Joint/muscle pain and fatigue for 2 years and counting

[Nymh]

This has been going on for quite some time and I am hoping that someone can help me.  It first started with a mild aching pain in my hips.  It would be worse after working on my feet all day but wasn't unbearable or even really something I would complain about.  It slowly got worse over the course of several months until I noticed that they always hurt to some degree, even when lying in bed.  I could no longer lie on my side because it hurt so badly.  Standing up long enough to take a shower in the morning would cause them to hurt so much I had to sit and rest (sitting doesn't provide much, if any, relief).  I also noticed that as the pain got worse in my hips, other parts of my body would begin to ache as well - my thighs, knees, calves, ankles, feet, back, shoulders, arms, elbows, hands, etc.  It feels like it starts in my hips and radiates outward from there as the pain builds.

Finally I made myself go to the doctor.  At first he told me it was Bursitis in my hips.  I immediately disagreed with him and asked if there were any blood or imaging tests that could help.  I had an MRI on my hips and several X-Rays which all seemed normal.  They ran thyroid tests, ANA, CRP and ESR, which were all normal.  He prescribed me Indocin for the "bursitis" and told me to let him know how I felt after taking it for two weeks.  When I told him I noticed no difference, he doubled my dose.  Still no difference except my stomach was now bothering me from the medicine.  He told me to try OTC medications which I explained I've tried everything, nothing helps even in very large doses.  I got to the point where I was asking for pain medicine because I couldn't deal with it anymore.  The girls I work with were giving me their leftover pain meds from surgeries they had which made me feel like a terrible person.  Then the doctor said that there was nothing physically wrong with me, maybe it was in my head.  He prescribed me Cymbalta which helped a little but made me feel and act differently mentally.

The strange thing is, I got pregnant in January of last year, stopped the Cymbalta in February, and from March on I didn't have the pain.  I thought it was gone for good until it came back a couple of weeks ago (about 10 weeks post-partum).  It's starting the exact same pattern it did before...slowly building up over time.  I really don't want to have to go through this pain again.  If anyone has any insight I would really appreciate it.  Thank you.

[Nymh]

Thank you for your comments crambone and kindd.  I asked my doctor if it could be fibromyalgia because it seems to fit all of my symptoms.  My doctor told me that he didn't believe in fibromyalgia and therefore would not diagnose me with it or treat me for it.

crambone, I have lived in three different houses since the onset of these conditions, so it shouldn't be exposure to mold or fungus.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Some of the conditions with widespread body and joint aches are fibromyalgia(a disorder classified by the presence of chronic widespread pain and tactile allodynia(pain even on touching)  ,chronic fatigue syndrome(often manifests with widespread myalgia and arthralgia, cognitive difficulties, chronic mental and physical exhaustion)  ,polymyositis (means 'many muscle inflammation') and polymyalgia rheumatica(an inflammatory disorder that causes widespread muscle aching and stiffness, primarily in your neck, shoulders, upper arms, thighs and hips. It literally appears overnight, but the cause may be a problem with the immune system, perhaps involving both genetic and environmental factors).
Complete physical examination along with investigations like ESR blood, platelet count Rheumatoid factor, creatine kinase,electromyography and muscle biopsy may be needed to make a diagnosis.Pls consult a physician for that.
Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted if you have any additional doubts.

[crambone]

well,lets see what would give you joint/muscle pain,,,that might not have been checked out....
...hiv
...fybromayalgia
...lymes disease
...could you have any exposure to mold/fungus in the house/vents?
these are a few things you should have checked out.