digestion/fatigue/allergies

[MasterJackal]

Alright I am going to start at the beginning.


2006 - I noticed heavy fatigue after meals
       I could sleep 12 hours a day and still not feel rested
       Intermittent dirreah
       slight stomach pain in the naval area
       bloated stomach
       It was so bad, I actually was unable to finish my degree



In 2006, I was tested for thyroid, Cat scan stomach area, A test where I swollowed some radiation and the doctors looked at my
stomach region, cat scan of the brain, all the blood testing for basic diseases and stomach bacteria, celiac bloodtest, tested for malabsorption


diagnosis: I am crazy, I take a break on the medical field a bit because im not a millionare



2007: I move back home (after dropping my classes) and I start feeling a little better, problems persist
      but I wasn't in bed most of the day

      Well more symptoms begin to develop.

      I become completely allergic to milk, It gives me eczema and dirreah within 30 min
      
      No more milk for me
    
      Large amount of gas in my system, If I eat any food, im burping constantly..

      Back to the primary care doctor, tested for the basic diseases, also a 6 hour blood glucose test, referred to
      gastroenterologist

      Gastro man is obviously downplaying this whole issue because of my age.. I can tell. I am 23. He does manage
      
      recommend a endoscopy and turns out I have minor gastritus. Places me on acid reducers.

      Back to square one, he wants to do a catscan of the stomach..
      

      
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After having this problem for 2 years here are some things I noticed.


Less sleep the better, After 3-4 hours of sleep a night I may feel tired, but no symptoms except for slight stomach
pain , stools are normal, no depression.


6 hours or more of sleep, I wake up with a migrain, stomach hurting, and I feel like only half my brain is working.
It takes me a good 7 hours to feel normal again..

If I miss my normal meal time, 15 min after I eat I get extremly tired/body starts slowing down, end up taking 45 min nap. At the end of 45 min

all is well..

dirreah is completely random.. I cannot find any correlation to anything im eating whatsoever..

my diet now consists of asian food (sushi, plain rice and chicken, not the greasy stuff) and subway

My latest symptom is my left eye randomly twitches, and its really annoying.

I still have gas and constipation, acid reducers are not helping..

My appetite is pretty weak.. but i do manage to eat enough calorie



There is one thing that I want to clarify :  No food, no symptoms. I can drink straight sugar drinks all day long, no headaches

Now its possible the milk allergy is not related.. I had horrible acne in highschool, so bad I had to be put on accutane..
Since I stopped the dairy, my acne has disappeared..


Im not asking for a miracle diagnosis, but I need some incite as to what tests to recommend to the next doctor.
Im ditching my current gastro doctor, he obviously does not understand the serverity of the situation..
I am not made of money but I do have decent insurance right now.


I appreciate any recommendations and I apologize for the winded post. I am trying to give you as much details
as possible to perhaps find some correlation between these symptoms.


- Josh




      
      

[MasterJackal]

A related discussion, meh was started.

[Soonerman]

Agree with Kevin, there is a reason for the malabsorption (this can cause many symptoms).  The blood test for Celiacs (antibodies test) can show false negatives.  Have you tried on your own going completely gluten free and see how you feel after at least a month?  Considering the malabsorption I could say with confidence that you are low in some essential vitamins/nutrients/minerals.  Have they looked at your B12 level (I would bet it is at least on the low end of "normal" and should not be on the low end)?

[Kevin Pho, MD]

I would evaluate for malabsorption-type symptoms.  Sending the stool off for fat analysis, and obtaining blood tests for celiac disease should be done.

If a colonoscopy hasn't been performed, it should be done.  This can exclude infectious causes of diarrhea, as well as inflammatory bowel disease.

I agree with the upper endoscopy.  I would also consider a gastric emptying scan to evaluate for gastroparesis.

Obtaining another GI opinion should be sought, preferably at a major academic medical center.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patients education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
www.kevinmd.com