Help me diagnose
Background and symptoms: I've been suffering from lower leg pain in both my legs (from knees to feet) for the past 3 years. The symptoms are mainly extreme pain, fatigue/ exhaustion with activities, and pins and needles and burning sensation most of the time, but no skin psoriasis, swelling, or other physical symptoms. This problem started all of a sudden after a long flight (approximately 8 hrs) on a plane where my seat was mechanically damaged, and I couldn't recline it; the guy in front of me reclined his seat entirely, so I didn't have any space to move my legs properly. I requested him, as well as the air hostess, to change my seat to no avail. The pain started after I got off the plane and increased exponentially as I walked through the airport. Since then, it's been a disaster. I don't have these symptoms anywhere else in my body, not even in my upper legs or anywhere else in my body. Before this flight, I never ever had this type of pain in my life.
Diagnosis so far: My initial treatment was done in the US. US healthcare is crap, but I didn't know until I got a first-hand experience. My dumb primary care provider put me on 200/400 mg Ibuprofen and then switched to acetaminophen of low strength despite my terrible symptoms. He didn't give me any stronger painkillers or local anesthesia despite my thousand requests; they just kept saying that it was an unusual pain throughout all our meetings. After 3 months, he realized that it's getting even worse so he thought it could be nerve issue so he gave me gabapentin and later switched to pregabalin which were also of very very low strength. Later, he told me to take only multivitamins as my reports (by that time, I had done blood tests, urine tests, an MRI of my lower legs and back, and CT angiogram of my legs) were ok. During this entire period, I consulted a few doctors of different specialties, but they said that as the reports are fine, we can't help you. Also, the wait time to schedule any test or appointment is extraordinarily long in the US and it definitely exacerbated my condition. That time my symptoms include-- achy pain, shooting and burning sensation. I couldn't stand for more than 30 minutes at all and couldn't walk for more than 15 minutes without terrible pain.
I came back to my native country after about a year as by that time I was told by my medical care team that I might be able to fly now and since then I consulted a few doctors of different specialties. My physical therapist suggested that the symptoms relate to arterial disease like intermittent claudication but, my test reports are normal. My Ultrasound says 30-40% blood flow reduction in the anterior and posterior tibial artery, but the Vascular surgeon said it's normal. I did the same tests in the US earlier, and the Vascular surgeon in the US said the same thing and also said that apart from the pain, nothing else matches with vascular problems, especially as I don't have any physical appearance similar to vascular disease. I was given Naftidrofuryl oxalate - a vasodilator for 2 months, which didn't abate the pain at all, so I believe it's not a vascular issue. I got all sorts of blood tests (HLA B27, RF factor, C reactive protein, CPK, lactate, uric acid, D-dimer, CBC test, almost any kind of blood test imaginable) and imaging tests(MRI, ultrasound, CT angiogram) done along with nerve tests (EMG and NCS). These tests have been done routinely and multiple times in different hospitals in 3 different countries, and the results are fine every time. The only test I couldn't get done is called myositis metabolic panel because it's not available where I'm now. My neurologist also said that it's not a nerve issue. Recently, 2 MRIs were done by my Rheumatologist and he found just a slight inflammation in my calves but the other MRI suggests that I have pretty good inflammation in my tendon and joint in my foot. My rheumatologist now says that it's peripheral spondylo arthritis. According to him, peripheral spondylo arthritis is observed through ultrasound or imaging tests rather than blood tests, hence nothing shows up in my blood tests reports. I asked him if it could be due to any infection but he denied that and said if it were due to any infection, then it would be found on a blood test by now. I know that ultrasound is a subjective thing that depends on the person who's performing it(technologist/doctor) but I'm just so confused and skeptical. I still have those symptoms- achy pain, burning sensation. Although sciatica is mostly found in one leg but I have these symptoms in both legs. I took pregabalin for 6 months but it dedn't help me at all. My EMG and NCS are also fine. My MRI which I got done here in my country suggests I have mild sacroilitis which I've attached here though the doctors said it's fine and not necessarily a dangerous sign.
I find it very weird that due to a bad flight, I developed arthritis/ sciatica all on a sudden. Does anyone relate to my symptoms? Has anyone ever had a similar experience? I need some suggestions, please!
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@ddmo
u have to find a dr that treats and tests for parasites
Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt views chronic or hidden parasites as a core underlying root cause of persistent illnesses—such as Lyme disease, chronic fatigue, and neurological disorders—rather than just simple digestive issues.
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2 Reactions@bbk186 Sorry. I don't know what you mean?
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1 Reaction@jonijean the name of the xray or ultrasound you mentioned?
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1 Reaction@ddmo I don't live in the USA anymore
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1 ReactionI'm an old patient from 2016. I have an insure with the right side of my head, No one seems to know what's causing it. Around my right side ear all around it feels like I have hundreds of bugs crawling all around my right side of my head. can someone tell me what this could be.?
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1 Reaction@gborzewski contact an ENT doctor
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2 Reactions@bbk186 doppler ultrasound is used to track blood flow.
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1 Reaction@bbk186 Just a regular X-ray of your knees. Some, not all, Rheumatologists use ultrasound to see the crystals. CPPD mainly strikes older people.
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1 Reaction@jonijean what is CPPD?
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1 Reaction@rashida CPPD stands for Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease. It occurs when calcium pyrophosphate crystals form in the cartilage and other joint tissues. These crystals can irritate the joint and cause inflammation, pain, stiffness, and sometimes swelling.
CPPD can show up in a few different ways:
Acute CPP crystal arthritis (pseudogout): Sudden attacks of pain, swelling, warmth, and redness, often in the knee, wrist, ankle, or other joints.
Chronic CPPD (sometimes called pseudorheumatoid CPPD): Ongoing joint pain and stiffness that can resemble rheumatoid arthritis.
CPPD with osteoarthritis: Many people develop osteoarthritis in unusual joints or more severe arthritis than expected because of crystal deposition.
Common symptoms include:
Joint pain
Morning stiffness
Reduced range of motion
Episodes of increased inflammation
Sometimes swelling, though not everyone swells dramatically
Diagnosis may involve:
Finding CPP crystals in joint fluid under a microscope
X-rays showing chondrocalcinosis (calcification in cartilage)
Ultrasound or other imaging studies
Treatment can include:
NSAIDs such as Celebrex
Colchicine
Corticosteroids in some situations
Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) in selected patients with chronic inflammatory CPPD
Physical activity and joint protection measures
One thing that's important to know is that CPPD can range from nearly silent crystal deposits to a chronic inflammatory disease that behaves a lot like rheumatoid arthritis. Different people experience it very differently.
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6 Reactions