Fatigue, drowsiness, and occasional heart palpitations...

So, lately I’ve been feeling pretty wiped out—just constant daytime fatigue despite getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night. A few days ago, while riding a bus with the windows shut, my vision started fading out. It went totally dark for a second—I could only make out dark shadows—and once I stepped off at the next stop, things slowly cleared up, though my ears were ringing a bit. Sometimes, even just walking up ten stairs leaves me winded and gasping. Then yesterday, I stepped out onto the balcony, came back inside, and as soon as I hit the bed, my heart started racing and I felt short of breath... Honestly, I have no idea what's going on. I'm 17, and I already went ahead and got a referral for some blood work.

Here is what the doctor ordered: CBC, BUN, Creatinine, Uric Acid, Total Bilirubin, Kali, Sodium, Iron, UIBS, TIBC, AST, GGT, CRP, ESR, and microscopic sediment analysis.

Thanks...

Well, this is a start, I guess. Your doctor probably asked you to pull every single thing possible from the lab to see if there’s even a fighting chance of sniffing out what's actually causing all your issues, though honestly, you'll likely end up needing to get your thyroid hormones checked next...

I have a doctor's appointment this Monday, so I'll be playing the waiting game for my results... Does anyone have any inkling of what might be going on? I realize it could practically be anything at this stage...

wearyorca472 said:So, lately I’ve been feeling pretty wiped out—just constant daytime fatigue despite getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night. A few days ago, while riding a bus with the windows shut, my vision started fading out. It went totally dark for a second—I could only make out dark shadows—and once I stepped off at the next stop, things slowly cleared up, though my ears were ringing a bit. Sometimes, even just walking up ten stairs leaves me winded and gasping. Then yesterday, I stepped out onto the balcony, came back inside, and as soon as I hit the bed, my heart started racing and I felt short of breath... Honestly, I have no idea what's going on. I'm 17, and I already went ahead and got a referral for some blood work.

Here is what the doctor ordered: CBC, BUN, Creatinine, Uric Acid, Total Bilirubin, Kali, Sodium, Iron, UIBS, TIBC, AST, GGT, CRP, ESR, and microscopic sediment analysis.

Thanks...

To me, this all sounds like anemia or an iron deficiency.
Some common signs of anemia include: fatigue, weakness, dizziness, lethargy, heart palpitations, trouble concentrating, and shortness of breath...
All those tests you're getting should give you a pretty clear picture of what's happening.
Good luck, let us know how it turns out 😉

Anemia.

thanks 🙂

I went in for bloodwork this morning—waiting until Thursday for the results, then I'll let you all know. Honestly, I'm starting to suspect it's just anemia; I've got all the symptoms, minus the shortness of breath. I was bracing myself for kidney issues, though I’d much prefer it to be 🙂. If it does turn out to be anemia, does anyone know how long treatment usually lasts? And more importantly—can I still play soccer while I'm dealing with this?

So, my results finally came in. My doctor says my blood work looks great—no issues there. She did hand me two referrals, though: one for thyroid testing (T3, T4, and TSH) and another just for a follow-up exam.

Like I was saying...

That second one looks like it's for an endocrinologist, I assume, since you've got separate referrals for the lab work and then a separate one for the specialist itself...

So, my thyroid hormone results finally came back—everything looks great. All within the normal range. Just wondering, would mononucleosis have shown up on these specific tests?
I also have a referral for an infectious disease specialist for a full workup. Does anyone know what that actually entails?

They’re going to run all the tests they deem necessary based on what an infectious disease specialist thinks is the right move...

Now, about mono...
In theory, you should be able to spot it on a standard blood count, but there are always exceptions to the rule, and sure, liver enzymes can spike too, but clearly that wasn't the case here if his labs came back clean—honestly, there are probably a hundred different infectious things it could be even if you aren't running a fever, but it looks like my colleague is actually taking this seriously and is following a methodical process to track down whatever is causing your issues...

So, I just finished my exam. The diagnosis is Acute tonsillitis. They pulled five vials of blood—standard procedure, I guess—and ran an ECG as well. My chart says the tonsils are outside the arches, hypertrophic, and uneven, but there's no exudate. It also notes a "scaphoid abdomen," which is soft and painless. Now, what exactly does a scaphoid abdomen mean? Is that actually a good thing or should I be worried?

Regarding these results, everything seems fine, except for the tonsil issue. Did an infectious disease specialist perform this evaluation? Also, how does the blood work look? It appeared somewhat indicative of anemia, yet you haven't mentioned any inflammatory symptoms...

He mentioned earlier that he was told his blood work looked great (back in post #7), so anemia shouldn't really be on the table here. I’m assuming they ran a full panel including MCV and MCHC, not just basic HTK and E levels, because if they did, the only thing left to consider would be some kind of hemoglobinopathy—but honestly, that feels like we're getting into sci-fi territory at this point. Maybe Hep B or C? But they already checked his GGT, AST, and bilirubin, and those should be fine unless he skipped straight to an infectious disease specialist...

Anyway, the whole situation is just bizarre...

Yeah, an infectious disease specialist ran the tests. I had five vials of blood drawn, plus she did what looked like a throat swab. Two vials and the swab went to one facility, while the other three vials and a urine sample were sent off for some kind of serum work—the referral specifies serology for CMV, EBV, and Toxoplasma. Once those results are back, they have to send them over to Washington, D.C., and then they'll mail the final report to my house. There’s also another referral for follow-up labs: AST-O, a Monosticon test, and a bacterial throat culture.

The specialist mentioned it could be strep or perhaps a mild case of mono—not anything severe, though, since I don't have a fever or any actual pain. I was also referred for an ECG, which I already went in for; I should have the results by tomorrow. Hopefully, nothing's going on with my heart.

My MCHC is slightly elevated at 354—the reference range is 304 to 346—but the doctor didn't mention it, so I assume it isn't a major concern.

MCV - 82.7 [76.5-92.1]
GGT - 16 [10-27]
AST - 25 [11-38]
bilirubin - 9 [7-30]

So, I just got my ECG results back:

Sinus rhythm, 91 bpm—some intermediate electrical findings, left ventricular hypertrophy, and some conduction disturbances in the IV area.

Do you deal with high blood pressure? Are you active in sports?

Sam Hall15 said:Do you deal with high blood pressure? Are you active in sports?

I’m active—nothing professional, obviously—but I hit the gym or play sports with friends for about two or three hours every week. As for those heart rate spikes, I think I was just a bit rattled by the equipment itself. 🙂

What I actually want to know about is the left ventricular hypertrophy and the IV conduction disturbances. What does that actually imply? Is there treatment involved, and if so, what kind?

Thanks

Here are the ECG readings:
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/9905/photo000ky.jpg

I wasn't quite expecting this level of hypertrophy. It could certainly be linked to your athletic training, though such pronounced hypertrophy is typically seen in professional athletes; however, three hours of intense physical activity could definitely be a contributing factor.
It might not be a bad idea to schedule a cardiac ultrasound just to be safe. By the way, what were the findings from your heart auscultation? Did they mention anything regarding a murmur?

Sam Hall15 said:I wasn't quite expecting this level of hypertrophy. It could certainly be linked to your athletic training, though such pronounced hypertrophy is typically seen in professional athletes; however, three hours of intense physical activity could definitely be a contributing factor.
It might not be a bad idea to schedule a cardiac ultrasound just to be safe. By the way, what were the findings from your heart auscultation? Did they mention anything regarding a murmur?

By "physical exam," I assume you mean that standard checkup where they put the stethoscope on my chest—she didn't mention anything about a murmur. I should be getting some results back on Monday, which will hopefully determine if I need more testing. Is this actually dangerous?