My undiagnosed symptoms

[Citizen T]

Hello, I'm a 32 yr old male.  During the past two years, I've had 3 times more random infections than I've had in all my life combined.  Often it will be a stuffy head, body ache, low grade fever and then chest congestion type deal....another time a mild abdominal pain, low grade fever, total loss of appetite and malaise.    When I do not have an infection, I feel light headed to some degree all the time...literally, all the time.  I have seen psychology who tells me what I describe in that regard resembles "derealization" and it is definitely quite severe.    I will feel fatigue, light headed, and often my heart beats chaotically for 5 or 10 seconds.    I never had any of these symptoms before 2 years ago.     I have a history of mild chronic duodenitis which basically never goes away but is often too mild to cause pain, just a sort of nausea or odd feeling in my stomach.    I had a cardiac workup, echo and EKG...no problems there.  Chest Xray OKAY.    Blood work, not taken during an infection, but OKAY...CBC, CMP,  Bilirubin OKAY,  lipase 61 with a normal range of 0-61.    I am very distressed, and don't know what to do.  I have thought about expanding my investigation at a lab that performs tests without a doctors order.   I thought about ordering homocysteine to rule out Vit B deficiency,  a SED rate,  and repeat all the basics CBC, CMP, amylase, lipase, bilirubin.    Do you have any knowledge of my symptoms?   Could you recommend any labs that may reveal something?    Can this still possibly be serious even with a normal CBC/diff?

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

The type(s) of chronic infection that I suggest you look for are those that invade peripheral nerves and endrocrine glands.  Examples are various cell wall deficient bacterial species of Mycoplasma, Borrelia, Chlamydia, etc.  In addition, certain viruses can also cause these problems.

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

Infections often cause problems with the levels of cytokines, the chemical messengers that regulate your immune system and immune responses, among other things.  When you have infections, cytokines are out of balance, and your entire body reacts.  Thus you can feel all sorts of sensations and and changes that signal you that you are not well.  Some people treat these symptoms as if they are the target for therapy.  However, in the long run this rarely works, because the underlying problem (such as an infection) is still there.  

We usually suggest that a whole new effort be made to find out the identity of a possible infection(s), so they can be treated.  If successful, the treatments will result in cytokine levels returning to normal along with resolution of symptoms related to elevated cytokines.

[Citizen T]

My arms and hands sometimes become sluggish...heavy...and my mouth and tongue will feel funny.    My limbs will tire much too quickly with repetitive motion, and I have a harder time controlling their movements...eating...typing...etc.   No objective weakness however.  I feel different mentally,  like I'm disconnected.  Very uncomfortable, restless, irritable...want to be alone..  This often happens right after an infection.   But sometimes randomly when there has been no infection.

[Citizen T]

There is actually 1 more thing I would point out.  I have these "impulses" or very mild electrical-like "impulses" what go through my head, and sometimes my chest/stomach or arms (but mostly my head)... it's sometimes induced by turning my head left or right, but not always,   and is more frequent during infections...not necessarily during the fever phase though.    I have also had a normal MRI brain in the past...about a year ago,. I had a normal brain MRI.