Replied by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) on 03/18/2006
Your mother might be high on uric acid. It doesn't show in X-rays. My mom also in her 70s had this sudden pains resembling what you are mentioning as a result of my mother binging on drinking coffee and tea, which is very high on uric acid. As a result my mother cannot walk or move for a day or so. Since I know the cause I gave my mother only 2-3 mg./day of lithium carbonate mixed with water to help dissolve the uric acid and stopped with uric acid rich foods (e.g. coffee, oysters, cucumbers, etc.) and had her drink plenty of water. The other thing is to eat on an empty stomach 2-3 cups of oatmeal. Your mother should see some recovery with this within 3 days. You might check with a doctor about giving her approx 250 mg of magnesium chloride on an empty stomach to aid in the recovery process.Replied by Laurel (Utica, NY) on 03/21/2006
Hi Henry...Just wanted to say that your mother's condition has the earmarks of POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA which I was treated for a number of years ago. I had varying degrees of pain which began in my shoulders (a common site for this illness) and it wasnt until I was in a situation akin to your mother's that I was finally diagnosed with P.R. Unfortunately the diagnosis is only made by symptoms and a high sedimentation rate is one of them. I do believe the treatment is Prednisone to which (in the higher doses) I had a dramatic positive response. My illness was on and off again for a few years and seems gone now. There is also, perhaps, the possibility of FIBROMYALGIA which can result in sudden bouts of crippling pain as well. I am sure you will find much information on the web re. either of these problems and I do hope your Mother gets properly diagnosed soon even if the treatments out there are not always that effective or safe. Good Luck. Laurel