My name is Joseph. I am 18 years old, and I have been ill for the past 2 months. Allow me to establish a general background. Formerly, I was a high school varsity athlete. I had very high energy, and was always active. I've found that I tend to get stressed out when I am not active in one form or another. This past year however, I have developed breathing problems. Around this time last year, perhaps once every week or two, during fairly intense physical activity, I would find myself wheezing and having great difficulty catching my breath. I chalked it up to being out of shape. However, later in the year, well into the track season when I was in very good athletic shape, I found myself more and more unable to complete workouts. I would find myself gasping for air after a practice lap, which considering my chosen sport and training regimen, was a ridiculous notion. It ultimately hampered my performance a great deal. The problem followed me into the summer, as the wheezing and shortness of breath became quite severe and more and more common place. Up until then, I was only affected when I ran. I began having chest pains, chest tightness, and shortness of breath all the time. I went to an allergist, as the advice I was receiving suggested I do so. Despite all tests I was given, the results showed me to be normal, if not very healthy. Regardless, the de facto prognosis was asthma. I was put on albuterol to use when I ran, and Advair to take twice daily. Neither seemed to nullify the symptoms, though they were lessened slightly.
I only mentioned all this because it may or may not have anything to do with my present illness. Starting a little over two months ago, I came down with what I thought was just a passing cold. The symptoms, which have persisted to the present day include: Lethargy, extreme fatigue, lightheadedness, headache, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, flemy cough, migraines, difficulty sleeping, and on this on top of all the asthma stuff. Although the severity of the symptoms vary day to day, I haven’t had a single day when I’ve felt “good”. It tends to follow a pattern of feeling marginally better for a few days, then steep drop and a very rough day or two. Needless to say, the impact on my lifestyle is immeasurable. A “comprehensive metabolic panel” taken showed nothing abnormal. This doctor seemed eager to get rid of me, so I went to an internist. A lung x ray tuned out normal. A second, broader, blood and urine analysis showed everything to be normal. I don’t have mono, or an acute infection of some sort. I was then tested for Addison’s, which luckily turned out negative. Although the internist seemed very thorough, he eventually ran out of ideas.
I have no history of depression, and I was rather excited with the prospect of college and leaving home up to actual move. So I doubt that any sort of depression caused this symptoms.
So here I stand, my first months of college characterized by poor health. I've seen a general practioner and an internist; I'm left with not greater insight into the cause or cure of this illness. Before I see another doctor, I am turning to the internet, and its collective knowledge to give me some idea, some lead to investigate that might shed some light on the subject. I turn to you, members of the forum to give me any insight you can.
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