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Avatar universal

Multifacted Health Issues...

I am a 43 year old male, overweight and pre-diabetic.  My health has been deteriorating over the past couple of years.  Chronic light headedness, especially when standing, seems to get worse when I am standing still, not necessarily walking.  Irritable bowel symptoms, leg weakness, chest pain, numerous cardiac tests have shown no significant disease.  Sex drive is touch and go, some days it's ok, others it's non existent.  I've had an MRI of the brain which is normal, EKGs, stress test/echo, normal thyroid and blood count, negative Lyme.  Of course, after all this my doctor is convinced it's all in my head.  She may be right but when I started having issues with frequent urination I became alarmed.  My symptoms match multi systems atrophy which sounds like a horrific disease.  I've noticed my blood pressure is high when I'm lying down.  At this point, no real issues with moving around, I can walk, talk, eat and swallow but I am always feeling weak, no energy and the light headed feeling, upset stomach and leg weakness is almost always present.  Any thoughts on what this could be, dysautonomia.  My A1C is 6.2 so I'm thinking these are not symptoms of diabetes but I'm not sure.  Going to a neuro tomorrow, his reviews online are not so good so I'm just hoping for the best :(  It's gotten to the point where I can't work outside the house, no one is taking it seriously and I am on medicine for anxiety, frustrating wouldn't really be the word, more like hopeless.  This has really destroyed my life to this point, have lost out on so much, it does get worse with stress but I'm assuming any illness, somatic or not, does.
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Avatar universal
Rob it sounds like you are experiencing some level of autonomic dysfunction which is generally triggered by a virus or infection. Unfortunately there has been an alarming increase in viruses and  bacterial strains in recent years that has caused these post-infectious symptoms. My advice would be to try a round of antiboitoics and/or consider some detoxing methods like activated charcoal, bentonite clay etc.
The medical industry and doctors will push your symptoms off as being related to anxiety but it is only because they do not have the correct diagnostic tooling or expertise to properly find what is causing your symptoms. I would bet your symptoms are very real and causing very real problems. Do not get discouraged or easily led down a path of physchoactive drugs designed to mask your symptoms as this will only make your issues worse. I would continue to look for what is causing your symtpoms and would consider trying some things for viral and infections pathogens that almost always cause the very symptoms your are describing. Good luck. Keep us posted
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Avatar universal
Thanks, don't know what that is but I'll Google it.....
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Avatar universal
Eh, should add that I was never tested for Celiac as a kid, just received that diagnosis.  As an adult, I have had 3 scopes and two blood tests for gluten sensitivity, all negative, scopes were negative for sprue.  Unfortunately, I don't think it's a gluten allergy, that would be a simple fix, not easy but simple.
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Avatar universal
It could be migraine actually. But since you clearly have some orthostatic intolerance symptoms maybe you at least should try to take midodrine a few days and see if you get better?
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He diagnosed migraines and prescribed Topamax, not buying it so far as the new medication seems to have made things a little worse.  I don't get headaches very often, I understand there are forms of migraines that cause dizziness but I would assume there would be some pain, light sensitivity or other migraine symptoms.

Interestingly, I was diagnosed with Celiac as a kid BUT I was never tested for it and I've had 3 scopes and a couple blood test, nothing ever shows up.  Thinking it's still possible to have sensitivity to gluten but I'm wondering if it can cause such debilitating symptoms, it might explain the GI issues but the neuro stuff?  There is candida I suppose but doctors will literally laugh if you mention that.  My doctor is convinced it's all psychological, I've really lost faith in not only her but medicine in general.  It seems to be more about masking symptoms than curing the actual cause.  Thanks very much for the link, will check it out and I appreciate your response.
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4943237 tn?1428991095
I hope you've had some success with your Neuro :-)  

If not, have a look at all the things that a gluten sensitivity either Celiac or non celiac GS can do to you.  Most of your symptoms match what I've had at one time or another with NCGS.  

This link might be of interest to you too.

http://www.livingwithout.com/issues/1_11/untreated_gluten_sensitivity-1800-1.html
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Avatar universal
Received an email notification, thanks for your response.  I used to belong to a really good support group but it went off line in the years where I was busy taking care of my dad and not active online.

I am well down the path of psychoactive drugs because once upon a time, I didn't know any better and once you get dependent, especially if you're ill, it's very tough to come off.  I tried back in 2010 and ended up in the hospital for a stretch, benzodiazepines are nasty.

Right now I'm just looking for a good support network and haven't found one yet, frustrating but I'll keep looking.  I finally found the link to my old group, thinking I was back in business and the link was dead lol  Thanks again my friend :)
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Avatar universal
Disregard, can't edit  Found a form more suitable to my needs....
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