AIBU to ask how to diagnose a mystery illness online?

[Flyingfish2019]

Most likely this really is a stupid question but now that I am already here and to tired to go to bed and this has been on my mind for a long time. has some kind of mystery illness, one gp said it was ibs-c (but did not tell him why he has ibs) another could not find anything wrong with him after he had send him to a number of tests, said his diet sucked but he changed his diet and still feels unwell.

[RoomR0613]

His insomnia will be made much much worse by consuming energy drinks. It's a vicious cycle.

I'm partial to a can of red bull. As I've got older I've definitely linked it to having a really bad sleep and then you want one the next day too because you feel even more tired, and so on.

If he has an inflammatory bowel condition then wholegrains, whole fruit and veg and caffeine are some of the worst triggers for it.

Has he been honest with the GP about his energy drink usage?

[Flyingfish2019]

@RoomR0613 I am not sure how honest he has been with the go about the energy drinks... I do know he asked him if he consume caffeine and advised him to avoid it but I am not sure if dh told him how much energy drinks he actually drinks. To my mind that really IS much... the gp also told him he wasn’t drinking enough non-caffeinated, non sugary drinks and that his diet sucks... but it is really difficult for him because he has ptsd and his stomach hurts.

I need to sleep now but will read all answers tomorrow.

[Elieza]

The energy energy drinks are probably causing ALL the problems he has! They are lethal.

He’d be better having something else that’s slow release energy rather than a short burst of energy followed by a dip causing the requirement for another energy drink....vicious circle!

Bananas are meant to be good. And we should eat protein with every meal. So banana and a handful of nuts instead of his mid morning drink? Perhaps others will have better suggestions for alternatives?

Any sudden change in diet is bound to upset the stomach. Do it gradually. Like reduce three bottles of energy drink to two per day for a few days then one for a few days then none etc. Replace with fizzy water if regular water is too boring. Reduce sugary fatty meals and swap for lean meat and veg, gradually increasing the veg over a couple of weeks or he will be having diarrhoea!

Cut out the bottles of wine. Have you checked if he’s drinking within the recommended limits with alcohol free days etc? Three a week sounds a lot.

I’m surprised the threat of diabetes hasn’t scared the living shit out of him. He seems to want to find his own solutions for his problems. They arent working very well. The medicine they give you for diabetes can have bad side effects, erectile dysfunction being one. He needs to make some changes before he gets ill. The warnings are there.

[Flyingfish2019]

He drinks energy drinks mostly in the morning and avoids them at all after 4 p.m. and hopes they have no influence on his sleep quality but I do think it might still have an influence.

[selmabear]

Wouldn't be surprised if energy drinks is the culprit here. Could potentially make his PTSD symptoms worse. And very likely the reason for his insomnia. Maybe get him to cut back on the energy drinks gradually rather than stop all at once?

[DecemberSnow]

How many energy drinks does he drink a day?

[Thelnebriati]

Caffeine and nicotine are false crutches when you have PTSD, they make all the symptoms much worse.

[solonelyandsad]

Ask on here. A relative of mine had a mystery illness which many doctors over many years could not diagnose. The medical profession were stumped.

Posted the symptoms on here, within minutes we had a diagnosis. Obviously they went back to the docs to get it confirmed, but the MN’er was correct.

[Fr0g]

On the repeated cystitis, I used to get it, would improve then come back. I try to avoid antibiotics, and it was the first time I'd had them in years, but it did resolve the problem,

I'd focus on cutting out the sugary energy drinks before excluding food groups such as gluten or dairy. - no-one needs all that sugar

Coeliac disease can be hard to identify (unless testing has improved) - I worked for Ceoeliac charity a few years ago, and it was a problem then.

[FlashesOfRage]

Almost everything you have listed could be accounted for by caffeine intoxication.

[CardsforKittens]

Diverticular disease might account for some of it. But it sounds to me as if he’s using alcohol to sleep, which doesn’t help (or work well) and energy drinks to keep himself going during the day, which is also counterproductive. Also, in my experience it’s harder to give up caffeine than alcohol. Addressing the PTSD is probably the key, but that’s the hardest part of the whole thing.

[Flyingfish2019]

@solonelyandsad What was it?

[Flyingfish2019]

He drinks about two energy drinks OR four cups of coffee OR five glasses of latte machiatto a day. That’s his limit he set for himself so to speak.

So when he already had an energy drink he knows he can have another energy drink or two cups of coffee or three glasses of latte machiatto.

The thought he might end up with diabetes scared him a lot. We have small children. He has been trying to eat better for months now but it is difficult for him.

You know what is also a problem? There are some healthy dishes he likes and which do not give him stomach aches like salmon and carrots au gratin but one of our kids hates it. Iris really difficult to cook for everybody in our family.

[Stooshie8]

Meditation meditation meditation meditation

[1moresurvey]

Look into the FODMAP diet it's a bit daunting when you first start it, it's not meant as a long term diet as you slowly reintroduce foods after a while, to see which are your triggers. Unfortunately for some of us the list is endless while others it may only be a few but well worth it.... I saw so many consultants, experts ect... and the dietician found the problem!

[Spidey66]

In response to the PP who asked why you shouldn't go gluten free before a coeliac test...because how can they see how your body is responding to gluten if there is no gluten in the system? A bit like how can you know you're allergic to nuts if you've never been near nuts. I know coeliac isn't the same as an allergy but the closest I could come to a comparison.

[Spidey66]

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coeliac-disease/diagnosis/

[Singlebutmarried]

If fruit and veg causes problems try low residue diet (sheets are on the nhs website)

It will help with slowing the gut down and should help the diaorreah/constipation issues too.

[MatildaTheCat]

Does he honestly want to make changes to his lifestyle to improve his health? You’ve posted an array of poor habits which any doctor is going to recommend he reduces/stops.

Change is really hard. Sorting out his gut issues may well I prove his mental health as well. Would he be open to you both going on a health kick together? With some measurable aims? If he notices benefits he will be much more motivated to keep it up.

EMDR is brilliant for PTSD but won’t sort out all the other issues.

[Elieza]

I agree with the above post, it sounds like he just wants to feel better but doesn’t want to change? What’s that all about?

Small changes will help. Over time they add up. What about even swapping one energy drink for can of coke per day? Still sugar but not as much caffeine? Then swap that to a Diet Coke etc. Small changes.