Its more than headaches

[RachelBullets]

For the past, oh, ten months or so, I have been suffering from headaches and abdominal symptoms, but has progressively gotten worse, and other areas of my body are affected.

I am always sick to my stomach and frequently vomiting. The headaches, which are mostly on the right side of my head, are constant and stabbing, but sometimes they are so severe I am completely debilitated. I began having seizres [the ER doctors always say that they are panic attacks or they don't know what's wrong, but my physician says that's probably not the case], sometimes am incontinent, developed hormone problems [excessively heavy bleeding twice a month. I take BC to help], and have lost 20 pounds, despite several days a week binging on high-calorie foods to try and keep on weight.

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas or suggestions to bring up at my next doctor's appointment on the 18th? I also get MRI and blood test results that day.

[RachelBullets]

I've already had a doctor reccomend a colonoscopy, but due to recent insurace issues, I've had to put a hold on it. My mom also suffers from chronic gastro problems, including now having developed ascites and a distended belly, so one of us is kind of always looking out for the other.

She has to get new tests done due to the buildup, and I wonder if what's wrong with her could be in any connection to what's wrong with myself.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

The cause of the diarrhea has to be ascertained. This appears to be  a gastrointestinal problem. Was this diarrhea recent in onset. Do you have any allergies , any intolerance to certain food like milk for instance? I would suggest a stool examination with guaiac test. This should assess if blood is present in the stools. A colonoscopy may be necessary here. Will a colonoscopy be feasible at this point?  

[RachelBullets]

I also get a feeling in my lower abdomen on occasion that I have to go to the bathroom, even if I had just gone or my stomach is empty from vomiting or whatnot.

[RachelBullets]

About half the time, I don't digest food well, or at all, and sometimes I can't keep it down. For a long time, I had diarrhea everyday, now it is only about once or twice a week.

I also always have white mucous in my stools, enough that it is very visible and enough to be spereated by itself.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

With regards to the iron deficiency anemia, were you assessed further on this?

Are there other associated symptoms like change in bowel movement and change in the character of the stools?

A significant family history of cancer may suggest that you need further and more aggressive evaluation especially with regards to your GI symptoms. I do not want to alarm your or cause further worries. However, I think that you just continue to pursue further evaluation with regards to your condition as early and prompt assessment are necessary and this will help in managing your case. At this point, most of your symptoms are nonspecific , but the presence of the significant family history , your physician may have to thoroughly assess you.

[RachelBullets]

No one in my family has a history of migraines of any sort, and very few family members get headaches in general.

My family history honestly has more serious illnesses than anything...an aunt with MS, aunts with different types of cancer, a few family members with colon cancer, severe gastrointestinal disorders.

The last time I saw the family practitioner, he recommended another GI visit for a colonoscopy and other tests, and hinted at the idea of Chron's Disease.

I got my med records from there since my next appointment is on the 18th, and I could at the very least read the blood tests, which showed I have severe iron-deficiency anemia, even though I eat very high-iron foods.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

You may ask your physician about abdominal migraines. This usually occurs in the younger age group especially in young children. However they may occur in adults as well.

You may check this url for further reading

http://headaches.about.com/od/migrainediseas1/a/what_abdom_mx.htm

Are there other members of the family with similar condition?

Any family members with migraine headaches?

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

You may ask your physician about abdominal migraines. This usually occurs in the younger age group especially in young children. However they may occur in adults as well.

You may check this url for further reading

http://headaches.about.com/od/migrainediseas1/a/what_abdom_mx.htm

Are there other members of the family with similar condition?

Any family members with migraine headaches?

[RachelBullets]

They ordered one, but I had to wait to get one because of insurance issues.

Both potassium and sodium are involved, so they recommend I drink gatorade.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

Were the electrolyte deficiencies  corrected ?

Would you know which electrolytes are involved?

Electrolyte problems could have been brought about by the vomiting. However, it should also be determined if these are not present way before the vomiting as they may also contribute to the symptoms.

At this point, you seemed to have been assessed completely. Hormonal and GI problems have been ruled out. Let us wait for the MRI scan and take this one step at a time. At least at this point, the focus of your conditions does not appear to be the gastrointestinal tract. Was an EEG also scheduled?

[RachelBullets]

So far, the GI has not found anything wrong with my digestive system. I even had an upper endoscopy. As far as hormonal issues, the gyno also found nothing wrong, hence why he put me on birth control to help control my hormones. The headaches started first, with what I thought were migraines, but they only progressed into crippling headaches. I have been in the ER multiple times for eizures, abdominal pain, and the headaches. They never run any tests. I'm only 20, so they usually assume I'm faking.

The only tests they ever run are blood and urine, which only show my elecrolytes are low a lot, and I have fairly moderate anemia.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi

These abdominal symptoms, do they always occur with the headaches?

Would you say that you vomit because of the headaches or these symptoms actually occur independent of each other?

Which came first, the headaches or the abdominal pain?

At this point, it has to be determined if the abdominal symptoms and the headaches are actually related. You have mentioned of hormonal problems (is this correct?). Is this a gynecologic problem? The abdominal pain may also be attributed to this. At this point, your abdominal pain and its cause has to be ascertained first. Any organic or structural cause have to be ruled out first. Headaches may be secondary to infection, dietary problems, hormones and stress. All of which I believe may be applicable in your case. So it is best to dissect your problem , one step at a time. Your physician after a thorough examination may be able to attribute everything under one disease condition, if this is applicable.