Might have adrenal issues...

I'm 21 with no history of health issues until this spring. Came down with what seemed like a virus and never fully recovered. I have gone through a wide range of symptoms. For the first couple months I was vomiting every morning when I woke up and had severe nausea, but thankfully that has subsided. My main issues now are lightheadedness, fatigue, gas and bloating, and weird metabolic issues. If I don't eat every two hours I will get lightheaded and have some stomach pains, and after a large meal I will get extremely tired and feel lightheaded in a different way. It's very annoying that I'm only 21 and I can't eat like I used to, or like a normal person.

One major indication to adrenal fatigue is my last period stopped on the third night and most of the next day, and then resumed again the evening of the fourth day. I understand this is a sign of adrenal fatigue and it didn't happen to me before.

Any suggestions as to what I should do or if I even have adrenal fatigue? I have been checked for nearly everything; tons of blood work and doctor visits and no one can figure it out.

[lindsay0891]

I thought I should also add that my symptoms vary quite a bit. I have good days and bad days, usually the really bad days last about a week and then I'll have two or three weeks of feeling fairly decent.

[rumpled]

Did you get a copy of your blood work? What kind of doctors did you see?

It could be so many different things from diabetes to hormones to mineral issues to whatever - so it may take a while to draw down on what it is.

How is your blood pressure?

[lindsay0891]

I saw a couple GPs and a few internists.
I did get a copy of most of my blood work. Blood sugar is always normal, thyroid is normal, white blood cell count and all of that is normal. The ONLY abnormalities are very slightly high/borderline high/normal calcium and borderline high/normal platelets, which would not cause or explain any symptoms. Also had my thyroid checked which is normal, and was tested for Lyme disease, ANA antibodies, gluten intolerance, and more: all normal.

My blood pressure is usually about 116/70. Last time I had it checked I think it was 120/70. So it's pretty perfect. I do get lightheaded when I stand if I haven't eaten for a while but I think everyone is like that.

[lindsay0891]

Oh, I should also mention that most days I feel MUCH better late at night. It has gotten to the point where I don't go to bed until 4-6 in the morning because I feel almost normal from around midnight until that time.

[rumpled]

Calcium can be a nasty issue - look up hyperparathyroidism. Fatigue is a huge factor there, if I recall correctly. I have the opposite issue.

[lindsay0891]

Doctors have told me they don't worry about high calcium (and it won't cause symptoms) until it's at least 12. My parathyroid level was checked too and it's normal. So I'm thinking it might have something to do with magnesium.

[rumpled]

I have done a lot of research on calcium - and it should never be abnormal. If you do your own, you can find you may still have issues. It is still a possible explanation. PTH can vary.

I may not be reading things right - I don't see a level on magnesium?

With period issues - have they tested all your adrogens?

[lindsay0891]

It's still considered normal in some labs. My level is only 10.4-10.5.
I haven't had my magnesium checked but I have had many symptoms of a magnesium deficiency like heart palpitations which are usually relieved by taking magnesium supplements. From what I've researched the only other things that can cause high calcium are cancers and no doctors have felt that I have any signs of cancer.

I don't think I have had androgens tested. I don't usually have period issues (just heavy/painful periods like I've had for years but they have always been regular). And from what I've read periods that stop and then resume are a pretty good sign of adrenal fatigue.

[rumpled]

Small tumors on the parathyroids - benign ones - can cause high calcium.

I don't attend the AF school.

[lindsay0891]

Maybe. Honestly my calcium level doesn't bother me, my blood has been checked a few times, the level hasn't increased, it's not even considered high in many labs, and no doctors have ever seemed concerned about it at all.
The things bothering me are digestive issues, fatigue, occasional attacks of heart palpitations and anxiety, blood sugar issues (needing to eat every two hours but feeling tired after meals), etc. I don't think any of that would be related to a condition that would also cause high calcium.
I really feel like the virus I had and all the stress I was going through before it happened just wrecked my body.

[rumpled]

Fatigue is so general that it is hard to pinpoint. Have you tried a rheumy - it may be that you have an auto-immune something?

[lindsay0891]

The fatigue isn't usually that bad unless I don't get enough sleep. As long as I'm sleeping a lot the fatigue only comes in short waves but it is different than what I've experienced before. I haven't seen a rheumatologist but I have had my ANA antibodies checked and that all came back normal.

[rumpled]

Did they do a SED and CRP too? It can take a lot of drilling down to figure things out. Iron, vitamin D, etc etc.

[lindsay0891]

I'm not sure what SED and CRP are so I guess that means no. Vitamin D and iron were both checked and both fine, although the vitamin D was the lowest number on the normal range. I have been taking multivitamins since then, though. My iron level is great, and so is B12, sodium, potassium, etc. Had my thyroid checked too, either the T3 or T4 (can't remember which) was on the higher end of normal but the TSH is normal. Also had a CBC and CBC with differential and everything's normal there. My platelet count is very slightly high (still normal in some labs) at 418,000 but no doctor has said anything about it.

[lindsay0891]

Actually after Googling it, the C-Reactive sounds familiar and the doctor did mention they'd checked for signs of inflammation so I think I have had that one. I'll have to look at the print-outs of my blood work when I remember where I put them.

[rumpled]

If your TSH was normal - was it the correct range? Most labs use the old ranges and the new ranges are .3 to 3.0. The Ts are better off at the upper ends of the ranges.

SED and CRP are other inflammatory markers. Sounds like the doc did baseline testing - but if all that was normal - perhaps you need to drill down more.

[rumpled]

Did you have sodium and potassium done? If they are normal, likely adrenal is not on the table.

[lindsay0891]

I'm thinking the TSH was right in the middle of the range, the number 1.6 comes to mind but I'm not 100% sure. I checked the papers (forgot to look at thyroid but I'll look again) and I did have the C-Reactive. The level was 1.3 and the normal range was 0-4.9. This was done in August.

I'm thinking my sodium was 141 (normal was 130-somethign to 144) and potassium was in the normal range as well. But this was back in June only about a month after I'd gotten sick.

[rumpled]

I would think in that case you should not at the adrenals but somewhere else. It can be difficult to figure out some disorders!

[lindsay0891]

Thanks. Do you have any suggestions? I'm thinking maybe chronic fatigue and IBS but I'm not sure.

[lindsay0891]

One thing that makes me suspect something like this is my symptoms, overall, are getting SLOWLY better, they're not getting any worse at all.

[rumpled]

No way anyone can be diagnosed over the internet... so many variables and I am certainly not a doc! It would be 100% guessing by a layman - sorry about that.
Glad you are getting better.

[lindsay0891]

Oh, I understand. I definitely don't expect to get a diagnosis but it's good to talk with people who are more experienced with these things than I am since I'm pretty new to the world of chronic illness.