Question
i have been diagnoised with carpul tunnell althought i am having lots of pain in my fingers, arms,shoulders,knees,and hips.  this has been going on since sept. 2005 the severe pain that keeps me awake. EVERYTHING IS A TASK!!! I am trying to find illnesses with these symptoms or a good web site with things i can read about others having some of the same symptoms.  i apologize for the typing but just this little bit has made my fingers numb,and very very painful

Answer
The one symptom almost all of us with scleroderma have (97%) is Raynaud's Phenomenon.  In Raynaud's, the fingers and toes change color in response to cold or stress.  They initally turn white as blood vessels spasm shut, then blue as the blood trapped in the affected area loses all oxygen, then bright red as oxygenated blood re-enters the area when vessel spasms stop.  Fingers can become numb and painful during attacks, like in carpal nerve tunnel syndrome, but the color changes would be a clue something else is up.

You may want to check into fibromyalgia, a much more common cause of extensive joint pain.  A major symptom of FM is sleep disturbances - in fact, some research has induced FM in subjects by depriving them of sleep.  It can also cause profound fatigue, which can make everyday tasks seem like climbing mountains!

A rheumatologist would be the doctor who might best put all the various symptoms together for you, since joint and muscle pain are in their expertise.  Good luck!