Been Feeling Sick Now For Many Years

Discussion in 'General' started by cm301263, Mar 13, 2015.

  1. cm301263

    cm301263 Well-Known Member

    I feel a little bit silly posting this here but I am basically pretty desperate I guess for possible answers.
     
    I have been feeling sick now for several years, have been to several different doctors & have been given several "possible" answers, altho no one really seems to know. I have even had a few in the medical field give me that "it is probably in your head" look.
     
    My symptoms started out small & have just progressed over the years & I thought that if I posted a bunch of the symptoms here, maybe someone else may be or has in the past, experienced the same types of issues & could shed some light. If you don't feel comfortable answering to this thread please send me a private message & hopefully I can figure out how to read my messages lol.
     
    Before I start listing the symptoms I just wanted to state that every single day I feel "sick" to some degree...some days are just worse than others & sometimes the symptoms vary from day to day.
     
    So here goes...
     
    1) chronic fatigue
    2) chronic sinus issues (always plugged up)
    3) acid reflux
    4) have gradually gain weight over the years that I can't seem to shed
    5) ache all over
    6) headaches
    7) nausea/light headedness over all feeling of motion sick
    8) bloating
    9) extremely tired especially after I eat
    10) vertigo
    11) once in a great while an unexplained rash
    12) shortness of breath
    13) tingling in my fingers
    14) restless leg
    15) really bad gas
     
    Of course now that I am typing this I am drawing a blank! lol I will add more as I think of it.
     
    I have been told that I may have Lupus...that I have leaky gut....that I have fibromyalgia. Some people think it is an intolerance to gluten and others to sugar and on and on...I keep going to different doctors for other opinions because no one can seem to agree but the problem with that is they think its in your head. I am so frustrated. I just want to feel good so I can really enjoy my boys as they are growing up. I don't remember the last time I felt "ok" :bad:
     
  2. ljcrochet

    ljcrochet Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    Sorry you don't feel great.

    The only idea I have is have you ever heard of the whole30? It s a strict "diet" for 30 days designed to reset your body. You eliminate all gluten, all dairy, all sugar ( including honey and maple syrup), and grains.

    After the 30 days you introduce for back in. One thing at a time. Here is the website http://whole30.com. Read some of the testimonials. It is crazy what not eating curtains foods can do for you.
    There is a book called it starts with food.
     
  3. megkc03

    megkc03 Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I'm going with Lisa as well. I'd first start with a diet change. I saw a hypnotist, and lost almost 60 lbs(we won't talk about how much found me again lol). In any case, it was strict-just meat and veggies. Absolutely no sugar whatsoever-not even gum, mint, NOTHING. Same with carbs-only the carbs in the veggies(NO potatoes of any kind). I had no aches/pains, no gas whatsoever, lost the weight, no headaches(aside from sugar withdrawal in the beginning), bloating, exhaustion, etc etc. I ticked off a few on your list. 

    I would definitely start with diet change. My mom has fibromyalgia. And i swear, if she changed her eating habits(we will start with the 4 diet sodas/day, although she is really trying to cut back), I think she would be in a lot less overall pain. 

    It's worth a try. It's where I would start, if you've been given no other direction. Good luck!
     
  4. AmynTony

    AmynTony Well-Known Member

    outside of the rash the plethora of symptoms can be related to sleep apnea.  Once I got mine straightened out I had energy, less sinus issues and lost weight.  Have you had a cardiac workup?  Undiagnosed heart problems can cause extreme fatigue.  I'd start with an EKG,and possibly blood work and Echocardiogram to rule out cardiac issues.
     
  5. eagleswings216

    eagleswings216 Well-Known Member

    Has anyone talked to you about fibromyalgia?  It can cause quite a few of the things you list.  There isn't a test for it, but there are tender points, rule outs, etc.
     
    I have most of the symptoms you have, as does my mom.  She has been diagnosed with it, and I pretty sure I have it, too, at this point.
     
  6. kingeomer

    kingeomer Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I second what Amy has said as well and I also wonder if you have had your thyroid checked too.  
    I am finishing up my first whole 30.  I have not done the reintroduction phases yet, so I don't know if I have any sensitivity to certain foods but I'd say it is also worth a shot.  
     
  7. rissakaye

    rissakaye Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I really hope that you find something that helps you.  I can't speak to the heart issues or sleep issues, but I can speak to the food issues.  
     
    Food is complicated around our house.  I think that before these last 2 years, I honestly did not appreciate the effect your food has on your health.  Particularly when that food doesn't agree with you.  
     
    My son is casein intolerant.  That means if he ingests a little bit of milk protein, weird things start happening.  His eye's start ticcing and rolling.  He can't write on a straight line anymore.  Things like that.  Sounds completely and absolutely crazy.  But I have documentation of the writing with and without dairy.  And we've run too many experiments with dairy (pizza with cheese mostly) and can see what happens. Technically he's not allergic to milk because it's not an immune based reaction so it counts as an intolerance.  The end result is the same, though. We took milk completely and totally out of his diet.  The eye quit rolling immediately, writing improved, reading improved, and those random stomachaches all went away.
     
    And then there is the food dye.  About that time, Timothy's mood would go up and down crazily and we also noticed a vocal tic.  It amped up hugely after Halloween.  Since we couldn't let him have the chocolate (milk) we let him have Nerds and things like that.  Within an hour of a box of Nerds, he'd start randomly screaming at people, crying, and then having a vocal tic. So out went most of the food dye.  Gatorades from soccer games were actually a huge trigger for him.  
     
    Then there's me.  Last year, I started having horrible gas, stomach pains, bloating.  Then came the heartburn.  I even had some bleeding with bowel movements.  The moment that made me start wondering if it was food was when I had strep, and was just eating some really bland foods and all of those symptoms completely went away.  It was a night and day difference when I was just eating crackers and apples.  That made me really look at my food.  I took a good, long look at my family history and actually counted and I realized that 5 generations in my mom's family cannot handle milk.  So, out went the milk from my diet.  I have played around with it a bit and figured out that it's lactose intolerance.  I can use the Lactaid pills that help, but I honestly feel better if I just skip dairy altogether.  Timothy has a buddy in dairy-free land.  Life is noticeably much better for both of us.  
     
    And just for fun, we also have peanut, tree-nut, and egg allergies playing in that mix also.
     
    I had zero doctor support in all of that.  My family doctor seemed like he was more humoring the crazy lady for a while.  Though he seems to have come around.  He mentioned that last time we were in that he had been reading up on the effects of food dye and some studies on it and he was really wondering about food dyes and the roles they really do play in our health.  Then he commented "but you were ahead of me on all of that anyway".  Then we talked a little more about food and health.  So he really did seem to come around to it. 
     
    I think that you probably have nothing to lose by trying an elimination diet.  Gluten, corn, dairy, and salicyclates all can be huge triggers. After our past 2 years, I will never again underestimate the role food has on your health.  I thought we were eating generally healthy, but we were eating completely wrong for us.
     
    Marissa
     
  8. dtomecko

    dtomecko Well-Known Member

    It does sound like an autoimmune disease, like fibromyalgia that others have mentioned.  Especially the tingly fingers.  I always get a weird rash after I'm sick.  Ever since college.  I also have a lot of symptoms you mentioned.  I've been checked for lupus and the tests came back ok.  The rheumatologist said it was chronic fatigue syndrome, which there aren't really conclusive tests for and I'm a little skeptical of it.  But she said it's very similar to fibromyalgia.  In my case she said it's brought on by my anxiety, which I have really bad.  Especially in the winter months because my biggest anxiety trigger is illness and people being sick.  It's amazing how many symptoms anxiety brings on.  So she said it's basically my nervous system attacking my body, instead of my immune system attacking it.  Real bad long term anxiety will affect every system in your body, which is why I have the bowel issues, dizzy spells, tiredness, heart racing, shortness of breath...I know I will feel better in the summer, so I've stopped trying to figure it out.  In your case, it sounds like the symptoms are more real - not necessarily anxiety related (which is why I think fibromyalgia), although you may feel anxious about the way you feel and that can bring some of it on or escalate and make it worse.
     
    My other thought was thyroid.  Have you had that checked?
     
  9. jjzollman

    jjzollman Well-Known Member

    I was going to say fibromyalgia, anxiety, or your thyroid.
     
  10. mama_dragon

    mama_dragon Well-Known Member

    I would see about getting an appointment with an endocrinologist not just blood work via a GP.  A friend of mine had a stack of complaints that her GP ignored.  She finally made an appointment with an endocrinologist who quickly diagnosed her.  If you don't find the answers there then perhaps a rheumatologist.  I have a rheumatologist.  They are very thorough when trying to determine a diagnosis. 
     
  11. kingeomer

    kingeomer Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I will second Mama Dragon about seeing an endocrinologist.  I'd say between my endo and GYN, they are more my primary doctors than my family doctor who I have not seen in years...I see my endo 2x a year.  I feel like he listens and is very through.  
     
  12. Chrissy Nelson

    Chrissy Nelson Well-Known Member

    I have had issues and I switched doctors bc I felt my regular doctor just thought I was crazy. I think you need to take your symptoms and figure out what is the main one. Mine was mostly digestive so I went to a gastrologist and he took steps to get to the root of the problem.

    I honestly think the primary care doctor just gets in a routine and pushes things to the side.
     
  13. ECUBitzy

    ECUBitzy Well-Known Member

    I was going to say Lupus or Fibro, too. Something autoimmune. I believe both are exclusion diagnoses? They rule out everything else to determine that it is one of them? I'd definitely go see an endocrinologist.

    Big hugs! I'm sure you're so frustrated.
     
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