Possible autoimmune condition?

[Loopylou1975]

Hi there, this is my first post on here but I wanted to ask advice before going to the doctor. For the past year I've been full of aches and pains, particularly in my legs, but really everywhere. In the morning I can only walk down the stairs by shuffling down putting both feet on the same stair as one at a time is too much!

The pain is mainly muscular – the lower backs of my calves, but also thigh and then joint pain in my knees. If I stand up from my desk in the day my legs are completely seized up and I walk like I've got wooden legs! Up until last year I was running 3-4 times a week and doing half marathons, now even walking my children to school (albeit up a large hill) completely wipes me out and I get so fatigued I feel like I could sleep for the rest of the day.

I should add that I have put on weight – two stone over the past year, and I am also grieving for my mum who passed away in November and so generally I'm not in a good place and quite depressed. I wanted to wait to see the doctor until I'd lost a bit of weight but it is not coming off enough, partly because it is so hard to move! My partner thinks I need to go now to the doctor because of how bad my legs are and how it is impacting on my quality of life. I did go last summer and the doctor didn't have an answer but said their was fluid on my legs and I had water tablets for a few weeks. I guess this is just showing inflammation?

Sorry for such a long post but my question about autoimmune related is because I know muscle, joint pain and tiredness is associated with quite a few autoimmune disorders and I do have lots of other conditions that are autoimmune or autoimmune related. These are:

• Henoch-Schonlein Purpura that I had very severely when I was 7 with juvenile arthritis
• Early menopause in my 30's
• Hypothyroidism (but never been tested to see if Hashimotos)
• Raynauds
• Rosacea

Any thoughts or advice really would be appreciated. Are there any home tests worth doing before I go to the doctors? I had such a bad treatment in the early stages of the menopause I just don't want to be fobbed off by the doctor! Thank you.

[Powerpotpie]

Did your GP run any blood test tests to check for inflammation? If not I would go back to your GP again and ask for some bloods to be taken for a referral to Rheumatology.

I have myositis with very similar muscle and joint symptoms as you and as I’m sure you’re aware, once you have one autoimmune it’s very likely you’ll develop more.

[poodlepoop]

I have a different type of vasculitis and have those symptoms - I'd ask for at a minimum bloods to check crp etc and also a referral to rheum

[Loopylou1975]

Many thanks for your replies. Last year the doctor didn't really do a lot so I want to go armed with the right things to say this time :)

[Elevenfourteen]

Sounds a bit how I felt when my thyroid was bad. I mostly felt it in the mornings and particularly in my feet, wrists and shoulder. Just really sore until I got moving. All sorted with daily thyroxine.

[Loopylou1975]

I'm on 175mg of thyroxine already and so I don't think it is that as last bloods showed it was under control.

[Defrump]

Hello
Sorry for your loss
My autoimmune disorder Sjogrens Syndrome started after I lost my dear Mum. It's now recognised by some in the medical field that huge personal shocks and traumas can trigger autoimmune conditions. My inflammation is off the chart but I control flare ups by restricting gluten dairy sugar and by resting a lot. I took a lot of vitamin D but that hasn't made much of a difference.

[Loopylou1975]

Thank you all for your replies. I went to the doctors today and he is sending me for a full set of blood tests so we'll see what comes back…

[Rodion]

Any results on your blood tests yet?