Feeling run down: fatigue, swollen eyelids, grayish skin tone, and low-grade fever...

I’ve been feeling absolutely exhausted for the last month or so... my eyes are super puffy underneath, there's this heavy pressure, and I've got these dark circles and bags appearing out of nowhere. Plus, I've had a low-grade fever hanging around, maybe up to 99 or 100 degrees, and my neck feels swollen while my skin looks, well, kind of grayish... I honestly feel terrible and I'm just lost on what to do next. I used to deal with frequent bladder infections quite a bit, but those actually cleared up right when these nasty symptoms started showing up. It’s making it impossible to function normally. Even though I eat really well and get a solid 8 to 10 hours of sleep, I am still just so incredibly drained... help, does anyone have an idea what this could be? No one in my family has any major health issues, except for my mom who has Hashimoto's. I should mention I've already been tested for diabetes and that was ruled out. Please, if anyone has any thoughts or has dealt with anything similar, let me know...😕

So, did you actually make it to the doctor?
What’s the word on the test results and everything else?

Laura Rodriguez18 said:So did you actually make it to the doctor?
What's the word on your tests and everything else...?!

I'm heading back in tomorrow morning... I originally went in because my eyes were all swollen and stinging, so she diagnosed me with conjunctivitis and gave me some drops. My eyes weren't even red though, so the whole diagnosis felt kind of off... I've been using the drops for five days now and nothing has changed. The worst part is just how exhausted I feel and this heavy pressure around my eyes, almost like someone hung weights right under my dark circles, which I never used to have, now I just have these bags under my eyes and honestly I look like a total zombie... She hasn't sent me for any blood work yet.

Good grief, the sheer number of doctors out there is something else.🙄

Laura Rodriguez18 said:Man, you wouldn't believe the kind of doctors out there these days...🙄

Yeah, doctors are fine for little things like a sore throat, but I can already see them getting all annoyed when I start acting like Dr. House... honestly, besides a basic blood panel, what kind of tests actually make sense to get done? Like, what can you even really tell from a standard CBC anyway... should I maybe go see an eye doctor too? I just have no clue what to do...

Kidneys?

Megan Ross36 said:Kidneys?

but wouldn't I be running a super high fever if that were the case...

Carol Booth82 said:For the past month, I’ve been feeling absolutely exhausted. My eyes are swollen, there's heavy puffiness and dark circles under them, and I feel this constant pressure. I’m also running a low-grade fever—somewhere between 98.6 and 99.5 degrees—and my neck feels swollen. Even my skin looks... well, gray. It’s honestly miserable, and I’m at a loss. Interestingly, I used to deal with frequent bladder infections, but those stopped right when these awful symptoms kicked in. This is making it impossible to function. Despite eating a clean diet and getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep, the fatigue is crushing. Help, what could this be? No one in my family has major health issues, aside from my mother having Hashimoto’s. Just to note, I’ve already been tested for diabetes and I’m clear. Please, if anyone has any ideas or has dealt with something similar, let me know.😕

It sounds like you've already ruled out diabetes. Have you ever had issues with your kidneys, liver, or pancreas? Any abdominal pain? (It doesn't have to be constant)
Could upper back pain be related to the kidneys? ...
From my experience, doctors will likely just hand you a lab slip and send you on your way. About 90% of them seem largely indifferent to these things, so don't wait for them to lead the charge... You should ask for a CBC, a full abdominal ultrasound, a hormone panel, and of course, a urinalysis and urine culture.🙂 ...

Kenneth Walker27 said:From what I can tell, you've already been checked for diabetes. Have you ever dealt with issues involving your kidneys, liver, or pancreas? Any kind of abdominal pain? It doesn't have to be constant, just...
Could upper back pain actually be coming from my kidneys?...
And honestly, doctors will probably just send you off for basic blood work; I know from experience that about 90% of them aren't really interested in digging deeper, so... You should ask for a CBC, a full abdominal ultrasound, a hormone panel, and obviously urine tests and a culture🙂 ...

Thanks, that’s seriously the most helpful thing anyone has said here! One more quick question for you, though—I was thinking about booking a private checkup over at a Mayo Clinic facility. Is that a smart move or what? Money isn't really an issue, because you've gotta prioritize your health if you want to... 🙂 I'll ask them for everything, even if I doubt they'll give me the full rundown since they're always swamped with older patients and tend to breeze through us younger folks. Thanks again

Carol Booth82 said:Thanks, this is easily the most constructive post I've read here so far. One more question for you: I’m thinking about booking a private checkup at a place like Mayo Clinic. Is that a smart move? Money isn't really an issue—I'll always find the funds when it comes to my health 🙂. I'll ask her directly, though I suspect they might hold back on some details; they have a massive roster of elderly patients, so they probably cut corners on us younger folks. Thanks again.

Ah. Exactly. Going private is usually the play because, as the saying goes, "you get what you pay for." They'll run whatever tests you demand and cater to your every whim.
Keep in mind, I’m obviously not a doctor. Tell her everything. If she doesn't suggest any follow-up testing, push her on it. If you don't walk away with a real plan, then the private clinic was a total waste of money.
GOOD LUCK!

Kenneth Walker27 said:Yeah, totally. Honestly, you're probably better off hitting up a private clinic since we all know it’s basically "pay to play"... they'll run whatever tests you want just to keep you happy.
Look, I’m definitely not a doctor or anything, so please just be totally upfront with her about everything you're feeling. If she isn't ordering any follow-up tests, then you should really push for them... if you don't get anywhere with her, just go find another clinic...
GOOD LUCK!

So here’s how things went down today: she gave me the whole nine yards, I can't believe it (probably because I look like a walking corpse)... on top of everything else, she sent me to an eye specialist—went there and turns out it's just conjunctivitis. She also had me get a sinus X-ray—sinuses are perfect, but my nose is completely stuffed up, and she mentioned something about a deviated septum before handing me a referral for an ENT... is it actually possible that the pressure around my eyes and those dark circles under my eyes are coming from a deviated septum? Anyway, I've got an abdominal ultrasound this Friday and I need to get my T4 and TSH levels checked too... it's just such a massive mess of everything, mamma mia 🙂

It’s entirely possible. A deviation can swell your face up so badly you end up looking like a cartoon elephant.
But we'll just have to wait for the lab results. If you don't mind, let me know what the doctors find once they get back to you.🙂

GOOD LUCK!