What is this - autoimmune/arthritis/perimenopause…or something else?

[Starship7]

First I will say that I know I need to go to a doctor urgently for bloods, and I will do this tomorrow - but I’m aware this is probably the sort of condition that is notoriously hard to diagnose.

In short, I’m 48. Have had knee pain on my left side for about a year. In the past few months, my left elbow has also started hurting to the point I’m now in pain the whole time. It’s really getting me down.

On top of this I’m knackered all the time and my skin seems odd - a patch of eczema above my lip that comes and goes, cracks at side of my mouth. I’m exhausted all the time too.

I do take vitamins and HRT so not sure if it’s deficiencies or hormones. Re arthritis - doesn’t oesteo rarely start in knee/elbow, and isn’t RA not only one side? It could be the other way around 🤪 but the point is I don’t think my symptoms match.

Any ideas what this could be? I started my day in tears because the pain is so bad 😩

You are right in that osteoarthritis is often one sided or one joint whereas rheumatoid is usually symmetrical.
However, my RA started as Palindromic Rheumatism which is one sided, or to be more precise, it can be any random joint.
It could be some kind of inflammatory disorder especially with the eczema as well.

@Poffy - thanks for your reply. So interesting your RA started on one side - was it a particular joint? How long did it take to be diagnosed? X

With the skin, I'd be thinking potentially psoriatic arthritis

I’m struggling in the same way and am a similar age.

my blood tests are normal which is a relief but I’m still in pain.

GP’s advice is to stop going to the gym and go back if it doesn’t settle in a couple of months 🙄

I hope you get more answers than I have

About 5/ 6 years.
At first they said it was osteoarthritis because my rheumatoid factor was low but eventually I saw a rheumatologist.