I'm sick all the time, flu like symptoms, achy joints, headaches, tired all the time, fatigue.
lab results
Ana titer 1:640 speckled
anti-dna titer 1:20
ra- neg
everything else is neg and normal. What can be wrong with me?
I've been experiencing a feeling of tension/achiness in my muscles for almost a week....most notably along the sides and back of my neck, but also my arms and legs....even when I'm simply sitting down, they feel achy...I'm also exhausted by the end of the day and have a headache most days...all related? I do think I've been clenching my jaw a bit (right now, as a matter of fact), which I suspect is contributing to the neck and head aches (and probably my dizziness too)...but what about the arms and legs? Almost feels as though I can't use them (although of course I can)....they just feel very heavy and tired. I had a period (of sorts) last week (it was very light, and it had been a couple of months since I had one at all)....could that be the culprit? Anyone else feel this way? These symptoms are all making me feel as though I'm losing my mind!
View 70 RepliesMy blood calcium level is 10.6. So far what I've read on the Internet it looks like parathyroid disease but I'm not sure. I just tested again on calcium and the parathyroid but I won't know anything till next week and I'm going out of town tomorrow and I know I won't be able to enjoy myself like I should worrying about this. So I have all the symptoms like painful joints, unable to focus, tired, dizzy, tingling legs and feet and easily set off. But what worries me is that a year ago it was discovered I have an enlarged pituitary gland that I haven't followed up on and I've read something about that. Also I am a smoker so does anyone know if I would feel like this if its cancer. I've had issues with my neck for awhile. It was swollen a couple of years ago to where it felt like a golf ball in the back. Now it feels tight in the front. Could it be throat cancer?
View 2 RepliesI am 55 and up until last month I was still having pretty regular periods even though they were extremely heavy and somewhat erratic. It was 3 months in between periods, last month. (I hope that makes sense!) This was the first time there had been that much time in between periods.
Lately I have been having headaches often. Something that I'm not used to. I can deal with that mostly, but lately I've had flu like symptoms that will come for a day or so and go away for 4-5 days. I feel normal then but it only comes back. I have no fever, but feel as if I do. I'm so tired, achy, and dizzy, sometimes nauseated, just as if I have the flu. This has been going on for the past month. I also feel as if the glands are swollen in my throat, but they are not. I also feel much tension in the back of my neck. This is a repeated thing, over and over.
When I feel great, I feel great! When I feel awful! I feel awful!
HELP! Am I losing it!!??
All of my friends have either gone through this years and years ago and don't remember many of the symptoms or have had hysterectomies and can't relate.
I'm hoping someone here can relate to these symptoms so I don't lapse into yet another state of hypochondria!
I have been having joint pain, general body pain, fatigue, depression and anxiety for years. I was dx with fibro about 3 years ago. It was first suspected almost 20 years ago. My mouth and eyes are painfully dry. My lips constantly crack. I recently had a PAP done and the GYN remarked how dry my vagina was (I'm not sexually active so I never noticed).
I recently saw a rheumatologist here in the State (I had previously seen one in Korea). She did a bunch of blood work. My Vit D was 28 (reference range was 30-70). RF, ANA were negative. CRP not done, but has been elevated in the past (multiple draws over a two year period, but none in the last year). ESR was 58 and has been elevated for 20 years (I went through a lot of blood work in high school and nothing was ever found, but it was with ID, not Rheum).
Rheum was next to useless. She said the sed rate wasn't relevant and that there was no need to worry about the Vit D (which was lower in the past) even though I was taking 2000 IU a day.
After talking to my GP, he had me increase the D supplement to 4000 IU/day. He also wrote me a new referral to a different rheum. This one specializes in seronegative arthritis.
I try to be an informed consumer. Current rheum just wants to throw more pills at the issue without getting to the root of it. It seems like if I go in with a fibro dx, everything must be fibro. How do I approach this new appointment (in September!!) to finally figure things out? This new doctor will be in the UH system as are all my other docs. I think she'll have access to previous lab results, if not I can pull them up in my EMR.
I could use words of wisdom, advice, a kick in the butt (if necessary), etc.
I have recently been diagnosed with Vit D deficiency...the level in my blood was under 10 (it was actually at 3) when it should have been at least over 50. I think it has been this low for at least a year. I didn't get any sunshine at all last year (severe hot flushes so avoided sunshine) without realising the consequences. My diet has not been ideal either. After several blood tests to test thyroid, and lots of other things, the locum GP came up with a severe Vitamin D deficiency.
Over the last 6 to 8 months my health has noticeably deteriorated with severe tiredness, no energy, really bad aches and pains, with severe pain in my joints, disturbed sleep, very depressed, etc. Plus I am pre menopausal and have depression, all of which are being treated separately and fairly successfully.
Anyway a locum GP put me on 20000iu of Vit D daily for two weeks which I finished this week...and now my usual GP has put me on a long term daily maintenance dose of 800iu Vit D (and didn't seem sure why I was on a daily dose of the 20000).
Anyway I had a business trip yesterday, 6 hours total travelling and 6 hours in meeting, and half hour walks to the station and back....and the result on my body has been catastrophic. Really aching all over, severe pains in my arms and legs, both much more than usual, bad back, and just generally feel awful. Is this to be expected? Is this normal with a vit D deficiency. How long will it be before I start to see any benefits. The doc mentioned it will be at least another 6 months before my blood levels are tested but I work full time, am a carer at home and really want to start feeling better soon.
Does that mean that we women are more susceptible to viruses, respiratory infections, etc.? Do most follow a certain diet ?
View 25 RepliesHas anyone read or been told by their doc they should "not" take probiotics if they have Hashimoto's or other autoimmune illness?
I read somewhere that one with autoimmune problems should not take probiotics that it could cause systemic yeast infection. Now I can't find that article. Everything else I read states probiotics good for autoimmune disease.
I have been living with AIH for 14 years, first diagnosed when i was 14 years old. Luckily I am fairly stable with the odd flare up now and again. I am being looked after by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bham and they are brilliant. Currently i'm on 50mg of Azathioprine a day and its brilliant with no side effects. I have been on Prednisolone in the past and i've not got on well with it. My doc keeps mentioning the possibility of me having to go back on it in the future but I don't like the side effects.
View 41 RepliesSay you have been treated for Graves Disease with RAI and that deals with the hyperthyroidism (not so much with the eyes though!), what happens to the antibodies that were attacking you thyroid with such vigour and verve? Do they just go home because there's nothing left to attack? Are they always in your system waiting to attack public enemy number 2? And why do these things decide to attack the very thing they are meant to be protecting? Is it genetics? Childhood illness (whooping cough, measles and mumps in my case.) Environmental factors? Stress? Diet?
I am sure there are many schools of thought and theories to all of these questions but I am curious still about where these wee anti-bodies go after the illness (or symptom of your illness) has been irradiated in my case.
I am 2 days into the vinegar treatment. I can't reach them on my back to use duct tape. Too many anyway. Does anyone out there have them on
their back? Does just the vinegar help?
I am interested to know if anybody here has autoimmune and if so do you have discomfort in your chest. I've had my heart checked and it's OK but I wake every morning with pressure in my chest. Was wondering if this was typical for autoimmune.
View 3 RepliesI have been to multiple doctors over the pas year. I started out at an orthopedic surgeon because my knee was swelling (previous meniscus removal in that knee btw). According to him nothing was wrong with my ligaments so he referred me to a rheumatologist. After testing positive for both blood tests (rheumatoid factor and high anti ccp level) he diagnosed me with rheumatoid arthritis. I did not have any of the typical symptoms of rheumatoid so I went to the Mayo clinic for a second opinion. I then tested negative for the rheumatoid factor and after a thorough exam, he concluded that I don't have rheumatoid. Throughout this time and still now I have been experiencing the following symptoms:-
-random blurred vision
-popping and pain in elbows
-popping in back when taking a deep breath
-numbness every once in a while in fingers
-chest tightness and shortness of breath
I have had chest xrays, full blood work, etc. All came back fine. Am I making this all up in my head?! I feel there is something wrong but every doc I go to says I am fine.
I'm 25 and over the past 6 years I've been diagnosed with 4 pretty serious autoimmune conditions. When I was 19, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis which is often crippling, even now. I was told this was an autoimmune condition. Shortly after, I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease, another autoimmune condition. The Arthritis and symptoms of the coeliac disease when I hadn't controlled it obviously made me feel unwell and I often felt lethargic and unhopeful due to a lot of pain and stuff going on in my body.
I managed to go on a clinical trial which allowed me to have a new and powerful arthritis drug which dramatically improved the condition and I managed to cut gluten out of my diet. I also lost a bit of weight - this helped.
However, after the trial, my symptoms of arthritis gradually came back but was usually kept under control with the exception of a few flare ups.
When I was 23, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes after getting a very quick onset flurry of symptoms (another autoimmune condition) - I find this very difficult to manage.
I've recently moved cities and transferring all of my specialists and treatments left me with no arthritis medication, and a long wait until I see a diabetes specialist to adjust insulin levels. As you can probably imagine, I've been in an awful lot of pain and been feeling very down, tired and lethargic. I'm very upbeat although having so many conditions and I don't let it bring me down, even though I work a full-time job 8 til 5 everyday. I've been having problems with blood tests, platelet counts, that kind of thing.
I was aware that I had the antibodies for Hypothyroidism as I had the test for that about a year ago and I knew it was just a matter of time before I developed it. Upon my most recent blood tests, my TSH level was 47.7 - ten times the top end of the normal limit. I've literally just started levothyroxine but, as you can imagine, I feel completely overloaded with health issues and like my head is going to explode and quite down about it all.
I'm sorry to give you my life story but I was just wondering if any one else has any of the other conditions I have and how they manage with all of them?
Also - how should I have been feeling with a TSH of 47.7? Should I have been feeling VERY different because, like I said, I always feel fairly tired and down due to the combination of illnesses. Any advice at all would be appreciated - I feel massively alone with this.
I'm a 24 year old female. I've been trying to figure out what is wrong with me for years. Two doctors, and two dentists, suggested that I may have an autoimmune disease, but I've had no diagnosis. I am wondering what autoimmune disease in particular this might be closest to. I've had these symptoms for a long time:
- Mild arthritis in right hand (since 17 years old) - maybe once a year, my fingers unexpectedly become swollen and arthritic, and then it goes away after a few weeks. It was most severe a few years ago, when my fingers became very swollen, hot, itchy and red, but it eventually calmed down and has not since returned with the same severity. My fingers in this hand are tilted towards the side, the joints have bended a little a bit sideways. Both of my hands and fingers are always very cold.
- Chronic fatigue
- A skin rash, cluster of small red bumps, that comes and goes on the side of legs. Also get random isolated red bumps throughout the body.
- Underweight and can't easily gain, though this might be genetic. I've always been underweight.
- Hair loss (began at age 18)
- Brain fog
- Vision getting blurrier / sensitive to light
- Eyes sore and red especially in the morning
- Poor looking skin
- Chronic sinusitis for the past 3 years. No cure or known cause (allergies were ruled out) - the sinusitis and red eyes clear up on steroids and antibiotics, but come back afterwards. So possibly a bacterial cause.
- Low blood pressure, low body temperature (96.5 - 97.5 on average)
- Tooth decay. I've had a lot of tooth cavities since I was a teen. I often wonder if tooth decay is the underlying cause of all of my problems. I've had many fillings and a root canal, but continue to have seemingly never ending problems with my teeth. My oral hygiene habits are extremely thorough though, and I try my best to prevent the cavities. I do everything I can to keep my mouth and teeth clean; electric toothbrush, brushing, flossing, special mouthwash, special toothpastes, etc.
I eat a relatively healthy diet and take vitamins and nutritional supplements. I've been experimenting to find the best diet to cope with this..whatever it is. I notice my health and energy levels are very dependent on how well I eat. If I eat junk food, or even the standard American diet, I feel very ill, exhausted and can't function. I can't have "treats" like a cookie or brownie, doing so could make me feel miserable for the next 24 hours. I keep myself semi-functioning by eating as simple and clean of a diet as possible, and consuming a lot of fruit and vegetables every day, along with tea and coffee.
My top two suspicions are that this is all a manifestation of tooth bacteria, or Celiac disease. Or maybe both. Most dentists don't believe that tooth bacteria would cause such an elaborate array of health problems, but I think it might be possible. I've heard of meningitis and heart disease caused by tooth decay. All of my symptoms started after I started to get severe tooth cavities, it was after having a root canal when I began to have severe hair falling out, and from then on my health went downhill. I had a blood test for celiac by a gastrointestinal doctor and they told me the results were negative. I never had an intestinal biopsy.
I am new to this forum and really would welcome some advice..
In February following a period of sudden very high blood pressure I was put on Amlopidine 5mg and Bisoprolol 2.5mg. I had a few headaches, felt tired but my blood pressure and pulse reduced and was consistently at 128/72 and 66.
My gp suggested me reduce my bisoprolol to 1.25mg and as my blood pressure and pulse stayed pretty much the same has now suggested I stop taking the bisoprolol. I am now on day 3 of this and do not feel great. I am extremely tired, have headaches and although my blood pressure is slightly increased 132/80 pulse 76 I am concerned how I feel. I have also read that side effects can be serious.
I am a 20 year old female. for the past 8 months i have had pains in my legs shooting down from my buttocks to my knees in both legs but is worse in my left leg but only while I'm sitting down and after i sit for 10 minutes i start to get pins and needles in my left foot and it is starting to happen more frequently and more painfully as time goes by it makes it hard to drive anywhere and painful to be sitting down. I have had a full spinal MRI and my spine is normal.
i feel like I'm always sick and when i get a cold/flu it never goes away at the moment i have a cough sore throat headaches which i have taken antibiotics for and it went away after 2 weeks of antibiotics but as soon as i stopped taking them it came back even worse. I am constantly yawning and tired.
I had a blood test and my WBC count was low 1.6 but everything else in the test came back normal negative for arthritis. The doctor has said to have another test but he said the low WBC count is most likely just low because of a virus?I have also been loosing hair. It is all making me stressed so the hair loss could be because of that but i don't know are all these symptoms connected? Could the pins and needles and pains be from lupus or another autoimmune disease? i am sick of going to doctors and spending money on MRIs which are useless.
I've been referred to CFS after 6 months of various symptoms. I wondered if anyone has problems when looking at a computer screen. I've been back at work full time for a couple of months but I still get headaches and dizziness after I look at a computer screen for a few hours. Unfortunately, my work means im looking at a computer a lot. I've had my eyes checked out - i use VDU glasses but the dizziness and headaches continue. Its not a symptom i've seen mentioned before.
View 6 RepliesAfter two weeks of side effects, daily headaches, terrible fatigue and loss of appetite, I am starting to wonder if this is ever going to work. I may have unrealistic expectations, so I hope some of you can tell me how long it took for you to start feeling a change in low mood and lack of enthusiasm.
View 36 RepliesI was wondering if anyone else has this problem. If I stand for a long time or sit in a chair without head support, I end up with a horrible headache. But if I can lie down or sit in a chair with head support so that I'm not having to carry the weight of my head, I don't get headaches. Anyone else?
View 1 RepliesHello my name is Brandon, I started off with a common cold about a month ago and been too many doctors all saying this way part of a virus. The cold symtoms went away but what stayed was my constant headaches, dizziness, fatigue, light headed and just unable to do any physical activity without getting dizzy or light headed. Doctors have put me on meds that have not worked and im still like this, I havnt been able to go to work or go to the gym in over a month, does anybody have any cases like this?
View 8 Replies