Aa
Continual, newly progressing symptoms.
26 year old male. At 24, I suddenly came down with what felt like a severe flu w/ fatigue, muscle, and joint pain. Episodic 'brain fog' would accompany this. Blood test showed positive ANA; rheumatologist tested me for 'everything'. Abnormalities seen were low WBC and a mildly elevated CK; negative for RA, lupus, etc..ANA remains negative to this day.
These muscle and joint pains never went away, but seemed to wax/wane as time went on. Was worse when I was worn down; when I felt this way, I would take it easy; not lift/run as much. (My body didn't seem able to support a rigorous workout on those days.) These issues, while still present, rarely gave me cause for concern, as I would always bounce back. However, mid-summer, I came down with a colitis viral/bacterial infection, per CT scan and gastroenterologist's diagnosis. Resolved; but this seemed to mark the beginning of new, persisting symptoms.
Recent blood work showed low testosterone, free and total. No prescriptions or steroid use. My hands feel strained and clumsy. It began with popping in my joints: wrist, elbows, shoulders, neck. I felt weakness/trembling when lifting anything with my right arm, from the elbow joint down, and affected the pinky. Also caused right hand cramping/soreness, and aching in knuckles. My knees are sore at the joints; have gotten worse, pain aches literally in the bone area. Lower back is sore. Woke up today w/ mild pain in left hand pinky. Rheumatology diagnosed fibromyalgia.
Grandfather on mother's side died of heart attack at 58; had hypersomnia. No joint pain or weakness; he was involved w/ manual labor daily until his death. Grandmother had cataracts, but she was in her 70's at the time. No grip myotonia, facial issues or balding; brain MRI and opthamology exam 1.5 yrs ago showed no abnormalities...however, my concern is that symptoms seemed in check for the past 1.5 years, and have recently changed very quickly for the worse. Thoughts?
These muscle and joint pains never went away, but seemed to wax/wane as time went on. Was worse when I was worn down; when I felt this way, I would take it easy; not lift/run as much. (My body didn't seem able to support a rigorous workout on those days.) These issues, while still present, rarely gave me cause for concern, as I would always bounce back. However, mid-summer, I came down with a colitis viral/bacterial infection, per CT scan and gastroenterologist's diagnosis. Resolved; but this seemed to mark the beginning of new, persisting symptoms.
Recent blood work showed low testosterone, free and total. No prescriptions or steroid use. My hands feel strained and clumsy. It began with popping in my joints: wrist, elbows, shoulders, neck. I felt weakness/trembling when lifting anything with my right arm, from the elbow joint down, and affected the pinky. Also caused right hand cramping/soreness, and aching in knuckles. My knees are sore at the joints; have gotten worse, pain aches literally in the bone area. Lower back is sore. Woke up today w/ mild pain in left hand pinky. Rheumatology diagnosed fibromyalgia.
Grandfather on mother's side died of heart attack at 58; had hypersomnia. No joint pain or weakness; he was involved w/ manual labor daily until his death. Grandmother had cataracts, but she was in her 70's at the time. No grip myotonia, facial issues or balding; brain MRI and opthamology exam 1.5 yrs ago showed no abnormalities...however, my concern is that symptoms seemed in check for the past 1.5 years, and have recently changed very quickly for the worse. Thoughts?
Not to keep posting and clarifying, but didn't want to leave anything out. Inside/middle area of right elbow is highly affected when lifting weights; very sore, tight, pain seems to originate in that area. The symptoms w/ my hip and shoulders occured lately, after my initial posting. Seems that both proximal and distal portions of my body are being affected, with nothing localized (pain occurs throughout body).
In addition, my joints seem to be popping and cracking constantly, much moreso than I've ever noticed. Could all of this be tied into low testosterone? Or would another disorder affect that; obviously, should not be low at my young age.
Thank you for your response, doctor. Following up with my physician..in the meantime, however, maybe some additional details would help with narrowing this down.
My hands seem to 'cramp' (muscle don't lock into place, just pain and lack of strength) in my palm and area that runs along my thumb with exertion. This has now migrated to both hands, with the right one being more affected. Wrists are weaker, as well. It seems to me like my right arm, which has always been my strongest, is now weaker than my left strength-wise. This change happened very quickly, within a month.
I also have right shoulder pain (burning when I lift my arm for extended period of time), gnawing left hip pain, and continued pain in my knee joints and finger joints/muscles. All of these issues seem to come and go, sometimes within the same day, sometime stay for a few days and disappear. Lights appear brighter in my eyes (also had this during my initial symptoms 2 years ago, but was episodic). Also, suffering from lack of focus and feel almost like I'm losing intelligence. Does this seem to ring any sort of bell for you, diagnostic-wise? Like I said prior, these symptoms had a rapid onset, and don't seem to be passing.
My hands seem to 'cramp' (muscle don't lock into place, just pain and lack of strength) in my palm and area that runs along my thumb with exertion. This has now migrated to both hands, with the right one being more affected. Wrists are weaker, as well. It seems to me like my right arm, which has always been my strongest, is now weaker than my left strength-wise. This change happened very quickly, within a month.
I also have right shoulder pain (burning when I lift my arm for extended period of time), gnawing left hip pain, and continued pain in my knee joints and finger joints/muscles. All of these issues seem to come and go, sometimes within the same day, sometime stay for a few days and disappear. Lights appear brighter in my eyes (also had this during my initial symptoms 2 years ago, but was episodic). Also, suffering from lack of focus and feel almost like I'm losing intelligence. Does this seem to ring any sort of bell for you, diagnostic-wise? Like I said prior, these symptoms had a rapid onset, and don't seem to be passing.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.
Without the ability to examine you and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.
After a viral illness, several neurologic symptoms can occur as part of what is medically termed a para-infectious process: a process that may not necessarily be due to the virus itself, but rather due to the immune system's response to it.
Elevated ANA can be non-specific i.e. not suggestive of a specific diagnosis, particularly with only a mildly elevated titer. Sometimes, all that is needed is repeat of the test a few months later.
Muscle aches and pains following viral illness are common, as are mild elevations in CK. However, continued pain months later is unusual, and reduced exercise tolerance with cramping could suggest a problem with the muscles or a problem with the muscle where it meets the nerve (what is termed a neuromuscular junction disorder).
A myopathy is basically a generic term for a muscle problem. Myopathies can be inflammatory, as is the case with a disorder called polymyositis which is an autoimmune disorder. Also, there are genetic myopathies, of which there are several, each with its own characteristics and features. Some are characterized predominantly by pain following exertion, such as McArdle's disease. Finally, and probably most commonly, metabolic causes such as thyroid problems or low potassium can be the cause of muscle cramping. The latter 2 can be diagnosed with simple blood tests. EMG (a test of muscle activity using a small needle) and CK help assess for the presence of myopathy.
EMG in addition to simple blood tests such as a CK level can assess for the presence of myopathy, and can also diagnose/exclude ALS
Several of your symptoms are unlikely to be neurologic in origin (such as join pains and back pain); it is possible your underlying infection triggered another parainfectious process; one process that can occur in young men following certain infections is post-infectious arthralgias, such as Reiter's syndrome.
Fibromyalagia is a medical condition that leads to whole body pains. Its cause is unknown, but it is characterized by diffuse aches, sometimes GI symptoms similar to irritable bowel, sleep abnormalities, low pain threshold, and other features. It is best treated with medications such as lyrica and neurontin, exercise, and physical therapy.
Continued follow-up with your physicians is recommended.
Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.
Without the ability to examine you and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.
After a viral illness, several neurologic symptoms can occur as part of what is medically termed a para-infectious process: a process that may not necessarily be due to the virus itself, but rather due to the immune system's response to it.
Elevated ANA can be non-specific i.e. not suggestive of a specific diagnosis, particularly with only a mildly elevated titer. Sometimes, all that is needed is repeat of the test a few months later.
Muscle aches and pains following viral illness are common, as are mild elevations in CK. However, continued pain months later is unusual, and reduced exercise tolerance with cramping could suggest a problem with the muscles or a problem with the muscle where it meets the nerve (what is termed a neuromuscular junction disorder).
A myopathy is basically a generic term for a muscle problem. Myopathies can be inflammatory, as is the case with a disorder called polymyositis which is an autoimmune disorder. Also, there are genetic myopathies, of which there are several, each with its own characteristics and features. Some are characterized predominantly by pain following exertion, such as McArdle's disease. Finally, and probably most commonly, metabolic causes such as thyroid problems or low potassium can be the cause of muscle cramping. The latter 2 can be diagnosed with simple blood tests. EMG (a test of muscle activity using a small needle) and CK help assess for the presence of myopathy.
EMG in addition to simple blood tests such as a CK level can assess for the presence of myopathy, and can also diagnose/exclude ALS
Several of your symptoms are unlikely to be neurologic in origin (such as join pains and back pain); it is possible your underlying infection triggered another parainfectious process; one process that can occur in young men following certain infections is post-infectious arthralgias, such as Reiter's syndrome.
Fibromyalagia is a medical condition that leads to whole body pains. Its cause is unknown, but it is characterized by diffuse aches, sometimes GI symptoms similar to irritable bowel, sleep abnormalities, low pain threshold, and other features. It is best treated with medications such as lyrica and neurontin, exercise, and physical therapy.
Continued follow-up with your physicians is recommended.
Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.
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