Mystery illness - seeking opinions

Rtn87

New member
Mystery illness, should I be tested?

Hi! I guess I am just looking for opinions on whether or not I should seek CF testing. I'm sorry this is so long! Thank you in advance to anyone who can offer some advice.

I've been "sick" on and off for a few years now. As a child I had strep throat A LOT until my tonsils were removed. I was also suspected to have asthma. I don't know how it was decided I didn't. I cleared my throat absolutely constantly but to my knowledge this was not investigated. As a preteen I had a heart murmur that apparently went away and had a couple fainting episodes and was diagnosed with syncope.

I was pretty healthy through my teens and the first couple years of my 20s (I'm 27 now).

Three to four years ago I started developing some strange symptoms that have been unexplained. Chest pain and shortness of breath even when sitting still were my first problems. I sometimes feel like I've ran a marathon (basically panting) sitting at my computer. My chest hurts pretty much every day. It hurts to take a deep breath. I get very short of breath from something as simple as walking around despite having been active my whole life until this started. Pretty exercise intolerant. I had a very deep rattle for a month or so when I was 17 that did go away by itself. More recently (a year or two ago) my doctor treated me with antibiotics for months and months (didn't help) due to a mystery lung infection. I am unable to sleep lying down because I feel smothered and actually slept propped up on my couch for a long time when this first started. I get very dizzy and lightheaded and my heart rate nearly doubles just from standing up. My oxygen levels have not been below 98 and an asthma-type test said I was fine so this hasn't been investigated further though these problems plague me nearly daily. I have heart palpitations and mild mitral valve prolapse. I've also been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea.

I have a lot of digestive issues. I suffer from bouts of what my doctor thinks is gastroparesis. I'm 5'2" and have lost nearly 10 pounds in the last year, from 119 to 109. I haven't weighed this little since before puberty. It started out as vomiting undigested food hours and hours after eating following sulfur burps. That went away for a while but then I started having terrible pain and bloating and an incredible full feeling after eating a small amount of food. It feels like I've swallowed a sack of potatoes and the feeling sometimes lasts up to a whole day. Once I woke up with blood sugar in the 50s because of this before I discovered Ensure. I will sometimes look pregnant after eating a small meal and haven't found any rhyme or reason for it. It hurts very badly. I drink a lot of ensure because I calculated my calories one particularly bad week and realized I could only force down (painfully) about 500 calories of real food a day (this is just when it's bad). I have a terrible time swallowing food and feel that food gets trapped frequently. I do have acid reflux and have stomach erosions and a small hiatal hernia. I also suffer from severe llq abdominal/pelvic pain once every month or two. It lasts between 2 and 12 hours.

Other unexplained symptoms include a chronic low grade fever between 99-99.8 for the past few years (it comes and goes), staph inside my nose, strange neuropathy type symptoms, freezing but sweaty hands and feet (sometimes my toes turn white and numb), and low blood sugar. I also am very "mucousy" and cough and sneeze a lot daily. I have near constant post nasal drip and usually coughing or clearing my throat feels productive. I feel like I have to swallow a lot due to collecting mucus. Hot showers seem to help (if they don't make me super weak and sick first.) I'm extremely fatigued 80% of the time. I'm also (usually) potassium deficient as well as magnesium and vitamin d deficient. My boyfriend is amazing and takes such good care of me. We've been together for five+ years (plus four years as teens) and though we've never tried to become pregnant we haven't tried to avoid it either. I know this could be unrelated but I know fertility is a common issue and we've decided that at least one of us is probably not very fertile. If it's me I guess it could be related.

I was also hospitalized for a couple days this week due to spontaneous pneumomediastinum due to alveolar rupture. The doctor (an older man) said I was only the third case of it he had ever seen. I have slightly suspected CF for a while now, but after doing a little research and reading that CF can cause pneumomediastinum I decided to post here and gather some opinions.

Again, I really want to thank anyone who can offer some insight. The doctor I saw at the hospital referred me to a pulmonologist. My appointment is in two weeks. I'm also seeing my primary care around that time. Should I mention CF? I'm so sick of being sick and I'm desperate for answers. I told my therapist any diagnosis would feel relieving...I just want to know what's going on!
 

Printer

Active member
Yes! Yes! Yes! You should be tested. Your digestive issues is a very big red flag. This along with the lung issues screams out.

Bill
 

Printer

Active member
Tell me which large city you live near and I will get info on the nearest APPROVED CYSTIC FIBROSIS Center and I will get the name of the Director there.

Bill
 

Rtn87

New member
Bill, thank you so much for replying so quickly. Do you think I should see this pulmonologist first? Like I said, I've seen an "asthma" doctor before who said my breathing tests were all normal. I question what this pulmonologist would do differently than the first one I saw.

I live between Nashville and Knoxville in Tennessee.
 

static

New member
I'm not as sold on the CF as printer as it sounds like a multitude of issues but I agree you should get tested to rule it out.

Other than CF specific tests standard tests I would ask for are a glucose tolerance test, mri for a better look at the lungs, and cell counts to detect infections. it depends on how well you advocate for yourself. Hopefully you find some answers soon
 

Printer

Active member
A very large part of my initial CF diagnosis was based upon my digestive issues and that is why I am so concerned. I was also one of the most mis-diagnosed people on this planet.

I am listing two ADULT CF Centers below.

Nashville

Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Bonnie S. Solvis, MD
Director, Adult CF Center
615-322-2386


Knoxville

University of Tenn. Medical Center
Bruce Ludwig, MD
Director, Adult CF Clinic
865-305-5888

Good luck and keep in touch with us.

Bill
 

Printer

Active member
Because I think that your digestive problems are CF related, I would suggest that the CF Specialist is the Doctor you should see first. Talk to him/her about digestive enzymes.

Bill
 

Rtn87

New member
Thank you both so much.

I have had my lungs looked at (x-rayed and I -think- ct scanned) and listened to multiple times along with standard pulmonology tests and everything has always looked fine there. I just don't understand why I'm having so many daily problems breathing if everything seems to be okay at a glance! Though the problems with my lungs are scary nearly daily my GI problems are definitely the bigger issue. I have had a colonoscopy and two endoscopies. The colonoscopy took much longer than anticipated because apparently my bowels are very tortuous.

I'll see what this pulmonologist says and go from there. What's the best way to get them to listen to me? A lot of doctors seem to brush off some of my symptoms. I actually had a doctor tell me nothing was wrong with me and that I needed an anti-depressant. I thought that was absurd. He only saw me briefly and only did a couple tests. :(
 

Rtn87

New member
Bill, I just saw your comment about seeing the CF doctor first. I will call them tomorrow and see what they have to say. I wonder if I need a referral. It has been suggested to me by a physicians assistant that I should just go to a Mayo clinic to figure out what's wrong.

My doctor recently suggested digestive enzymes.
 

Rtn87

New member
I also just ran across something interesting during some research: "In a group of patients referred for evaluation of idiopathic pancreatitis, there was a strong association between mutations in the CFTR gene and pancreatitis." ...My mother was hospitalized for like a month about a year ago with idiopathic pancreatitis.
 

Printer

Active member
Pancreatitis is such an issue with CF, every patient at Boston Children's Hospital, who has pancreatitis, is tested for CF. Unless there is a known reason for your Mother's pancreatitis, she should be tested also.

I am sending you a private message. Look at the top of this page for Notifications.

Bill
 

JustaCFmom

New member
I hope you get your answers. We were lucky because it only took us a year for my daughter to get her diagnosis at age 15; and it was straightforward with a positive sweat test & 2 CF mutations. Case closed.

That being said, my 24 year old son would have taken most of a lifetime to get a diagnosis. He is very athletic and that saved him. His lung functions are around 124% pred FEV1 and they are all pancreatic sufficient, so decent weight. He had been to a pulmonologist when he was in his teens, but nothing came from that.

You definitely want to see a real CF specialist to make sure it is properly ruled out. It is a rare enough condition that most doctors don't really understand it well enough. Even a pulmonologist.
 

Rtn87

New member
I hope you get your answers. We were lucky because it only took us a year for my daughter to get her diagnosis at age 15; and it was straightforward with a positive sweat test & 2 CF mutations. Case closed.

That being said, my 24 year old son would have taken most of a lifetime to get a diagnosis. He is very athletic and that saved him. His lung functions are around 124% pred FEV1 and they are all pancreatic sufficient, so decent weight. He had been to a pulmonologist when he was in his teens, but nothing came from that.

You definitely want to see a real CF specialist to make sure it is properly ruled out. It is a rare enough condition that most doctors don't really understand it well enough. Even a pulmonologist.

Glad your daughter was so easily diagnosed. I know "just knowing" can take so much stress away.

I was wondering if you'd mind sharing a little more information about some of the symptoms your son experienced that led to eventual diagnosis.

Thanks so much for your reply!
 

Rtn87

New member
By the way, I'm pretty convinced I should see a CF specialist at this point. I will call them tomorrow to find out if I need a referral. Thanks again for the support. I'll post updates.

I'm sitting here now with this severe left abdominal pain. Comes on gradually and escalates. Just plain awful.
 

Rickengelage

New member
U could have cystic fibrosis along with CFRD which is diabetes as a complication of cf.
Yes u should get tested pretty soon.

Heart problems could also explain ur fatigue and shit but that doesnt really explain your digestive issues and your lung problems.

Cf however does explain all the symptons.

Im no doc but ive got cf, i do regonize your symptons when i first developed cfrd, i was very fatigued as well.

So get tested, if u have it, u can get treated.
If u dont, keep looking!

All the best
 

Rtn87

New member
I found out Vanderbilt requires a referral. I'm waiting on UT to call me back so hopefully they have better news for me. I'm sort of worried about asking my doctor for the sweat test. She's always been helpful when I felt something needed to be done so I hope this will be the case now. She's out of town but I'll see her the 6th. My pulmonology appointment is the 5th. Fingers are crossed.

U could have cystic fibrosis along with CFRD which is diabetes as a complication of cf.
Yes u should get tested pretty soon.

Heart problems could also explain ur fatigue and shit but that doesnt really explain your digestive issues and your lung problems.

Cf however does explain all the symptons.

Im no doc but ive got cf, i do regonize your symptons when i first developed cfrd, i was very fatigued as well.

So get tested, if u have it, u can get treated.
If u dont, keep looking!

All the best

Thanks for the reply.

Is your blood sugar high with CFRD? Mine is always kind of low. It's rare for it to go above 100. My last HbA1c was 5. That was a year or two ago though. Apparently I have insulin resistance? I don't know.
 

JustaCFmom

New member
Glad your daughter was so easily diagnosed. I know "just knowing" can take so much stress away.

I was wondering if you'd mind sharing a little more information about some of the symptoms your son experienced that led to eventual diagnosis.

Thanks so much for your reply!

My 24 year old son only got diagnosed because of his sister. [She was coughing for over a year.] We screened all our kids once we got the news. His cough went underground once he got into running and cycling. He has run a number of marathons the last few years.

None of my kids have had digestive problems & I hope they never do. I do know that they are more vulnerable to getting pancreatitis because they are "Pancreatic Sufficient". So far their weight and vitamins are OK.
 

jaimers

Super Moderator
I would ask your doctor for a referral and not a sweat test. The sweat test needs to be done by an accredited CF center to be completed and read properly. Unfortunately it's not something most regular pulmonologists do, so it's best for you just to ask for a referral and try to get in with Vandy or UT. Hope you feel better soon!
 

Melissa75

Administrator
If you have hypermobile joints in addition to the issues you described, you might look into Ehler-Danlos Syndrome. It can cause heart issues, pneumomediastinum/pneumothorax and gastrointestinal dysfunction.

Best wishes in your search for answers.
 

kosdancer

Member
I think CF is worth looking into but I'm not sold that it's definitely the answer either. Have you been tested for POTS? Your issues with getting fatigued showering and your heart rate when standing up sound more like POTS to me - I don't know a ton about it, just have a friend with it. I sent her this post and this was her response: "Most Definitely dysautonomia. Could be caused by mito, or autoimmune issues." The fact that your lung function tests have always been normal doesn't really point to CF. Plus gastroparesis isn't super common in CF from what I know. I hope that you get some answers!
 
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