PostPartum dizziness and joint pain

[Anonymous]

My son is one year old, and I have been suffering from dizziness for over 7 months and increasing joint pain. I've been to several doctors, had all the tests, but I'm not getting any conclusive answers. I keep thinking this has to be something to do with my pregnancy and breast feeding, but all the doctors discount it.

I had a great pregnancy and have not really had any issues with health before this. I'm so frustrated. Anyone else have dizziness (more like feeling out of body) and then panicking? Does anyone have foot and hand joint pain?

[Anonymous]

I have had simillar symptoms since the birth of my DD (17 months ago). I would classify my two "episodes" as fainting-like reactions (but not actual fainting) followed by joint/muscle pain in my hand and arm. Weird. I'm monitoring it, but haven't found the cause. Taking vitamins, exercising, and eating well. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

You need to see either a really great internist or infectious disease specialist. Did you have a Lyme test? They are notoriously false negative. You sound like several neighbors of mine, who all had Lyme. You don't have to remember being bitten by a tick, or having a bulls eye rash. If you've been in your yard, you can get it from a tick too tiny to even notice.

[Anonymous]

You may want to check your thyroid for postpartum thyroiditis, which 5 to 10 percent of women develop in the year following delivery. Typically, it starts with mild hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), which can rev you up and set off insomnia. After a couple of months, the condition may swing to hypothyroidism, in which a lack of thyroid hormone slows your body's functions, leaving you feeling constantly tired. If you're too jumpy to sleep or have extreme fatigue.

This is alink to a recent article on it: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/10/29/health.great.sleep.secrets/index.html?hpt=C2

[Anonymous]

Another suggestion...

I had similar symptoms with fatigue about 1 year post partum. My OB checked my Vit D levels and they were very low. He put me on a perscription Vit D supplement and it corrected my issues.

[Anonymous]

I had similar symptoms after nursing for 9 months. I went to see a rheumatologist b/c I had self-diagnosed (with Dr. Google's help) with rheumatoid arthritis. I had especial problems with my fingers and ankles/feet - had very little strength in my hands and fingers and it hurt so much to bend them (especially in the middle of the night). Had lots of tests, never did find out what was wrong with me...and it went away a few months after I weaned. I had lost a TON of weight while nursing (-10 from pre-pregnancy weight) and I can't help but wonder if that had something to do with it. Are you extra skinny right now? I think the baby was literally sucking the life out of me.

I didn't have this joint problem with DC #2, interestingly.

Good luck to you.