A few problems

[destrekor]

Alright, well my last thread here was about my eyes I think - had some severe dryness and discomfort.
Well, after an antibiotic/steroid combo eye drop, it made significant progress, but the dry eyes (specifically right eye, which the drops were only that eye) has persisted, even with artificial tear drops (Bausche & Lomb Soothe, preservative-free vials - like them better than Alcon's version, which leaves an oily film that seems to make it worse).

For one, I don't think this should persist, as while I'm a regular contact wearer (rarely all day, at most a few hours a couple times a day, glasses when home). It was never like this. I have somewhat dry eyes by nature I'd say, but this is terrible. Wearing contacts at this point is almost a bear, right eye is just blurry. Even without contacts, the eye most often is pretty blurry, sometimes ever-so-slightly double vision, where everything overlaps very closely like there is a blurry shadow all around text.

This has been going on for over 6 weeks.

However, this lasting how long it has - has got my hypochondriac mind thinking a little deeper.

I've had back and neck aches for almost this entire school year. Even with a lot of ibuprofen or naproxen, that just knocks off the edge but the discomfort is still kind of there. I mean, it can be impossible to actually feel like I'm sitting in a comfortable position, even lying down. Sometimes the lower back is worse, sometimes its the neck.

Just recently, maybe in the past few days but definitely more pronounced today - my right big toe has started going numb.

Now, all of these could be completely separate - could just be the back needs alignment, and my eyes - for whatever reason - just continue to be dry. It most likely is, but it feels like my body is trying to tell me something.

I've always been one to feel like my neck constantly needs to be cracked, and my back at times. But this school year, both just turned a different direction. I don't think I did anything.

In order of "symptoms" appearing:
back and neck ache/discomfort
very dry eyes
big toe on right foot is numb

And as a footnote, as this could just be my mind wishing to push blame onto something else rather than take responsibility, I've had kind of a general apathy towards mostly everything. Even with some things going down in my life (school) lately, I just cannot get myself to change attitude and change my ways.
Inattentiveness (could be diagnosed mild ADD), and procrastination are also issues. Those have been around for a long time though. Procrastination basically my whole life, but I don't really remember having ADD symptoms until about high school. Probably when I just started getting pretty lazy. Those I can almost guarantee are just me being me.

But something relatively new, is energy level issues. I just have a lot of trouble getting a lot of energy, and I can be pretty lethargic at times, but generally just feel tired a lot of the day, on quite a few days.

But everything else, if lumped together, really kind of strike me as odd. I know my body very well, and this is pretty much not normal.

Am I just being a crazy hypochondriac, and just need a visit to a chiropractic center or a physical therapist? Or, is there something deeper at play that I really need to be worried about?


-edit-
UPDATE:
Is it Sjogren's Syndrome or Systemic Lupus, both, or am I blowing things out of proportion?

Actual updated content is the wall of text further down in the thread. Well, second wall of text, in an easier to digest style.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Let me start with saying: the eyes seem like a legitimate issue that has some sort of basis. The other things I would say are the expression of stress/anxiety, lack of exercise, and poor posture. In working with physical therapists, we find patients with chronic back and neck pain. Patients think it needs to be cracked to be fixed when in reality, it can be fixed by reestablishing the muscular balance. This can either be due to a strong front of the body or due to overall lack of use. I would suggest getting active - get on a workout regime, go row, do pullups, etc. You can go about it many ways depending on what you like best, but you need to strengthen your back muscles and improve your posture.

Also, how does your diet look and how has it changed since your energy levels dipped? Energy levels are very reliant on sleep and diet (along with exercise habits). If I eat like crap, I feel like crap. I have no energy, am lethargic, and have an overall lack of drive. This is a common problem nowadays with people who don't take care of themselves. I remember my brother had lethargy problems when he had some extra weight and was eating a lot of fast food. When he lost that weight and honed in his diet though, his energy levels took a complete 180.

These are problems that can be fixed without consulting a professional and I can guarantee they will help you in one way, shape, or form. The big toe numbness may be due to a pinched nerve caused by a knot in your back (however I don't know the nerve anatomy to tell you for sure. Someone who has taken anatomy can say for sure). The knot is often the manifestation of anxiety and stress so it seems that also learning how to relax a little bit may also help. It's never easy, but it's essential to being healthy.

 

[StageLeft]

I am losing a quart of blood an hour. What is it? Should I see a doctor or just let it heal?

Jokes aside, neck and back pain have a multitude of causes. If you have no trauma or excess weight or age, I bet the back is either poor posture over a long period of time or stress. Neck pain is very commonly associated with stress. I didn't realize that until quite recently, but now when I feel neck pain I actually use it as a flag that I'm under stress I didn't realize; it's an early warning sign. Feels very irritating, right at the neck where my skull joins.

Whether you need a pro or not I agree with socialchallenge on sorting out some imbalances in your body, I think it can pay huge dividends. I'm convinced that a lot of people live with pain, often substantial, for long periods of time that can be solved by often minor things in their life. Personally, I had intense wrist and then lowerback discomfort during my 20's, the first caused by poor computer posture and the second mostly by sleeping on my stomach. These were bad, I thought I had done damage and would have pain forever, but low and behold, I solved them and they've not recurred since.

 

[fenrir]

In my case, I had lower back pain, which then I noticed my big toe was feeling numb, and I kept putting it off and not going to the doctor. I let it go a few months and when I finally was seriously considering seeing a doctor because the numbness had moved into my foot and right side of my calf, then it all went to hell. I woke up with severe back pain, tried to get out of bed, ended up on the floor for a while, and ended up going to the emergency room. I had a severely herniated disc in my lower back that was pressing on the nerves.

When I did see a specialist, he asked me to lift my foot and toes towards the ceiling and with one finger he could push my foot down and I could not stop it. I did not realize how bad it had gotten and how serious it was until that point when he explained that I could have permanent damage.

This of course, may not even relate to you. I mention it because things can get serious quickly if you ignore them. Go see a doctor about the toe and back pain. Constant lower back pain and the big toe going numb should cause them some concern.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: fenrir
In my case, I had lower back pain, which then I noticed my big toe was feeling numb, and I kept putting it off and not going to the doctor. I let it go a few months and when I finally was seriously considering seeing a doctor because the numbness had moved into my foot and right side of my calf, then it all went to hell. I woke up with severe back pain, tried to get out of bed, ended up on the floor for a while, and ended up going to the emergency room. I had a severely herniated disc in my lower back that was pressing on the nerves.

When I did see a specialist, he asked me to lift my foot and toes towards the ceiling and with one finger he could push my foot down and I could not stop it. I did not realize how bad it had gotten and how serious it was until that point when he explained that I could have permanent damage.

This of course, may not even relate to you. I mention it because things can get serious quickly if you ignore them. Go see a doctor about the toe and back pain. Constant lower back pain and the big toe going numb should cause them some concern.

Yeah my dad has been having back problems and multiple back surgeries for a disk. I've probably inherited his back problems, but jesus... at 21 years old, it just seems really early to have spine problems already.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: destrekor

Originally posted by: fenrir
In my case, I had lower back pain, which then I noticed my big toe was feeling numb, and I kept putting it off and not going to the doctor. I let it go a few months and when I finally was seriously considering seeing a doctor because the numbness had moved into my foot and right side of my calf, then it all went to hell. I woke up with severe back pain, tried to get out of bed, ended up on the floor for a while, and ended up going to the emergency room. I had a severely herniated disc in my lower back that was pressing on the nerves.

When I did see a specialist, he asked me to lift my foot and toes towards the ceiling and with one finger he could push my foot down and I could not stop it. I did not realize how bad it had gotten and how serious it was until that point when he explained that I could have permanent damage.

This of course, may not even relate to you. I mention it because things can get serious quickly if you ignore them. Go see a doctor about the toe and back pain. Constant lower back pain and the big toe going numb should cause them some concern.

Yeah my dad has been having back problems and multiple back surgeries for a disk. I've probably inherited his back problems, but jesus... at 21 years old, it just seems really early to have spine problems already.

And rare if you don't remember an instance of injury. Is it your lower or upper back that hurts?

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: destrekor

Originally posted by: fenrir
In my case, I had lower back pain, which then I noticed my big toe was feeling numb, and I kept putting it off and not going to the doctor. I let it go a few months and when I finally was seriously considering seeing a doctor because the numbness had moved into my foot and right side of my calf, then it all went to hell. I woke up with severe back pain, tried to get out of bed, ended up on the floor for a while, and ended up going to the emergency room. I had a severely herniated disc in my lower back that was pressing on the nerves.

When I did see a specialist, he asked me to lift my foot and toes towards the ceiling and with one finger he could push my foot down and I could not stop it. I did not realize how bad it had gotten and how serious it was until that point when he explained that I could have permanent damage.

This of course, may not even relate to you. I mention it because things can get serious quickly if you ignore them. Go see a doctor about the toe and back pain. Constant lower back pain and the big toe going numb should cause them some concern.

Yeah my dad has been having back problems and multiple back surgeries for a disk. I've probably inherited his back problems, but jesus... at 21 years old, it just seems really early to have spine problems already.

And rare if you don't remember an instance of injury. Is it your lower or upper back that hurts?

It's my neck, and I'd say mid to lower back. And I guess I should say that it doesn't "hurt", but always feels extremely uncomfortable, and bothersome. Sometimes its more of an ache than other days, although my neck it's pretty consistent without NSAIDs.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

That uncomfortable feeling leads me to believe it's moreso what I said than a damaged disc or anything. Those often incur a great deal of pain or impairment in function. Discomfort is more of a postural and muscle imbalance problem. Also are you dieting without being on an exercise program? That could be a bad idea if you don't wanna lose muscle mass. Read the fat loss sticky if you are trying to lose weight.

 

[Kipper]

This is obviously weighing on you mentally, and that added cognitive load can't possibly help. I think it's time you did your round of physicians...numbness and blurry vision are not to be messed with. If anything, for the mental peace of mind. It doesn't NEED to be done, but I have a full blood panel run every year. It may be pointless but at the very least, it builds a medical history, vital for diagnosis if problems arise down the line.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged
That uncomfortable feeling leads me to believe it's moreso what I said than a damaged disc or anything. Those often incur a great deal of pain or impairment in function. Discomfort is more of a postural and muscle imbalance problem. Also are you dieting without being on an exercise program? That could be a bad idea if you don't wanna lose muscle mass. Read the fat loss sticky if you are trying to lose weight.

Well, I work out 5 days a week, and am about 5'11" and 165lbs. I actually should work on gaining weight.
But I'm a hard gainer, muscle mass is incredibly hard to gain but I tone very well. My body was made to be sleek I guess.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

I can comment on the dry eyes issue as I also wear contacts. Make an appointment to see your optometrist as a different type of lens and/or solution may help. I switched to Focus Night & Days and Panasept (saline, HCL and water) after experiencing dry eyes and it's worked well for me.

Your environment also affects your eyes - dry indoor air is the worst, so if you are in a library or classroom for long periods of time, get outside for regular breaks.

It's hard to know if the other symptoms are separate or related. As for the energy levels, are there other things in your life not going well at the moment besides school - relationship or family issues? It might help to see a doctor to rule out depression.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: InflatableBuddha
I can comment on the dry eyes issue as I also wear contacts. Make an appointment to see your optometrist as a different type of lens and/or solution may help. I switched to Focus Night & Days and Panasept (saline, HCL and water) after experiencing dry eyes and it's worked well for me.

Your environment also affects your eyes - dry indoor air is the worst, so if you are in a library or classroom for long periods of time, get outside for regular breaks.

It's hard to know if the other symptoms are separate or related. As for the energy levels, are there other things in your life not going well at the moment besides school - relationship or family issues? It might help to see a doctor to rule out depression.

Well, as far the eyes... it just seems weird to be able to wear contacts for a handful of years, and then all of a sudden have major problems. I'm currently on my second or third box of the same lenses, and it wasn't until this episode that I had severe dry eyes (with possible, but not confirmed, infection, about 2 weeks into the problems).

I've seen an eye doctor a few times already, had antibiotic/steroid drops, and they switched me to artificial tears and ointment at night. Helped, but recently seems to be bad again, though at my vision isn't as bad, just very dry.

Environment hasn't changed one bit while I've been at school. I've had dry eyes for sure, most likely all my life, or a long time at least, but I could wear contacts. Now, a sudden switch and it can be a bear to wear contacts - hell, it's rough even just keeping my glasses on all day and using artificial tears, which is what I've been doing for the past few weeks.

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Originally posted by: destrekor

Originally posted by: InflatableBuddha
I can comment on the dry eyes issue as I also wear contacts. Make an appointment to see your optometrist as a different type of lens and/or solution may help. I switched to Focus Night & Days and Panasept (saline, HCL and water) after experiencing dry eyes and it's worked well for me.

Your environment also affects your eyes - dry indoor air is the worst, so if you are in a library or classroom for long periods of time, get outside for regular breaks.

It's hard to know if the other symptoms are separate or related. As for the energy levels, are there other things in your life not going well at the moment besides school - relationship or family issues? It might help to see a doctor to rule out depression.

Well, as far the eyes... it just seems weird to be able to wear contacts for a handful of years, and then all of a sudden have major problems. I'm currently on my second or third box of the same lenses, and it wasn't until this episode that I had severe dry eyes (with possible, but not confirmed, infection, about 2 weeks into the problems).

I've seen an eye doctor a few times already, had antibiotic/steroid drops, and they switched me to artificial tears and ointment at night. Helped, but recently seems to be bad again, though at my vision isn't as bad, just very dry.

Environment hasn't changed one bit while I've been at school. I've had dry eyes for sure, most likely all my life, or a long time at least, but I could wear contacts. Now, a sudden switch and it can be a bear to wear contacts - hell, it's rough even just keeping my glasses on all day and using artificial tears, which is what I've been doing for the past few weeks.

Well, not common, but I have had friends who have developed problems with their contacts after a few years (might be improper care though, who knows).

What type of lenses do you wear? Since I switched to Night & Days about 5 years ago, I almost never have dry eye problems like I used to. These lenses are far more breathable. See if you can get some trial pairs for these or something similar from your eye doctor.

Also, try changing solutions to one with fewer chemicals. I used Alcon Opti-Free when I was traveling and it worked very well. Artificial tears and ointment are good, but sometimes changing the basic components (lenses and solution) can be more effective.

Do you have allergies? If you don't know, get tested (I came up negative a few years ago). I may have to do this again as I noticed just this weekend that my eyes were dry at first, and then itchy, and I was congested at night. The weather just got warm and sunny where I live and I may have developed an allergy. Today though, it's raining and my eyes are fine again.

 

[destrekor]

Thought I'd update.

First, my mom has even suggested that my eye problems could be due to a new allergy. I know allergies can pop up whenever, it just seems to strange. When I go back home this summer I'm going to look into new contacts, but the fact that I haven't been wearing contacts (less than a handful of times, for less than a few hours each time, over the past 5 weeks), seems to suggest the problem isn't rooted in the contacts. I know there are more comfortable contacts out there for people with eyes more dry than normal, and I'll query my optometrist about them, but this seems like something else. Might be allergies, and today seems to suggest that might be the case - ran outside this morning, with nice weather, probably high pollen count too, and my eyes are rather dry. I do know I have some seasonal allergies, but never have they effected my eyes to the level of the past month.

But, as for the rest...

scheduled a visit to a campus physician. Based on my description, she doesn't seem to think it was a lumbar disk issue, so the numb toe being connected to my back aches isn't a strong possibility, unless it is something else.
I had some blood tests and x-rays taken today. At the least, I guess this is supposed to make it more acceptable to the insurance company to have an MRI scheduled, since other tests will have been done. Also will be scheduling physical therapy sessions, half for that reason, and half in case the issues are more muscle related and can be worked out.

Otherwise, I am hoping either the PT sessions improve the back/neck, or the x-rays show something that can be worked on. I am kind of hoping the x-rays don't show anything, because the doctor was saying that since it doesn't appear to be bone issues, the only things that would show up on the x-ray would be vertebrae spacing, or tumors/cancer, and vertebra spacing shouldn't be an issue at my age, so that mostly leaves cancer. It would certainly be a result that provides an actual root to the problems, but that'd be a terrible path to go down. That, and I am lacking a lot of the neurological symptoms of spinal cancer.

One of the blood tests is looking for signs of a type of arthritis of the spine that apparently leaves traces in the blood. Either way, the doctor will let me know the results Thursday or Friday, and I plan to schedule a PT session for Wednesday to get that process started. At least it might help loosen up some of the muscles, which I think might be some of the issues, if not all.

 

[eits]

see a good chiropractor

 

[destrekor]

Update:

I've had approx 7 or so physical therapy sessions over the course of 3(ish) weeks. No relief. Hell, it seemed some of the exercises I had to go through worsened symptoms or produced quite a bit of discomfort/aching (i don't like using the word pain unless its like a shooting pain) in areas I don't normally have any problems, if I ever did. However, the electro stimulation that was used after each visit provided some great relief for a few hours up to the rest of the day, except toward the end of the day if it did last awhile. The last two sessions we did ultrasounds on my back, with the first one producing an awesome feeling of relief of discomfort in that region and as a result really provided some added alertness. Though, that feeling quickly disappeared toward the end of the day.
So, basically - no relief was found. The exercises I was given will give me some feeling of accomplishing something, but nothing goes away, and sometimes produces discomfort in my lower back which normally isn't there. Neck discomfort was persistent through all of this (though we focused on relief on mid-back for the most part). Numb toe still there, but I think it may not be related, but possibility is still there.

However, I am really starting to think my eye problems are connected, and that is providing some more worry as I've come to find some issues that encompass all of that.
SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) and Sjogren's Syndrome.
Worry comes from the fact that both are problems that plague for life, and both are instant career killers, ending any possibility of getting my commission as an Army officer.

But dry eyes (one is far worse than the other, though both are essentially dryer than they were over 2 months ago, and never were they not dryer than most, as contacts have always been a problem of drying out after not even lengthy periods of wear), neck ache, back ache, pretty much head aches constantly (could be from the neck discomfort, could be separate), my knuckles will sometimes feel, well.... wrong, not pain but worse than discomfort, and my right wrist has quite often produced an aching/sharp pain that causes me to drop what I'm trying to do with it and try and work it out. Recently, and I think I've felt it before in my life, I've felt something strange in my knees, and while it could be mental, it's noticeable whatever it is.

I've had other things earlier in my life two. When I was around 17, for two months I had a terrible headache that lasted 2 months, as time went by in that time it diminished slowly to more of a nagging but with effort almost ignorable. In the first week the body was achy and my neck was stiff, had a fever that jumped from true fever to almost a hypothermic fever (dipped as low as around 96.5, my normal temp is around 97.7) and I still felt just like it was a normal fever but more cold waves than hot. Second week in, the fever disappeared and neck stiffness disappeared I think, but head ache was still terrible. That diminished over the next 6 weeks.

My whole life basically, I've been plagued with sinus infections. Pretty much an annual occurrence, sometimes twice in a year and then one the next year.

Earlier in childhood (13-14ish?) I had experienced what I can really only describe as similar to a heart attack. Had sharp shooting pains in my chest where my heart is, somewhat cramp-like but that might be the wrong description, but I remember clearly at the time I would describe it like a knife was being jabbed into me, and I'd add to that now that it was also at the same time like someone was grabbing something inside while stabbing. It brought me down whenever it happened, either to me knees or I had to sit down and grab at my chest, just waiting for it to go away. Never felt anything in my arm or anywhere else, only in that heart region. That had happened twice, maybe 3 times around that age.

But regardless, some of these may just be anomalies of the body versus anything connected. But with what I'm going through, and what has happened before, worries me about what it might all mean. I know lupus flares, but I think sjogren's syndrome is steady. Worse though, is those with SLE sometimes have secondary Sjogren's.
And worse, is diagnosing these can be a lengthy process. Thankfully I have a strong memory of what has happened in the past, which can help with any diagnosis should further testing reveal deeper symptoms (kidneys, lungs, heart).

I most certainly hope I don't have any of this, but I'm going to try and get a follow up with the physician I saw down here at school, and I'll be back home from school next week so I'm going to schedule a thorough physical if possible with my regular physician. Hopefully I can get either doctor to get some blood and urine analysis done, and see if any of my past can be connected. My end goal is at least knocking out lupus, sjogren's syndrome, RA, and cancer, out of the equation, so that at least I feel more at ease with progressing in my officer training without it all being a waste of time. That's my big worry. I have a major assessment camp coming up in a few weeks, and I'm going to feel extremely depressed if I endure that, do well, and then get diagnosed with a career-killer. Sadly, just a month and a half of total diagnostic procedures (what I've had done and might have done soon) doesn't sound like a lot of time to diagnose something as tricky as lupus if it does end up being that. Half the worry isn't just me wasting my time and effort at camp, but also the time of everyone around me. Why have me get multiple assessments, which takes the time away from others, including those running camp and the assessments that are active duty officers.

I'm definitely a little bit of a hypochondriac as my mom has pointed out on a few occasions, and in this case, I'd definitely still end up being looked at as a hypochondriac than as someone who was right. I mean, I feel like I know my body and I know something is wrong. A few months shy of 22, I don't feel like I should be experiencing non-symptomatic body aches constantly - that would be a very inefficient body. And hell, NSAIDs do jack shit, and I know people who have pretty strong arthritis pains that NSAIDs completely mask. I wish I could get that benefit. I mean, NSAIDs do knock down pain, help with headaches, but 800mg of ibuprofen so far never significantly knocks down the back and neck aches.

And I'm feeling really down, as I'm really worried that at the best, I likely have sjogren's syndrome. It causes the glands to release less fluid, specifically in the eyes and mouth. Generally drier eyes, but all of a sudden (stated earlier, 2 months and running) far worse than usual, causing very blurry vision in my right eye. My mouth, well I never really felt I had significant dry mouth, but one thing that I've seen stated everywhere, is a feeling that you need to drink something constantly to hydrate the mouth/throat, especially with eating dry food. With reading other things, that's leading me to believe that might not actually be normal like I thought it was. My whole life I've had a problem with cavities, and mouth ulcers are pretty common, not like a weekly thing but it seems to be really frequent.

The one thing that makes me feel a little more at ease is that fact that lupus is rare with men, but my life knows rarity well. I have color deficiency, because my mom has it. Rare for women, and sons of an afflicted woman are guaranteed to have it.

Sigh. Guess the first step is to get a follow up and do some serious hoping that I'm just connecting fictitious dots and nothing career-killing is wrong with me. Because while I have foregone any assistance from the medical community for ADD (would be nice for school work to get meds, admittedly, but only for that) so that I don't have to deal with the potential issue of losing my chance to commission, when it comes to physical problems and not something like issues of the mind, I want my body to be in good shape. I'd rather lose my commission than suffer from untreated serious disorders that not only leave myself at serious risk, but more importantly putting others under my command at risk at any moment. (and yes, I'd argue that ADD is actually awesome when it comes to military, at least a minor case like I probably have).

lengthy post, but I kind of wanted to relieve some stress/worry, but also update the whole back/neck ache thing. First steps in figuring it out have resulted in nothing, now moving on with more pressing worries.

 

[eits]

i didn't read all of that... cliffs pls.

also, go see a chiropractor if you hadn't already. all i read was that three weeks of trial care from the pt didn't help you.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: eits
i didn't read all of that... cliffs pls.

also, go see a chiropractor if you hadn't already. all i read was that three weeks of trial care from the pt didn't help you.

cliffs... sigh

alright, here's a go at that...

-----------------

I am worried I may have an autoimmune disorder, specifically leaning on Sjogren's Syndrome, with a possibility of Sjogren's being secondary to Systemic Lupus.

Autoimmune disorders are strange in how many can get different symptoms, and varying degrees

Stranger is if my worry proves accurate, I would be of a typical age to experience the onset (especially if tracing back varying issues I've had before, of what could have been simply previous flares), however, the male to female ratio for basically both of those specific autoimmune syndromes are about 1:9.

My worry might just be me connecting dots of completely unrelated problems that are plaguing me, and admittedly, some might just be stress/anxiety related, though I seriously doubt that for the majority of the symptoms.

Here's a run down of all symptoms I am currently experiencing, and in general order of onset for the ones that stood out:
- Back discomfort/ache (let's say roughly 9 months)
- Neck discomfort/ache (same as above)
- Dry eyes (going on 3 months)
- Partially numb right big toe (maybe a little more than one month)

Now some details: (can skip if desired, I'll star the important ones, and the next section)

- Back ache is about mid-back, maybe a bit lower. Physical therapist noticed left back postural muscle region is a little larger bulge than she normally sees in right-hand-dominant individuals. Quite possibly posture related. I am a college student after all.

- Neck problems, well... hard to describe focus.

* - Dry eyes. Okay, I've always had slightly drier eyes than the average person I'd say, but this was basically a dramatic overnight change. Might have had an underlying infection in the right eye, but the left eye tagged along for the extra-dry ride. Antibacterial/Steroid drops improved it at first, but it ended up persisting. Eye has remained quite red, even with artificial tears, and definitively blurs my vision. Left right sees normal, but drier than it ever was.

- Partially Numb right big toe. Well, can't really describe that any further. No change in footwear to account for that either.


****
Now some additional things that I've kind of started to connect the dots:

- Sometimes, especially during physical exertion (running, for instance), I'll feel like I'm struggling a bit to really get the amount of air I, or my body, feels like it should be getting. I'll exaggerate a breath to try and make it as deep as possible to try and get that extra bit, and when I can, it helps. But there is a noticeable tightness in my chest when I do that.

- I've ignored it before, but my right wrist has given me noticeable pain for quite a while in my life. I'll hold it and try and rotate the pain out, to some success on some occasions, other times it has persisted to the point that I may have to stop doing something if I am at that time doing something with my right wrist (pushups, for instance). Not always actually doing anything when it starts to bother me. It's very sporadic, but always in the same area as far back as I can remember accurately.

- My knees will sometimes have a very dull but perceptible sharp ache, more pronounced when climbing stairs. This is fairly recent as far as I can recall. May have just ignored it prior to the past month or two.

- Additionally, sometimes, more rarely though, I'd get a perceptible discomfort in ankles or elbows, but this is probably stretching it.
- Reason I say that, is because for as long as I can remember, there has always been a feeling of urgent need to "crack" just about every bone that I could. I'd get a discomfort or ache and need to crack it. Could do it with my ankle, knees required some luck, neck and back (or had my mom walk on it to crack the persistent deep ones). But my wrists and definitely all my knuckles have always plagued me.

--------
Now the reason I stated all that? Because autoimmune disorders can hit the organs, but specifically some can create a type of arthritis, and specifically skeletal muscles around the joints. Back and neck could be fine joint wise, but it could be the muscles surrounding them.

Oh, and two other things:
I've always felt like I need to constantly drink something. I sip on something all day long, these days always water. Wherever I go, I've made it a habit to carry water with me when possible, and I fear being without water. Otherwise I chew gum. I've never thought I had super dry mouth, but it might be drier as I feel my throat can dry up or at least starts to choke me up a bit that I don't feel comfortable talking until I've had a sip or two. Could be a mental block of some sort, or a hold over from constantly sipping on pop all day.
That definitely worsens when I am working out. During ROTC training, they'll always try and push me not to drink, saying it isn't necessary and a weakness (eh?), but if I'm exerting myself, I get very dry mouth. And I'm not dehydrated, at least if I am something is seriously wrong considering I drink at least 50% more on a daily basis than would normally be required.

Granted, I consume caffeine and that is a diuretic. I try and drink extra water, and considering I'm physically active, also consume sports drinks, with the mindset that I know I'm pushing out more water than I should be due to the caffeine. And I definitely push out a lot. I urinate pretty frequently I'd say, but likely not shockingly so unless it makes sense according to the amount of caffeine/fluid intake recently.

And on that note... something else has come to my attention, but I may be misinterpreting it. Urine isn't supposed to foam. I've always taken it as, there's a certain distance down to the water, and a certain velocity. It makes some big bubbles in the toilet, but I can't discern if that's normal dynamics or a little beyond what it should be. Definitely noteworthy, is the amount of "foam", and how long it lasts before it disappears, it based on how much of a diuretic effect I am experiencing at that time. Later in the day when the caffeine starts pushing out water, coupled with how much water I've consumed, it tends to have that impact.
- Key point to that? Supposedly that represents protein in the urine, which isn't supposed to happen. Like I said, I may be misinterpreting the degree of foaminess, and hopefully. I don't want renal problems. But that's a potential symptom of autoimmune syndromes. More weight added to the worry.

Argh, still lengthy. I can't break it down any further without completely killing the point I am trying to convey. Especially with symptoms of autoimmune disorders, which are difficult to diagnose due to symptoms matching just about everything else that can go wrong with the body, at least on outward appearance and description. I'm going to try and get some internal analysis.
I definitely fear I may have Sjogren's, which is what would plague the eyes and mouth. If it's primary, it can also be what is behind a lot, if not everything else, mentioned. If it's Lupus in addition to Sjogren's, I may be in for some pain as I age.

If I can get confirmation, probably from more than one doctor/specialist, that I don't have such syndromes, and that additionally they cannot find anything plaguing me medically, then I will start looking into chiropractic care. I don't know if my parent's insurance covers it, and even then, it's not a one time visit and you're cured, if that can happen for me anyhow. I fear the need for dozen's of visits, and that's quite the bill. That's kind of my goal at least so far. I am going into upcoming medical visits with ideas of what I think I may have, and if they cannot agree with such findings just by examining my body, hopefully they'll give me some peace of mind and do blood work and maybe some scans of the chest to check for pulmonary hypertension or issues with swelling of either of the sacs that surround the heart or lungs. If I can at least get some peace of mind knowing I don't have a medical disorder that will crush my dream of earning my officer commission in the Army (the syndromes mentioned, and a host of similar syndromes, are all no-waiver, sorry better luck with other career ideas, complete career-killers).

Well, like I said, not really shorter, but in bite-sized, easier to digest chunks.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Destrektor... Just stop. With the pee and everything - you are seriously being a hypochondriac. Don't analyze stuff. If you feel really bad, get checked out. If you feel fine, then don't freaking worry about it. If you were leaking protein into your urine you would have a lot more problems. It's healthy to want to drink water. Seriously, man, you need to learn to control the obsessive behavior you have before it ruins your life. Use cognitive tools and force your mind elsewhere when you start to think about stuff like this. If you feel crappy or hurt, then go to the doctor. If it's just a light ache or pain, that's called normal living.

 

[destrekor]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged
Destrektor... Just stop. With the pee and everything - you are seriously being a hypochondriac. Don't analyze stuff. If you feel really bad, get checked out. If you feel fine, then don't freaking worry about it. If you were leaking protein into your urine you would have a lot more problems. It's healthy to want to drink water. Seriously, man, you need to learn to control the obsessive behavior you have before it ruins your life. Use cognitive tools and force your mind elsewhere when you start to think about stuff like this. If you feel crappy or hurt, then go to the doctor. If it's just a light ache or pain, that's called normal living.

I agree with you. I'll admit to being a bit of a hypochondriac here, but there's a method to the madness.

Chiefly, I might be on the battlefield in 3, 4 years. Commanding a decent amount of individuals, lives that are completely under my care and guidance. I need to know that before I earn my commission in a year, that I'm not doing so by ignoring potentially critical early warning signs and end up putting lives at risk because all of a sudden I drop into a seizure or something. As much as I've been nuts about serving my country, I'll do what it takes to ensure lives aren't unnecessarily being put at risk.

However, you're also generalizing far too much. It is not healthy to have a constant thirst or need to drink when you are already satisfying your water intake. There is a such thing as too much water, or an underlying issue where the water going in is going out too fast.

That and regardless of how much hypochondria it may appear I have, one thing is seriously foul: what the fuck is up with my eye that my vision is still blurred due to the dryness and irritation 3 months later, and that the other eye, free of the irritation and blur, decided to tag along for the dryness? Literally overnight, hell it was actually an all-night study session last quarter for finals and I literally felt my eye getting worse. And it got worse the next day, and the next day, and now here I am, keeping to my glasses and falling behind in assignments because no matter what I do, I can't see right. I'm not particularly fond of the concept of going blind.

And no, I'm not just sitting here creating fanciful ideas and doing nothing, I have appointments scheduled. Just felt I'd get some input from people who, sorry to say, actually knew what they were talking about. Figured there's a chance someone has an autoimmune disorder, I know someone has fibromyalgia. Because frankly, I don't trust doctors entirely to be able to diagnose me. I had a terrible episode of something and never got a single notion someone had an idea of what it might be. Hell, not even a referral to someone.

I know my body, and I know when something isn't right. Oh and I forgot about the persistent fatigue for the past year, I keep forgetting that dammit. I've always been physically active and have had back-breaking jobs - I expect certain aches.

My goal is to prove myself wrong with all of this. Believe me, I want to serve the country live the contract I signed says I do, I'd rather not be plagued with something. Admittedly I've put too much thought into this recently, but that's my character - I'm obsessed about everything I'm interested in. I spend so much time learning about what I'm not assigned to learn, and I enjoy learning about the complexities of the body.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

What you're doing is overthinking everything. Who cares if you're commanding people in 3-4 years? You could die from a car crash beforehand. The eyes, I will admit, are something that should get worked out. However you are overthinking all possibilities of what could go wrong with your body. You're not a bit of a hypochrondriac - you are being a full blown one.

Also clearly you're not satisfying your water intake. It differs for everyone and some people require a great deal more than the average. I drink about 3/4 of a gallon a day and it's suggested for me to take in probably half of that. You're thirsty - drink water. There's not a problem in that. That is exactly where you're overthinking. Excess water only becomes a problem when you begin drinking so much that it dilutes your electrolytes to the point that you are really just flowing water through your veins. It would be DIFFICULT and PAINFUL to drink that much water.

I don't care if you're doing other things. You are devoting a significant amount of time to these ideas that are having little basis. Fatigue is caused by everyday life often times. If you go to bed the same time every night, get 8 hours of sleep, exercise a fair amount, know how to relax before bed, have a healthy legitimately healthy diet, your fatigue will go away. The stress you waste on thinking about these potential diseases may actually be affecting this. You can create illness by worrying about illness. Realize this.

I feel like you don't know your body and you just freak out when anything remotely unusual happens. That's no knowing your body. That's responding to a stimulus in a way that is not equivalent to the danger of that stimulus. Learn to relax before it becomes a serious problem. I'm not joking you - I've seen lives ruined through this sort of stuff.

 

[StageLeft]

As you get older you'll learn to more and more ignore weird things your body does and, though some are symptomatic of a major debilitating illness in others, chances are in you they aren't. This could be anything from a headache which is not, in fact, a brain tumor, to eye pain which is not indicative of advanced cornea disease, etc.

That said, I haven't read the rest of your long post. if you're overly concerned see a doc. I am a hypochondriac, too

 

[wheresmybacon]

LOL is this for real

Stop reading Web MD. Stop watching Mystery Diagnosis or Untold stories of the ER or anything else resembling either of those two programs.

Go outside.

 

[Sust]

A rheumatologist would make lots of money off of you.