Feeling weak, fatigued, stiff joints, dizzy, and breaking out in a rash... any ideas?

So, it’s been going on for quite a while now, but I’ve lost my strength and I get incredibly exhausted from even the smallest amount of effort. This hasn't just been a phase; it started with some brief joint pain, and then my elbow cartilage gave out. My arms have lost muscle volume, and my upper body—especially my shoulders, which feel like they've basically disappeared—has gotten really thin, while my hips have drastically increased in size. It’s getting hard to even do push-ups because my joints feel so stiff, and when I try to flex my forearm from the wrist to the palm, this tiny little knot pops up. It doesn't hurt, but you can see it. Moving my head around has become difficult too, and I deal with dizziness pretty often. I also sweat insanely much; if I’m just sitting or standing in a coffee shop, my back and legs end up soaked, and my face feels like it's being hit by a sudden wave of intense heat. I’ve noticed swelling in the joints of both feet, which makes walking a struggle. Today, I spotted some tiny red spots on my chest and one blue one on my leg, and now my jaw has started clicking whenever I make certain facial expressions. At night, and even during the day, I’m hearing ringing in my ears. It’s hard to explain, but it feels like my bones are thinning out. My sense of taste and smell are messed up, breathing is getting heavy, my facial expressions feel limited, and my heart rate seems much slower than usual. To top it off, tonight I’m dealing with this constant feeling of heat throughout my whole body. Please, I could really use some advice or any idea of what this might be. I’m honestly scared it’s something serious because things seem to be getting worse every single day. If anyone has gone through something similar, I’d be so grateful for your input. Thanks in advance.

First things first: go see a doctor. What are you waiting for? Get that sorted before you even think about posting on Reddit.

I'm heading in tomorrow, so I figured I'd ask. If anyone here has gone through something similar, I'd love to know what to expect...

Let me know what happened, or just give me a quick update on how things are going. I really hope you managed to see a doctor and that they either got you admitted or at least gave you a mountain of tests to run through!

Could be some kind of arthritis—there are a million different kinds, really. Honestly, your best bet might be hitting up the ER and telling them you’re having trouble breathing, then bringing up all those other symptoms after. If you just go through the standard appointment route, you might be waiting forever before anyone actually figures out what's wrong with you.
You should probably dig a little deeper into your habits, too. Are you getting enough calcium from milk or dairy? Are you actually spending any time out in the sun to get that Vitamin D? It’s worth checking if you're getting enough Vitamin C, B vitamins, copper, zinc, and selenium from your food to keep your immune system in check. And, let's be real—are you exercising enough to keep everything circulating properly? Sometimes these issues aren't even medical mysteries; they're just what happens when you're sedentary or out of shape. Plus, did you catch some random infection recently that might have triggered all this?

It could be anything at this point—or nothing at all.

We’re essentially just guessing—much like how people try to interpret a Vanga prophecy.

One really ought to run some specific tests first.
To start, things like a CBC, a coagulation profile, a full metabolic panel, a urinalysis, and thyroid hormone levels.
From there, you can expand the diagnostic workup as needed.

I live with systemic lupus, and what you're describing sounds quite similar to an autoimmune issue. That said, I trust you've already consulted with a doctor and are getting the proper care.

Hey everyone, just wanted to vent for a second. I went in for some blood work today, and honestly, the attitude from these private doctors is just unbelievable. They basically tried to gaslight me into thinking everything was in my head. You try to explain your actual symptoms, and they just smirk at you like you're being dramatic. Anyway, here are my results. If anyone here knows how to read these better than they do, I'd really appreciate it. To them, it’s just "fatigue," and they brushed me off saying my blood count looks great...
Wbc 4-9, mine is 6
Rbc 4-5.5, mine is 5.40
Hgb 120-170, mine is 173
Hct 26-50, mine is 44.7
Mcv 83-97, mine is 82.8
Mch 29-34, mine is 32
Mchc 320-360, mine is 387—if anyone can tell me what this means...
Plt 150-450, mine is 228
Rdw-Sd 37-54, mine is 37.4
Rdw-Cv 11-16, mine is 12.7
Pdw 9-17, mine is 11
Mpv 9-13, mine is 9.4
P-Lcr 13-43, mine is 21.1
Pct 0.17-0.35, mine is 0.23
Neut 37-72, mine is 59.4
Lymph 20-50, mine is 29
Mono 0-14, mine is 10.1
Eo 0-6, mine is 1.2
Baso 0-1, mine is 0.3

If anyone with a bit more medical knowledge could walk me through this, I'd be so grateful. Specifically, that weirdly high Mchc and why my Mcv is sitting just below the range. It feels like a lot of my numbers are hovering right on the low end. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

Bryan Barnes2 said:It could be anything at this point—or nothing at all.

We’re essentially just guessing—much like how people try to interpret a Vanga prophecy.

One really ought to run some specific tests first.
To start, things like a CBC, a coagulation profile, a full metabolic panel, a urinalysis, and thyroid hormone levels.
From there, you can expand the diagnostic workup as needed.

I’d love to get more testing done, but honestly, I feel like they treated me like an idiot. Just because I was honest about my symptoms, they basically told me I was making it all up. It totally killed my motivation to even bother following up with more labs.

If anyone here actually knows their stuff, could you please take a look at these results and let me know what you think?

rustywolf4 said:Hey everyone, just wanted to vent for a second. I went in for some blood work today, and honestly, the attitude from these private doctors is just unbelievable. They basically tried to gaslight me into thinking everything was in my head. You try to explain your actual symptoms, and they just smirk at you like you're being dramatic. Anyway, here are my results. If anyone here knows how to read these better than they do, I'd really appreciate it. To them, it’s just "fatigue," and they brushed me off saying my blood count looks great...
Wbc 4-9, mine is 6
Rbc 4-5.5, mine is 5.40
Hgb 120-170, mine is 173
Hct 26-50, mine is 44.7
Mcv 83-97, mine is 82.8
Mch 29-34, mine is 32
Mchc 320-360, mine is 387—if anyone can tell me what this means...
Plt 150-450, mine is 228
Rdw-Sd 37-54, mine is 37.4
Rdw-Cv 11-16, mine is 12.7
Pdw 9-17, mine is 11
Mpv 9-13, mine is 9.4
P-Lcr 13-43, mine is 21.1
Pct 0.17-0.35, mine is 0.23
Neut 37-72, mine is 59.4
Lymph 20-50, mine is 29
Mono 0-14, mine is 10.1
Eo 0-6, mine is 1.2
Baso 0-1, mine is 0.3

If anyone with a bit more medical knowledge could walk me through this, I'd be so grateful. Specifically, that weirdly high Mchc and why my Mcv is sitting just below the range. It feels like a lot of my numbers are hovering right on the low end. Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

rustywolf4 said:I’d love to get more testing done, but honestly, I feel like they treated me like an idiot. Just because I was honest about my symptoms, they basically told me I was making it all up. It totally killed my motivation to even bother following up with more labs.

Wait, why did you even go to a private doctor just to get blood work done?
The whole point of paying out of pocket is for those specific tests where the wait times at a standard clinic or hospital are insanely long—you know, the stuff where waiting could actually be life-threatening or make things way worse if you don't act fast.
If you can get the results in a couple of days through your insurance without shelling out extra cash, going private is kind of a waste, especially if money isn't exactly rolling in.
And look, joint pain or stiffness isn't something you just "imagine," and neither is excessive sweating.
It’s not some psychosomatic thing where you can just whisper "Open Sesame" and suddenly start sweating buckets and losing weight.
If it were that easy, I’d be face-deep in a tub of ice cream right now and looking exactly like Twigi.
🤣

Nicholas Davis4 said:I live with systemic lupus, and what you're describing sounds quite similar to an autoimmune issue. That said, I trust you've already consulted with a doctor and are getting the proper care.

It feels like an autoimmune issue or some kind of syndrome to me, too.
People dealing with hyperthyroidism tend to sweat like crazy—they're usually thin or just feel like they're constantly running on high octane,
whereas those with low thyroid levels crash hard or don't really deal with the excessive sweating part.
If you've got the cash to spare, it might be worth getting an X-ray of your hips and joints—maybe even an MRI. It’s definitely worth the investment.
Oh, and get your thyroid levels checked.

rustywolf4 said:So, it’s been going on for quite a while now, but I’ve lost my strength and I get incredibly exhausted from even the smallest amount of effort. This hasn't just been a phase; it started with some brief joint pain, and then my elbow cartilage gave out. My arms have lost muscle volume, and my upper body—especially my shoulders, which feel like they've basically disappeared—has gotten really thin, while my hips have drastically increased in size. It’s getting hard to even do push-ups because my joints feel so stiff, and when I try to flex my forearm from the wrist to the palm, this tiny little knot pops up. It doesn't hurt, but you can see it. Moving my head around has become difficult too, and I deal with dizziness pretty often. I also sweat insanely much; if I’m just sitting or standing in a coffee shop, my back and legs end up soaked, and my face feels like it's being hit by a sudden wave of intense heat. I’ve noticed swelling in the joints of both feet, which makes walking a struggle. Today, I spotted some tiny red spots on my chest and one blue one on my leg, and now my jaw has started clicking whenever I make certain facial expressions. At night, and even during the day, I’m hearing ringing in my ears. It’s hard to explain, but it feels like my bones are thinning out. My sense of taste and smell are messed up, breathing is getting heavy, my facial expressions feel limited, and my heart rate seems much slower than usual. To top it off, tonight I’m dealing with this constant feeling of heat throughout my whole body. Please, I could really use some advice or any idea of what this might be. I’m honestly scared it’s something serious because things seem to be getting worse every single day. If anyone has gone through something similar, I’d be so grateful for your input. Thanks in advance.

You should probably get your hormone levels checked.

rustywolf4 said:So, it’s been going on for quite a while now, but I’ve lost my strength and I get incredibly exhausted from even the smallest amount of effort. This hasn't just been a phase; it started with some brief joint pain, and then my elbow cartilage gave out. My arms have lost muscle volume, and my upper body—especially my shoulders, which feel like they've basically disappeared—has gotten really thin, while my hips have drastically increased in size. It’s getting hard to even do push-ups because my joints feel so stiff, and when I try to flex my forearm from the wrist to the palm, this tiny little knot pops up. It doesn't hurt, but you can see it. Moving my head around has become difficult too, and I deal with dizziness pretty often. I also sweat insanely much; if I’m just sitting or standing in a coffee shop, my back and legs end up soaked, and my face feels like it's being hit by a sudden wave of intense heat. I’ve noticed swelling in the joints of both feet, which makes walking a struggle. Today, I spotted some tiny red spots on my chest and one blue one on my leg, and now my jaw has started clicking whenever I make certain facial expressions. At night, and even during the day, I’m hearing ringing in my ears. It’s hard to explain, but it feels like my bones are thinning out. My sense of taste and smell are messed up, breathing is getting heavy, my facial expressions feel limited, and my heart rate seems much slower than usual. To top it off, tonight I’m dealing with this constant feeling of heat throughout my whole body. Please, I could really use some advice or any idea of what this might be. I’m honestly scared it’s something serious because things seem to be getting worse every single day. If anyone has gone through something similar, I’d be so grateful for your input. Thanks in advance.

Honestly, I wouldn't bring that part up—it might just sound like you're imagining things.
Though, my first thought? Osteoporosis.

rustywolf4 said:So, it’s been going on for quite a while now, but I’ve lost my strength and I get incredibly exhausted from even the smallest amount of effort. This hasn't just been a phase; it started with some brief joint pain, and then my elbow cartilage gave out. My arms have lost muscle volume, and my upper body—especially my shoulders, which feel like they've basically disappeared—has gotten really thin, while my hips have drastically increased in size. It’s getting hard to even do push-ups because my joints feel so stiff, and when I try to flex my forearm from the wrist to the palm, this tiny little knot pops up. It doesn't hurt, but you can see it. Moving my head around has become difficult too, and I deal with dizziness pretty often. I also sweat insanely much; if I’m just sitting or standing in a coffee shop, my back and legs end up soaked, and my face feels like it's being hit by a sudden wave of intense heat. I’ve noticed swelling in the joints of both feet, which makes walking a struggle. Today, I spotted some tiny red spots on my chest and one blue one on my leg, and now my jaw has started clicking whenever I make certain facial expressions. At night, and even during the day, I’m hearing ringing in my ears. It’s hard to explain, but it feels like my bones are thinning out. My sense of taste and smell are messed up, breathing is getting heavy, my facial expressions feel limited, and my heart rate seems much slower than usual. To top it off, tonight I’m dealing with this constant feeling of heat throughout my whole body. Please, I could really use some advice or any idea of what this might be. I’m honestly scared it’s something serious because things seem to be getting worse every single day. If anyone has gone through something similar, I’d be so grateful for your input. Thanks in advance.

Get a chest X-ray.