My name is Joseph. I am 18 years old, and I have been ill for the past 2 months. Allow me to establish a general background. Formerly, I was a high school varsity athlete. I had very high energy, and was always active. I’ve found that I tend to get stressed out when I am not active in one form or another. This past year however, I have developed breathing problems. Around this time last year, perhaps once every week or two, during fairly intense physical activity, I would find myself wheezing and having great difficulty catching my breath. I chalked it up to being out of shape. However, later in the year, well into the track season when I was in very fine athletic shape, I found myself more and more unable to complete workouts. I would find myself gasping for air after a practice lap, which considering my chosen sport and training regimen, was a ridiculous notion. It ultimately hampered my performance a great deal. The problem followed me into the summer, as the wheezing and shortness of breath became quite severe and more and more common place. Up until then, I was only affected when I ran. I began having chest pains, chest tightness, and shortness of breath all the time. I went to an allergist, as the advice I was receiving suggested I do so. Despite all tests I was given, the results showed me to be normal, if not very healthy. Regardless, the de facto prognosis was asthma. I was put on albuterol to use when I ran, and Advair to take twice daily. Neither seemed to nullify the symptoms, though they were lessened slightly.

I only mentioned all this because it may or may not have anything to do with my present illness. Starting a little over two months ago, I came down with what I thought was just a passing cold. The symptoms, which have persisted to the present day include: Lethargy, extreme fatigue, lightheadedness, headache, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, flemy cough, migraines, difficulty sleeping, and on this on top of all the asthma stuff. Although the severity of the symptoms vary day to day, I haven’t had a single day when I’ve felt “good”. It tends to follow a pattern of feeling marginally better for a few days, then steep drop and a very rough day or two. Needless to say, the impact on my lifestyle is immeasurable. A “comprehensive metabolic panel” taken showed nothing abnormal. This doctor seemed eager to get rid of me, so I went to an internist. A lung x ray tuned out normal. A second, broader, blood and urine analysis showed everything to be normal. I don’t have mono, or an acute infection of some sort. I was then tested for Addison’s, which luckily turned out negative. Although the internist seemed very thorough, he eventually ran out of ideas.

I have no history of depression, and I was rather excited with the prospect of college and leaving home up to actual move. So I doubt that any sort of depression caused this symptoms.

So here I stand, my first months of college characterized by poor health. I’ve seen a general practioner and an internist; I’m left with not greater insight into the cause or cure of this illness. Before I see another doctor, I am turning to the internet, and its collective knowledge to give me some idea, some lead to investigate that might shed some light on the subject. I turn to you, members of the forum to give me any insight you can.

I saw my doctor yesterday for a routine visit regarding a work related injury. He had my neck x-rayed and it showed two vertebrae that were fused together along with some bone spurs. He thinks this may be causing the numbness down into my right hand…has anyone ever experienced this? He didn’t say what we can do to fix this problem…just said lets wait for the radiology report.

Well aprox 10 days ago i had my first panic attack, panic attacks run in the males of my family, but ever since then ive been expierencing side stich pains for 10 days, chest pains but there not that serious there only very small my heart tends to beat fast alot when im just sitting down, and for the past 5 days ive had a sore back and diffuclty breathing, ive had these pains for the full 10 days they occur a couple of hours after i wake up, the doctor said my heart sounds fine, but it was only a day after i visited the doctor i had trouble breathing, could the breathing be due to my sore back or should i go back to the doctor and tell her these pains ive been having, i also get pains just above my left nipple, yesterday my nipple was burning hot and very itchy,

hi my name is elise and i am 13. i really would like some advice on a friend. i am coming to you because i do not trust the teen boards replies they are just like me and don’t know everything.

my best guy friend is worrying me. he won’t sleep at night. he just tosses and turns or doesn’t want to. it scares me because he comes in so tired some days that he almost looks hungover. he is almost 13 and has a few problems at home. ( he and his family do not get along at all) . i am only posting this because a few nights ago i went to sleep over at his house and he woke up screaming at the top of his lungs. it scared the crap outta of me when i woke up. it sounded like he was being murdered or something. he then just put his head on his hands and cried. i didn’t know what to do but sit on his bed with him and tell him it was ok. i know alot of his past, but some things he keeps hidden. i don’t know what to do for him. he worries me so much. he won’t tell me what is bugging him. for that last couple days since the sleepover ( this really freaks me) he is always asking ME if i am ok and stuff like that. i don’t know what his dream/nightmare was about but it is driving him insane. he won’t get help, can’ talk to his parents, could talk to his 16 year old brother but won’t. i don’t know what to do. i am afraid he is going to do something stupid. please oh please help me. help me make him better…

thank you so much
elise

[This message has been edited by eliseybums (edited 05-24-2003).]

Does anyone ever get cold…then warm…the your whole body is cold, etc…? I had all the blankets and covers on last night, and I woke up freezing! I even had the electric blanket on 3 (out of 10) and I couldn’t figure out why I woke up freezing. Then about 3 hours later, I was hot! I am on birth control pills and too young to be going through menopause! Any other ideas? Anyone go through this?

djl,

I have been reading your posts for sometime now and you have been a God send to me.
One question I have for you is you said when you had your hyst that the Dr. said your uterus looked like you had 2-3 c-section, Does that make a difference for getting Adeno?
The reason I ask is my Ob thinks I may have Adeno and I have had 3 c-section, but she didn’t say anything like that.
I have had the lap done and don’t have Endo. also I have had an Endometrial Ablation and it has taken away my period but not the pain. The pain seems to get worse every month.
I do get cysts too but the OB isn’t too worried about them because they go away on their own.

Also I was wondering about your anxiety attacks. Have you had attacks before this.? I have had them all my life it seems and they have gotten worse in the past year. Just wondering if they are normal too.

Well thank you for alll your posts you have helped me alot and I’m sure you have helped alot of other people too.

Thanks again
WnaB_PainFree

my girlfriend is very active. she runs alot and exercises a lot every day. it seems to me that she gets her period around every 3 weeks, and they last for maybe 3-5 days. could the exercise be a cause for her to get her period closer to every 3 weeks, and could it also be because shes young. shes 17. i was just wondering if its normal for a girl to have such a short cycle.

My fiance and I recently had sex while she was on her period. She had started three days previously, and was no longer bleeding very much. It was without an contraceptives of any kind, and I did not pull out. Her cycle is generally 30 or more days.

She says she usually discharges all of her eggs the first day or two, and she also told me that she started bleeding a bit more after we had the sex.

So, is there a risk of pregnancy at all? Should we be at all worried?

I know most of you will be sitting here reading this shaking your heads going "yep, know how you are feeling." I just feel like I am at a dead end and don’t know what to do.

I have had pain in my neck and back since age 12 when I fell off of a bunk bed backwards. I just lived with the pain and as I got older it just kept getting worse. (I am 37 now). I recently have undergone a MRI, a myelogram, epidural steroid injections, different pain pills, PT, massage therapy, chiropractic and nothing has helped. I did get referred to the neurosurgeon but he didn’t feel having surgery would help me get rid of the pain. I have 4 bone spurs that are pushing on nerves in my spinal column and central spinal stenosis along with narrowing of the spinal cord. Apparently it isn’t "bad enough" to do anything surgically.

Well, I am in constant pain. My right arm goes numb and I have tingling in my thumb, index, and middle finger. Not all the time…..it comes and goes. But my pain is CONSTANT. Of course it is worse after working all day and by the time I get home I feel like I can’t do anything. My neck hurts all the time.
The doctor has put me on Lyrica, Neurotin, and now I am on Anexia which it seems like it isn’t helping anymore. Maybe my body was getting used to it? I don’t know. He even up’d me to taking 2 at a time and that did help a little but not for long. It doesn’t make me sleepy and I can actually function on it. Believe it or not.

The problem? It just doesn’t seem to be working anymore and the doctor wants me to keep coming in for these "follow up" visits and he tells me nothing except that I need to stop taking pain medication. WHAT? What the heck am I supposed to do? I only take 2 pills a day so it’s not like I feel like it is a narcotic problem. I just don’t know what to do anymore and now the doctor won’t order me anymore pills? How am I supposed to live like this?

I would appreciate any suggestions from anyone. What exactly is a pain management doctor and what do they do for you? I just literally feel like nothing is working for me and any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. Sorry for the long post.

I’ve been on 160 mg of Diovan for about 8 months. My initial BP was around 143/92. The Diovan gave me consistent readings of 115/70 for the first couple of months so my Doc wanted to see me in 6 months. Well it’s almost been 6 months, I recently began checking my BP and it’s higher then ever. 145/98, some readings 138/94, some 150/101. How can I get such a fine response for a few months and then it gets worse? I do cardio excersize every day for 35-40 min. I’m not overweight and my resting pulse is under 60. I’m really confused and concerned so I would really appreciate any advise and information. Thank you.