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Osteoarthritis At age 22?

Posted , 11 users are following.

cesar81337
cesar81337

I've had this pain on my hip for about two years now when i was 20. Im a 22 year old male who usually goes to the gym and rides the bike. It started as a soft pain which i didnt pay much attention. What i think is that maybe i was doing a squat at the gym and i did not do it properly. However, in the past year it got stronger and i went to see an Orthopedist. He did an X ray which came out fine. Then he did an MRI and told me to do physical therapy and that i will get better.

The teraphy didn't help much as the pain got stronger. A month ago i went to see a rheumatologist. He said that i have OA. I've been researching it since thinking, how can i have this ?

That is my question, how is it possible that i could have this at my age?

I have pain after standing up from a chair and then starting to walk. It usually goes away after 2 minutes of walking but lately i have noticed that it stays always as im walking. My concern is the future. If i really have this what will happen when im 30? It really scares me. Do you think the doctors are right?

Any suggestions based on my symptoms would be appreciated.

0 likes, 51 replies

51 Replies

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  • sparkle1
    sparkle1 cesar81337

    Posted

    Re your knees.... have you suffered significant injury historically.. they are starting to do meniscus transplants in uk... again i think you need to mag as to what is causing yours and what are the options...

    http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/arthritis-today-magazine/160-spring-2013/too-young-to-get-osteoarthritis.aspx

    • cesar81337
      cesar81337 sparkle1

      Posted

      Hello everyone, 

      Thank you so much for your support. This is an update as to what is going on with me now. 

      I have good news and very bad news. I started taking glucogen and it has really helped me with my hip pain to the point that I barely feel it anymore. And that is about it. Everything has changed in this past year. I have new symptoms that I did not have before. 

      I will make this easy. This is the symptoms that I have:

      Frequent urination Fatigue dry mouth strong head itching Hip pain and knee pain Lower back pain Strong fast heartbeats that last for 30 seconds and I can’t breathe

      These symptoms just keep getting worse every year. I’m to the point that I can't work full time because I always feel tired. Also, I feel like I have short term small memory loss and difficulty concentrating.

      I have been to many different doctors including a rheumatologist, but the blood test comes out negative. The blood test by the rheumatologist was done one year ago. I feel worse each month, and I’m really concerned. I'm really concerned because of the new heart palpitations I might have a heart attack at any time. I went to see a cardiologist and he gave me Atenolol but it has not helped much. 

      I still don't know what I have after one year of going through different doctors. I feel like this condition is taking my entire body away and its scary. The fatigue, frequent urination, heart palpitations, I feel that they are all connected. Please, someone, help me because the doctors could not. What is the disease with these kinds of symptoms?  

  • jan56581
    jan56581 cesar81337

    Posted

    To Cesar:  Its too early in your diagnosis to be concerned.  However be very careful what medications the MD's try to propose you take.  The antinflamatories will play havic with your stomach and kidneys and liver.  I suggest if you are able, to take baths and hot showers and use over the counter heat rubs to allieviate your pain. I use Biofreeze which I purchase on Amazon.  If that does not work have your Dr. prescribe Lidoderm Patches to be worn on your hips for pain and inflamation.  This will help and is less invasive as other prescriptions.  I took Celebrex and now my kidneys are damaged.  But I am much older than you.  Soon to be 70 and my OA didn't come until age 58 yrs young., Good luck and ask away if you have other concerns.  This is a great forum for questions and feedback.  Jan
  • jan56581
    jan56581 cesar81337

    Posted

    To Cesar:  Its too early in your diagnosis to be concerned.  However be very careful what medications the MD's try to propose you take.  The antinflamatories will play havic with your stomach and kidneys and liver.  I suggest if you are able, to take baths and hot showers and use over the counter heat rubs to allieviate your pain. I use Biofreeze which I purchase on Amazon.  If that does not work have your Dr. prescribe Lidoderm Patches to be worn on your hips for pain and inflamation.  This will help and is less invasive as other prescriptions.  I took Celebrex and now my kidneys are damaged.  But I am much older than you.  Soon to be 70 and my OA didn't come on  until age 58 yrs young., Good luck and ask away if you have other concerns.  This is a great forum for questions and feedback.  Jan
  • cesar81337
    cesar81337

    Posted

    Hello everyone, 

    Thank you so much for your support. This is an update as to what is going on with me now. 

    I have good news and very bad news. I started taking glucogen and it has really helped me with my hip pain to the point that I barely feel it anymore. And that is about it. Everything has changed in this past year. I have new symptoms that I did not have before. 

    I will make this easy. This is the symptoms that I have:

    Frequent urination Fatigue dry mouth strong head itching Hip pain and knee pain Lower back pain Strong fast heartbeats that last for 30 seconds and I can’t breathe

    These symptoms just keep getting worse every year. I’m to the point that I can't work full time because I always feel tired. Also, I feel like I have short term small memory loss and difficulty concentrating.

    I have been to many different doctors including a rheumatologist, but the blood test comes out negative. The blood test by the rheumatologist was done one year ago. I feel worse each month, and I’m really concerned. I'm really concerned because of the new heart palpitations I might have a heart attack at any time. I went to see a cardiologist and he gave me Atenolol but it has not helped much.

    I still don't know what I have after one year of going through different doctors. I feel like this condition is taking my entire body away and its scary. The fatigue, frequent urination, heart palpitations, I feel that they are all connected. Please, someone, help me because the doctors could not. What is the disease with these kinds of symptoms?   

    • Gloria814
      Gloria814 cesar81337

      Posted

      Hi

        Dry mouth and freq urination are signs of diabetes.  Are you a diabetic/   since you are on glucogen?  Dry itcy scalp could also be related to that but not the fast hearbeats and or hip/ back/knee pain.   Have you seen a cardiologist or had any testing to determine the cause of your rapid heartbeat.   Anxiety can play a big role in that at times too

        Truthfully we can't diagnose on this forum but you need to be followed by a good gp and get referrals as needed.   I know you mentioned low Vit D     it is common in Northern US but also freq seen in RA and other autoimmune diseases.   Also I am diagnosed with inflamm. arthritis and pretty much 100% of my blood tests do not show that--xrays and MRI do .   IT can come on gradually so you may not have all the telltale signs yet.  I hope not 

         You don't mention exercise-- I would think that it is very impt with OA to walk on a daily basis--build up distance as tolerated.    Even if you don't swim,  I would suggest getting in a pool and water walking or water aerobics as they are gentle on the joints.  Good luck/  let us know how you are doing     

         Ask about the mild scoliosis and if it can effect your hips/ knees.  Mild case I don't think so but best it get that answered and see if treatment needed

  • syedq51
    syedq51 cesar81337

    Posted

    I think u consult a doctor of medicine. U haved mixed symptoms. Only a highly experienced doctor can diagnose something
  • susan67756
    susan67756 cesar81337

    Posted

    Hi, take a look at my profile. You'll find a link to a website. Have a read through the info there and see if it resonates with you.

    It might surprise you to learn that Osteoarthritis isn't really a diagnosis. There is no test for it and no clear definition of what it is. It is essentially a catch-all term to describe undiagnosed joint pain. It is normally (but not always) associated with x-ray evidence of degenerative changes. Degenarative changes (wear and repair of joints) typically occurs in older adults. That's why it's rare for OA to be diagnosed in someone your age. Especially when xrays come back clear.

    I would challenge the diagnosis if I were you! The big danger of doctors handing out OA diagnosis without first ruling out all else is that it stands in the way of the real cause of symptoms being found.

    Check out that website. It will arm you with questions and facts that you can challenge your doctor with.

    I don't think you should be afraid of being told you have 'undiagnosed joint pain'.

     

  • susan67756
    susan67756 cesar81337

    Posted

    Having read further down the thread.

    The frequent urination, palpitations etc could all by symptoms of stress. If you're getting anxious about the hip and are afraid that you have an incurable, crippling disease at a young age that could well lead to all the other symptoms.

  • cesar81337
    cesar81337

    Posted

    Thank you, everyone, for your help and input. 

    For more than two years and I still, have not found a diagnosis of my problem.

    This year I started developing heart palpitations and head thumping in addition to the frequent urination and hip problems. Additionally, I have started developing lower back pain and I have not found the reason for that. I recently have a lab test done and here are the results: 

    https://imgur.com/a/WcxLG

    I do have to say that I no longer have pain in my hips. Yes, I can say that they are almost cured. Some rare times I feel pain but not often (every month as supposed to every day). I am very happy that the glucogen was able to help me with that as well as some sessions of yoga that I'm taking in college. However, I'm still fighting other issues which are concerning to me as well. (frequent urination, heart palpitations, fatigue)

    In December I will be seeing a urologist so that he can help me diagnose if my frequent urination issue is related to my fatigue and hopefully he can have better answer. 

    Again, I'd like to thank this community for being so helpful during these time. As in my personal life, I'm graduating this January with a bachelor's degree and I hope to soon start a full-time job in my field. 

    • susan67756
      susan67756 cesar81337

      Posted

      You know, it could all be down to anxiety. We went through a bad spell some years back when both of my parents were dying. It was an awful time; we'd just started our own business so there was stress from that, concerns about money and I was the only carer for my mum and dad.

      It was at that time that I developed what was later diagnosed as hip OA. Now as I've explained, that turned out to be a highly complex muscle imbalance. It took me years to unravel it but I suspect that it was the stress over my parents that turned it from a 'functional imbalance' to a 'pathological imbalance'. 

      At the same time, my husband had a nervous breakdown. He developed a terrible problem with frequent urination. It was a massive issue but the doctors couldn't do anything. Ten years later it's still kind of there, but it doesn't bother him now. When he's home and relaxed it's not a problem at all, but any time he gets stressed it triggers it again and he's off to the toilet every 20 mins. 

      Don't underestimate the symptoms that stress can cause! 

      Congratulations on coping with your degree through all of this! Best of luck with everything.

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