Swollen, bruised looking ankles after being sick and having muscle pain. Thoughts?

Seriously, you need to go to the ER. This is nothing to take lightly.

If this is Lyme Disease the faster your treatment begins, the better.

This is the Net. We can’t see you. You need to be looked at by a doctor.

It sounds like you could e having trouble processing the toxins in your body. You need blood tests to determine what’s going on. Get to a doctor and let us know what they say.

Definitely follow through with a Dr. Swollen ankles is a serious red flag..

Agreed about the Lyme disease. The doctor always runs a blood test first, but if it comes back negative, don’t rule it out. Have them draw fluid from the swollen joint, and have them test the fluid for Lyme. Lyme bacteria don’t live very long in the blood. However, they do like the fluid in joints.

And don’t wait too long to be diagnosed either, whatever it is. This sounds weird and dangerous.

Hmm. Sore throat then joint pain and bruising? Doesn’t sound like classic lyme disease as noted above. More than likely what you have a common skin finding called erythema nodosum, which is very commonly seen after a streptococcal infection. Considering that you had a severe sore throat, there is a very real chance that you had (have) strep throat. A doctor should evaluate your swelling, but also your throat. There are other long term consequences of strep throat that involve the heart, kidneys and brain.

It could be a hundred things, from Lupus to Gout. How the fuck should I know?
Go to the doctor. They can say much better than anyone online.

It is never lupus.

@clod It was once.

Definitely see a doctor. It may not have been a virus. It may be a bacterial infection that has settled throughout your body and not just in your throat where it started. The swelling and discoloration in your ankles is concerning. It sounds like edema and that is a common reaction to a prolonged infection or inflamation response in the body. If you can’t see your primary care physician next week, then do go to the ER. If it gets worse, definitely go to the ER regardless of when your regular doctor can see you. It may be nothing and clear up. But it may also be something serious to life threatening, and the sooner it’s diagnosed and treated, the better the prognosis.

Wishing you good luck with it. I had a bout in the ER a couple of weeks ago and had to be hospitalized for a day. It wasn’t fun, but what was going on was easy to fix, but could have killed me if I had delayed.

I don’t understand the rude responses. I clearly said I was calling a doctor so why the “how the fuck should I know” answer? I only wondered if anyone here had ever had a similar experience and might offer some reassurance so maybe I wouldn’t worry so much until I actually got into the doctor’s office.

But please rest assured, I have an appointment in a couple of hours.

To those who answered thoughtfully, thank you. I guess Lyme is a possibility, but it doesn’t look at all like erythema nodosum. I guess my ankles aren’t discolored so much as rashy looking in one place but this morning everything is much better and I obviously didn’t die in my sleep. :)

I am curious what you end up hearing. Without the rash part, the swollen, bruised, and itchy ankles would concern me. That can be a sign of poor circulation which can be caused by a number of different things.

OK I know the world of the internet has been on pins and needles waiting to hear what the heck is wrong with me but I’m afraid I don’t have a definite answer. The strep test was negative and the combination of symptoms seemed to throw my doctor for a loop. He said the simple explanation is that whatever virus I had/have has settled in other parts of my body and I can just treat with advil and wait it out. BUT, just in case it is something more sinister he gave me papers for bloodwork to get done in a week or so if I am not better or if my symptoms get worse. I’m to call him if I develop a fever or if the rash spreads.

@Sunnybunny Sounds like good advice. I’m glad your doc scheduled further tests. Several weeks agi I had an inflammation reaction to cataract surgery that spun out of control even after contacting my primary care physician and following his advice. It got misdiagnosed as a urinary tract infection, because the inflammation was causing my prostate to restrict the urethra. As things worsened, I couldn’t contact my doctor, but when I called the clinic to let them know the antibiotics they had given me were not working, the nurse practitioner at the clinic I go to ordered me, in no uncertain terms, to go immediately to the emergency room. I ended up being admitted to the hospital with something that would have been life threatening if left untreated. My strong recommendation is if it gets worse, just go to the ER of the best hospital near you. Their diagnostic abilities far exceed that of a doctor’s office. Live long and prosper.

My strong recommendation is if it gets worse, just go to the ER of the best hospital near you. Their diagnostic abilities far exceed that of a doctor’s office.

I second that.

@Sunnybunny Sorry for the rude responses. Some folks don’t know how to act sometimes.

I had blood work done and went back to the doctor today so thought I would update because none of you were right! lol

I only started feeling better two days ago and up till then still had so much pain in my arms and legs along with the swollen ankles and feet. Also still had the rash on my ankles. I put the blood work off until my husband literally made me get it done. Wouldn’t you know, the next day I started feeling a lot better.

No lupus or lyme disease, no rhumatoid arthritis or parvovirus. Liver and kidney and electrolytes all normal. Only one part of the blood test was abnormal which was an indicator of inflammation. The doctor thinks I had an acute form of vasculitis which has started clearing up on its own. There’s still a bit of swelling but the rash is almost gone and very little pain.

^This is why doctors are the best for diagnosis. Glad to hear you’re doing better.

@Sunnybunny I’m just glad to hear you are on the mend. Wishing you a full and speedy recovery;

Have you seen a professional?

I know this has been a year, but I have the exact same symptoms. Negative blood tests except a slightly high sed rate. Going back to the doctor in a couple of days. Just wondering how you are doing now and if the last diagnosis I saw (vasculitis) was correct?