Any advice on undiagnosed pain please?

[FeelAWreck]

Since my mid twenties i've suffered with severe lower back pain, saw several doctors, one who actually laughed at me, I wasn't taken seriously until 5 years ago when I was diagnosed with a herniated disc which is still hugely painful. Around four years ago I started getting severe pain in my shoulders, then my knees. It's crept into every joint now apart from my hips and ankles. I saw my gp a few months before covid hit, suspected arthritis. We never got any further into our investigations for obvious reasons and I can't see it happening anytime soon, so if anyone can give me ideas to help the pain i'd be very grateful.

It's not just the hot joint pain. I also get stabbing pains all over my body, not every day, maybe every few weeks for a few days. Add to that (and this will sound silly but it's the only way I can describe it) my bones hurt! (i know, i know). There is no logic, no pattern to it at all. One day I can barely use my right arm, the next it could be the left. I feel like a fraud because i'm not diagnosed with anything and although my kids are great young adults who do help me I can't explain to them why some days I appear fine and other days I couldn't peel a potato for dinner! I dont know myself! Does this sound familiar to anyone?

[PragmaticWench]

Why are you not able to speak with your GP? Services are often over the phone but you can still get help from your GP at the moment.

I think you need to really push hard for a referral to a rheumatologist.

[chickenyhead]

A few years ago I was diagnosed with palindromic rheumatoid arthritis. It moves around to different sites of my body and is so painful. It feels like really bad toothache in a joint. Like someone has put a hot poker between the bones and is moving it around. Apparently the pain is similar to gout, although I haven't had this.

I tested positive for RA antibodies and I would recommend that you have the RA blood test as a starting point.

[FeelAWreck]

Thankyou, I did have a blood test for RA and it ruled it out but that's as far as we got. Appointments with my gp are very difficult to get at the moment, if I was able to get one how would they go about diagnosing me?

[Akire]

I’ve got lots of pain with other illness and no one seems keen on finding out why. All you can do is keep going back and hope they refer you to the right person. It is hard when things move around and not particular one joint or place at a time.

[coffeetofunction]

Do you find stress and burn out increase when these things happen? I have FND, symptoms started similar to yours

[MadAsABarrelOfMonkeys]

My 17 yo DD had chronic pain last year, and it turned out she was very vitamin D deficient; she was prescribed a long course of very strong supplements, is now back to normal, and it's made a huge difference to her types of pain. She is being investigated for other things too, as she is still suffering, but she complained of bone pain much more before she took the supplements. Just a thought.