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Avatar universal

Is there a House in the house?

Tonight marks Episode #7. I call them episodes because I don't know any better way to describe them since whatever it is that's happening to me, comes and goes randomly with very little warning when it's going to hit.  This has been going on for about 6 months or so and to date, I am undiagnosed.  Here are my symptoms--I initially began losing weight, to date almost 35 pounds and while this was a welcome weight loss, this was achieved through very little effort on my own. (I will interject at this point and say that I am taking a medication that would contribute in part to some of that weight loss but not all and definitely not as quickly as what I lost it.) Next symptom was blood in my stool that happened several times. A colonoscopy revealed I had an internal hemorrhoid however that dx remains suspect in my mind.  During these episodes, my belly will bloat significantly and I will get very nauseous however I have never thrown up. Occasionally, I will have diarrhea and this will later alternate with bouts of constipation.  

Whenever one of these episodes hit, I have extremely bad night sweats although I hesitate to call them "night" sweats because they are pretty much continuous, day and night and they alternate with bouts of chilling.  I run a fever at the same time.  Throughout this time, I've maintained a cough although I have attributed this to allergies so I cannot say that this is a part of what's going on with these episodes since I do have extremely bad allergy problems.

Another quirky thing that has happened since all of this has transpired is that my hair has started falling out and has turned grey! Yes, I feel very special for that. I am 46 years old and feel as though my body has decided to betray me all at once!  As one of these episodes begins to hit, I become extremely fatigued as though I just can't function and this will last for about a week. In fact, the fatigue is usually the first symptom to appear and the last to leave.

Bowel movements have now turned green in color for the most part whenever one of these episodes hit. This will be the case whether it's diarrhea or a normal BM.

My urine has also turned a different color and is this way all the time and it makes no difference what I drink or how much I drink or what time of the day it is. It remains a pale, light brown color. It's not clear, it's not dark. It's almost the color of sand if that makes any sense to anyone.

I have had a CT scan and an ultrasound and many rounds of blood work.  The only thing that has come back odd is that my Common Bile Duct is enlarged and I do have Lucent Gallstones. Having said that, I do not have any pain that is typically associated with gallbladder problems.  Because of that, the surgeon I have been seeing has been hesitant to remove my gallbladder because he's not convinced it will take care of my problem.  

Oh and the only time that I ever bleed rectally is when I'm having one of these "episodes" which is why I'm somewhat skeptical about the internal hemorrhoid finding.  Another odd thing that happens is that when these things occur, I have a lot of right leg pain. I know that probably makes no sense whatsoever but it is what it is.

I'm sitting here at 4:30 in the morning typing this on this forum because I've been to several doctors and none of them seem to be able to find the problem.  My PCP scratches his head and looks at me in bewilderment. He recommends that I have my gallbladder removed and I'm hesitant to do that since I'm kinda partial to all my body parts and would like to keep them as long as they're still in good working order.  I'm not real big on doing something on a "maybe, what if" line of reasoning.  At the same time, this is interfering with my quality of life.  Each time one of these episodes hits, it gets a little tougher than the one before.

I think I've given all of my symptoms...maybe! I'm more than welcome to input on this.  I would certainly love to have some fresh perspective to take back to my doctor on how best to proceed.  I'm really ready to get back to life again.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the input. I will call my doctor in the morning for an appointment.
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4851940 tn?1515694593
With the pains that you are experiencing in your back and blood in the urine is likely to be a urinary tract infection (kidney) and even possibly kidney stones.

With the symptoms you described earlier about passing green stools can also happen from a severe infection in the kidneys.  

You do not need to have antibiotics for internal haemorrhoids.  A pessary is normally inserted into the colon and a ointment applied around the anus.
Sometimes bleeding can happen if there is a fissure (a tear in the colon from straining).

I would advise you to see your doctor as soon as possible and take a urine sample with you (the first morning specimen is best).

Another problem that can cause pain and gastric problems is having the Helicobacter Pylori bacteria.  This is confirmed by having a breath test.  Blood tests do not give accurate readings.

With your both armpits aching as well as your other symptoms, it appears as if there is a bacterial or viral infection in your body.

Make sure that you drink plenty of water.  2-3 litres of water a day are usually recommended.  More if you are sweating or working out.

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Avatar universal
Interesting because I've been drinking grape juice! Not because I was necessarily aware of any health benefits but because I just seemed to want it and it's not something I typically drink.  No, my doctor hasn't prescribed an antibiotic.  A few new developments this week.  I woke up Monday morning to blood in my urine and aching in my back right below my ribcage on both sides as well as a tenderness in my belly. The blood in my urine isn't consistent however.  It's only in the mornings that I notice this and throughout the day, my urine returns to its former weird color.  Add to this is an aching pain in both armpits.  No, I haven't been to the doctor yet. If the symptoms haven't resolved by tomorrow, I will call him and go in but I'm beginning to feel like the biggest hypochondriac in the world. Ugh.
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Avatar universal
     The other symptoms might just be coincidental.  Internal hemorrhoids can bleed and cause blood in the stool.  The pain from one of these breaking open can cause the night sweats, leg pain etc.   Did your doctor prescribe an antibiotic for the fever?  Sometimes a fever running its course is best as the body fights off the infection.  You might want to try a natural antibiotic like grape juice or a drop of tea tree oil in a glass of water.

         Wishing you the best
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Avatar universal
You should see a Naturopath, Western medicine will always revert to surgery and drugs, if you see your PCP, that's what you can expect. You need to find what the root cause of the obviously liver symptoms you are experiencing is.

A good NP can dissolve gallstones if they are not too advanced. All the symptoms you have described, even the hemorrhoid, can be attributed to a  long-standing food sensitivity. They will probably remove gluten first, then dairy and see if your symptoms get better.

A good NP will also refer you to a surgeon or specialist if that's what is utimately needed.
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Avatar universal
I've asked about seeing a gastro and that's been considered although not followed through with. I will consult with my pcp and see if that's a possibility.  I guess at this point, I do need to consider having the gallbladder removed.  The surgeon I've been dealing with removed my husband's gallbladder because he had so many of the classic symptoms of GBD however I don't fit those classic symptoms.  That's why he's been on the fence with me and I understand his hesitancy.  The confusing part is some of the other symptoms that don't seem to make any sense; the night sweats, fever, leg pain, rectal bleeding---and they ONLY happen when these episodes occur.  Weird, I know. That's what has the doctor's scratching their heads.
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Avatar universal
You should see a gastroenterologist and definitely consider the gallbladder coming out.  After the healing process of the surgery then you would need to access your symptoms again and proceed with finding the reasoning of the remaining symptoms.  
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Avatar universal
     I would get the gallbladder removed.  The green stool indicates that it isn't functioning right or you are eating something you are allergic to.
      You say they found lucent gallstones.  Even if you think your gallbladder is okay, I think you should go ahead with the surgery.  It is done laporoscopically (sp?) and the healing time is not very long.   Your bile duct might be enlarged from passing stones.
    Idk - I had my gallbladder out years ago.  The doctors thought it was fine - but they pulled out a little dried up bag full of sludge.   It was a big relief to me - I didn't have the green vomit and green stools anymore.

    
      
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