Very sudden onset intermittent disabling joint pain and stiffness - what could this be?

[Crumpedwoman]

Anyone know what this could be please?

Went overnight (during heat wave this summer) from being overweight but fine 55 yr old - able to move normally and horse ride & on my feet all day and fairly active - to waking up being virtually crippled with all-over-body pain, particularly in knee, wrist and hip joints. I had a total hysterectomy in Feb.

Went to doc who was rather dismissive and recommended I use the Oestrogel I had been prescribed after op regularly for a month or so but it hasn't really made a difference.

Sometimes the pain is better and I am almost back to normal (apart from wrist) but if I have a very active day it flares up again. The joints do seem a bit red and swollen, particularly in my wrist. But doc examined my wrist at the time and said it was a tendon issue??

Anyway I have had a "flare up", or whatever it is, this weekend. The pain was so bad yesterday that I was nearly crying with it, having to go downstairs step by step holding on to the banister, could hardly get out of the bath etc. I am stiff all over, especially in the mornings and almost feel feverish and very tired. My wrist is so bad that I can't grasp things or open jars or take any weight in my hand. Even when I'm lying in bed the level of pain is quite high.

Nothing else to report except I did have a lot of unexplained dizziness prior to the onset of the symptoms which has now thankfully diminished.

I live in a country where I can self refer to a specialist, so who should I go and see? Menopause person? Arthritis person? Bone thinning person?

Any ideas would be very gratefully received as it's getting a bit scary now tbh!

Anyone please?

Sounds like RA but you need oestrogen also. Gp?

Thanks for responding Trewser. I'm reluctant to go back to go as she was so dismissive first time around (admittedly I wasn't in the middle of a flare when I saw her) and she is the "fine unless a limb has dropped off" type; great in an emergency but not so much for anything chronic.

Should I start with arthritis specialist?

gp not go (although I am seeing her on wed for flu shot as it happens)

I'd find a different GP first to point you in the right direction.

I'm not an expert but I understand that
chronic = arthritis
sudden onset = gout

I’d head to the rheumatologist. It does sound like RA but the fatigue and all over pain could be fibromyalgia- the Rheumo will order the tests to eliminate arthritis and cal also refer on.

Thank you everyone; that is very helpful!

IngloriousBasterd thanks, it's just knowing where to start when you are already feeling rotten ifyswim! Much appreciated.

Crikey hadn't considered gout.

A RL friend suggested getting tested for Lyme disease too (often in country and pick ticks off the dogs all the time) but I haven't had any headaches.

Maybe a change of gp might be in order too come to think of it.

I'd say it was menopausal considering it started after your hysterectomy.

Yes it started six months after op but wierdly I don't really have any other common menopausal symptoms apart from feeling generally hotter and more tired, sometimes waking at 4 am etc.

I had lots of random aches and pains, funnily enough in my wrists as well. They calmed down a bit once I started HRT but I needed a higher dose, after 6 months of that they have almost completely gone.

Hi there, I've never posted before but when I read your post it rang bells for me, my symptoms started the same way but mainly in my foot. I can be weeks of feeling fine then suddenly I'd have flu like symptoms but just in my joints, be in complete pain the next day or two to the point if someone hugged me it would be painful! Then suddenly again...fine! I was diagnosed with palindromic arthritis after my gp tested for RA and found nothing but referred me to a rheumatologist for further investigation. I hope this helps!

That does help thank you Clarethebird (welcome to Mumsnet!) and thanks again Trewser - all of this info is so helpful as I can discuss with rheumatoid doctor - it's all worth exploring! Interesting that her helped too! Thanks again!

Gah! HRT not her!

Were you dizzy too Clarethebird (if you don't mind me asking)?

My DM had this exact problem when she couldn't get her HRT patches, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was related to menopause.

Check for an overactive thyroid - my joints ached something awful with this, especially my ankles and hips, and extreme tiredness is a symptom. I also believe it's onset can be linked to hormones - common during pregnancy and menopause - so following a hysterectomy sounds possibly too.

Thank you so much. It does sound like there could be a strong hormonal link.

I wonder if joint tenderness is something that goes away once you are through the menopause or if it is something that you are stuck with for life? I sincerely hope not!

@crumpledwoman- sorry I don't know how to tag!- I've been living with it for about 2 years (although looking back now there was several symptoms beforehand) but I would describe it as pain from my jawbone down, in every joint when I was having a flare up, but my mind was clear. It was as if my mind was willing but my body just was not able. Standing up I felt pain, sitting down caused pain and even lying down was sore. And no painkillers helped it was just a matter of getting through the following 24/48 hours. Usually the pain is mirrored, so if the pain was in my shoulders it was in both and this goes for all the joints, but in morning it could be my shoulders, then come the evening it could be both knees. How often do you have the flare ups? Also I would ask the gp to look into this as not many are aware of it but a lot more research has gone into it recently.

Could it be PMR - polymyalgia rheumatica I think is how you spell it? My father went from cycling/climbing/mountain walking to virtually crippled in the space of a week. Every time he did too much he would have a flare up. 18 months on steroids and he's absolutely fine now. He was unusual being male - it's far more common in women of 55+.

Did you have a violent tummy bug at all this year? I got a type of rheamatism after a stomach bug. Sounds very similar. It showed up in a blood test but unlike real RA it just goes ( less scary)

@Crumpedwoman sorry to hear you are having such an awful time. I work as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist and if you rocked up to see me the first thing I would be doing is speaking to your gp about blood tests to check for anything systemic. Hormonal changes can have a significant effect on joint pain so I would definitely consider that as a contributing factor.

Ask for a referral to a rheumatologist. It could be any sort of inflammatory arthritis and at least they will be able to rule it out if not.

I'd suggest seeing a rheumatologist, they could look into RA, fibro, Lyme disease etc. You can have more than one of them.

I developed this very suddenly and ended up in A&E - after lots of blood tests and bedside visits from Rheumatologists, it turned out to be because DS1 had given me Slapped Cheek virus! I had no other symptoms. It is apparently quite common for various viruses including Slapped Cheek (also known as Fifths Disease) to cause intense joint inflammation. This can be detected in your blood if it is the case.

I was given a massive steroid injection and fekt 100% back to normal within about 12 hours, I was a new woman! It could be something as simple as that, I hope so OP.