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Old 07-23-2009, 08:04 PM
 
1 posts, read 2,622 times
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I have several odd symptoms...does this sound familiar to anyone???
Mine began in Iraq 1 year ago, and I was sent home because of my heart behaving so strangely. Since I am a civilian advisor to DOD, once I was Stateside and no longer on a project, I lost my income and insurance.

The medical visits I have had have resulted in being told that the stomach pain, nausea, bloating and burning must be acid reflux (so am on aciphex twice daily, which helps a little) and told that I must be having a panic disorder causing the pulsing/whoosing in my ears (sounds like a loud sonogram in my head) and the palpatations/chest pain.

And, that I must be depressed, which should explain the 20 pound weight gain and feeling weak/exhausted. I don't feel depressed, but did try cymbolta to make them happy, for 8 months...my symptoms were unaffected, so I discontinued.
Although the free clinic told me I need tests, without insurance, the waiting list at the local hospital is STILL months away. I am in a very small rural area. Ideas???
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Old 07-23-2009, 09:06 PM
 
Location: Winter Springs, FL
1,792 posts, read 4,651,168 times
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I have no idea what the symptoms could be, but it sounds like it could be something you were exposed to. Possibly an environmental born or a chemical exposure. Not to knock small medical facilities, but they are good at some things and the rest you need to go to the bigger medical centers. Depending on where you are in the state you will want to contact Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire or Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington. At FAHC they have some community assistance for people who are uninsured or underinsured so that yo can get the help you are looking for. Go to the Fletcher Allen Health Care web site. Here is the page for Community health improvement. Community Health Improvement
Even if you have to drive a few hours to get to one of these medical centers, the access to advanced testing and treatment is well worth it. Good luck.
I will give you an example of how the program worked for a freind of mine who was uninsured and in school. He fell and broke his elbow. The hospital entered him in this program and covered his surgury and treatment 100%. Every case is different, but please check into it. It could get this figured out for you.
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Old 07-24-2009, 10:45 AM
 
23,562 posts, read 70,112,689 times
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Sounds like you got the typical mainstream BS from doctors trying to push drugs.

If you had an EKG done and it came back ok, and you check your blood pressure (cheap kits available for use at home) and it is stable, you may be able to rule out heart issues as a primary factor. Weight gain can happen for a number of different reasons. "Depression" without clinical symptoms is a catch-all blow-off that tells you NEVER to return to that doctor.

Weight gain by itself can cause GERD. Food intolerances and change in gut bacteria can create bloating and stomach pains. I'd be strongly suspecting something along those lines. The common suspects are milk, gluten and grains, sugars and alcohol. IF one or more than one of those is the problem, you may try an elimination diet and suddenly (within a few days) feel MUCH better.

The Atkins diet does a good job at eliminating the foods I just mentioned. Try it for a week (you have to be serious about it and not cheat even a teaspoonful) and see what happens.

On that whooshing in the ears - it might be weight related, but you may want to have a carotid artery sonogram to see if there are issues with your arteries and veins.

On getting the stuff you need without insurance - talk with the financial office BEFORE having a procedure and negotiate a lower price in return for pre-payment. You can save a lot and they save a lot by not having to deal with insurance, late payments, or other problems. Use "I'm willing to pay UP-FRONT the standard medicare reimbursement for the procedure, if I'm not billed afterward."
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Old 07-25-2009, 06:02 AM
 
Location: Melbourne, FL
1,007 posts, read 5,654,165 times
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I actually have been dealing with something similar. Very similar. I have had stomach pain, bloating, nausea, acid reflex (feels like someone is sitting on my chest-tight muscles in my chest sometimes, neck, upper back). Funny.. drs have been trying to put me on anti depressants/anxiety drugs.. which I refuse to take. It's not in my head. I've never been sick before. These symptoms come and go. I have been everywhere. They all can't figure it out. I had an endoscopy, ultra sound of abdomen, hida scan, pelvic ultrasound, extensive blood tests, nothing of any significance. The drs can't tell me squat. Now they want me to go get MRIs which I think is just another test that they will find nothing. They have no clue and no one to send me to. I think I am going to try and endocrinologist next. I believe my system is out of whack somewhere and what I have is a symptom not the cause as the docs think it is acid reflex except medication really doesn't make any difference. I feel ok about 3 days a week.. otherwise I feel so exhausted along with all the other symptoms. I feel for you. Good luck on finding out what's wrong.
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Old 07-25-2009, 01:05 PM
 
Location: Mostly in my head
19,855 posts, read 65,681,587 times
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Remember the battle to get the damages from Agent Orange recognized? Gulf War Syndrome hasn't really been established yet. You may find in 20 yrs that the military will acknowledge what you have as "something." No help to you now. Sorry!
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Old 07-26-2009, 10:43 AM
 
Location: In the real world!
2,178 posts, read 9,561,209 times
Reputation: 2847
Are you on a statin drug (cholesterol lowering)? If so, get off of that for a month and see what happens.

I had indigestion, bloating, acid reflux the whole time I was on it, soon as I quit it, it all went away. It also messed with my ears, lost balance and lots of noise like you described and heart acting up like you also described.

Quote:
the 20 pound weight gain and feeling weak/exhausted
LOL, I gained 40 pounds while on it and statins DO a number on your muscles making you weak and exhausted, having NO energy.

Even more strange, statin damage does not, as a rule show up on ANY tests they run. More and more is coming out about the sinister side effects of these drugs.
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Old 07-26-2009, 02:52 PM
 
23,562 posts, read 70,112,689 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Laura707 View Post
Are you on a statin drug (cholesterol lowering)? If so, get off of that for a month and see what happens.

I had indigestion, bloating, acid reflux the whole time I was on it, soon as I quit it, it all went away. It also messed with my ears, lost balance and lots of noise like you described and heart acting up like you also described.



LOL, I gained 40 pounds while on it and statins DO a number on your muscles making you weak and exhausted, having NO energy.

Even more strange, statin damage does not, as a rule show up on ANY tests they run. More and more is coming out about the sinister side effects of these drugs.
Sources and cites for those not informed? I looked into the side effects and benefits when my stable cholesterol suddenly became politically incorrect to the drug companies. I refused, in large part because of the issues with decreased mental acuity. Subsequently I've read a few articles on how for the person who has no history of heart issues, that the benefits are statistically minimal. After showing these to my doctor, he no longer bothers me about trying to push the stuff.

Just for a bit of sobering reality check, a friend of mine has consistently - all his life - had a cholesterol reading of under 100. A few months ago he called and reported that he had undergone surgery to have a couple of stents placed. The plaque that had built up in his arteries had absolutely NOTHING to do with cholesterol levels being high. Statins are NOT a panacea, and while they may have a place in treatment of some people who have had heart attacks, they are IMO massively over-prescribed, similar to how Milltown was pushed in the 1950s.
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Old 07-26-2009, 04:08 PM
 
Location: Mostly in my head
19,855 posts, read 65,681,587 times
Reputation: 19377
One of the warnings on the labels of statins is the problem with muscles. They can cause muscle break-down (rhabdomyalisis, not sure of spelling). I got some serious leg aches while on a statin and had to go off it. My doc then prescribed Zetia but after a while, I got the leg pains again. It is a rarer side-effect of Zetia. So now I don't take anything. I'm diabetic and when my glucose is under control, so is my lipid panel. They are closely linked.
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Old 07-27-2009, 05:10 PM
 
Location: In the real world!
2,178 posts, read 9,561,209 times
Reputation: 2847
harry chickpea- I order not to highjack the OP thread, I will start another with the newest news on statins.
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Old 07-30-2009, 01:17 AM
 
Location: California
37,088 posts, read 42,072,811 times
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Yes it sounds familiar. This happened to me about 10 years ago. First, I developed tachycardia (fast heartbeat) that I could actually feel, along with the "whooshing" in the ears. I went to the Dr who did an EKG and said there was some skipped heart beats and didn't know why it was beating so fast (about 110 bpm in a resting state) but said my body must be producing excess adrenalin for some reason. None of that meant anything to me. When I complained about the pain from the heartburn he gave me Prilosec. A year later he had me do an upper GI with a barium swallow, where the technician said I had the most severe reflux action she had ever seen. They diagnosed GERD.
I hit the internet and found one paper that mentioned a connection between digestive disturbances and reflux to irregular heartbeats. That was what I needed to hear.
Out of desperation I started exercising, trying to make my body match my heart rate. Sounds silly I know but I didn't know what else to do. Over the next year I lost 30lbs and stopped eating sugary things, which I discovered aggravated my GERD. All the symptoms eventually went away. I didn't take an antacid for many years.
Today...10 years later... I have gained the weight back and slacked off on exercising. I'm not having the heartbeat issues now but my GERD is really acting up again. I think my body is trying to tell me something.
And hindsight being 20/20, I realize that when this was happening I was also experiencing some unusual stress in my life, which I kept hidden from everyone, and I'm convinced that played a part in it all. I can't imagine the stress you felt in Iraq.
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