Whats Next??

[Brightsky69]

 :oOk…I already have trouble sleeping, I am on PD, and my BP likes to get really low when it wants to. And now I am getting really stiff and sore. I use to get really stiff and sore just in my hands and feet as I woke up. Usually the stiffness would go away once I got moving. Now the stiffness is pretty much all over. I feel like I have been through boot camp. One I get moving the stiffness subsides but if I sit for any period of time I am stiff and sore when I get up.
What is the deal??? Could this be related to dialysis? After all, I am only 41 years old. 

[monrein]

We tend to have a lot of inflammation all through our bodies and I experience what you do also.  I'm 56 but it's been happening a while.  You could ask for a referral to a rheumatologist to see if anything can be done and failing that, just keep moving as much as possible so the rust doesn't build up.  I know that sounds glib but I do it every day...work through the pain and try to loosen things up.  Yoga maybe?

[Tracy]

You know, I am 41 and have only been on D for about 5 weeks now.  I have noticed that I am very tight in my shoulders and neck.  I used to could reach behind my back and now I can't, with either arm.  My range of motion is gone.  I don't understand it.  It started when I started D.  I am not sure what causes it and I didn't think it was related till I saw your post.  hmmm
 

[Brightsky69]

This is getting crazy!! I woke up this morning so stiff and sore I could barely make a fist. Last night I was so stiff I couldn’t sleep. My Nep. said he was going to have me tested for Lupus. I was tested for Lupus about 20 years ago and tested neg. I am going to make an appointment to see a rheumatologist. Something has got to give!!

The stiffness is mainly in my hands and feet. I am starting to feel it in my elbow now too. 

[Rerun]

Your adrenal glands are right on top of your kidneys.  They produce cortisone.  If they are getting sluggish they call it addisions disease.  They give you a couple of prednisone a day and you are great again. 

Because I was on 10mg of prednisone for 17 years my adrenal glands just never popped back so I'm on 2mg a day.  It depends on how you feel about prednisone.  It is a great drug with lots of side affects in the higher doses.  2mg a day I notice no side affects.

Ask your doc about addison disease.  See if he will give you 2mg of prednisone and see if your pain will get better.

Just a thought.   

[Quickfeet]

prednisone helped my joints. Also, have you had your uric acid checked. it can build up on your joints.

[Brightsky69]

   Wow you guys are GREAT!!!!  My doc just perscribed me 2.5 mg of Predinsone. I took the scrip to Walgreens today and it's sitting over there waiting for me to pick it up.  I am on it!! That is the first thing I am going to do tomorrow morning.

[Brightsky69]

Ok the prednisone hasn't helped at all. I almost need a walker when i get out of bed in the mornings. I can barely close my hands. It's not good.
If I sit for a long period I am just as stiff as before. My hands feel weak all the time. I don't know what is going on. Could I be getting too much dialysis?? I feel like I am getting the life sucked out of me.
It's mainly in my feet and my hands. I can't really put any weight on the balls of my feet. I end up shuffling my feeting instead of walking.

What the heck is going on??  I have an appt with a rhumatologist next week.

[Quickfeet]

Have you found out anything? I was really hoping prednisone would help you.

[Brightsky69]

I was tested fro Lupus and that was neg. I was just tested for Addisons disease.... don't know what that is yet. They also said i was spilling protein and glucose in my urine. No surprise there.

I don't kow what is going on.

[Riki]

You're on PD, right?  Is it possible you're holding fluid?  I know that when I was on PD and I was holding fluid, my legs would get hard and sore, and it was incredibly hard to stand on them for more than a few minutes.  I was on the Home Choice, and I always mixed my solutions, 1.5 on the heater, and 2.5 for the 2 fill bags.  I never used extraneal.  I tried it for a week, near killed me.  Anyway, there were times when I had too much fluid, where I switched to 2.5 on the heater and 1.5 for the filll, and on rare occasions, all 2.5.  There was always a bit of a balance to it, figuring which was better to use.  I found out when I started HD that I was holding a heck of a lot more fluid than I thought.  I've gone down 8kgs since then, and I'm sure it was all fluid.

[Quickfeet]

Here is a link for Addison's disease http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addison's_disease

2.5 mg of prednisone is not very much at all. I do a tapered dose over eight days for my gout. 40mg, 40 mg, 30 mg, 30 mg, 20 mg, 20 mg, 10 mg, 10 mg

You may have already tried this but try adding anti-inflamatory foods and try removing inflammatory foods.

[Brightsky69]

Today I feel much better. I did take an ambien last night and I actually slept all night long. Maybe it was the lack of sleep messing me up? I don't know.....but I do feel much better this morning. Today could just be a good day, who knows.

I still haven't gottent he results of the Addisons tests.

[natnnnat]

Did you ever work out what was going on, Brightsky?  Did the pain stop after your transplant (or before)?

[rsudock]

yeah BrightSky how are things going? Is the stiffness any better?

xo,
R

[Brightsky69]

Since my transplant...I just have a touch of stiffness in the morning. Once I get up and moving it goes away. I am feeling WAY better since I got the transplant. I sleep 99% better.
My creatinine today was 1.9