BrightPhoenix
20-01-19, 22:34
Edit: My posts were merged so these may look out of place, but I have concerns regarding general "weakness" now later in this thread, see #5 here:
https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?228732-Worried-about-feeling-of-malaise-weakness-muscle-strength-is-fine&p=1864361#post1864361
Additional edit: I am seeing a neurologist about these concerns, and I've seen an ENT saying that he's not worried as he already did a CT scan and found nothing, he thinks it's some sort of chronic nonallergic rhinitis that needs to be dealt with using nasal spray (Flonase). I will be visiting a neurologist soon about my pins and needles and I'm seeing a rheumetologist to make sure my knee pain isn't related to anything big.
Now's my turn to ask for anyone with this experience. Just a warning that this is going to be a bit long. I'm an American so I call the GP my PCP, pretty much the same thing. I've been suffering over a month of health anxiety on this and I just want to enjoy my life.
Background, I'm a bit overweight, have an office job, not terribly active, if that helps, Asian background, mid 30's, male. June 2018, I started getting tenderness around my left knee, eventually it turned into pain - not on the knee itself but in the area right around the knee. This progressed to my right knee in July 2018. I just dealt with it for a couple months and reported it to my PCP, said I had runner's knee from ironically *sitting down too much* (the right angle of the knee when sitting for extended periods causes issues).
September 2018, started getting a nasty shooting pain on both elbows - got worried, called Dr. Google - said it was Lupus. Cue me freaking out for 2 weeks. Talked to PCP, she ordered a ton of blood tests and none of them indicated Lupus or any rheumetological conditions, but my knee pain persisted.
Late November, I started feeling depersonalized, out of it with lightheadedness/slight vertigo, had a nasty pressure on the right side of my head around my eyes and could feel my nose constantly running. Right eye would get blurry every once in awhile too. Eyes were watering constantly. I would also have light sensitivity (eyes hurt from sunlight/bright light) and see flashes after looking at something I could normally look at that was bright.
I reported only some of this to the doctor, thinking the sinus problems would go away. A week later in mid-December I get a nasty cold. The cold symptoms last over two weeks - you know the usual. Congestion, stuffy nose, sore throat, etc. I think I was experiencing the sinus infection symptoms alongside the cold too. One time I blew my nose so hard my right nostril started bleeding - that was scary. It clotted quickly.
I get over the cold and for maybe a few days the sinus symptoms are somehow gone, but a few days later the sinus symptoms come back - same symptoms, so I spend the winter break feeling kinda miserable and reported my sinus problems to my doctor at the end of the winter break. Alongside that, a few days before I visited the doctor I had some constipation and took a hot shower after that - when I stepped out of the shower I got a nosebleed *again* - on that same side of my nose - the right. I think the pushing and heaving from the constipation caused that.
So I talked to my doctor on the 4th of January 2019 and she doesn't seem terribly concerned. Prescribed me Flonase and Mucinex DM. I've been taking the Mucinex but only started taking the Flonase today. I'm still experiencing sinus infection-like symptoms. My doctor hasn't prescribed me an antibiotic yet. I will be seeing an ENT but it will be in MAY.
And of course, I consulted Dr. Google, and it led to me to a VeryWell website with an article about the big C of the sinuses... and that set off my health anxiety all over again (warning, don't click if you have anxiety about your sinuses like I do): https://tinyurl.com/y92acwbl - using a link shortener to mask the website contents.
The article states that "bulging" of the eye can be a sign, and I keep looking at my eyes in the mirror and the right side seems slightly bigger than the left, and I've been experiencing most of my sinus issues on the right side.
I have two things in the article telling me conflicting narratives that I'm trying to reassure myself with:
- It is a very rare C. I am in the Asian demographic that might have a slightly higher risk affected by it and am male, but most of it is diagnosed in males in their mid to late 50's. I do live in a room that is very dusty (regular old dust) AND I learned that this room I've been in for years had some paint on the CMU wall flaking near my sleeping area (it was flaking hidden below my bed, so most of it I guess was blocked by my bed)
vs.
- It's often ignored by PCPs as something minor, but when other treatments antiobitics don't work, by the time ENTs see it it's going later on and is harder to treat.
Of the symptoms listed as "later stage" I don't have the facial pain and tooth pain and my nose hasn't bled since that constipated episode I had early January, but I do have the eye issues (eye gets dry/blurry when I try to move it around - no problem MOVING the eye but it seems to be very dry), but I've had this eye symptom for the past two months, AND I've actually had this eye symptom on and off for well over 3 years (where half the eye gets blurred if I blink but if I blink again it's ok; it would get better then come back).
This is why I'm concerned. A friend of mine who has chronic sinus problems said there's a whole host of issues that can cause it - as simple as a deviated septum (which I have) to something I probably developed an allergy to where I live. I just messaged my doctor with a post as long as this one and am asking her for followups medically - either antibiotics, or additional scans, or to be able to see another ENT earlier if possible.
On TOP of that, the knee pains I mentioned? Since last week I started developing a pins and needles nerve pain that travels all over my body - doesn't have a particular area - just moves randomly like a needle poking into my skin, lasts a few seconds. No rhyme or reason. Mentioned this in my followup visit to my neurologist and he wasn't concerned, but when I looked it up - you bet, it led to MS concerns. I have a lot of the symptoms listed in MS too - some constipation, knee pains, nerve pains, etc. so yeah... I'm not in a very happy state right now.
I'm seeking a therapist to deal with all these concerns... if anyone has any experience with these issues I'd much appreciate it, thanks for reading my rant. I know those nerve pains can be due to anxiety, but I'm just flabbergasted why I can't catch a break - I just want to enjoy life.
https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?228732-Worried-about-feeling-of-malaise-weakness-muscle-strength-is-fine&p=1864361#post1864361
Additional edit: I am seeing a neurologist about these concerns, and I've seen an ENT saying that he's not worried as he already did a CT scan and found nothing, he thinks it's some sort of chronic nonallergic rhinitis that needs to be dealt with using nasal spray (Flonase). I will be visiting a neurologist soon about my pins and needles and I'm seeing a rheumetologist to make sure my knee pain isn't related to anything big.
Now's my turn to ask for anyone with this experience. Just a warning that this is going to be a bit long. I'm an American so I call the GP my PCP, pretty much the same thing. I've been suffering over a month of health anxiety on this and I just want to enjoy my life.
Background, I'm a bit overweight, have an office job, not terribly active, if that helps, Asian background, mid 30's, male. June 2018, I started getting tenderness around my left knee, eventually it turned into pain - not on the knee itself but in the area right around the knee. This progressed to my right knee in July 2018. I just dealt with it for a couple months and reported it to my PCP, said I had runner's knee from ironically *sitting down too much* (the right angle of the knee when sitting for extended periods causes issues).
September 2018, started getting a nasty shooting pain on both elbows - got worried, called Dr. Google - said it was Lupus. Cue me freaking out for 2 weeks. Talked to PCP, she ordered a ton of blood tests and none of them indicated Lupus or any rheumetological conditions, but my knee pain persisted.
Late November, I started feeling depersonalized, out of it with lightheadedness/slight vertigo, had a nasty pressure on the right side of my head around my eyes and could feel my nose constantly running. Right eye would get blurry every once in awhile too. Eyes were watering constantly. I would also have light sensitivity (eyes hurt from sunlight/bright light) and see flashes after looking at something I could normally look at that was bright.
I reported only some of this to the doctor, thinking the sinus problems would go away. A week later in mid-December I get a nasty cold. The cold symptoms last over two weeks - you know the usual. Congestion, stuffy nose, sore throat, etc. I think I was experiencing the sinus infection symptoms alongside the cold too. One time I blew my nose so hard my right nostril started bleeding - that was scary. It clotted quickly.
I get over the cold and for maybe a few days the sinus symptoms are somehow gone, but a few days later the sinus symptoms come back - same symptoms, so I spend the winter break feeling kinda miserable and reported my sinus problems to my doctor at the end of the winter break. Alongside that, a few days before I visited the doctor I had some constipation and took a hot shower after that - when I stepped out of the shower I got a nosebleed *again* - on that same side of my nose - the right. I think the pushing and heaving from the constipation caused that.
So I talked to my doctor on the 4th of January 2019 and she doesn't seem terribly concerned. Prescribed me Flonase and Mucinex DM. I've been taking the Mucinex but only started taking the Flonase today. I'm still experiencing sinus infection-like symptoms. My doctor hasn't prescribed me an antibiotic yet. I will be seeing an ENT but it will be in MAY.
And of course, I consulted Dr. Google, and it led to me to a VeryWell website with an article about the big C of the sinuses... and that set off my health anxiety all over again (warning, don't click if you have anxiety about your sinuses like I do): https://tinyurl.com/y92acwbl - using a link shortener to mask the website contents.
The article states that "bulging" of the eye can be a sign, and I keep looking at my eyes in the mirror and the right side seems slightly bigger than the left, and I've been experiencing most of my sinus issues on the right side.
I have two things in the article telling me conflicting narratives that I'm trying to reassure myself with:
- It is a very rare C. I am in the Asian demographic that might have a slightly higher risk affected by it and am male, but most of it is diagnosed in males in their mid to late 50's. I do live in a room that is very dusty (regular old dust) AND I learned that this room I've been in for years had some paint on the CMU wall flaking near my sleeping area (it was flaking hidden below my bed, so most of it I guess was blocked by my bed)
vs.
- It's often ignored by PCPs as something minor, but when other treatments antiobitics don't work, by the time ENTs see it it's going later on and is harder to treat.
Of the symptoms listed as "later stage" I don't have the facial pain and tooth pain and my nose hasn't bled since that constipated episode I had early January, but I do have the eye issues (eye gets dry/blurry when I try to move it around - no problem MOVING the eye but it seems to be very dry), but I've had this eye symptom for the past two months, AND I've actually had this eye symptom on and off for well over 3 years (where half the eye gets blurred if I blink but if I blink again it's ok; it would get better then come back).
This is why I'm concerned. A friend of mine who has chronic sinus problems said there's a whole host of issues that can cause it - as simple as a deviated septum (which I have) to something I probably developed an allergy to where I live. I just messaged my doctor with a post as long as this one and am asking her for followups medically - either antibiotics, or additional scans, or to be able to see another ENT earlier if possible.
On TOP of that, the knee pains I mentioned? Since last week I started developing a pins and needles nerve pain that travels all over my body - doesn't have a particular area - just moves randomly like a needle poking into my skin, lasts a few seconds. No rhyme or reason. Mentioned this in my followup visit to my neurologist and he wasn't concerned, but when I looked it up - you bet, it led to MS concerns. I have a lot of the symptoms listed in MS too - some constipation, knee pains, nerve pains, etc. so yeah... I'm not in a very happy state right now.
I'm seeking a therapist to deal with all these concerns... if anyone has any experience with these issues I'd much appreciate it, thanks for reading my rant. I know those nerve pains can be due to anxiety, but I'm just flabbergasted why I can't catch a break - I just want to enjoy life.