Is there ANY way to tell if I have arthritis, tendonitis or am just a stiff old bag?

[chuffingtellme]

I've had issues in recent years with various joints. I had wrist and neck pain and stiffness and GP thought maybe arthritis and did the absolute full workup and no inflammatory markers at all so definitely not rheumatoid. I don't have psoriasis or other autoimmune.
More recently I have stiffness and pain in one big toe and slightly the other, one ankle and one elbow, with a bit of stiffness in the other elbow.
What I can't make sense of is how it comes and goes. At worst it can cause me to slightly limp, take painkillers and the elbow is painful doing normal things like lifting a cup. On other days it all recedes into the background and is only faintly there.
I am on HRT and this helped other symptoms but did nothing much for joints.
Everything I'm reading says either osteoarthritis or tendon issues.
But- if it is osteoarthritis and a fundamental issue with the joints, how can it change from one day to the next? If it is tendon issues, what the chuffing heck is causing it and what could I do differently?
I'm reluctant to go back to the GP because I don't think she will be able to give me a definite answer either.
Sorry if that's long. I'm just a bit disheartened as I properly blow dried my hair earlier and now my elbow feels like I've injured it. I'm only 45 and worried how I will be in 20 years at this rate.

Just to add I also have the same stiffness and pain at times in my back, neck, hip and wrist but it fluctuates. My DM had pretty bad osteoarthritis and what worries me is there doesn't seem to be a lot you can do about it.

Get yourself a good omega 3 supplement and see if it helps.

What dosage of HRT are you on? Maybe you need to increase it a bit?

I have osteoarthritis. My first symptoms were when I started to notice a lack of range in movement. I could no longer cross my legs for instance. My right hip would no longer rotate outwards and if I tried to force it, it would be agony. I could hear it grinding inside. Turning over in bed caused a grinding noise too.

My diagnosis was only confirmed with x-rays. I've since had a hip replacement and I'm on the list for a knee replacement now too.

Thanks for the tip I have not tried omega.

I'm on a 75 patch of estradot and cyclical 200mg progesterone because I'm peri rather than completely menopausal. My GP increased the patch from 50 three months ago to see if it would help with joints but it hasn't made a difference. Weirdly my joints improve during the two weeks I'm on utrogestan though most of what I've read says that oestrogen makes a difference so I'm not sure why that would be.

I appreciate you taking the time to comment thank you.

@thenightsky thank you so much for sharing that. I'm sorry you've had such a hard time to the point of needing joint replacements, hopefully that has helped. My DM had a hip replacement.
I haven't asked for any X-rays but maybe I will discuss it when I have my next HRT review. At the last one, my GP increased my HRT when we spoke about the joints but her response on the whole was along the lines of "we all have aches and pains as we get older". She's a wonderful GP so that sounds worse than it is, and to be fair she has tried the higher dose. I possibly need to write more down about it and go in more prepared.
I feel I have more pain and pain on movement than actual restricted motion though which makes me wonder if it is arthritis at all.

It could vary because joint pain can depending on the weather and air pressure etc. or just hormonal fluctuations. May even be diet related.

If it's osteoarthritis gentle exercise and massages are your friend. Strengthening exercises and resistance stuff but obviously paced. Pilates is good. Also magnesium spray ( it is easy and cheaper to make yourself)

www.cloudywithachanceofpain.com/

Utrogestan is also really good for joints. I was sooooo much better when on that and when I moved to a continuous regime. Sadly had to come off all of it due to breast cancer

BUT as I scaled down the hrt, did I started a lot of paced exercise- yoga, weights, cardio, Pilates physio exercises I've had for years for lower back. All at home and not massive amounts, just regularly. And I'm so far doing ok, post surgery and now on tamoxifen. It's very early days but the weights are particularly helping. Swimming too.

If it's restricting movement I'd see a physiotherapist for a bespoke set of exercises and see the Gp.

Oh the other thing it could be is hypermobilty issues - again basically Pilates and strengthening the muscles.,

But also learning how to hold and move joints properly.

I'm a similar age and ran into a lot of issues with hypermobility and had to learn all this the hard way.

Thanks so much. I really need to seek out some kind of sustainable exercise. Hand weights are really hard because of the problem with my wrist and elbow, a lot of yoga/ pilates postures that are weight bearing through the arms are too. But maybe a physiotherapist could give me ideas to work around that.
@stealthwalnut that's interesting about your similar experience of utrogestan. I'm sorry to hear of your breast cancer diagnosis and wish you well.

i started with pain in my knee joints both and finding it difficult to kneel,it was confirmed by x rays left knee is worse and now im waiting for a full knee replacment
i also have it in both hands but i cant have a op on hands yet as need to have the knee operated on and recover

im now also having alot of pain in my right foot and im thinking i may have it there also but keep putting it of

im 52 and had problems for 4-5yrs and im classed as young for an op as i may be looking for another op on the knee again in 15-20yrs,It's causing real problems with life now and sometimes use crutches and have just been awarded Pip enhanced mobility as it really is making life difficult and has started to cause falls as i can hardly bend my knee and im unsteady on my feet

i would get to your GP an xray will give you the answer,dont waste time on pills if your x ray comes back ok then go down that route and atleast you will know either way

yep i wonder what i will be like in 10yrs it seems like im getting to the point where i think im going to be ridden with it but hopefully now im on the system the hospital will help

good luck op

Thanks for starting this thread OP. I feel similar but mine is hips and knees to the point of having trouble getting in and out of cars etc.
Keep saying "uff my age, nothing I can do" but know I should.

Yes I think you'd need really carefully tailored exercises to then be able to access the basic Pilates classes.

I get some pain in my right wrist from time to time which i do think is tendon and old injury or something ; I was taught some stretches for the top of the wrist and I massage it and keep it mobile. When flaring it's painful to put pressure on it but ultimately that's what helps to strengthen it eventually and it gets better. Magnesium spray really helps that.

Also ice is really effective, or cold water, forgot my physio said to do that.

But also check in with Gp too.

Swimming with access to cold showers and sauna might help - getting the blood moving regularly goes some way to helping lessen symptoms

Can’t offer any medical advice but I find I have some more aches and pains as I get older (51, post menopausal and no HRT). Also find it’s easier to pull a muscle and they take longe to heal up again. However, am a firm believer that motion is lotion, so like pp I do yoga, walk everywhere, run (less than I used to). I take a flax supplement for omega 3 and a turmeric supplement as well. Not totally pain free but it’s minor and doesn’t impact quality of life or sleep
There is a discipline called CARS as well (can’t remember what it stands for sorry) but it’s basically about running systematically through full range of movement for every joint every day, which helps keep the joint mobilised. That might help.
Obviously if that doesn’t cut it then back to the Doc!

also op i also found i could not walk up the stairs like before and i also now walk sideways to get down the stairs my left knee cannot be the dominant knee anymore

also i cant get into a bath safely like when you lower yourself down and also getting out is pretty dangerous as i just cant support myself

havent had a bath for 3 yrs and so miss it showers just dont cut it and because i have a tiny bathroom it makes adaptations very difficult,how are you with bathing etc

Have you had any x-rays or scans ? It's entirely possible to have rheumatoid arthritis with very little to show by way of blood tests.

Stiffness, the number of joints involved, the coming and going etc could very well point to something inflammatory.

Can you ask you GP if they'd be happy to refer you to rheumatology to get an inflammatory arthritis ruled out ?

Often menopause symptom. You could try things recommended for arthritis and see if they help.

I have this to some extent, particularly in my knee. Pain comes and goes. I don't take HRT but I do loads of exercise (including proper heavy lifting) but still the niggles continue. I really need to organise an x ray.

I'm lucky in that knees and hips etc all fine but started a year ago at 60 with grinding (sounds like rocket krispies when I turn my neck) and stiffness/pain in neck very high up where it meets skull. It's totally intermittent and some days barely there, other days not great and gives me back of head headaches too- I have requested an MRI but it's been months now , so looks like I'm going to have to pay nearly a grand for head , neck and spine.

Did the full work up include the test for gout? As you mentioned your big toe,
i wondered.

I'm 49 and peri, on 75 evorel patch and mirena for 18 months.

A year ago my joints had started really playing up and getting quite painful.
It seemed to move around, my left elbow and arm aching, my right shoulder, my knees, my wrist.

I decided to spend £50 and see a physio to see what she thought. She said I was strong and no signs of arthritis or injury but maybe had some repetitive stress symptoms from computer use, phone use, driving long distances, as well as some stiff/stuck muscles and tendons from not stretching much. It all made sense.

She basically just told me to regularly stretch and massage everything in every which way whenever I got chance: feet, ankles, legs, hips, torso, arms, wrists, neck - everything. After a few weeks all my aches and painsbecame minimal or gone
If I sit in the same position for a few days (binge watch netflix!), or do a long drive, I can seize up again.

So long story short - perhaps try stretching?

Thanks so much. There are so many amazing suggestions here I am going to make some notes and work through.
I don't find I'm that stiff so far. I'm stiff and slow walking down the stairs in the morning but I can do things like get in and out of the car no problem. The issue is more with pain on movement. I think I do need to try to get some x rays to see if the issue is with the joints at all.
I may not be moving enough and seizing up because of that. I know I really really need to focus on exercise.
@catskittens that sounds really tough. Is there any way you could access a local gym, even for the odd session, to sit in the sauna or something similar? It sounds like a bath would be amazing for you and I'm sorry you can't get in and out. Is there someone who could be on standby to help you, even if you went in wearing a bathing suit? I agree that showers just aren't as good.
Thank you all so much for the amazing suggestions.

@Blistory my inflammatory markers are not even close to borderline, they're incredibly low so it really doesn't seem likely. I also don't have the heat and swelling and the bilateral joints. I will maybe ask her to do more blood tests again though in case anything has changed.