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Weird Migrating Joint/muscle pain I have!
Hi! I’m 17F, 5’4”, 107 lbs. Since August 3rd, I’ve been experiencing weird migrating pain, usually in my joints, but sometimes in other areas too. Each flare-up usually starts as Feeling like a light bruise when I put pressure on it, then progresses over a day or a few days to a burning sensation, and sometimes stabbing pain that makes it hard to move the area. There is never really any bruising or redness on the affected area. Recently, i've noticed before each "Flare-up" that area goes almost stiff.
I started journaling to keep track of each flare-up. Here’s a summary:
Aug 3: Side stinging hard, lasted ~2 weeks. Thought it was from a carnival game, but lasted too long to be an injury.
Aug 9–12: Right knee, bruise → burning → stabbing → almost immobile. Limped while walking. Went to the doctor; wrap was given but initially made it worse. Eventually went away.
Aug 22: Left knee suddenly stabbing after standing up. No bruise → burning phase. Pain subsided by next day.
Sept 6: Left shoulder blade hurt all day, worse with movement (especially during work).
Sept 9: Left backside of ankle (bone area), bruise → burning → stabbing → immobile. Pain remained even at rest.
Sept 10–11: Right knee stiff first, then painful. Left ankle still hurt, couldn’t walk.
Sept 11: Left side of neck briefly bruise-y. Left hand knuckles (except thumbs) stiff, burning/stabbing. Typing is painful.
Sept 12: Left hand knuckles (stiff, burning/stabbing), right knee, and left side of torso all flared up. By the end of the day, the front of my left ankle got so bad that I couldn’t rotate or bend it.
Other info:
No access to family medical history (adopted).
No sports, unusual sleeping, or walking habits.
No visible bruises, redness, or marks.
Tylenol is the strongest pain med I can take; it isn’t effective. Icy Hot distracts from the pain but doesn’t actually relieve it.
I’m mainly asking for advice or shared experiences, and to know whether this might need urgent medical attention. Happy to answer any questions. Thanks so much for reading!
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Have you been on any new medications since the symptoms started? Especially antibiotics? If so stop them immediately and call your doctor. Do u live or have you visited an area where Lyme disease is prevalent?
A typical work up might involve a detailed history and physical from an MD. This is a difficult case, I would avoid ancillary practitioners such as nurse practitioners or physician’s assistants or chiropractors (just my opinion). Lab work might include tests for inflammation (ESR, CRP), tests for rheumatoid arthritis (though at 17 you are quite young for this), viral infections ( such as west nile virus if you live in the right area though this is usually accompanied by a rash and fever) and vitamin deficiencies. Possibly lupus testing, tho this seems less likely.
If it were me or one of my family members, I’d start with a good internal medicine doctor with referral to a rheumatologist if nothing is found.
You mentioned using heat. Have you tried cool packs? Is your job physically demanding?
I hope this serves as a start. I’ll be thinking of you. Please respond back when you have followed up. I’d be interested to know what eventually happens.
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