Sorry for the long post but I need some help!

[Guest guest]

I feel as though I'm going down a long dark tunnel with twists &

turns in it that I can't see. I feel helpless & lost! So here's my

story: I am 55, married, 3 children, 6 grandchildren. I haven't felt

well for as long as I can remember. I struggled to raise my kids,

keep my husband relatively happy, keep a clean house, voluntered at

school, worked parttime, homeschooled, started a business with my

DH. I was the person everyone looked to for answers. I managed, but

just barely. There were weeks & months that I could only get out of

bed long enough to feed my kids, then back to bed, then start

laundry, back to bed, etc. I'm sure many of you can relate to that

pattern. But I would always feel better in the evening & could do my

housework at night. My kids got used to sleeping thru the vaccum

running even in their rooms! About 20 years ago a doctor (#6)

finally diagnosed me with " low thyroid " & put me on Synthroid. I

didn't feel better, but there was " nothing wrong with you " as per my

doctor except you need a hysterectomy. I was having night sweats,

body aches, pain in my upper back & shoulders, etc. They took out my

uterus & cervix, but I still didn't feel well. Fast forward to 1993

Doctor #8 or 9 diagnosed me with Systemic Candida. Yeah finally

someone agrees with me that I'm not well. He also changed my

Synthroid to 1 grain Westhroid. I did the Candida protocol for a

couple of years. I did feel better. I could get out of bed & go for

longer periods. I always had a little extra energy when I really

needed it (I could push myself). But I still didn't feel good. But he

didn't dig any further. Just had me coming in for IV Mag Pushes

(which I got addicted to - they gave me energy!) I was better, but

not optimal - I just learned to live with it. Fast forward to 2003

(different dr due to insurance) I crashed with a Blood Glucose of 40

(stress, no sleep, taking care of DH who had had surgery, etc.).

They also thought I'd had a heart attack so I spent the night in the

hospital. No heart attack, Hypoglycemia & the dr. told me I had

stressed my Adrenals, but he didn't tell me what to do about that.

Didn't even address it & I was too " out of it mentally " to connect it

myself. (That's what the doctors are supposed to do , isn't it?!!?)

Just advised me to eat every 3-4 hours with high protein. It literaly

took 6-8 months to claw my way up from the effects of the BG dive. I

was better, but still not good. And I had started having hot flashes

& night sweats actually before the crash. I was drinking a lot of

coffee, cappucino, eating sweets, & wine at night to help me settle

down. (you would have thought I would have " realized " it by now! Oh

the paths we take to self destruct!) I was referred to an Endo. She

wanted to change my Westroid to Synthroid, but I refused & insisted

upon a natural one. So she put me on 1 grain Armour. I saw her

every 3 months. She checked my Thyroid & A1C & told me I was doing

great. I was telling her I wasn't feeling well, was having night

sweats, hot flashes, couldn't sleep, nervousness, stressed out, mood

swings, excessive thirst, shakiness, muscle aches, lack of energy,

low body temperature, freezing hands & feet, but still hot flashes,

constipation (lifelong), my body hurt when sleeping, my feet hurt to

stand when I got out of bed & I didn't want to deal with stressful

situations. All the symptoms I had before I ever started seeing

her. She suggested Lexapro. Out of desperation I took it for 6

months. Didn't help me so I just stopped it. Saw her 2 months later

& she fussed at me, but I told her I didn't want antideppressants as

I wasn't depressed. All my tests were " normal " still. By the next 3

month visit I didn't even want to leave the house. I still had all

of my syptoms: night sweats, hot flashes, couldn't sleep etc. and I

was getting worse. So she put me on Effexor. Tried that for 6

months again. Didn't help. Then she wanted to put me on Cymbalta. I

was more than desperate. I hadn't been able to work (self-employed)

for at least 6 months by this time. I filled the Cymbalta, but

didn't take it. In the meantime August 2007 I came down with

shingles after a very stressful month in which my daughters &

grandchildren visited for 2 weeks & my grandson was born with an

intestinal disease requiring 2 surgeries. I was given Prednisone

20mg (9 day protocol) 2 times in 6weeks. I hurt from the shingle

pain (primarily lower back), but I had so much energy that I cooked,

cleaned, couldn't sit still! Also was put on Gabapentin for the

neurological pain. Still couldn't sleep tho. On Oct 26 after days of

stress, no sleep (even taking Ambien CR) I crashed again. Back to

ER. Their primary concern was my heaviness & discomfort in my chest

even tho I complained about excessive thirst, dry eyes & mouth,

exhaustion, muscle pains, feet hurt to walk, nervous, shakey, joint

pain, cold especially hands & feet, hands swelling at night, feet

swollen & gained 4lbs the day I went to hospital (I'm 5'4 " & normal

weight 105-so 4 lbs in a day is a lot), nausea, wake up between 2am &

5am & have to eat sometimes 2x's a night, brain fog, memory problems

(and I have always been the one in the family that remembers

everything: names, phone#'s birthdays,etc.) They kept me overnight

again. I felt as tho I was dehydrated, but they wouldn't give me an

IV. I kept asking & they kept telling me no, my tests didn't show

that I needed fluid, but I sooo felt as tho that would help me. I was

low in potassium & high in Magnesium. Anyway they kept me overnight,

gave me a potassium table & a xanax. The dr. came in the next

morning & I asked him why he wouldn't give me IV fluid when I felt as

tho I was dehydrated & was so very thirsty. He was such a jerk. He

informed me that most of his patients with my symptoms were just

stressed, anxious & had depression & I needed to be on an

antidepressant. I was weak, but angry & just wanted to get out of

there. I came home did some research & thought I might have an

autoimmune disease (Sjogrens) as that is all I could find that

connected the excessive thirst, dry eyes & mouth. Went to my GP (in

the same group as the doc who I saw at the hospital). I told her all

of my symptoms & asked her to run some tests to see if maybe I had

Autoimmune disease, etc. She didn't think that I did, I just needed

to get on the Cymbalta. But she did run a few tests. I went back &

she said I was normal. My TSH was on the lower side of normal, but

shouldn't be a problem considering T3 was normal on the hospital

labs. By this time I had researched some more & wanted her to check

some more things, but she informed me that she didn't have the desire

or time to deal with me & I should see an Endo. She gave me some

Xanax & AmbienCR. Then I went to see the Top Doc that had diagnosed

me with Candida in '93. He put me on 2 grains Armour. 3 weeks later

I had found this group & suspected I had AF. Did the blood pressure

test & my BP lowered when I stood up. Back to the Top Doc. He put me

on 20mg HC (10am & 10 2pm). Before I started the HC I took the saliva

tests from Diagnos-Techs thru an ND. I didn't sleep well the night

before the test (didn't know at that time that I should just wake up

at my normal time & then take the test). Started the HC the next

day. Got my tests results back and was more confused. Then on Dec

18th I crashed again (again high stress situations brought it on).

This time was the worst. I truly thought that my body had completely

shut down & I was literaly dying. I had nothing left to push! My

husband called our children, told them that Christmas was canceled.

CHRISTMAS CANCELLED!!?? I have been able to do Christmas even if I

had strep throat!! All of our Christmas activites were canceled & he

just took care of me completely as I wasn't able to even prepare a

meal. On 12/20 07 my husband took me(he has NEVER gone with me to a

doc before)to the new Endo (a Top Doc) I tried to tell him my

symptoms. He thought maybe a Pituatary problem & he ran some tests.

On 12/24 his nurse called & told me the doc said to lower Armour to 1

1/2 grains a day. But I couldn't see him to discuss the test results

until 1/31 as he was going to India for the month. I have been taking

20 mg HC daily started out at 10,5,5 then went to 7.5,5,5,2.5. I am

not sure how to take it because of my saliva results. Also I am still

freezing esp. hands & feet. I have more body aches than I did, hurt

when I stand on my feet after sleeping, still have to get up in the

night to eat, nervous, weepy, shakey,thirsty, eyes hurt (right eye

weeps constantly) fingers will turn white & hurt, hot flashes, night

sweats,etc. I have recently been taking melatonin SL 6mg every night

along with my AmbienCr. I actually slept 4 hours straight last night.

The 1st time in about a year. I feel a tiny bit better than I did

before the crash on 12/18, but not well enough to even leave the

house, although I don't feel as hopeless, but I need to get a grasp

on what is happening with my body & need to determine what tests I

need to have so that I can get them (if I can get a doc to agree). I

have the (Top Doc?) Endo appt. on 1/31 & GYN appt on 2/6. I'm sorry

for the long post, but I wanted to give a more complete synopsis in

hopes that will help you all to guide me in the direction I need to

pursue.

Below are my test results from the hospital, 3 different docs &

saliva.

Hospital: 10/26/07 (2:30 P.M.)

Glucose 101 (65-115)

Bun 15 (7-20)

Creatinine 0.9 (0.6-1.0)

B/C Ratio 16.7 (8.0-25.0)

Total Protein 6.6 (6.1-7.9)

Albumin 4.4 (3.3-4.6)

Globulin 2.2 (2.0-4.0)

A/G Ratio 2 (1.2-2.4)

Calcium 9.9 (8.6-10.3)

Sodium 139 (136-144)

Potassium 3.4 Low (3.5-5.5)

Cloride 101 (100-109)

CO2 25 (24-32)

Anion Gap 13 (5-13)

Magnesium 2.3 High (1.5-2.1)

AST 32 (15-44)

ALT 32 (9-52)

ALKP 65 (41-126)

Bilirubin-Total 0.7 (0.3-1.4)

TSH 0.47 (.34-5.60)

WBC 7.3 (4.0-11.0)

RBC 4.29 (3.80-5.40)

HGB 14 (12.0-16.0)

HCT 40.4 (36-48)

MCV 94 (81-99)

MCHC 34.7 (31-36)

MCH 32.7 (27-34)

RDW 12.9 (12-14)

MPV 10.2 (7.4-12.5)

PLT 220 (150-425)

SEGS 85 HIGH (40-78) WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

LYMPHS 11 LOW (22-40) WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

MOMOS 4 (4-8)

EOS 0.0 LOW (1-4) (MY DR. SAID THIS MEANT I DIDN'T HAVE

ALLERGIES. I ALWAYS HAVE ALLERGY SYMPTOMS - SO WHAT DO YOU THINK

THIS MEANT)

BASOS 0.0 (0-1)

Cholesterol 146 (120-200)

Triglyceride 47 (40-160)

HDL 82.8 HIGH (40-60) IS THIS GOOD OR BAD TO BE HIGH?

LDL 53.8 (.0-99)

Thyroxine Free T-4 .68 (.61-1.12)

GYN 10/29/07

Estradiol <10 (Post Meno up to 30.)

Prolactin 5.6 (2-27)

Free T4 1.17 (.73-1.95)

Testosterone 39 (14-76)

DHEA Sulfate 45 (35-430)

DHEA Non-sulfate 4.5 (1-4.5)

Free T3 3.7 (2.3-4.2)

Estriol, Uncon (UE3) <.25

Testosterone, Free/Total with SHBG

Testosterone 39 (less than 55.. Postmenopausal)

Sex Horm Bind Globulin 80 (16-114)

Calc Free Testosterone .4 (.3-1.6)

DEXA BONE DENSITY: 11/06/07 2.3 (OSTEOPENIA)

GP TESTING ON 11/8/07:

TSH .42 (.47-5.01)

ANA w/Refles 21 (0-99)

C-Reactive Protein .8 (0.0-4.9)

ESR 2. (0.-20)

RF Neg (0-1)

DIAGNOSTECHS 12/7/07:

7-8AM 16 Normal (13-24)

11-Noon 35 Elevated (5-10)

4-5PM 15 Elevated (3-8)

11-midnight 2 Normal (1-4)

Cortisol Burden: 68 (23-42) WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

DHEA 2 Depressed DHEA (3-10)

Cortisol-Dhea Correlation: Stage 3

Patient Result Interpretations:

Noon value is elevated indicating a stress response often associated

with glucose counter regulation process. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Afternoon value is elevated indicating a stress response often

associated with glucose comunter regulation process.

First: Rule out chronic pain, and inflammation and consider glycemic

modification of diet to normalize hypercorisol stae. If excessive

glucose counter regulation response persisits, rle out blycogen

storage impairment as follows:

1.Determine fasting blood glucose

2. Inject i.m. about 1/2 cc of 1:1000 epinephrine HCI solution

3. Measure blood glucose 30 minutes post injection

4. Expected increment 25-30 mg/dL

High output ourve with hypercortisol is typical of a chronic stress

response curve that is associated with:

A. Immunosuppressed SIgA output and NK cell activity

B. Reduced REM sleep cycles

C. Increased bone catablolism

D. Eventual reduction in adrenal steroid precursors leading to

reduced DHEAS output.

Elevated cortisol levels usually indicated increased ACTH stimulus.

When this elevation is coupled with depressed DHEA levels, then a

divergence of Pregnenolone to the corisol pathway has occurred. Low

DHEAS levels indicate relative depletion of the adrenal gland.

Precursors and/or anabolic enhancement suggested: DHEA or

Pregnenolone augmentation.

Prophylactic support suggested to prevent deterioration to fatigue

phase.

Estrone 61 (Range for age 50-59 26-64)

Estradiol 6 (Postmenopause-No HRT: 1-4, HRT Target Range: 5-13)

Progesterone 264 (Postmenopause-No HRT: 5-95, HRT Target Range: 100-

300)

Free Testosterone 11(Normal) (8-20)

TOP DOC ENDO 12/20/07 (3:45p.m.):

Free T3 4.9 (2.3-4.2)

ACTH 14 (6-58

Growth Hormone HGH .44 (.06-5.00)

Somatomedin-C 272 (Range 41-55 yrs 87-267)

Values by Tanner Stage WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Stage Female

I 63-279

II 75-420

III 94-765

IV 192-861

V 171-814

Progesterone 1.1 (Postmenopausal up to 0.7)

Glucose 103 (65-100)

Bun 38 (8-25) THIS IS VERY HIGH. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Creatinine 1.0 (.6-1.3)

Calculated Bun/Creat 38 (6-28) HIGH. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Sodium 143 (133-146)

Potassium 4.6 (3.5-5.3)

Chloride 100 (97-110)

Carbon Dioxide 25 (18-30)

Calcium 10.3 (8.5-10.5)

Protein, Total 7.8 (6-8.4)

Albumin 5 (2.9-5.0) HIGH. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

Calculated Globulin 2.8 (2-3.8)

Calculated A/G Ration 1.8 (.9-2.5)

Bilirubin, Total 0.4 (.1-1.3)

Alkaline Phosphatase 81 (30-132)

SGOT (AST) 20 (5-35)

SGPT (ALT) 46 (7-56)

Lipid Panel:

Cholesterol 169 (<200)

Triglycerides 79 (<150)

HDL Cholesterol 85 (>39)

Calculated LDL Chol 68 (<100)

Risk Ratio LDL/HDL .80 (<3.22)

Thyroid II Profile (T3U, T4, T7, TSH)

T3 Uptake 32.5 (20-38.5)

T4 8.8 (4.4-12.5)

Calculated T7 (FTI) 2.86 (1.05-4.50)

TSH <0.1 (0.3-5.1)

FSH 115.8 (Postmeno 41-121)

Luteinizing Hormone 47.9 (Postmeno 14-61)

COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT

WBC 8.3 (4.00-11)

RBC 4.98 (3.8-5.10)

HEMOGLOBIN 16.5 (11.5-15.5) HIGH. IS THIS A CONCERN?

HEMATOCRIT 47.7 (34-45) HIGH. IS THIS A CONCERN? MY DAD HAD HIGH

IRON IN HIS BLOOD & HAD TO HAVE IT DRAWN EVERY FEW MONTHS

(HEMOCHROMATOSIS POSSIBLY?) DO I STILL NEED A FERRITIN TEST?

MCV 96 (80-100)

MCH 33.2 (27-34)

MCHC 34.7 (32-36.4)

RDW 12.1 (11-15)

NEUTROPHILS 70 (40-74)

LYMPHOCYTES 21 (19-48)

MONOCYTES 8 (3-11)

EOSINOPHILS 1 (0-7)

BASOPHILS 0 (0-2)

PLATELET COUNT 286 (130-400)

CORTISOL, RANDOM 18 (2-25)

ESTRADIOL 14 (pOSTMENO UP TO 30)

PROLACTIN 7.7 (2-27)

T3 TOTAL 155 (90-200)

FREE T4 1.45 (.73-1.95)

Vitamin B12 1299 (250-1100) I HAD JUST STARTED METHYLCOBALAMIN.

Folic Acid >24.0 (>5.0)

DHEA Sulfate 314 (35-420)

Testosterone 66 (14-76)

Sex Horm Bind Globulin 98 (18-114)

Calc Free Testosterone 0.6 (0.3-1.6)

After these results the TOP DOC ENDO reduced my Armour from 2 grains

to 1 1/2 grains. I'm taking 20mg HC (not sure how to dose it

sometimes I do 7.5,5,5,2.5 & sometimes 5,5,5,5. What do you think?

Also have been charting temps. Basal average 96.4 (I'm freezing &

sweating)! Temp Avg for the last 10 days:

97

97.23

96.83

97.16

97.5

97.75

97.27

96.93

97.37

96.9

I wanted to raise Armour to 2 grains, but I'm not sure if I should.

Do I need more HC? I'm also taking 15mg DHEA. What tests should I

ask for? I don't think I'm going to be able to work with either of

these Top Docs. One won't listen, the other barely speaks English.

So I know I'm going to have to find someone else & I feel as tho I am

on my own as far as figuring out what to do. Thank you for your

input. I am so sorry that this is sooo long. You all have been such

a blessing to me in the last 2 months. May God restore you all to

health & bless your lives.

Debby