Muscle Pain and Body Aches

[MrsRG]

What's wrong with me? Over the last two years I'm so tired I can't get out of bed in the mornings and all day and all night I have severe exhaustion no matter how much I sleep. I also feel depressed all the time and I have horrible muscle pain and body aches. I can be perfectly fine one day and the next day I wake up and my whole body aches for weeks. It's so bad I feel like I've been run over by an 18 wheeler truck. It's so bad that I can barely move and I'm miserable. Then it will suddenly go away just as quickly and mysteriously as it came on. I also can't do anything physical now without getting severe muscle pain. Just a walk around the supermarket, doing house hold chores, anything at all and I'm suddenly so sore and stiff I can barely move and this lasts for weeks. I feel like I've been punched hard all over my body and I'm miserable. I never used to have any problems like this before. What's going on?

Note: I do have lots of health issues that I've had for decades but never had any of the muscle pain or body aches until just two years ago and it's getting worse. I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis which is an autoimmune disease of the thyroid that causes hypothyroidism. I have type 2 diabetes. I have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I am on medications for my Hashimoto's, diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol. My numbers are all good and everything is within a healthy range and the doctor seems satisfied with my numbers and blood tests. Could any of these health issues be causing my very severe body aches and muscle pains, depression and exhaustion or is something else going on?

[waterfalls7]

there are cases of fibro mialge a sress disorder can come on from stress as a child and somthing stressful hurts, theres also cases of ms were people go day to day in pain. theres also cases of sists that come on wich could be if ur a women

[rnangel]

Do you become short of breath with minimal exertion? Have you had your iron levels checked?

[inconfusionalways]

Sorry to here about how you feel, but did you know one autoimmune disease can turn into another, sounds like lupus, maybe? It's hard to diagnose because hoshimotos thyroiditis has alot of the same symptoms, but lupus gives you body pain and it's symptoms flare from time to time. and it really fatigues you. fybromialgia is a pain in your neck and shoulders and it feels like stress with an annoying headache and it runs to your chest sometimes, and it also has flare ups at times. I would read up on lupus and multiple sclerosis but they all have same symptoms and thier is always a difference somewhere

[Lusman]

chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia could account for your muscle pain and body aches. However, do you find, hard to concentration; sore throat; tender lymph nodes ,headaches, unrefreshing sleep?

[MrsRG]

I don't have a sore throat or tender lymph nodes, but I do have massive headaches and very unrefreshed sleep.

[MrsRG]

My muscle pain and body aches are in every part of my body, not just my neck, shoulders and chest. The worst pain seems to be concentrated on my lower back near my tail bone and in my knees and thighs and in my upper arms and in both the tops and bottoms of my feet. The aches are so severe it keeps me awake at night.

[MrsRG]

Yes, I get winded with the smalled of physical effort. Yes, I had my iron checked and it was fine. I had a full physical a month ago and everything was fine except my triglycerides which were 600 and it should be under 150. So I go back to the doctor on the 18th of January to recheck my triglycerides and if after eating super healthy and exercising for a month hasn't lowered them, my doctor will put me on medication to lower my triglycerides. But that doesn't explain why I have such horrible muscles pain and body aches and extreme exhaustion and chronic fatigue and depression.

[inconfusionalways]

The depression might be because you are in pain and you don't know what to do any more. exuastion and fatigue are the symptoms of the thyroid disfunction, but their are a number of disorders out their that could make it worse. I had your symptoms extreme fatigue, pain in my neck, shoulders, my feet, my hips, legs, all my skeleton, I have to roll out of bed sometimes and when I sit down I have to wait a few minutes for the pain to go away from my feet, hips and legs, I was so bad I couldn't roll or lift my head when I was laying down. I head to use my hands to position my head. I went to see a rheumatologist and I just found out I have Osteoarthritis which explains my excruciating pain when it flares up. Osteoarthritis fatigues you also the pain is horrible from top to bottom you feel stressed as well as depressed because you feel it will never end. But their is hope, I take diclofanac for the pain, but now I have to go back to the specialist to see how far it's advanced. Take care feel better soon

[Laurief59]

I do know what you are feeling Mrs RG.  I was diagnosed with metabolic syndrome-cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes follows.  It is said that people with a seditary life style are pron to this.  I lived a very healthy, and active lifestyle until these things took over my life.  I then was diagnosed with osteo arthritis in both knees.  I kept telling my doctor I was feeling inflammation.  she kept saying no your not, no your not.  7 yrs later was diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis. Over the last 2 yrs was also diagnosed with rhuematoid arthritis.  I keep telling my doc the same thing.  I cant sleep at night as legs cramp up.  Movement is very , very painful.  I have gained a great deal of weight to lack of mobility, which obviously isn't helping my osteo.  I was on oxy contin and it didn't help.  Now I take nothing for pain, and can do nothing.  If you find out what it is plz, let me know too. I will do the same.  I checked out the auto immune diseases and they are very similar.  a different symtom here or there.   I showed every symptom of MS, but they diagnosed me with rheumatiod-symtoms pretty similar.  I am on celebrax, but it doesn't help.  I also came up with a new symtom the last 2 yrs.  My body cramps up and is very painful with slight cool air and breezes-eg , fan, cool air, wind,air conditioning.  I cannot tolerate them anymore.  and to top it off from the chest up I am pouring in sweat due to menpause.  I have found nothing that helps me yet.

[S_Griff]

Hi lusman youve described most of my symtoms ??? What am I suffering from throat doent hurt to swallow but it hurts all around?? Please I'm so depressed!!!!!

[MrsRG]

Greetings Laurie:

I'm sorry to hear about your condition. It sounds very much like what my mother in-law is suffering from. She was diagnosed with a type of arthritis called Ankylosis Spondylitis. It is an auto-immune disease that causes severe pain. I suggest you have a look at this web site for more information:  

http://www.spondylitis.org/about/as.aspx

If you feel that the definition of Ankylosis Spondylitis sounds like what you are experiencing, I suggest you find a doctor that can test you for it. There are very specific tests for it. It is rather rare and many doctors haven't even heard of the disease.

Good luck and I hope you find the answers and cure you need.

p.s. I still have not found out what is causing my problems even after having all kinds of tests done.

[S_Griff]

Thank you so much I'm so sick of going to dr they all think I'm nuts in the head!!lol well I'll keep on going if pain and discomfort don't go away! I hope you have success in getting healthy best wishes and god bless!! It's so frustrating when you know somthing is wrong and dr tells you nothing!??

[MrsRG]

Yes, it's frustrating. For 10 years I was having problems and doctors thought I was nuts. I finally found a doctor who diagnosed my Hashimotos. But those 10 years of being untreated destroyed my health. Now with my depression and all over body pain I'm having the same trouble. Moved 400 miles away and this doctor seems to think there isn't a problem. He did however, give me a cortisone shot in my back for the back pain and prescribed an anti-depressant. The cortisone shot marginally helped. I'm doing back exercises a previous doctor gave me a few years ago and I think they are helping better than the shot. However, my overall pain is another issue that my current doctor is sort of blowing it off as depression. I looked at the side effects of the anti-depressant and I refuse to take it. Instead I've been doing research on holistic approaches to treating depression and I think I've come up with a good treatment on my own. I went back to the doctor and he was surprised! He thinks my mood has improved and he wants me to keep up what I'm doing for the next 3 months and then I need to go back in to be re-evaluated. My new routine is helping with exhaustion and I feel so much happier and more perky! But still have pain issues. My diabetes and blood pressure and cholesterol are still high despite medication, diet and exercise. I am very concerned because my triglycerides are very high and my blood sugar is rather high and my blood pressure is a little high. But the doctor thinks all that will be better in three months. Hmmm.

What I'm doing for depression:

I bought a SAD lightbox. I live in an area that gets very little sunlight. It rains and snows a lot and lots of fog. Only the summer months is there enough sunlight and then it gets well past 100 degrees and it's difficult to be outside. My vitamin D level is deficent so I'm on vitamin D and the SAD lightbox also helps with this. I really notice the difference using my SAD lightbox.

I also am taking OTC supplements for depression: 5-HTP; L-Tyrosine; DL-Phenylalanine; Mucuna Pruiens, L-DOPA and SAMe.

The 5-HTP is really helping my sleep and mood considerably! When I wake up in the morning now I feel refreshed and not tired and achy all over like I used to when I woke up.

I recommend anyone reading this post to do some Internet research on OTC herbs and supplements but please make sure they don't interact with your prescription medications or with other herbs and OTC supplements. Some herbs and OTC supplements make some health conditions worse. Always talk to your doctor and pharmacist before starting any herbs and OTC supplements.

[johnb16]

A related discussion, All my muscles ache. was started.

[bonijokrauss]

It is very possible that you could have fibromyalgia. It often develops in people that have chronic illnesses such as thyroid disease. In fact, thyroid disease is one of the biggest underlying factors. There are different levels of this disease and its symptoms can very, from severe to mild. I know people that have it, that have had to have their kitchen remodeled to accommodate their inabilities. And others, like myself, that still manage to go to work. Like many diseases and conditions, my symptoms can increase during certain times of year, and cold weather is always worse. Please consider this, and research it, and see a neurologist. There are ways of coping with it. Good luck! Hope things get better for you.

[MrsRG]

Thank you for your comment. I'm on a county funded medical insurance program for the poor through Medi-Cal that is called CMSP and I'm limited to who they tell me I can see. So I can't just go see a neurologist without a referal from my primary doctor. He won't refer me. Instead he referred me to a Rheumatologist. On my blood work it showed I have more than just Hashimoto's going on. My ANA was way out of range. But when the Rheumatologist got my test results and medical records forward to him from my primary doctor, he took a look at them and told my primary doctor there was nothing he could do for me. My primary doctor says I have Lupus like symptoms but I don't have Lupus...huh??? My doctor did find out I have a vitamin D and Potassium deficency and he has prescribed medications for those. Right away a lot of the leg cramps have gone away with the Potassium pills I'm taking. But I still have severe pain aside from that. So my primary doctor prescribed Celebrex. The Celebrex does seem to be helping but it doesn't eliminate the extreme shooting pains I get. But it helps with the all over body aches and with it I'm much more flexible than I used to be. However, I still can't stand or walk for very long. I can't walk through a mall or through Costco. That's just too much standing and walking for me and I'm in horrible pain when I try. But, my primary doctor doesn't seem to be addressing this issue. I can change doctors but they are all in the same medical group (I live in a small rural mountain town and there aren't that many choices for doctors) and when I did see another doctor she sided with the primary doctor I have been seeing and didn't want to overstep his authority so she was not willing to address my pain issues. Being on CMSP (which is not Medicare) makes my choices very limited.

[Snowflake2363]

Aspartame -do u use it? I was like that for two years then was diagnosed with aspartame allergy. Within a few days no more pain! And bonus switching to sugar I dropped 57 lbs in two months with no other changes to my diet! It was life changing!

[Snowflake2363]

Aspartame causes a variety of symptoms mimici g other diseases. Headaches are a key sign. It's also the worst for diabetics as it causes false readings!research aspartame toxicity on the net. It takes 2 months of zero ingestion to detox your body from it.

[MrsRG]

Thank you for your post Snowflake2363. I just got back more lab results and I have very low cortisol. The doctor is going to be running more tests but he thinks I have Addison's Disease.

[DebMlpn]

Have you ever researched juicing? I am having the same symptoms you are having and I have in the past did a detox on juicing and green smoothies for a rash I had on my face for 13 yrs after the birth of my daughter. Got tired of them pushing on the same pill which yes took it away but to no avail it would return. As a nurse I do know that rashes are from something within your body acting out,so I was determined to take one month and detox and did a 15 min simple yoga workout every morning when I got up. I figured what do I have to lose. Will let me say that I started holloween and by Dec 11 I had one drying  spot on my face  left,felt so rejuvenated,felt light and that would be do to the fact that I lost 26 lbs,went from a 12/14 to a size 8.My husband let me buy new wardrobe from chico's my favorite clothing store and I have never in 45 yrs felt so much  enjoyment trying on clothes! Sad to say I had to come back from a warm sunny yearround place to a north with to long winters. We also have boat and we went out alot and I drank to many fruity cocktails and slowly let the lbs I lost come back. So I am feeling the same aches and depression as you and I know what I need to do it is like anyother thing I need to get back to having juicng in my eating on a regular bases and stay away from sugars,flours and to much dairy.If you are looking for a eye opening book to read that is very simple to read get "Juice Yourself Slim" by Jason Vale . Hope I didn't talk your ear off to much but let me know if any of this helps. A pill to me most times is just a  bandaid,and sadly our world has come to make the drug companies richer and we just keep getting sicker. Good Luck <3

[DebMlpn]

Forgot to mention that it might be helpful to find a Dr. who is educated in alternatives due to your multi health issues,you can find one who will work with you closely. I am going to start journaling myself to keep myself on track. Get better soon<3

[MrsRG]

I have type 2 diabetes and juice raises my blood sugar too much. Besides, I have far too many things going on that just juice won't cure. But thanks for your post.

[mion29]

I'm a relatively healthy 29 year old who has been having the same symptoms. I've discovered that if I reduces my intake of wheat the symptoms disappear. I feel less tired, depressed and the muscle pain has gone! It's still in the early stages of not eating any food that has wheat in it but I'll keep you updated.

[MrsRG]

I did cut out wheat. Found out it's not that. It's autoimmune. Being tested for Osteoarthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, Addison's, Adrenal Gland Fatigue, etc. My ANA shows it's autoimmune. Cortisol level is way too LOW. Not high...low. Also have Potassium deficiency and vitamin D deficiency.