Hypochondria or not?

[sometimescharlotte]

Posting here for answers is clearly desperation, but I am willing to try anything at this point! Maybe somebody with a similar experience will magically be able to point me in the right direction... or maybe it will confirm that I am a neurotic hypochondriac!

For the last year or so, I've been going through phases of feeling unwell. The symptoms all happen together, more or less the same every time:

Stomach pain - usually quite bad
Headaches - again, quite bad
Pain in arms and legs - muscles, joints
Vomiting and diarrhoea, sometimes sort of orange-red coloured urine (sorry tmi!!)
Feeling tired and very "weak", sometimes almost like I can't move when I try to
In the summer - itchy rashes from the sunlight
Feeling anxious - which may be a cause or an effect of all the above!

My GP has found nothing abnormal and suggests the symptoms are psychosomatic or psychological in origin. I'm willing to go with that.. but am unsure how to deal with it. Plus, when I then had a psychiatric assessment, I was told that there is no reason to think that this is the case.

So... anyone have any ideas? Or am I just neurotic? Happy to be told that I just sound a bit loopy, at least it would be an answer!!

[sometimescharlotte]

It is getting me down a bit. It isn't like that all the time, but it seems to flare up every few months or so. I was wondering if it might be IBS or something?

[Mummagriff]

Sorry can't help, but I constantly suffer with headaches, aches stomach aches nausea generally feeling crap and tired all the time and major anxiety that something bad is going to happen to me. Each time I go to the drs they can't find anything wrong.

[LadyMinerva]

Your instincts will tell you if there is something wrong. If they are, keep pushing your doctor or find a different one. Doctors are human and can (and do) make mistakes.

My partner has had years of very similar symptoms to you. "on paper" he is fine but he isn't. We have no idea what is wrong but will keep pushing until we find out what is.

[aNonnyMouse1511]

Have you had your calcium and PTH checked?

[FinallyHere]

Do you keep a diary of symptoms and note alongside what is going on in your life, so that you can spot any possible connections?

Might be an idea to track how you are exercising and eating etc. too.

Hope you find some trends to help follow up.

[sometimescharlotte]

Calcium and PTH are fine!

I have kept a diary and the only things I notice are: always seems to happen during my period. And, not enough or often enough often seems to precede a flare-up.

[aNonnyMouse1511]

Do you have the actual values? GPs usually don’t understand the balance between calcium and PTH.

[CMOTDibbler]

Have you been to the GP when you are in the middle of one of these episodes, esp the nausea/vomiting? Urine test done when you have the red urine?

There is an intermittent porphyria which might fit with this, but I think its hard to diagnose when you aren't in an episode (disclaimer, am not a doctor)

[FinallyHere]

Usually I would not encourage anyone to google their symptoms but in this case, it might be worth trying that. If you can find something that would explain them all and strikes you as plausible, , it might be easier to ask your GP to arrange tests for that.

[Crinkle77]

What about M.E? I have been unwell for a few years. Fatigue, muscle aches, post exercise malaise, etc.... Like you I too have these crashes after feeling ok for a few months. It's hard to get anyone to take you seriously and are just dismissed as weak, lazy and feeble. My doctor even said I needed I needed to 3 x 1 hour sessions of weight hearing exercise a week. I wouldn't physically been any to do it and it would have killed me days or even weeks after.

[Kanga83]

Have you had a scan done or seen a gynae? A lot of those symptoms I have in the days leading up to and the first few days of my period. Mine is caused my endometriosis, pcos and fibroids but mainly the endo., no one believes how horrid it makes me feel. It's like a version of M.E for a few days. Dairy and wheat flare it massively. My GP is pretty dismissive, I was very lucky that I had an understanding gynae.

[Kanga83]

In fact out of your list I don't have the red urine, but get the most horrendous migraines and borderline panic attack just before my period.

[DecemberSnow]

Endometriosis or how about Fibromyalgia?

[sometimescharlotte]

@Kanga83 thank you! Oh wow, that does sound tough... However, I did have a scan, so I think it should rule anything out :/

[Kanga83]

A scan won't rule out endo- you need to see a gynae and a laparoscopy. It will show fibroids and cysts though. If you need anymore info feel free to pm if it all sounds familiar.