severe pain

[tomcritch]

6am months ago i got a golf ball sized lump on the back of my knee. A week later pain started in my knee. For about a month the pain got worse. Then the painspread to my right shoulder. Then a week later my left should then my left knee now 6am months layer i have extreme pain in both knees both elbows both shoulders both wrists sometimes my fingers and toes and my left hip. Sometimes my elbows and knee lock and i carnt straighten them some time i can not even get up the stairs by my self. The pains are both deep and shallow but very severe. Each both part hurts for a day or 2  then moves to the next body part but it just rotates through the different body parts. The doctors have done blood test and xrays. They confirmed that the lump on the back of my knee is a cyst but that is still there and the full body pain gets worse every day and its been 6 monthand it hasnt yet been figured out. My rheumatoid arthritis  showed up on my blood test but nothing crazy. Also i am 23years old

[Tuckamore]

Sorry I'm a bit tardy in my reply. M friend from out of state is visiting and we've been enjoying our time together.

Tom there isn't much OTC that may help. I never found Aleve (Naprosyn)
very effective. As you know Aleve is a NSAID ( is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug). You mention you are also taking "Arthritic pills."  Are those anti-inflammatory meds - like Celebrex? You shouldn't mix two NSAIDs together unless your physician orders you to do so.

My best suggestion would be to talk to your Pharmacist. Tell him/her the medications you are taking so he/she can suggest an OTC med that may be more helpful than Aleve. Medications work differently for different ppl - meaning what is effective for me may not be effective for you and vise-versa.

I'm guessing your pain may need a prescription med to best control it. That doesn't mean it has to be an opiate - there are a multitude of non-opiate medications that can be effective in reducing pain. I'm assuming your physicians won't discuss pain management until you have a clear DX (diagnosis). I'd still ask if there are other meds that could be helpful until that DX is determined.

I tale IB (Ibuprofen) for inflammation. It's more effective for me than any other NSAID. Don't forget to protect your GI (Gastrointestinal) Track.

NSAIDs have a way of catching up with you all of a sudden. A Proton-Pump Inhibitor (PPI) is usually suggested when taking NSAIDs. Some PPIs are Omeprazole (Prilosec OT) - Lansoprazole (Prevacid or Prevacid 24-Hour) and Esomeprazole (Nexium). There are more but those are the most popular. Be sure to talk to your Medical Provider or family Pharmacist before beginning or changing any OTC medication.

You deserve to have less pain. I hope you'll have a DX and pain relief soon. Please keep in touch.  

Warm Regards,
~Tuck

I

[tomcritch]

Thanks for you response and i totally get what you are saying. I always t hourght pain was easy to explain but ive realized uts not. Its also been hard to explain to the doctor aswel. At first they just think its another person with a little pain but only i my self or those that really no me no my usual pain tolerance levels and that's what concerns me. It feels like my body has just recently shut down on me. Im still waiting to be contacted by the rheumatologist to contact me and my doctors are a little confusing one tells me to rest and the other tells me to go back to the gym and try and keep moving.  Is there any over the counter supplements or medication i can try to help me until i get some where with doctors. The arrhoritic pills and the Aleve just dont cut it.

[Tuckamore]

You're asking a good question - but a difficult one. I can give you my opinion but it's not definitive.

When you have pain and inflammation in a joint, the pain is not necessarily confined to just the joint. It's like if you fracture a bone - say your thigh. Obviously the thigh hurts - but it can and often does refer pain into the knee or upward into the groin. When my SI Joint flares I also have pain in my flank, down the back of my leg, on the side of my leg, etc. Get the picture?

So it's difficult to determine exactly the cause of your forearm pain - but my best guess would be it's due to the pain in the joints above and below your forearm. If this joint pain is due to an Arthritic condition - than yes the forearm pain sounds like it's associated with that also.

I could attempt to explain this in medical jargon/terms but it would just mean what I've already said.

If I need to clarify what I've said - please let me know. I don't always make sense  -  :0)  but I mean well.

Regards,
~Tuck

[tomcritch]

My pains have started to be a little differentiate last few days. I havent been abke to straighten my elbows for the past 2  days becuase they lock uo and also becuase the pain is unbearable my wristband also been bad but the pritty much directly  half way between wrist and elbows the pain is begingbto get bad  usually it is just my joints that hurt. Does this still sound like an atharitis  issue ?

[Tuckamore]

You may benefit from consulting a surgeon. My PCP, the awesome DO wasn't certain what caused the cysts I have - nor were other MDs. It took a surgeon to explain and correctly DX it.

My cysts are also painful - some days more than others. I decided not to have them removed but at least they no longer concern me. If I were in your position I would want more answers.

[tomcritch]

Yup a rhumatolagist. Ye my cyst seems to go up and down in size depending how bad the pains are. My full time doctor doesn't seem to be getting me anywhere he seems to think its tenants causing me pain and think i need rest a fill in doctor told me its not endants and thinks its more along the arthiritus side. 1 doctor tells me to rest and the other one says keep moving. After 6  months tho i dont think rest is the trick. Hopefully somebody gets to the bottom of it for me tho. As of right now the cyst seems to be in the back of there mind and i think they plan on just leaving it there

[Tuckamore]

I did see in your first post that your "lump" was a DX as a cyst.

Cysts are curious to me. I have two cysts in my upper iliac crest. I've had them for years. I noticed them shortly after my SI Joint pain became serious. My first PCP wasn't sure what they were. Several years later a new PCP DX them as cysts. When I saw a surgeon he said they were from the inflammation in my SI Joint. They change in size - often depending hem, even on the severity of pain. Given that - your cyst may be related to the new pain or inflammation you are experiencing. The surgeon said he could drain them - even remove them - but they would only return.

What kind of a specialist are you consulting? A Rheumatologist? I hope so - it's a good place to begin. You may require a PMP once all your test results and thorough medical evaluation is complete. You should not have to suffer with the persistent pain you are currently dealing with.

Please do keep us updated. I'll be thinking of you.

~Tuck

[tomcritch]

The cyst is a bakers cyst the doctors dont seem concerned about that but the funny how that was the start of the pain. So far tge only medication ibhave had  is arthritic 50 and alive but it doesn't help. Week by week the pains seem to spread and get worse. Im waiting on an appointment with a specialist.
They ran a few test i no test was b12 tgat came bavk fine. But ye the Ana showed up as a positive. So at the moment there using that as there starting point.

[catly]

Have you considered it may be a bursa or baker's cyst
I suggest you look at the symptoms for these and discuss them with your doctor

[Tuckamore]

I was going to suggest that you also post in our Arthritis Forum - but I noted that you already have done so - good thought.

Peace,
~Tuck

[Tuckamore]

Hi Tom,

Welcome to our Pain Management Forum. You are far too young to have so much debilitating pain - I'm truly sorry. I am not reading an actual question - which is not necessary for posting here or anyway on MedHelp. If you do have one please clarify.  

RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) can be "crazy". As you may know there are over 100 different kinds of Rheumatic Diseases. Have your physicians R/O (ruled out) the possibility that this is an extreme and unusual exacerbation of your RA?  

Have you consulted a Rheumatologist?  - If not that would be the next specialist I would consult. There are multiple Rheumatic Diseases than can affect your joints as well as your muscles. RA and another Rheumatic Disease can co-exist.

Lab tests may need to be repeated as they can vary or change from day to day - or week to week.  An initial Antinuclear Antibody test (ANA) has been negative for some ppl and a few weeks later, positive. Apparently that's the test you are referring to a the "blood test" that showed your RA. There many more labs that can (and should) be done to look for these Rheumatic Diseases - I hope you've had them.

Are you on prescription NSAIDs or has a burst of Steroids been prescribed? Both may be beneficial -  however steroids can actually mask a disease condition and may not be appropriate until your medical team is certain of a DX (Diagnosis).

Your SX (symptoms) may be indicative of other conditions such as Fibromyalgia - but that wasn't your question and I won't ramble. Again if you do have one please feel free to ask.

Six months is a long time to have undiagnosed chronic pain - and my heart goes out to you. Please keep in touch. I'll look forward to hearing more from you.

Take Care,
~Tuck