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Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 5:45:05 AM

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Woke up with some physical symptoms returning: pain, stiffness in my body. Swelling of my feet and ankels (hands and wrists, too, again, now). Have been to a score of doctors, including to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL -- no one can figure it out (no, it is not fibromyalgia and not rheumatoid arthritis; one theory is serum sickness from Tetanus shot--although it's been 8 months since, another theory is a toxic response to "something"...), especially since it involves the pain, stiffness and swelling. Recommended pain meds don't really work.
I am on an alternative path to fix/cure all this: eating raw vegan. Not easy but I gotta give it a good try...

I know that attitude is everything, here. Easy to slip into negativity. Have to stay positive, or at least neutral towards what is happening. Gotta stay in the moment. Appreciate all support, ideas, info...

RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 6:04:04 AM

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Conventional medicine doesn't help. So I'd recommend trying a naturopath and seeing if alternative medicine would work.

Good luck.

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 6:16:50 AM

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Thanks DarkSteven --

Taking that leap from alleopathic medicine to alternative therapies is really a leap of faith...courage?

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 6:21:42 AM

Aylee

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You are 64. Perhaps you are just getting old.

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 6:44:33 AM

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Dear Aylee--

Thank you for your very youthful response. I guess when I was your age I thought that 64 was old.
My symptoms are not from "simply aging," thank you. They are atypical, difficult to diagnose, and I am looking for a possible solution.
(Wish I could be here when, and IF (God willing), you reach this age...you'll see that it is far from getting"old.")

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 7:23:32 AM

Aylee

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quote:

ORIGINAL: gorgeoushair

Dear Aylee--

Thank you for your very youthful response. I guess when I was your age I thought that 64 was old.

At 35 I am not as resilient as I was at 20. It is unlikely that you are as resilient as you were 30 years ago. Or 15 years ago. Body parts age.

Have you had a bone density scan?

quote:

My symptoms are not from "simply aging," thank you.

Of course not.

You might pick up a book or two by Dr. Christiane Northrup.

quote:

They are atypical, difficult to diagnose,

Swelling, stiffness, and pain sounds like a lactic acid issue. Stop all carbonated beverages, take calcium supplements, up your water intake, and elevate your feet when resting.

quote:

and I am looking for a possible solution.

Unlike what would happen in an episode of House MD, asking strangers on the interwebz for a diagnosis is just silly. We do not even have your complete medical history.

quote:

(Wish I could be here when, and IF (God willing), you reach this age...you'll see that it is far from getting"old.")

Anyone that says something along the lines of, "When you are my age. . ." is old.

But hey, you would be 93, given modern medicine you have a good chance!

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 9:54:19 AM

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I was thinking the toxic angle as well. It could be you have more than one problem and they are simply creeping up on you at the same time.

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 10:02:00 AM

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have you had any blood tests done?

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 10:17:40 AM

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OP, it must be frustrating to have to ask people on the internet for help with a medical problem. Do you find that your doctors are not taking your concerns seriously? Doctors are encouraged by insurance companies to limit tests to keep costs low. It sounds like your real problem is that your concerns aren't being addressed. Have you been pretty assertive in dealing with your providers? This is sometimes hard to do when you don't feel well, but I have certainly experienced having my legitimate concerns blown off until I become very insistent.

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 10:24:11 AM

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Mayo is supposed to be one of the best.... but even within any organization, there can be people who arent as thorough as others.

OP, you can always ask for a second opinion. I believe, in your case, you should.

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Dont judge me because I sin differently than you.
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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 10:24:24 AM

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quote:

You are 64. Perhaps you are just getting old.

I was told that when I was 30. Turned out the building I worked in had toxic mold, which gave me a wide range of symptoms that conventional medicine was unable to diagnose.

Fortunately, I read an article on the internet about flooding, improper mold remediation, and chronic illness, and my suspicions were confirmed by indoor air quality testing, a doctor who specialized in environmental illness, and later, for the worker's comp case, a SPECT brain scan.

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 10:27:12 AM

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quote:

another theory is a toxic response to "something"

Anything new in your environment? New carpet, new paint, new pesticides? Have you moved recently? Have you taken trips and felt better? Could mold be an issue?

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 10:46:31 AM

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quote:

I am on an alternative path to fix/cure all this: eating raw vegan.

I'm all for alternative paths. When I got sick, I read everything my library carried by Christiane Northrup, Andrew Weil, Carolyn Myss and Deepak Chopra. I was fortunate to also have found a very good MD. There are many paths up the mountain.

Stick with the raw vegan diet if you feel you thrive on it. Be aware that this simply will not work for some metabolic types. I can eat less meat in the summer, when my body craves fruits and salads, but in the winter my body wants meat and potatoes, so I listen, buy organic, and add broccoli.

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 2:14:26 PM

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Dear Aylee -- thank you for your continued interest and suggestions.
Please note that I am not looking for a diagnosis here--that would be silly.

Of course I have had bone density tests, and am ensuring getting the right amoung of calcium, etc.

Going raw vegan has helped many people with different health challenges...that is the path I am now taking.
Am (always) curious and interested in other people's experiences, particularly with this kind/type of health challenge...

(Sitll wish I could be here when you reach this ripe old age..lol....

)

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 2:22:50 PM

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You all have been so lovely and helpful, thanks.

All of my blood tests, and there have been "zillions" have come back negative.
The rheumatologist at the Mayo was a fellow, so he had to consult with colleagues, his superior.

I do not belive that I have rheumatoid arthritis..the swelling is not in my joints, per se and it has become more muscular.

I am leaning towards the toxic reaction myself.
At least two doctors mentioned that it could be a reaction to a tetanus shot I had following a fall, last March.
Two days after I got the shot, my left hand started swelling.
Everyone blew me off regarding possible serum sickness...
An allergist at the Mayo said that it was too long ago to be sure, but that it could be serum sickness...(it seems that serum sickness does not ordinarily manifest itself this way....but who knows?)

Am looking for someone who can come in and do environmental testing in the house, or get home testing kits.
A few years ago I did have some new wallboard put in, following mold remediation (which resulted from improper installation of a new dishwasher), but I do not think it was the Chinese wallboard that made everyone sick.
My house is also near a drainage ditch, charmingly called a brook.
I know for sure that it is full of fertilizer and other nasty things...

Meanwhile, eating raw vegan can only help in my opinion...
Thanks again for all your helpful ideas and suggestions...

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 2:23:54 PM

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Just because you went to a lot of doctors does not guarantee you answers.
Have they tested you for the gamut of auto-immune disorders; Lyme Disease? Some people get repeated false negatives on Lyme but that doesn't mean they don't have it.
A negative diagnosis doesn't mean you don't have something: some diagnosis are subjective. Positive tests don't always mean you have something either; sometimes things run false positive.

I know how frustrating these types of things can be: I went to see a rheumatologist because I had pain and swelling in my hands but in a specific location. After a fairly thorough exam she said she knew of no disease, illness or syndrome that could cause this.

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 2:25:00 PM

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Have you been tested for Lyme disease?

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 3:14:49 PM

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Iamsemisweet
Doctors are encouraged by insurance companies to limit tests to keep costs low.

Insurance companies don't encourage us to keep costs low. If I order lab work, xray, scan or other diagnostic study, the insurance company just wont pay for it if it doesnt fit certain criteria. Even if they do offer reimbursement, it is only a fraction of the actual cost. So if I order a cervical spine MRI (typically $1800), the insurance company might offer $800...that is the way insurance works. We physicians rarely get 100% reimbursement

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 4:18:26 PM

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Not getting paid in full doesn't encourage you to limit tests? Or discourage you from ordering them?

quote:

ORIGINAL: bemyslut

quote:

ORIGINAL: Iamsemisweet
Doctors are encouraged by insurance companies to limit tests to keep costs low.

Insurance companies don't encourage us to keep costs low. If I order lab work, xray, scan or other diagnostic study, the insurance company just wont pay for it if it doesnt fit certain criteria. Even if they do offer reimbursement, it is only a fraction of the actual cost. So if I order a cervical spine MRI (typically $1800), the insurance company might offer $800...that is the way insurance works. We physicians rarely get 100% reimbursement

_____________________________

Alice: But I don't want to go among mad people.
The Cat: Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.
Alice: How do you know I'm mad?
The Cat: You must be. Or you wouldn't have come here.

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RE: Unable to Diagnose Pain Stiffness Swelling - 11/2/2011 9:01:36 PM

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Yup, been tested for Lyme Disease...once.
May ask again..
Also wondered about possible parasites...
Understood re: testing not always providing answers...one of the reasons I'm going an alternative route in an attempt to reach maximum health, period (and possibly prevent other problems..).

Thanks again, all for your ideas and suggestions, really appreciate them...

(in reply to angelikaJ)

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