I actually posted this about a possible tick on me over the summer: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=655465, but there was no evidence that the bug bit me or that it was even a tick actually. That’s an idea, but I think Lyme is unlikely.
Thanks for the info telebob. I suppose I’ll think about that if I go to the doctor and they tell me I’m in perfect health. As an aside, I was wondering about the asterisk in veganism, thanks for explaining.
You might also talk to your HR before you go too much farther with diagnostics.
Some insurance policies have 6 month exemptions for prior conditions, others never cover prior conditions. I’m not sure if that is still allowed under the new healthcare laws, but in the past I’ve seen policies that would not pay a dime toward any prior condition for the first six months of the policy. So, if you get diagnosed with say Diabetes this week, then get your policy next week, you could be out of pocket for the first six months of expenses.
Thanks. I’m not planning on going to a doctor at all until I get insurance. I’ve submitted the paperwork to be added to the plan, was told it was take two weeks to receive an insurance card, and it’s been a month. That’s why I’m following up with HR.
You sound just like how I was feeling before I got on iron supplements. I was started at 600 mg a day and it was nothing short of life-changing. I’m now on 300 mg a day. So odd that they didn’t check your iron.
Just in case you don’t have enough ideas of things to ask about/get tested for, you might ask your doctor, once you have one, to check your thyroid.
Maybe they did test for iron and I somehow missed it? I threw away the letter with the test results. There was a lot of medical jargon, but the fact that my B12 levels were fine was stated plainly. I forget what else they tested for- they really fixated on the fact that I’m vegan though. Anemia does seem likely, I’m just surprised it’s hit me so hard when I was vegan for over a year without any problems. I don’t get my period because of my birth control, so that’s not a contributing factor.
Thyroid issues are another possibility, but I don’t have too many symptoms that match up.
I put my symptoms into WebMD and their most likely diagnosis was depression. I was on antidepressants as a teenager and do feel depressed frequently, but it’s never caused physical problems. Interestingly I didn’t see frequent urination as a symptom option on WebMD.
…aaand, just to make you feel even better about your plethora of options of what’s making you sick, you COULD actually have mono again.
There’s two different types of virus that cause what we call mono, and most people get the common one: Epstein-Barr. That’s probably what you got when you had mono.
There’s another virus (a herpes variant, I think) that most people get at some point and don’t even notice it, most people who DO notice it only get a minor sickness, but it CAN cause wipeouts that are as bad as the “traditional” mono: cytomegalovirus. It’s damn unlikely that this is causing your problems, but it is an option.
One of my cousins had “mono” twice due to this (he has a shit immune system due to some problems as an infant that I’m not clear about) and he got so much flack about it at school (faker! everyone knows you can’t have mono twice!!) that he had this standard defense speech at the ready any time it came up in conversation.
Personally, I’m going for diabetes, iron deficiency, or (I really hope not) lupus.
It doesn’t really sound like thyroid to me because there’s no hair/skin issues, and no mention of cholesterol problems. Not that those HAVE to be there, but if it’s bad enough to be causing depression, sleep troubles, and joint aches, you’d think it would be showing up in the other areas also.
Interesting! I didn’t know that about mono. I have a good immune system though- I have not been sick enough to miss work or school since I was 13 (ten years ago) and a large part of that was me simply not wanting to go to school. I think it’s genetic- my great grandma was literally never sick in her entire life aside from a nosebleed in her 80s. She donated her body to science when she died.
I didn’t think of lupus. My headaches are definitely sinus or dehydration related though. I feel nearly constant sinus pressure and sometimes get pain behind my eyes. Other times I wake up with a headache if I didn’t drink enough water before bed or wake up to drink something. But I rarely have a headache so bad that I need to take something for it. I definitely don’t have the rash associated with lupus though and no joint pain.
I do have very mild Raynaud’s however (listed as a symptom of Lupus)- my hands and toes turn blue/ have patches of a strange peach color when it’s cold. I’ve never had a doctor mention it (exam rooms are usually very cold)- my mom told me that’s what it is- she has it as does her mom and her aunt.
I’m sure this has more to do with the fact I’ve lived most of my adult life in developing countries than it does with the OP’s health problems, but … anyone else read those symptoms and think either worms or an amoeba?
ETA: there’s no chance you could be pregnant, is there?
If you’re pregnant with worms or an amoeba, you should definitely see a doctor – and watch Prometheus.
Oh wow, that’s intense. I’ve never even heard of that movie. I’m not into sci-fi at all and I guess I missed it entirely.
But no, definitely not pregnant, and I have no idea how I’d get worms or an amoeba (I don’t eat meat). Wouldn’t I notice if I had a tapeworm (the most likely worm I’m assuming) because parts of them come out when you poop?
If things don’t improve soon, I would strongly consider changing your diet. While I know many people who have done fine for decades eating very few animal products, my body just can’t hack it, despite never having developed any testable deficiencies or allergies. I went through something similar when I was vegetarian/vegan for a couple years (but in addition to the exhaustion, depression etc, I also developed IBS). Changing my diet simply to include more dense sources of protein and nutrients such as eggs, helped immediately. Changing my diet drastically, later on when I found what works for me, put me in the best health of my life by far, with an enormous amount of energy. What you eat is very important for your daily functioning, and everyone’s body is different.
That’s an option I’ll consider, although I hope the doctor would have some suggestions so I could continue to be completely or almost completely vegan, but improve my health. Anyway, I’ll find out on Friday if I’ve been added to the health plan at work or not. I feel better today- felt shaky though after a hot chocolate and yesterday felt somewhat shaky/nauseous after breakfast. I got a bunch of veggies at the store so I’m not eating so many carbs.
I hate to go this direction, but it’s for your health: have you had any changes in stool consistency? These exact same symptoms are what got me diagnosed with “possible Celiac’s”, combined with a greasy, inconsistent stool.
I haven’t been able to find a way to get an intestinal biopsy to get the full diagnosis.
Thanks everyone for their suggestions earlier.
I finally got around to getting a blood glucose tester and have ruled out diabetes. Assuming the thing is working correctly, my blood sugar appears to be consistently around the upper or mid 90s.
Still feeling exhausted all the time though, my stomach hurts and sometimes I feel like I’m having pain from heartburn. I’m having trouble with memory and concentration as well. Unfortunately health insurance is still in limbo. HR “doesn’t know” when I can be added to the plan.
I’ve added a protein supplement to my diet and am making sure every meal I eat has some protein in it in case it’s a protein deficiency.
I started taking a general supplement that has iron in it, but I’m afraid to take a supplement that’s only iron without consulting with a doctor first because iron overload is far more dangerous than anemia.
This is just so frustrating to me and doubly frustrating that I am unable to seek treatment because I cannot be added to the health insurance plan anytime soon. I am seeing a psychiatrist free of charge though and will see if maybe this is all stress related and possibly start taking an anti-depressant.
BigT****, nothing is different when I go to the bathroom. Except that I have the world’s smallest bladder and have to go every two hours or sometimes more (sorry for the TMI).
Not everyone with Lupus has the rash. It can effect any organ in your body, not just the skin. This is how every Lupus patient has such a unique set of symptoms.
Excessive thirst, and resulting urination, is a common symptom of diabetes. Not everyone will have a weight loss, especially if cravings for sweets causes offsetting weight gain. Blood glucose tests can vary day by day. Don’t rule it completely out from just a couple tests on a single day.
Raynauds is fairly common even without a Lupus connection.
Thyroid is another thing that can fluctuate from day to day. It’s actually the first thing I thought of.
Could be as simple as the flu. Or a combination of unrelated conditions.
Go to the ER of a public hospital if it’s intolerable. They won’t turn you out regardless of coverage.
Did they test you for an adrenal imbalance? Do you consume caffeine? If so, eliminating it for a few weeks may help.
I second the suggestion of an iron test, too.
And definitely adjust your diet. Not saying that this is you, but I have seen vegetarians and vegans go to extremes to avoid eating animals and animal byproducts without taking care to replace the nutrients they’re getting from those foods.
I was able to find the paperwork for my bloodwork. They tested Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Folate, TSH (thryroid stimulating hormone) and for HIV. I do not have HIV and my numbers are low, but in the normal range for everything else they tested. I could have developed a deficiency in the vitamins since then, but I do take a supplement and eat super healthy, so I don’t know. They also did a blood count. I’m not sure what most of what they were testing for is, but same thing, low numbers but within the normal range. Blood pressure was 90/68.
I don’t know why they didn’t test for iron, but they also tried to stick the needle into a tendon in my elbow thinking it was a vein, so I don’t think these people were too bright.
One possibility for the bladder thing- maybe it’s the supplement I take which is full of B vitamins. Odwalla makes a B vitamin smoothie and I have to go to the bathroom every 30 min when I drink it (so I avoid it), so perhaps this is the same thing. I wasn’t taking my current supplement when I first started this thread though.
Not sure if a doctor would think to test for lupus if I ever manage to get to one, but I could bring it up.
I do drink coffee, but for the past two days I ran out of it (I make my coffee at home) and nothing changed with me having to go to the bathroom frequently.
You don’t need meat to get worms or amoebas. Some amoebas live in water and are caught by drinking the water. Cows, goats, sheep, etc. are all herbivores and get worms all the time. If the worm eggs are on produce all you have to do to catch them is eat the produce.
Anyhow - you did say you’re working 70 hours a week. Have you considered that at least part of your fatigue is the long hours at your job?
Your iron levels are indirectly reflected in whether you might be anemic - check the blood count results, specifically your hemoglobin and hematocrit levels.