Help
I am a 48 year old female who has not been feeling well. Over 2 years ago I noticed lumps in my groin and was feeling tired and just not my normal energetic self. I visited my Dr. After several tests including Ultrasound, CT scan, and many blood tests I was referred to a Hematologist to rule out Lymphoma. I had daily fevers for at least 2 months, drenching night sweats, was extremely fatigued and had stomach pain. My LDH was 1364, my liver enzymes were elevated, lymphocytes were elevated, granulocytes elevated and who knows what else. After many blood tests and visits over a 3 month period there was no diagnosis. I began to feel better but not quite myself. It has been sometime now that I have still felt tired and shakey along with chest aches, groin aches and a pain under my left rib cage. I have seen my Dr. and she said she thought I was depressed and prescribed an antidepressant. I didn't agree so I put up with the symptoms for a long time.
This spring my 24 year old daughter moved home from college. About 1 month later she became very ill with high fevers, elevated sed rate, elevated platelets, elevated rheumatoid factor and elevated liver enzymes. She saw several Dr.s for ruling out Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Rheumatic Fever and the list goes on. After 8 days of spiking nightly fevers of 103 degrees she was put on prednisone and the fevers went away.
Our symptoms seem so similar and neither of us have been diagnosed. I mentioned to one Dr. that we have pet goats along with other farm animals. He said Brucellosis can be contracted by goats but didn't think it could be that. The more I thought about it after a few months I made an appointment for me to see a PA in the infectious disease clinic. She ran tests on me and said I have positive antibodies for Toxocara and Brucellosis. She wants to treat me for Toxocara but thinks the Brucellosis test is a false positive since it shows I would be in the acute faze and I should be in the Chronic faze.
I am feeling terrible. I get so fatigued, achey, have an ache in my chest on my left side, pain under my rib cage and in my groin. A rather annoying symptom for about 9 months is a weakness on my left side that comes and goes, and feeling jittery or shakey deep inside. I am unable to do things I have always done and it is hard to feel ill every day.
My daughter is doing better but still has a rheumatoid factor of 40 although all her other labs are back to normal. Her sacroilliac joint is painful daily.
I know Brucellosis is quite rare so I understand physicians not suspecting it. I worry that if it is Brucellosis our goats could infect other family members. They appear to be healthy but a few years ago one had enlarged testicles and they are hoarse now and can't baaaa.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
If you an outdoor person, perhaps you might consider Lyme disease.
Brucellosis is a bacterial infection. It can be cleared up with antibiotics and I know that it could also enlarge your liver & spleen. I posted a link below for you.
There are other conditions that can cause an enlarged liver or spleen. I gave you the two possible conditions that I was aware of and where sweating could be a symptom of (including other symptoms). There are others conditions that are very rare... I honestly can't remember the names of them. I think your physicians are going to have to exclude them one by one.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/brucellosis_g.htm
what is brucellosis please?
ialso have lympocites in my blood,am getting more tests done tomorrow.
no weight gain,lost 2 stone in 3wks and am not on any medication
Also are you taking antidepressants?
have you gained weight or have you been over eating?
One more thought... cystic fibrosis. They should rule that one out, as well. I know you can sweat (along with other symptoms) with both cystic fibrosis and brucellosis and have an enlarged liver & spleen.
Have they checked you for brucellosis ?