(Non-music) Anyone here answer health-related question?

[LiveMusic]

Sorry, this has nothing to do with this forum. You do tend to come to trust people on forums, though. Anyway, perhaps someone can direct me to a forum I could ask this question on or maybe someone has a clue. For a number of years, I have a fought a "mystery disease" that includes multiple seemingly unrelated symptoms. None of the several doctors I have consulted has been able to figure it out. Closest thing we can come up with is a fungus/yeast problem. And that's not certain; that "affliction" is not broadly accepted in mainstream medicine yet. Another possibility is a "poisoning" problem. I was in an accident 25 years ago which probably caused me to have a cotton insecticide poison driven into open wounds (explosion). One of the symptoms that comes and goes, sometimes weeks and months apart, is extreme fatigue. So strong, it's like I'm drugged. This seems to have a connection to a number of factors, including mold. But it's hard to pin it down to having a cause. Very frustrating. Well, unbelievably to me, this symptom is now manifesting itself regularly now! About 1.5 hours after I eat a meal, I become extremely lethargic. It's very close to the same feeling, a "drugged" feeling. Literally unable to function; I have to lay down and sleep a half hour or so. Then, I'm fine. Any ideas? Many times, I have suspected a blood sugar type problem with some of my symptoms but blood sugar count always shows as normal. BTW, if you look at me, I appear to be as healthy as a horse and in fact, I lead a very active life. But this symptom occurring regularly isn't right. Something is wrong. And if I worked in an office, it would be a pain to have to take a nap every day. Only reason I don't just run to a doctor right now is because I've spent a fortune and I'm not going to do that without first having researched it.

[kudyba]

Try checking out [url=http://webmd.com/]WebMD.com[/url] . Anyone ever check for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Here's 2 articles: [url=http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1680.50867] What Causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?[/url] & [url=http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1680.50870]How Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosed?[/url]

[Hippie]

Duke, If you are feeling tired and run down alot, I would get to the doc. Ya know, fatigue could be a by-product something else more serious, go to the doctor, spend the money. -Matt

[Jeff Leites]

Good luck, I know it's frustrating to see multiple doctors who each have their own ideas, and none of them pan out. Guess that's why they call it a medical "practice".

[Curve Dominant]

[quote]posted by Duke: [b]One of the symptoms that comes and goes, sometimes weeks and months apart, is extreme fatigue. So strong, it's like I'm drugged. This seems to have a connection to a number of factors, including mold.[/b][/quote] Mold is no joke - it can be extremely debilitating, even deadly. Check the insides of the walls of your house for mold content. You really do need to go ta a hospital or a lab and get tests run, though. If you get fatigued after you eat, you could have a digestive-tract infection...or it could also be some sort of blood disorder - it could be any of a lot of things, and guessing will not diagnose it. If you can't afford the medical bills, or you don't have health insurance, call your local welfare office to apply for a state-sponsored healthpass. This is actually a good time to do this, because the post-Sept 11th economy has led many states to expand on these types of services. As a last resort, if it gets really bad, have someone drive you into a hospital emergency room. In most states, by law, they cannot refuse you treatment. They'll hit you wiith a hefty bill later, but like I said: it's a last resort. Good luck. E :)

[Intheether]

Hi Duke: You sound an awful lot like an old buddy of mine...he has Epstein barr virus. I think it's simlar to CFS, and has it's roots in the old kissing disease mono. Every time I call, he's napping, after every nap, he's still beat. Did you mention feeling extra tired after meals? Try cutting down on starch and carbs...go for protein. Just a thought. I'm not some hippy ( not that anything's wrong with that), but I find ayeruvedic medicine (old aisan techniqes and remedies) very interesting. Do a google search on this and alternative medicine b/c if it is ebv or cfs, you won't have much luck with modern medicine as a cure anyway. Good luck! ~nel

[dansouth]

Duke, it might be chonic fatigue, which the medical community is just starting to take seriously. But the linkage to your eating patterns is intriguing. Have you been tested for adult onset diabetes? Food allergies may also be a factor. I would suggest that you start by varying your diet. Instead of eating the same stuff that you always have, try radical changes. For instance, try to avoid all dairy products for two or three weeks. Try a vegetarian diet for a couple of weeks. Replace wheat products with rice or buckwheat (no glutens). Try eating protiens and starches at different times - meat and potatos is a rough combination on the stomach. Try to read as much as you can about nutrition, and see a Naturopath in your area. They have tests for liver function, etc. Avoid alcohol, tobacco, etc. if you don't already do so. If your doctor thinks you're up to it, try to get regular exercise. Getting more sleep wouldn't hurt. Have your MD recommend someone who can so a colonoscopy (a colon exam with a camera on flexible fiber optic cable) as a precaution. And get that sugar checked! Good luck!!

[russrags]

How close are you to all the Sugar Cane Mills ???? I know Louisiana dosen't have the cleanest air in the world. A change of scenery might be the ticket. My wife works for Vanderbilt Hospitol and they do all kinds of testing for FREE. Good Luck

[saucyjack]

Duke Wow the one question on these forums that I can answer like an "Expert". I'm a Board certified M.D.(in Internal Medicine)These symptoms could be related to a variety of conditions...it's impossible to know without a good physical exam and labwork/Xrays,etc. My first recommendation would be to find a M.D (Your best bet is a Internal Medicine doc or Internist)AND stick with him/her for a while and be PERSISTENT.Some illnesses take time and repeated testing to find a cause.It may help to keep a sort of diary of your fatigue(what were you doing,eating,related symptoms,etc.As you've found out in cases like yours going to multiple docs usually accomplishes nothing except expense and a lot wild goose chases.Ask around town,friends,nurses,priests,whomever... what doc they would recommend and I bet a few names will keep popping up... Hope this helps Rivers

[LiveMusic]

I didn't mean to get off on a rant about all of my health problems but it looks like I am. My initial thought was to just post about this extreme lethargy which occurs after eating... that it might be a symptom of some "common" disease, like diabetes or something. But I've always tested normal. As far as the overall picture, thanks for the recommendations to go to a doc... I will go to a doc... just not now. I'm sick of going to docs and it's so damned expensive. My insurance only covers me if I'm dying. ;) The docs have been perplexed with what's wrong with me. I'm not the biggest fan of mainstream medicine, mind you but I do not point an accusatory finger at them on this one. These symptoms [i]are[/i] quite bizarre. And I do have some very good docs I've seen. As far as knowledge, for many years, I was a health nut. I know quite a bit about nutrition. In fact, I know more than my docs. No shit. I am dead serious. All most of them know (primarily) is drugs and surgery. I have seen a couple, though, that I respect highly for their overall knowledge. Oh, I respect all of them but the sytem is what's screwed up. All of these symptoms seem (according to the literature) to revolve around the same type of problem -- something has caused my immune system to get out of whack. No diseases show up on expensive, fancy tests. My immune system can't fight common, every day things that normal body's fight off. Allergies become pervasive. There is an affliction called candidiasis (yeast/fungal problem)... and I score [i]off the charts[/i] on it. By all appearances (symptoms), I definitely have it. Now what has caused it (if it [i]is[/i] the problem) is anyone's guess. I've tried all kinds of therapies for candidiasis. According to the literature, it is damn hard to beat it. What happens is due to overuse of antibiotics or any number of reasons (and poisoning can be one), [i]candida albicans[/i], a bug found in all humans, is allowed to proliferate beyond the body's ability to fight it. Candidiasis in women is commonly called a yeast infection. Very common. What's not that common is a [i]systemic[/i] infection, meaning it's taken hold in the body's systems. PLUS, common to candidiasis is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Leaky Gut Syndrome, Lupus, MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis... there's a bunch of them. I have tested negative in clinical exams as well as blood tests for all of the above. One of the most puzzling symptoms is about three years ago, one day I woke up and hurt all over, just like I had the flu. In fact, I thought I had the flu. But no other symptoms came about. And the muscle pains continued. That took a couple of years to improve much. In fact, I still have it, somewhat. If I squeeze my muscles in an isometric manner... just tighten them as hard as I can, I am, like, wasted for about an hour. Weird. But the sudden, overnight attack... as if a virus attacked me... they've never figured that one out. I've had so many suggestions by doctors about possiblities, I can't even remember them all. Off the top of my head... - extreme lethargy, triggered by various environental factors - extreme lethargy beginning about one hour after eating, lasting about one hour - extreme sensitivity to chemical smells, newsprint, tobacco smoke, smoke, exhaust, perfumes, any chemical smell - feeling of "spaciness"... "unable to concentrate"... "drugged feeling" - skin rashes and unexplained skin spots - athletes's foot - jock itch - "white tongue" - bloated stomach - chronic constipation - periods of constant yawning, even after plenty of rest - swollen lymph nodes - muscle pain, not joint I thought I might have liver damage. It's tested normal. The poisoning possibility... I was in a welding explosion 25 years ago and methyl parathion, a cotton insecticide, was in the "empty" 55 gal drum that blew. I got cut up and beat up bad, broken bones. Could have gotten inside my bloodstream. I am aware of the sugar/carbo connection. In fact, for months, I've tried a low-carb diet. I guess I need to do that again, along with whatever therapies I decide upon. I also drink about four diet cokes a day. I know damn well those things have got to be bad for you. The caffeine alone could be a big problem, not to mention the aspartame. And I drink beer. That is a definite no-no with my symptoms. Oh, man, that would be really hard to give up! I've gone for months drinking only one night a week but my doc says that won't cut it. Like I said, I used to be a health nut (for years) but I kinda got disillusioned with it and now I drink diet cokes and beer and don't eat healthy like I used to. I guess I'll have to shape up. If this lethargy thing stays like this, I'm in big trouble. Thanks to all for the links and suggestions. [ 12-28-2001: Message edited by: LiveMusic ]

[Bruce]

Hey Duke: I have (any many friends and family) had great results with some herbal/food formulas from a Dr. Richard Schulze of the American Botanical Pharmacy in California. He ran a clinic in Santa Monica for 20 years before the AMA and doctor's shut him down for being "dangerous". He helped people heal themselves relatively cheaply with no drugs or expensive proceedures. Now who was he dangerous to?mmmmmmmm. His whole premise is that our elimination organs aren'w working right and if you clean up your act, then detoxify your sysytem you can cure many "incurable" conditions from a cold right up to cancer. I am working on my dad's cancer with it right now and we are getting results. I have not had as much as a cold in well over a year. (and I do not live a perfectly healthy life style). This is not "New Age" miracles or anything like that. I suggest checking it out. He is the guy people went to when the doctor's said they didin't know what was wrong or that it was hopeless. It sounds like you have some background in natural healthy living so you might pick up on this right away. American Botanical Pharmacy- 1-800-437-2362 ask for a catolog (free) Good luck and keep us posted. Bruce

[popeye]

LiveMusic, did the docs check your liver functions? Regards, Popeye

[Alndln]

Did you check your blood sugar? Onset adult Diabetes has those symtoms.Get you blood sugar checked.

[Harp Heaven]

This isn`t a field where I am very knowledgeable, but I think I`ll add my story: My bassist started to work i tunnels when he was 18 years old. Most of these caves, call them whatever you want, are full of bacterias. He had gotten a vaccine, but one day, a leakage in sewer waste caught him off his guard. He had several open wounds at the time, and these became infected. His immune defense became virtually obsolete, and light diseases such as fever could leave him devastated. His beginning to recover slowly, but I recognize some of the symptoms you have, in him. Has something like this ever occured to you?

[Jeff Leites]

I'm not a doctor, so take this for what it's worth, but maybe you're not getting a good night's sleep. Some of the symptoms you listed, I've seen in write-ups about sleep apnea, whereby the lack of getting a good snooze causes a lot of other health problems. Unfortunitly, the only test I know for that is an expensive sleep study.

[BobSanders]

If your tired after a meal it could be what you ate. Carbs make you sleepy. They wipe me out so I take a nap after lunch at work. Also not drinking enough water can slow you down. Most people don't drink enough. (water) Try getting some excercise. You'll have more energy. Good luck.

[gmd]

I think it would be worth it to research and then possibly have yourself checked for either hypo-thyroidism, sugar diabetes and/or low blood sugar. You seem to have symtoms similar to those maladies...

[Chip McDonald]

gmd: hypothyroidism? The symptoms remind me of my mother, who was treated with radioactive iodine for overactive thyroid (which they screwed up on the dose). Also probably has myesthenia gravis, the muscle fatigue symptoms fall in line with that....

[John Sayers]

Yes the overactive thyroid is what I thought it might be - my mother also had it. If it was me I'd go on a two week fast and see what happens. Every morning pour some hot water over chopped up lemons and drink the liquid all day...that's all...no food. It's hard until the 4th day, once over that it's cool. I keep working etc. 65% of our energy goes into breaking down food so when you stop your body uses the extra energy to fix itself. My 2 cents Cheers John

[Chip McDonald]

[quote]Originally posted by John Sayers: [b] It's hard until the 4th day, once over that it's cool. I keep working etc. 65% of our energy goes into breaking down food so when you stop your body uses the extra energy to fix itself.[/b][/quote] Of course, if you're hypoglycemic you'll die.... 65% of our "energy"? Actually, more like 10%. We'd have to spend all day eating if it was as high as 65%. Basal metabolism accounts for about 50% of our energy consumption, we'd be running on an impossible deficit. Your body gets "energy" from breaking down food, not from "nowhere". If there's no food, it will have to resort to getting "energy"/calories from fat; if that's gone then muscle tissue. "Fixing itself" takes many different forms. Starving the body wacks out your metabolism; becoming leaner may be healthier, but not at the expense of muscle tissue OR depriving the body of nutrients. The body can't maintain itself without the proper substances. ... and if this person has an auto-immune disease, it could be the perfect trigger for turning it on full blast. [i]You shouldn't go around telling a sick person to fast[/i].

[Alndln]

[quote]Originally posted by John Sayers: [b]Yes the overactive thyroid is what I thought it might be - my mother also had it. If it was me I'd go on a two week fast and see what happens. Every morning pour some hot water over chopped up lemons and drink the liquid all day...that's all...no food. It's hard until the 4th day, once over that it's cool. I keep working etc. 65% of our energy goes into breaking down food so when you stop your body uses the extra energy to fix itself. My 2 cents Cheers John[/b][/quote] I agree with Chip.I think fasting is great but not in all instances.A type 2 diabetic may not live past a few day's in those circumstances.I don't know what this guy's ailiment is,but theyr'e are a variety of illnesses where fasting could prove extremely dangerous.Time and place for that sort of thing.

[max]

do you wake up at 3am?