Do health problems start at 21? - Page 3

Ron · 06-16-2003, 09:54 AM

Hi Elyse,

Thanks for the thorough explanation. You didn't leave any stones unturned.

Have you had blood tests for Sed Rate, C Reactive Protein, Antinuclear Antibody, White Blood Cell Count
and Rheumatoid Factor. These indicate an overactive immune system response to some invader.
High numbers in the above can be sufficient to prescribe antibiotics for the gram positive group of infections if other lab cultures are clear.
Were you ever given zithromax for possible infection?
How about antifungal meds like diflucan, nystatin,
clotrimazole etc for fungal and sinus infections?

The atkins diet can leave you irritable and depressed,
so it was wise to stop it. Were there any changes in the abdominal/ovary pain while you were on it?

Be sure to print the reports that describe your symptoms and then underline in RED all that applies to you. It will be less overwhelming to the doc if you do this and less reading of course.

Antibody titres for EB and mono, mycoplasma, ureaplasma
and chlamydia might be a good idea
One more thing... were you tested for Lyme Disease?

Your low temperature sure does point to the thyroid.

Good luck..
Ron

purple2067 · 06-16-2003, 10:13 PM

I am nothing if not thorough.

Here are the answers to some of your questions Ron.

I don't think I have had any of the blood tests that you mentioned, except possibly the Rheumatoid factor.

I was never given an anti-biotic "just because". In other words, they never gave me one unless there was an obvious infection, like Sinusitis, etc... But yes, I have taken Zithromax. I can really only take Cephalosporines because I am allergic to Sulpha and to Penicillins. I can take some third and fourth generation Penicillins though. I have taken Zithromax, Lorabid, Levaquin, Ceftin, Avelox, and a few others. While I was in the hospital for my Gallbladder, I was given several doses of Cefotetan by IV.

I have had my nose cultured and they found bacteria (on two separate occasions over the years). Both times I was treated with anti-biotics... once a few years ago with Bactroban ointment in the nose, and once a few months ago with Ceftin, because it was also in my throat and sinuses. (it was Strep)

I do believe that there have been times however, that I had a low grade infection in my body (low grade fever for several weeks) and I was given anti-biotics with no known cause of infection.

While on the carb free diet (which I might add, was MUCH more restrictive than the Atkins diet.... I could not have ANY carbs, period, no dairy, no fatty meats, etc...) I had very bad stomach problems (i.e. diahrrea, cramping, excessive gas even more so than usual.)

I don't have any ovary pain. Never have. (shhhh. knock wood!)

I have been on Nystatin SEVERAL times during my life. I get it specially compounded because the form that you can get in the regular pharmacy has sugar in it, and what is the point in taking something with sugar if you are trying to get rid of yeast? My allergist orders it for me from a compounding pharmacy in NYC. Every time I have to be on an anti-biotic, I take it for a few days. Last year, my allergist thought that possibly my severe dry eyes were being caused by my yeast sensitivity. Anything is possible with me. So he put me on a regimen of Nystatin that was much more involved than just taking it orally. They come in capsule form. For the first few days, I took a few pills by mouth. Then I took a few more by mouth, and added one a day vaginally. Then I added more orally and did two a day vaginally. Then I began using it rectally. When I had been doing it rectally for about 7 or 8 days, I began to cut back, and eventually got to where I was just taking it orally again. My Candida blood test came back as normal, but we did it anyway. Nothing changed. And just to let you know the exact dosage, the Nystatin that I takes comes in units of 1 million I.U. per capsule. I was taking appx 1 billion units a day for about 2 weeks. I also used to get severe yeast infections when I was a child. I could never use any of the over the counter products such as Monsitat, because I was allergic to them. So I used Nystatin. It worked like a charm.

Someone had mentioned the possibility of my having diabetes... I don't think I do. I have none of the symptoms. I haven't lost weight (except when I was in the hospital for 5 days and not allowed to eat, and when I was on the carb free diet). I don't urinate frequently. I'm not thirsty. Even when I feel lightheaded and I test my blood sugar (my mom has diabetes and has a meter), it is always LOW, not high. My blood sugar is LOW after eating. That's why I have to eat every few hours during the day, and I always carry a snack with me. So I think it is pretty safe to say that I am not diabetic right now. (although I know I have to watch myself and I have to lose weight or I could become diabetic. It runs in my family and I am hypoglycemic, which is a precursor for diabetes.)

So I am definitely going to run all of this by my dr when I see him. I talked to my eye dr today and while he agrees that it is possible I have a thyroid problem, he thinks it is very unlikely, and he's not the one to run the tests anyway. I will be seeing my PCP on July 7, so I will be sure to bring all of this info with me. (in a much more condensed form!!)

Thanks a lot,
Elyse

P.S. I also have some arthritis in my feet, which they attribute to the fact that I am tall, and VERY flat-footed. (I wear prescription orthotics, because I have pretty much no arches.) I thought I'd mention it because arthritis, even if it is just in my feet, is a rheumatologic condition. (I told the rheumatologist this and he didn't seem to care.)

Ron · 06-17-2003, 11:46 PM

Hi Elyse,

Thanks for the feedback. Your doc seem sto be doing an admirable job.

Don't worry about flat feet.. you missed on on being a great long distance runner if that is your affliction since you were a kid.

Being overweight and also having low blood sugar
shouldn't set you up for diabetes unless you swing totally in the opposite direction.
Just be sure to keep a candy handy to suck on when you get that lightheaded feeling.
(What is the number of your "Hemoglobin A1c"?)

The food that you eat can be very helpful in preventing
the drops in blood sugar between meals.
I guess you are eating frequent small meals to help with this.
Instead of refined carbs, you would do much better on
UNREFINED UNGROUND WHOLE GRAINS, which digest slowly and do not release their sugar all at once. It is this
that prevents the sugar drops since it is released
continually over the hours until the next meal.

Take care...
Ron

[This message has been edited by moderator1 (edited 06-21-2003).]

purple2067 · 06-18-2003, 11:22 PM

Thanks Ron, you are such a big help!

You're right about my feet.... no marathons for me!

I do think that all of my doctors are doing a very good job for me. I just think there is something that we are all overlooking. (I say "we" because I take a very pro-active approach to my health.) They are all wonderful, but there has got to be something out there that we haven't thought of, that would explain all of my health problems. Some of it, like the high blood pressure I can attribute to my weight. But as a kid I was skinny, and I still had a tremendous amount of health problems. I know that my allergies play a huge part in it, but there has got to be some other reason for this vast array of problems.

I don't recall ever having a hemoglobin A1C test. I seem to have my blood sugar under good control. I don't test it, but I would definitely know if I was experiencing a low. I always make sure I have got some sort of gum or sucking candy, or even a small package of pretzels or snack wells cookies with me, wherever I go. Even tic-tacs are fine. I've never gone so low that I passed out. I know when I need to eat. I usually eat a small meal every 2-3 hours. (by a small meal I mean a snack, like pretzels, cookies, fruit snacks, swedish fish, fruit, pudding, etc....) The blood sugar really has not been a problem since I was diagnosed, except when I was on the carb free diet. Then it was going down to the low fifties, no matter what I ate. Rice did help to keep it stable though. But, being on the go as much as I am right now, it is very difficult to eat as healthy as I would like. I am a student teacher in an elementary school (hoping to get a full time job very soon!) and my cooperating classroom teacher is also hypoglycemic due to pregnancy. We both take quick bites during the day, but you really can't eat anything more than pretzels, a few small cookies, or some candy when you are standing up there in front of 32 unruly, hungry children! I always eat a good lunch though, and try to avoid the candy. Like I said, since my blood sugar has never really been all that out of control, my dr never saw the need to test the hemoglobin A1C. When I was first diagnosed, I saw a nutritionist who explained everything to me, and I believe I also spoke with a diabetes educator, since they have general knowledge of blood sugar. My PCP also has a nurse practicioner in his office who is extremely knowledgeable in the area of nutrition, diet, blood sugar, etc... She helped me too. I'd go back to her in a second if I ever have a problem with the blood sugar being out of control. I find that on the days where I do feel very light headed from low blood sugar (usually only during my menstrual cycle), peanut butter helps. I eat the low fat one, maybe just a tablespoon of it. But it's got a good amount of carbs as well as protein, so it stabilizes me.

[This message has been edited by purple2067 (edited 06-18-2003).]

Ron · 06-19-2003, 10:04 PM

Hi Elyse,

I wish you well in getting a full time position. Your future health could become a burden if things should change for some reason.

It sounds like you are getting a rebound effect and this causes your BS to drop too low. It might be a good idea to try the whole unground grains to spread out the
carb absorbtion over a longer time..

Good luck...
Ron

[This message has been edited by moderator1 (edited 06-21-2003).]