At only 22 years old, I feel sick in some way almost every day. I have had health issues from the time I was born....I was a colicky baby and now I'm an unhealthy adult.

I have horrible digestive problems which a gastrointestinologist diagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I feel sick to my stomach every evening and hate going out with friends anymore because I barely touch what's on my plate and I always get sick if I eat even one bite too much.

I went through a series of dizzy spells a few years ago and the neurologist told me it was just "stress." She sent me for an MRI and they found a large chunk of sinus blockage which no one did a thing about. I notice lots of post nasal drip, but I don't notice much sneezing or congestion, especially if I take Allegra D (which is difficult to find time for, because it must be consumed on an entirely empty stomach). I have been in for food tests and they found nothing, then I tried an alternative doctor and she supposedly "cured" me of everything.

About four years ago, I lost the ability to wear my contact lenses on a regular basis because they eat away at my eye lining. When I do wear them, my eyes get extremely irritated in short periods of time. I cant' see as well out of glasses, and in my profession (teaching), I HATE not being able to see to the best of my ability.

So currently I wake up every morning barely being able to open my eyes they are so irritated, I walk around with sinus headaches every time the weather changes and I get horribly sick every evening after I eat dinner. I am so young to be feeling this gross all the time and it's becoming extremely depressing. Does anyone have ANY suggestions at all? I have been receiving injections for tree/grass allergies, and use a dust filter for mites but it isn't helping whatsoever. Could it be issues with milk, which I drink a lot? I really need some advice. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Hey Eddie Dean...i sympathise with you. It does sound like you have a very annoying culprit which has not been identified yet. I don't feel all of the same things that you feel but i do relate in feeling crummy almost every day.
I will share something that seems to be working for me. I've long suspected a yeast problem which some medical professionals refer to as candiasis. I took a long series of antibiotics in high school and have taken them a lot for sinus problems ever since. It has been proven that too many antibiotics and/or a poor diet, other medications such as birth control pills, can upset the intesinal flora balance in your system. Basically, meaning that an abundance of yeast is taking over your good bacteria. I'm not an expert on this, but from what i have read, during this process, toxins are released from these bacteria and it produces all of these horrible symptoms. This is still a contreversial issue in the medical community, however, many people get good results when trying to correct their problem from this angle.
There are some good web sites in which you can find some candida questionarres to see if this may be a cause of your problem. Ten days ago I started on a yeast free, sugar free, carb free diet. I'm taking caprylitic acid, garlic, and friendly bacteria products. I've been taking allergy medicine every day for four years and now, and i have not had one allergy pill in 2 weeks and i'm feeling a lot better.
I'm just recommending that you check this out. I recognized that every time that i drank a beer or a glass of wine, i would get really congested. Everything seems to point in that yeast-related direction for me.
Also, you may want to find a reputable internist in your area or someone who deals with nutritional issues. Anyway, i thought i'd share this with you so that you may possibly benefit from this information.
Keep your head high and don't get discouraged. You will continue to investigate your problem and you will find an answer. The best of luck,

Kris

I know it's no fun when you constantly don't feel well.


Stop wearing your contacts for a little while. You need to take the pain/stress away where you can right now, and that sounds like a good way to start because you say that you wake up every morning with irritated eyes. A good eye doctor should be willing to work with you to get you a pair of reliable eye glasses that you can see properly and comfortably from. It may take a little bit of adjusting from going to wearing contacts to glasses, but right now, this would definitely be in your best interest.
You sound very stressed. Understably so. Some of your symptoms can be attributed to daily stress. If you are carrying around this ill feeling 24/7, this is probably all you are thinking about most of the time. Additionally, when you are fighting not feeling well all the time, that can be fatiguing. Stress, believe it or not, can manifest itself in different ways (physical and emotional symptoms). Like IBS. I bet if you had your physician prescribe a low dosage of anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication, some of your sickly feelings would abate. Daily headaches CAN be caused by allergies, but they can also be caused by stress. You may want to look into this for a few months to see if being on this type of medication makes you feel differently. Again, try to alleviate as much of your stress as you have control over. Helping yourself relax as much as possible from the inside out can truly make you feel better.
You definitely are depressed, and who can blame you. People who are depressed also suffer from stress and benign physical and emotional symptoms that seem to have no cause (like IBS and headaches). Stress and Depression can be aggrivated by each other, or one can be brought on because of the other. Again, an anti-depressant/anxiety medication may really help you out a lot.
Some people have allergies really bad. If you think something you are doing or ingesting may be a culprit as to how you are feeling, then try stopping it for a while to see what happens. You can try altering what you eat in general - a better diet can make a difference feeling better. Eliminating fats, sugars, salt, MSG, caffeine is a good place to start for anybody. Adding more veggies, fruits and drinking good old water is beneficial. And don't overdue it on the breads or red meats.
My brother has been diagnosed with IBS since his early teens. I understand exactly what you are saying about not going out with your friends. His doctors and specialists told him that his is the worst case of this condition that they had ever seen. What works well for him is digestive enzymes. Your local pharmacist can help you select a digest enzyme. My brother tried a few before he found one that agreed with his GI system.
Try to do something every day to empower yourself physically. Meaning, take a walk even if your "guts" hurt, or while you're watching tv, do some leg exercises. Exercise is important because it releases natural endorphines (the "feel good" stuff) in your body, which are natural relaxers and health promoters. Additionally, exercising keeps things "humming" and boosts your immune system. Stress can pick away at your immune system, which is why people get sick after emotional trauma. If you have been worrying/upset about your physicality for this long, you are probably have zero tolerance from an immune standpont, meaning you probably feel sicker than you are.
Start on a good daily vitamin if your stomach can handle it. IBS sufferers have sensitive stomachs, so you can ask your local pharmacist to recommend a good one.
Ease up on yourself. I know it's hard to feel good on the outside when the inside feels so bad, but try to find at least three things every day to smile t and be thankful for. A positive mental attitude, as well as a positive mental outlook can do wonders for ailing health. Go to the library or go buy The Power of Positive Thinking by Normal Vincent Peale. Read a chapter every day and then re-read it. You're a good person who feels lousy - that's okay. How you react to it can make a difference in how you handle it.


Take care.

[This message has been edited by Wowwweee (edited 01-11-2002).]

Wow, thanks so much to both of you for the helpful advice! I will certainly check up on the yeast thing...I have taken TONS of antibiotics...for sinus infections and acne...since I was an early teen. This is certainly something worth looking into!

After reading the second post, I felt somewhat guilty for posting the way I did. In all honestly, my "conditions" are not all THAT life altering. I'm sure there are tons of people out there who have it worse then I do. The troubling part is not knowing WHY these issues keep creeping up. I just wish there was ONE thing that one of these specialists would finally diagnose and be able to handle for me. There are some things I didn't even mention in my original post...I have one type of porphyria (EPP) which is damaging to the liver and keeps me out of the sun during it's intensest hours. As for stress, it is definitely a hectic time in my life and has been for years. After high school I went off to college (I loved high school, it was hard saying goodbye), dealt with four fantastic years of doing as many extracurriculars as possible, graduated last year, went through job interviews last summer, and am currently teaching elementary and middle school for my first year. While this is certainly stressful, I am a generally upbeat person. I have a family who is always there for me, a boyfriend of two years who genuinely loves me, and a bunch of great and supportive friends. I get my eight hours of sleep every night (although I never did in college....teaching little kids FORCES me to do so!!), and I haven't eaten red meat since I was 10. I am really energetic and don't LOOK sick, which sometimes makes me think I'm just a hypochondriac.

Anyway, I really do appreciate the information that both of you provided...I read every word with great interest. I appreciate having such a network of wonderful people to come and vent to...thanks for everything!

Just have to say I feel touched and emotional after reading all on this topic. I guess what you are experiencing, is very much like many of us who have searched for answers to our own pains. Reading here reminds me that we are not alone as the frustrated ones and as the ones who are learning and finding solutions.
I too teach and have had a difficult digestive system over the years, among other things. I think I have a handle on it to some degree. I learned alot through alternative medicines and have eliminated many foods from my diet. I eat bland and try to get more veggies and fruit in my diet. Not the most sociable route but healthier in the long run.
And I think you express your frustrations with it all very well. I think I am feeling particularily run down these past two weeks and have so many "little problems" that I want to scream.....(sore throat, runny nose, itchy eyelids [called blepharitis} and a stye, two canker sores, and my fingers are cracking from the cold weather, oh yes, did I mention my stomach and digestion are off just now and my ovaries hurt like hell on Friday, a bad migraine earlier today....) and yes then in a couple of weeks the picture will look better again (It usually does ...ha, ha!)
The candida suggestion I think is an excellent one. Candida diets are limiting but can make such a big difference.I was fortunate to go to alternative health earlier in my life and not suffer the ill effects of antibiotics. Drugs do have their place , I think, but we need to look at alternative doorways before we overtax our systems.
It is special to read and see so many caring people out there..... time for my precious sleep.. the best healer for me right now. Thanks for sharing.