its just part of it then. I know my progesterone is low and proges. is needed for bones. Low proges. causes bone loss, so they say. Guess this is all hep related.

I just hope that taking natural hormones will be alright to take during tx. i don't want to go on fosomax or something like that.

Thanks guys

[cuteus]

a consult with a rheumatologist might rule out arthritis and other conditions before assigning some of these pains to hep c, especially if we are approaching the "hill".

[Myown]

I probably should consult...I'll see what the liver doctor says. Yeah that hill, don't remind me.lol

[merlino]

Regarding the HILL, I hit 50 last Dec. and I find if I am not blaiming my aches and pains on the Hep its "oh well,guess its turning 50".

[NYgirl]

LOL I blame the RAIN on my Hep lately I swear I've gotten so out of control!   ;)

Even my toothache - I was sitting here going darn Hep then said to myself oh how stupid are you...it's not EVERYTHING! Then I remembered how the IFN eats our teeth away and said son of a gun it IS cause of the hep!

(In reality it's really just my own stupidity cause I should have had the cavities taken care of PRE-tx and not waited till this root canal needs to be pulled out cause of infection...but hey...it makes me happy to blame it all on the Hep these days!)

[sfbaygirl]

Is the pain in your spine and leg bones? Or does it radiate down the back of your legs? That could be sciatica. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish bone pain from other pains. Mine feels like a fire sometimes and it is really deep in the bones. It goes into shoulders and up and down the spine and legs at times. Not fun. My doc told me to take Claritin for it. Also heating pads helped and of course pain meds.

I had pain in legs, back before tx, but I don't believe it was bone pain.

[Myown]

its not in my spine, thank God. mainly in my butt and down back of legs. i think it may be because my body is very low on progesterone...but I do think it all to the hep manifesting itself. Healthy as a horse before all this.

I am waiting for the biodentical hormones to arrive in the mail. i read the progesterone being low causes bone loss.

Would it cause a problem to be on natural progesterone when I start treating? hope not.

[sfbaygirl]

I have heard steriods are not good to take, or I would take them. Hormones, I am not sure about. I am also not sure why low progestrone would cause this pain...although when I had cramps during periods, I had bone pain in the front of my thigh each month instead of cramps. Didn't know what it was until I got bone pain on  tx.

You know to me it sounds like sciatica. I had the exact same pain for years (still do sometimes) Although the pain does come from the low back, I never felt it in my spine. Only my butt and back of the legs all the way down, sometimes only part way. Ice helped mine with the swelling. Put it on your low spine on your butt. A lot of people have this and it usually isn't serious, but I would still check with the doc.

[Myown]

Thanks for your advice. I'll give it a try.

As far as the progesterone connection to bone pain... I thought it may possibly have a conection because progesterone is necessary for osteoblast production(building of the bone). If there is not enough osteoblasts being made (and low proges. would hinder production)you would be "osteoclast" dominant (bone resorbtion). That probably is one of the biggest reasons at this fun age, us girls get osteopenia and the other bone problems.

So basically the osteoclasts remove the old bone and osteoblasts replace it with new. I'm having so much fun*not* reading about hep c and menopause,beats reading a novel, poolside.

Plus being low in vitamin D isn't helping, so I take extra. The problem though is vitamin D is fat soluable and you have to watch intake, just as as vitamin A.  If the doctors tell me to go on Fosamax, I will discuss with them the commercial which claims fosamax does not work for people with vit, D defiency.

[sfbaygirl]

Interesting, sort of! Better than a novel, I doubt it. Have you read Skinny Dip? Too funny. Anyway, I am glad I am through menopause, but I seem to be getting symtoms I never had then, now. Go figure!

I am sure you are taking lots of calcium, right?

[giddyup]

I have hip and leg pain I'm 42yo stage 4 grade 3. I went to an orthopedic after a minor car accident a few years back then a nuerologist then a chiropracter. Then I found out I had hep c.I was refered to a rhumatologist who tested me for cryoglobulinemea as my hep doc had in the past. That time I the test done at a good blood lab and it came back positive. So now I'm pretty sure it's the hep that causes the aches. Check out different posibilities and make sure you cryo test is done by a knowledgeble blood lab. Yes, the aches you have are common for those with hep c. Sorry for your condition but thanks for posting your symptoms.

[Myown]

Sfbaygirl
I haven't read the book. That good,huh. Calcium,yes taking lots, liquid calcium/mag.
menopause is horrible on top of it all

Giddyup, thanks for your post. My cryo test may not have been done correctly. Lab corp sends all their blood out and according to what I have read,test has to be done on premises. Maybe you can give me some input on that.Haven't had results yet, but if neg, I'll question.

Did you have any other symptoms besides leg pain. Any puffyness in ankles or legs or itchy? Itchness may also be comming from the thyroid med not being the right dose yet. Who knows?? Do you have/had any rashes?

Some days my legs feel okay other days they feel weighty. Even weighty above the knees. I've had several doctors look at them and even though they know I have hep, they all have ruled out that it is from that.

I'm not heavy or anything, so one doc even said, i don't have swelling. Maybe he's comparing me to someone who is very big.
His partner told me I do have swelling. Maybe thryroid or menopause.

Where are you as far as tx? What type of cryo do/did you have? I've read Hepc usually gets mixed...whatever that means.

What kind of info did your doctor give you about the cryo? I've read sometimes people have to stay on tx? I guess they mean a low dose? And other times I read it leaves with the tx.

Maybe someone who had cryo with hepc and cleared both will also offer info.also.

Do you know what symptom you had that made your doc deceide to test. By the way do you have any ear problem?

Hope you don't feel like I have you tied to a chair with a bright light shinning in your face.

I re-read the post and to me it sounds like I do have a light.lol
Sorry if I was a pain in the neck.

Appreciate any and all info. Thanks

[sfbaygirl]

Carl Hiaasen wrote "Skinny Dip" and "Sick Puppy", among others. These were some of the funniest reads ever. He now writes kids books about the Florida environment and works for the Miami Herald.

[Myown]

Thanks...I'll have to check out the books. Probably going over to Barnes and Noble within the next week or so. I'll look for the books,

see ya later

[MissMiss]

Hello again,

I read your post above about cryo and wanted to clarify what I said earlier in a post about this.  At the time my hgb was real low and my butte was dragging.

The first part of the test, right after they draw, must be kept at a certain temperature til it clots.  So, have to use warmed vials and preferrably a warmed centrifuge when they spin it later.  Then the vial is checked every day til day to see if and when the cryo's show up.  

To determine the kind of cryo that shows up, it must be shipped out unless you are fortunate enough to live close to one of the few places that actually can do the test.  This test is shipped right after the warmed clotting process and centrifuge spin.  You can go to Quest's website and under tests, click on C and go down to the cryo tests.  There are several.

I am going for my draw tomorrow.  Oh, it is best to have fasted 12 hours previous to the draw.

I am nearly four weeks post tx and my legs are really giving me fits.  I don't walk, I plod and my ankles feel like lead weights.  It will be interesting what the test shows as to what kind of cryo I have.

Hoping for the best on your cryo outcome.  Hope you see this post.

miss

[Myown]

Thanks miss, hope all works out with the test.

You said you are finished with tx., so the cryo is still present the doctor thinks?

Did he discuss how this will be handled?

Thanks for any info

[cuteus]

have you had an MRI of the spine, especially the lumbar area?  it does sound like the symptoms for herniated discs and thus sciatic nerve pressing.

[MissMiss]

When you tested positive for cryo, did you also finish the test and find out Type I, II or III?  Have you also had an RF or RA test?  Those are important to know.  Only two types are associated with HCV.  

Let us know what you find out.  I would also be interested in knowing what sx's you and your doc attribute to cryo.  

When I get my test results back I will likely open a thread about it.  It will be a week waiting for results and then I will be heading out the door for a quick respite in WI while my hubby works another Champ car race there.  So, likely it will be a couple weeks unless I take my laptop with.

Take care,

miss

[MissMiss]

Glad you saw the post.  I will open a thread once I get results.  See my comment to G-up.

I am the one wanting to know what kind of cryo I have.  I am strongly suspicious that it is still present too.  If none appear they will stop the test and results will come quicker.  But, something is going on with my legs, no doubt there.

GP is referring me to a doc for some EMG (maybe eng?) tests.  All a process of elimination, I guess.  Thank the stars for insurance!

I would also like to know what sx's you attribute to cryo and if you know what type you have.  Cuteos may be right on with the mri of your low back.  Butte and leg pain can very often come from the back.  I have two disks I was going to have replaced with a new kind of surgery but ins. wouldn't cover it.  I jut live with it now and have always attributed my leg problems with it.  Now, I wonder.  So, I am very familiar with the kind of pain you get from low back.  If nothing else, it will rule the possibility out.

Talk to you soon.

miss

[Myown]

cuteus...no I haven't had a mri of spine...but guess what?? the pain is totally gone!! This is weird. This happened before, I was in horrible pain, couldn't get out of bed, my husband had to help me and then once I was up, it wan't bad.Now its gone gone gone.

Today, my ankles, which are usually puffy,are fine. some say thyroid, other doct says hormone, who knows??

But i keep getting paranoid and thinking the worst, because I read the with cirohsis you can have bone pain...but my question is ...would that be bone pain constantly? Because mine comes and goes, not constant. Plus with the ankles swollen and legs even a little, scares me. Hep doc,says it is my hormones though. But a biopsy I guess would be the only way to tell...ouch

I just don't want this cryo stuff, plus my other tale of woe is this stupid, slightly swollen gland on my left side of throat.
Saliva gland or something. Cryo and low grad lymphoma I fear, hope not. But because doctors really don't know as much as we all hope they would know, it causes worry.

So that's the story..yap, yap yap. If pain comes back, i might just have to ask about an mri. thanks for your input


Missmiss...did the doc say why the cryo didn't go away with tx? did he say what or how it will be treated?

52tele is also looking for info on cryo, so you will have a few of us waiting for your post. Plus a guy posted an "infergen" post today and he has cryo, so he might have info also.

I'll keep my eyes open for your thread

thanks appreciate it

[whoaisme]

Hi,I reallly don't have any other symptoms.My doc always suspected Cryo but w/out a pos test he kept asking me to check other things out, which I have done. I don't know what type of cryo I have and I'm going to look into further tests.My doc feels that a pos result is enough info for him to attribute the pain to cryo.I forgot everything he asked when trying to diagnose cryo, but I know he looked for red blotches and asked about my ankles because cryo seems to effect the lower half of the body. Doc says curing hep c cures symptoms. Since it can be very painful for some people, sometimes they can give          Re(i)tuxin infusions to ease pain.I'm currently on maintenence of 90mcg of pegysus wkly indefinatly. Only one wk so far.Catch up later. -giddy

[MissMiss]

I was recently on a cryo yahoo group reading archives and someone stated that hers never showed up and they had to do another sort of test.  I wish I could remember more but can't.  You may be able to post a question and maybe she will answer with the kind of test.  I don't think she had HCV either.  There are a lot of folks there without a known reason for their cryo too.  It may be worth some time looking for the post or posting a question.

Not knowing for sure you have this is awful.

miss

[Myown]

Thanks for your post, every bit of info helps. Their seems to be a few of us who have questions. Any other cryo or hep news, make sure you open a thread so we all can see.

Thanks
Hope your feeling good

[Not 4 Gotn]

I have the pain in my legs and back too.  I have been diagnosed with avascular necrosis, just one more thing to deal with.  It is circulation death in the knees (in my case), or can be in the hip, back, jaw, etc.  Ask for an MRI as someone previously  suggested.  I feel your pain!