AIBU to ask for your expert medical advice

[SomuchSlow]

By "Expert" I mean anyone who is willing to give an opinion.

First bit of the AIBU is do you think it's acceptable to order at home testing through Genova Diagnostics? Any reasons people are aware of that I shouldn't?

Back story - following a head injury and concussion (serious) I've been through periods of severe vomiting, extremely low blood pressure, worsening anxiety, periods of weight loss - although now weight gain (Olanzapine prescribed for the anxiety), I feel totally fucking exhausted all the time, have low sodium and potassium levels repeatedly (they improve when treated, but are back down a few months later), and basically cannot cope with stress at all. As soon as something stressful happens I get sick and it takes weeks or months to recover.

Neurologist suspects Addison's disease and I was tested three years ago. It came back borderline and the GP was meant to retest a few months later but I did get better. I have a PTSD diagnosis alongside whatever is happening. The vomiting comes in spells and when it comes it comes on suddenly and is around 50 - 100 times a day - I've never had it and not been hospitalised with it - it's usually three antiemetics and a week in hospital to bring it under control; it's vile.

Have tested positive for some food allergies and the food types have been eliminated.

Literally I am so fed up, I feel like a huge waste of resources and everyone's time and am getting mixed messages about whether it is physical or something psychosomatic. Recently everyone has gone back to it being something actually wrong with me. The hospital are saying I need to go back to my GP and demand further testing, a re-run of the Addison's disease test and thyroid function. I am so hesitant to demand anything from my GP; they are suggesting we do the food allergy screening again.

Any suggestions? I just feel so blah about it all and am considering the diganostics adrenal screening over the expensive NHS test just to give me a picture - have no idea about reliability etc. though.

[Motoko]

Use the NHS. And if the hospital have told you to get your GP to organise screening again, then you should do that. Don't waste your money on paying for screening that may be dubious and you could have done free via the NHS.

Don't worry about "wasting" NHS resources, they're there to be used and you obviously need to get to the bottom of this.

I'm sorry you're going through such a shit time, the vomiting so much must be awful.

[SomuchSlow]

Thanks @Motoko - yep the spells of vomiting are just rancid.

[Achangeisadgoodasarest]

Sorry you've been feeling so awful OP. Go back to the GP, ask for a double appointment, ask them to test thyroid, b12, vit d, full blood count, basically everything they can think of. A relative of mine has Addisons, and I find it hard to believe that it could inmrove on its own, our experience was that symptoms got continually worse until being admitted to hospital under an endocrinologist for treatment.

I hope you can get some answers. Make it clear to the gp that your quality of life is being seriously affected. Don't be fobbed off.