Aa
Am I the healthiest sick person out there?
I have NEVER called in sick, I eat a healthy diet, I have been blessed with a wonderful family and happy life, I have always been easy going and light hearted... and yet the only thing doctors can think of is.... I am suffering from depression. I honestly feel as though I am going to die. I have nausea, headaches, dizzy spells, I feel like I am going to pass out. I have lost weight. I have "tingles" on my face and arms. I feel the best when I am sleeping our outside exercising.
I have had every possible test you can think of...EVERYTHING including an MRI. Up until last year I went to the doctor about once in every five years. I have been at least ten years this time. We have spent so much money trying to sort this out. I even went to a therapist. He told me that I was a question mark to him. His thoughts were that I am NOT depressed.
My job is very stressfull (just like everyone else) The extra worry of the economy and paying bills.... so I just don't know. Maybe?
I am feeling frustrated because every Dr. I see tells me that I am in perfect health. How can a perfectly healthy person feel so sick and be in so much pain. At first I was terrified they would find something wrong - now I am frustrated they can't find anyhing.
My question is.... can depression and/or extended periods of anxiety really make a body feel this way.
Has anyone else experienced this???
I have had every possible test you can think of...EVERYTHING including an MRI. Up until last year I went to the doctor about once in every five years. I have been at least ten years this time. We have spent so much money trying to sort this out. I even went to a therapist. He told me that I was a question mark to him. His thoughts were that I am NOT depressed.
My job is very stressfull (just like everyone else) The extra worry of the economy and paying bills.... so I just don't know. Maybe?
I am feeling frustrated because every Dr. I see tells me that I am in perfect health. How can a perfectly healthy person feel so sick and be in so much pain. At first I was terrified they would find something wrong - now I am frustrated they can't find anyhing.
My question is.... can depression and/or extended periods of anxiety really make a body feel this way.
Has anyone else experienced this???
Lyme disease is an interesting thought. I shared this link with a friend and she researched and found that there was a breakout in my county in March of last year. I came down with this in February. I will certainly have that checked. I will ask them to check twice. I googled Polycystic ovarian disease and I don't think that is me. I am thin, with normal skin, no dandruff, perfect cholestrol, no cysts and I have very regular periods. I also researched the Gerd thing. That doesn't fit me either. Your thoughts on the cervical spine region made me stop and think. I work more hours than should be legal. I know that everyone says that... I am not just saying it. I walk the walk. Yes, I do work on a computer. AND my neck has been bothering me. I already had an appointment set up to see a chiropractor this week. I will ask him about it too. Dr39 - your first response has also made me rethink things. I have a very high stress job. I have been at the same job for more than 20 years and I have moved up much higher than I would have ever thought possible. I am honestly in over my head now.... quitting my job is not an option right now. I am going to think of ways to eliminate stress.
Thanks again. I have printed out your notes and will be taking them with me when I go in.
Thanks again. I have printed out your notes and will be taking them with me when I go in.
thank you thank you thank you! I appreciate all of the feedback and the good information and advice. Cheshchesh819 - It helps me know there are others that have been through it.
I will certainly take all the information with me on my next visit to the DR.
I live in Utah
Again, I so appreciate all the words of wisdom and your time.
I will certainly take all the information with me on my next visit to the DR.
I live in Utah
Again, I so appreciate all the words of wisdom and your time.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
If you have headaches and hot flashes and lightheadedness with a feeling of passing out, you could be having either polycystic ovarian disease (in females) or GERD with or without H pylori infection. These are the two conditions to be ruled out first. If you use computer a lot or read a lot then the symptoms of headache, dizziness, nausea etc could be due to compression of the spinal nerves in the cervical spine region. This can happen due to overuse of computers, work involving straining of neck, herniated disc, canal stenosis, bone disease, spondylosis, poor posture etc. A MRI of the cervical spine and nerve conduction studies may be required. Please consult a neurologist. Physiotherapy will help you and hence you should learn neck exercises to relieve neck strain. Get your blood pressure checked. This can also cause headache with dizziness. TMJ is another possibility. If you have been out in sun a lot or drink less of fluids then it can also be due to electrolyte imbalance or dehydration. Benign intracranial hypertension also causes dizziness with headache and a spinal tap is confirmatory. It can be a migraine attack too. Other conditions to be strongly ruled out in your case could be Meniere’s disease of the ear, wax in the ear, infection of the middle or inner ear, and benign positional vertigo. Hence it is important to consult an ENT specialist and a neurologist too. Other causes are anemia, hypoglycemia or low sugar and some endocrine problems, such as an underactive thyroid (called hypothyroidism), overactive thyroid (called hyperthyroidism), adrenal insufficiency (called Addison's disease), and in some cases, diabetes, may lead to hypotension and hence lightheadedness and an off balance feeling. It can also be an anxiety and panic attack. It is really difficult to comment on the net. I suggest you consult your PCP again to run the basic investigations and get an insight into what could be the cause, based on this post. Depending on clinical examination and tests, your PCP can refer you to the appropriate specialist. Hope this helps. Take care!
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
If you have headaches and hot flashes and lightheadedness with a feeling of passing out, you could be having either polycystic ovarian disease (in females) or GERD with or without H pylori infection. These are the two conditions to be ruled out first. If you use computer a lot or read a lot then the symptoms of headache, dizziness, nausea etc could be due to compression of the spinal nerves in the cervical spine region. This can happen due to overuse of computers, work involving straining of neck, herniated disc, canal stenosis, bone disease, spondylosis, poor posture etc. A MRI of the cervical spine and nerve conduction studies may be required. Please consult a neurologist. Physiotherapy will help you and hence you should learn neck exercises to relieve neck strain. Get your blood pressure checked. This can also cause headache with dizziness. TMJ is another possibility. If you have been out in sun a lot or drink less of fluids then it can also be due to electrolyte imbalance or dehydration. Benign intracranial hypertension also causes dizziness with headache and a spinal tap is confirmatory. It can be a migraine attack too. Other conditions to be strongly ruled out in your case could be Meniere’s disease of the ear, wax in the ear, infection of the middle or inner ear, and benign positional vertigo. Hence it is important to consult an ENT specialist and a neurologist too. Other causes are anemia, hypoglycemia or low sugar and some endocrine problems, such as an underactive thyroid (called hypothyroidism), overactive thyroid (called hyperthyroidism), adrenal insufficiency (called Addison's disease), and in some cases, diabetes, may lead to hypotension and hence lightheadedness and an off balance feeling. It can also be an anxiety and panic attack. It is really difficult to comment on the net. I suggest you consult your PCP again to run the basic investigations and get an insight into what could be the cause, based on this post. Depending on clinical examination and tests, your PCP can refer you to the appropriate specialist. Hope this helps. Take care!
Hi Brown,
I have been pondering your on your medical conundrum and believe I might have a few more answers. I wish I could see you in person, and take a look at your medical records. This would allow me to better assist you, although this seems unlikely I would still like to help if I can. Later last night after my first response something came to mind, a person I treated who had many of the same symptoms as you do. I ran just about every test I could come up with and every time these tests came out negative. More to the point I firmly believe that no you do not have Fybromyalgia. There are no conclusive tests that can confirm this other than a physical examination which given your history and symptoms I'm almost sure your doctor has already ran and getting back to this patient I treated in the past. I think you may want to consider Lyme disease as a possible diagnosis. This disease is often over looked do to the fact that it can mimic many other diagnosis-es. It would help to know if you live in the North Eastern states or not. Most Lyme disease cases are found in New York state which half the ticks are said to be infected with this bacteria called Borrelia Burgdorferi, or "Lyme disease". Have you had any rashes recently or that you can recall since your symptoms came to light? Red rings found on the skin mainly the arms but can come up anywhere on the body would be a good indicator of this diagnosis although 1 in every 4 patient with Lymes do never manifest a rash so just because you can not recall a rash that alone will not rule out this as a possible diagnosis. Along with all of your stated symptoms it would be a good idea to get tested. If indeed the test came up negative I would have it ran a second time to rule out a false negative result which is quite common with this disease. Then if it does turn out that you test positive it would be a matter of installing you with a pick line, or central line to gain access to your blood stream and dosing you for about 3 months with anti-bacterial medication. This disease is hard to get rid of however most diagnosed with this disease if diagnosed early have little to no symptoms after treatment. Once treatment begins the physical symptoms of this disease diminish quickly.
I can only recommend you get tested for Lyme's disease, if you indeed do have it then you could suffer long lasting effects such as heart disease. I am simply giving you some insight as to a possible diagnosis and am in no way making a diagnosis. I hope this helps!
I have been pondering your on your medical conundrum and believe I might have a few more answers. I wish I could see you in person, and take a look at your medical records. This would allow me to better assist you, although this seems unlikely I would still like to help if I can. Later last night after my first response something came to mind, a person I treated who had many of the same symptoms as you do. I ran just about every test I could come up with and every time these tests came out negative. More to the point I firmly believe that no you do not have Fybromyalgia. There are no conclusive tests that can confirm this other than a physical examination which given your history and symptoms I'm almost sure your doctor has already ran and getting back to this patient I treated in the past. I think you may want to consider Lyme disease as a possible diagnosis. This disease is often over looked do to the fact that it can mimic many other diagnosis-es. It would help to know if you live in the North Eastern states or not. Most Lyme disease cases are found in New York state which half the ticks are said to be infected with this bacteria called Borrelia Burgdorferi, or "Lyme disease". Have you had any rashes recently or that you can recall since your symptoms came to light? Red rings found on the skin mainly the arms but can come up anywhere on the body would be a good indicator of this diagnosis although 1 in every 4 patient with Lymes do never manifest a rash so just because you can not recall a rash that alone will not rule out this as a possible diagnosis. Along with all of your stated symptoms it would be a good idea to get tested. If indeed the test came up negative I would have it ran a second time to rule out a false negative result which is quite common with this disease. Then if it does turn out that you test positive it would be a matter of installing you with a pick line, or central line to gain access to your blood stream and dosing you for about 3 months with anti-bacterial medication. This disease is hard to get rid of however most diagnosed with this disease if diagnosed early have little to no symptoms after treatment. Once treatment begins the physical symptoms of this disease diminish quickly.
I can only recommend you get tested for Lyme's disease, if you indeed do have it then you could suffer long lasting effects such as heart disease. I am simply giving you some insight as to a possible diagnosis and am in no way making a diagnosis. I hope this helps!
O you have just written about me,yes that was me 3 years ago,never went to the doctors have never been ill not even a cold in the last year,but when i started feeling dizzy headaches ect... i too thought i was dying and again just like you every test came back normal,at first i didnt believe stress and anxiety could do this to my body,but after more tests i relized it was infact my mind convincing me that all this was happening so in the end i started to eat bit by bit and ignoring what i could when symptoms did appear,so far so good,i do still get the odd day where i can feel my chest in my head and the dizziness,but i just blod along until it passes.
Hello,
Taking into account that all the normal and more unusual tests have been conducted and like you've stated they have come out unsubstantial, or "normal"; I would conclude from your description of symptoms that your illness is indeed primarily mental. It's also important to point out that the psyche can impact the body negatively in physiological ways if the two are not in a state of harmony. For example, depression and anxiety can cause hypertension, bouts of sweating at night or during the day and so on. The fact that your symptoms seem to dissipate and you feel relief after exercising tells me it could be a chemical imbalance such as dopamine deficiency. The natural endorphins "chemicals in the brain that stimulate your brain and make one feel pleasure" if out of balance can cause one to feel physically ill. This is important to understand because this would mean in fact not only are you suffering from depression and, or anxiety which is in fact secondary to the primary issue at hand which is the physical manifestation of symptoms. The nausea, headaches, and dizzy spells is most likely attributed to a hormone deficiency.
When you have "tingling" sensations on your face and arms it's most likely a symptom of the "fight or flight" syndrome. When you become overly anxious your body reacts in a very real and physical way. It directs blood from your extremities, and yes from the fascia of the face to the core of your body so as to protect the major organs. This is normal and caused by the autonomic nervous system. Stress also impacts the body in a physical capacity raising blood pressure, increasing heart rate, and in the end draining your brain of essential hormones such as serotonin, and dopamine which are two chemicals necessary to combat all of your symptoms. I would ask your Doctor if he had run all the hormone secretion tests and if so what were the results. Some people require more of these chemicals than others to feel well. To give you a flat out answer to your end question is that YES absolutely; both depression and anxiety in the long term can and will cause you to become ill. I would monitor your blood pressure throughout the day and especially in the evening as this is a good tool to indicate stress. Make a log and with your doctor go over the results. I hope this has helped you.
I should also point out that many if not all of us at one point or another in our lives experience what your experiencing. Stress can cause all sorts of illnesses both physically and mentally. The body must work together with the mind to feel healthy. Keep exercising and eat healthy whole foods. This should help.
Taking into account that all the normal and more unusual tests have been conducted and like you've stated they have come out unsubstantial, or "normal"; I would conclude from your description of symptoms that your illness is indeed primarily mental. It's also important to point out that the psyche can impact the body negatively in physiological ways if the two are not in a state of harmony. For example, depression and anxiety can cause hypertension, bouts of sweating at night or during the day and so on. The fact that your symptoms seem to dissipate and you feel relief after exercising tells me it could be a chemical imbalance such as dopamine deficiency. The natural endorphins "chemicals in the brain that stimulate your brain and make one feel pleasure" if out of balance can cause one to feel physically ill. This is important to understand because this would mean in fact not only are you suffering from depression and, or anxiety which is in fact secondary to the primary issue at hand which is the physical manifestation of symptoms. The nausea, headaches, and dizzy spells is most likely attributed to a hormone deficiency.
When you have "tingling" sensations on your face and arms it's most likely a symptom of the "fight or flight" syndrome. When you become overly anxious your body reacts in a very real and physical way. It directs blood from your extremities, and yes from the fascia of the face to the core of your body so as to protect the major organs. This is normal and caused by the autonomic nervous system. Stress also impacts the body in a physical capacity raising blood pressure, increasing heart rate, and in the end draining your brain of essential hormones such as serotonin, and dopamine which are two chemicals necessary to combat all of your symptoms. I would ask your Doctor if he had run all the hormone secretion tests and if so what were the results. Some people require more of these chemicals than others to feel well. To give you a flat out answer to your end question is that YES absolutely; both depression and anxiety in the long term can and will cause you to become ill. I would monitor your blood pressure throughout the day and especially in the evening as this is a good tool to indicate stress. Make a log and with your doctor go over the results. I hope this has helped you.
I should also point out that many if not all of us at one point or another in our lives experience what your experiencing. Stress can cause all sorts of illnesses both physically and mentally. The body must work together with the mind to feel healthy. Keep exercising and eat healthy whole foods. This should help.
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