Post Pregnancy Joint Pain & Muscle Stiffness

11 years ago

Wondering if others have experienced joint pain and extreme muscle stiffness following pregnancy? Mostly in my hands and feet but also knees, etc. Had children after 35 (now 41). Started after my 1st child was born but off and on. With my 2nd child, starting a couple of mths after birth, I developed debilitating pain in my feet, hands, wrists, knees and sometimes elbows (my back too but I had a bad back before so hard to say tho has been worse) and it is constant. Seen 4 doctors but no answers. Certainly low Vit.D and have been on high-dose (prescrip) supplements for about 9 mths. Fam doc thinks hormone related and I believe so as I had limited pain during my 2nd pregnancy. My toes feel like a giant hand is wrapped around them, crushing them. Usually the balls of my feet feel like they're curling in/under; makes it incredibly difficult to walk especially in the mornings (not to mention running after young children!). My wrists feel swollen and ache; in my finger joints it comes and goes. My knees feel swollen and sometimes ache so bad can barely move. And the all-over muscle stiffness is unreal! After sitting for only a few minutes, I am stiff as a rock and painful/slow to stretch out. Once IÃ¢ÂÂm moving ok though pain still there. Hard to be active with this so have put on weight but not much and weight gain doesnÃ¢ÂÂt explain pain in upper limbs. Yoga helps, massage and heat too but all only temp. Pain/stiffness can be so bad will wake me in the night; have to get up and force myself to move thru it to ease it. One doc said have fibromyalgia but felt was diagnosed dismissively, just didnÃ¢ÂÂt want to be bothered anymore (was filling in for my fam doc). Seen a rheumatologist and he said not fibro. I have blood indicators for high inflammation but not arthritis (and thankfully no joint deformation). Rheum says may or may not be arthritisÃ¢ÂÂ¦leaves me nowhere. While breastfeeding was on Vimovo (active ingredient is naproxen (same as Alleve)) so I could function but makes my ears ring like crazy! Off it now as donÃ¢ÂÂt want ringing to be permanent and no longer breastfeeding (tho only recently stopped); pain is back and bad as ever. Wondering if anyone else has had similar experience? Thank you for reading.

This post was edited by Audlee on Tue, Jan 6, 15 at 13:22

Featured Answer

lizzie_grow

11 years ago

I used to work as an office nurse for OB/GYN. I remember a woman calling in with very similar symptoms to yours after having given birth. I also have a daughter with MS....she has done very well, after being diagnosed 16 years ago. They adopted, so she has no history of pregnancy. MS can show up & is often diagnosed after being pregnant (not sure why). I also have an inflammatory type of arthritis that causes my inflammatory markers to be elevated & have been on Prednisone for over 2 years, and almost off it now. Still have pain & stiffness, but not to the degree I did before being on the meds.

Something is going on with you if your tests for inflammation are elevated, and I don't think it's fibromyalgia. I hope they have run tests for lupus, RA, and other autoimmune diseases. MS is usually diagnosed by a CT scan to check your brain & possibly a spinal tap, but work-up usually starts with a CT scan.

These types of symptoms are often hard to pinpoint into a diagnosis....that was me for many years. Perhaps in addition to seeing the rheumatologist, an endocrinologist or neurologist would be helpful to figure out what this might or might not be. It sounds rheumatologic to me, though. Are you experiencing fatigue?

I hope you can get some help with this, as well as a definitive diagnosis. People can have sero-negative RA, meaning the blood tests don't show it, but x-rays show changes in your skeletal system. Good luck & please post any updates!

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Comments (8)

User
11 years ago
Make sure your calcium increased along with the Vitamin D ... mild calcium deficits can cause muscle pain.

Have you tried other NSAIDs, such as Sulindac?

Post-partum joint pain seems to be common, based on the number of google results I got. Some of the sane suggestions (ignoring the quackery, essential oils, and the like) were to establish a mild regular stretching and warmup regimen, increase your intake of oily fishes (there's some evidence it helps non-rheumatic joint pain), and wearing leggings and wrist warmers to encourage better circulation.
User
11 years ago
Have yourself checked for MS. Some women with the remittent type develop pains during and after pregnancy. My SIL developed it with her first pregnancy and it became worse as she had more children. A spinal tap is the normal test to rule it out. There are blood tests but for definite proof.
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I stumbled on this topic and was so glad to see that I am not the only one who has struggled with this. I have been having issues for the past 3 years. My periods stopped almost exactly 2 years ago. I had gotten so bad in the past 6 months that I could not walk when I got out of bed in the morning and could barely walk after sitting for longer than 10 minutes. I finally found a combination of things that have been working for me. I hope it may help somebody else! I admit that my diet has been terrible. I've had a bad case of the "busys" and I have relied heavily on the "bag and box" convenience approach. I read that people who eat a lot of fast/convenience food have magnesium and potassium deficiencies--which affect muscles. I began eating a banana--sometimes with peanut butter for breakfast. I eat baked potatoes (with all the good stuff; even then it 's better for me than fast food!). I concentrated on getting food with real nutrients; particularly potassium. You can google and find lots of options. I began taking a magnesium supplement. I only take about 1/2 the therapeutic dose. Do some research and find out which formulations are best absorbed to avoid diarrhea. I found out that artificial sweeteners can have an affect on nerves over time. (I recalled working with a client in my past job who turned to drinking Listerine as a source of alcohol. It permanently damaged the muscles in his legs.) I have been a HEAVY diet coke drinker for decades. I limit the diet soda to one or two small bottles per week and I began drinking water. Lots of it. I bought a compact fold-up exercise bike so that I could get in non-weight bearing exercise. The treadmill just seemed to aggravate things, especially my foot that had begun swelling. The bike allows me to work my legs--releasing lactic acid build-up that can lead to tightness--without causing new problems. A rowing machine might work too. I do at least 30 minutes a day, sometimes breaking it up into two or three sessions. I like the bike because it is totally silent and I can stop for brief breaks. I watch TV while riding. (I've read that deep tissue massage is also excellent in releasing lactic acid build-up, but I haven't tried it.) I began taking vitamin D3 for muscles and bones. I began taking Krill oil to help with inflammation--and it's just plain good for the human body. On mornings when I am still feeling pretty tight by 9:00am or so, I take 600mg ibuprofen. Previously, this did nothing to help. Now, it makes all the difference. I can feel it within an hour and one dose is all I need for all day. It took about 6 weeks, but the difference has been amazing. My stiffness is not totally gone, but it is remarkably lower!!! I can stand up and loosen up in a few seconds.
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jlc - I'm relieved that you've made an appointment with a physiatrist at an orthopedic office. I'm not sure how old you are or what other physical conditions may be involved but it's important to discover the nature of your back pain which may involve xRays and/or an MRI. I've been dealing with this for about 15 years - successfully I should add! I had trouble sitting for long periods and if I walked far there were times I would get a spasm in my thigh. The pain would often wake me up at night and Advil and a heating pad weren't very effective. My neighbor is a chiropractor and noticed that I had a little trouble getting up from a chair and that I didn't have normal range of motion in my head and neck when we spoke. He offered to see me in his office the following week. Later that night I mentioned it to DH who nixed the chiropractor and said it was time I saw a specialist recommended I see a neurosurgeon who works in the same medical building. After xRays and MRI's of my cervical and lumbar spine I discovered that I had severe degenerative disc disease (which isn't really a disease) - bulging discs, herniated discs, spinal stenosis and mild scoliosis. 15 years ago the treatment was 3 injections into the joint ( both hip and neck) spaced a week apart. I had them done under local anesthetic because then I could drive home. It took a few days but the pain subsided in both areas. The neurosurgeon advised that I lose weight and exercise. Since I already had surgery on one knee and knew that both knees would need replacement at some time he suggested water aerobics and walking. He also cautioned me about manipulative treatments since it could exacerbate my back problems. Those treatments worked for many years but I have returned for additional ones over the years. Now the treatment is only one injection into the joint. I also thought I had carpal tunnel syndrome - I would wake up many times during the night with numbness and tingling in my fingers and have to drop them over the side of the bed to get it to stop. But it turned out to be caused by the disc problems in my neck and while it hasn't completely disappeared it has been significantly reduced. December 8 isn't too far off and with any luck they'll have a cancelation and see you sooner. Good luck.
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bulldinkie
11 years ago
My daughter has the exact same thing although no pregnancy.They checked her heart,kidneys r arthritis,autoimmune illness.Hers started with big toe,feet,knees,back.she can hardly get around.
d0ug
11 years ago
When you are pregnant you are supplying nutriments for two people and your body will make sure the baby get first choice. So that is why they recommend prenatal vitamins. After the baby is borne it would be very easily a mineral or vitamin deficiency problem. Doctor bless there sole know lots about drug but nothing about nutrition. Asking them about a vitamin or mineral deficiency is like asking a gardener about rocket science.
cookie8
11 years ago
The same thing happened to me when I was 38. I was at a point where I couldn't walk down the stairs anymore, lift anything with one hand, open a door with one hand, etc. My skin felt like I had the flu, any light touches, movement of arm hair was very uncomfortable, almost painful. I do have autoimmune conditions and was dealing with a rheumatologist and was taking medications for it. They are very strong and you need monthly testing to be sure your liver can handle it. I also started reacting to them. I went the natural route and it is the best thing I ever did! It is a lot of work and constant searching to figure your own body out. I have been off medications for three years now and have only taken a couple of Aleve's or Tylenol when I get off course. Look up elimination diets (the stricter the better) and see how you feel a solid ten days into it. I went into this not believing but was desperate. I haven't looked back since! It takes a long time to get fully recovered. It took me almost six months before I could make a full tight fist again. It took me two years to be able to get my rings off. I actually gained weight and this is not due to losing weight as I was pretty thin before. I still see benefits as time passes. Yeah, I was in rough shape. Definitely write down everything you eat, how you feel, learn your micronutrients, about antinutrients, hormones, etc. There is so much out there to help you out. My last child was the worst, it started hitting me at 5 months post partum.
Audlee
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks everyone for all the great feedback! I'm surprised that anyone responded let-alone so many great comments - very enheartening! A couple of responses...

Calcium levels ok. Stretching/yoga helps certainly (hard to find time with work and small children but I do do it). Even though I'm careful, my muscles almost react in reverse by knotting up like crazy. They ache badly for days after but I still try to do light stretches throughout the day. If I'm careful, more gain than pain. Haven't tried Suldinac; will ck into it.
I did wonder about MS too. I think it was dismissed early on but am going to ask again.
Went to a naturopath doctor and tried what he prescribed but I've felt no difference. Disappointing.
Firm believer in what you eat makes a difference. Haven't tried any kind of elimination diet though. Right now, I just don't have it in me. Someone asked about fatigue - extreme fatigue! Half of that is because my kids don't let me sleep. I've been sleep deprived for years, not exaggerating. Definitely makes it worse.
Doctor wants to put me on methotrexate but am nervous about the side effects. If I was confirmed to have arthritis (have no joint deformities so he can't decide either way) might be more comfortable taking it but would like to know what is going on first.
Not lupus; RA factor and 2 other inflammatory markers were all high. Would like to see more specialists but just wants me to take the drug and if that works then they can dismiss me I guess. Will keep pushing for answers though but up against a wall.
Thank you again! I will post again when I have an update.
hayleydaniels
11 years ago
I'm sorry you're going through all this. I've had a lot of health issues since I was in my mid 20s so I know how tough it is. I'm almost 60 so I've dealt with this for over half my life.

One thing I have and I think it's more common than people think is low magnesium levels. Doctors don't recognize this as they only check blood serum magnesium levels that will always be high as the body pulls magnesium from the bones to keep the blood levels up so you don't have a heart attack. Instead, they need to check the cellular magnesium level to diagnose low magnesium.

There are over 300 functions magnesium is needed for in the body including relaxing muscles and removing lactic acid from them.

Here are a couple of articles on the role of magnesium in health:

http://web.mit.edu/london/www/magnesium.html

http://drsircus.com/medicine/magnesium/magnesium-deficiency-symptoms-diagnosis

I don't know if this applies to you, but a lot of pain that doctors fail to diagnose is myofascial pain where the muscles/fascia get knots in them that refer pain elsewhere. I've had severe myofascial pain since I was 15 years old, and had every sort of pain in almost every part of my body that couldn't be diagnosed. Fortunately I stumbled on a book on the subject years ago, and have been able to control my pain doing trigger point massage. Everyone has myofascial pain from time to time. Check out triggerpointbook.com. This book and my two-headed percussion massager has made my life manageable.

http://www.amazon.com/HoMedics-Homedics-Thera-P-Percussion-Massager/dp/B00DCR8M1M/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1423676319&sr=1-2&keywords=percussion+massager

Post Pregnancy Joint Pain & Muscle Stiffness

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