Diffuse Muscle Weakness

The symptoms you're reporting could be due to a hormonal or metabolic problem (such as an underactive thyroid, excessive cortisol, or a calcium problem).

These are important conditions to diagnose and treat. And most can be detected by simple blood or urine tests, so be sure to talk to your doctor about all of your symptoms.

There are other possibilities. For example, some rare causes of diffuse muscle weakness include muscle inflammation, the so called "idiopathic inflammatory muscle diseases." These are idiopathic conditions (that is, they are of unknown cause) and may be due to a mistaken attack of the immune system on muscle tissue.

Along with marked weakness of the upper arms and thighs, do you notice one or more of the following?

- A rash over the knuckles, eyelids, or chest

- Shortness of breath

- Fever

Yes, that sounds like me.

Nope, doesn't sound familiar.