Re: Infectious disease or disorder?

Posted By Ryan Masterson on April 19, 1999 at 09:08:59
Hello.  I am a 21-year-old male, who has had a past of excellent health  both physically and mentally.  I have had no past problems with unusual illnesses or any known disorders.  I also have not had any past traumatic experiences (i.e. sexual molestation, car accident, near-death encounter, etc).  My life had been absolutely great.
Suddenly, my life changed, though, after a trip to India (including stops in London, and Oman).  The trip began at the end of December 98.  My total length of time in India was 2 weeks.  While in India, I came down with a bad cold (or, at least, something with cold like symptoms (i.e. stuffy nose, body aches, feelings of extreme cold, etc.)).  When I returned January 14, my cold-like symptoms were still present  instead of going away as normal.  I also began to slowly develop  as what I now know to be  general anxiety.  My cold symptoms began to change as well.  I felt as if I had something more than just a common cold.  Thus, I went to my regular doctor several times.  Since I had picked this illness up in India, my doctor recommended me to an infectious disease specialist.  I then went to see that doctor several times.  
By this time, my anxiety had grown much worse.  I felt as if I was going to die.  The thought of death even began to feel comforting - to rid me of my turmoil.  In fact, one day in February, my head was spinning so bad, and my chest was so incredibly tight, that I went to the hospital.  At the hospital, they ran a basic blood test, and found nothing wrong.  They diagnosed me with having just an anxiety attack, and gave me some Xanax to help control it.  I used Xanax for a few days, and was then able to control it enough to not need to take the medication anymore.
Meanwhile, with the infectious disease specialist, I underwent a basic blood test (to check how my organs were doing) and stool test (to check for parasites).  Those both came back showing everything within normal range.  And because I wasnt experiencing any serious physical symptoms - like vomiting, fever, or diarrhea - the infectious disease specialist strongly felt that I was just experiencing a bad reaction to Larium, a drug to prevent Malaria.
Larium, I learned, affects the nervous system, and can sometimes produce anxiety as a side-effect.  According to the doctor, Larium leaves the body completely two weeks after the final dosage.  Therefore, all the Larium would have been out of my system by mid-February (Larium is one of those drugs that you have to take a few weeks after you return from the Malarious area).
It has now been over three months since my trip to India, and I am still very sick.  My current physical symptoms are strange.  They are not confined to any particular system, and different days I experience different symptoms.  My lastest symptoms have been: stuffy nose, itchy throat, gurgling stomach, very bad and very frequent gas, loose stool, slight nausea, headaches, joint aches, lack of energy/motivation, fatigue, lightheadedness, and stiff neck.  But my mental condition is what is really bothering me  and seems to be most serious.  I have been severely depressed and have very bad  near constant  anxiety.  To treat those symptoms, my regular doctor put me on Prozac (for depression) and Tranxene (for anxiety).  It has now been about three weeks since I began taking the Prozac and Tranxene, but my depression and anxiety still linger.  And, as I said before, I never had a problem with anxiety in the past  Please help.  Though I do not feel deathly ill, every day is a struggle.
Whats your initial reaction to this?  Is it possible that I have picked up a disease that is causing my physiological problems?  If so, what type of virus or infectious agent might have caused it?  Some of the places I visited in India were extremely dirty and unsanitary  hence my fear of a disease.  Or, does this sound to you like a disorder  which may have just been triggered by the India trip?  Finally, do you know of any good doctors in the Denver area that may be able to help me based on your initial reaction?
Ryan
P.S.  Thank you so much for such a wonderful service you are providing for people all around ( - some of which who are struggling much worse than I am).  I appreciate you taking the time to thoroughly answer peoples questions, and to provide this free of charge.  May God bless you.

[NM__0]

Posted By NM on April 20, 1999 at 11:30:07
I hope one of the medical people on this forum has some advice for you.  I am not an infectious disease specialist, but just wanted to suggest that it doesn't sound like you've had a thorough workup, from what you've said.  Doctors in this country just don't know that much about esoteric parasitic diseases from countries like India.  A close friend of mine was having chronic problems a few years ago after a trip to India.  She suffered for several YEARS, going to a bunch of different doctors, finally landing in a hospital, and had the fortune to get a doctor who actually knew quite a bit about these diseases.  Her liver was so affected by that time that it was displacing her spine!  She is fine now after proper treatment.
  I don't mean to scare you, but just encourage you to get 2nd, even 3rd opinions, if necessary.  If your finances can manage it, you might have to travel to someplace such as the Mayo clinic, or other center to get a diagnosis.  I know from a number of people in the alternative health field that there are several specialized tests being done for parasites besides the standard stool sample and routine blood test.  I don't know if some of these tests are accepted or not, and I'm sorry I can't give you too many details, but you can search the internet for information on this, and possibly some specialist referrals.
  If in fact you don't have an infectious disease, there's also the possibility that you did at one point and that may have triggered off some kind of immune reaction that is staying with you.  If that's the case, (understand I'm not a doctor, and I'm only guessing here, but I've had my own long saga with auto-immune problems) then you may have to have yourself checked out by a doctor who specializes in auto-immune problems, such as an immunologist/allergist or a rheumatologist. Doctors seem to know much more in recent years about our immune system, although the science is really just beginning to develop.  Good luck.  

[Ryan__0__0]

Posted By Ryan on April 20, 1999 at 19:52:08
Thank you, NM, for your thoughts.  That's definitely something to look in to.  I've been pretty frustrated with my regular doctor, as he seems to just be blowing this all off.
Perhaps, if your friend is willing, she could give me some information on what exactly the doctors discovered, and/or where to get help.  To email me, simply click on my name above.
Thanks again,
Ryan

[CCF MD mdf]

Posted By CCF MD mdf on April 24, 1999 at 12:10:57
Many of your symptoms indeed are commonly associated with anxiety, so the fact that you experience something you identify as anxiety is not surprising. The mystery is where the anxiety came from.
I am not familiar with that medication, so I can't comment whether it triggered anything. As a neurologist, I see people with anxiety frequently, and my experience is that it doesn't necessarily have to have a cause. Of course, anxiety is a normal reaction to certain situations, but some individuals develop an anxiety disorder - out of the blue - in which anxiety plagues them despite lack of anything in their life which might be identified to trigger it.
I have no idea why the onset of your symptoms was triggered by travel. It may be just coincidence. That isn't as farfetched as you might think - we see it frequently.
Two recommendations:
(1) see a psychiatrist to get an opinion whether you in fact have an anxiety disorder (there are specific criteria and an experienced psychiatrist should be able to tell you more about this). Anxiety disorders are treatable. If the meds you tried so far (which sound reasonable) haven't worked well, then you need treatment with more psychiatric experience than an internist. (Note: most primary practitioners see a lot of common psychiatric problems and don't have to send patients to a psychiatrist, but when things get difficult it is time for a specialist).
(2) if the psychiatrist is uncertain about possible neurologic disease, then see a neurologist to be sure there isn't anything identifiable that could be a source. Usually there is not, so don't be surprised if the neurologist tells you he/she can't find anything definite. But no stone should be left unturned.
I hope this helps. CCF MD mdf.

[Ryan__0__0]

Posted By Ryan on April 25, 1999 at 15:19:23
CCF MD mdf,
Thank you very much for your reply.  Your thoroughness is greatly appreciated.
I do have some new info.  I went to a natural pharmacist, and had a live blood test done.  It was quite interesting.  He said that I had blood parasite.  I then read some documentation he had on parasites, and it said that common symptoms include hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, hypoadrenalism, and depression  which could explain why Ive been having all the symptoms that I have been (both physiological and physical).  I am now taking some organic sulfur to kill the parasite.  Does sound feasible to you?  :-)
Also (you dont have to take the time to answer this one  Ive just been doing some thinking), does medical science/neurology have an explanation for self-awareness?  :-)
ryan










Follow Ups:


Re: Infectious disease or disorder? NM 4/27/1999
(1)

Infectious disease or disorder? CCF MD mdf 5/06/1999
(0)