Widespread pain in arms, crepitus (cracking sound)

[deleder2k]

Hi. I am diagnosed with ME. I have been worse than usual for the last 6 months, The fatigue is worse, but the thing that makes me suffer the most now is pain, especially in my legs and arms.

My arms hurts like never before. When i stretch out my joint experience grating, crackling or popping sound in my arms (crepitus?). Not only from my elbow, but also from the middle section of my arm up to my shoulders. It is very painful, and I have to stretch out like every 15 minutes. I stretch out while I listen to the cracking noise every day, for the last months. It sounds horrible, and hurts.
The symptoms correlate with the rest of my ME symptoms. The worse I feel, the more pain and the more sound i hear when cracking my arm. When I read the list of symptoms of osteoarthritis it sounds pretty similar, but it is only my arms that is an issue. I can hear cracking sounds in my knees sometimes, but it is rare, and with no pain.

Ibuprofen, and paracetamol doesn't take away the pain.

I am 25 years, male, never smoked a cigarette in my life if that matters.

Is this something I could do anything about? Should I worry? I talked to my GP, and also my M.E specialist, but none of them seem to have a clue. According to the ME/CFS specialist, it doesn't seem like it is very common.

I know @Jonathan Edwards is a Professor of Connective Tissue Medicine. If you know whether this is something I should do something about, I would really appreciate if you could comment

I would be grateful if anyone could comment. Do you experience the same?

 

[rebar]

I have similar symptoms, things wax and wane, always cycling. Symptoms seem to be grouped for me, back pain,with painful trigger points usually correspond with my back noisily cracking and leg pain. This is accompanied by total exhaustion, more than my normal fatigue. Never had much luck with ibuprofen, still took it because I needed to do something.
There are a few things that help a little, at times food, hot shower or bath, heating pad (I know it's summer).
Nothing much really, it is an endurance test and determining a survival strategy is the only thing that keeps me sane.
It's a matter of waiting it out.
I'm doing better lately, have no idea why. I take a few RA drugs and LDN. I started both about 4 months ago so the time frame is about right.

I hope things soon improve for you.

 

[lansbergen]

I had real bad cracking sound in joints during flare ups. A few weeks ago I did far to much and then I heard my knees again. After a few days rest it disappeared. I think there is not enough fluid in the joints. It correlates with the dry mucosa I had. And yes normal painkilllers don't work.

I do not know what you can do besides not overdoing and take enough rest when it happens. The immune modulator I take slowly decreased all symptoms including this.

Do you have hard thickenings on your long bones?

 

[deleder2k]

What kind of R.A drugs to you take, @rebar ? Maybe they could help out.

@lansbergen, and what kind of immune modulator did you take? I don't think I have hard thickenings on my long bones.

 

[rebar]

They may be helping me, can't swear to anything though.
I take plaquenil, generic is hydroxychoroquine and mobic, generic is meloxicam.
The meloxicam was recommended by Dr. Pridgen and has been used with acyclovir.
Pridgen as you probably know was having positive results with antivirals combined with non steroidal anti-inflammatory with his fibro patients. I initially tried valtrex/celibrex didn't do much, later after my doctor spoke with
Pridgen it was changed to acyclovir/meloxicam.

 

[SOC]

@deleder2k,
My daughter and I both had that kind of type pain and stiffness that no OTC pain med would touch, and joint cracking sound. Cymbalta helped a lot with the pain, but had to be taken continuously, not as needed. Both the pain and the cracking sound went away during our treatment with Valcyte, but I couldn't say if that's a direct cause-effect or just a coincidence.

 

[VeganMonkey]

I have had joint pains since I was a teen, I also have had the fatigue since I was a teen, same, my joints pop and snap when I stretch. Are you hypermobile? That might cause the pain (you could have a connective tissue disorder)
I was diagnosed with EDS last year, it makes sense, with the joint and muscle pains.

I agree with the Cymbalta, it worked really well for me