HELP! Please. Medical Mystery

MikeWildcats · #1 01-13-2007, 07:34 AM

Hello All.
So Ihave a laundry list of symptoms and wrong diagnosis or at least I still feel absolutely awful someone please help. Here's my story: I'm 28 years old and male for starters. Ok so I have random stomach pains and malaise and headaches for years now along with generally not feeling well at all. I've had my gall bladder removed two years ago because it was scarred badly. I've also had an irregular heart beat and been hospitalized twice with atrial fibrillation. Then this past September I felt so generally bad I couldn't function any more. I've since had a worse case of the stuff as above as well as numbness in my hands and feet, intermittant diahrea and malabsorption issues, sweating from my hands, feet, and armpits profusely, intolerance to any physical activity, chest pain, difficulty concentrating, joint pain and muscle twitches. Through the myriad of tests I've had so far also I've intermittantly had an abnormal liver enzyme count once, high glucose level once and a something off once with some sort of thyroid test. My doc also diagnosed me in Sept. with Mitral Valve Prolapse and Celiac Disease. The problem is that he based this on a single biopsy of my intestine which showed damage and an antibody test that came back negative for Celiac. I know that you can still have Celiac with a negative antibody test but I have been eating a strict gluten free diet since Sept. and I still feel just as awful. I've been eating only brown rice and beans for two weeks now and still feel awful. He says that perhaps it's psychosomatic but I'm not buying it. Someone please help! It's ruining my life!

MikeWildcats · #2 01-13-2007, 07:39 AM

Also I have had hypertension since I was 21 and have been taking toprol and lisinipril for my heart rhythym and high blood pressure.

#3 01-13-2007, 08:22 AM

are you taking a natural multi-vitamin? are you taking anything to heal the damage from the celiac disease? are you eating fruits and veggies and fish and lamb, etc besides just rice and beans? Gluten free doesnt mean starving yourself...you need nutrition after years of malnutrition.

MikeWildcats · #4 01-13-2007, 08:26 AM

I am taking a centrum multivitamin which should be gluten free a vitamin B supplement a supplement to help with healing intestines and enzymes to aid in digestion. I am not trying to starve myself and had been eating more completely but it just hurts too bad right now.

#5 01-13-2007, 08:26 AM

you also need to give your liver a break somehow...seee if there's anyway to cut back on meds...also go to health food store and look for vitamin supplement designed to improve liver function...you might also consider naturopathic options at this point...you cant take any more medicine and dont drink any alcohol or take tylenol or naproxen, etc

#6 01-13-2007, 08:30 AM

take a natural vitamin that says it is specifically gluten free...whole foods loves helping gluten free customers....ask for manager...the smallest amount of gluten cozs the reaction...it is not based on quantity.

MikeWildcats · #7 01-13-2007, 08:31 AM

I'll give that a try I just dunno if Celiac is right and if it is what can I do to start being able to function again.

#8 01-13-2007, 08:37 AM

iopsy is the gold standard diagnosis for celiac....if you biopsied celiac - you're celiac.......be *extremely* careful about what you swallow...check everything....celiac.org is a great site to help...there is alot of support out there

#9 01-13-2007, 08:39 AM

also be very careful eating out.....check into restaurants that have gluten free menus - i know Outback has one...also pf chang's...you have to be careful with restaurant kitchens as there are a lot of unknown ingredients that are in the dishes

MikeWildcats · #10 01-13-2007, 08:43 AM

Thanks. I've been extremely careful to the point of new dishes, toothpaste, checking my girlfriend's lipstick etc.... but I just can't seem to feel better?