Seeking Help with Health Issues

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garymills

Well-known member
Hello everyone,

I have read these boards for a while but have yet to post till now. Well I'm to the point where I am quite confused with what's going on in my body and I certainly would appreciate any help that you can provide. I am a 24 year old male with a significant medical history.

Self - Cancer (Wilms Tumor - Kidney) - Age 4
Spinal Meningitis - Age 4
Double Pneumonia - Age 4
Father - Epileptic as a result of Ensephalitis
Mother - Rheumatoid Arthritis
Twin Brother - Benign Tumor in his C6 area
Grandpa - Alzheimers

Below are my symptoms and most of them I have had for the past 15-16 months. As I'm sure you can imagine I am a bit worried about my health. Thanks in advance for any help that you may be able to provide.

1. Weird headache - not really pain but pressure all the time that jumps from certain areas of my head throughout the day and different levels of pain.
2. Loss of Concentration and Focus
3. Forgetfullness - sometimes lose things, get sidetracked easily
4. Muscle Twitching - all over body, limbs, face, even throat at times
5. Constant Sore Throat and colds- Even after I got my chronically inflamed tonsils out in Jan. I have sore throats often
6. Some Coordination problems - although I have always been a little uncoordinated I fear that I've gotten worse dropping things quite often
7. Full head feeling - like my ears are plugged up
8. Stiff Neck - Feel like I need to massage my neck or crack it
9. Problems Sleeping - Getting to sleep sometimes and other times staying asleep
10. Depression - due to all of the above
11. Some fatigue, muscle pain throughout my body (seems to come and go - recently in my face)and cramps
12. Difficulty Swallowing - swallowing doesn't feel normal
13. Dry throat and excess saliva at times
14. Occasional tingling or feeling of my limbs going asleep that comes and goes

If anyone shares some or all of these symptoms could you please share what treatments you have found to be beneficial. Recently resigned from my job to get off the road (I managed promotional marketing tours) and am trying to resume a "normal" life. Although I know that the stress and inconsistency of my job certainly hasn't helped the situation it is ultimately my health that is causing the most stress. I certainly hope that I don't have any life threatening illness such as Lou Gehrig's. I have already had MRI's, CT Scan, Bloodwork, an esophogram, and a neurological exam all of which came back normal and the doctors don't seem very worried that it's anything serious. Tomorrow I go for an EMG at the University of Chicago. Although I definitely don't feel like I used to I'm confident though that if I could beat all my illnesses at the age of 4, I can be victorious in this fight. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone out there who suffers. Life is a blessing but one hell of a challenge as well. I guess I have to remember that God doesn't present us issues/problems that we can't tackle.

Thinking positively!

Chris
 
Chris,

It sounds like you have endured a lot of struggle. I'm sorry that you have to endure more. From what you say, all your tests look good, and that is encouraging. One thing i would ask is if you have taken any antibioitics in the fluoroquinolone family? These are like Cipro, Levaquin, Tequin, Amicrobin, Floxin and many, many others. It is just a shot in the dark, but if you have, there may be a link.

I hope that your emg turns out good, and let me know if you have taken any of the above listed drugs. If so, i can give you a link to another site dealing with those problems.

Gary
 
Chris,

Wow sounds like you have suffered a lot. Sorry to hear that! I used to share almost all of your symptoms...and I think the three most significant are the feeling of fullness in your head, the pressure headaches, and the sore throat and colds. I suffered for years from these symptoms. I even had a second tonsillectomy at 19 after the doctor thought maybe tonsil tags were causing all my delimmas. Turns out I had suffered for a long time with chronic sinus infections. Have you had a CT scan of your sinuses? Mine were completely blocked in some areas. And I had cysts in my maxillary sinuses because they were so compacted. So after I went to see an ENT I was placed on long term antibiotic treatment and started feeling a lot better. Where I used to feel exhausted all the time and require daily naps, I started having tons more energy, the headaches disappeared, etc. etc.

Might I suggest you do a search on the internet for chronic sinus infections, and see if you don't find a lot of corrolations. They are different from acute infections, in which you have a lot of thick drainage and coughing, because it is a low level chronic infection. But they keep you run down. I am no doctor, but we have so many symptoms in common I thought I would mention it. And guess what...I have a twin brother, too! he he he....

Hope you get to feeling better soon :D) . I am 99.99% sure you don't have ALS, but good luck at your EMG tomorrow!

Jen
 
I wanted to let everyone know that I just got back from my EMG at the University of Chicago. The neurologist who performed the test said that everything seemed normal to him. He gave me a quick neurological work up before he performed the test on my left arm and my neck and was impressed with my strength. He asked about all my symptoms and when I told him that I was having trouble swallowing he instantly seemed more curious. I aked him what the chances of me having ALS are and he said that he could assure me that I did not have ALS. He said that ALS does not present sensory symptoms and I definitely do with pain, headaches, etc. Has anyone else heard the same thing? I am kinda concerned that he only checked my left arm and my neck. My throat has been driving me crazy lately. Not only am I having problems swallowing but it's like it's twitching in my neck that causes me to constantly cough. Has anyone else had problems with their throat twitching? The doctor also proceeded to mention that they may be able to do all these tests on me and never find anything wrong. This is really the frustrating part to me because something is definitely going on. My twin brother is convinced that this is all in my head and that I'm fine. I only wish that I felt fine.
 
Yes, your neuro is right - you don't have ALS. He checked your neck because in bulbar ALS (you told him about trouble swallowing) neck muscles are involved very fast. Your emg was normal that means that you are fine !!!

Congratulations :sick:

My throat also twitches sometimes and in the beggining of all this S*H*I*T I was sure that I have trouble swallowing. Of course now when I am much much easier I can see that it was only my sick imagination :LOL:

regards
Marcin
 

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