What kind of arthritis is this?

I don't understand my arthritis. It was diagnosed with X-ray prior to my CD diagnosis even though my CD symptoms had been going on for a number of years. The doctor said I have osteoarthritis. I do not get up stiff in the morning. The pain and stiffness comes on during the day and it is always both knees, never one. My legs are weak, and I hold on to things to steady myself. He gave me knee braces, which help on those days. It will last 2 or three days and then it is gone, like it never happened. My gait comes back, no pain, no weakness, I don't understand. My CD has been flairing since August, and the arthritis comes and goes. Any ideas?
I'm on lialda

Wow, that sounds pretty terrible, I'm sorry you're having to deal with it

Do you by chance have numbness or tingling in your extremities as well?

I get tingling in my hands and feet that I am told is a side effect of the drug I take for migraines. I also have pain in my left hip, but only when I sit too long; my hip is fine when I stand or walk. I'm thinking about going to a rumatologist. I'm trying to figure out how to broach the subject with my primary care physician, but I don't see him until March.

Moggs said:

I get tingling in my hands and feet that I am told is a side effect of the drug I take for migraines.

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Uh huh...

How many of these symptoms sound familiar?

Weakness, tiredness, light-headedness, rapid heartbeat and breathing, pale skin, sore tongue, easy bruising or bleeding, including bleeding gums, stomach upset, weight loss, diarrhea, constipation, tingling or numbness in fingers and toes, difficulty walking, mood changes or depression.

When was the last time you had your vitamin B12 levels checked? And what were they?

I know you loove B12 David, but Moggs will be on Topiramate and that makes people hands tingle for a while until they get used to it!....
...Could be B12 as well, mind.

Are you PPI's Moggs? - stomach acid reducers like Nexium, Omeprazole, Lansoprozole as they can also make your joints hurt like arthritis but without the stiffness in the morning.

Moggs, Beth is right, I DO love my vitamin B12 But only because it is SO COMMON for people with Crohn's Disease to be deficient in it. Heck, an informal poll here on the forum shows that 70% of the people here who have been tested are deficient. And that's utilizing results where the "normal" is lower than many think it should be.

Could your tingling be due to the migraine meds? Absolutely. But there's an extremely high chance that you ARE deficient in vitamin B12 and your symptoms fit. If you haven't been tested lately, I'd strongly suggest doing so to rule that out. And throw in a test for vitamin D as well as that has helped people here with bone and joint pain.

Regardless, I hope you get relief soon. You deserve to feel good

have you tried pt. that might give you a little more strength.

Five years ago you would have been right about the B-12, but now I'm on sub-lingual B-12. My B-12 and D are in the normal range, but I don't know the numbers but it was done 3 weeks ago. My Dr is very good at tracking blood work. I used to get B-12 shots before my Dr. had trouble getting the serum. We've known I have malabsorption for years. I wish it wasn't a fashionable thing to get B-12 shots, but it will pass and right now the sub-lingual is enough. I'm also on lots of D, Topiramate and Nexium. I've thought about pt, but that takes a referral. I'm going to discuss this situation with my doc when I see him.

Hi Moggs

I'm glad to hear that! You may want to find out the exact number your B12 and D were at as the reference ranges are HUGE. For example, "Normal" according to most reference ranges for B12 is 180-900 or so. 180 is WAY TOO LOW and the pernicious anemia society actually suggests their members strive for a level of 1000. Read this thread for more information on that if you so desire. I'll leave you alone about the B12 and D now, sorry to be a nag

*hugs*

Moggs said:

I'm also on lots of D, Topiramate and Nexium.

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Whenever I take Nexium or the like my joints act up something terrible and I hobble worse than my 90year old neighbour. However, because I wasn't stiff in the morning and got better through the day, my rheumatologist discounted it as arthritis of any sort. He called it polymyalgic 'somethingorother' and was very dismissive of the pain I was in. He also said it had nothing to do with the Nexium/PPI's, however I found on the internet they do interact with the bodies COX1/COX2 pain relief systems and switches one of them off - the one that is the anti-inflammatory. Not that this is much help to you as it sounds like you can't just stop taking it.
When I was diagnosed with Crohn's my joint pains came back without taking PPI's. Going back to the rheumy he again dismissed Crohn's related Arthritis as it didn't show up on xray.
The only thing I've found that helped has been azathioprine, and Humira. But dont know if either will help much with your, what I would be inclined to say as, 'PPI induced' pains.

The tingling hands thing with Topiramate should ease off over time. Hubby is on it for migraines too and whenever he bumps the dose up his hands tingle something terrible for a few weeks.

Thanks, good to know what the interactions of these meds can be.

David, thanks for the onfo. I'm going to ask for my numbers, my doctor has been pretty agressive with vitamine D but conservative in treating other issues so I'll see.

Something to consider is a food that is causing the swelling/arthritis. Years back I had trouble with swollen knees, going up and down stairs, squatting down to pick up something,etc. My orthopedic surgeon confirmed problem and thought perhaps some kind of arthritis. Long story short, found out I was allergic to corn and it was affecting my joints. As soon as I stopped it in diet (VERY tough, as much food contains corn), my knees went back to normal! The doc said food is a more dangerous drug than meds, as it can cause swelling of joints, faintness, etc., and yet no one looks at that as a possibility. Suggest you try an elimination diet and see how it works for you. May be another trigger for you (i.e., wheat, lactose, etc.), in addition to a med interaction or side effect.

Mickey, I've never heard of food doing that, but it makes sense. Particularly considering the transient nature of the arthritis I experience. I keep a food diary anyway, I'll start recording the arthritis flair-ups and see if there is any correlation. Thanks!

I have days when my arthritis is way worse than others. I've been charting the barometric pressure to see if it correlates, since old-timers used joint pain it to predict the weather. Maybe they had a point.

However, I do not have some of the symptoms you 've described. Good luck, I hope you find some solid info and get some relief.

Hi again Moggs,

I was researching Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) deficiency today. The symptoms are: weight loss, emotional disturbances, Wernicke's encephalopathy (impaired sensory perception), weakness and pain in the limbs, peripheral neuropathy, burning feet, periods of irregular / rapid heartbeat, edema (swelling of bodily tissues), difficulty rising from a squatting position, abnormal eye movements, stance and gait abnormalities.

It made me think of you.

*hugs*

Do your knees swell or feel hot or is it just pain? Are your shoulders sore? Any pain coming down stairs? As most arthritis usually causes stiffness of the affected joints it could maybe be related to a degenerative change of the soft tissues rather than the bone which may in turn be related to crohns and possibly diet and lack off certain vitamins. The fact that it comes and goes so readily suggests it maybe due to something going on elsewhere. What are your ESR and CRP levels? regardless of what it is strengthening them and specific exercises will help. Ask for a Physio referral for advice and orthotics might help in your shoes to correct the alignment of your knees as it could be a biomechanical issue. Are your x-rays normal? Are you active? Sorry for all the questions just trying to establish a bit of background info as there are many different causes of painful joints.

Gee David! That happens to me every few years. I am not kidding!!! They usually look for MS or Myasthenia Gravis. I will have to remember that. Got a link so I can read more?

Sunflower, this is where I got some of the info and am constantly working to update our vitamin and mineral deficiencies thread. All information is sourced from highly reputable institutions and sites. I'm absolutely convinced that the vast majority of extraintestinal manifestations are due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Most doctors look to give your symptoms a name instead of the root cause of them.