chronic pain and no real answer...

[sas20618]

I have been having joint pain, severe in my leg side of body, arm and leg, and then both sides of my wrists, fingers, and ankles. It's now in my right knee as well. I have had just an overall ache in my legs and left arm. (I did have a total shoulder make over on my left side, Jan 2012 due to a trauma in 2008. I had a bicep tendonesis, SLAP, and a clavicular resection of half my acromium. But it took all my shoulder issues and pain away until now) This has been going on since about a week after giving birth, on May 1 this year. About 3 weeks ago I had about 48 hours of fever, sore throat, then followed by a raspy voice. But after about 4-5 days I was fine. except the joint pain. I then started developing a rash. bumpy to touch but couldn't really see on the chest and upper back and it migrated to my face. the bumps on my face weren't little and bumpy. they were big red, raised bumps, almost like an acne bump when first coming on. But I don't get or have acne.
the rash burned if I put creams on my face or neck but otherwise. it was itchcy and that was all.. Then I got a vesicular type rash on my fingers and back of hands. I self treated with a weeks worth of Valtrex 2,000mg  everyday, and it seemed to stop making more, and some got better, but I still have residual rash there too and it's been 2 weeks since I stopped the Valtrex.
but the joint pains have continued. my reg dr told me that I likely have an EBV infection going on and that I prolly had EBV. BUT I had the joint pain long BEFORE I got sick with the throat. He came to that conclusion because of blood work ran that day I was sick because I happened to be at a follow up for my joint pain. He ran a CBC and ESR. Monocytes were high, at 15.3, I was anemic (just given birth) and my ESR was a 24. My RF came back positive and then was sent off for further, which then returned as a negative that no significant levels were found.. My liver was perfect, though I have high Chol. Other than that nothing specific was found. The joint pain continued. SO he referred me to an orthopedic spec. He then ran an ANA, which was negative, a new CBC which showed normal amounts of all except now my platlets were high at 465. and I am still very minimally anemic. (been taking vitamins to help this) A lyme screen came back as IgG (ELISA) positive at a 9 range, is 8 or less and IgM (ELISA) a 6, and then a blot was negative over all. Uric acid was 4.4 which was less than 5.7 so good.. I had a high ASO titer at 401, range is below 200

So he said my joint pain is likely due to the sore throat which was not a regular cold like I thought, but actually strep. They sai I don't need to follow up with it, because it's likely passed, and needs no further treatment. However... what all these drs seem to be forgetting is that my joint pain wasn't caused by this illness I had about 3 weeks ago.. it started long before then. So how could it be connected with EBV or Strep if I had the pain BEFORE I had the sore throat.. Since I tested positive once for Lymes and my symptoms seem to talso fit that, should I be more concerned about that? I live in Germany on an American military post and Lyme is very popular over here with ticks they have.. I am truly lost.. and the pain I have in my joints warrants prescription pain meds. I take a Norco once a day, if not once every other day. Though without a actual cause to the reason, my dr is not going to feel inclined to refill my meds forever, which honestly my pain levels warrant me taking it every 4-6 hours on most days, but I try to just take it around evening when I want to get a good night sleep. I am just so achy and stuff all the time... But I also take 2 liquid advil twice a day, and 4800 mg of fish oil, a glucosamine and chon vitamin, a multi vit for women, plus 4 tums extra (for calcium) I am chronically low on vit d 3 for I take up to 30,000 mg a week, if not more. 2 Colace a day because vitamins with iron constipate me.. and that's all...   HELP HELP HELP!!! I have tried cream pain relievers, voltaren, aspercreme, and bengay. Bengay seems to help a little, but I have an infant at home and cant rub it on me except when I have a day or night off (which is rare) because of the smells.

[toourlady89]

Its true that you are taking a lot of Calcium. Is that 500 mg per pill ? And you are taking 4 pills.
You probably need Magnesium supplementation and decrease your Ca intake or stop it all together for a month at least to get Mg-Ca Vit D balance.
Here is an Ebook on Magnesium- hope you would find some answers here.  
I read an article that says Lyme disease could re occur if you have had it in the past. And that's what your test says, - Your Lyme screen says positive at 9 range, so thats what needs to be addressed by your MD.
Here's the Ebook  : http://www.nutritionalmagnesium.org/listmessenger/public/Magnesium_ebook.pdf
I hope it helps

[silverfox67]

I agree with Red_Star -  Even though there is Magnesium in your multivitamin, we never truly get enough in our diets.  I would add Essiac and MSM to help with the pain.  A good detox tea wouldn't hurt either and if you are not breastfeeding it won't hurt the baby.  Are you taking Probiotics?  So essential. -  When I had my babies the doctor told me to continue taking my Prenatal vitamins for 6 months to help my body heal.  Are your multi-vitamins as strong as your prenatals?

[Red_Star]

High doses of calcium or vitamin D can lower magnesium. This is a catch 22 because magnesium is the boss of vitamin D and calcium. In short, if you are finding that your vitamin D or calcium levels are not rising well, or at all, you have to strongly consider magnesium deficiency to be the reason.

Magnesium deficiency increases substance P. P is for pain. Also take into account you are eating tums which is neutralizing stomach acid (essential for absorption of nutrients).

Cholesterol rises to protect the body from toxins (eg: trans fats, fungal infections, mercury). The exceptions would be genetics (rare) and hypothyroidism (liver function slows down which is where cholesterol is made).