i don't know what to do

[rose815]

Hello everyone... this is my first time on here.  I am hoping someone...anyone on here can help me or give me advice.... I am having severe pain in my elbows, knees, ankles, wriste, hips, and my shoulders and neck....  I am having trouble sleeping, in the mornings my back and neck are very stiff, my hands feel as if needles are being shoved threw them.... i am having severe headaches 2-3 times a week sometimes more... i am having trouble sleeping...i am scared... i don't understand what is going on with my body at all.....and i am soooo tired of hurting....i have a doc appointment...but its not for another week....i feel like i'm falling apart....and i am scared to death... it seems like the more i do... the more i hurt... i just don't know anymore.... sometimes i feel as if i am in a fog....i don't understand why this is even happening to me....  anyones thoughts or advice would be very much appreciated....

[opus88]

welcome to our forum....Rose do you have arthritis that you know of? Or have you some how injured your neck or mid back?
I don't have any answers for you...give us more info and maybe there will be someone on here that can help with your answers?
good luck, pain isn't funny and I sure hope you can get to the bottom of this with your doctor appointment..

[troubleinohio]

how long have you had these pains? and are they affected by the weather? It could be arthritis. Have you been taking any medicine for the pain, if so what? There are a lot of other conditions it could possibly be too but arthritis is the first thing I think of since its all your joints.

[rose815]

i was in a car wreck when i was 17 and the chiropractor i went to then said that my neck would never be right again.... and this all began back in october i got really sick i had bronchitis, pharingitis, and the flu....so at first i thought it was just the flu making me hurt really bad...but it is now december and i still hurt?!?!  my neck has been bothering me for over a year now and i have been getting migraines for that long too....but everything else just started.....i don't understand...its like my body is attacking itself.....

[Mollyrae]

Hello Rose and welcome to the Pain Forum.

I realize that when one's not feeling good and hurt all over, it is reason for concern. Please don't scare yourself over this, it will only make matters worse. Most of the time, there is a very resaonable explination for your pain. One that is not an emergency.

It sounds like your having Fibromyalgia or arthritis symptoms. Headaches can be caused by Fibro as well as all over muscle and joint pain. Sometimes the pain associated with Fibro can be horrid and you feel like you're falling apart but I assure you that your not.

I'm glad that you have an up-coming Doctors appt. Make sure that you ask him for a complete blood count. This often will help the Doctor get to the bottom of things.

For now, relax and don't worry. You can actually make yourself sick over worry. I'm sure that everything will be alright. Please keep us updated on your situation.

Warmest regards,
Mollyrae

[Tuckamore]

Hi Rose,

Welcome to the Pain Management Forum. I am glad that you found us but sorry to hear about your generalized pain. We can relate.

I agree with Mollyrae. Your symptoms are too wide spread to be just from an neck injury. This sounds more like an arthritis, myofascial Pain Syndrome or Fibromyalgia. Your are so young to have to deal with this type of pain.

Blood work will confirm or deny RA. I would think you are too young to have osteoarthritis. However there are no specific tests to confirm Fibro or Myofascial Pain. You may want to request a consult to a rheumatologist. They are best at treating these diagnoses. I am not claiming that one of the mentioned disease processes is the cause to your pain. I am just offering them as considerations.

We all worry when we have undiagnosised pain, it's human nature. Stress can and does increase pain and I would also encourage you to try to relax. We will look forward to your updates. I hope you will share with us the results of your appointment. It may take several consults to get to the source of the problem so have patience. We are here so please keep in touch.

Best of Luck to You,
Tuck

[OtisDaMan]

Hi Rose,

Dodgy necks are known to cause severe headaches in some people. Typically the pain from such a headache is symmetric across left and right sides of the head: for example, it is common to get pain a little bit above and behind both eyes. These headaches are usually tension related.

Migraine pain on the other hand is usually asymmetric. Ask your doctor about this and they'll know what questions to ask you to figure out what kind of headaches you are getting and therefore what treatments to look at. Something to bear in mind here is that your neck pain and headaches might not be connected, and the body/limb/joint pains might not be related to either the neck or the headaches. Therefore it is important to give your doctor an accurate description of the various types of pain and locations etc, in order to give the doctor the best chance of making a diagnosis.

Tuckamore, Mollyrae, and the others have covered the other usual suspects. One thing you might be able to try for the joint pain is some ibuprofen; if it works, that is a fairly good indicator that the joint pain is an inflammatory pain. It may help with headaches too, at least until you see the doctor.

All the best,
OtisDaMan

[rose815]

Thank you i do take ibuprofen and tylenol and aleve...lol i have tried all of them... they help a little... but on a scale of 1-10 my pain is still atleast a 8 or 9.....  i do get pain in my eyes... the headaches seem to start at the back of my head where my neck is and move forward to my forehead and eyes....to mollyrae and tuckamore... i am trying not to worry...but that is much easier said than done....i don't understand what is happening and i am too young for my body to be going crazy on me like this... but then i guess pain doesn't recognize age..... thank you all for your input it relaxes me a little just knowing there are people on here i can talk to...i almost feel nuts as if its all in my head... but i KNOW i am not crazy..... does everyone wonder that?

[concerned621]

Hi, without more information it's hard but it almost sounds like fibromyalgia. Did something physical like an accident or emotion or very stressful happen to you within the last year? It also could be an allergy of some kind.  Something you have been exposed to even environmentally.  Molds in the home or office can have these affects on our body.  But just based on your symptoms it sounds like FM.  
I was in my early 30's when I was diagnosed with FM and felt I was either going crazy or very ill. I was in so much pain, never slept and had so many headaches.  The problem with all the over the counter pills and the pain pills they can aggravate the headaches and you can get rebound headaches.  Tylenol gives me awful rebound headaches and aleve makes me sick in other ways.  try not to take them all at the same time so you can determine which one does what to you.  
No unfortunately age doesn't matter.  
Also food and what you drink, soda, caffeine will really affect your pain. If you eat a lot of sugar and sugar is in everything (cereals,breads, yogurt)  it makes people with pain worse.  So keep that in mind.  Take baths, make the water as warm as you can.  Try to take them before bed.  If you do any breathing exercises work on that, it can help you with sleep.  If you can get a massage. If not have a friend or family member gently massage you.  It really helps.  I hope you figure this out. Try not to worry, worrying about something that you don't know about now is not worth your time or health.

[broadindaylight]

I'm sorry you're suffering so badly today. I empathize!

Offhand I would say your symptoms sound very much like an arthritis or fibromyalgia (kinda sore all over feeling). I would urge you to see your doctor or a specialist as soon as possible and go over your symptoms. Also, you want to make sure you're not taking too much of the over-the-counter meds, which can damage your liver over the years. Please take care of yourself.

[rose815]

thank you for the advice... unfortunately today is a really bad day....i woke up with my elbows, hips, shoulders, and knees throbbing, my back and neck stiff as a board, and a severe headache....god i really don't know what to do anymore.... i know living like this is horrible....i wouldn't wish pain like this on anyone ever.... ever....no one deserves to hurt like this....i keep praying that i will wake up one day and it will be gone....but i am beginning to realize that is never going to happen.... so now i am praying that maybe the doctor will be able to help me....i really hope...he will be able to tell me something...anything...you are right tylenol...advil...aleve...they really don't help much....and i probably take too many but i don't know what else to do....i am sooo sick of being in pain i feel like i'm losing my mind....honestly...

[troubleinohio]

is there any way you can call your Dr back and tell them you really need to be seen sooner. Let them know your pain is unbearable and you cant sleep from it much either. They might be able to get you in today or tomorrow - most offices reserve a few time slots for each day to allow for emergencies.

[Tuckamore]

I'm trying to calculate when you appt is with your PCP. It should be any day now, right? If it is not this week call as Ohio suggested and see if you can be seen sooner.

I am so sorry that you are suffering. Hang in there and be sure to tell your physician every thing. Make a list if your symptoms and questions so you don't forget a one. Request something to treat your pain until they can come up with some solutions.

We are here for you to vent. Try a very warm bath. I know that won't cure any thing but it may provide some short term releif.  

[rose815]

i called the dr they said there is no way to get me in this week.... i have to keep the previous set app....should i go to the ER?  my mom thinks i should....i'm almost too that point....but will they be able to do anything?  she thinks they would atleast be able to help with the pain and sleep problems.... if i could get that under control i might feel half normal again...maybe?  thats all i want...there was a time when i didn't hurt like this... when i slept....really good....so is going to the ER an option if it is any of the possibilities listed above would they be able to find out?  i assume they would be able to tell me something...  i don't know anymore.... the only thing i do know is i am sooo very very tired of hurting this much.... the only thing i've ever taken in my whole life is tylenol, motrin, etc....i've always been scared to take anything else...but i'm to the point that i would probably take anything... if it would help this pain

[Tuckamore]

I look at it as you don't have anything to lose, so if you are in severe, uncontrolled pain go to ER.

Be sure to stress that this pain is fairly new and that it is the worse the pain has ever been and that's why you are there...you simply can't tolerate the constant pain any longer.

If you go in and report you just have some generalized aching they will probably not take you seriously and just send you home. Impress upon them the seriousness of the pain. Don't fabricate your pain but don't try to be strong or noble and minimize it either.

Please let us know how you are doing and feel free to share with us the results of your visit. I'll be watching for your update with interest.

Good Luck!

[rose815]

you were right.... they all looked at me as if i was lying to them... who lies about this stuff?????? seriously.... i don't understand....they gave me prednisone....and sent me home and told me to buck up.....lol  i laugh but i am crying right now....how can a doctor tell you that? buck up.....i hurt from my head to my toes and i am supposed to "buck up"  i'm scared to even go to the doctor and tell him what i told her now.... i don't understand isn't the doctor supposed to be there to help you?  isn't that their jobs?  why they get paid?  i am so upset i have vomited.... i wish i hadn't went but my mom had firm belief that they could help me in some way.... if i didn't hurt so very badly i wouldn't even go to my doc app....i am wondering if i am going to hurt like this forever or if someone out there is going to actually care enough to find out what is going on.....im almost wondering if i am crazy now....and i KNOW i am not... but that is how they made me feel that was the worst experience of my life... i am truly horrified... thank god for you guys on here.... because although i wish everyone single one of you didn't hurt the way you do atleast i know there are others out there like me so i have hope that because some of you have found answers maybe.....maybe i can too.....god i hope soo...pray for me...please...

[opus88]

I do pray for you honey....no one has the right to treat you the way you were treated...that is just wrong....I hope you will demand alot more from that from your app. tomorrow, you deserve more help than that!!
You are over whelmed right now you have so many things going on and when in pain its almost impossible to deal with anymore than that.
Is it perhaps possible that there is an infection growing and causing this increased pain??...
please hang in there, I know its easy for me to say..get this pain under control first off than get a diagnosis of the cause..I will pray you can get help and soon.

on a lighter note....I am currently babysitting my grandaughters english bulldog!!
they sure have a personality all their own don't they!!..her name is Marley, she is 2 now, I remember her as this tiny little ball of fat when she was 6 weeks old...she was and still is a little darling.

[concerned621]

I was wondering how you are. Your experience of the doctors thinking you are lying is all to common.  Especially if you go to the ER. When I didn't realize I had fibromyalgia I went tot he ER after work, I was working 10-12 hours day about 1 hour from my home. A doctor looked at me so angry and said "do not come here and try to get narcotics off of me or I will contact the police" I was in shock. I walked out of the room right down the hall and asked to speak to the office manager/administrator.  We resolved it right then and there.  So you are not alone.  Your symptoms really sound like fibromyalgia and I hope you get this diagnosed soon. There are many options that can help you. So try to stay strong and see this through. Keep in touch as we are all praying for you.

[troubleinohio]

im so sorry you were brushed off like that at the ER. They are so stinkin scared to RX pain meds anymore unless you go in there with your leg half broken off and dangling there. If they cant see broken bones or something youre not likely to get pain medicine at the ER, or if you do, they'll probably give you Motrin 800 and MAYBE just MAYBE if they're feeling ultra generous they  might give you like 10 Tyel 3's or so. They're scared to RX more due to abuse/selling etc.  Its kinda surprising in your case though since you said you've never been RX;d narcotics before...because they check every patient that is in there through a main pharmacy computer that will let them see if/when every and any RX youve gotten to make sure youre not a doctor shopper, and to make sure you dont already have current scripts for narcotics. But since you said you havent had any before, im kinda surprised they didnt at least give you a small RX for T3 or darvocet at least. If your pain is still bad, go back again (if you have insurance? god i hope you do, its insanely expensive if you dont, I know this firsthand) and try to go at a different time/shift when a different ER may be on duty. Maybe the next one will be more sympathetic with you.  GOod luck and let us know how things are going for you.

[Tuckamore]

I will pray for you too. I am soo-oo sorry that you were treated so inhumanly in the ER. I assure you that would not have happened in the ER where I worked and unfortunately still have to visit on occasion. Yes they are scared and leery. There are some frequent fliers that always present with pain, asking for narcotics. But most ER's know them. There is actually a "list" for many ER Departments with names of drug seekers. Rarely do those ppl get prescribed narcotics. These ppl do "lie about that stuff" But that is not the case with you. "Buck up" is a poor way to address your pain. Shame on that medical provider. I do beleive in karma though that does not help you at this point.

Don't be afraid to see your physician. Keep that appointment and give your PCP all the facts. If you are dismissed than find another physician. So many ppl give up. There was a time that I did and am sorry for it. At times I too thought I was crazy. I do know how you feel. I do beleive that someone out there will care enough to determine what is going on with you. It may take longer than you would like but keep searching. I found a wonderful caring physician that got to the root of my pain. You will too.

If your pain is from an inflamatory process the prednisone will help. Please take it as ordered. be sure and take it with some food and a full glass of water. It can be distressing to the GI Track and you don't need that on top of everything else.

Again I am sorry that you are going through all this pain and pain related problems.  Please continue to post. We are here for you.

Peace,
Tuck

[concerned621]

Could you give us some more details. Your age? what climate you live in? what your daily routine is, are you working, what you have for breakfast, lunch, dinner?  When these symptoms started?

Please don't mix over the counter pills.  Tylenol makes me ill, I am allergic to it.  I also can't take advil. If you can get Ibuprofen or motrin.  Prescription strength is 3 motrin.  It is anti-inflammatory.  I am not a doctor but this is what works for my fibromyalgia pain and when my joints ache.

I am praying for you and we are all concerned and want to help you.  Please if you are up to it provide more details. But the best advice is to get to a doctor and let them diagnose you.  There are pain medications that can really help you.  

Please keep in touch.