Sat 21 Nov, 2015 09:43 pm
Hi guys. I'm a 19 yr. old male that has been having some strange medical issues lately. I have no history of previous problems and neither does my family. I'm 6' 3", around 175 lbs. and athletic, although I've been severely inactive and eating high amounts of sugars/simple carbohydrates over the last few months. I don't smoke, drink, or use any recreational drugs. Roughly a month ago I started to have chest pains after eating a spinach salad and a severally increased heart rate. I assumed it was something I might have ate that triggered a response and let it go. After a week or so went by, the pains subsided and life went on. Approximately a few days after that, I began to notice numbness/tingling in my legs during the night and the onset of mild chest pain. I let the symptoms carry on through the night and went to sleep. The following night I had severe pain/numbness in my legs and mild to moderate chest pain that came on and off and the constant urge to pee every 2 seconds; when I tried to hold it, it just leaked out. Around 4 in the morning, my chest went off like a semi truck hit me at max speed. My mother rushed me to the hospital skipping through every red light. By the time I got there, I was in a fit of palsy. I remember opening the car door and trying to walk, but I just fell out flat onto the concrete. I couldn't walk on my own without tremedous effort and every muscle in my body was in a painful locked state. I gave everything I had to force myself upwards; and stiff walked into the emergency room doors. Inside they got me onto a bed and immediately hooked me up with an IV and EKG monitor. When the doctor came in and asked me about my symptoms, I could barely speak properly. I told him I had pains in my leg behind the knee, the constant urge to pee and severe chest pain. When I told him that I believed that it might be a blood clot, he ordered an chest x-ray and venous ultrasound on my legs. He went off with a nurse to grab the equipment technicians while the other 2 other nurses in the room attempted to calm me down and administer a saline drip. After an hour or so after they completed the ultrasound, bloodwork and x-rays, all came back normal and clean. The doctor explained that I was experiencing a severe anxiety attack (no doubt that I was), which caused me to hyperventilate. The only abnormality they found in the blood work was that my potassium levels were 2.6, which is apparently nearly life threatening. He believed that the anxiety attack caused the life threatening drop and that my pains were most likely from muscle strains (even though I haven't been active...). He had a muscle relaxant and pain reliever administered via IV and oral potassium pills to boost my levels back to normal. I'm still not exactly sure what the actual **** happened that night and why I was truly experiencing issues, but I said whatever and moved on from there. Ever since that night in the hospital, my problems only became worse. 2 days after the incident, I started to experience trouble breathing with accompanied chest pain. I didn't feel lightheaded but rather severe brain fog and a sudden onset of anxiety. I also had very clear pee that kept coming out every second; as soon as a went I had to pee again. I knew that something wasn't right and I began to freak out automatically, especially after the tramatic hospital visit. I figured that freaking out wouldn't solve anything, so I dragged myself into bed and fell asleep. The next day I felt very groggy and fatigue, which followed for the next 3 - 4 days. I assumed that it was a side affect of the drugs administered, but I was already out for almost a week. It got me thinking about my lifestyle. I immediately googled my reoccurring symptoms and found that I might have possibility built a insulin resistance (pre-diabetes/T2DM) from all the high carb foods I been shoveling over the last few months (and I mean A LOT). That day I completely decided to drive my diet away from simple carbs and refined sugars. I switched my diet to plant based with high amounts of protein (fish, chicken, eggs, beef, etc) and began walking every night regularly. As the following week went on, the level of day to day fatigue began to subside, although the brain fog remained. Just yesterday was the first day in what feels like forever I felt relatively normal. I thought that this new lifestyle was the solution to my issues. However, yesterday night I began to notice by glance that the veins all over my body were beginning to show, most noticeably in my hands (blue veins through the palm up to the fingers) and legs. At first they didn't really bother me other than visually, but it was just extremely weird because I have never seen my body do that before. I decided to go to bed that night, assuming that it had something to do with hydration or body fat (although I never really had any). This morning when I woke up, I found that the veins became a more prominent blue/purple color, as if someone markered my entire venous system with a thick marker. The bulging of them doesn't really hurt but it is noticeably uncomfortable; they've been like this all day without any signs of relent. Tonight I'm sitting here fatigue, a bit lightheaded, mild chest pain, headache and have the same leg pain/numbness. WHAT. THE. ****. Does anyone have any idea what's up? I don't have insurance or money so I cannot go and see a doctor (as my parents have informed me). I most likely have 1 good ER trip left before everyone just writes me off as crazy (and before I end up in debt for the rest of my life). Any suggestions would be great. Thanks!
@hailstorm123,
P.S. I honestly think it's a blood clot that they might have missed or read wrong but my parents think I'm crazy.
@hailstorm123,
see a doctor. Borrow money from your parents. It's crazy to play around with your health.
@hailstorm123,
Don't screw around with this, and get medical care.
One suggestion - if regular medical channels prove frustrating - is to contact the New York Times. I ain't kiddin'. They run a medical mystery column every week and might be interested. But try a doctor first, have them test you, rule out the obvious, etc.
Best of luck to you - not knowing the state of your health can be a rather frightening state to be in.
You say you don't use recreational drugs. Do you take any prescription medications? ADD/ADHD meds, maybe? Many of them have some pretty serious side effects.
But, almost everything you listed is a symptom of low potassium:
A small drop in potassium level often does not cause symptoms. Or symptoms may be mild and include:
Quote: Abnormal heart rhythms (dysrhythmias), especially in people with heart disease
Constipation
Feeling of skipped heart beats or palpitations
Fatigue
Muscle damage
Muscle weakness or spasms
Tingling or numbness
A large drop in potassium level may slow your heartbeat. This can cause you to feel lightheaded or faint. A very low potassium level can even cause your heart to stop.
If you couple that with anxiety I can see how awful that must feel.
Usually a trip to the ER is followed by a visit to the doctor. You need to get in and get a check up.
@hailstorm123,
Thanks for the replies guys! I'm still experiencing muscle spasms/pain (in random parts of the body), excessive bulging/prominent veins, cramps, etc. I am unable to see a doctor AT ALL. I don't have insurance, any money, and my parents can't/won't help me with anything. The only thing I can really do is go to the ER over and over again until I might as well donate my body for medical research. Does anyone have any suggestions? Is it possible to just go to the ER and probe around with the doctors in hopes to find a simple solution?
@boomerang,
I take literally nothing. No drugs, no meds, etc. The only thing I've actually taken in the last 5 years+ (including over the counter drugs) is the muscle relaxant and pain reliever injected in the hospital.
@hailstorm123,
Hey
I'm sorry to hear about that incident. How are you feeling now? Have the doctors finally found out what's wrong with you? Your case is filled with mystery but is not entirely out of possibilities. Have it checked by different doctors of different expertise in order to be certain of what caused the incident.
There is actually a very strong connection between the body and the mind. Sometimes the mind causes the problems in the body and vice-versa. If you've been found to be healthy in the body then we can assume that you have a issue mentally.
The incident has made you more and more anxious that's why you are experiencing this anxiety symptoms. You should have your mind checked as well as your body it's important that you get all necessary treatments for your condition.
There are numerous treatments for anxiety, one that I would strongly recommend is Endoca hemp products. This hemp-based products have anxiolytics and anti-inflammatory properties, meaning that not only will it help with reducing anxiety it can also help ease the pain you're experiencing.