Is an undiagnosed broken neck that healed long ago considered a disability when the symptoms have appeared?

Long term symptoms undiagnosed?

• I've been unhealthy with a number of problems for the last 10 years. I've been to the doctor when one specific problem gets a lot worse and usually end up feeling like a hypochondriac and not telling them everything. I have a reasonably high threshold for pain. I've had quite a few sporting and horse riding accidents, and enough breaks and sprains, and also given birth to my daughter after 4 days of labour to have a decent level of comparison. I have had joint pain since I was about 15, increasingly worse over the last few years so that now in the mornings it takes about 10 minutes of slowly moving my joints before I feel able to get up and walk around. I am especially sore in my ankles, wrists, knees, fingers, hips and collarbone. About once every month or two, although sometimes a lot more often and sometimes with longer between, I get very sharp pains starting in my lower back and going all the way down my legs. Often I can't walk for about an hour because of the pain, and the bones in my legs feel broken. heat, moving, staying still and painkillers don't help. I also get very sharp stomach pains every few weeks, sometimes more often. They last from 10 minutes to a few hours and again, nothing helps. I used to have acupuncture and would get very bad headaches afterwards. For the last 2 years I've been getting the same sort of headache. My head will feel OK if I lie flat with no pillow, but as soon as Iift it, it floods with pain. It usually happens after I've had any pressure on my neck or shoulder, even something that isn't hard like my bikini tie. Since I was 13 I started being allergic to apples and cherries, and over the years have become allergic to most other fresh fruits, and some vegetables like peas. They're OK if they're cooked but if I eat them fresh my mouth and lips hurt and swell up, and apples and cherries also make my throat swell quite badly. I often have them from my ow garden so it's not sprays. I can eat banana's, grapes and pineapple, but most other fruits are a problem. I also get very tired very easily and have trouble concentrating for a long time. I have a generally good diet in terms of getting all the nutrition I need(a lot of vegetables, fruit, fish, rice, grains), although have an energy drink on average once every 2 days and chocolate every other day. I am 5'8" and weigh 45kgs, although I don't look at all underweight. I have been tested for coeliacs and had full body x-rays which found nothing. My doctor has referred me to an osteopath that found nothing, but booked me for a bone scan which I didn't go to. I also saw a stomach specialist who didn't find anything. I'm just wondering if anyone knows of anything that would explain all these symptoms?

• Answer:

  My first instinct was also lupus, or its cousin, rheumatoid arthritis. I don't believe your food allergies are related to your other systems. I've also been plagued with pain since a whiplash accident several years ago, to the point that I must use prescription painkillers. Amber you mentioned several riding accidents. Have you ever had an MRI to determine whether you might have a spinal problem such as bulging or ruptured discs? And I wonder if your abdominal pains are due to stress from your other physical ailments. I was strangely diagnosed with colitis a few months after my car accident; I'd never had a problem with it previous to that. My doctor assured me it was due to stress. I hope you're able to resolve your problems but if not---please ask your doctor about some effective pain medication.