Saturday, December 31, 2011

WHAT IS IT THAT A PERSON NEEDS TO DO, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A LIFE WITHOUT UTTER MISERY BEING IN IT?



I AM SO HURT...BECAUSE I HURT SO BAD, AT TIMES THAT IT MAKES ME FEEL, LIKE i AM DYING! AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY CAN'T THERE BE ANY ANSWERS TO THIS. WHAT IS MAKING IT SO GOSH-DARN DIFFICULT TO GET SOME RELIEF. 
 I AM NOT TRYING TO OR JUST BEING DRAMATIC HERE....DRAMATIC TO ME, IS SOMEONE THAT IS ACTING...AND I AM NOT ACTING..ONE BIT. I WANT TO SCREAM, I AM SO TIRED OF HEARING THAT WORD BEING THROWN AT ME.

ONCE UPON A TIME...THERE WAS A GIRL WHO COULD DO ANY AND EVERYTHING SHE WANTED, BUT IT ALL CHANGED AFTER SHE HAD SURGERY. EVERYTHING HAD COMPLETELY STARTED TO CHANGE...SLOWLY AND HER LIFE DIDN'T EVEN LOOK LOOK ANYTHING LIKE HER LIFE BEFORE, BUT...GOD HAS A WAY OF OPENING OUR EYES AND OUR EARS, TO HEAR. 
IF WE NEED TO BE HUMBLED...HE WILL HUMBLE US, IN WHATEVER WAY NEEDS TO BE DONE.:)


BELOW, IS WHAT SOMEONE ELSE HAD POSTED, ON THE NET...THAT MATCHES MY SYMPTOMS, TO SOME POINT, BUT THERE ARE MORE WHERE HE COME FROM.

I have been having numbness in my left palm, left part of my lips, left side cheek, and in my left hand fingertips. It is not constant, it comes and goes when it likes. It is never all at the same time. today it is my left pinky and ring finger. The other day it was the left side of my lips and my palm. I also get dizzy on occasion, and sometimes see little stars. I have a panic disorder, when I tell doctors this they think the panic disorder sets off the numbness. It is the other way around, the numbness makes me have a panic attack. The numbness has only gotten worse since I got home from Iraq. I am only a 25 year old male, so it makes me worry cause i am so young to be having these problems. Thank you for any help.



I've experienced burning and needle-type skin sensations on various occasions over the years. Sometimes they were very painful, sometimes there were visible effects. With a little research, and a few tests on myself, I was able to pinpoint what was going on with me and it is especially noticeable if i have already a little bit of reddened skin due to sun exposure, and/or on an empty stomach.

My vitamin supplements. Check it out, you'll find that symptoms of overdose and toxidity of many vitamins include skin reactions similar to the ones you're experiencing. If you're taking vitamin supplements, this may be the culprit and you should reexamine just how much are in those little over-the-counter multi-vitamin packets, and whether it's too much for you. Check the RDI/RDA of vitamins, don't trust the DVs (percentage ranks) that are usually found on those friggin' containers. Some of those companies are just nuts with the quantity they put into a single tablet, and this is only compounded if you are taking a mix of vitamin supplements in addition to a multi-vitamin.

If you are not taking supplements, vitamin deficiency, oddly enough, can also result in skin reactions. Too much, too little, a problem.
I began experiancing some stinging pain in my skin in April 2004, age 34. I thought it might have been an over exposure to a chemical called calcium stearate. Any information I find on that suggest it could be, but nothing quit describes my exact symptoms where this prikling feeling can move around my body to any location. Also somtimes its on my chest and back accompanied by redness. But no real rash and no blistering. I began feeling like it might be a nervous disorder, I have almost linked it to strong feelings of anger if I were to say be thinking about some matter and feel note that after I felt it, it was linked to the anger. So I began trying to stop worrying so and be calmer. This almost has seemed to help. I went to a doctor about the exposure to the calcium stearate, he said that it might very well be an allergy and put me on Prednizone and Allegra for about two weeks. This seemed truely to help. My 2nd day off of the prednizone and 4th day off of the allegra I began to feel wosened prickly sensations again, but not yet as bad as before. I cleaned my cargo van thoutougly of the calcium stearate even though the dust basically was spread all around and maybe even in the ventalation, it was a very find white powder. I just didnt know how to deal with it properly when I spilled it. Anyway I'm not totally sure that this calcium stearate is the problem at all. It might be coincidental, I was also having some periods of stress at this time. Also I have been using those hi energy drinks some and plan on stopping that to see if there is an effect. My attack yestarday was a few hours after drinking that "No Fear" hi energy drink. But yes this prickling feeling is not fun, I wish everyone the best of luck on finding out what is wrong. But at times I could swear it was tied to nerves.
Hello.. I too am experiencing extreme burning pain all over my body. It started in Aug 2000 when i was involved in a car accident; i fell down stairs in Dec 2000 and another accident in June 2002. Since these trauma, i have experienced off/on symptoms of burning sensation internally... nothing you can visually see or feel, just pain! From the top of my head at times, my face, arms, legs and bottom of feet. I saw a neurologist and rheumatologist earlier to no avail. I have been told i may have fibromyalgia, but no luck in finding a doctor to treat me for that -- or even one that understands what the disease is or how to treat it. I feel like everyone thinks i am crazy or something! Any ideas of what type of doctor I can try next or treatment will be greatly appreciated.

I have taken Neurontin off/on for two years now.. it worked before, but now seems to make symptoms worse. Help!
akiraah
                                              
I am a 52 yr old female. I have had back injuries, knee and hand (wrist) injuries as well. I noticed after my first back injury I had a strange feeling on my left outer and part of the upper slight top thigh. That also included a tender and burning sensation on the outer skin. The internal feeling was such a strange and funny feeling hard to describe. That side of my thigh was so sensitive it was painful if anyone tried to touch it slightly. I was never able to get it addressed properly because doctors did not know or was sure. So I had to deal with that for years and with some physical therapy. I still have the same problem however it is nothing like what it was for years.
I stated all that because that was the first situation where I experienced the burning on one part of my body. I had a hysterectomy in 1999 after having that I noticed my body would stay internally hot continuously. I could not tell when it was cold outside by feeling. I have not worn a coat since that surgery. I rarely heat my home because when my internal heat and the outer heat came together it was just too much to bear. I spoke to my doctor but no one has been able to address that concern. Most people thought it was menopause. However I have been tested and as of yet have not been told that was the case and neither after testing was I put on any hormones.
Aside from the fact still to this day I do not sweat or anything like that as far as hot flashes are concern. As time went on the internal heat still exist but not as bad but still bad enough that I do not want too much heat because it just caused my skin to feel as if it were burning. I felt as though I was burning from the inside to the outer surface that started about in the spring of 2003, which was not strongly notice then, but it was there. However, I noticed last December I had a red spot on my right lower side of my leg. It was not painful but it was then I notice this burning sensation more. You could touch that red spot with no problem but by the next day the red spot had blistered as if I had been burned with something. Outwardly it still was not painful but you could feel the burning from the inside out. I had not realized until later I had another blister like this but I must have busted it under my clothing and did not realize it. That was the first one. I showed my MD the second blister and he thought that was very unusual and sent me to a dermatologist. I cannot remember the term he used after a biopsy but whatever the case he must of thought it was some type of virus because he started me on an antibiotic for some kind of herpes. He said it would stop the burning but it did not.
 
I than went to another doctor who had an MRI done and found I had three herniated disc among other things wrong in my spine and neck and stated I had neuropathy. She said that I had nerve damage that was causing this burning. I told her it gets so bad that it feels as though my blood is boiling but she said that is my nerves. In the mean while this burning has started to intensify. It got to the point I can feel this burning and this feeling of my blood boiling while I sleep and heavily sedated. I am tried of being looked at and dealt with like I am crazy. I have been having a hard time having someone to address my concerns. I go to the doctors and they continue to say nothing is wrong and they do not take all the test that should be done. Neither do they accept test results because for years they have constantly fought me each time I try to address my medical conditions so I can function as a whole person.
 I just wanted to know why I was burning. I was so upset because these doctors think I am crazy. In the meanwhile this burning is getting worse. I am also getting sharp needling pain in my inner thigh stretching across my private area from time to time and even down my legs. My whole body burns including my face neck, back and arms, the areas that have been injured. I need air to blow on me most of the time. Now if I were to get chilled the goose bumps you get when you are cold becomes painful with the burning. I seem to need the motion and a little cool to be able to endure. It seems my problem is graduating from one level of severity to another.
I do not know how serious this is and my doctors have to be writing something negative about me in my files because when I allow access to my records to travel with me from one doctor to another and my job they already have me prejudged and I do not get the proper care. I do not know where to turn and because I basically look healthy no one believes me. My weight is out of control and it is not due to being an over eater. I can't seem to lose the weight. I'm fatigue and weak all the time. I have now developed dark circles around my eyes and as long as my test results come back normal these doctors will only see you as crazy and try to put you on medicine for a mental state of being. And that is not it. I live a lone and I must provide for myself and I seem to be getting sicker and sicker by the minute because I can no longer address my concerns in the way I need because I think my medical record are tainted and why because if doctors don't know and don't want to admit they don't know they will say it's in our minds and try to put you on all sorts of drugs you may not need.
At least, I know that I have been given some of the strongest narcotics and THEY DON'T WORK! After a while, you can't help from feeling discourage among other things. My life seems to be wasting with these issues and sleep aptima. I am tired and the rest is a true issue. I can't get sleep, because this burning keeps me up and the sleep aptima keeps me too active. I'm a mess. Also there are not many you can talk to without people not understanding you are not a chronic complainer, you're just seeking and hoping to find the solution.
So please, if someone knows what this could be or can direct me to the kind of doctor who takes their practice serious enough then there might be hope for all of us. But how do you find that doctor who will help us, if they don't try to really find the root of the problem? Thank you so much for reading this and what ever help u can provide, for us that are suffering.
burnie
                                              
Hello,
I was self diagnoised with type 2 diabetes about 5 years ago after undegoing extensive testing for gastro problems. My symptoms were chronic nausea especially early morning and would go away sometimes after my daily vomiting routine was over. Never the less I was suffering everyday like pregnant women with bad morning sickness. When I informed my doctor of my findings, the same doctor who treated my grandfather for diabetes he put me on glucontrol and my symptoms got considerably better in a short time. My blood sugar was at 675 when found. Over the past 7 months I have been suffering with a tremendeous amount of burning all over my body. It comes and goes at certain times of the day. When it comes on the first symptom is the skin feels cold to touch very cold. And then this stinging burning(like sunburned)pain spreads all over. Its almost always in my legs and feet with numbness additionally. Covers the chest, back of neck, shoulders, hips and lower belly area as well as the happy organs. I have been to a neurologist who said it is neuropathy. He prescribed Neurontin 900 mgs daily which does absolutely nothing to relieve the pain. However I developed thoughts of suicide while taking it and stopped it completely. Mentally all is okay now however I am in a bunch of pain still. The doctor has prescribed oxycodone which takes the pain away but has made me dependent. I would love to find out why this happening to me so I can stop medicines and live again. Maybe its some alergy. Thanks for listening.
                        
I have had the burning skin sensations since Sept 2004. It started in the clavical area on the left side of my neck and spread to the back of my neck. I was treated for shingles and was treated with Valtrex. It didn't help. Now burning has spread all over my face,arms and neck and left hand. It also is on legs and left foot. I have had so many blood tests to rule out lupus, RA, MS, etc. all of which cause burning. Rheumatologist wonders if it is drug-induced lupus, but all the blood tests for lupus were negative. Do have a positive ANA, but that is the only blood test that came out positive. I am on neurontin - 3 pills x 2 times a day. Also, rheumatolgist prescrived peroxican 20 mgs daily (NSAID). None of these seem to help the burning. Skin turns red when I get the burning really bad. Went to ER once and they told me to say away from anything with niacin in it (was taking silver centrum and stopped that). In fact, my internist took me off all drugs and all vitamins except for synthroid which I have to take daily. Also still taking neurontin and peroxicam, but like I said they don't help. My rheumatologist is concerned that I continued burning  and could have damaged, my nerve endings if not controlled. I am very concerned about this too. So far, I have seen my internist, neurologist and rheumatologist, but I wonder if this could be endocrinology related. My internist also wonders, if my body is producing too much histamine and had me taking a urine sample (over 24 hour period) and turn it into the lab. Did that yesterday, and it will take some time to find out.

Does anyone have any idea what causes this awful burning. I have it all the time and it is so bad, sometimes.

Thanks.,
alpinevalley       

Carrie67


                                             
To: Burnie and Everyone
I have been having a burning sensation for the last year also. It started in September of 2003 Labor Day weekend where my face when numb and then this burning like sensation would come over me. I had a EEG done last November came out negative,had a MRI done on my head in February of this year and have had a MRI of the sinus done in October all came out normal. Now the burning sensation has done down to my legs and feet. Right now as I type this my feet are burning and so are the calfs. The back of my head and ears are burning also. The doctor has put me on Neurontin 600mg two to three times a day and if worked for about a month but now the burning is getting worse. I have had blood test also and everything came out normal. I feel fine except for this. I am also on previcid for acid reflex. I hope that someone can give me an answer of what this is and if this is treatable or curable.I would just like a diagnosis and to know that this is not life threating. I have an 8 year old girl and a 3 year old boy and want to see them grow up and have children of there own. I lost both my parents very young my dad age 51 to cancer and my mom age 57 to a blood clot in the lung. Can anyone just tell me if this is deadly. PLEASE.
Thank you for listening and I hope we all get better soon.
Carrie67

(WOW...THIS ONE, SOUNDS A LOT LIKE ME)<3 Karen



I thought, I was the only one that posted @ having almost symptoms that match. I wonder, if this person get knots that come up on the face, but inside or around the temple area? I woke up this morning with another ONE, then another one came up behind my ear. They seem to come and go like my symptoms change, but this KNOT, is no ordinary pimple and after it has been on my face or wherever for a little while, it feels as if, some kind of head forms on top (yuck, gross) ...THIS feelss like something else, but WHAT?

I never know what kind of day, I am going to have, but try to always stay positive and pray to The Lord that He will keep me around a little while longer, if possible, so I can be there for my kids and my parents. It is time for them to need me! 

This stuff that is going on in my body is bad and really challenging to me... I know, there must be others and they have found this and I hope they respond. I decided to NOT give up and to keep searching for anyone, who can give me some kind of lead to what in the world THIS IS. I am hurting all over this morning like something is terribly wrong and i just want to get WELL...that is all I want.:((
God knows, ALL I want is to get well and to be able to do the things I once done...like SING.:))<3

I am concerned a lot @ the (VA) Venous Anomally, in the back side of my head. (Docs lingo 4 it, is the left cerebullar hemisphere) It is behind my left ear that feels funny a lot and I do have what is called an empty sella. It does feel, like that is where it is originating, but I may be wrong. 
I get these knots everywhere...on the top of my head too, especially where, I was hit on top of the head, when I was in an accident after a friend of mind, hit something in the road. I hit my head on the top of the car...hard and I could have a contusion of some kind. It is possible that I could have a subdural hematoma, but I pray not.
 
I am having all of this strange numbness, burning, veins feel like they hurt, LEGS kill me everyday and keep me from being able to stand for the cramps in my knees and feet. It seems to be in all of my joints like the knees, elbows, ankles and wrists, but also the muscles cramp up so bad any area it chooses fit, to pick...etc..

The symptoms seem to change and move, but it can cause these "episodes", I call them, but they are very frustrating and debilitating and the docs come up with Fibro...this is something besides that bc my skin is affected with these tiny little pimples or boils that could come up anywhere. I have experienced places where my muscles are just depleted and it was like they were sculpted away, carved and IT, felt like it too.:(

I get this strange feeling behind my left ear that fills full and swollen. The left side of my face will draw down like I am having a stroke and only the left side feels this numbness and of course, the whole left side of my body. I have had one stronger episode than, any others.

I went completely paralyzed on my whole left side @ 5 or 6 mos. ago and I couldn't MOVE anything on that side at all. It felt like someone was holding them down and I had no control. WHAT caused that to happen? In @ 30minutes, I could move.

I have so many symptoms of nausea, weakness, fatigue, sensitivity to light, blurry vision to where I can't see 10 inches in front of my face, eye pain, jaw pain, arm pain(left), muscle cramps and these knots, under the skin that HURT. THey swell up in that area, like some giant knot under the skin. I have sinus problems, vitamin D deficient, pre-diabetic, cholesterol is elevated...no high(247) and my Triglycerides(250). My hemoglobin was 97 and Alkaline phosphatase was high enough and Iron, Serum levels and so many other things. I can't remember anything these days and have to write everything down to keep up with it. This is why there is SOOO much here. If I have to reflect upon it, for any reason...I will have it.(another bad symptom, my memory IS going, going...almost gone, BUT I am trying to hold on:)..so, if I repeat anything, u will know why.:P

A lab professional talked to me, on the phone, for over 2 hrs. and told me that she thought it was my Thyroid, but then settle in on a Bacterial, maybe some kind of....yeast...hmm? So, this is all I can think of this morning to search for answers again, since I can't stay on the computer long b4, my eyes start hurting. I will get a symptom's flair, so I limit my time.

 Oh, I have been dx'd with Degenerative Disk Disease, but it hasn't been proven and I was only told that by one Nuerosurgen. The one that did, my surgery (ACD & F-spinal diskectomy of my C5-C6). He also said I had a Chiari Malformation(later to be discovered, it was tonsilar ectopia. Another is Spndylosis, which I found to be bad, I do have a right fractured rib that I didn't even know I had until it was brought up, by a doc and it made me feel like how would I not know my rib is fractured. Wouldn't it hurt all the time? I know that I have back problems too, so I can understand some pain, but this is BAD... It is something stacked on top of the disk herniations that I have. I need to find out what this is, if it could be serious enough, to possibly...kill me, especially if this is some deep-rooted  kind of Bacterial infection that has gone on, for TOO long.:((
ALL I WANT TO KNOW IS WHAT THIS IS???? This is ONE of the most painful phenomenons anyone canever experience, close to death that is.:(( I believe this is "H" on earth and a curse for anyone to deal with, but that is what I think, because I have to get through it myself and it is soo real and hard. It is trying to take my mind with it, I think...but I won't surrender that easily.:P 
IF, I could just find the right Doc that could HELP me fix this or at least get through it...anything is better, than what I am going through now!

No one should ever have to endure such pain, on a daily basis, for so long and can't even find a decent Doc to relieve it from me. IT is abslutely horrific to feel these painful knots that I have all over my body, even every muslce in my body has these in them and I am losing the use of my arms and legs.:((( What can a person do @ these monsters that come into ur life and utterly destroy it, from the inside out!?!? God Bless all of u, who are suffering with this debilitating disease...WHATEVER IT IS.:)<3 K




Pain is a humbling experience.Here we vent our frustations to therapeutically deal with our situation. Some of us deal with so much pain that we feel down and depressed from it, but if we would focus our minds on The Lord, He will help us through our days.:)))<3 K

Sunday, December 18, 2011

VITAMIN D THE ROOT OF INFECTIONS AND OF AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS

INFECTIONS AND VITAMIN D AS THE CAUSE OFAUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS




Yersinia in blood smear - CDC
Yersinia in blood smear - CDC
Research suggests that treating underlying infections and vitamin D receptor dysfunction may benefit and even reverse a number of autoimmune disorders.
For several decades researchers have known that mutations and other causes of dysfunction to the vitamin D receptor are routinely seen in a number of autoimmune disorders, particularly Graves’ disease and multiple sclerosis. Because low vitamin D levels are seen in many of the autoimmune disorders that are more common in women, including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, researchers have studied the vitamin D receptor, particularly the receptor expressed in the human cycling endometrium.
In a related line of study, researchers at the Autoimmunity Research Foundation report that scientists have identified a common intracellular bacterial infection as the cause of many chronic diseases, including those considered autoimmune as well as other idiopathic conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis, (CFS/ME), fibromyalgia, sarcoidosis and post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). The role of vitamin D regulator dysfunction in perpetuating chronic bacterial infection has led to further research showing that correcting the infection and receptor dysregulation is key to treating autoimmune diseases.

The Vitamin D Receptor

To cause their intended effects, hormones and drugs attach to and activate protein receptors that reside on cells. For vitamin D to perform its intended functions, it must activate the vitamin D receptors found in the nucleus of cells located throughout the body. Besides its role in maintaining adequate blood levels of vitamin D, the vitamin D receptor controls expression of various antimicrobial peptides that offer natural protection against infection.
Cordova Medical Clinic Vitamin D Deficiency Testing Low Vitamin D Linked To Obesity www.cordovamedical.com
Osteoporosis Exercises Increase Bone Density Levels With These 3 Simple Exercises. Start Now StayingFit.com
When the vitamin D receptor is dysregulated and no longer functioning properly, these peptides aren't produced and the innate immune response is compromised. This invariably leads to a chronic infection that contributes furhter to the vitamin D receptor dysregulation, which, in turn, causes the infection to persist. In addition, this dysregulation can prevent the normal breakdown of 1,25-OH vitamin D by metabolic enzymes. When present in high levels, 1,25-OH vitamin D binds the alpha and beta thyroid receptors, the glucocorticoid receptor and the androgen receptor, thereby displacing the hormones that normally react with these receptors and causing hormonal imbalances and endocrine disorders.
Amy Proal and her team at Georgetown University have found that if triiodothyronine (T3) is displaced, patients may develop thyroiditis. Because these receptors also express multiple types of antimicrobial peptides, production of these naturally occurring antibiotics declines even further, which allows infections to take hold. When levels of 1,25-OH remain elevated, conversion to the biologically active 25-OH vitamin D3 is impaired, and, consequently, 25-OH vitamin D3 levels decline. Because women have an extra vitamin D receptor in the endometrium, they’re more likely to have low production of antimicrobial peptides, higher bacterial loads (notably in pregnancy when levels of 1,25-OH vitamin D typically rise by 40 percent), and increased susceptibility to autoimmune disorders. This also explains why some autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus tend to worsen or emerge during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Linking Infection, Vitamin D, and Autoimmune Disease

The initial dysfunction in the vitamin D receptor leads to low levels of antimicrobial peptides and chronic infection. In addition, patients with vitamin D receptor dysfunction are susceptible to additional infections. The infections contribute to further vitamin D receptor dysregulation, causing low levels of vitamin D, reduced innate immune system function, and susceptibility to autoimmune disease.
Evidence from several studies indicates that a number of autoimmune diseases can be reversed by gradually restoring function of the vitamin D receptor. Studies show that vitamin D receptor function can be restored with the vitamin D receptor agonist drug olmesartan and long-term low doses of certain antibiotics. To date, diseases showing favorable responses to this treatment include systemic lupus erythematosis, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, sarcoidosis, Sjogren’s syndrome, autoimmune thyroid disease, psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter’s syndrome, type 1 and II diabetes mellitus, and uveitis. When using this type of treatment vitamin D supplementation needs to be limited in an effort to avoid vitamin D's contribution to dysfunction of nuclear receptors, which could lead to further imbalances in endocrine and immune function.

Sources

Proal, A; Albert, P; and TG Marshall. “Dysregulation of the vitamin D nuclear receptor may contribute to the higher prevalence of some autoimmune diseases in women.” Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 2009 Sep; 1173: 252-259.
Waterhouse, J; Perez T; and PJ Albert. “Reversing bacteria-induced vitamin D receptor dysfunction is key to autoimmune disease,” Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 2009 Sep; 1173:757-765.










Pain is a humbling experience.Here we vent our frustations to therapeutically deal with our situation. Some of us deal with so much pain that we feel down and depressed from it, but if we would focus our minds on The Lord, He will help us through our days.:)))<3 K

Thursday, December 1, 2011

I THINK, I STRUCK GOLD HERE...IN A DIAGNOSIS THAT IS!

I REALLY BELIEVE I HAVE FOUND MY ANSWER....FINALLY. WELL, IT IS THE CLOSEST THING SO FAR THAT I HAVE COME ACROSS THAT THE SYMPTOMS MATCH ACCORDINGLY.  ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY!!!!

NOW, I KNOW WHY EVERYONE DIDN'T WANT ME TO DO ANY RESEARCH NOW. I CAN SEE AFTER U FIND SOMETHING THAT EXPLAINS WHAT U HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH...EVERYTHING MATCHES...IT MATCHES UP WITH EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN FEELING, IN DETAIL. IT CAN BE SCARY AND IT HITS U LIKE A BRICK UPSIDE THE HEAD.

IT IS SO SCARY TO FEEL LIKE U HAVE REALLY FOUND THE ANSWER...AND DONE IT URSELF.  WELL, WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO HERE, JUST NOT TRY TO FIND ANY LEAD ON WHAT THIS IS? DO I WANT TO WIND UP LIKE THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE DEALING WITH SOMETHING SERIOUS, LIKE I KNOW I AM....AND JUST NOT DO ANYTHING @ IT?

DO I JUST LAY HERE DAY AFTER DAY AND LOOK UP AT THE CIELING AND KEEP PLAYING CONNECT THE DOTS. NO....I HAVE TO FIGHT FOR MY LIFE OR I FEEL, I WON'T HAVE ONE. SERIOUSLY, WHEN IS ANYONE GOING TO TAKE ME SERIOUSLY. I AM TIRED...NO, I AM PAST TIRED. I AM SO WEIRY THAT I HAVE TO LOOK OR I AM GOIN TO GO CRAZY. I KNOW, SOME OF U WOULD SAY THAT I HAVE ALREADY OFF MY ROCKER, BUT NO, I AM JUST DOWN AND IT HAS BEEN REALLY HARD. I AM TRYING TO GET BACK INTO LIFE...AND WITH GOD'S HELP...I WILL.:)

 I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A FIGHTER AND WHY SHOULD I STOP NOW? WHY SHOULD I NOT  RESEARCH to FIND CLUES? AT LEAST , IT IS COMFORTING TO KNOW THAT I CAN ASK QUESTIONS @ THIS TO OTHERS, WHO ARE DEALING WITH SOME OF THE SAME ISSUES....
IT IS A WORD THAT I CAN'T PRONOUNC RIGHT NOW AND SINCERELY HOPE THAT I NEVER HAVE TO, BUT THE FACTS ARE THE FACTS AND I WOULD RATHER FACE THEM, THAN TO JUST LAY HERE AND DO ABSOLUTELY NOTING @ IT.
WE HAVE TO BE AWARE AND BE ABLE TO GIVE THE DOC SOME KIND OF IDEA , OF WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH.
I KNOW, WHAT I HAVE OR DEALING WITH IS SEVERE AND IT IS A PROBLEM .
I AM FACING SOME SERIOUS ISSUES EACH AND EVERYDAY AND I HAVE FOR A LONG TIME(6YRS.)!! U DARN RIGHT, I AM GOING TO FIGHT..SO, I CAN LIVE AGAIN. :)
READ BELOW AND THAT IS THE DX...THAT I AM EXPECTING TO GET. 

THIS IS A PIC OF THE THYROID AND THE ADRENALS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HORMONES.

BELOW IS THE DIAGNOSIS THAT I FOUND TO BE THE GOLD I STRUCK. ALTHOUGH, I REALLY DON'T THINK, IT IS WORTH ANYTHING..WELL, NOTHING BUT "H" ON EARTH. HERE'S THE TITLE (PHEOCHROMOCYTOMA) AND AN EXPLANATION OF IT WITH SYMPTOMS.


Adrenal Gland Disorders
From The Merck Manual

Adrenal Gland Disorders

The body has two adrenal glands, one near the top of each kidney. The inner part (medulla) of the adrenal glands secretes hormones such as adrenaline (epinephrine) that affect blood pressure, heart rate, sweating, and other activities also regulated by the sympathetic nervous system. The outer part (cortex) secretes many different hormones, including corticosteroids(cortisone-like hormones), androgens(male hormones), and mineralocorticoids, which control blood pressure and the levels of salt and potassium in the body.
The adrenal glands are part of a complex system that produces interacting hormones. The hypothalamus produces corticotropin-releasing hormone, triggering the pituitary gland to secrete corticotropin, which regulates the production ofcorticosteroidsby the adrenal glands. Adrenal glands may stop functioning when either the pituitary orhypothalamus fails to produce sufficient amounts of the appropriate hormones. Underproduction or overproduction of any adrenal hormones can lead to serious illness.

Underactive Adrenal Glands

Addison's disease (adrenocortical insufficiency) results when underactive adrenal glands produce insufficient amounts ofcorticosteroids.
Addison's disease affects about 4 out of every 100,000 people. The disease can strike at any age and affects males and females about equally. In 30 percent of people with Addison's disease, the adrenal glands are destroyed by a cancer, amyloidosis, an infection such as tuberculosis, or another identifiable disease. In the other 70 percent, the cause isn't known for certain, but scientists strongly suspect the adrenal glands are destroyed by an autoimmune reaction.
The adrenal glands are also suppressed in people who take corticosteroidssuch as prednisone. Ordinarily, the dose of corticosteroidsis tapered slowly before the drug is stopped completely. When corticosteroidsare stopped suddenly after being taken for a month or more, the adrenal glands may be unable to producecorticosteroidsin sufficient amounts for several weeks or even months, depending on the dose ofcorticosteroidsand the duration of treatment. Certain other drugs, such as ketoconazole taken to treat fungal infections, can also block the natural production ofcorticosteroids, resulting in a deficiency.
Corticosteroiddeficiency can lead to many problems. For example, when corticosteroidsare lacking, the body excretes large amounts of sodium and retains potassium, leading to low levels of sodium and high levels of potassium in the blood. The kidneys aren't able to concentrate urine, so when a person with acorticosteroiddeficiency drinks too much water or loses too much sodium, the blood level of sodium falls. Inability to concentrate urine ultimately causes the person to urinate excessively and become dehydrated. Severe dehydration and a low sodium level reduce blood volume and can culminate in shock.
corticosteroiddeficiency also leads to an extreme sensitivity to insulin, a hormone normally present in the blood, so that the blood sugar levels may fall dangerously low. The deficiency prevents the body from manufacturing carbohydrates from protein, fighting infections, or healing wounds very well. Muscles weaken, and even the heart can become weak and unable to pump blood adequately.
To compensate for a deficiency of corticosteroids, the pituitary gland produces more corticotropin, thehormone that normally stimulates the adrenal glands. Since corticotropin also affects melanin production, people with Addison's disease often develop a dark pigmentation of the skin and the lining of the mouth. The excessive pigmentation usually occurs in patches. Even people with dark skin can develop excessive pigmentation, although the change may be hard to recognize. Excessive pigmentation doesn't occur when adrenal insufficiency is caused by pituitary orhypothalamus insufficiency, conditions in which the basic problem is a deficiency of corticotropin.

Symptoms

Soon after developing Addison's disease, a person feels weak, tired, and dizzy when standing up after sitting or lying down. The skin becomes dark; this darkness may seem like tanning, but it appears on both sun-exposed and nonexposed areas. Black freckles may develop over the forehead, face, and shoulders; a bluish-black discoloration may develop around the nipples, lips, mouth, rectum, scrotum, or vagina. Most people lose weight, become dehydrated, have no appetite, and develop muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Many become unable to tolerate cold. Unless the disease is severe, symptoms tend to become apparent only during times of stress.
If the disease isn't treated, severe abdominal pains, profound weakness, extremely low blood pressure, kidney failure, and shock may occur, especially if the body is subjected to stress such as an injury, surgery, or severe infection. Death may quickly follow.

Diagnosis

Because the symptoms may start slowly and be subtle, and because no single laboratory test is definitive, doctors often don't suspect Addison's disease at the outset. Sometimes a major stress, such as an accident, operation, or serious illness, makes the symptoms more obvious and precipitates a crisis.
Blood tests may show a lack of corticosteroids, especially cortisol, as well as low sodium and high potassium levels. Measures of kidney function, such as tests for blood urea nitrogen and creatinine, usually indicate that the kidneys aren't working well. Corticosteroid levels, usually tested after an injection of corticotropin (a challenge test), can help the doctor distinguish adrenal gland insufficiency from pituitary gland insufficiency. When it is the latter, an injection of corticotropin-releasing hormone reveals whether the cause of the problem ishypothalamus insufficiency.

Treatment

Regardless of the cause, Addison's diseasecan be life-threatening and must be treated first with corticosteroids. Usually treatment can be started with prednisone taken orally. However, people who are severely ill may be given cortisol intravenously at first and then prednisone tablets. Most people with Addison's disease also need to take 1 or 2 tablets of fludrocortisone every day to help restore the body's normal excretion of sodium and potassium. Fludrocortisone can eventually be reduced or discontinued in some people; however, they will need to take prednisone every day for the rest of their lives. Larger doses of prednisone may be needed when the body is stressed, especially from an illness. Although treatment must be continued for life, the outlook for a normal life span is excellent.

Overactive Adrenal Glands

The adrenal glands can produce too much of one or more hormones. Changes in the adrenal glands themselves or overstimulation by the pituitary gland may be the cause. The symptoms and treatment depend on which hormones--androgenic steroids,corticosteroids, or aldosterone--are being overproduced.

Overproduction of Androgenic Steroids

Overproduction of androgenic steroids (testosterone and similar hormones) is a condition that leads to virilization, the development of exaggerated masculine characteristics in either men or women.
Mild overproduction of androgensis common but may lead only to increased hair growth (hirsutism). True virilizing disease is rare, affecting only about 1 or 2 of every 100,000 women. The incidence of virilizing disease in men is almost impossible to guess.

Symptoms

Signs of virilization include hairiness of the face and body, baldness, acne, deepening of the voice, and increased muscularity. In women, the uterus shrinks, the clitoris enlarges, the breasts become smaller, and normal menstruation stops. Both men and women may experience an increased sex drive.

Diagnosis

The combination of body changes makes virilization relatively easy for a doctor to recognize. A test can determine the level of androgenic steroids in the urine. If the level is high, the dexamethasone suppression test can help determine whether the problem is a cancer, a noncancerous tumor (adenoma), or an enlargement of the hormone-producing portions of the adrenal cortex (adrenal hyperplasia). With this test, thecorticosteroiddexamethasone is given orally. If the problem is adrenal hyperplasia, dexamethasone prevents the adrenal glands from producing androgenic steroids. If the problem is an adenoma or cancer of the adrenal glands, dexamethasone reduces androgenic steroid production only partially or not at all. The doctor may also order acomputed tomography (CT) ormagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to obtain a view of the adrenal glands.

Treatment

Androgen-producing adenomas and adrenal cancers are usually treated by surgically removing the adrenal gland. For adrenal hyperplasia, small amounts ofcorticosteroidssuch as dexamethasone generally reduce the production of androgenic steroids, but these drugs may also cause symptoms of Cushing's syndrome if too large a dose is given.

Overproduction of Corticosteroids

Overexposure to corticosteroids, whether from overproduction by the adrenal glands or from administration of excessive amounts by a doctor, results inCushing's syndrome.
An abnormality in the pituitary gland, such as a tumor, can cause the pituitary to produce large amounts of corticotropin, the hormone that controls the adrenal glands. Pituitary tumors that overproduce corticotropin occur in about 6 in every 1 million people. Small-cell carcinoma in the lung and some other tumors outside the pituitary gland can produce corticotropin as well (a condition calledectopic corticotropin syndrome). This is the most common cause of excessive adrenal cortical function, found in at least 10 percent of people with small-cell carcinoma in the lung, a common type of tumor.
Sometimes the adrenal gland produces excessive corticosteroidseven when corticotropin levels are low, usually when abenign tumor (adenoma) has developed in the adrenal gland. Benign tumors of the adrenal cortex are extremely common; half of all people have them by the age of 70. Only a small fraction of these benign tumors are active; the incidence of adenomas causing disease is about 2 in every 1 million people. Cancerous tumors of the adrenal cortex are equally common, but cancers causing endocrine disease are quite rare.

Symptoms

Because corticosteroidsalter the amount and distribution of body fat, a person withCushing's syndrome usually has a large, round face (moon face). Excessive fat develops throughout the torso and may be particularly noticeable at the top of the back (buffalo hump). Fingers, hands, and feet are usually slender in proportion to the thickened trunk. Muscles lose their bulk, leading to weakness. The skin becomes thin, bruises easily, and heals poorly when bruised or cut. Purple streaks that look like stretch marks may develop over the abdomen.
High corticosteroidlevels over time raise the blood pressure, weaken bones (osteoporosis), and diminish resistance to infections. The risk of developing kidney stones and diabetes is increased, and mental disturbances, including depression and hallucinations, may occur. Women with Cushing's syndrome usually have an irregular menstrual cycle. Children who have the condition grow slowly and remain short. In some people, the adrenal glands also produce large amounts of androgenic steroids, leading to increased facial and body hair, balding, and an increased sex drive.

Diagnosis

Doctors who suspect Cushing's syndrome after observing the symptoms measure the blood level ofcortisol, the main corticosteroidhormone. Normally,cortisol levels are high in the morning and decrease during the day. In people who have Cushing's syndrome, cortisol levels are very high in the morning and don't decrease late in the day as would be expected. Measuringcortisol in the urine can be useful because tests performed a few hours apart can indicate how muchcortisol has been produced in that time.
If the cortisol levels are high, the doctor may recommend a dexamethasone suppression test. The test is based on the ability of dexamethasone to suppress the pituitary gland, thereby reducing adrenal gland stimulation. First a urine sample is tested forcortisol. Then dexamethasone is given, andcortisol levels are measured in another sample of urine. If the Cushing's syndrome is caused by pituitary stimulation, the level ofcortisol will fall; if the Cushing's syndrome is caused by stimulation from a nonpituitary source of corticotropin or an adrenal tumor, the urinarycortisol level will remain high.
Results of a dexamethasone suppression test may not be clear-cut. Other laboratory tests may be needed to help determine the precise cause of the syndrome. These tests may be followed by a computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the pituitary or adrenal glands and by a chest x-ray or CT scan of the lungs.

Treatment

Treatment is directed at the pituitary or adrenal gland depending on the source of the problem. Surgery or radiation therapy may be needed to remove or destroy a pituitary tumor. Adenomas of the adrenal gland can often be removed surgically. Both adrenal glands may have to be removed if these treatments aren't effective or if no tumor is present. Any person who has had both adrenal glands removed, and many people who have had part of their adrenal glands removed, must take corticosteroids for life.
Some 5 to 10 percent of the people who have both adrenal adrenal glands removed develop Nelson's syndrome. In this condition, the pituitary gland enlarges, producing large amounts of corticotropin and other hormones such as beta-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, which darkens the skin. If necessary, Nelson's syndrome can be treated with radiation or surgical removal of the pituitary gland.

Overproduction of Aldosterone

Overproduction of aldosterone (hyperaldosteronism) by the adrenal glands is a condition that affects the blood levels of sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, and chloride, leading to high blood pressure, weakness, and, rarely, periods of paralysis.
Aldosterone, a hormone produced and secreted by the adrenal glands, signals the kidney to excrete less sodium and more potassium. Aldosterone production is regulated partly by corticotropin in the pituitary and partly by a control mechanism in the kidneys (the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system). Renin, an enzyme produced in the kidneys, controls the activation of the hormone angiotensin, which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce aldosterone.
Hyperaldosteronism can be caused by a tumor (usually noncancerous) in the adrenal gland (a condition called Conn's syndrome). Sometimes hyperaldosteronism is a response to certain diseases. For example, the adrenal glands secrete large amounts of aldosterone if the blood pressure is very high or if the artery that carries blood to the kidneys is narrowed.

Symptoms

High levels of aldosterone can lead to low levels of potassium, causing weakness, tingling, muscle spasms, and paralysis. The nervous system may not function properly. Some people become extremely thirsty and urinate frequently, and some experience personality changes.
Symptoms of hyperaldosteronism are also associated with eating licorice, which contains a chemical very similar to aldosterone. In rare cases, people who eat a great deal of candy with real licorice flavoring may develop all the symptoms of hyperaldosteronism.

Diagnosis and Treatment

A doctor who suspects that high blood pressure or related symptoms are caused by hyperaldosteronism may measure the sodium and potassium levels in the blood. The doctor may also measure aldosterone levels and, if they're high, may prescribe spironolactone, a drug that blocks the action of aldosterone, to see if the levels return to normal. Other tests generally aren't needed.
When too much aldosterone is being produced, doctors examine the adrenal glands for an adenoma or cancer. While a computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan can be helpful, exploratory surgery is often necessary. If a growth is found, it can usually be removed. When a simple adenoma is removed, blood pressure returns to normal and other symptoms disappear about 70 percent of the time. If no tumor is found and the entire gland is overactive, partial removal of the adrenal glands may not control high blood pressure and complete removal will produce adrenal insufficiency, requiring treatment for the rest of the person's life. However, spironolactone can usually control the symptoms, and drugs for high blood pressure are readily available. Rarely do both adrenal glands have to be removed.

Pheochromocytoma

A pheochromocytoma is a tumor that originates from the adrenal gland's chromaffin cells, causing overproduction of catecholamines, powerful hormones that induce high blood pressure and other symptoms.
With about 20 percent of pheochromocytomas, chromaffin cells grow outside their normal location in the adrenal glands. Only 5 percent of pheochromocytomas that grow within the adrenal glands are cancerous, but 30 percent of those outside the adrenal glands are cancerous. Pheochromocytomas occur in fewer than 1 in 1,000 people. They may occur in men or women at any age, but they're most common between ages 30 and 60.
Pheochromocytomas are usually very small. They rarely cause symptoms from pressure or obstruction and usually can't be felt by a doctor. However, even a small pheochromocytoma can produce a substantial amount of potent catecholamines, which causes many symptoms. The catecholamines include hormones such as adrenaline (epinephrine), norepinephrine, dopamine, and dopa, all of which stimulate high blood pressure. Catecholamines also trigger other symptoms usually associated with threatening situations that inspire panic attacks.
Some people who develop pheochromocytomas have a rare inherited condition, multiple endocrine neoplasia, that makes them prone to tumors in various endocrine glands, such as thethyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands. Pheochromocytomas may also develop in people who have von Hippel-Lindau disease, in which blood vessels grow abnormally and form benign tumors (hemangiomas), and in those who have neurofibromatosis (von Recklinghausen's disease), in which fleshy tumors grow on nerves.

Symptoms

The most prominent symptom of a pheochromocytoma is high blood pressure, which may be very severe. In about 50 percent of the people, the high blood pressure is persistent. In the rest, the high blood pressure and other symptoms come and go, sometimes triggered by pressure on the tumor, massage, medication (especially anesthesia and beta-blocking drugs), emotional trauma, and on rare occasions the simple act of urination. Other symptoms include any or all of the following: a fast and pounding heart rate, excessive sweating, light-headedness when standing, rapid breathing, flushing, cold and clammy skin, severe headaches, chest and stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, tingling fingers, constipation, and an odd sense of impending doom. When these symptoms appear suddenly and forcefully, they can feel like a panic attack.

Diagnosis

A doctor may not suspect a pheochromocytoma because almost half the people have no symptoms other than persistent high blood pressure. However, when high blood pressure occurs in a young person, comes and goes, or accompanies other symptoms of pheochromocytoma, the doctor may request certain laboratory tests. For example, the level of certain catecholamines may be measured in urine samples.
Tests such as a computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) scan can help locate the pheochromocytoma. A test using injected radioactive chemicals that tend to accumulate in pheochromocytomas is also useful. A scan is then performed to see where the radioactive chemicals are.

Treatment

Usually the best treatment is to remove the pheochromocytoma. Surgery is often delayed, however, until a doctor can bring the tumor's secretion of catecholamines under control with medication, because having high levels of catecholamines can be dangerous during surgery. Phenoxybenzamine and propranolol are generally given together, and metyrosine or additional drugs are often needed to control blood pressure.
If the pheochromocytoma is a cancer that has spread, chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dacarbazine may help slow the tumor's growth. The dangerous effects of the excess catecholamines secreted by the tumor can often be blocked by continuing to take phenoxybenzamine and propranolol.


TAKE CARE AND GOD BLESS ALL...ALWAYS.))<3 Karen
VISIT:   http://www.cushings-help.com/adrenal_glands.htm







Pain is a humbling experience.Here we vent our frustations to therapeutically deal with our situation. Some of us deal with so much pain that we feel down and depressed from it, but if we would focus our minds on The Lord, He will help us through our days.:)))<3 K

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

What is ur story?..Here is some of mine...

THIS PLACE IS DEDICATED TO ALL OF US WHO ARE SUFFERING OUT THERE. I WANTED TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE we WOULD FEEL HOME AND WHERE we COULD EXPRESS our FEELINGS @ THE PAIN THAT LIVES IN OUR LIVES.

                                                     WHAT IS UR STORY?
                                 U TELL ME URS...AND I WILL TELL U MINE.:)))

I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START.
I HAVE BEEN THROUGH A PERILOUS JOURNEY , WHILE LAYING IN MY BED.
THE AMOUNT OF PAIN THAT ANYONE  CAN FEEL IN THE BODY IS TREMENDOUS...AND ALL I WANT IS ANSWERS.
ALL I WANT IS TO KNOW, IS WHAT HAS ME AND WHAT SHOULD I DO GET IT AWAY AND OUT OF MY LIFE. ALL I WANT IS TO BE ME AND NOT IN SO MUCH PAIN THAT i HOLLAR AND MOAN. I HATE THIS. I AM SO SICK OF BEING SICK.
WE ALL WANT TO BE BETTER, BUT I AM NOT GETTING ANSWERS...NO, I AM GETTING DOCTORS SARCASM INSTEAD. IT IS TOTALLY UNCALLED FOR TO A DOCTOR TO BE SO SARCASTIC TO ME.  IF A DOCTOR CAN'T PUT ALL FOOLISHNESS ASIDE, LONG ENOUGH TO FOCUS ON TRYING TO HELP THE PATIENT, THEN HE IS NOT PROFESSIONAL AND TO ME, THEY ARE JUST THERE BASICALLY TO GET THE MONEY FROM ANY TESTS THAT THEY ORDER(just a true thought, but forgive me 4 saying).
THE WAY I  SEE IT, WHEN A DOCTOR CAN ACTUALLY SAY COMMENTs TO U THAT ARE UNCALLED FOR, IT MAKES U THINK, WHY ARE THEY EVEN A DOCTOR, IF THEY CAN'T BE SERIOUS @ WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEIR PATIENTS.
THIS IS WHAT MY LAST NEUROLOGIST SAID TO ME,"WELL, I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE LEPROSY, BUT YOU COULD POSSIBLY HAVE A PROSTATE PROBLEM." ...WHAT DID HE SAY???? I LOOKED DOWN AFTERWARD AND WAS GETTING MADDER BY THE MINUTE...WELL, SECOND. I RAISED MY HEAD AND SAID, "I DON'T KNOW, HAVE U LOOKED?" HE EVEN HAD THE NERVE TO TELL ME TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT IN 10WEEKS....10WEEKS??? IS HE 4 REAL? I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THIS IS, NOT TAKE FOREVER AND HAVE INSULTS THROWED AT ME TOO...U KNOW?
I JUST AM IRATE BECAUSE, AFTER I HAD TO TRAVEL FOR 2 HOURS AND AS I SAT IN THIS DOCTORS OFFICE FOR ANOTHER HOUR...THEN, AFTER I FINALLY GOT INTO HIS LITTLE ROOM AND WAITED ANOTHER 45 MINUTES..I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHEN HE STAYED ONLY 10 MIN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS KILLING ME OR WHAT FEELS LIKE IT IS KILLING ME.
WELL, GUYS..THAT IS JUST A PIECE OF MY LONG LONG STORY FROM A SURGERY OF AN ACD & F SPINAL DISKECTOMY OF MY C5-C6.
LEAVE ME WITH A COMMENT OF UR STORY AND I WILL GET BACK AND I AM SURE OTHERS THAT HAVE STORIES OF THEIR PAIN.
GOD BLESS ALL...ALWAYS.:)))<3 Karen