My Symptoms

MY SYMPTOMS:

2011-June 2014

• Nausea – comes and goes. I am learning to ignore it somewhat.
• Regular muscle twitching – random – mostly legs, shoulders, back
• Constant muscle cramping in legs – painful knots behind shoulder blades & down ribcage
• Headaches – caused by neck instability and muscle cramping
• Constant deep muscle pain and weakness – currently taking Cymbalta 60mg to help with pain control.  Feel like I bruise easily.
• Muscle weakness unresponsive to extensive physiotherapy
• Joint pain and hypermobility – particularly in hips and thumb joints
• Debilitating fatigue
• Severe lack of physical endurance.  Standing, walking and sitting particularly difficult. I sit to shower, have a stool for kitchen work.  I avoid the few stairs in our home.  Tasks like hanging laundry, washing my hair are exhausting.  I need regular rest breaks during the day.
• Insomnia – sleep study showed brain alertness and continuous arousals during sleep
• Night sweats – almost nightly - some nights worse than others
• Bruised look under my eyes almost daily, regardless of sleep or lack thereof
• Hips initially affected most, shoulders flare up and down.  About 1.5 years ago thumbs became increasingly weak and painful inside joint & now require bracing.  In the last 4 months my ribs have become affected.  Chiropractic and taping help with keeping ribs and shoulders in place somewhat.  My husband adjusts my shoulders several times a day.
• Swelling flare-ups behind the knees – feels like fluid lumps – worse on left side
• Recently (past month) trouble with getting satisfying breath.  Feels like pressure on my chest, pushing down on lungs so it is hard to breathe properly.  I am struggling to breathe and talking is exhausting.  Increasing exhaustion – dozing during the day.  Coughing up phlem, chest x-ray clear.  Awaiting functional testing on lungs.
• Recent plugged ears – sounds are muffled.  Ears pop randomly.
• Jaw pain – swelling on the left side of joint.
• Constantly thirsty – unexplained sore throat
• Alcohol seems to increase in effect in my body, caffeine makes me feel unwell and dehydrated
• Diet appears to help somewhat.  I have found it helpful to stick to whole, unprocessed foods – high protein and follow a high alkaline diet as much as possible.  Berries, natural yogurt, spinach, eggs, quinoa, salads, protein & vitamin/mineral smoothies, extra vitamin C.  When I am very strict on my diet I appear to have slightly higher energy levels.
• Naturopath found higher than normal levels of lead and mercury in my body.  He also found I was able to absorb unusually high amounts of vitamin C before getting diarrhea…
• Bowen therapy helps for muscle pain.  I also use heat packs, hot tub, cold packs, TENS machine