Vitamin Levels Ok, Still Exhausted, More Testing

[CajunChic]

I've recently had my vitamin levels and thyroid levels checked because of exhaustion. My dr called me to tell me all of my levels were normal and she wants me to follow up with an ENT. (I had an enlarged lymph node.) Saw him and he said my sinuses could be causing me to be tired. Now he wants to do a CT scan, antibiotics after if infection is found, then balloons in my sinuses to increase oxygen flow.

Maybe I spent so much time getting a celiac dx that I'm not wanting to follow through with all of this sinus stuff.

Could this constant sinus pressure be food derived? Should I go through with more testing, more trial and error? Is exhaustion just part of celiac? I've read many stories of people healing their sinuses with their diet, but don't know where to start or if I should.

I'm overwhelmed.

[NatureChick]

I had sinus issues, but they cleared up quickly after going gluten-free so I don't know what to tell you. But I'd definitely get a second opinion before getting balloons put in. I'd also try a different type of doctor who might consider other possibilities.

[HavaneseMom]

Hi CajunChic,

I have sinus pain and pressure too. Have you tried eliminating dairy? I do notice that I have increased pain/pressure when I eat dairy and I recently learned that it is a known offender for causing some people sinus problems. If you call your ENT, they might have a diet they would recommend that you try. It might be worth a phone call to find out what they say and if they think it could work in your case. I think alot of doctors assume that patients aren't willing to try self help approaches, so those options go unmentioned.

Another thing that I have tried and liked was a Neti Pot. If you haven't tried it before, there are some YouTube videos showing how to use it properly. I'm not going to lie, it does feel a little strange at first, but it does temporarily relieve some pressure.

I do think that the exhaustion hangs on for a while for some of us. I'm not sure how long you have been gluten free, but I have been for 8+months now and am still pretty tired most of the time. Hang in there and I hope you feel better soon.

[flowerqueen]

Giving up dairy products can help with sinus problems. I have been plagued with sinus problems almost all my life. When I was diagnosed with Coeliacs disease a few years ago, I had already given up dairy as I was unable to tolerate it and noticed my sinus problems improved.

Other people I know have also given up diary to improve sinus issues. There's only one way for you to find out and that is to try it and see, as nothing works for everyone.

[CajunChic]

Thanks y'all. I've been gluten-free for 11 months, with a few hiccups in between. I eat dairy-light as it bothers me. I'll try giving it up completely and see if it helps. Also, thanks for the neti-pot advice. I looked it up and it seems it'll help! I'll def be getting one.

I also think I'll see an acupuncturist and chiropractor for a while. I think I'll give modern medicine a break for now. Thanks for y'all's input!

[NatureChick]

I did have another thought though it is not something I know much about. I know at least one of my real-life gluten-free friends claims to have adrenal insufficiency that was caused by celiac and have seen others comment about it on the forum as well. And I know there are tests for it. I don't know enough to know if it can cause exhaustion though I'm sure you can look it up online.

[CajunChic]

I did have another thought though it is not something I know much about. I know at least one of my real-life gluten-free friends claims to have adrenal insufficiency that was caused by celiac and have seen others comment about it on the forum as well. And I know there are tests for it. I don't know enough to know if it can cause exhaustion though I'm sure you can look it up online.

Thank you, I've heard of it but don't know much about it. I'll look it up.

[frieze]

get your lab work from the doc, "normal" doesn't mean "optimal".

[CajunChic]

get your lab work from the doc, "normal" doesn't mean "optimal".

True Frieze. I definitely will do that and check to see if they're a low normal. Thanks for the reminder!

[millerb68]

Just because you tested normal for thyroid doesn't mean all things are normal. My thyroid levels were "normal" also, but my doctor diagnosed "subclinical hypothyroid" (yet another autoimmune disease) based on some other markers that she explained, but were rather complicated.  I'd never heard of it, but it's real: (Open Original Shared Link Open Original Shared Link now taking T4/T3. 

 

As for sinuses, food allergies can contribute to sinus pain and pressure, as well as dehydration. My migraines almost always start in my sinuses. 

 

I had sinus surgery in 1992. Although I'm sure it has improved since then, it was not pleasant, and didn't take care of the whole problem. 

 

Good luck.

[nvsmom]

Like the last couple of posters, I was a "normal" thyroid tester for years but it really was hypothyroidism - they just looked at the wrong things.  Definitely get your lab reports.

 

I have found that generally thyroiditis patients feel their best when the TSH is near a 1, free T4 and free T3 are in the 50-75% range of your lab's normal reference range, and TPO Ab should be pretty low. That's not true for everyone, but it is for many - and it was for me.

 

Good luck. I hope you find your answers soon!

[CajunChic]

It's been a while, but I got my results from my vitamin test. Though the dr said normal, they were a low normal. my vit D was 39 (range 30-100 norm) and my calcium was an 88.8 (88-90-something norm). I don't want to supplement because I'm scared of overdosing, so I'll add more to my diet. Hopefully I'll be feeling much better! My TSH was really normal(2), lol. So good news there.

I'll continue to find a dietary cause for my sinuses before any medical intervention.

As always, thank y'all for the advice!

[HavaneseMom]

Hi CajunChic,

I'm glad you came back to follow up. I know we talked about dairy earlier and I just wanted to let you know that I myself have been off of dairy for 10 days in an attempt to try to relieve sinus pain/pressure/headaches. They have all lessened a bit already and I have had a rather annoying buzzing noise in my left ear for years that is now down to whisper. My doctor always told me that buzzing noise was caused by congestion. It's not easy to give up my beloved cheese and dairy, but I just wanted to let you know that I have seen some improvement and hopefully you will too :-) .

[NatureChick]

CahunChic. I totally agree on skipping supplements for vitamin D because they tend to do very little compared to the side effects or damage they can cause. 

Sun is really the best way to get D levels back up again. One tip for that. The "good" rays from the sun do get blocked by our atmosphere so you get the most of them if you expose your skin at high noon, when the sun has to penetrate the least amount of atmosphere to get to us. The "bad" rays don't get blocked so they hit us all day long.