what could the burning be in my arms & pain in my shoulders ??

[pen1963]

ok im new here so please give me a chance.

i was diag with AS 20 yrs ago, recenlty started having hip problems went to bone dr had mri  found hip tendonitis he said, well the other hips started doing same thing but on the outside of the hip ,so my md has sent me to and RA dr also as now im having a severe burning in my arms then my shoulders hurt at same time OMG so bad, i feel as if sometimes my hearts racing and i have shortness a breath, ive never had this befor i have allways been very active
until about 5 months ago when all this came on,

My Ra dr  said i didnt show the signs of RA but is doing bloodwork for something called RHEUM FACTOR,TROCHANTERIC BURSITIS,THYYRIOD PANEL ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHERS IM SCARED HERE!!
i WENT TO HER TO BE CHECKED FOR ra WHY ALL THESE OTHER TEST??

Yes my arms have a problem she told (RA DR) that it was muscles that were burning me like that, im just curios has anyone else ever had these symptoms and been tested for so many other things?
thanks if you can help. my results will be in in a week
sue


This discussion is related to rheumatoid factor.

[glorbry]

It sounds like hypothyroidism...many of the symptoms.  Are you taking Synthroid?

[madgeOwens]

If you can take aleve, try it, and be sure to takei t with food, this could help....if its inflammation from osteoarthritis or bursitis....hope this helps.
Madge

[txsilver]

Hi Sue, I have AS and I get bursitis in my hips all the time.  I would describe it the same way you have.  My doc gives me steroid injections in the bursa to relieve the pain and it works.  I hope that it turns out that this is what is happening to you.  Please keep us posted.

[pen1963]

I have been doing a lot of research, and i to think it could be bursitis, i just want the results in asap. this burning comes & goes, and it HURTS so bad, itll last for so long then just stop. my shoulders will hurt but not burn like my arms do, but when the burning in my arms start then my shoulder blades start hurting, i just pray for a result to fix the problem. thanks for posting,
sue

[madgeOwens]

It could be bursitis.

[Dnmh]

You are not alone. Here is a copy/paste from an entry I have in another community here on MedHelp.

I'm a 42 year old female and I have been trying to find out what is wrong with me for over 6 years. In 2002 I was diagnosed with the CREST variant of scleroderma. In 2005 I saw a sclero specialist at the Cleveland Clinic who told me I didn't have it, but had an elevated ANA, possibly due to the fact that I have morphea scleroderma. (Morphea only affects the skin and underlying tissue, not organs, and I only have a few small patches). Apr 2007, they found a nodule on my thyroid "accidentally" and an ultrasound reveled I have several nodules. Had to get one biopsied, was told then it was not malignant and the endo didn't need to see me anymore.(He lied) Nov 2007, hurt my back and discovered osteoarthritis and 2 bulging disks. Lost my insurance Feb 2008 along with my job. Sept of this year went to a new doc because I had extreme fatigue (again) and my blood pressure was running really low 80s over 50's. He ordered a bunch of labs (all came back normal), refered me to an endocrinologist and neurologist. He felt I had P.O.T.S.

The endo tells me I may have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and I need to have a repeat ultrasound. My last biopsy wasn't conclusive. (We're still watching for thyroid cancer). I do my research and almost all my symptoms can be linked to the Hashimoto's. Well... saw the neurologist on Friday, going in prepared for him to tell me "You don't have P.O.T.S, it's all because of your thyroid and osteoarthritis"

Lesson learned. He did tell me I don't have P.O.T.S., but he feels its some kind of Autonomic Nervous System Disorder. Now I have to get an EMG, Skin Biopsies of my leg (3), Neuro cardio autonomic reflex with and without tilt (tilt table test) and a sweat test. Not to mention blood and urine tests. ANA, Rhumatoid factor, HIV, Hep, CBC w/differential, thyroid antibodies, metoboloc panel, B-12, Lipid profile. sed rate, c-reactive and a few more that I don't know what they're for.
And all this on Dec 22nd.

He poked my skin with a pin in several places and I didn't feel some of them, he had me push and pull with hands arms feet and legs, checked my reflexes and the gait test. When he had me stand still with my eyes closed, I started to fall to my right and lost my balance and had to keep fighting the pull to the right.

I thought for sure I was going to go see my primary on Tuesday and he was going to tell me "we know what's wrong, here's what were going to do to help you start feeling better"

(My younger sister was diagnosed a few years ago with MS and P.O.T.S., now they are telling her it's not P.O.T.S, but some type of orthostatic hypotension and maybe Lupus (again).)

Now I'm upset, concerned that I may end up not being able to walk or use my hands again (I'm an artist) and I'm raising my 3 year old grand-daughter and don't know what to think.

My neurological symptoms that I can think of that he and I discussed are cold intolerance, fatigue, both mental and physical, my leg muscles get a burning weakness after I go up stairs or crouch down and rest on my feet, I get lightheaded and dizzy, sometimes after bending over or while just sitting still (not upon standing), my lower legs are almost always cold, overheating, genital numbness, pins and needles in my feet, hands go from extreme hot and red to extreme cold, feet to a lesser degree, can't hold my arms over my head for too long or they get pins and needles and really weak.

I belong to the arthritis and tyroid communities here and found this one looking up Idiopathic Peripheral Autonomic Neuropathy - that's what he put down as a diagnosis for a few of the tests. I do know Idiopathic means "of unknown origin"