The combination of GI issues, fatigue, pain, fatigue, anxiety, and shortness of breath are EXACTLY the same symptoms that I started out with. I have Lyme Disease and Bartonella, both tick borne diseases. I also developed other neurological symptoms, like tingling, mental confusion, getting lost while going to a familiar place, ringing in my ears, light sensitivity, saying the wrong word, spelling and writing errors, weight loss, loss of appetite, as well as worsening GI symtpoms, like malabsorption, nutritional deficiencies, stomach pain, liver/gallbladder pain, and more.
Here is a document with a thorough symptom list. It was written for doctors, but it was really helpful for me:
http://www.ilads.org/lyme_disease/B_guidelines_12_17_08.pdf
Here's another document from a GI specialist who describes how Lyme and Bartonella affect the gut in more detail. It really helped me understand what was going on in my body. (The GI doc I saw admitted knowing nothing at all about Lyme, let alone how it affects the gut.)
http://thehumansideoflyme.net/printarticle.php?aid=62&lp=
I see you're in Texas. That could be difficult for you, as even though both diseases are in Texas, many doctors don't believe there's Lyme in Texas. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of misinformation out there about Lyme Disease. The medical community is split, and the researchers at East Coast universities insist that it's hard to get, and always shows a rash and swollen knees. For those of us with neither, it can be very difficult to get a diagnosis. Many of us go years and see dozens of doctors while we get worse and worse. If you do have Lyme, you'll need what we call a Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD) who truly understands tick borne diseases.
Usually, people from Texas have to travel out of state to find one. However, I did read a post from one person who found a doctor in Dallas who was quietly treating Lyme patients. Doctors who treat Lyme openly are sometimes subject to ridicule, if not outright persecution from doctors who follow the Infectious Disease Society of America's treatment guideliness. Infectious Disease docs will say you only need a month of antibiotics, and then you're cured. Remaining symptoms might fade away in a year or two (they never do!), or you might be stuck with "post Lyme Disease treatment syndrome", where your immune system is supposedly creating the same symptoms as Lyme. LLMDs believe that continuing symptoms represent continuing infection and will continue to treat you until you're well.
You can ask your regular doctor to test you for Lyme, but be warned that many of us test negative on the standard tests. These tests were designed for surveillance (sample) purposes for the CDC, and weren't intended to be diagnostic. Unfortunately, they became a requirement for diagnosis. Since many doctors still believe there's no Lyme disease in the south, sometimes patients with symptoms and positive blood test results will be told it's a false positive. This is where an LLMD will know how to make a clinical diagnosis.
Check out a local Lyme support group to see if they can make any recommendations about doctors to diagnose and treat you. You can find others dealing with questions about this on the Lyme Disease forum.
Hang in there! It's not an easy journey, but it is curable with the right treatment!
I tested negative on standard tests, but positive at IGeneX, a specialty lab for tick borne diseases. After a dozen doctors, I finally went to an LLMD where I got my diagnosis and began treatment. In 3 months, I'm already so much better. It has been worth every nickel.
You may have had gastroenteritis and it does take a bit of time to bounce back from that. I agree to see your doctor after a week.
I like gingerale when I am having stomach issues. Ginger is known to soothe in this area. You can also get some chrystalized ginger which is tasty and helps soothe the stomach. good luck and hope you feel better soon.
I wouldn't wait more then a week. I would also consider being tested for lyme disease.