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Don’t know what to do to help my daughter
Hello All, I have a wonderful daughter, age 24. A beautiful girl on the inside, as well as the outside. She had food sensitivities as a baby. She would become blotchy when eating dairy. As a young teen, she would sometimes get significant stomach-cramping. She now experiences bloating, gas, belching, and a disagreement with dairy. She eats super-healthy, works out like a maniac and takes care of herself. She was a div 1 college athlete. She struggles with keeping her weight down (was always very thin as a young girl....and all immediate family members are thin). She can’t sleep and is often exhausted. In her high school years, she had terrible sinus issues, which wrecked havoc on her life and athletics. She was always tired. Finally had sinus-surgery, which helped somewhat. Experiences diarrhea at times. Not sure about constipation. She has a major sweating problem. She has such a plethora of issues. They are wrecking havoc on her life. She has seen several physicians, incl a gastroenterologist and a nutritionist. She has been on elimination diets. We still have no answers and this is really getting her down. I am so worried for her and her future. I am seeking a physician who can help us to unravel these many issues and help her to have a happier life. Thank you
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Hi @7689 Welcome to Connect. I am not familiar with your daughter's symptoms but I know the anguish of not knowing what is causing symptoms such as hers.
If you have not been to a major medical center that is associated with a top university then that's where you should go. I went through a variety of symptoms that were not diagnosed for a long time. I know now that if I ever again have problems that are not diagnosed by the doctors close to where I live that I will head down to Boston. I am a patient at Mass General Hospital there but most cities have excellent teaching hospitals too, and of course, Mayo Clinic has three facilities -- Rochester, MN, Florida, and Arizona.
I sincerely hope you are able to find a doctor who can provide a diagnosis and help your daughter. I have a daughter too (and a son) and I know how heartbreaking it is for a mother when something is wrong with one of her children.
JK
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1 ReactionYou mentioned her surgery and sinus issues. Has she ever taken Fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as leavaquin or cipro?
Theses can often cause problems long after taking them.
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1 ReactionFrom my experience getting off gluten and grains. Cannot hurt aainn may
help. Read,, Grain Brain and Wheat Belly
Hi @7680,
I can only imagine how difficult it must be! I’m so glad you reached out to the Connect community––welcome! May I ask if your daughter has been tested for histaminosis? When histamine levels get too high or when the body can’t break it down properly, it can affect your normal bodily functions, very similar to what your daughter is experiencing. I’m tagging @clemlaa @mcolunga @danmlee and @histamine, and you can read some of their experiences in this discussion: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mast-cell-activation/
Since you talked about your daughter’s sinus surgery, I also wanted to share this information about chronic rhinosinusitis––a debilitating condition that has been linked to digestive disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Here are two recent studies:
– https://gut.bmj.com/content/64/Suppl_1/A317.2
– https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4982648/
@7680, I know that getting a diagnosis may hopefully be a game-changer; have you considered getting an opinion from an academic medical center like Mayo Clinic?
As the other reply here, I am curious what antibiotics she has taken over the years. I took cipro and flagyl after my surgery 4 months ago, and I am still dealing with the adverse effects of those......fatigue, brain fog, vision issues. The more I learn about those medications the more I realize how they can affect a person months later. Just a thought.
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1 ReactionI never knew I had a gut problem. I saw docs for years for chronic fatigue and weight gain despite working out and eating well. Turns out I have an autoimmune. The gut is a major part of it. She said I had leaky gut which coincides with autoimmune. Which cones first the chicken or the egg. Anyway I cut out all the foods I was sensitive to, several were my go to healthy stuff! Like all fruit but citrus. I added supplements per her direct and am doing better over all. Food sensitivities should begin to go away as gut heals. The weight and fatigue are improving too. She is an MD and prescribes prescription med and uses natural remedies as well. The practice is called Nava health in Columbia, Md. good luck to you and your daughter
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1 ReactionYou are right. Antibiotics can mess you up for a lifetime
The antibiotics are a good key here. They mess up the gut and if not addressed lead to long term problems
Man, I am now convinced the cipro/flagyl combination is what set the stage here. So....how did you find out you had an autoimmune condition? I have abnormal liver enzymes and a "severe" bacterial imbalance according to my functional doctor. I am awaiting the results of the SIBO breath test and todays unltrasound to get a game plan ready. The doc did mentioned a likely course of neomycin, bactrim, and then nystatin. That, along with dietary changes of course. I can relate to you on the fatigue part.....seems like I am walking through cement all day.
How are abnormal liver enzymes detected ? I've was diagnosed with microscopic lymphotic colitis after a colonoscopy 2 yrs ago. When diarrhea gets really bad, my gastro doc puts me on 8 wks of Budesonide gelcaps. It cuts the D but doesnt cut the Gas. I've learned to eat small meals of very bland foods, no dairy, no sugar. I even cut out veggies because that sends me right to the bathroom. I have extreme gas that goes on for hours whenever I eat anything. My gastro dr just shrugs & tells me again to cut out dairy when he knows I don't do dairy. So I buy off the shelf Beano Ultra 800 tablets ...2 at a time before I eat & also take GasX extra strength chewables. Gas subsides for a short time but returns within 1/2 hr in force. I'm so miserable with this problem so become home bound as the gas is embarrassing. I have to eat so not to lose weight as I'm only 118 lbs. I wondered if trying a carnivore diet for a short time of just beef steak meat would help to cut the gas ? I know that sounds ridiculous to do but Dr Oz had a gal on his program this week that helped her autoimmune system. Anyone who has experienced a constant gas problem would understand what I'm going through. So thats why I asked how abnormal liver enzymes are detected in case that could be the problem. My gastro dr hasn't suggested anything I can do to cut the GAS besides cutting dairy which I don't eat or drink !