Back, hips and knees are sore and exhaustion

[Currysoup]

I am experiencing tiredness that doesn't feel right. I am getting to bed early. No later than 10 pm. And I rise for about 7 am. I am sleeping well.

During the days I am experiencing a tiredness that feels like a hangover even though I am not drinking.

I am also experiencing a sore lower back. It's not very sore. It feels more like a weakness. Feels like something is going to cave in on me. I am experiencing sore hips sometimes but not all the time. My knees are sore all the time now.

I think maybe all this might be connected or maybe it might not be and maybe it's all separate.

I had a couple of weeks that were crazy. Work was crazy and intense. 2 solid weeks of work where I worked morning and night without a day off. Then I had visitors for two weeks. The last time I had a day free and off for myself without a sniff of work or entertaining visitors was the 14th of June approximately. I really feel like it's catching up with me now.

I am so so so so so so so tired.

I have a good diet.

• eggs and veg for breakfast
• lunch might be soup or veg and fish and cheese

I am not usually hungry for dinner in the evenings. I eat some fruit in between and some toast and veg and drink plenty of water. I take supplements too most days except I fell out of my routine a few weeks ago with the work schedule followed by visitors, i wasn't taking the supplements as per my routine. I'm taking them now.

I know I should probably go to my GP but I can't get an appointment right now.

I ordered an exercise ball and I am hoping it will be delivered to me tomorrow. Saturday will be my first day off. I think maybe if I was to do some gentle movements on the ball it might help me, maybe.

Sometimes when I bend down, I struggle to bend and I struggle to get back up again without support.

It feels like I will get down one of these days and never be able to get back up again.

I'm 40 and never doagnosised with arthritis.

I woke last week with two sore knees. I struggled to sit on the toilet due to the bending of the knees. Thankfully I have a stash of supplies. I used disposable gloves and deep heat on the knees. I have migraine medicine and included in that stash is diafene so I had a tablet and that helped.

I struggled or a while that morning.

You need to see Gp - could be a deficiency.

Sounds a tad like hypothyroidism or perimenopause. But might be vit d or something else.

Have you tired gentle swimming or Pilates?

Hypermobility syndrome is the other possibility but in my case it was also peri really and weakened muscles.

Some gentle weights may also help. Arthritis or arthralgia is best dealt with via exercise. But you'll get no where without checking bloods for other things

My GP is very good at giving me a check up once a year with bloods and blood pressure taken. Bloods are good except for low iron at times.

I don't know what my vitamin d levels are. I started supplementing a few years ago with vitamin d and k2 and other supplements. I usually take daily but since March there was a slide in taking them due to quite possibly undiagnosed depression. It's situational. There was something in March that had happened and I don't want to go into it.

Then there was a work stint in June. I wants very regilious at taking my supplements but I am back to taking them now every day.

Doubt it's vitamin d deficiency.

Thanks for the reply. I will make an appointment with the doctor.

I don't know how to swim but I would like to get into a heated pool and move around. I ordered an exercise ball so the ball can take my weight while I do some gentle exercises. Hopefully that will help til I ge to a doctor.

Most pools allow you to borrow a float - just kicking with a float will help. Also if they have water running belts - you just run in the water! Andy Murray did that for some sort of injury.

What about aqua aerobics classes? They're actually extremely tough these days, so I'd ask about levels!

I had to do a task this morning on the floor and get down on my knees. I was slow to move into kneeling. I struggled getting up. I got up but it took effort, support from a chair and stiffness.

It will be another week or two before I get into a pool. I think I am going to fast for the day and into tomorrow or just stay on soft foods and liquids and see if that helps my back. There's a gym ball being delivered to me today so I will lie on my belly on the ball and hope that helps.

Why would fasting help your back? To me, from your first post, it sounds as if you probably don't eat enough and might therefore have some kind of vitamin or mineral deficiency. Or it could be completely unrelated to your diet and you may have developed some inflammatory joint or muscle condition. But either way I can't see how you think that fasting or eating soft food will help with sore knees and an aching back.

What’s your logic with fasting and soft foods? I can’t work that out.

My lower back was achy for a long time. Not tremendous pain. Just achy and stiff.

I had to get a colonoscopy before and I had to fast for a day and drink laxatives. The fasting day - I felt great in my body - all aches and pains just vanished - I felt so much more lighter and fluid in the body and I felt fantastic.

I know I am probably not eating enough but it's not done on purpose. I have a small appetite. I take supplements.

Your diet is very restrictive and low on calories. At 40 I would be looking to increase calcium and protein too and there are not many carbs there either.
You could be perimenopausal. If you're not taking vitamin D then I would if I were you.
Eat a bit more generally and maybe weight bearing exercise but low impact? Walking, weights, etc. Swimming would be a good way to move without bearing weight if you're very uncomfortable right now.

It will be another week or so before I get to a doctor so I might as well try something this weekend til I get to a doctor and I will try with a liquid diet and some gentle stretches on a ball.

I'm taking a range of supplements already but I wasn't very consistent since march but I am now back into the swing of it and taking supplements daily.

I think full bloods to look at any vitamin or mineral deficiencies, but also to rule out potential thyroid, coeliac or inflammatory issues. Perhaps a referral to rheumatology.

If the GP told you your iron was low that's significant as their lower limit is very low - assuming you mean ferritin. Find out what it is as low ferritin can cause awful tiredness and other symptoms.

Have you been tested for coeliac?

All your blood test results should be available on the NHS app.

I’m about the same age and also achy and stiff, for months now. Especially my back and ribs. Lying in bed kills me. I keep thinking it’s bone cancer.

Supplements are no substitute for actual food, and there is no physical reason why overly controlling your food I take will help your backache. Do see your doctor, because what you are experiencing isn't normal at all for a 40 year old.

Low back pain is weakness in range of muscles - I've been through all this. Most joint pain is basically weak muscles around the joint.

The main treatments for osteoarthritis are gentle exercise and strengthening of the muscles. Gently and regularly

I would honestly do gradually increased local walks (like In lockdown) especially if possible first thing in the morning to get blood moving. Aim to increase your steps.

Roll lower back around doing Pilates clocks every morning and night - easy to see on YouTube, and bum on a tennis ball or spiky therapy ball (I prefer a rubber one.)

Pilates is the absolute best thing for stuff aching joints and lower back pain. It's basically what an nhs physio would give you.

Supplements won't do anything unless you're low. Could be vit d (and would be prescribed huge dose) or if iron (I've had more success with Spatone x 2 sachets following the advice on the box than horrid prescribed pills ) codliver or fish oil might help a bit but exercise will be better.

You could potentially have a thyroid issue in which case you do need that to be tested and supported. That can make one very stiff and achy.

These got rid of my similar knee, hip and back chain of pain:

You WILL lack energy as you are restricting your diet so much.

I have lower back pain and am struggling. I have a very very weak abdomen, do you think that is what I need to work on? Sorry to hijack.

I would definitely get an appointment with the doctor. Google anti inflammatory diet or inflammatory foods to avoid. That might help. I have fibromyalgia and find if I eat certain things it makes pain worse. Carbs also give me the sweats. I would not be fasting. It sounds like u have been on thru go far too long. U need to rest.