Sudden worsening of all pains and arthritis.

[CathyA]

I have Fibromyalgia (whatever the heck that ends up being). I've had flares before, but this is the biggest one ever.
I had been feeling pretty good and got spring fever and for 3 days in a row, I went nursery hopping. Then I planted the stuff. Ever since that my finger joints, hands, wrists, knees and feet have been hurting sooooo bad. I have joint pain, along with stinging pains in various places on my hands.
I'm also having a flare-up of abdominal pains (IBS).
The weather this spring has been crazy. Makes me wonder if it all has something to do with that. Or maybe my body just hit the tipping point with age.
Its really frustrating. I have so many interests.....chickens, water gardens, flowers, trees, veggie garden. I feel like an invalid.
Gosh.....all those younger years when we didn't really appreciate how great it was to do everything and not suffer. To get up every day and not have to think about our bodies.
Good thing DH loves to weed (can you believe that?) I'm grateful for that.
And I'm grateful for lots of other things........like the little hummingbird nest I found in the pinetree in the back yard. I need to focus on the good things.
But dang. The pain gets old.
Okay. Enough whining!

[Florence]

I hear ya' CathyA!! This aging thing isn't for the faint of heart!! It is so frustrating to want to keep going full out and get betrayed by our aching bodies. You might try pacing yourself; do one or two things and then rest for an hour before getting up and doing two more. Also try to break big tasks into a series of smaller tasks and do a few steps at a time.

[redfox]

I have noticed that as the osteoarthritis in my knees gets worse, my overall pain threshold goes down. I suspect some systemic inflammation. Going to a naturopath tomorrow to start an anti-inflammatory diet, and then getting cortisone in my knee the day after. I really want to stop taking ibuprofen to just get through the day.

[pinkytoe]

All this aging stuff is interesting. I find it odd that most mornings I wake up and feel limber and painless like a kid and others it hurts to even move for a while. I have to wonder if it is something simple like what I ate the night before or as you said, the weather.

[CathyA]

Thanks everyone,
I do wonder about the affect of the weather and storm fronts on us. And in my area (central Indiana), it seems like a different big front has been going through here every day or 2.
redfox.....that's interesting what you said about your knees. The first orthopedic surgeon I had several years ago, who did my surgical repair of a torn meniscus, said the same thing. I really think either he or his wife had fibromyalgia, but he was very knowledgeable and accepting of fibromyalgia (many docs aren't). He said that he's had patients with fibromyalgia who go into a body-wide flare when their knees act up. Interesting.
According to a new doc, I need a knee replacement, but I just don't want one (yet)........so I do what I can to keep the pain down. But I think my bad knee has really messed up my foot too, since I walk differently since I had the surgery on the meniscus.
Anyhow....an interesting concept.

[SRP]

Yep, I think the weather plays a big role. We live down south, and have also had a lot of weather changes - it's spring, after all! My mom's arthritis has been acting up something fierce, and occassionally I get my own very annoying set of aches and pains.

Cathy, I know what you mean about not being able to do what you really love. I've got something going on with my hip, which Will.Not.Go.Away. Anyhow, I've pretty much had to change my entire lifestyle to manage it. One thing I've learned - it's all about balance. You can't just stop living, but you can reassess and find new ways to do things, and basically explore this body that you have. I've known people with fibromyalgia, and it's tough. But you sound pretty tough yourself, and I suspect you will find that new point of balance soon.

[Jemima]

According to my physical therapist a few years back, weather has everything to do with aches and pains. I had a serious back injury and couldn't figure out why I was feeling so good after several weeks of cool, damp weather, which I had thought caused aches and pains. My therapist said the problem is changes in the weather, not the type of weather, as changes in air pressure cause pain in susceptible people. Sure enough, I now have tendonitis which is sometimes painful enough to be exhausting, and it always acts up when the weather changes.

Stretching (gently), acetaminophen, and sometimes a nap helps. I certainly agree that old age is not for sissies.

[Gardenarian]

I also get aches and pains from weather changes (arthritis); sudden changes in air pressure can trigger migraines for me. I love my massage chair! I think I would have to give up gardening if I didn't have it!

When I'm not feeling up to digging or weeding I find that getting up early and watering, doing a little deadheading, or updating my garden notebook as I walk around will give me my garden fix.

My close friend and neighbor has FMS, and it really is a bear. I hope this finds you feeling a little better.

[CathyA]

What did it used to be called........"rheumatism"? I remember old folks talking about the weather affecting it. Maybe we're so disconnected from nature that alot of people don't even make that connection with the weather.
My first orthopedic doc told me that he had had coronary bypass surgery. After he was recovered, he went to play golf. A storm came in suddenly and his chest started hurting so much that he thought he was having a heart attack. But as soon as the storm passed, all the pain went away!
Yes, alot of people seem to have migraines triggered by the weather. I had a friend who would get them only when the storms came from a certain direction.

There's a big storm headed this way, so I went out and quickly planted cucumbers and made a quick trellis for them. I took some Tylenol before I went out, and I think it helped. I've been reading about things to do to keep arthritic hands from hurting. I guess tight grips are bad for them, so I should be looking for some tools that have big handles. I think it helps to always wear thick gloves too.

One of my water lilies bloomed today. Sometimes the natural beauty around me is such a juxtaposition to how my body feels! But at least we have that, right?
I agree that gentle stretching helps alot. It also gives me energy.
Well, I better go refill the hummingbird feeders before the storm comes.
Thanks everyone for your replies! :)

[Simpler at Fifty]

According to a new doc, I need a knee replacement, but I just don't want one (yet)........so I do what I can to keep the pain down. But I think my bad knee has really messed up my foot too, since I walk differently since I had the surgery on the meniscus.

DH had both knees replaced and it was then we discovered how they had affected other parts of his body. He is disabled now with arthritis in his spine and his massage therapist thinks he has fibromyalgia (not common in men). DH said having his knees replaced was the best thing he ever did. One of those, 'I wish I had done it sooner".

[pony mom]

Barometric changes definitely affect my aching knees. Even the air pressure change when flying in a plane causes that familiar achiness in my joints. Who knew all those hours playing on the floor of our cement-floored basement and jumping off of swings would catch up with me 30+ years later.

I've recently started taking the supplement MSM hoping it would help with the inflammation in my shoulder. For almost a year I've been taking waaaay too much Advil--sometimes more than 15 a day. These last four days I've only taken one, and that was for a mild annoying tension headache that wouldn't go away. My horse has been on MSM for years and I'm taking it myself to use it up (it was for my dog). I'm not totally pain-free but the pain isn't constant anymore. And my liver is getting a break.

[SoSimple]

Suffering right along with ya! I'm in pre-authorization hell, which translates to "no medicine for you until our creaky ol' bureaucracy as turned its rusty wheels and spits out a yay or nay decision". God help me if it's a nay. I forgot how much it hurt to be off my primary medication.

Hope your flare dies down soon! Rest, eat well, move gently . . .

[CathyA]

I wish I could take glucosamine chondroitin, but it upsets my GI tract too much. I think I've tried MSM in my distant past, but can't remember if it helped. Maybe I'll give it another try.
As far as fibromyalgia goes, I really think it does have something to do with our neuro system. I think mine is set on overdrive all the time, and I feel everything to the max. I think its that "substance P " that's been mentioned as a possible cause. It makes it really hard for me to know how to interpret so much of my pain.
I could spend my life going to doctors and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, with nothing ever showing up. So I've learned to try to ignore alot of my pain.......which will probably eventually get me into trouble.......But that's how I'm handling it for now.

As far as knee replacements...........Part of my not wanting them is sort of a philosophical position. I think our needing to stay young forever and replacing everything that ever breaks down leads to other problems in our society. I'm trying to age naturally and make the best of what my body has to give (what little that might be). Also..........having worked in health care, I realize that doctoring is a business and you can't always trust what is told to you.
I'm still trying to sort it all out........yes, I get crowns on my teeth..........yes, I'm using a cpap to breath at night.....yes, I'd get my bones set if I broke them...........but replacing bigger parts bothers me. I don't think I would get a heart transplant if I needed one. I guess I like feeling so connected with nature, that if I wear out......then its my time to go.
pony mom...........thanks for reminding me about MSM.
Good luck getting your meds SoSimple.
Thanks everyone. The commiserating is helpful!