Not sure what is wrong with dh

[TheVolturi]

Dh is mid 50s and started at the beginning of April with severe back pain. It got worse and worse and then seemed to spread to his leg. Dr diagnosed sciatica and gave him painkillers and amitriptyline. Then his knee started being really painful and randomly swelling. An xray of this knee confirmed arthritis. However he also has severe pain in his shoulders now, the Dr sent him for blood tests which came back abnormal so he had to have some more the next day, however the Dr has now said to leave it two weeks and repeat the bloods. Apparently the bloods showed high white cells (I think only 11 though) I'm just concerned that he's still suffering so much with all of this pain, which came on so suddenly! We were told they've ruled out rheumatism after the bloods. What else could be causing my poor husband so much pain?

Sorry of its a bit jumbled I'm about to fall asleep.

Hopeful morning bump 😊

I presume doctor thinks he is fighting some sort of infection, hopefully after next set of bloods he can get a referral for more investigation. My DH suffers back pain, GP in January said she would get him a referral to be checked out, still waiting for appointment.

Do you have a copy of the blood results? Did they check ESR?

Does the pain settled down with rest or ice?

Not sure what esr is? No copy of the results no, the Dr told him over the phone. The pain is the same no matter what he does. He's on cocodamol (30-500) and naproxen. And he says it barely takes the edge off. He's never ever had any aches and pains so this is all new, which is why I'm stressed about it.

That's not great waiting so long is it!

I dont thunk arthritis comes that suddenly does it? After the next bloods I'd push pretty hard for some sort of scan...not sure what you'd been, mri or ct but it sounds like something you dint want to keave

That's what I'm worried about. I'm a bit worried that no one's suggested a ct or mri. They've only xrayed the knee. But Dr seemed satisfied that the white cells were only just out of range, and dh has taken this to mean that everything is fine.

Is he unwell in any other way - just the pain (and swelling in his knee) - no unexpected flu-like symptoms? Any psoriasis anywhere? (I’m sure the GP will have asked all this already, just stabs in the dark!)

Well he does seem slightly warm to the touch when he's due his painkillers but as he's taking them regularly I'm guessing they're masking things? Flu like symptoms I suppose the aching could be this?

No psoriasis!

How is his weight? (Gain? Loss?)

Weight is same as usual no noticeable loss or gain.

White blood count does seem ok and could likeky be highter if anything sinister going on. ESR is a marker for inflammation. I always think it's useful to get the actual blood tests that were run. GP receptionist should be able to print them off for you. They can be reassuring.

Xray has confirmed arthritis so worth looking at anti-inflammatory foods and seeing if it helps. I know someone who's shoulder pain came on suddenly and is arthritis. Steroids injections have helped.

I think a repeat of bloods is sensible. Do you have any private cover as maybe a CT scan would be more reassuring but a GP might be reluctant to schedule of if bloods ard fine and xray shows arthritis. Next step would be referral to rhuemelogolgy.

We do not have private cover sadly no. On one hand I'm glad that the gp isn't concerned but in the other hand my husband seems to have quite widespread severe pain that he's not had before, there must be something wrong? Arthritis confirmed in that knee, but the knee has a very old injury as well which had a surgery on it 25 years ago so was probably always going to develop arthritis there. The pain in the back and shoulders to me is weird. I just hope he's OK.

He needs an MRI. Sudden pain needs investigating.

Gallbladder with the arthritic knee S a separate entity?

Hi
My DH had (what we thought was sciatica) - started in March - v bad pain in hips / down legs - physio said no worries it will get better in a few sessions- it didn't, it got worse so he went to the gp and got blood tests (physio said to do this).

They came back showing no vitamin D so he had a CT scan which showed up lesions in bones, which Jed to an MRI and a bone biopsy.
Meanwhile pain getting worse and he is almost immobile / not sleeping - ended up being prescribed morphine (which just sent him a bit loopy) and now (for first time off work sick)
Anyway long story short - he was diagnosed with Leukaemia on May 13. Diagnosed at 11am and on his first Chemo at 4pm!
I don't want to scare you but we were really knocked for six with this.
My DH is 48 and had never been ill before or in hospital - he will be in for ages they said but curable.

Christ that's terrible! I hope he is OK, sounds like they've caught it pretty soon? What a thing to discover it must have been such a shock. To be honest I had worried about this with dh but apparently the white cells would be much higher if it was this? Can you remember if when your dh had those initial bloods if white cells showed as well as low vit d?

Sorry haven't replied sooner - DH has been allowed home today for 3 hours!
As well as the trace vitamin D he had high levels of calcium and a high cancer marker 'APL??'
I am not sure about white blood cells - he did , years ago, have a blood test for something which included a white blood cell count, and it showed them to be low - then they said this was just normal to him.

Could it be reactive arthritis? Has he had food poisoning or other infection recently?

My daughter has juvenile arthritis and we were told then arthritis cannot be ruled out by blood tests alone. It is only rheumatoid arthritis which shows up in blood tests.