Hi, I also have tons of joint pain and also swelling. My knees are horrible, as are my hands and fingers. They did find some cartilidge disintegration in my knees, but everything else they are saying is fibro. I also have spine issues, two herniated discs in my neck and kyphosis. Now I am having terrible pain in my low back, butt area and down my legs. This is the worst yet.
What I get is both joint and muscle pain. It moves around. I get pain in my jaw even. My elbows hurt, my shoulders, chest. It's ridiculous.
I am much older than you, however. I feel doctors don't really listen to the symptoms, they just look at tests. I have a sister who has RA and it took her 2 years to get a diagnosis and they told her fibro too. Nothing showed up in her blood tests either. I tell the doctors this, but they don't care. So you are not alone.
I've been taking pain meds. for almost 3 yrs. and it never makes it go away. It just dulls it to the point that it makes it bearable. Have they tried the Lidoderm patches with you? I found that they work very well with that deep, gnawing, achy type pain. If it continues, you might ask your doc. about cortisone injections. I know you are in pain and i'm sorry.
Nana434 -you are so right when you say it has taken over and you just want your life back. I also was very active and now can hardly do much of anything. And the doc. says that I have an 'adjustment disorder'...well yeah...anyone who basically lost their life would have one.
Wishing you both relatively pain free days.
I can relate i to have joint pain that just wont go away. I went from a lower back injury
L5 SI nerve root, to ddd, facet arthropaty,fibro and now they say osteo.
And it has taken over my life i went from being a very active person to living with chronic pain on pain meds that don't really help.
I use the thermacare heat wraps they seem to help some i know how it feels and im so sorry you are having so much pain. This is something that you don't understand unless your having the pain.
I say to myself all the time, I just want my life back.
God Bless