Sudden Onset Joint Pain and Feeling of Bruising All Over

[Tailend]

I am a 32 year old female who has been generally healthy. I am recently (3 years) diagnosed with Celiac but that seems to be under control with diet. I recently had a cold at Christmas, followed by a sore throat a little over a week ago. I had also recently flown to Alberta and had been a little run down from my travels.
Monday morning, I noticed the joints on my left hand seemed stiff. I've had carpul tunnel (sp?) so O wrote it off as that or, possibly a pinched nerve because my back and neck were quite sore. By the afternoon, both hands, my left elbow and left shoulder felt stiff and achy. I saw an active release chiropractor at 5 and generally started to feel better (once the initially rush of blood and healing fluids subsided). I still felt stiff; however, and upon retiring to bed noticed that my knees were also very stiff as were my ankles. My hands got steadily worse to a deep painful ache and in the middle of the night my feet ached and the pain is inexplicable. I would up in the ER where they assumed it was inflammation and gave me a shot of Toredol and sent me home. I was back an hour and a half later with the same problem, they gave me demorol. That seemed to help me sleep and I was to come back for blood work. All blood work this time, and subsequently two other times through the course of the week have come back with no irregularities, no increased white blood cell count, no inflammation, etc. Upon having a nap monday - I awoke with the same hand and foot pain and received a shot of demorol. That only lasted until I fell asleep that night and awoke with the same problem - this time demorol and toredol.

The general trend I've noticed now, I wake up extremely sore, to step out of bed feels as though I am walking on feet riddled with broken bones, my hands feel as though the muscles and tendons have stretched for the first time ever, my knees are extremely tight and sore, I feel weak all over but more so from what feels like intense deep tissue bruising everywhere.  After a couple of hours I get along much better with some mild aching. I was thinking that I was getting better because the episodes of hand and foot pain were only occurring at night. BUT... for the first time in thepast 4 days I've had a nap. During my nap - I noticed thats when everything tightens up, my feet ache, my hands ache... I wasn't having naps the past few days thats why I had no trips to ER.  Consistently, every night I wake up in indescribable agony. My buttocks, thighs, hamstrings, and now lower back and abdomen (its progressed the past two days) feel internally bruised and the skin feels exactly like  a severe sunburn. There is no bruising, no fever, not even redness. At most, when my hands and especially my feet throb, the vessels are all evident and engorged. I can see blood vessels in my toes themselves that I've never seen before but my feet only slightly swell to where the skin just looks taught and shiny. The pain is unbearable. The demorol (75cc) and toredol (60 cc) shot on Thursday night did nothing to help the pain so I was given Anatriptoban (sp?), and was already on pregabalin/lyrica.  It helped enough that I managed to sleep.  Not to get you lost, so heres a summary.
Monday - pain in hands progressed to other joints, nighttime intense pain in hands and feet, ER gave Toredol, 2 hours later, same problem, ER gave Demorol.
Tuesday - blood tests, showed nothing. Doc figures Viral or Neurological. Referral to Internist.
Tuesday - after a nap, hand and foot pain in afternoon, given demorol, dif. docc agrees not rheumatoid, likely viral or neurological. Does more blood work and neck xrays. Nothing. Another attack in evening, ER gave me Toredol/Demorol and the doc. prescribed Lyrica (75mg)/Pregabalin (75mg).
Wednesday - the usual, wake up extremely sore and stiff everywhere, notice that the sunburn feeling is spreading upwards to abdomen and lower-mid back. Also notice extreme hypersensitivity to heat. Tried to have a bath - toes and hands felt like the knuckles/joints would explode. Subsided after a while out of the tub. Can't wash dishes - hot water pain to my hands. On one dose of Lyrica/Pregabalin twice a day. Notice that my jaw and the base of my tongue hurt. Occassional shooting pains in my ears. Jaw and all the noted pain cotninued throughout the next few days as well.
Wednesday evening - usual tip to ER after couple hours sleep. I now have a standing order for toredol/demorol. New ER doc thinks rheumatoidal even though all others say no and my ESR is 10 and another registered 6. She prescribed Prednisone. Took only that evening dose.
Thursday - same morning pain that wears off as day goes on. Two doses of pregabalin and Lyrica.  Same evening visit to ER after I fall asleep - dose of toredol/demorol and half hour later no relief. Call ER doc, hour later same pain, he order Anatriptopan (sp?). Eventually pain subsides.
Friday - sore everywhere as usual, extremely painful to walk, bottom of feel and muscles in feet/joints, in agony for at least an hour. Did not take prednisone. On the Lyrica/Pregabalin.  Evening trip to ER - extremely painful. Started in left foot only. After in ER, and around time of Toredol/Demorol shot, my right foot started and went through the full pain motions as if untouched by the drugs.
Sat (today) - usual extreme pain to walk first thing in morning. All the same bruised/sunburnt feelings, abdomen feels tender as if the organs are a little bruised. OF NOTE: first time in three days or so I tried to have a nap. Sure enough after laying down, my knees start to ache, my feet almost got painful enough to consider ER and my hands started to ache.  It happens when I lay down!!! So now I wonder is it circulatory? Is it neurological.
The internist only looked at my ER notes and bloodwork and responded that he couldn't help me. He too, thinks its neurological. I've never had a headache, fever, redness, or anything with this. THey are completely baffled and I am in pain. I need some direction, some ideas even to follow up on. Anything!!

[HeavensSpirit]

Tailend.....not to laugh at you, but I swear I just read myself....lol........but this information for you.....go back to the doctor and have him check you for Fibromyalgia.  Prayers with you..

HeavensSpirit

[Flowercbs]

I had many of the same pain issues for about 8 years - that is until I found a wonderful Dr. who was very willing to look outside the box and refused to label the pain as Fybromialgia. I had been tested for Lupus as well as other possible illnesses. She took one look at me and told my that I had Systemic Candida (and overgrowth of yeast through out the body) and then perform what is called an Organix urine test to prove it. After going on a specialized diet and taking various antifungal medications for almost 4 months I was pretty much pain free. That is until yesterday.

It came on suddenly as it used to - pain in my joints, muscles, skin - the brain fog and low energy - best way to describe it is that its as if someone has beat me up with a rubber baseball bat. It took everything I had to just get out of bed this morning. Thankfully, I know that I have to go back on the program. Key word... go BACK on the program. My Dr. has encouraged me to continue to follow the candida diet because she said that I wasn't totally yeast free yet and that if I didn't the symptoms would return. She was right, so now - I've got to get myself back on track again.

Find a Dr. in your area  - usually one who pracitices both traditional and holistic medicine that acknowledges and treats this condition. Have them rule out such things as Lupus, Schelraderma (sp?) and other pain related illness and also test you for the systemic yeast. The first part of the diet and medication program can be tough, but once you get into the groove of it and realize how much better you can feel (takes a couple of weeks and you may feel a bit worse before starting to feel better), you know that it was worth the effort.

Good luck and God Bless you in  your recovery.

FYI: I don't know where you live, but if you live in the Atlanta area, my Dr. is Marion Owen. She practices in Decatuer, GA. and she is a God send.

[stillmoving]

When I read your post and that by Flowercbs, I felt like crying (o.k., I'm crying now...).  I have the same thing happen to me occasionally.  It seems to be travel and diet related for me, and takes me a week or more to get over.  I just took a trip with my mom on a bus, and hardly ate anything because the food was so heavily carbohydrate laden, and I know if I start eating a lot of wheat (I think), I start to swell up, and my skin starts to itch.  I'm not sure what is going on, but the symptoms sound the same.  Literally, I feel like someone beat me, with the same ear pain, the tops of my feet feel sunburned, all my joints feel swollen, my hands hardly able to hold objects...terrible weakness to the point I feel crazy.  I'm very athletic, so my cure all remedy is to just push through and walk and exercise the pain away, which is very painful, especially for my lower legs and low back, glute area, but I feel better after about 20 min. later.  It has been 4 days since my trip (too much sitting on a bus?), and my left side is still weak, but getting better.  I went to my doctor a few years ago, and he said I was just getting old (42).  Thanks for nothing...I haven't gone back since.  Watch your diet...drop any refined carbs.  I'll keep you in my thoughts.  Let me know what you guys find out.  I know how frightening it can be.