trying to find answers

[rainiemaeh]

I'm a 49 year old female with hypothyroidism, Epstein-Barr virus and Celiac disease.  Since mid-December I've been very fatigued and I have not been able to sleep through the night without a sleeping pill, which I only took out of desperation for a good night's sleep and not very often.  About the same time the insomnia started I noticed my shins began to itch, mostly at night.  That has progressed to itching all over, all day with the intensity worse at night and worse on the lower legs.  Four weeks ago I had several days of unexplained high fever, followed by sinusitis which is something I haven't suffered from in over 15 years.  I tried multiple alternative things to no avail and had to finally see a dr. who noticed I had the beginning of a staph infection in my nose.  Colloidal silver and an antibiotic finally cleared it up after 10 days.  Meanwhile, I had horrible fatigue and lost 10 lbs which I did not put back on after clearing up the sinus condition.  I returned to the doctor who ordered a blood test, chest x-ray and echocardiogram.  The TSH number is fine and the nurse told me that my B12 levels were high.  That sounds odd to me since I have celiac and don't absorb well and I don't take additional B vitamins outside of a good multi.  My concern is the 10 pound weight loss (I'm small framed and now weigh 125) in 3 weeks time, the itching skin, the insomnia and a high B12 level.  Do these symptoms point to leukemia or lymphoma?  I feel like a hypochondriac suggesting it to my doctor.

[ashley390]

did you ever find any answers??

[rainiemaeh]

Thanks for your imput.  I did ask for a CBC and a liver blood test and am awaiting results.  My chest x-ray was normal.  Still waiting to hear about the echocardiogram.  I have not had a CT scan.  It was an electrical frequency scan done by a Naturopath that indicated a problem with the abdominal nodes.  I had the blood drawn on Monday and hope to get news today.  My doctor did not comment on the high B12 levels, but I also discovered that it could indicate leukemia or liver disease, both of which also have itching and weight loss as symptoms.  Meanwhile, my insomnia is worse and I do have a vague "pain" just under my right rib cage, especially in the middle of the night.  I've also started to have mild night sweats between 2-6 times a night.  I know at my age that could be hormonal, but I also know it could be a clue to a larger problem as well.  Hopefully I'll get to the bottom of this soon!

[Jules77733]

You should push your doctor to order at least a CBC--I'm shocked that wasn't done along with the TSH and B12. As a Celiac patient you do have a greater risk of developing lymphoma, but there are plenty of people who have Celiac's and don't ever develop any kind of cancer. If your abdominal nodes are swollen, the CT scan (and attending radiologist) should have picked up on this. Testing positive for EBV also increases your risk of developing lymphoma as scientists have tied the two together--we're still waiting for the explanation on this one, though.

Did your doctor comment on what a high B12 level could mean? I've heard that this can be tied to leukemia, but I've also read that this has also been tied to obesity, liver disease, and diabetes.

I hope you get to the bottom of this soon!

[rainiemaeh]

Thanks so much for a response!  According to the nurse at my doc's office the TSH and the B12 were the only tests ordered.  I found that unusual and quite disappointing.  The doctor seems more concerned about my heart.  I'm still waiting for results of the chest x-ray and echocardiogram.  As a Celiac patient I've been told I have a greater chance of lymphoma.  I just get so frustrated with the slow moving medical system and the feeling that no one really listens to me!  I don't think all these odd symptoms are coincidentally occuring.  I did recently see a Naturopath and she did a body scan with measures electric frequencies in the body.  While it doesn't diagnose anything, that scan showed that my main health issue was in my abdominal nodes--which was a red flag to me.  I guess I'll just try to be patient until the x-ray results are in.  Thanks again and God bless.

[Jules77733]

What blood tests did your doctor order aside from the B12 and TSH? I assume that a CBC was done...could you tell us what the results of your RBC and WBC counts were? Also, lymphoma typically presents as painless, swollen lymph node(s) in the chest or neck. In this case, your chest x-ray would've picked up any swollen mediastinal or axillary lymph nodes, which it doesn't sound like it has.

While I have never been diagnosed with lymphoma or leukemia, I have sub-clinical hypothyroidism (possibly Hashimoto's), but my B12 was measured as insufficient last time it was checked, and I itch all over, too (not particularly on the shins--usually my torso, arms, head, and thighs). I have noticed petichae in a lot of different places, I experience extreme fatigue, I'm developing anemia while my white count slowly rises, and I did lose 25 - 30 pounds a year ago of which I have gained about 10 of it back (I don't exercise much and I'm taking several medications that cause weight gain in addition to being recently diagnosed with PCOS).

I hope you're able to find an answer soon!