Reactivated EBV results

[ott70]

My recurring symptoms started up back in February. Over the course of the last few months, I've had a multitude of symptoms: Palpitations, abdominal pain, back pain, numbness/tingling in legs/feet, burning in the feet, chest pain, joint pain, muscle pain, fatigue, low-grade headaches, indigestion, night sweats (but not very many of them and not for awhile now), chills, hot flashes, frequent urination, conjunctivitis, ringing ears, and painful testicles. So basically, I feel whatever I have courses through my body because my symptoms change from week to week. Some days I feel like I'm recovering and then the next day I'm dragging. Or sometimes it works in half-day intervals.

Pretty much all of my testing has come back negative: gobs and gobs of blood work, CT of chest and abdomen, head MRI, EMG of major leg nerves, echocardiogram, heart cath, chest x-ray, lumbar spine x-ray, holter monitor, urine tests, ultrasound on thyroid, and upper GI.

Findings, not much: low potassium (briefly), low vitamin D, moderate acid reflux, mild gastritis in stomach, small kidney cysts. Some numbers on my bloodwork at times were a little out of range, but most of my CBC's have been within range.

The one item that has stood out is my EBV test results. The antibody testing shows that I contracted EBV a long time ago, but all of the current antibodies has high titers.

[PlateletGal]

Check your inbox... I'm zapping you some information that was VERY helpful for me.

[ott70]

I'm 38 years old. I used to take pride in the fact that I would never get sick, or if I did it was usually just once a year during cold season and I wouldn't have to miss any work. Maybe my immune system suppressed all of those colds and now I'm getting a big gotcha. Maybe my age is helping with the severity of the systems, although they sure weren't any fun a few months ago.

I agree with addressing it now. I think my holistic doctor has helped the most and sometimes I tell myself that it should be enough and I shouldn't bother with the regular medical doctors. But then I tell myself that I sure would like some hard medical evidence of what's going on. No matter what, I'll stick with the holistic approach because there has to be something good in those herbs for people to be using them for thousands of years.

[PlateletGal]

In my case, for many years I was able to keep my symptoms under control and work full-time. However, when I attended college classes after work... I couldn't do it. I also had so many absences at work that I had to get the FMLA a few times (thank you Clinton !)  So there are people who manage CFS, as I did. But if you get stressed or get worse... you would be surprised what can happen. And that is why it is important now (my opinion) to address the pathogens and/or take supplements to manage your illness and not let it eventually get worse.

It is funny because with this illness... sometimes I would have blurry vision. I would say it has happened about 10 times over the last decade or so. And then I would have another symptom. Now I have joint pain, although I didn't have joint pain when I was working. It is a very complicated illness... as I'm sure you are realizing. And one that most physicians do not want to take the time to research or treat.

[Padro46]

I think the long list of problems react differant in each person, for example I have not had the joint pain that you have but have had the chest pain,  Fatigue comes and goes now but at first WAS in the bed all the time.  If you dont mind me asking how old are you, I am 47 and they say the older you are the more severe the problems and the more time it takes to get over them (just like everything else lol)

[ott70]

Thanks for the wish of luck. I have been looking at CFS/CFIDS as some possible cause of all of this. The one part that I'm not sure about is I don't get -- at least IMO -- real fatigued. I do have some spells of fatigue or malaise, but I have yet to be bedridden from it. Maybe it's possible to have a mild case or have a bunch of the other symptoms without the major fatigue.

The doc I see at the end of next month is supposedly an expert on chronic fatigue issues. It's a blessing that he's an MD under my current medical insurance. He's been in practice over 30 years, so should be an interesting visit.

[PlateletGal]

"Ringing in the ears, and sometimes some quick pressure, is a symptom that I have had."

I can tell you that tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is very common in CFS.

Let us know how that doctor's appointment goes and good luck !!!