Sensetivity to medication and supplements

[blasteen]

Hi,

 

For past few years I have developed a sensitivity towards allot of medications and allot of supplements. After taking these i can develop an array of symptoms such as mood swings, foggy brain, tiredness and anxiety.

What type of doctor would be best to consult with regards to this issue ?

[tonray]

If these symptoms only happen after you take a pill, then an allergist might be warranted. BUT I would suggest a complete work up with blood tests first to see if something is amiss. For example, many medications and supplements are metabolized via the liver, If your liver function is impaired, then it might account for some unwanted effects after you take a medication that further stresses your system.

[laislica]

Hmm, perhaps get yourself tested for allergies?

I have read that some food can cause damage to the lining of the gut.

Then large molecules can enter your blood and attach themselves to other cells.

Your immune system then becomes sensitised to these foreign cells and kills em.

 

Recently, I started having hip pain again (I'm 75). I decided to cut out all wheat products, cheese and alcohol.

I had cut out sugar 40 odd years ago.

The first few days I got headaches and cold symptoms but they quickly went.

Bloating and hip pain improved very quickly.

 

However, we just flew from Spain to Thailand and I ate bread and drank alcohol.

Bloating returned but since I stopped wheat over the last few days, the bloating's gone again.

 

I am not a Dr so I have no idea if this would work for you.

I guess you could try an exclusion diet for a month and if you improve, work from there?

My diet is loads of lightly cooked veggies with garlic, fresh ginger and turmeric.

 

In my opinion, I believe it's worth checking if something you consume is the cause of a problem before taking pharma meds, which often mask symptoms without fixing the underlying problem

 

Best of luck and get well soon.

 

 

[samuijimmy]

Removed a useless remark!

[Sheryl]

It would help to know exactly what medications and supplements cause this problem.

 

You should also research what inactive ingrediants they have, as it sounds like the problems pertains to a wide range of different things, allergy to an inactive ingrediant may be a factor

 

Check of liver function a good idea.

 

I frankly don't think you are going to get anywhere seeing a doctor about this, but if you want to, an allergist is probably where to start, unless liver tests show an abnormality.

[laislica]

There is usually no magic bullet to fix the conditions you mention.

You didn't mention anything about your age, work status (for stress) or general well being like weight, height, waist and hip circumference, especially how much proper sleep you get.

Do you carry too much body fat?

A rough guide is that your waist should be smaller in circumference than your hips.

 

However, as a start, ensure that you consume a modest amount of protein daily.

A rough guide would be a chicken breast of a similar size to the palm of your hand.

(or fish, pork, beef etc)

Eat loads of veggies and a modest amount of fruit. Include as many different colours in your days meals.

This way you will get a wide spectrum of minerals and vitamins that are in the correct form and easier to absorb.

Eat good fats like avocados, walnuts, Brazil nuts, olive oil, coconut oil and avoid omega 6 oils like sunflower, safflower, canola etc.

Make sure you get some mid day sun to top up your Vitamin D

 

You might like to try food combining, it sorted severe heart burn for me when I was in my 40's.

Here is a quick overview but Google and find many links with meal suggestions and loads more exact detail

The idea is to eat a protein meal so some flesh plus loads of veggies with different types of mushrooms  and some fat but minimum carbohydrates. (Most veggies have carbs in them so select the ones with less.

After such a meal, don't eat another thing what so ever for 3 - 4 hours.

 

(Obviously exclude anything that you know you have problems with such as bloating with wheat products)

 

For a carb meal, add the carb rich veggies, beans, peas carrots, corn, yams etc but Minimum protein.

Most veggies have some protein so avoid the ones with the heaviest content and avoid the fats.

After such a meal eat nothing for 2 - 3 hours.

 

A fruit meal should be the whole fruit because the natural fiber limits sugar spikes and you should only eat fruit alone.

After such a meal, don't eat for about an hour.

One of the hardest things to digest is apple pie! Lovely though it it.

Just because we can mix and match foods to give texture, taste and pleasure doesn't mean that we should.

What I am suggesting is that you are what you eat and if you choose to eat food combinations that are hard to digest, you will most likely not get the nutriments out of the food you are eating.

To be optimally healthy we need to get all the necessary vitamins, minerals and fiber in the correct quantities so that the chemical factories in our bodies can make all the other required molecules.

 

There is a great book I read 3about 40 years ago that goes into great detail about how we use zinc and what things our bodies do with it and what happens if you don't have enough.

 

In short, if you have a deficiency of something, that may be as important a thing as being overloaded with toxic chemicals.

 

Poop should not smell!

If it does it means that there is putrefaction inside your body.

What is your transit time?
Eat two ears of corn and see how many hours before it arrives in your poop.

Then also see how long before it has all cleared away.

This is something that you can Google about and get some great info on.

 

When I have had health problems I have usually started to take special care about what I eat and drink!

The changes I make often correct the underlying problem which is really what I wanted.

Personally, I really don't want to take meds.

I prefer: Let food be thy Medicine!

 

All the above are my tips that have worked for me but they may not suit everybody.

You are the best person with the most knowledge about any food sensitivities that you may have.

It needs you to actually spend some time thinking about these issues and observing them.

A food/mood/pain diary might be a great start.

You may think you eat/drink an a particular way but your notes may tell a different (factual) story.

You will then be in a better position to get to the route cause(s) of your problem.

How wonderful if that during your self study, some problems become less or actually resolved.....

 

Best of luck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[blasteen]

11 hours ago, Sheryl said:

It would help to know exactly what medications and supplements cause this problem.

 

You should also research what inactive ingrediants they have, as it sounds like the problems pertains to a wide range of different things, allergy to an inactive ingrediant may be a factor

 

Check of liver function a good idea.

 

I frankly don't think you are going to get anywhere seeing a doctor about this, but if you want to, an allergist is probably where to start, unless liver tests show an abnormality.

 

well, about year and half ago I had some blood works and it should that my Bilirubin was quite high 2.3 mg/dL as well as my AST and ALT (54, 78 U/L). Got checked for Hep C/B and it was negative.

my GP got me to check this again for linver enzymes, I didn't get the results but I was told tings are fine. last year I had another blood test in hospital for something and I was again informed that my liver enzymes were slightly elevated but didn't get the results.

 

I am also allergic to many foods.

Edited November 20, 2016 by blasteen

[blasteen]

9 hours ago, laislica said:

There is usually no magic bullet to fix the conditions you mention.

You didn't mention anything about your age, work status (for stress) or general well being like weight, height, waist and hip circumference, especially how much proper sleep you get.

Do you carry too much body fat?

A rough guide is that your waist should be smaller in circumference than your hips.

 

However, as a start, ensure that you consume a modest amount of protein daily.

A rough guide would be a chicken breast of a similar size to the palm of your hand.

(or fish, pork, beef etc)

Eat loads of veggies and a modest amount of fruit. Include as many different colours in your days meals.

This way you will get a wide spectrum of minerals and vitamins that are in the correct form and easier to absorb.

Eat good fats like avocados, walnuts, Brazil nuts, olive oil, coconut oil and avoid omega 6 oils like sunflower, safflower, canola etc.

Make sure you get some mid day sun to top up your Vitamin D

 

You might like to try food combining, it sorted severe heart burn for me when I was in my 40's.

Here is a quick overview but Google and find many links with meal suggestions and loads more exact detail

The idea is to eat a protein meal so some flesh plus loads of veggies with different types of mushrooms  and some fat but minimum carbohydrates. (Most veggies have carbs in them so select the ones with less.

After such a meal, don't eat another thing what so ever for 3 - 4 hours.

 

(Obviously exclude anything that you know you have problems with such as bloating with wheat products)

 

For a carb meal, add the carb rich veggies, beans, peas carrots, corn, yams etc but Minimum protein.

Most veggies have some protein so avoid the ones with the heaviest content and avoid the fats.

After such a meal eat nothing for 2 - 3 hours.

 

A fruit meal should be the whole fruit because the natural fiber limits sugar spikes and you should only eat fruit alone.

After such a meal, don't eat for about an hour.

One of the hardest things to digest is apple pie! Lovely though it it.

Just because we can mix and match foods to give texture, taste and pleasure doesn't mean that we should.

What I am suggesting is that you are what you eat and if you choose to eat food combinations that are hard to digest, you will most likely not get the nutriments out of the food you are eating.

To be optimally healthy we need to get all the necessary vitamins, minerals and fiber in the correct quantities so that the chemical factories in our bodies can make all the other required molecules.

 

There is a great book I read 3about 40 years ago that goes into great detail about how we use zinc and what things our bodies do with it and what happens if you don't have enough.

 

In short, if you have a deficiency of something, that may be as important a thing as being overloaded with toxic chemicals.

 

Poop should not smell!

If it does it means that there is putrefaction inside your body.

What is your transit time?
Eat two ears of corn and see how many hours before it arrives in your poop.

Then also see how long before it has all cleared away.

This is something that you can Google about and get some great info on.

 

When I have had health problems I have usually started to take special care about what I eat and drink!

The changes I make often correct the underlying problem which is really what I wanted.

Personally, I really don't want to take meds.

I prefer: Let food be thy Medicine!

 

All the above are my tips that have worked for me but they may not suit everybody.

You are the best person with the most knowledge about any food sensitivities that you may have.

It needs you to actually spend some time thinking about these issues and observing them.

A food/mood/pain diary might be a great start.

You may think you eat/drink an a particular way but your notes may tell a different (factual) story.

You will then be in a better position to get to the route cause(s) of your problem.

How wonderful if that during your self study, some problems become less or actually resolved.....

 

Best of luck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

thnks for the comment,

I am 28, my diet is pretty healthy,  no junk, no gluten, no dairy, no sugar, etc.....

[ClutchClark]

4 minutes ago, blasteen said:

thnks for the comment,

I am 28, my diet is pretty healthy,  no junk, no gluten, no dairy, no sugar, etc.....

 

I don't think that one can automatically equate "non-dairy" with "healthy".

 

Yogurt has long been shown beneficial to health.

 

http://www.m.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/anti-aging-diet

[laislica]

5 minutes ago, blasteen said:

thnks for the comment,

I am 28, my diet is pretty healthy,  no junk, no gluten, no dairy, no sugar, etc.....

 

 

Good stuff, but could you please amplify these points from your OP:

" allot of medications and allot of supplements. "

Just what are they, why are you taking them and for how long?

 

[Sheryl]

Bilirubin  2.3 mg/dL  and AST and ALT (54, 78 U/L) are not "quite high," but are above normal range. As you say  last time these were measured was last year, would be worth checking again.

 

Again, need to know what these various medications and supplements are that provoke these reactions and how long you have been taking them. Also: what food allergies and what sort of reaction?

 

Mild elevation of liver enzymes such as you have had in the past are usually due to medications or alcohol intake.

[blasteen]

I've been trying my best to stay away from meds as much as possible in past 2-3 years but I have noticed having issues with the following

 

 

1. Vit-C supplements  (after 1-2 days of it, I started to feel anxious, moody, physically agitated and depressed)

2. Fish oil (my experience with this was mostly agitation and a foggy brain)

3. Quercetin or prostate issues, was ok for 2-3 weeks, but after this slowly went through a period of elevated anxiety, physical agitation, foggy brain and stomach problems such bloating, pain and which subsided a week or two after stopping it

4. Xyzal, this makes me very moody and angry and makes it hard to think.

5. Vit-B6, B12, etccc, taking them for even one day make me very moody and cause a foggy brain.

6. Probiotics: these just make me tired, edgy and tired, after stopping them, I would feel very depressed for few days.

7. Antibiotics, these are the worth, I've some really bad experience with this, they can make me agitated, cause random mood changes, constipation, nausea and allot of tiredness. different ABs can effect me diffrently. There have been cases where after taking a typical antibiotics (trimethoprim) for few days I could hardly do anything for two weeks as I was just tired, agitated and depressed all the time.

- I've taking an antibiotic (Septrin) for nearly 10-11 months at one occasion, which I think now has damaged my gut pretty bad as I cant handle many different types of foods anymore. (elevation of liver enzyme could be because of this or due to 7 years of antidepressants which I had quit 3 years ago)

8. I always have been unable to drink alcohol, consuming alcohol can make very tired and give me a foggy brain for few days.

 

By food allergy, I am referring to a set of IBS symptoms which flare up following consuming certain foods. i.e. oily foods, spciy foods, some nuts, rice, apples, melons, beans, dates,etc.... the symptoms are usually a foggy brain, tiredness, nausea, bloating, lack of concentration, sleepiness. the length of a flare up could be short to few weeks

 

[Sheryl]

With few exceptions the symptoms you report do not match known side effects of the drug in question, this plus the fact that the same sort of problems occur with such a diverse range of things and that they seem similiar to your response to some foods, makes me think inactive ingrediants  may be the culprit. These are often foodstuffs e.g. starches, flavorings, food dyes etc.

 

This may be of interest http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/99/2/268

 

Unfortunately there is not much you can do about this other than try to keep your intake to an absolute minimum, and try a change of brands when you react badly to a drug you absolutely must take. If the problem is inactive ingrediants, this can differ across drugs that are generic equivalents.

[Oxx]

I suspect one of two possibilities:

 

(1) Given that the symptoms are very general, and the the OP appears regularly to be taking a lot of pills, it's quite possible that the symptoms are there all the time, and that the apparent association with the pills popped is not really, but purely coincidental.

 

(2) The reported symptoms are purely psychosomatic in origin.

 

One obvious initial course of action would be for the OP to stop taking all the "supplements" and "pro-biotics" which are totally unnecessary if one has a reasonable diet.  Take a proper regulated, highly pure and scientifically proven medicine for prostate issues - not some random plant extract.  In fact, only take medicines which have been prescribed by a doctor.  Then see if symptoms abate.

[laislica]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

With few exceptions the symptoms you report do not match known side effects of the drug in question, this plus the fact that the same sort of problems occur with such a diverse range of things and that they seem similiar to your response to some foods, makes me think inactive ingrediants  may be the culprit. These are often foodstuffs e.g. starches, flavorings, food dyes etc.

 

This may be of interest http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/99/2/268

 

Unfortunately there is not much you can do about this other than try to keep your intake to an absolute minimum, and try a change of brands when you react badly to a drug you absolutely must take. If the problem is inactive ingrediants, this can differ across drugs that are generic equivalents.

 

Strewth, that link gives some quite scary reading.....

Thanks for the info

 

[Sheryl]

Several posts have been removed in keeping with Health Forum rules:

 

" 2. Quackery and Misinformation: Posters should pay particular attention to forum rule # 2) "You will not use thaivisa.com to post any material which is knowingly or can be reasonably construed as false".

This will be strictly applied with respect to presentation as fact any statements which are clearly contrary to medical science. .."

 

and

 

"3. "Alternative" vs. Allopathic (Modern) Medicine: It is recognized that there are systems of medicine other than the allopathic and that TV members have the right to avail of these either instead of or in addition to conventional treatments. However, a distinction is made between non-allopathic systems of healing, home remedies, and outright quackery.

o Systems of healing are defined as actual disciplines with an established body of literature, schools of instruction and means of accrediting practitioners. Examples include, but are not necessarily limited to, chiropractic, osteopathy, homeopathy, traditional Chinese Medicine (herbal and acupuncture) etc. As long as not misrepresented as backed by scientific proof which does not in fact exist, there is no objection to the discussion of such alternative or complementary .treatments.

o Home remedies include well-known traditional measures and measures an individual poster has developed through trial and error. As long as presented on the basis of personal experience and not misrepresented as backed by scientific proof which does not in fact exist, there is no objection to the discussion of home remedies.

o Quackery, on the other hand, is defined as claims made for the absolute prevention or cure of disease unrelated to an established discipline (allopathic or otherwise) and unsupported by scientific evidence. These often occur in fads. Use of the forum to promote quack cures will not be tolerated.

Lastly, aggressive attempts to persuade other members to either adapt or abandon alternative vs. modern forms of treatment will not be permitted. Experience has shown that this invariably leads to arguments and flame fests that serve no useful purpose. "

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/224498-health-forum-rules/

 

 

While psychosomatic cause or coincidence are both possible I would not rule out the possibility of an intolerance to inactive ingrediants, especially given the history of food allergies.

 

Agree that OP should stop all the supplements and in fact anything other than an absolutely, physician-prescribed medication (and with Thai physicians, be aware of the tendency to over-prescribe/prescribe unnecessary drugs).

 

People often think supplements and herbal medications  are completely harmless . Not the case. They can also cause adverse effects, especially in someone with multiple allergies.

[blasteen]

thanks for the comments. I've only taken those supplements for a short term and this was mainly because the medication that were prescribed by the doctor despite lowering my primary symptoms lead to other deteriorating effects on my health. 

 

Would it be worth seeing any doctor for a particular test that could potentially prove any of the stated prognosis ?

I am thinking of visiting an allergist, any recommendations?

[Oxx]

What medications are you taking that have been prescribed to you by a doctor*?

 

What "self medication", including "supplements" have you taken in the last month?

 

I'd suggest you stop all self medication and keep a diary of your symptoms, day by day, specifying when you felt them, for the next month.  Take your prescribed medications at different times of day.  See how the symptoms vary across the days, and within the days.  There may be a pattern which could help you pin down the cause.  Also, make sure during this period you eat a healthy**, varied diet and avoid alcohol.

 

If you feel better after a month, you could consider reintroducing the supplements, one by one, every fortnight, noting if symptoms get worse, then stop taking that product and examine its detailed ingredients list, looking for common factors.

 

 

* It may be possible to stop (temporarily or otherwise) some or all of your medications.  It's not normal for someone of 28 to be on regular medication.  What are your underlying conditions?

 

** You previously wrote.  "my diet is pretty healthy,  no junk, no gluten, no dairy, no sugar, etc.....".  Avoiding gluten, dairy, sugar does not make for a healthy diet.  In fact, it suggests a faddish one.  What does a typical day's meals look like?

[Sheryl]

It is impossible to advise you without knowing what  underlying medical conditions you currently have, if any.

 

As I said before, I do not think you will get much out of seeing a doctor at this stage, with such vague and diffuse symptoms related to so many different things (in fact, related to apparently so many that it is not clear that they are not  due to something else altogether).

 

What is your current situation? What medications/supplements do you take now and why? What symptoms are you having now?

 

Bear in mind that even if you are allergic/intolerant of inactive ingrediants in many medications, there isn't anything anyone can do about that other than advise you to avoid those things.  You can go through an expensive array of allergy tests, but these will likely not tell you anything more than what you already know or can find out by trial and error.

 

It may also be that  you actually have an underlying  problem that has not been properly diagnosed and that it is this, rather than the apparent intolerance to various foods and drugs, that is the problem, with the relationship to food and medications just coincidence - the large list you have of things that seemed to produce difficulties would be consistent with that, i.e. given enough time and always thinking that your symptoms were precipitated by whatever you ingested before hand, your list would  eventually extend to just about everything. 

 

I I understand correctly your symptoms are: mood swings, foggy brain, tiredness/sleepiness,  anxiety, lack of concentration, and sometimes nausea and bloating. Is that correct? And what tests have you had done so far for this? You also apparently have had recent hospitalizations and infections, what were these?

 

 

 

[blasteen]

On 22/11/2016 at 1:12 AM, Oxx said:

What medications are you taking that have been prescribed to you by a doctor*?

 

What "self medication", including "supplements" have you taken in the last month?

 

I'd suggest you stop all self medication and keep a diary of your symptoms, day by day, specifying when you felt them, for the next month.  Take your prescribed medications at different times of day.  See how the symptoms vary across the days, and within the days.  There may be a pattern which could help you pin down the cause.  Also, make sure during this period you eat a healthy**, varied diet and avoid alcohol.

 

If you feel better after a month, you could consider reintroducing the supplements, one by one, every fortnight, noting if symptoms get worse, then stop taking that product and examine its detailed ingredients list, looking for common factors.

 

 

* It may be possible to stop (temporarily or otherwise) some or all of your medications.  It's not normal for someone of 28 to be on regular medication.  What are your underlying conditions?

 

** You previously wrote.  "my diet is pretty healthy,  no junk, no gluten, no dairy, no sugar, etc.....".  Avoiding gluten, dairy, sugar does not make for a healthy diet.  In fact, it suggests a faddish one.  What does a typical day's meals look like?

I have been taking any medications prescribed by the doctor since March last year, before that I was on daily dose of Septrin for about 10 months.

 

In last month I only had 2-3 day of chew able Vit-C, 100 mg tabs. about two months ago I was prescribed some probiotics by a doctor (cant recall the actual bacteria in the supplement but it was for IBS), as I couldn't handle it I stopped it after 10 days.

 

Looking back on all of these, one thing that stands out is that, I can see that whenever I make changes to my gut (take antibiotics or probtiotics) my mood becomes haywire and my skin color tends to either get brighter or darker.

 

My underlying conditions are prostatitis, IBS and anxitey disorders.

 

My typically daily meal consists of proteins such as chicken or lamb, vegetables, almonds, bananas and berries. I occasionally take some sugar and wheat too

 

[blasteen]

23 hours ago, Sheryl said:

It is impossible to advise you without knowing what  underlying medical conditions you currently have, if any.

 

As I said before, I do not think you will get much out of seeing a doctor at this stage, with such vague and diffuse symptoms related to so many different things (in fact, related to apparently so many that it is not clear that they are not  due to something else altogether).

 

What is your current situation? What medications/supplements do you take now and why? What symptoms are you having now?

 

Bear in mind that even if you are allergic/intolerant of inactive ingrediants in many medications, there isn't anything anyone can do about that other than advise you to avoid those things.  You can go through an expensive array of allergy tests, but these will likely not tell you anything more than what you already know or can find out by trial and error.

 

It may also be that  you actually have an underlying  problem that has not been properly diagnosed and that it is this, rather than the apparent intolerance to various foods and drugs, that is the problem, with the relationship to food and medications just coincidence - the large list you have of things that seemed to produce difficulties would be consistent with that, i.e. given enough time and always thinking that your symptoms were precipitated by whatever you ingested before hand, your list would  eventually extend to just about everything. 

 

I I understand correctly your symptoms are: mood swings, foggy brain, tiredness/sleepiness,  anxiety, lack of concentration, and sometimes nausea and bloating. Is that correct? And what tests have you had done so far for this? You also apparently have had recent hospitalizations and infections, what were these?

 

 

 

My current conditions are symptom similar to IBS, food intolerance, prostatitis,  and anxitey disorders. A short list of symptoms for each of the above

 

IBS/food intolerance: Eating certain foods outside my current diet can give me flareups of symptoms such as 1. foggy brain, 2. bloating, 3. change of bowl habit, 4. changes in mood, 5, lack of energy, foggy head, etc.. This flare ups could last from an hour to weeks.

 

Prostatitis: pain in perineum, lower back and genitals . gets worth by ejaculations, lifting heavy objects, sitting down on normal chairs ( I either work standing up or work from a couch).

 

Anxitey disorders : had this since I remember. was prescribed various antidepressants for 8 years, stopped them 3 years ago, I was very sick for one year after that as I quit very fast. now I feel much happier since I was on those medication and I feel that my brain and body is working much better.

 

The healthcare system in the region I live is very slow. with regards to the GI symptoms you mentioned, I've only been tested for helicobacter pylori which was negative and some blood tests for mineral levels, I haven't received any feedback from the doctors and have been awaiting 2 months.

I have seen two urologists with regards to my prostatits in past 2.5 years. one believed that there is  a bacteria causing it, thus I was been prescribed 3-4 different antibiotics, another urologist did not see any signs of bacteria thus did not prescribe any antibiotics. I have a had cystoscopy 2 years ago and all was fine

 

[Sheryl]

IBS would not cause cause of the foggy brain, mood changes and lack of energy...and it is doubtful whether food intolerance would, either.

 

More likely these are related to your anxiety disorder or -- if the fatigue is severe -- to something like chronic fatigue syndrome and the apparent connection to foods eaten is just coincidental.

 

Antidepressants are not the appropriate medication for anxiety, if you were given that then either the treatment or diagnosis was off.

 

The preferred treatment for anxiety is short-term therapy (cognitive behavioral etc). Drugs should be used only in addition to that and only if really necessary, and  would not be antidepressents.

 

This lab can test for food intolerance if you want some concrete indication of whether you are intolerant of certain foods   http://www.brianet.com/en/author/admin/page/6/

 

If your lack of energy is severe (even though episodic) CFS might be worth considering. You can try this doctor who is a specialist in immunology  https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Hiroshi-Chantaphakul

 

And I strongly urge you to get counselling. There are some good Western counsellors here, see the pinned Mental Health resource thread.

 

 

[blasteen]

On 23/11/2016 at 8:45 AM, Sheryl said:

IBS would not cause cause of the foggy brain, mood changes and lack of energy...and it is doubtful whether food intolerance would, either.

 

More likely these are related to your anxiety disorder or -- if the fatigue is severe -- to something like chronic fatigue syndrome and the apparent connection to foods eaten is just coincidental.

 

Antidepressants are not the appropriate medication for anxiety, if you were given that then either the treatment or diagnosis was off.

 

The preferred treatment for anxiety is short-term therapy (cognitive behavioral etc). Drugs should be used only in addition to that and only if really necessary, and  would not be antidepressents.

 

This lab can test for food intolerance if you want some concrete indication of whether you are intolerant of certain foods   http://www.brianet.com/en/author/admin/page/6/

 

If your lack of energy is severe (even though episodic) CFS might be worth considering. You can try this doctor who is a specialist in immunology  https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Hiroshi-Chantaphakul

 

And I strongly urge you to get counselling. There are some good Western counsellors here, see the pinned Mental Health resource thread.

 

 

Could hormonal imbalances also be the culprit here?

 

I guess mental health issues could have some impact on my condition. but the fact that symptoms are episodic for even weeks to months make me believe that there should be some physical issue in existence.

 

With regards to antidepressants I can only blame clueless doctors my life would have been much different if I had been put on them for the first time.

 

Are there any recommendations for a good doctor dealing with lower back pain and knee issues ? and also maybe a good endocrinologist ?

 

 

 

[Loeilad]

Probiotics are basically some of the bacteria found in poo....they represent a tiny amount of the bacteria that live in your bowel, but can improve health after your own naturally occurring bacteria have been decimated by a course of antibiotics.

[Loeilad]

As far as the OP's description of the condition it seems there is confusion between association and real causation.

You can only check this out with a good diagnostic Doctor - in UK you'd start with a GP - but as there is no proper GP system in Thailand you may find yourself shopping around various "specialists" who actually have no idea outside of their own field of study......

[Sheryl]

Agree that running around to different specialists based on various guesses/ self diagnoses is not a good idea for you. At best it will waste time and money and at worst it may lead to unnecessary  procedures and treatments which may even do harm.

 

It is also fully possible that all of these symptoms are attributable to your underlying and untreated anxiety disorder.

 

There are two Western GPs practicing in Bangkok). One is Dr. Donna Robinson at MedConsult Asis (British) and one is Dr. Nick Walters at Mission College (American). Suggest you consult one of these and let them guide you as to what if any specialists/tests are indicated.

[Oxx]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

It is also fully possible that all of these symptoms are attributable to your underlying and untreated anxiety disorder.

 

I suspect, OP, that you are not going to be satisfied with the results of whatever tests and investigations you have, and will keep on seeking further investigations and explanations of your symptoms.

 

Yes, get yourself checked out by one of the western GPs, as Sheryl suggests, but if the results come back inconclusive (as I strongly suspect they will, given the vague nature of your symptoms), you should accept that your problems are primarily psychological not physical, and you should get appropriate psychiatric treatment - not pointlessly chase further tests.

[blasteen]

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see any of the GPs that were suggested. however I meet with an immunologist whom refereed me to a neurologist whom subsequently refereed me to a a psychiatrist.

 

After seeing the Psych. for 10 minutes his judgment was that my nervous system was stressed and his recommendation was to take 3x different benzodiazepines. I have never taken this class of drugs but had tried 5 different antidepressants over few years time, these drugs had also induced a fair level of depression in me and also lowered my brain function. Thus, its hard for me to accept the Psych's opinion. Moreover while quitting antidepressants I went through a very though time and I don't really want to go through the same experience again if I found that benzos are not really helping.

[Moldybread]

DO NOT GO TO A PSYCHIATRIST OR TAKE BENZODIAZEPINES FOR YOUR CONDITION!

What you describe sounds like a disturbance in your sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous system. Have you ever been "Diagnosed" with chronic fatigue syndrome or better yet myalgic encephalomyelitis by any chance? I see an intolerance to meds in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis quite often.

Almost all of the supplements you mention have an influence on the neurochemistry. For example EPA in fish oil increases norepinephrine.

Vitamin C increases turnover of norepinephrine.

Curcumin (turmeric) has influence on several excitatory neurotransmitters including acetylcholine.

 

[geriatrickid]

On 12/2/2016 at 11:48 PM, Oxx said:

 

I suspect, OP, that you are not going to be satisfied with the results of whatever tests and investigations you have, and will keep on seeking further investigations and explanations of your symptoms.

 

Yes, get yourself checked out by one of the western GPs, as Sheryl suggests, but if the results come back inconclusive (as I strongly suspect they will, given the vague nature of your symptoms), you should accept that your problems are primarily psychological not physical, and you should get appropriate psychiatric treatment - not pointlessly chase further tests.

 

Your posts are rational and appropriate.  The patient presenting is 28 years old. It is not expected that a male of this age would have chronic issues with his prostate. The antibiotic he referenced can be used to treat urinary tract infections and diarrhea, but on an as needed short term basis. Patient reports taking the antibiotic for almost a full year. That raises a red flag for me.  There is a strong likelihood that some of the  illnesses are unrelated.

 

If one has a chronic urinary track illness it suggests that there is a robust reservoir of bacteria or  a parasite colony. Or, and I am not being cheeky here, there is a self inflicted traumatic injury.  At the very least, the presence of a sexually transmitted illness should be ruled out.  Chlamydia is rather persistent and doesn't always present as pain in the testicles or with a discharge.  Unless IBS is actually diagnosed by a person who  knows the disease, the diagnosis is somewhat worthless. Only a small portion of those with IBS actually have a debilitating ailment. Crohn's disease, colitis etc. are manifestations of the illness where there is a real physical disruption.  Mild cases of IBS can often be related to emotional  issues.  The bottom line is that one can offer conjecture and guesses as I have done. The only viable and intelligent option is exactly what you suggest: See a qualified health professional and review.  My own education  indicates that the  patient is popping too many potions and pills. The more of these  things one ingests, the more likely there will be an adverse reaction.

 

3 hours ago, Moldybread said:

DO NOT GO TO A PSYCHIATRIST OR TAKE BENZODIAZEPINES FOR YOUR CONDITION!

What you describe sounds like a disturbance in your sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous system. Have you ever been "Diagnosed" with chronic fatigue syndrome or better yet myalgic encephalomyelitis by any chance? I see an intolerance to meds in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis quite often.

Almost all of the supplements you mention have an influence on the neurochemistry. For example EPA in fish oil increases norepinephrine.

Vitamin C increases turnover of norepinephrine.

Curcumin (turmeric) has influence on several excitatory neurotransmitters including acetylcholine.

 

 

Your statement is inappropriate. I am not going to provide a recap of endocrinology, but you are offering scatological  nonsense. There is nothing wrong with  consulting a psychiatrist. In case you were unaware, a psychiatrist is a medical doctor and has a duty to determine if a patient is presenting because of an actual physical illness or a mental illness or a combination of both. Many  mental illnesses offer a combination of an organic disorder and  a mental health issue.  If the psychiatrist  prescribes an anxyliotic for a period of time during treatment, then the patient should comply. It is not up to you, an unqualified person who has  no training and is not competent to offer an assessment of the lab work or physical exam, to tell a patient not to comply with a course of treatment. If you need guidance on how to respond to this type of issue, please read all of Oxx's answers: Measured and thoughtful and not causing harm.  Rule number 1 on any health issue is Do No Harm. Telling someone not to listen to medical advice can cause harm.

 

 

Edited December 10, 2016 by geriatrickid