In search of a diagnosis: Arthritis or Vitamin deficiency...

GrahamB8

I’m a 65 year old male, and twice in the past 3 years I have been diagnosed with having a deficiency of Vitamin D. The condition was diagnosed after I presented at my GP surgery with pain in my bones and muscles, and was successfully treated on both occasions with a high dose of Vitamin D tablets administered by way of 1 x 20,000 icu at the start of 3 consecutive months.

The above two regimes worked perfectly, but I am now suffering from the same symptoms again, and so far - albeit after only two days of self administered treatment - the condition isn’t yet responding in the same way that it did before.

I didn’t quite expect the symptoms to have disappeared completely by this time, but the fact that they have worsened considerably for me in the past two days, is making me worry that something a bit more sinister might be going on - especially due to severity of the pain, which whilst bearable is uncomfortable, and is now in excess of the levels I had before.

My fear now is that I might have made in incorrect diagnosis, and that it might actually by arthritis, but would that explain the somewhat sudden onset of the malaise, which started in my shoulder, but has now spread to both my wrists and hands and both my legs and feet?

Any help that anyone could give me would be very gratefully received.

Ellen

Hello @GrahamB8 Welcome to the online community.

I see you are concerned that an initial diagnosis of Vitamin D deficiency (made by your GP??) might have actually been wrong and you might in fact have a form of Arthritis.

I am presuming that in the first instance you had a blood test which indicated very low vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is essential for bone health:

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2019/october/are-you-getting-enough-vitamin-d/

In your shoes I think it is time for you to go back to your GP and ask for further investigations.

Do please let us know how you get on

Best wishes

Ellen

GrahamB8

Thank you, Ellen

I’m planning to request a further consultation with my GP, but trusted their previous diagnosis on the basis that blood tests clearly showed that I had a Vitamin D deficiency, and that there was no sign of inflammation. I believe they had also requested the blood tests on the grounds that they were looking for this as a possible reference point by which they’d return a diagnosis of arthritis.

I’ll certainly update you on the result of the new contacts with my doctors, and am hoping they might be able to help me again this time. Just at the moment, though, I’m quite depressed as to where these new investigations might go.

Regards

Graham

frogmorton

Hi Graham @GrahamB8

Thing is with our bloods they can start off negative and that can change it did for a few people I know on here.

It sounds as though things might be worse for you this time your symptoms have flared if I'm reading rightly.

What I will say is there is nothing as scary as what you don't know - fear of the unknown. If you do have arthritis you have possibly had it a good while and finding out which kind and getting treated for it will be a positive thing surely?

We can be here to support you while you go through finding out what's going on Graham. We've all been here and understand what a worrying time this is for you.

Take care

Toni xx

GrahamB8

Thank you for your comments, Toni.

I’m planning to call my surgery tomorrow morning to book an appointment, so that should hopefully set everything in motion towards finding a correct diagnosis.

I suffer from Health Anxiety, so my fears have been spiralling again in the past few days, and I am already imagining this to turn up the most terrifying diagnosis possible. I do hope something can change for the better for me very soon.

Kind regards

Graham

frogmorton

Graham trust me all will be well. If it is arthritis they can and will treat you and this should get under some control.

Health anxiety makes it so much worse I understand, but we are here for you and will support you through diagnosis and treatment ((()))