Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

PLEASE help before I die?? Malaria or what could it be??

I believe I have malaria due to the following known symptoms
3 days ago the following symptoms began:
I began to feel very faint and lightheaded, this I am 100% sure is due to orthostatic hypotension(which simply means low blood pressure while standing). oI was indeed standing at the time and gradually became faint, I slumped over a rail for 5 minutes until I felt better enough to move. when it came back the 2nd day also around the same time(about 7:30 in the morning)and I was on a train and the split second it went underground is when I felt dizzy and faint, but this time I quickly sat down before I didnt feel good enough to move and it completely went away. This symptom can be from malaria. Another symptom was that I felt cold and chilly, because I believe of a higher body temperature. That first night that my symptoms appeared I went to sleep and I awoke a few hours later drenched in sweat, and this happens every night since the symptoms first started about 3 days ago. However, on the second day during the morning and most of the afternoon I felt completely fine as though whatever it was had gone away, but late in the afternoon my symptoms came back and that night I was again waking up drenched in sweat even with a fan pointed at me. I also slept with the fan off to see if this would make a difference and this just made it worse, this has led me to believe I have malaria, because I live in NYC and right near me some restaurant or the garbage trucks have left a huge amount of nasty liquid that spans 1/2 a block on both sides. There have been flies in my room lately also
16 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
As been repeated in many replies, YOU DO NOT HAVE MALARIA. How do I know this?   Because I have had malaria.  I lived in Burma for three years, and believe me, if you had malaria, you would not be able to type, let alone function.  Never mind the feeling like you have the worst case of flu possible, you would be hallucinating, and your muscles start to shut down.   If you are one of the lucky ones that recovers, such as myself, it takes you AT LEAST two months before you are well enough to get out of bed.   You would not be up and around at all if you had malaria - voice of experience here....  I however, do feel like you have something going on, and, even without health insurance, I would find a doctor, or get yourself to an emergency room clinic and wait in the queue for many hours - 99% of the emergency doctors will not refuse you..
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Babesiosis can cause night sweats.

http://www.lymeinfo.net/coinfections.html
(Scroll down to Babesiosis links.)

This is a tick borne infection that resembles Malaria.
Like Malaria, it infects the red blood cells.
Treatment for babesia includes medications that are also used for Malaria.

If you think this fits, you can ask questions of others with Babesia at LymeNet.org.
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php

Wishing you the best,
Carol
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You don't have malaria.

No one here can help you.  You need to see a doctor.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Mufu...I was looking for confirmation to my suggestion, I am fairly ceratin that it is either the flu or malaria, mostly everyone on this post has dismissed that it could be malaria when I have found every single symptom to be in exact accordance with either the flu or malaria, i was simply looking for someone who may know what they are talking about or who has had previous experience to post some helpful information, some suggested that it is hot summer heat others that is other factors, but I know that it is due to some kind of viral infection and it is not hard to tell by the symptoms for those who just dismiss a viral infection as possible, such as yourself, I don't value your opinion as it is more than evident that you have no idea what you're tlaking about when it is obvious that it is a viral infection.  thanks again to all (mostly all)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well the thing is as I mentioned is that I don't currently have health insurance and I haven't even begun the process as I have to wait for my company to finish their process of switching health insurance providers.  Also it's just all these flies in my room and possibly fleas or mites, who knows, I always feel all these little critters landing on me and then I brush the area off and then it seems to have gone all the way to a different farther area like in no time which makes me things its jumping fleas or some fast flying mosquitoes!  The orthostatic hypotension though is that related to anything in particular?  I forgot to mention I have gotten that before and I've had to sit down and wait it out I was really faint and could hardly talk or do anything, and also the biggest thing i remember was that I got particularly sweaty those times I'd get it and also when this whole thing started 3 days ago, as soon as I slumped over and started to rest I just started to perspire profusely till after 5 minutes my face and body were dripping with sweat.  I did some research on orthostatic hypotension and it says any lightheadedness, diziness or partial loss of vision is due to a lower amount of blood reaching the brain which I figured but it also says that any symptoms that last longer than 1 minute is abnormal, and mine definitely last at least 5 minutes those previous times as well as this time that it happened now that I think i have malaria, but am now beginning to think I may have diabetes type 1 as I am not overweight but rather have been losing weight while actually not eating all that healthy (until lately) and being somewhat inactive.  But, I can't do anything till I get some health insurance so if it turns out I have malaria or maybe lyme disease from a tick bite it won't help me out too much.  Thanks again for everyone's replies!  =)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You obviously live in a non-pleasant environment. You also live
in NYC & they are presently experiencing overly high temps/ humidity. Since waste is nearby, keep windows closed & use
a repellant when going out. The dizzy/nausea may be an allergic
response to where you live. I doubt you have malaria since you
have not mentioned a spiking hi-fever that contiues every other
day. Sweats are probably from the unbearable intolerance many
are going through from the heat wave. Your symtoms match 1000+
illnesses. Mosquitoes are the carriers so put a net over your bed if you have them. Get off the net & buy a thermometer. If
you get up fast, we all experience orthostatic-hypertension
sometime in our life. Dizzy isn't a dx for that. You need to
wear a monitor & be tested. Hold on when getting up & breathe.
Take a thermos of cold water on the train. If you think you're
going to die, you really wouldn't be here. They have clinics
all over NY w/ small fee testing & pills. If you still think
you have malaria, the health dept needs to know & may test
you. Get out of town a few days & see if you feel better.
Gd-luck.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Does it even matter at this point what anyone says to you?  No matter what any of us say, you come back and explain "But yeah but this is why I think it's malaria."  Either you wanted help or you didn't, and you obviously didn't.  I would highly recommend a psychological evaluation...and soon.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have had a fever I mentioned that everyday I felt cold and chilly this is due to as I had said a higherbody temperature aka fever. Ane the sweats are definitely not like the heat wave, beleive me I am drenched in sweat, and I have a high powered fan blowing directly over me, it wasnt much more than 85 degrees last night in NYC and with the fan blowing over me it had to be 10 degrees cooler than that, I've slept with the fan off on very humid and hot days and believe me I didn't have a drop of sweat when I got up, now it is like I soak the sheets, believe me this is abnormal sweating not simply due to a hot night.  I forgot to mention one more symptom optic neuritis (an inflammation of the optic nerve) which can be due to any viral infections, in other words when I would try to move my eyes to one side or the other it would hurt, so I am starting to become sure that it is a viral infection.  The eye part I found under influenza which said your eyes may hurt when you touch them through the eyelid or moving them, and this is exactly what happened, it had progressively gone away, but the thing is it is either malaria or the flu, but seeing as how my symptoms keep going away and then returning it can only be one thing and that would be malaria, but I'd still welcome any other suggestions, thanks again to all.
Helpful - 0
125112 tn?1217273862
If I genuinely thought I was going to die, I would visit the doctor. I think you should.
Further, if you genuinely think you are going to die-this definitely will cause anxiety:

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/anxiety/page3_em.htm

It also causes dry mouth and if eating and anxious, difficulty swallowing.

Anxiety then can affect so many other areas in your body. I would take it easy, don't panic and schedule a doctors appointment.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
And besides the only thing I have disputed is when sailorswife said that dizziness may be from fluid in the ears, this I know is due to as i said orthostatic hypotensions again i'll list  the reasons:
1. I was standing on a train for about 25 minutes in one spot.
2. I felt a feeling of lightheadedness, loss of vision , and faintness, this is due to lower amount of blod reaching the brain while standing for thos that are susceptible to ortho.hypo.)
3. As soon as I sat down it instantly revered itself, which is the cure to orthostatic hypotension.

So now tell me, mungu, was i wrong in disputing something I know is valid and to say no I know it could be fluid in the ears but am fairly certain based on the evidence that this is the real reason?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
sorry you do not feel well.  Malaria can cause death you  have a slight fever?  malaria causes flu like symptoms but into the third day you can experience diahhrhea vommitting extreme fatigue and deleriums.  This can also lead to enlargement to the liver and cause anemia.  I feel that maybe you have a type of flu.  Malaria is seen in the usa but only 1,800 cases each year.  This can be transmitted by mosquitos unless you were out of the usa recently and been to a warm environment where mosquitos are prevalent.  If you are typing as well you are i doubt you have malaria and besides that if you suspect you do why go to work and malaria is totally debilitating.  Malaria can cause death so if i thought i had this didease i sure would be typing on the computer i would have myself to the nearest emergency room so i could live to type again on the pc in a few days.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
heh, thanks for the nice e-mail littlears (I have somewhat big ears) I think the reason I'm doing well now is like I had said that the virus will die but then it will have already reproduces so in a few days the virus is once again active and then after a few days it too will die off but not before leaving its kids around.  Thanks for the help little ears and to all.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm not gonna say you don't have malaria.If this is a remote possibility,I would definatly seek medical attention with or without insurance.Many viral infections effect us all differently and can lay dormant and hit us when our immune systems our at there lowest.
Optical neuritis can only be diagnosed by the proper medical personel,optometrist,neurologist and even an MRI.Optical Neuritis is a neurological disorder effecting the optical nerves,from viral infections and MS.Many people suffer from eye pain after illnesses.If you honestly suspect ON,I'd make an emergency eye appointment,This can cause loss of vision in your eyes.I know I suffer from ON from MS.
Quinine is used to treat malaria,prescribed through a Doctor.I take it for muscle spasms.The only problem with quinine is it can have side effects.
Virus are strange and kick us down.The night sweats can be from your body trying to kick the virus,its our way of getting things out of our systems.I hope you find releif.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Again, that can all be caused by a simple virus or a bacterial infection.

Somebody oughta take your internet away until you learn how to use it properly - which in your case is NOT to diagnose yourself online.  Malaria?  Hardly.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
SailorsWife Thank you for your reply, I do appreciate the time and effort everyone puts in to responding to my issue.  The reason I am suggesting malaria is something I could not mention simply because I ran out of space, the character limit wouldn't let me type anymore.  That is that the general feeling of tiredness and sickness would come and go, in other words I feel better sometimes and then it comes back again, and according to all medical sources this is due to the way the virus replicates, incubates and then is born again, so when i feel better the virus has just recently died but then it has replicated before it died and once the new viruses are ready they come out and then I feel bad again, and especially according to the info listed on one website this is the main reason to suspect malaria when one gets flu like symptoms with this odd progression.  
      The other thing that seems to coincide with malaria symptoms is that I have noticed my urine to be darker like a reddish-brown even after drinking 5-6 glasses of water.  If it is malaria this is supposed to be from the red blood cells that are being destroyed by the virus and then removed by the body.  I am feeling well once again but I wonder if it just a few more hours or days till it comes back.  I do not currently have health insurance as the job I am at was currently in the process of switching insurance providers when they hired me, so I can't do anything since I know healthcare is not cheap, and also I can't afford to miss any days from work so I can only try to get checked out on saturday or sunday.  The other symptom is that I have had progressingly worse pains in my neck/back area which is also a symptom of malaria (muscle pains in back and arms), I am not sure what is going on but I'm 23 so I figured my immune system was still doing well.  Again, thank you for responding sailors wife and thank you for any advice anyone can offer me concerning this issue.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
im pretty sure you dont have malaria. you need to get to the dr and find out what IS wrong- like a simple virus. lots of things make us dizzy - having fluid in the ears from congestion. the chills maybe you have the flu. you havent traveled out of the country then you should probably stop diagnosis yourself online . we can create the worst possible diseases in our heads from a few simple common symptoms.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Undiagnosed Symptoms Community

Top General Health Answerers
363281 tn?1643235611
Nelson, New Zealand
1756321 tn?1547095325
Queensland, Australia
19694731 tn?1482849837
AL
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Discharge often isn't normal, and could mean an infection or an STD.
In this unique and fascinating report from Missouri Medicine, world-renowned expert Dr. Raymond Moody examines what really happens when we almost die.
Think a loved one may be experiencing hearing loss? Here are five warning signs to watch for.
When it comes to your health, timing is everything
We’ve got a crash course on metabolism basics.
Learn what you can do to avoid ski injury and other common winter sports injury.