Dealing with a laundry list of symptoms: acne, mouth sores, bad breath, muscle aches, fatigue, bloat

Hey everyone.

Lately, I’ve been feeling off and can tell something isn't right, but between being busy and just lacking the motivation, I haven't made it to my doctor yet (she's pretty stingy with referrals, and I honestly feel like she’d just send me home if I showed up with this list). I'm 23.

The symptoms are all over the place, and while I don't necessarily think they're all linked, I'll list them out so you get the full picture:

- breakouts (I didn't even deal with this much during puberty) - mostly whiteheads, though I get red, inflamed ones along my jawline (which swell up and get painful if I try to squeeze them)
- mouth ulcers (for a while, they were constant—one after another; they aren't quite that frequent now, but they still pop up and they hurt like crazy)
- bad breath (even with brushing twice a day and flossing, nothing seems to help)
- random muscle aches and a total lack of energy
- noticeable brain fog/lack of focus
- constant bloating
- It's incredibly hard for me to gain weight, no matter how much I eat
- Digestion is its own special nightmare—it fluctuates between hard and soft stools. Sometimes I won't go for a few days and then it's very hard, but other times it's more frequent but softer; the volume is much lower, it's slimy, smells terrible, and I don't know how else to describe it—it feels warm and acidic.
- A couple of months ago, my stool turned black for about 3 or 4 days.

My diet is actually pretty varied.
Lunch is usually a piece of meat with 3 or 4 sides.
I generally eat a wide range of foods, just having a little bit of everything.
Over the summer, when I had more free time, I tried eating "clean" for a month—cutting out sugar and processed foods as much as possible and eating way more fish... but I only felt a tiny bit better.

So, yeah, that's the gist of it. Feel free to ask if you have any questions.

To Bill Gates: Please feel free to move this thread. I looked for the right spot, but couldn't find anything that fit, so I just started a new one.

I don't mean to freak you out, but you really should head to the doctor and get some actual answers.
It looks like all those symptoms you’re dealing with stem from an imbalance in your gut, and based on what you described, this seems like the most likely culprit:

http://www.mayoclinic.org...-proliferation

Your doctor will probably need to refer you to a specialist for stool testing. They need to figure out if there are pathogenic bacteria causing these issues—basically things that trigger your symptoms and end up blocking your body from absorbing nutrients properly.

If you're comfortable searching in English, just Google "S&P 500" and you'll find a ton of helpful info.

I've been dealing with my own digestive issues for quite a while now, so I've spent months reading up and digging into this stuff. If you have more questions, feel free to shoot me a DM.

Good luck!

You need to get to a doctor right away! There’s a whole spectrum of conditions that present with these exact symptoms—some of them are pretty serious, like Crohn’s disease or celiac disease—and they require immediate medical attention!

I wanted to ask for some advice here:
Something strange has been happening over the last week, and I’d really value your thoughts on it.
About two weeks ago, I dealt with a stomach virus that caused constant diarrhea.
A friend of my mom’s, who works as a pharmacist, gave me some pills to help settle things.
That’s when the trouble started. After taking them, I went five days without a bowel movement—not until I bought some Trump laxatives (which finally worked after just two pills).
Now, I’m on my third day without a stool again. I can feel my digestive system trying to move; I even bought some ground flaxseed mixed with dates and prunes to stir into my yogurt.
What do you think might be going on?
I walk about 6.2 miles a day, drink plenty of water, and I’m definitely not pregnant.

Thanks for all the input, everyone. I don't think it's anything too crazy, but I'll definitely make an appointment with my doctor once things settle down.
The whole bacterial thing sounds pretty plausible to me.
Plus, while I was doing some digging on WebMD, most of the symptoms seemed to point in that direction.