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Avatar universal

Weird symptoms

hi there, I'm a 43 year old female and have been experiencing a lot of odd symptoms lately, and neither i nor my doctor can figure it out.  i was wondering if another doctor could view my symptoms and perhaps give me an idea of what to tell my doctor to look for.  

i first went to the hospital about a month ago with what they thought was a gall bladder attack.  All the tests came back negative, but my ribcage appears swollen.  i have also been experiencing a pain in my right arm bicep, to the point where i have difficulty lifting my arm.  Occassionally there is a shooting pain down to my hand from the bicep, and my whole arm feels numb and useless for several minutes.  I was put on naproxen for the swollen ribcage, and lately several dime size bruises have been popping up for no reason.  3 on my left arm, 2 on my right breast, one on my right knee and 1 on my left calf.  They are perfectly round when they first appear.  Also  for the last year my feet will 'cripple up'  the arch appears very high, the bones on the top protrude, my toes become extremely crooked, and it is intensely painful.  These episodes can last anywhere from a few minutes to hours on end. This also happens to my hands, though not as badly.  i have had arthritis in my knees since I was a teen, and my  doctor feels it is now extending to my hands and feet.  I realize the crippling foot and hand symptoms may not be related to the others, but I thought i would mention them as well in case they could be.  Can anyone please spare an opinion as to ask my doctor what to look for?  He thinks maybe the arthritis has also spread to my ribcage, but I am not sure that is correct.

Thank you for your time
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1353650 tn?1429463374
What did they say about the bruising and the arm pain? The doctor didn't bother to do an MRI or a CT scan? Are you going to a specialist or a family doctor? What kind of blood work did they do? Did they check your liver enzymes level? Gall Stones cause problems. With your symptoms I don't understand why they weren't more thorough. You could have a gall stone lodged in your liver or bile duct. Ultrasounds are not the most accurate test.
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Avatar universal
They did do bloodwork and said it was all normal, and they did an ultrasound of the gall bladder, pancreas, and liver. I did have gallstones but they didn't seem too concerned with that.  i will ask about vitamin D when I go back, though I am not sure that is the answer.

Thank you all for your feedback, at least now we have other places to look.
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1353650 tn?1429463374
You are correct about the type of vitamin D to take. I was prescribed 50,000units of D2 and a year later my Vit. D levels dropped 10 points. I decided to start taking D3 ovc 2000 units every day and gradually increased it to 5000units. My D levels are normal now. I think momofbrat has a bigger problem than just vit. D deficiency. Momofbrat your doctor should do blood work that checks, vit.D levels, B-12 levels, CBC, and metabolic panel to start out with to see if everything is normal. Since your having pain in the area around your liver and gall bladder you should have your liver enzymes checked as well. My sister has a similar pain and she found that her liver enzymes were elevated. She then was put on a strict diet of very low fat and complex carbs with next to no sugar. She has improved greatly. Good luck.
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Avatar universal
It took a couple of years for me to find a doctor who knew the cause of my problems. It was my second neurologist in a year that finally gave me the idea to go to a endocrinologist. The first neurologist I went to told me I was fine and that i needed to see a psychologist!!! The second neurologist was horrified at that and treated me much better.
Not all people do well with the Rx Vit D because it's D2. If your numbers aren't going up, be your own health advocate and start taking OTC Vitamin D3. That's the only thing that REALLY worked for me.
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Avatar universal
angelat25, Thanks for writing back. It really helps to here stories like yours and yes, you need to get back on, but the fact that you were feeling so well that you stopped, is great to here.  I was told that this is something I will need to take for the rest of my life for optimal health and I will absolutely do that because I don't ever want to go thru this again. It really upsets me that this isn't common knowledge among doctors. I've been dealing with this for 10 years and most doctors want to treat you with an antidepressant instead of figure out what's really wrong with you.  How long were you suffering before they figured it out?
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Avatar universal
Well, I did try the Rx Vit D for 6 months. While my level came up a small amount, my symptoms didn't really go away. They did get a little better though. I supplemented that with Vitafusion (adult) gummy Vit D3 and Calcium w/Vit D3 daily. After a month of that my levels were tested and they came up almost 20 points. The doc took me off the Rx and I stuck with my gummies.
My leg crams went away and the hand cramps I had were eliminated completely. I also was having spasams in my arms and legs at night that I never noticed but my husband did. They went away as well. I actually ran out of vitamins about 2 months ago and honestly since I was feeling so good I didn't bother buying more. Now, I'm regretting that. The foot and leg cramps have come back and the slight twitching at night as well. This weekend I'm going to pick up more vitamins and start them immediately. It'll take a week or so to build my level back up I'm sure. If not longer. But I know I'll feel better.
Actually, now that you mention it, I've been exhausted for the last couple of months too. Now I wonder if that is the cause.
Thanks!
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Avatar universal
Hi angelat25

I'm really glad you posted. I was wondering if you could give me more details of your vitamin D success story. I've been suffering for years with pain, fatigue, cramping all over, stomach problems, head aches, allergies and chemical sensitivities, dry skin and just an overall feeling of dehydration which I feel as though brought on all of these symptoms.  It wasn't until a few months ago that a new doctor finally diagnosed me with a D deficiency.  I've been taking D3 5000 a day and so far my skin feels amazing and all of the deep cracks I had on my feet are gone and the pain is gone and also the cramping. The stomach cramps were the scariest. But I still have fatigue and my muscles feel tight but they are not cramping anymore. I am hoping to make more progress over time and I'm trying to be patient because I know these symptoms have progressed  over the years so I'm not going to be cured overnight.. I was hoping you could tell me how vitamin D has helped you and in what timeline?
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Avatar universal
I was going to say EXACTLY what jill1124 said!
I had a major Vit D deficiency about a year ago. I had the same symptoms with my feet and hands as you. I'd wake up screaming from foot and leg cramps at night. My endocrinologist saw this as what it was and started me on 50,000 units of vitamin D. This helped a little, but what really helped me was taking 1000 units of Vitamin D3 over the counter daily. I feel so much better now and my levels have come up a lot.

As for your rib cage swelling, I'm not going to offer any insight on that, as I have none (sorry).

Lastly, Naproxen is more than likely the cause of your bruising. Naproxen causes this in 3-9% of users. It can also be aggrevated if you are taking certain other medications with the Naproxen. Your pharmacist can confirm this. Physicians don't always know all of the side effects to medicines, but your pharmacist can help you sort that out.

Good luck to you. Get that Vit D tested. (25 Hydroxyvitiman D)
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Avatar universal
Vitamin D deficiency will effect your whole body with unexplained symptoms  because you cannot absorb calcium properly if levels are low. Have you ever been tested for a vitamin D deficiency?  Do you know what your level was?
Helpful - 0
1353650 tn?1429463374
I found a web site that states what could cause bruising with out injury
Possible causes of bruising include:
Blood disorders, including problems with blood clotting such as hemophilia A or hemophilia B
Blood-related diseases such as leukemia
Liver disease, such as cirrhosis
Lymphomas
Certain disorders in which bone marrow cells grow at an abnormal rate
Nutritional deficiencies, such as deficiency in vitamins C, K, B12, or folic acid
Sepsis, or severe infection in the bloodstream
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
Trauma, injury or physical abuse
Prolonged coughing or vomiting
Medications, such as blood thinners
Surgery or other medical procedures
Allergy-related disorders
You need to go to a doctor and have this checked out. They checked your gall bladder but did they check your liver. Having pain run down your right arm that way is a sign of a liver problem.
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