just cant figure out whats going on

I apologize as this will be long. I will start out by saying i am a 35 year old male 5 foot 9  350 pounds. My recent surgeries were lap band in 2008 and gall baldder removal in 2009. I think these facts are nonfactors but im listing everything. My known medical problems are severe sleep apnia (apnea) and i often get bronchitis and sometimes pneumonia, average once per year over my lifetime but less common last few years. The sleep apnia (apnea) is not being treated with cpap which i will consider changing but im not convinced sleep apnia (apnea) is the core issue here.

My issue started out as lower right back problem in the L4 region likely muscular affecting the sciatic nerve. I went to the doctor and got flexeril a potent muscle relaxer which got me past this issue in 08. After roughly 8 days of taking this pill 3 times daily i started waking up very weak and barely able to walk with some improvement in strength and energy throughout the day but hasnt been near where it should be. I would say improvement only happened as time passed since the last pill. After the pill regiment was over i quit taking it. Yesterday morning i woke up 8 hours after the last pill very weak and no energy and strengthened as the day progressed. Today 36 hours post pill i expected to wake up feeling better but woke up very weak again.

I dont know if i will strengthen throughout the day or not. As far as my back the sciatic pain is still there, my right hip hurts as it has the whole time and the rest of my back, in certain spots especially lower spines it feels likes there are knots or lumps poking out when i lay on my stomach and i feel similar stuff when laying on my back. I feel this in my back but feel nothing with my hand when i feel or rub the areas. I have also felt pretty consistent light to moderate pain in my lower right abdomen in the kidney or liver area. I thought a kidney issue was possible due to that was the only thing that matched all my symptoms like night sweats, constantly thirsty despite drinking tons of water, pains in other organs or areas especially splein area and lots of muscle and stomach spasms.

Things that have been ruled out: i have had two blood work ups that showed no problems with kidneys or liver for sure. They also showed electolytes were good, blood sugar is good around 81. Red and white blood cell counts were normal. I have no idea if these tests would have said anything about pancrease or heart. My blood pressure which has always been on the low end of normal is now running in the 145 over 98 range and in one case 177 over 115. Some other unusual things in the past, i have on occassion had white colored or even green stools but not for a month or two, its not that common.

My question is simply what can i look at as possible causes that the blood tests may not have covered? Not sure if it covered pancreatic stuff. Could it be tumor or cancer type stuff? Could it be heart related? Could it possibly be withdrawal from the flexeril along with sleep apnia (apnea) stuff? I dont think sleep apnia (apnea) could cause such weakness. The back stuff is not sleep apnia (apnea) related. I have never had a history of serious problems like this. Ive never been on fmla or claimed fibromyalga (fibromyalgia) which im not a big beleiver in. Im not a hypochondriak with a history of chronic issues. Im not a chicken little thinking death is imminent but ive never felt like this and it seems very serious and seems to have potential for causing me not to be able to get up one day or even being fatal. Any advice is appreciated. I currently dont have health insurance so is there any suggested cheaper tests that could show something? Im leaning towards a spinal xray.

[test2009]

I am going to try to address at least some of your issues. It seems that your chief complaint is muscle weakness secondary to some unknown cause, but that you believe has started after taking flexeril. There are many different causes of progressive weakness, and a diagnosis should not be made over an internet forum. Although I understand that insurance is an issue, I would make an appointment with a neurologist (if you live near a teaching hospital try to find a Dr. associated w/ the school - just my opinion). Tell him up front that you would like to try to make a diagnosis without imaging if possible. Generally a diagnosis can be achieved through a good history and thorough physical exam.

The next problem I would like to address is your sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is really worth treating. I know you don't want to go  on to CPAP, but until you lose weight this is not something to ignore. Chronic sleep apnea can lead to multiple problems including cardiac issues. Get on CPAP, and use that as a motivator to slim down and hopefully not need CPAP in the future.

The back pain can come in 3 varieties. Is it muscular pain, bone pain, or nerve pain. Push on your bones - does this illicit a sharp pain? Is it muscle tenderness? Is it more of an "electrical or burning" type pain? There are many causes non-descript lower back pain,

Next - you mention "drinking tons of water" and being thirsty all the time - this sounds a LOT like one of two things. Either diabetes insipidus (no it is not related to diabetes in any way) or just psychogenic polydipsia (it is all in your head). There are tests to determine if you have DI and there are treatments depending on what form you have (if you have it). Also, night-sweats are concerning for multiple things; however, can be secondary to DI.

The abnormal stool color is due to a gallbladder issue (not enough bile salts) - so don't stress too hard on that one.

The elevated blood pressure is not entirely worrisome, but is something you may want to get checked out at some point. Do you get these spikes often? Is it ever associated with your heart "pounding"?

keep your history simple and describe each problem in this format:
Problem: What is the problem? i.e. Lower back pain
Onset: When did it start
Location: Where is it
Duration: How long does it last when it happens
Character: Describe how it feels i.e. burning/gnawing/piercing/etc.
Aggravating Factors: What makes it better?
Relieving Factors: What makes it worse?
Timing: When does it happen?
Associated Symptoms: What other symptoms accompany it?

[donjoe341]

You mentioned fibromyalgia. Does this mean you have muscle pain or pain surrounding your joints? Do you have problems with digestion. Feeling bloated, very gassy, heart burn ect. Suffer from any constipation or diarrhea, headaches, light sensitivity or anything you haven't mentioned?
I know this sounds like a long shot but is it at all possible that you have been bitten by a tick. I would look into lyme disease and check to see what all of the symptoms are.
I can tell you that it can mimic many different kinds of disorders. I lost my gall bladder because of it. I also have fibromyalgia along with headaches, fatigue, digestion problems, sleep problems and many more. I am not saying you have this but it is worth checking into. Your weight is a big factor for your health. It can put a lot of stress on the body also. My husband and I both have lyme and we suffer from so many problems. My husband has sciatic problems along with the breathing issues at night and even sometimes during the day. Fatigue, muscle weakness and pain are a big part of our every day life. We are of normal weight, very healthy and active individuals so the doctors could not say that was the cause. The problems you have are symptoms of a bigger problem. Try and think outside the box and look into lyme disease.

[donjoe341]

I also forgot to mention that lyme can cause extreme thirst and nervous system disorders. Blood pressure problems can also be found with lyme disease. You could have had this a long time causing many of the conditions you suffer with. Doctors will ask you if you ever remember getting bitten or a rash. My husband and I didn't remember ever getting bitten and we never had a bulls eye rash. We both tested positive for it. If you want or need any more information on lyme just contact me. Good Luck.

[taylor916]

Yeah i did pull a tick out of my wrist once but it was probably atleast 4 years ago maybe 5. It was really weird i had one being i just woke up one morning and there it was. Not sure where i woulda got it, it wasnt that deep into me or the head wouldnt have came out with the body. My thirst issues have been going on a long time. Gall bladder came out after the tick. These extreme symtoms (symptoms) though the weakness, the no indurance at all, the dizziness, the blood pressure, all just started all at once 5 days ago. The back issue has been over two weeks now and i had the back issue in 08 and got past it. Only joint i have trouble with is right hip. I dont have muscle pain but do get lots of muscle cramps which has gone on a long time but i attribute that to weight and dehydration. I have been getting a lot of stomach spasms and that started recently. I no longer get heartburn, my lapband in 08 ended that. I have had stomach and digestive issues for 13 years so thats way before the tick. Every organ from my chest to my abdomen has tested fine. Had ct scans on that, my heart is shockingly good like a 20 year old man in perfect shape, really unheard of for a 35 year old as big as me with sleep apnia (apnea). Saturday morning i had a sleep apnia (apnea) seisure which may have been why i was so sick saturday but usually when i get really dizzy and sick and weak and faint nothing is wrong except blood pressure is real high. Saturdays episode i felt as if my face and neck were burning up, i was sweating, felt hot to others but my temp ended up being 98.2. I dont have fibromyalgae but what is the process to get tested for lyme disease?

[taylor916]

I agree that neurological is about all thats left. Ive been on the cpap for two nights now. It puts me to sleep immediately like laughing gas or something. I tend to wake up feeling very nautious and dizzy and my arms and legs are numb and heavy but after that wears off i feel better than a sleep apnea event that messes me up all day. Maybe the machine is blowing too hard. I got an iv saturday that really livened me up for that night but i havent had too bad of thirst issues since then or much abdomen pain. Still very weak and dizzy despite all my organs being good. I will look up that diabetes insipidus thing. Thanks for your comment.

[taylor916]

Thanks for your comments by the way.

[donjoe341]

To get tested for lyme disease you can go to your family practitioner and get the standard test. Be aware that lyme testing is very poor and inaccurate. You could show up as negative and still have it. This is what happened to my husband, myself and my son. We were put into treatment with the suspicion of lyme disease based on our symptoms and after many months we were retested. My husband and I came back positive and our son showed many markers but not CDC positive yet. We feel much better since we have been in treatment. If you are serious about getting tested then you should go to a lyme specialist and get tested through Igenex labs. To find a lyme specialist go to lymenet.org and they will help you find one in your area.
Realize that you could have been infected multiple times and at different times in your life. This could be why you have had so many health issues for so long. We think that we (my husband and myself) were infected as children and it was never addressed. It wasn't until we hit our mid 30's when we believe we were possibly infected again. This was to much for us to handle and over a period of 10 years our health declined rapidly. It is something to consider. Sometimes you have to look outside the standards of western medicine to find answers.

[taylor916]

Well my thyroid is bulging out of my neck so looks like the answer revealed itself

[donjoe341]

Wow, Did this recently happen?
Are you still going to see an endocrinologist?
Be aware if you get treated for hypothyroid and it doesn't fix everything you should be tested for lyme. It can cause hypothyroidism.
Also, make sure you get a 3 hour glucose tolerance test.
Good luck, I hope your future treatment fixes your problem.