Unexplained Pain: Could Those Aches and Fatigue Be an Autoimmune Disease?
Sudden, extreme fatigue and body aches, maybe combined with joint pain, usually have a simple explanation — for instance, you’ve been overdoing it at the gym. But you may also experience these symptoms with no clear cause. What’s going on?
The problem may be a viral infection like the flu, or another issue such as medication side effects.
While less likely, it’s also possible you may be experiencing the onset of an autoimmune disease, in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells. There are over 100 autoimmune diseases, with symptoms affecting every system in the body.
Read on to learn more about potential causes for fatigue and pain and when you might want to talk to a doctor or other healthcare provider.
Common Causes of Sudden Fatigue and Body Aches
Sudden fatigue and body aches are not usually symptoms of autoimmune diseases. Here are a few other causes for these symptoms:
Flu and Other Viral Infections
Flu is a viral infection that leads to millions of illnesses in the United States each year, predominantly in the fall and winter. It can cause body aches, extreme and sudden tiredness, a rapidly developing cough, runny nose, and fever.
Other viral infections like COVID-19 and colds can also cause aches and fatigue, although these symptoms are more common with flu. If these symptoms occur due to a cold, they’re usually milder.
Lyme disease is another infection that can cause aches in the muscles and joint pain. Other symptoms of Lyme disease include chills and fever, headache, fatigue, and a sore throat. Swollen lymph nodes can also occur.
Vaccine Side Effects
Vaccines can protect you against certain infections and diseases, but they often have mild side effects. These include muscle, body, and joint aches; feeling tired; and swelling, redness, or tenderness at the injection site. These issues are usually mild and pass within a few days.
Some Medications
Certain medications can also lead to unexplained pain as a side effect.
These include:
Statins
Certain types of antibiotics (fluoroquinolone)
Fibrates
Bisphosphonates (medicines for osteoporosis)
Some acne medication
Some oral steroids (prednisone)
If you think the cause of your unexplained pain could be the medication you are taking for another condition, discuss the potential side effects with a doctor or healthcare provider.
When Are Sudden Fatigue and Body Aches Cause for Concern?
If you’ve ruled out other causes for pain and fatigue, it’s possible something else is wrong. The only way to know for sure whether it could be an autoimmune disease is to speak with a doctor or other healthcare provider.
Seek out medical advice if you feel exhausted for longer than a week or two, your fatigue worsens, or if you have muscle pain that is severe, lasts three or more days, or has no clear explanation.
You’ll also want to talk to a healthcare provider if your joint pain lasts for three or more days at a time, flares up several times a month, or takes on the following characteristics:
More than one joint feels stiff, swollen, or painful
Joints also feel warm to the touch
Joints are red and tender
A joint is difficult to move, interfering with daily activities
These could all be signs of autoimmune disease.
Common Autoimmune Diseases
There are many autoimmune diseases that could cause unexplained pain. Here are some of the more common examples.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
According to a review published in 2021, around 1.3 million people in the United States — or 0.6 to 1 percent of the population — have RA. The American College of Rheumatology suggests that RA is the most common autoimmune cause of joint inflammation.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a lifelong condition in which the immune system attacks joint tissue in the hands, knees, and wrists. RA can lead to joint pain flare-ups, as well as fatigue. The pain can last up to six weeks or longer in some cases.
You may also notice redness, warmth, swelling around the joints, unwanted or unexpected weight loss, fever, and general weakness. Joint stiffness in the mornings might be another clue pointing to rheumatoid arthritis.
Other Forms of Arthritis
Other forms of arthritis in addition to RA can lead to joint pain and fatigue. These include:
Psoriatic Arthritis This is a type of arthritis linked to the chronic skin condition psoriasis. Joint pain and stiffness are common symptoms, along with changes to the nails, and rashes. It can also cause pain and tenderness of the tendons and ligaments.
Reactive Arthritis This disease develops in one to six weeks as a response to an infection in another part of the body. In the United States, this is often due to a chlamydia infection, but reactive arthritis commonly occurs due to salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia, or campylobacter infection. The exact cause is not clear, but some research suggests that reactive arthritis is an autoimmune disorder. This type of arthritis usually causes pain and inflammation in two to four joints within the course of a few days, often in the knees, ankles, and feet. Symptoms include fatigue, feeling ill, fever, and unintended weight loss. The infection can also affect the urinary tract and eyes.
Lupus
Lupus is an autoimmune condition that can lead to pain and inflammation anywhere in the body, most often affecting the joints, internal organs, and skin. Around 1.5 million people in the United States live with lupus, most of them women of childbearing age.
Extreme fatigue and joint pain are two of the most common lupus symptoms. They are also often among the earliest. That said, symptoms usually differ between people, and many people with lupus don’t develop every symptom.
These symptoms may come and go or change over time.
How Are Autoimmune Diseases Diagnosed?
Doctors may take longer to diagnose autoimmune diseases than other health problems, as the symptoms of one autoimmune disease may closely resemble those of other conditions. Your physician might refer you to a specialist in diagnosing and treating inflammatory and autoimmune conditions like arthritis, such as a rheumatologist.
You can help your doctor diagnose a potential autoimmune condition by making a detailed list of symptoms, including when the symptoms appear, their severity, and when they began. Noting any people in your immediate family who have autoimmune conditions may also help doctors identify the cause of body aches and fatigue.
To aid in diagnosis, a doctor may ask about any triggers that seem to initiate or worsen symptoms, and how these symptoms impact daily life. They may also ask about any medications you are taking in order to rule out joint pain and fatigue as side effects of these drugs.
Doctors will carry out a physical exam to check joints for swelling and other symptoms if they suspect a type of arthritis, and they may order imaging scans like X-rays or MRIs. Blood tests can also help identify autoimmune diseases.
For lupus, doctors might request an echocardiogram (ECG) to check for any changes to the heart. A kidney biopsy could also be beneficial in diagnosis if doctors suspect that lupus is causing kidney damage.
How to Manage Fatigue and Body Aches From Autoimmune Disease
Body aches and fatigue can affect your day-to-day activities and energy levels. If they’re happening due to an autoimmune disease, they may require lifelong medical and home care.
Getting the right treatment for an autoimmune disease can help minimize symptoms. These might include steroids, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and drugs to suppress the immune system.
The following at-home measures may also help relieve joint pain and reduce fatigue:
If you have RA, regular exercise can also help to reduce fatigue and strengthen the muscles that support the joints. Start with gentle movement, like walking; avoid exercising inflamed or tender joints.
The Takeaway
Sudden joint pain and extreme fatigue may be due to a number of factors, including viral illness and medication side effects. But in some cases autoimmune disease may be the culprit. If joint pain and fatigue are interfering with your daily life and you aren’t sure of the cause, speak to your doctor or healthcare provider.
