Mix of symptoms, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, thirst

[S_9]

I've had issues over the past four years, and have seen a few different doctors and a couple of specialists, and they have all done their tests and pretty much given up on diagnosing me. They make me feel like a hypochondriac, like this is all psychosomatic - my main specialist has told me this isn't true, which wasn't really comforting.

Currently I suffer with fatigue, which gets near debilitating usually just after midday. I have sharp temporal and dull/aching occipital headaches, more so temporal ones in the morning and after lunch, sometimes later in the afternoon. I do not feel tired at night and have trouble getting to sleep, I also wake up a few times during the night, then have a lot of trouble waking up in the morning - I go to bed and wake up around the same time everyday. My back, legs and neck ache after doing something as little as walking around the yard for ten minutes, sometimes after doing nothing. I feel thirsty all the time but I drink plenty of water, my skin is dry everywhere, I often wake up with a sore/dry throat/mouth though I don't snore or have sleep apnoea. There's some GI troubles I can't connect to any certain food. I randomly get a couple of palpitations and have been woken up a couple of times by a racing heart that suddenly went back to normal, the palpitations could possibly be a stomach/vagus related thing, I get mild reflux/heartburn.

I've had everything tested the docs could think of. FBC, LFT and electrolytes all normal. MRI showed two hyperintense foci unchanged over 6 months (they told me this is fine, it's nothing). My bilirubin is always slightly high since my gallbladder was removed 4 years ago. I have Graves disease but have been euthyroid for over 4 months now, off medication for over 12 months. B12 has been low so I take supplements. Chiropractor xrays show my cervical spine is curved the wrong way and there's a slight bend in my thoracic spine, they think they can fix the headaches, I've been there twice so we will see later on. My blood glucose has been tested twice, random and fasting and was normal. Cortisol has been tested twice, was in range. I have had a couple of EKGs and a echo, all fine. I am on the contraceptive pill (have gone off this for a few months, made no difference to symptoms), B12 and magnesium, and tretinoin cream for mild acne on my face (which could also be a symptom). I was given low dose temazepan to sleep but have not tried them. I am 26.

I even tried acupuncture and chinese medicine. I have no idea what to do next. I do not have anxiety or depression. I walk and jog when I feel OK, and I eat healthy enough. Does anyone have any ideas that I could look into?

[Red_Star]

Also something to consider is Dysautonomia (Autonomic Dysfunction. Symptoms lists excessive thirst (polydipsia) along with some of your other symptoms not to mention Dysautonomia is more common in autoimmune thyroid disease.

Excerpt from the article: Can You Be Both Hypothyroid and Hyperthyroid?...

"Imbalances in the autonomic nervous system - known as dysautonomia - are more common in autoimmune thyroid disease. In dysautonomia, the sympathetic system - part of the autonomic nervous system that controls the body's "fight or flight" reactions - becomes unbalanced. Symptoms of dysautonomia can include anxiety attacks and rapid heartbeat, among many other symptoms."

Autonomic Dysfunction FAQ:
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Neurological-Disorders/Autonomic-Dysfunction-FAQ/show/181?cid=196

Diagnosing Dysautonomia:
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Neurological-Disorders/Diagnosing-Dysautonomia/show/827?cid=196

[Red_Star]

There are no diagnostic tests yet available to definitively identify fibromyalgia.

This info is from Family Practice Notebook - ANA Staining Pattern...

"III. Speckled Pattern

Most common, least specific

Disorders
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
Scleroderma
Sjogren's Syndrome

Further evaluation
Smith Antibody (Anti-Smith)
Ribonucleoprotein Antibody (Anti-RNP)
Scl-70 kD kinetochore (Anti-Topoisomerase I)
Anti-La (Anti-SSB)"

Optimal calcium absorption occurs with a vitamin D level greater than 79.8 nmol/L (32 ng/mL). Optimal disease prevention (vitamin D deficiency is highly linked to numerous diseases including cancer) at a minimum of 125 nmol/L (50 ng/mL).

[S_9]

Hi Rita,
I have been tested, I take D3 (I think) sometimes just to up it a little because it has been low range. The results I have say 85 (range 74-174), and previously 63 and 64 (range more than 50, optimum more than 75). When I ask for this oral GTT I will see if the doc will get me another vitD to be sure.
Thanks for letting me know :)

Still open for ideas if anyone else happens to read this, too.

[RitaGayle]

Hi S_9, have you ever been tested for vitamin D deficiency? All your symptoms sound exactly like what I just read on the Vit D forum.

I was just diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency myself (normal range is 30-100 with 50-80 optimum; my level was 19). I share a lot of the same symptoms that are plaguing you. At first I thought, well doesn't everyone have a vitamin D deficiency? How could THAT be the problem? But the more I've read, the more I'm persuaded that this is the cause of my symptoms (extreme fatigue, poor concentration, rapid/irregular heartbeat for no reason, muscle and bone pain, weakness, headaches, etc.)

You have some additional symptoms that I don't share, but I read of others with vitamin D deficiency also reporting them: increased thirst, skin problems, trouble sleeping.

I hope you are able to check it out, and that this information helps you.

God bless,
Rita

[S_9]

I was tested for pernicious anemia and RA. Celiac panel negative. Cortisol was on the high side of the range, specialist said it's not enough to be anything adrenal.
ANA was done 2012 when I was diagnosed with Graves (I don't understand it):
Anti-CCP IgG Ab - less than 1 (range less than 5)
ANA - Borderline
ANA Titre 1 - 1:40
ANA Pattern 1 - Speckled
dsDNA - Negative
ENA Screen (11 antigens) - Negative

I will see a new doc and get the oral GTT.

Is there a specific test for Fibro? The specialist mentioned it along with CFS once, but said they were pretty much a diagnosis for when everything else suspected is ruled out.

[alabamariver]

Have you ever been checked for Fibromyalgia? It's very painful and comes with a lot of the symptoms you described

[Red_Star]

My blood glucose has always been normal. The oral glucose tolerance test showed I had pre diabetes and the insulin test showed very high insulin due to insulin resistance.

When you have one autoimmune disease and have unexplained symptoms, be on the look out for other possible conditions commonly associated. I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, autoimmune pernicious anaemia, vitiligo and alopecia areta.

***

Medscape - Graves Disease...

"Graves disease is associated with pernicious anemia, vitiligo, diabetes mellitus type 1, autoimmune adrenal insufficiency, systemic sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, Sjögren syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.[2]"

"The authors found coexisting disorders in 9.7% of patients with Graves disease and in 14.3% of those with Hashimoto thyroiditis, with rheumatoid arthritis being the most common of these (prevalence = 3.15% and 4.24% in Graves disease and Hashimoto thyroiditis, respectively). Relative risks of greater than 10 were found for pernicious anemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, Addison disease, celiac disease, and vitiligo."