Almost a year of mysterious symptoms... please help!

[lindsay0891]

I'm about to turn 22, and my problems started right after I turned 21. Started with some spells of fatigue and nausea, then in April I came down with some kind of viral infection... might have been coxsackie because I had a lot of chest/rib inflammation but I never figured out what it was. Recovered and felt pretty good for two weeks, then in the middle of May I started getting the dizzy/fatigued/nauseous spells telling me I was getting sick again, and then I got what I thought was a stomach virus but it never fully went away. For a while I was waking up every morning and vomiting like a pregnant woman, and I could barely eat anything. But I did have good days where I felt pretty good. The symptoms were really off and on. I was also constantly lightheaded/dizzy, and had some weird symptoms like hair loss and slight weakness in the left side of my body. I also had a lot of gas and bloating and would belch all the time. I had heart palpitations and anxiety, and headaches a few times a month. Finally, I started noticing that I had to eat at least every two hours or I would get really lightheaded, and because I was nauseous a lot I had to force myself to eat.
So that's how I felt from May to September with gradual improvement. In October, November, and December I felt better but hit a plateau. The main symptoms that lingered were the off and on lightheadedness, needing to eat frequently, on and off nausea, and gas pains. Then in January I started getting slightly worse... more stomach issues than I'd had in the last couple months, more lightheaded feelings, couldn't go as long without eating, etc. February has been horrible. Fatigue, nausea, feeling like my blood sugar is crashing even though it's normal, headaches, lightheaded, and more.

I have been tested for HIV, hepatitis C, had a CBC with differential, complete chemical profile, lyme disease test, gluten intolerance test, thyroid (was borderline hyperthyroid but had no antibodies), ANA antibodies, and more. Does anyone have any other ideas?

[jemma116]

Because you feel that your symptoms are related to your eating I would suggest the following:

Keep a diary of all the foods and drinks you consume and the times that you consume them.  If a meal is a mix of different veg and spices, write down all of the ingredients that are in the meal.   Avoid all fizzy drinks and stimulants like coffee.

Write down your symptoms and the times that you get the symptoms.  

Do this for a couple of weeks.

The reason for this is to find out exactly what you are eacting that may be contributing to your digestive problem.

If you feel ill or bloated after eating a slice of bread, for example, write that down and then keep a list of the foods and drinks that you need to avoid .

The feelings of shortness of breath and lightheadedness may be an allergic reaction to something, or an indication that you are anaemic.  With anaemia you can get shortness of breath because the haemoglobin is low in iron.  The red corpusles are the ones that transport oxygen around our body.  If you are low in iron, you will be low in red corpusles and will also feel tired and exhausted.  Another possiblity of feeling weak and the other symptoms you mention could be due to a viral or bacterial infection.

When you go out from home, make sure you take some food with you.  A sandwich, piece of fruit (apples are great) and the like so that your sugar levels do not drop too low.

Best wishes

[lindsay0891]

I started feeling better for a couple days but now I am feeling worse. Yesterday I was at the grocery store and my legs started getting weak and I felt lightheaded. I went home, ate, felt a little better, then late last night I was feeling bloated, short of breath, and lightheaded again. I went to sleep and this morning/afternoon it was so hard for me to get out of bed, I felt exhausted. And all day I've been feeling weak. This is getting really scary.

[lindsay0891]

The digestive issues are kind of like IBS. I'm not having diarrhea or anything but I've been having nausea and a tight/crampy feeling in my stomach and back. I also have a headache and I'm not sure if it's related or not.

@Londres70, I tested negative for thyroid antibodies and now my levels are in the normal range. In December my levels were borderline hyper (TSH 0.34 with a range of 0.45-4.5 and free T4 1.44 with a range of 0.8-1.8). Now they are more normal (TSH 0.71, free T4 1.14). Do you think that still seems off?

[Londres70]

I would insist on a referral to an Endocrinologist.  

Keep us posted.

[jemma116]

Yes, I hope you do feel better tomorrow.  Get an early night and a good night's sleep.

When you have time to write, let me know what the digestive issues are.
Are you worrying about anything?  That can cause stomach problems.  When I was 17 the doctor thought I can a gastric ulcer and I was told to  eat very bland food - it was stress.

Are you taking any medications that can be upsetsetting your digestion.

Best wishes

[lindsay0891]

Thanks. :) Water definitely isn't an issue, I probably drink three liters or more a day. I was feeling better today but the digestive issues are worse, and now I have a headache. I just hope tomorrow is better since I have class.