voiceofreason wrote:
This sounds like classic lymes disease. Go to web md and look it up. Swollen glands, fatigue, heart palpitations, skin sensitivity...don't let the absence of a rash throw you or her not remembering being bit.
That's been my guess. It's the lack of rash and no memory of bite that has been having her say no. However, we live in Nor Cal and ran trails so it wouldn't be too strange.
Doctor in the house? wrote:
Would any of these make your face swell, glands swell? Maybe autoimmune disease?
how swollen is her face? makes me think of moon face, a symptom of cushings syndrome.
I'd see an endocrinologist, get a cardaic monitor that you can keep for a month and go from there. But with the fatigue, weight gain, cardiac arrythimias, etc i'd say hormones are out of whack yo.
I'm not sure if its been said yet, but a lot of chronic symptoms with no clear diagnosis always makes cancer on to the list of differentials.
Good luck.
SPT14 wrote:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19437398
We're pretty sure it's not her thyroid. That's been check repeatedly with nothing out of the ordinary.
You have two things going on here. I hope you will not take this advice with a grain of salt.
First: She is having an allergic reaction to anything that contains yeast. There are many food items that contain yeast, as well as drinks. In time the body can no longer tolerate yeast and will begin to react to it by using every resource the body has to fight it off. Beer will become a major factor, once the body is no longer able to rid itself of the alcohol like normal people.
Two: In combination of the above there is a psychological disorder stemming from early childhood. Subconsciously it is there. She needs hypnotherapy in order to find out what is still locked into her mind. The mind is a complex organ. But you will find what you are looking for through hypnosis.
Good luck
You can probably tell from reading online if this worth checking with your doctor, but if it is get it done asap. And let us know how it goes. We can all learn from stories like this.
Based on a quick google search not that swollen.
I've thought of cancer as well. But I keep thinking Lymes. The last 3-6 months she's had an on again, off again fever.
We also know that she was diagnosed with Von Wilderbrants a number of years ago.
Checked her Thyroid or Parathyroid? Parathyroid glands sit on the back of the thyroid and secrete a different hormone.
Just trying to help, hope you can get this sorted out sooner rather than later
I'm sorry - sounds really tough.
If you're open to any crazy idea, try the ALCAT food sensitivity test:
. You can find someone near you offering it for about $400. Using their list worked wonders for a friend who had sudden and weird (different from your GF's) symptoms.
I'll also throw out that for (possibly) auto-immune diseases, alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, may succeed where allopathy fails.
What the heck - maybe even try Feldenkrais, if you can find a really great practitioner near you - someone who studied with Moshe.
Good luck.
Another vote for Lyme Disease. Not uncommon to get it without the rash. Here's a good recent paper on long-term symptoms by a former colleague of mine:
http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/283/5/609.full.pdf
Good luck getting this figured out. Awful story.
Yes, awful ordeal that has been going on much too long.
Does she have a regular doctor who knows her history?
Can't her doctor see that something is going on despite all the negative tests?
Can you ask him/her to refer you to every specialist to start ruling out one-by-one any possible condition? It sounds like this is happening but in a haphazard fashion, as if the doctors are grasping at straws, or perhaps not believing her and thinking hers is a mental issue.
How common is Lyme's in No. Cal?
Keep us up-to-date?
Haphazard is the word. Regular doctor for years. Then laid off and no health insurance for the beginning of this ordeal. Now different plan and different doctor. I think all the responses have her focused on the "ruling out" strategy starting with Lyme's disease. Fairly common here.
Thanks to everyone... much appreciated kick in the pants to get more aggressive with doctors.
Follow up when we know more.
Give Eugene Shapiro a call:
http://www.yalemedicalgroup.org/YMG/directory/public/profile.asp?pictID=61052
He is a very generous, approachable doctor (and leading expert) -- known to do an informal diagnosis over the phone. Or to rule one out.
I googled Lyme disease and it describes most of her symptoms, including those ancillary conditions from neurological complications.
She shouldn't be self-diagnosing at this point simply
because she didn't have a rash or see a bite. Find a
doctor who has experience with this.
Good thoughts your way.
OP, what part of the US do you both live?
Another vote for Lyme Disease, it was the first thing I thought of when I read the symptoms. Insidious disease.
Another vote for lyme disease. I'm glad i continued to read all the responses before posting. the weight gain is a little atypical for me, but the arrhythmia plus arthralgia and sensitivity put it in rare company.
To the first year PT student:
I like your response! I don't think you're correct, but as a first year PT student your seeking concrete physiological explanations for these symptoms and its obvious you've taken the time to try and understand things rather than memorize them. props.
Other people are saying mono and RA on here--lol...If you all are in med school or related fields i suggest a change in career paths or study habits. Although lyme seems the better diagnosis, has she been to an endocrinologist to rule out cushings?
thirdyrmedstudent wrote:
To the first year PT student:
I like your response! I don't think you're correct, but as a first year PT student your seeking concrete physiological explanations for these symptoms and its obvious you've taken the time to try and understand things rather than memorize them. props.
Have you considered a pompous-ectomy to rid yourself of your disease?
could be lupus.