Hi, I am a mere california licensed CPhT, Can you guys please help me out get diagnosed :'( I've been to 4 doctors, 2 emergency visits, multiple outpatient appts, just lost my Kaiser insurance last year, and now running out of money.
What I'm scared most are the rapid muscle wasting and rapidly growing belly I have.
Abdominal CT accdg to doctor, it's not water retention/ascitis but belly fat, I've been RAPIDLY AGGRESSIVELY losing muscle everywhere, I don't think it's ALS, I can still walk but my TONSILS are virtually gone, my facial muscle, my TONGUE looks atrophied on one side and feels strange, muscle everywhere else is shrinking, neck shrinking, abdominal muscle, arms, legs, thighs, feet, hands;
very FOAMY urine, my last urine test which had abnormal results only has 192 mg/dL protein which is not diagnostic for Nephrotic Syndrome BUT NOTABLY MY CREATININE IS QUITE LOW 0.81 last month, IT USUALLY IS 1.04 (last 2008), COULD THIS BE CREATINURIA??? HOW do you treat that? Kidney ultrasound revealed nothing. I had slightly elevated ALT liver enzyme,
sometimes my stool is pale. Again nothing conclusive in CT. First ultrasound result say just "fatty liver". I also have: hypertension, rapid heart rate. Thyroid is normal. Catecholamines normal. ANA normal. No diabetes. Actually could I have hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia? My random glucose testing after eating yesterday was 89 (60-200)I took D-ribose 2 years ago and at one point I thought I was going to pass out (apprently it lowers blood sugar)
Had 2 bouts of pink eye for I don't know what reason.
Other symptoms:
Rashes on arms, wrist, hands that come and go every other day
Eczema-like scaling above elbows and on neck.
Get itchy feet when I take low dose Vit. D3
I also have this unusual taste at the back of my throat similar to what low-carb people get, like almost a bitter smelly odor which I had when I tried doing the Paleo Diet (low carb). Could this have triggered it? Am I consuming up my protein instead of sugar? But my glucose is always normal and sometimes low even :'(
eGFR, BUN, seem to be all normal/within normal range. CO2 once a bit on lower end of normal range.
What could I be having? Please help :'( Other than Cushing, what else could it be, or the more practical question is what next test should I be asking for to save time and resources? I ask because I no longer have enough money for the testing, I might as well go ask for a head MRI to check the Pituitary and skip the 24hr cortisol test if it's gonna be false negative or inconclusive anyway. I can't die yet, I need to help out my mother and sister financially. PLEASE somebody thank you so much for your time
CURRENTLY TAKING UNDER MD SUPERVISION WITH NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS YET:
CURCUMIN PHYTOSOME
PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE
GAMMA E
LISINOPRIL
ATENOLOL
WHEY
TOOK HMB FOR 10 DAYS.
COQ10
WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD I GET TESTED ON NEXT? I feel like I am running out of time :'(
If I may add one unusual experience, I've also been going to the bathroom too frequently, which never happened before, two-three consecutive bowel movements in the morning, 1 hr or so apart, sometimes paler, a couple of weeks ago it was green in color, looked it up online, it said that bowel movement is faster than normal if it's green (bile). No change in diet whatsoever, no green stuff in previous meals. moderate carbs 150g or less, moderate protein, good fats (MUFAs, sometimes PUFAS). Fast metabolism? Something related to the hormones right? Again, there was nothing conclusive in the CT
Also, tachycardia, sometimes palpitation. MDs say it's anxiety, normal ECG
What I'm scared most are the rapid muscle wasting and rapidly growing belly I have.
Abdominal CT accdg to doctor, it's not water retention/ascitis but belly fat, I've been RAPIDLY AGGRESSIVELY losing muscle everywhere, I don't think it's ALS, I can still walk but my TONSILS are virtually gone, my facial muscle, my TONGUE looks atrophied on one side and feels strange, muscle everywhere else is shrinking, neck shrinking, abdominal muscle, arms, legs, thighs, feet, hands;
very FOAMY urine, my last urine test which had abnormal results only has 192 mg/dL protein which is not diagnostic for Nephrotic Syndrome BUT NOTABLY MY CREATININE IS QUITE LOW 0.81 last month, IT USUALLY IS 1.04 (last 2008), COULD THIS BE CREATINURIA??? HOW do you treat that? Kidney ultrasound revealed nothing. I had slightly elevated ALT liver enzyme,
sometimes my stool is pale. Again nothing conclusive in CT. First ultrasound result say just "fatty liver". I also have: hypertension, rapid heart rate. Thyroid is normal. Catecholamines normal. ANA normal. No diabetes. Actually could I have hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia? My random glucose testing after eating yesterday was 89 (60-200)I took D-ribose 2 years ago and at one point I thought I was going to pass out (apprently it lowers blood sugar)
Had 2 bouts of pink eye for I don't know what reason.
Other symptoms:
Rashes on arms, wrist, hands that come and go every other day
Eczema-like scaling above elbows and on neck.
Get itchy feet when I take low dose Vit. D3
I also have this unusual taste at the back of my throat similar to what low-carb people get, like almost a bitter smelly odor which I had when I tried doing the Paleo Diet (low carb). Could this have triggered it? Am I consuming up my protein instead of sugar? But my glucose is always normal and sometimes low even :'(
eGFR, BUN, seem to be all normal/within normal range. CO2 once a bit on lower end of normal range.
What could I be having? Please help :'( Other than Cushing, what else could it be, or the more practical question is what next test should I be asking for to save time and resources? I ask because I no longer have enough money for the testing, I might as well go ask for a head MRI to check the Pituitary and skip the 24hr cortisol test if it's gonna be false negative or inconclusive anyway. I can't die yet, I need to help out my mother and sister financially. PLEASE somebody thank you so much for your time
CURRENTLY TAKING UNDER MD SUPERVISION WITH NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS YET:
CURCUMIN PHYTOSOME
PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE
GAMMA E
LISINOPRIL
ATENOLOL
WHEY
TOOK HMB FOR 10 DAYS.
COQ10
WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD I GET TESTED ON NEXT? I feel like I am running out of time :'(
If I may add one unusual experience, I've also been going to the bathroom too frequently, which never happened before, two-three consecutive bowel movements in the morning, 1 hr or so apart, sometimes paler, a couple of weeks ago it was green in color, looked it up online, it said that bowel movement is faster than normal if it's green (bile). No change in diet whatsoever, no green stuff in previous meals. moderate carbs 150g or less, moderate protein, good fats (MUFAs, sometimes PUFAS). Fast metabolism? Something related to the hormones right? Again, there was nothing conclusive in the CT
Also, tachycardia, sometimes palpitation. MDs say it's anxiety, normal ECG
