A Reason For Being TiredDr. Calm had some preliminary blood tests done before starting me on cyclosporine. Got the results back and I am a bit anemic. Looked up the symptoms and they were very similar to the symptoms for hypothyroidism: bone tired fatigue, cold extremities, mental fog, lightheadedness... the list goes on. Being dehydrated can even make the symptoms worse, I guess because your blood volume is depleted to a certain extent. Sounds a lot like I have been feeling, so glad its such a benign problem.
My feet are just ballooning and my face continues to feel puffy but The Hives have been breaking out all day big time, so not sure if this is the cause of the cankles. Would like to be cankle free when flying up to Michigan in another week. Maybe I can blame the cankles on anemia?? That would be something I could fix anyway! If the cankles get canklier tomorrow I will call my PCP to see if there is anything I can do. I won't have any shoes that will fit if I don't!!!
Feeling better tonight. Maybe knowing there might be a physical reason for feeling like I've been pulling a barge over a sandbar has given me a boost. Or maybe I'm just more cheerful earlier in the evening?? Or perhaps its the moon signs again?? Or just knowing out there in the blogaverse people notice and people care? Hard to tell. I'll take what I can get no matter why.
I have a lot of health problems including malabsorption and chronic pancreatitis which could contribute to being a little anemic. Will see if I can supplement with some sublingual vitamins since I don't digest most things very well. That may be all the pick me up I need!
Hoping it is a great fall night for everyone and that you are all cankle free!!!
Dear one here listening. Praying the supplement will help you improve your health. So very sorry. Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteGW/JBR: Thanks! Hope you have a fantastic day!!!
ReplyDeleteI am praying too. I so want you to get better.
ReplyDeletePrincess OEATS: After watching my guilty pleasure "Dancing with the Stars" I'm thinking maybe I should dance the cankles away....at least that's fun!!! Thanks. I've given up on actually getting better - I would just like to stop right where I am and not get worse!
ReplyDeletenot sure if you know this but a major cause of chronic fatigue is magnesium deficiency and that drug cyclosporine can cause that. i use the brand MagOx by Blaine, get at CVS. works great. but i am sure you already knew this. so sorry for all that you are dealing with, hang in their.
ReplyDeleteFighter: Thanks for the great Info!!! No didn't know that about magnesium. I have some bioavailable magnesium I bought way back when I was trying supplementation (CoQ10, B2, B4, B12, Folate (which maybe WAS one of the b's) and magnesium) to see if I could stop The Headache.
ReplyDeleteI'll see if I can dig it out...and give it a try with the vit b12.
It's a wonderful feeling to know your "blogfriends" care. =) Hope the cankles are going down!
ReplyDeleteSo Winny...I think I may need a ONS! I'm dying over here lately and don't know what to do! =( Today is my down in the dumps day. My neuro just tells me to keep upping the Prozac for the pain. WTF! I think whatever this connective tissue disease is, is acting up too...my legs and lower back ache down to my very core to the point I can't hold still and my face is red and feels like sandpaper. Any advice my friend???
Jessica: The scuttlebutt is that there may be another stimulator trial for headache starting early 2011. You might see if your neuro has any pull to get you in one when (and if) they start accepting patients into the study. Probably will be a the big centers like Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, Jefferson Headache Center, etc...
ReplyDeleteI had similar symptoms when I was diagnosed hypothyroid in my late 20's - a kind of sandpapery red rash on my face - autoimmune thyroiditis. It made my joints hurt etc because I guess my immune system was in overdrive trying to kill my thyroid. Maybe not the same but maybe your immune system is having a fit! Do your doctors have any ideas?
Hey Winny...good to know about the trial...i'll ask my dr. that has brought ONS up to me before. I see hime next mth!
ReplyDeleteAs far as the other...their answer is "Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease" due to my symptoms, positive rheum factor and pleural & pericardial effusions. Who knows though! I refused the Plaquenil at this point, but I go back to the rheum soon too.
well your symptoms also mimic a lot of things found with lupus as well.which is an autoimmune disease as well..
ReplyDeleteEspecially your red rash on your face and talk of your sore joints,and the fact that you mention having hives as well, and thyroid issues are common with people with lupus.
Have your doctors considered it could be a possibility.
People with Lupus can suffer from more than one autoimmune illness just because of the nature of lupus ( the disease of a 1000 faces)
Jessica: I just went off plaquenil - took it for over a year until apparently my body found a way around it. It really didn't cause any problems. For me it reduced the number of brown spots I have and I didn't have as many hives. It greatly reduced the number of anaphylactic reactions tho.
ReplyDeleteJust Me: Lupus is one I didn't think of. Worked with a gal that would have very painful flares. Very hard on her. And yes she did have a red rash on her face!!!
plaquenil is a great drug for lupus...it can be taken for many years with no serious side effects.
ReplyDeleteits only real concern is an eye issue that is rare but can happen and they screen for that every 6 months.
many people do not feel that plaquenil is working because it is a very subtle drug that builds up in the system ..but many have found out quickly when they went off and symptoms returned or got worse just how well it was working.
Plaquenil cannot take every symptom away but it can help control many .and does a great job and helping protect your internal organs such as liver and kidneys from disease...so even on plaquenil there can still be other symptoms to deal with it cannot take away every symptom but it is one of the best drugs to stay on over other ones with much more serious side effects.
oh p.s. MIGRAINES. are also a common symptom for people with lupus. I have not read all of your posts that mention your symptoms.
ReplyDeletehowever, so far from what I have seen you do have many of the symptoms of lupus.
If I were you I would look into it as a possibility.
if you have facebook check out http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=126936550682267
lots of helpful information on the discussion boards and with the people.
Just Me: Thanks so much for the info and the facebook link. I think there is a facebook group for everything!! I belong to Diana Lee's group (Somebody Heal Me)about headaches. And there is a discussion group of us that call ourselves pain gals because we have bad headaches in common. Several of us have occipital stimulators or are in the process of getting one.
ReplyDeleteIt would be fantastic to find a link to everything! I call it the unified field theory of illness - impossible to prove, and difficult to figure out. However, lupus can be a devastating illness - not a good diagnosis to get! I have had a lot of testing, will have to look back and see if they tested for that in specific.
Plaquenil took about a month to two months to slow down my hives. The best part is I have these big brown areas from prior hive attacks and it make them lighter. WooHOO! Less giraffe spots for me! But can't take it with the cyclosporine. Will see if my spots come back!
yes there are lost of fabulous resources on facebook. can never read too much knowledge on anything.
ReplyDeletethat makes sense about plaquenil as it takes 3-5 months on average to build up in the body and begin to work it is too bad it interacts with other meds and you can no longer take it .
that is the tricky part with these illnesses and i know with lupus..because it is always changing and attacking other areas of the body .meds have to be adjusted and changed all the time.
as for testing for lupus there is no specific lupus test..they will test your ANA titer and if it is positive they will take that along with record of all your symptoms and past health info and rule out all else ..etc..
to get a diagnosis.
Just Me: I had to laugh because I think I am the queen of rule out diagnosis!!! Almost all of my problems are the result of ruling out everything else!!!
ReplyDeleteso I guess I'll look through my extensive (foot thick no kidding) pile of medical documents and see if I have one for ANA. Ifn I don't have one maybe I can get one ordered. What's one more test eh??