Question: For about three months, I’ve been dealing with pain in various parts of my body, my hands, feet, knees, shoulders, mostly involving joints. At the same time, I seem to be suddenly retaining fluid - sometimes in my arms and hands, sometimes in my legs, knees, ankles, feet. It’s always there in some part of my body, but it changes in where it occurs. One day all four area will be affected, then on others, it will be primarily my upper body, the next day my lower body. I’m 55, female, weigh 105 lbs, and used to walk and stay generally active. Now there are days when I can hardly get out of bed. I have a complicated health history, but this is totally new.

Thank you! Unfortunately, I had severe GERD, to the point where I now have Barrett’s Esophagus, as well as severe damage to my stomach lining, with evidence of intermittent bleeding. I haven’t been taking, or advised to take, any NSAIDS for ten years plus. In this day and age, I dread complaining of anything involving pain, but I’m finding that this is making it difficult even to get from the bed to the bathroom. Also, I’m concerned about this weird fluid retention. I’m menopausal - that doesn’t cause fluid retention, does it? The fluid seems to be right in the area of the painful joints. In addition, this all began suddenly around the same time that I was treated for a MRSA skin abscess - the one and only I’ve ever had and I’m NOT an IV drug user (which I was nearly accused of several times), I try to limit my salt intake, but my diet hasn’t changed at all over the past year if not more. Not to make this more complicated, but I was also bitten by something in my backyard (I live in FL) around the XXXXXXX time as the MRSA incident. I don’t think they’re related
, but the area where I was bitten didn’t heal for ages, and even now, is still a weird, shiny round spot on the back of my calf. I’ll try to attach a photo. I’m. Not at all rejecting your diagnosis, but trying to supplement my question with more information if it helps at all.