Any Help Would Be Appreciated, Tia

hello, I am so glad I found this forum and hope someone can give me some advice.

I am a 60 year old female.

At the age of about 45 I had severe pain from heel spurs for quite some time. They finally subsided by themselves after several months of severe pain only to return intermittently for about two years. Every once in a while I still feel pain but it does go away again.

At the same time I had a very bad case of achilles tendon inflamation which lasted at least a year and never quite healed completely.

At about age 50 I started having severe problems with sudden stiffness all over my body. It would come and stay with me for about one or two days and then seem to "work out" again without any medications.

Just want to mention that at that age I was also put on hormone replacement therapy. (hrt- the patch.) I do not know whether the pain came first or the hrt.

Within a few years the attacks lasted longer and I sought medical attention from a rheumatologist.
He checked me for lime disease, blood test, and rheumatoid factors. Nothing came up. But just prior to the visit I had read some information about rheumatism responding to a vegetarian diet and had already cut out all meats for about a months. Also by the time the appointment took place I was again in remission. The rheuma tologist told me he still believed I had rheumatism and it would return sooner or later.

But I had no pain for a year or so, all the while staying pretty much on a vegetarian diet. But suddenly it came back with a vengeance.

We were on a long car trip for several days and at one point we got out of the car and I could not move. Without any warning I suddenly could not get my legs to move. Not only that, I could not move my shoulders, wrists, neck, jaw, head or anything. I stood beside the car and my husband got me a cart to hold on to. I stood there for a long time and then with much pain and all the strength I could muster I started to move. Within about an hour my strength and mobility came back. But I was in severe pain all over my body till that evening. The next morning it was pretty much gone.

Again after that I did not have another episode for some time.

Then about four months later the same thing repeated itself. But the stiffness lasted for several days and from then on it started to come more often. I went to the doctor and explained everything. He ordered some tests, all came back that I was perfectly alright. He prescribed pain medication.

That fall my condition got worse. The stiffness came and stayed. So we decided to try a climate change. We spent the winter in florida. But it offered no change. I could not get rid of the stiffness.

While in florida I went to two doctors. One a rheumatologist, who again ordered several test, all returned negative, and I went to an acupuncturist. I underwent six week (2x a week) of acupuncture without any relieve of the problem.

The rheumatologist said I had rheumatism, his assistant said I had fibromyalgia. I got steroids which helped me for a few weeks and then was put on some other allopathic pain meds but nothing really woked for a long time.

Back home I went to another rheumatologist, he started me on vioxx, sleeping medication and gold shots. In about 2 months the condition subsided and I felt better. I quit the medications after 6 months and again my condition returned.

I went to another rheumatologist, again blood tests, etc. Everything seemed alright. But she put me on methotrexade and vioxx. It gave me relieve in about 2 months. I was on methrotrexade for one year and was feeling very well. So, little by little I weaned myself of all medication and was without pain and stiffness for over a year.

At the time I was also taken off hrt and I thought maybe the pain etc. Could be attributed to having been on the patch. (i had read the women's study...)

i hope you are still reading because this is where I need your help:

i had no pain for over a year now and had not had the best diet again. I ate lots of vegetables and fruit fresh from our garden but also more than my share of sweets and pastry. I am about 45 lbs overweight.

Sometime within the next year I developed acne. I had no clue why, because I had always had smooth, tight pored, perfectly healthy looking skin. My skin had been my best feature. I had never in my life had acne.

Suddenly it got very severe and every day I got a new huge white head somewhere on my face. It looked gross. I am a very clean person and took special care to make sure my skin and hair was clean all the time, but no matter what, the acne just kept coming.

Then we went to europe for an extended visit and ate mostly from the delicatessen. We were there for over 6 months and basically ate pork, drank wine, ate refined foods, lots of chocolate...Very bad diet.

I still had the acne which I hid as best as possible under make up. But I was completely without pain or stiffness. Then suddenly within three months of eating very badly, my heath deteriorated like over night. The pain and stiffness returned very abruptly. It got worse and worse every single night so that within a week I could not even get off the chair or out of bed.

I went to a homeopath while in europe and he gave me rhus toxicodendron c. 200 (homeopahtic med for rheumatism) which helped for three days and then the symptoms returned full force. So, I mostly suffered through it, taking only over the counter pain meds.

We returned on the 15th of november of this year and this is basically where I am. I still have all the excruciating pain and stiffness in every part of my body.

I did some searching and came upon several sites that make me wonder whether I have been mis-diagnosed all along. Whether I could have some form of gout from my miserable diet?

Since i've been home I have gone back on a very strict and healthy organic, full grain, vegetarian diet. I eat no sugar, soda, nothing refined, nothing pre-made or bought. I cook everything myself from basic, organic ingredients. I drink only reverse osmosis water and lots of it. I also take
probiotics, acidophilus/l. Bifidus and glucosamine. I bought bromelain in the health food store and burdock root tee and have been using it every day since my return.

I am not on any medication, have normal b/p and cholesterol. I have no other health problems. (this is more than enough!)

today I got the “gout cure” in the mail, which I had ordered.

Yesterday I found your site. Now I realize that I am trying to get rid of gout crystals and I should not do that until the flair up is gone again, if indeed this is a form of gout.

My stiffness and pain is mostly in my shoulders, and wrists. No pain in my toes. In one hand i've developed a "trigger finger" because of a tendon getting tight. The other hand is starting to have the same problem. There are hard nodules between my first finger and second finger on the knuckles.

The worst part is at night. I get so stiff that I can not cover or uncover myself. Lately both knees have become affected with the stiffness and swelling as well as both hips, both elbows, both jaws, and the tendons between my first and second finger on both hands are very swollen and painful.
Today all my fingers are swollen, red and inflamed.

My acne is starting to go away but this severe pain, swelling and stiffness is not giving me a break.

Since yesterday I am taking the baking soda as directed by the site, drinking lots of water, cherry juice, and taking ibuprofen 800mg a day.

Now my question is, should I continue with what I am doing and see what happens, or am I in any danger?

I also was wondering about the "goutcure". Should I try that as well at the same time?

I am so confused and in so much pain, but I have pretty much lost faith in doctors since this has been going on for 10 years and they have not helped me get rid of the problem for good.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Sorry this was so long.