I agree that vitamin D difficiency can cause those symptoms. A friend of mine that is a Dr, tests her patients Vitamin D levels regularly as a difficiency can cause a lot of seemingly unrelated issues. She has also found that many of her patients with Vitamin D difficiencies that can’t seem to improve their levels turn out to be Gluten intolerant, and feel much better once they cut out their gluten.
I hope you get answers and feel better soon.
It could be one of a number of autimmune diseases as mentioned or vitamin d deficiency…lots of things.
FWIW I am another with definite RA that was seronegative (meaning test for rheumatoid factor was negative). My SED rate is also at the high end of normal…so I had one doctor telling me I had a different disease that they couldn’t help at all. It took me a few years to get a diagnoses.
SO…I guess I would say just be persistant. Jingles!
Lyme? Don’t let them just run the ELISA test…demand a Western Blot.
Seems with closing in on a week of heavy Vit D supplement my joints ache a lot less.
I was at the Orthopedic doctor’s office today.
He took some more x-rays but seemed unconcerned about my back, but send me to the physical therapy people in the building for 2 sessions to give me a few exercises I can use at home.
Classic Lyme symptoms.
Another one here with RA, but also irritable bowel (possible Celiac’s - definite lactose and gluten intolerance), thyroid dysfunction (removed), and vit D deficiency.
50,000 IU/week Vit D helped a lot, so did max dose methotrexate. Still dealing with a LOT of fatigue, but the pain is manageable with prescription NSAIDS and baclofen.
Timely that I found this thread… I’m off to the Rheumatologist in the morning for severe joint pain. Been tested for everything and the only thing abnormal is the sed rate. I was told it should be between 1 and 20 and mine is 56… On prednisone now and can actually walk and move my arms, thank God. Was NOT tested for Vitamin D deficiency. Will ask about that tomorrow. GP thinks I am sero-neg RA. I’ll keep you posted and I hope you all are feeling better - joint pain SUCKS!
Well, it was a wasted trip. I told them when they set up the appointment that I was on Prednisone. They said it wouldn’t be a problem - he’d be able to do bloodwork anyway. Of course Dr says “I can’t do anything while you are on prednisone and asymptomatic.” Great… When this course of steriods is done he wants me to call when I am in pain again. Just what I want - more pain! UGH!
Wow, I have a shoulder/back/tendon pain in one arm all of a sudden, its like my tendons are too tight. Was tested and I have half what the minimum of Vitamin D is ( 15 when it lowest is 30 or something like that).
I have also have had gout, and this shoulder thing acts like gout did. Only I didn’t have it in the normal places (toe, I had it in the palm of my hand). I don’t eat a lot of rich foods (meat), but do drink red wine.
I agree that cutting down on bread and wheat helps.
My dr never told me how much vitamin D to take.
The shoulder dr wanted to give me a cortisone shot. He saw me all of 3 minutes. No thank you.
Have you had a bone density study? Vit D deficiency over the long term and joint pain, fatigue, etc… post menopause (yikes!) or perimenopause can really acclerate bone loss. Also, menopausal changes (early or whatever- not making an age guesses here) can cause all of what you’re experiencing.
good luck!
I had similar pain starting in my knees that eventually spread to all my joints.
There were less potential diagnosis options for me since I’m quite young, and finally after vial after vial of blood for testing, they settled on Ankylosing Spondylitis, the Spondylomyopathic form. I can’t take traditional painkillers due to severe side effects, so that wasn’t an option. I took iron for 8 days, then added liquid B12 drops, then after 8 days on that, added vitamin D gel capsule things and that really helped. I also went gluten free. I think going gluten free is what really helped me, I’ve noticed much less pain/stiffness and inflammation.
Jingles that you feel better soon!
it’s ok, we are all big girls here!
Not menopausal yet (though once a month hotflashes sure don’t sound to bad, especially now when winter is upon us)
I went to the orthopedic doctor. After another Xray he was not very concerned about my back, but gave me 2 sessions with the physical therapist. I had one and I try to do my exercises twice a day. (After 3 years on the couch, they are tough…:no:)
I am taking my sublements, cut down on the pain killer. The back is hurting, but probably more form house cleaning than anything else. Joints are much better. I have done my initial loading dose of Vit D 
I am down to one a week.
However, I also got a cold - again…
I swear, I never had this many colds. I bet it’s the A/C and the forced air heating.
Please get a Lyme test done
You are giving the exact symptons I had 3 years ago. Back ache, sore throat, tired all the time, joints horribly sore.
Please just ask your doctor for a Lyme test (via Igenex) and make sure its the Western Blot test.
Lyme is called the master imposter. It can hit you in many different ways. Mine settled in my sciatic nerve in my back.
Some doctors do not like to get involved with Lyme disease because it is a controversial issue. Check out “Under your Skin” on Net Flicks.
It is better to eliminate it as a cause than let it continue unchecked.
I need to check if they did a Western Blot for Lyme when they did my bloodwork…
As of now, having been back to the Dr, I have been diagnosed with Inflammatory Arthritis and Fibromyalgia. I’m on Vimovo, which I’ve decided is basically time-release Aleve, and it isn’t as good as the prednisone. I hurt and want it to STOP. Calling Dr in the morning and begging for something better. Heck, I can - and do - take Aleve like it’s candy, and at a greater dose than this medicine. I know it isn’t going to work, so can I tell him that?
OK, update:
Did my daily Vit D, down to weekly.
The joint pains are gone.
Still battling fatigue. Might go back next week to ahve them look at that some more. Heck even Mono isn’t supposed to last a whole year…
I had some minor flu-like symptoms followed about a week later by an all-over rash and joint pain/swelling/heat. I tested negative for RA, but the joint pain persisted.
When I finally got to see a rheumatologist, a blood test was positive for parvovirus (not the dog kind!), a virus that is spread like a cold/flu virus and also causes fifth disease (usually in kids), as a previous poster mentioned. He had me take large doses of ibuprofen for a few weeks and after three months or so, the pain subsided and I’ve been fine ever since.
I hope your problem is as temporary, good luck!
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