[59F] Experiencing severe joint pain and a range of systemic symptoms

What might be happening

Based on the information you've provided, possible diagnoses include:

• Rheumatoid Arthritis: This is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting many joints, including those in the hands and feet. It's an autoimmune disorder, which means your immune system mistakenly attacks your body's tissues. Symptoms include tender, warm, swollen joints, joint stiffness that is usually worse in the mornings and after inactivity, fatigue, and fever.

  • Treatment typically involves medications to reduce inflammation in your joints in order to prevent or slow joint damage.

• Psoriatic Arthritis: This is a form of arthritis that affects some people who have psoriasis — a condition that features red patches of skin topped with silvery scales. Most people develop psoriasis first and are later diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, but the joint problems can sometimes begin before skin patches appear. Symptoms include swollen fingers and toes, foot pain, lower back pain, and psoriasis symptoms (such as scaly red patches on the skin).

  • Treatment typically involves medications to reduce inflammation in your joints and skin.

• Fibromyalgia: This is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event.

  • Treatment typically involves a combination of medications, exercise, stress-reduction measures, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

What you can do

You should definitely see a doctor about your symptoms. They can provide a formal assessment and order relevant tests if necessary. In the meantime, you can try the following to relieve your symptoms:

1. Over-the-counter pain relievers: Nonprescription pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) can help.
2. Heat or cold: Some people find relief by applying heat to painful joints and cold to swollen joints.
3. Exercise: Regular exercise can help keep your joints flexible. Swimming is often a good form of exercise for people with arthritis because it doesn't put pressure on your joints the way running and walking do.

What you should look out for

Reasons to see a doctor more urgently:

• If your joint pain is accompanied by a fever
• If your joint pain is severe and is associated with an injury
• If your joint is completely immobile
• If your joint is severely swollen
• If you have severe joint pain and you have sickle cell anemia

Remember, this advice is intended to be general in nature, and specific causes may not apply to your situation. Always consult with a healthcare provider for appropriate examination, testing, and care recommendations.