I also had frozen shoulders, both of them. It took 2 years to resolve. Moderate to high sugars are known to cause bursitis in diabetics with a1cs over7% That does not sound high to me, but that's what I understand to be the threshold. It is not a definite, but I had stiff hips and shoulders and recurring knee pain when I exercised.
Bursitis can feel just like arthritis, and I think it is what caused my frozen shoulders.
Back then I was running about a 6.9 or 7.0 %. Then my shoulders froze up pretty rapidly. That is when I decided to get a CGM so I could bring my sugars down. It worked, and I'm hovering around 6% now. My shoulders finally resolved but it took a long time. My other joints have also eased up a bit.( for a while I could not cross my legs or sit indian style at all)
I had similar reports from my doctors, xrays came back negative, I had none of the auto immune arthritis-es. I had what was prob the the beginning of osteo arthritis but nothing to cause me so much trouble.
Anyway It has been almost 3 years and I do not have any bursitis and my joints feel pretty good. I mean I'm 47, so There is a little stiffness in the mornings, but it is what one would expect.
I suggest you see if you can get your sugars down a bit more than they are, and see if it helps, It will likely a while to resolve though.
Have you thought about seeing an orthopedic surgeon? I had a lot of issues with hip pain for years. My endo would send me off for x-ray's that would be interpreted as normal. This went on for YEARS. I was told I had a groin pull and the pain would eventually resolve on it's own. During this time I had back pain that could get really bad, physical therapy for a disc in my neck causing severe arm and wrist pain (I needed traction to solve that issue) and exercise just got harder and harder. I figured I was "getting older" and this was the price I had to pay. (I was in my 30's.) I finally got a referral to an orthopedic surgeon because the hip pain was making daily activities excruciatingly painful. After one visit of them looking at x-ray's, they determined I had a labral tear in my hip that was caused by a small deformity in the bone. I ended up having surgery for this. All the issues that I mentioned above? They all traced back to the hip issue because I was overcompensating on one side when I walked. It took a specialist to see something on the x-ray that the so many other doctors couldn't see. Sounds like you've been to a lot of specialists that have ruled out quite a bit. Maybe seeing an orthopedic doc would be a fresh set of eyes looking at you from a different perspective. Hope this helps. Good luck!
Yes, I have had this problem too. . been T1 for 37 years, age 42. . . I was told over time bs will/can make joints "sticky". I started yoga and some high intensity also, try to keep bs as normal as possible . I have found when bs is running high, more pain. . hope this helps:-)
I do have the really stiff joints and soreness. It started about a year before my T1 onset. I was hoping that taking Vit D would help (mine was really low) but it hasn't. My endo keeps saying oh it's just arthritis but sometimes it feels like when you get a tetanus shot and your muscles ache. Is that how you feel? I don't have any answers but can tell you that you are not alone!
I think it is a cumulative effect of high sugars over a long time. I went through every possibility, sure it was not diabetes. I gave up diet drinks, I gave up Wheat. I got tested for food allergies. All negative.
It is a common story I'm afraid. I never got a for certain diagnosis.After almost 2 years , my shoulders started to loosen up. I am still somewhat stiff in my joints but it is bearable now. I just keep moving as much as I can. Strangely exercise was never limited by this stuff, only bending and crossing legs.
It might just be accumulated stress from D, but since your BG is managed, you might want to check further and get tested for things like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or MS. (Only thoughts, I'm no doctor!)
I had double frozen shoulders too it took 2 years to resolve.
Poor control can cause bursitis which can cause pain in shoulders hips and knees. Bursitis won’t generally be seen in X-rays so it’s often missed. If you have type 1 thought your doc should suspect it straight off. You can get anti inflammatory steroids injected straight in the joints. It will help a lot but it will also throw your diabetes out of whack for a week. They say it stays in the joint. But know that if you take those injections you will likely have a tougher time with insulin dosing and insulin resistance.
My wrists also have hard bulges on the side of them Kristi. They're called RA nodules. They can come in any size, big or small. I also have them on most of my knuckles now since my drugs stopped working a few months after my Brother died. I wasn't able to do yoga, run or sit and kneel on the floor/ground anymore without severe pain. Plus I couldn't get back up by myself.
Please go and see your Dr. Better yet another Dr. who will give you a diagnosis. I didn't have a Dr. at the time, so I went to a walk-in clinic. The first one was not swift but the second Dr. knew right away that I had Arthritis of some sort but didn't know which kind. So he referred me to a Rheumatologist who diagnosed me after tests and an exam. Keep in touch.
As I said, I have the same bulges. That's the name I was given although there could be another name for it. I've spoken to many People associated to RA who have advised me on different signs/symptoms. I had a nodule on my elbow(which looked like the photos) but it disappeared while I was on the Enbrel infusions.
As far as Lupus, I have some of those symptoms as well(including Raynauds) since they are similar to RA. I do not know anyone in our Family that has it however and I do not have the telltale butterfly rash.
"didn't have the weird bump on the bottom of my pinkies."
I'm curious what you are talking about by the bottom of your pinkies. Do you mean the bump is on a joint? Or is it on the palm of your hand at the base of your pinkies?
Yes, you could have something else but do not make yourself out to be a Hypochondriac. You have symptoms for some condition that is not being acknowledged by your Doctors and that is just wrong.
As I mentioned, I kept at it until I found out what was wrong with me, of course it took 3 different Drs. I was glad that I found out so I could get treatment and feel better not too long after plus it delayed more bone deterioration and deformity for a long time.
Thank you for your kind comment. My Diabetes has been behaving itself at least for the most part. It's the RA that I'd like to "You know what with it". :) At least since I got off the Biologics my inflammation rate is back in the normal range. Thanks...you too!
Aw Kristi, sorry that you didn't get a definite answer. I presume that the Rheumatologist gave you a thorough exam, perhaps exrays? At least he knows that your body is fighting something by your symptoms, autoimmune diseases in the Family and so on. Do you have another appointment for more tests?
That's good that he prescribed you an anti-inflammatory which should help to reduce the swelling and pain also.
A positive ANA result means that you have or are at an increased risk to develop an autoimmune disease. There can be false positives due to medications even OTC ones and other reasons but since you have symptoms, a false doesn't apply.
Thank you for letting us know how you are doing. I think of you often.
