If I was a horse they would shoot me

[KatyMac]

.....hell if I was a horse I'd want to be shot

I have all sorts of symptoms/conditions:

Joint pain (FM/CFS)
Stiffness (FM/CFS)
Violent Diarrhoea/constipation (IBS)
Tummy pains, wind, cramps (IBS)
Back pain & sciatica (FM/CFS/IBS)
Bad period pains
Passing blood (had colonoscopy - nothing sinister present)
Mouth Ulcers
Low blood pressure
I drink lots (not alcohol) & wake up in the night for a drink
I get thrush & cystitis several times a year
Lots of outer ear problems
Contact skin allergies
I used to get tonsillitis 5-6 times a year (until they took my tonsils out)
I was tested for Glandular Fever 5 times in 4 years while a teenager

The Chronic Fatigue was diagnosed in 95, the IBS in 95 & the Fibromyalgia this year (after 5 years of being told my pain was due to depression).

Always excepting I am not a hypochondriac (which is always possible, but my family GP thought not likely) or have some sort of health anxiety; am I just naturally 'poorly' or is there anything I could have?

Have you had a test for coeliac disease ? That would explain a lot of your symptoms

Would they have been able to tell from the colonoscopy?

Not from a general colonoscopy.

Before I was diagnosed, I was fatigued, stiff, painful joints, mouth ulcers, terrible period pain, diarrhea, and generally low level ill all the time. I felt the difference going gluten free in two weeks, although it took 6 months to get really well.

Really?

I did Gluten free back in 96 (I think) but it didn't help then; maybe it will now

I know I can't have soy sauce, but can I have baked beans (Heinz)?

There is gf soy sauce, and Heinz baked beans are gf.

If you are going to try GF, then you need to be really rigourous with it - no oats, barley (in beer or as malt extract which is used in cornflakes etc) and really avoiding cross contamination. You need to think about everything that goes in your mouth, and wash your hands after using playdoh or handling other gluten things.

Oh damn I spend my life with playdough

I was just thinking about cornflakes too (I have been dairy free for about 9 weeks & that hasn't helped)

Except I'm not supposed to give it up before I get a test am I?

Oh poo - I hate the GP

If you were a horse, you'd probably have had the problems looked at more closely- assuming you had the right owner! Yes, I'm just jealous of my horses' regular chiropracter appointments, dentists and prompt vet treatment for minor injuries plus regular new shoes and a vast array of clothing items. Compared to my old wardrobe, last purchase of new shoes early last year some time, and my experience at the doctor, when I went in with a bad back, barely able to walk and was told 'don't do anything for a few weeks, then come back if no better'!

Sorry to be facetious- but it isn't always so bad being a horse, they often get spoilt far more than people! Hope you feel better soon!

it's really easy to get the initial test for coeliac - it's a blood test. If that shows antibodies to gluten, they would need to do an endoscopy/biopsy to confirm. Well worth asking your GP for a test - see the Coeliac UK website for 'how to get diagnosed'. You are right, mustn't give up gluten before the test as the test won't work then.

I wonder if I have been tested before

Lupus?

Diabetes -.? Thirsty, getting up in night to drink

Cezarette has recently changed my life, no period pains, no pms
The coil could help you? Don't suffer with pp when there are things that can help

There is also medication for ibs

Pituitary problem? Could cause diabetes insipidus (drink lots, wee lots!), with low adrenal function (makes you feel tired and get sick all the time as you can't fight anything off, esp minor infections such as cystitis, conjunctivitis, skin allergy).

Watching with interest ...

Hmm

Maybe I go to see a 'new' doctor in the practise & give them the list

I would push for for the coeliac test or you could buy a blood test privately and if that shows a positive test then push for further investigation.

Failing that, it does sound like at least some of your symptoms could be due to food intolerence and / or unbalanced gut bacteria. Without stopping and medical treatment, I would suggest you see an experienced nutritionist. Excluding one food alone, without identifying the others, may not show enough improvement. Also, you may need a tailored pro biotic as well as long chain fatty acids to rebuild your gut lining.

I had similar symptoms I was diagnosed with coeliac disease. My blood results were fine though, it was an endoscopy & biopsy that confirmed it.

I had begun to feel as though i had some sort of health anxiety/mental health problem around my health but it wasn't the case. If you feel something isn't right, do keep going back to the GP. See a different one, ask for referrals, tests etc. Coeliac disease is often misdiagnosed as CF, FM, IBS, MS.

It took a year for me to get diagnosed & i went to the GP at least monthly - much to their annoyance! I was diagnosed by chance in the end by a GI doc.

Keep pushing until you get it sorted, it awful feeling so crap all the time.

I retract lupus, was contemplating it for myself yesterday

An underactive thyroid could also give you most of those symptoms, as well as making coeliac disease more likely.

Time to go back to your doc and ask for a full blood count, full thyroid function text, Vitamin D (I'm guessing with all that going on you don't get out much). Vitamin B12 and folate, full iron panel.

D

My thyroid is low but acceptable, as is my blood sugar and my iron

Maybe I should go with some suppliments:
Zinc, magnesium, iron, a B complex and a really good probiotic?

How low is that thyroid, regardless of the fact they've told you it's okay? Can you recall the result? Seriously, get back to the doctor. If your pituitary is running down all the vitamins in the world won't make a bit of difference. Look up adrenal insufficiency and see if the symptoms match.

Doctors say acceptable if it in normal range. It may be in the lower of normal range. But that's still normal.

A lot of the problems and symptoms are very common in everyone.