I've dealt with this same stuff for the last 7 years. I was tested for everything - including thyroid which always came back 'normal'. All my symptoms matched low thyroid. I took the matter in my own hands and went to the local health food store and bought "bovine thyroid" tablets. (after doing much research and online studies) Mainly because I wanted to see if adding thyroid would offset or help my symptoms. Actually it was like someone shot new blood into my system. I only took one tablet and I could feel blood coming back into my limbs and my mind clearing and energy returning. All the aches and pains go away and I felt 'normal again.' The upside is that I believe it helps. Especially if you have tested 'normal levels' but still have symptoms, its very mild and yet the effects are very noticable. The lethargy and depression go away. The downside is that it is difficult to tell 'how much' to take and how frequent. I start with one tablet when I am feeling very fatigued. I usually get enough thyroid off that one tablet to last me several days. I can always tell when I need it again because the body aches and the fatigue kick back in. I have found one tablet once a week has really improved my symptoms. You can tell when you get too much because you get the same symptoms of 'overactive' thyroid. Just have to try it and find the right balance which means you might not need it everyday or even every week. I also take a powdered Vitamin C and B complex supplement mixed with juice daily - the B6 in the supplement has added to my energy level without caffiene. B-6 was the only vitamin that actually made me feel alive in the afternoon when my energy was really down. I feel healthier for it. I also have found that alot of my symptoms are related to my cycle - as the progesterone levels drop, the thyroid has difficulty - but I have found that although progestorone cream helps the painful and heavy periods it does not help the thyroid symptoms like that bovine derived thyroid tablet does. Just a note: I was scared of the long term affects of taking 'bovine thyroid'. But I was desparate to feel better again. I 've been supplementing now for over 3yrs and no adverse side effects. I have found I need less and less, but that too fluctuates. I haven't grown hooves, or had any other strange symptoms! Currently I am on one tablet every two weeks and I feel pretty good. When I neglect my vitamin C packet my immunity tends to drop and I get colds easier so I try and keep that up too. Hope this helps someone!
Hi, I am a 24 year old who has been struggling with nearly the exact same symptoms for the past 3.5 years. And like you Lady, found it difficult if not impossible to complete my university studies. Its been a very long and stressful battle. Symptoms include: flash fevers and chills, nausea, severe headaches, blurry vision, joint and muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes primarily in the neck. A thyroid nearly overactive but still within standardized range or so my physician tells me. Dizziness, numbness in my hands, concentration problems. Excessive sleeping with extremem exhaustion, over time I have tried a few different things including set sleeping patterns- forcing myself to wake up and start moving. I am still exhausted. So it is not over sleeping like one physician told me. Horrible infections; I take multi vitamins, rest, drink plenty of fluids, and still I get colds and viruses and once I begin to get over them another one crops up. I am lucky to go a week and not have strep or some other illness. Changes in appetite where I wanted to eat but couldn't keep things down for days at a time. There is more but they are largely minor. I have been tested for almost everything. I was tested for mono 2 years after I initially got sick, so there were no definitive results, I was tested for 3 strands of Lymes disease, I guess we only test for 3 in Canada because the other dozens of strands are not common enough up here. I was tested for sleep apnea and that came back negative. Aids and other immune inhabiting diseases, I have had biopsies of my lymph nodes and nothing came back. I have been questioned about depression and although things growing up may not have been ideal, my grades at the time were the best I have ever had them, lots of friends, sports, everything was great. I have a couple possible answers from my doctors. 1. Fibermyalgia 2. Post immune arthritis 3. Late stage mono
I have forsaken sports and although I am grumpier, I am able to function thanks to complete rest. I havn't partied with friends in over 3 years. That has helped I guess. Take daily supplements of Coconut and vitamins. I also soak raisins in Gin and take 11 every day. It sounds weird but a friend of the family told me about it and so far the pain level has appeared to decrease. Some may argue its just the alcohol but I swear it helps. Healthy eating, make it food that you love, food you start to salvitate just thinking about because the body is amazing and will heal itself if you give it the nutrients to do so. Temperature is also very important. I didn't believe it at first but a MD in Calgary told me to get a heated blanket. I set it every night an hour or so before I go to bed and shut it off once I climb into bed to sleep. She told me that the body is always in a state of flux trying to maintain a consistent body temperature and by working to heat itself it is taking energy away from healing. Try it, you will be surprised. With all these things I have been able to complete my studies at the U of R. Am able to work full time and I hope by the end of the summer will be able to particiapte in team sports again. The most important thing you need to do and some days are harder than others. Have Faith, not necessarily in any particular religion, or family/ friends to stand by you. But have faith that it will get better; believe a day will come when you are able to do all the wonderful things you use to do. Staying positive can be the most difficult but you must because that will most significantly impact your health. I wish you all the best and if you are in Canada here is the name of the Clinic in Calgary that gave me a fighting chance. It is the Burke Pain Clinic in Calgary Alberta. The doctor is Tompkins. Good luck and I pray you get better.
I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, but I show no signs of it 10 years later.
I believe I over taxed my system with drugs. I was taking weight loss pills and running 10 km everyday. Then I would go and hang out with friends and take e and crystal meth and dance for 8 hours. I thought I was fat, and I was very depressed.
I never admitted it it destroyed my nervous system and immune system and caused serious symptoms. Fortunately for me my body got sick and stopped me from living that life. I was forced to find ways to heal and I did.
Now I do yoga everyday have a vegetarian diet and live disease free.
Listen to your body there is something you are doing that you have to stop.
I have the same symptoms and it is so great to find people
that are dealing with the same thing. I am 22yrs old and I have had all
the same symptoms as the original poster. The weight gain, spontaneous joint
pain, rash, extreme sore throat, sore glands, all this and more after I had
what seemed like the worst crippling, can't move type flu, that felt like it
would last forever. I however have one different problem. I have had these
crippling attack type abdominal pains where I turn jaundice, fall on the floor
and blackout, only for a minute then sporadically sit up and have to vomit. It
is the most excruciating pain ever but that was only after a year of the exact
same testing and results it started and after the attacks I feel exhausted like
someone has incapacitated me with a taser gun but overdone the voltage so it
lasts sometimes for months. The testing is still going on and I have seen a rheumatologist
and a specialist surgeon that specializes in abdominal pain which has done a laparoscopy,
CT Scan, X=Rays, Gall Bladder Scan, I’ve had lots and lots of thyroid tests,
and many mono tests and for fibromyalgia, many more obscure tests, nothing has come from
them only that it is negative result, a slightly skewed result or a result of "you got some inflamation but we dont know where" & my weight is fluctuating with in a short space of time; ie: I
was 69 kilos in December and then by January after I had on of those attack
things in December then I was 82kilos (I honestly maybe eat once or twice a day, I don't ever feel very hungry much). It's
affecting my school work; my friends don't want anything to do with much because they just don't understand me because
I just couldn't find the energy to go and party, club hop, ect...they think I'm just making up lame excuses and everyone thinks I’m weird because I’m happy and bubbly when I have
that burst of energy on a good day but then most days I'm quiet and don't contribute
much at all unlike what I used to be 3yrs ago which is really bright and bubbly.
I have a little bit of forgetfulness but not enough to say it effects my concentration.
Drs just don’t know what to do with me and all I get is “you’re a puzzle” I
feel like screaming at them “that doesn’t help nor make me feel any better”! It is extremely stressful when no one knows what’s
going on with you and I feel for everyone out there that is suffering!
Can anyone help me please? ?:-)
I have had the same symptoms and the same scans. Symptoms can vary each day though.Over the last 6 months it has been driving me nuts ,In the last few days I have found that Post Viral Fatigue seems to be what it is. What a relief to find so many people with the same thing. I urge to check this possibility out. Best of luck. I know where you are at.
It seems that our bodies are fighting this 'infection' that the doctors cant find. Our immune system has got confused and fatigued. It didnt recover properly from fighting a virus (in my case glandular fever (mono) from 18 months ago). For this reason it reacts more strongly to the usual baddies - ie coffee, wine, painkillers etc....which adds to the list of symptoms and then makes it even more confusing for doctors and yourself.
I have noticed an improvement over the last two days......when prior to that it felt like Groundhog Day.....The 'treatment' was sleep for 2 hours when the symptoms come on stong.For me at 4pm in the afternoon. Still sleep for 8-9 hrs at night,
Let me know how you go.
Get checked for lupis, and mono takes a very long time to get over also! NO MATTER WHAT, GET A "CBC" (Complete Blood Count) done ASAP! If your TSH test came back over 4.5... you may need synthroide to treat. Dry skin, loss of hair, weight gain, tired all the time, memory freeze... some people get the side effects worse than others. GET A NEW DOCTOR, AND GET TREATMENT NOW!!!
GOD BLESS~ Heath