I'd appreciate if anyone can take the time and provide advice base on their experiences on how I should go about in investigating what is causing the symptoms I have been experiencing. It's a long read so please bear with me.
I don't have any diagnosis yet but for the past 8 mos. I have been dealing with several neurological/constellation of symptoms.
I am 36 yo. male and prior to Mar 2018, my diet has been high red meat, high carbohydrates, low vegetables. After Mar 2018, I changed to high vegetables and fish, medium serving of carbohydrates, less red meat, gluten free, high in good fats (e.g. olive oil, avocado).
Prior to Mar 2018
Before 2018, I have experienced below symptoms and were largely blamed to either stress, getting older, getting tired, or other common cause.
- Wrists and and ankles gets tired/sore/weak easily and felt that resting relieves the soreness/weakness.
Eyes feels dry and itchy and ice pack helps relieve the
Recurrent cough without phlegm and recurrent sore throat but doctor's would say my lungs are clear after.
Shortness of breath that seems to happen at the same time as the cough and sore throat. Doctors would prescribed cough syrup and antibiotics which normally I would not take unless I felt I really needed to.
Itching that moves around the body and comes and goes. It happens 2 to 3 times a week. Ice pack would help relieve the itchiness.
On 2016, I had high fever, body aches, cough without phlegm, conjunctivitis (there were swelling around the eyes thus GP diagnosed as such) and was prescribed antibiotic. This lasted for about a week and a half. After this, I just felt my eyes were not as clear as before (i.e. blurry).
On or after Mar 2018
On Mar 2018, swelling of the left ankle that lasted for a week. Unable to walk for 2 days and later was diagnosed as gout and took colchicine for it. GP initially thought was due to infection thus was sent to ER. X-ray of the ankle revealed no fractures. Went to rheumatologist who mentioned that it sounded like gout but will not be able to accurately diagnose without fluid taken from the joint.
- Got flu shot and after 3 to 5 days all the other symptoms started (not in any specific order)
- a. Shortness of breath without exertion that comes and goes
b. Abdominal pain that comes and goes
c. Stiff neck that comes and goes
d. Sharp nerve pain on the left shoulder blades that seem to originate from spine and goes to the head and radiates down to the left leg.
e. Pins and needles in different parts of the body (arms, abdomen, legs, private part, back)
f. Feeling of numbness in the left side of the face which would move to the right side of the face
g. Pain in the forehead that felt like it is being split into two
h. Sharp pain in the lower back and feels like the nerves exiting the spine are inflamed. The pain seems to pulsates at times.
i. Sharp and dull pain in the spine which felt like my spine was inflamed. The pain comes and goes and it is usually felt in the middle part of the back and sometimes at the lower part or bottom.
j. Double/Blurred vision that comes and goes
k. Difficulty sleeping
l. Numbness in different parts of the body (e.g. right big toe, upper left abdomen, fingers in the left hand, mid section of the back) that comes and goes
m. Headache with head pressure that comes in waves and sometime accompanied by pain at the back of the neck and head feels heavy
n. Felt like all my nerves are being electrocuted in my whole body which happened once and lasted for a few minutes only
o. Feeling of like someone is trying to pull my teeth. This seems to happen together with the head pressure
p. Warm/Icy hot sensation that moves around the body (e.g. legs, abdoment, back, arms)
q. Stiff neck
r. Feels like insects crawling in my head or feeling of fluid rushing through my veins in the head
s. Ear ringing that comes and goes
t. Loss/low libido
- a. Shortness of breath without exertion that comes and goes
- More symptoms experienced on succeeding months (not in any specific order)
- a. Forgetfulness, confusion, brain fog that comes and goes. I experience this together with the headach/head pressure.
b. Throat feels swollen that comes and goes
c. Sharp or dull pain tha sometimes favors the left side (e.g. pain in the left arm, left abdomen, left leg, left side of the hip) but also happens in the right side
d. Pulsating pain in the abdomen, chest/lungs that seems to follow the pattern of veins/nerves
e. Heart palpitations that comes and goes (Holter monitor did not picked this up though)
f. Dizziness with/without nausea usually felt in the morning after waking up
i. Tingling in different parts of the body that comes and goes (e.g. feet, legs, head, body, arms)
j. Ball of dull pain and/or sharp pain that moves around the chest and comes and goes
k. Feels something stuck on my throat which lasts for a few hours and comes and goes
l. In rare occasions, I sweat at night during winter
m. What feels like joint pain that moves around and lasts only for a few minutes (on left knee, left ankle, right ankle, right knee, hip, finger joints )
p. Diarrhea that seems to suddenly occur and resolves without taking medication
q. Chills/feeling cold while under the thick quilt or wearing a jacket
r. Stabbing/sharp pain in the middle of the abdomen just right of the navel that lasted for a few seconds to minutes
s. Cramps/spasms/twitching that randonly happen around the body.
t. Feels like droplets of cold water under the skin that comes and goes and is felt all over the body (e.g. top of the head, arms, legs, shoulders, back)
u. Feels like air bubbles being popped in my spine
v. General feeling of being unwell or about to get sick that comes and goes
w. Internal vibration feeling that moves around the body and comes and goes
x. Noticed left and right hand hypothenar muscle contracts involuntarily (spasm)
y. Mild flushing of both cheeks
z. Noticed my voiced is a bit hoarse as if I have stuffy nose which lasted for a few seconds to minutes
a1. Sharp pain in the joints (e.g. knees, elboss, finger joints). I can't seem to determine if it is due to nerves, spasms or just joint pain.
- a. Forgetfulness, confusion, brain fog that comes and goes. I experience this together with the headach/head pressure.
- Symptoms that are ongoing (not exhaustive list)
- a. Headache with head pressure coupled with dizziness and brain fog that happens almost everyday.
b. Cramps/spasms/twitching that randonly happen around the body.
c. Feels like droplets of cold water running under the skin that comes and goes and is felt all over the body (e.g. top of the head, arms, legs, shoulders, back). Sometimes I feel it mostly in the left side, but I also experience it in the right.
d. Sore throat/feeling of something stuck in my throat that comes and goes but happens almost everyday.
e. Blurry vision that comes and goes and happens almost everyday.
f. The body parts where I experienced numbness before (e.g. right big toe, upper left abdomen), nowadays I would feel dull pain that comes and goes.
g. Internal vibration feeling that moves around the body and comes and goes
- a. Headache with head pressure coupled with dizziness and brain fog that happens almost everyday.
- Fatty liver
Gout (GP diagnosed, rheumy concurs but cannot be 100% certain)
Elevated cholesterol
Gallstone
Possible candida overgrowth
Allergic rhinitis (self-diagnosed)
I have been to GPs, rheumatologist, and neurologist and have been told that what I'm experiencing is all in my head. The neurologist that I saw mentioned in her website that her specialties includes "Neuroimmunological conditions including multiple sclerosis".
The neurologist was suggesting I have functional neurological disorder (FND http://www.neurosymptoms.org/) which I don't particularly agree. She suggested this on our first appointment without closely reviewing my brain MRI and without ordering MRI of the neck and spine.
She was even rushing through the neurological tests.
I have had:
- several blood tests
brain MRI
abdomen ultrasound and CT scan
DNA test
Organic Acid Tests
I was prescribed mirtazapine for vertigo. The mirtazapine helped with my sleep (8-9hrs) but I have now weaned off of it. After stopping mirtazapine, I have only been sleeping for 6hrs mostly.
My supplements are
- a. B complex with Ubiquinol
c. Vitamin C (1g 2x/day)
d. Acetyl-L-Carnatine (1g 2x/ day)
e. NAC (600mg 2x/day)
f. Fish oil (3000mg/day)
g. Alpha-lipoic-acid
h. Zinc (2x/day)
i. Magnesium L-threonate (3 capsulse/day)
j. Iberogast
k. Probiotic
l. Vitamin D3 (4000 IU)
m. Lavender oil
n. Vitamin B12 (1000mcg 2x/day)
o. CoQ10
p. Digestive enzymes
I just finished Nilstat and Toxaprevent.
- a. advise how I should proceed further in investigating the root cause?
b. name/contact of doctors/specialists who can help me (I am living in Sydney so it would be great if the doctor is in Sydney)?
c. advise how I can improve my condition through diet, supplements, etc (Let me know any specific test result you would like to know.)?
Thanks!