Celian,allergies, Sinusitis, Or Anxiety?

[jaketoolson]

I'm 28 years old and have been having problems for about a year now. I don't know where to start as this will not only be my first post, but my first time publicly putting my story out there. You see, the entire past 1.5 years has been absolutely the worst of my life and I feel like it's come full circle.

I've never had allergies, surgeries, or major health problems. At 5'7" and weighing in at 237, my weight was my biggest health problem, but I never worried about it.

About 2 years ago, my family and I moved into a home and this is where my life changed for the worse but also the better. While living in this home, we each came down with bronchitis for the first time ever in our lives. A month or two later, I would get it again and this is where it began.

I went to my Primary Care Physician for the first time in years (again, I am young and lazy and therefore never went in - not even for annual checkups). By this point, I'm pretty wound up about it and he feels its Anxiety and/or acid reflux. I am not sure I ever had acid reflux because I only had heart burn after taking the pills, but I digress. Eventually I'd stop taking the acid reflux pills as I felt no improvement. If anything, I felt worse, and sure, by now, anxious because I've felt no improvement.

Ever since then, I feel as though I've been swallowing large amounts of mucus and it's literally driven me nuts. At night I experience an itchy throat (sometimes a sore throat) and when I lay down I get congested. It's to the point where I feel like I've had a head cold cold for a year, only no daily headaches or pressure.

I've seen my Dr. 3-4 times since and have tried antihistamine, steroid nose spray, and sudafed. I can't remember which of these provided my relief because it was about this time last year but eventually the symptoms suppressed and I stopped taking the medicines, but eventually it all came back. By the time I'd get home from work, I felt like my face was melting off and I just wanted to goto bed.

Explaining this to my dr. he pushed anxiety and a bit of depression. To lead a life with no health problems to suddenly this made me worried and therefore was my every thought. In January I began taking Buspar for anxiety hoping it would eliminate the 'head cold' feeling.

Well it hasn't and I feel I'm exactly where I started. I don't know what it is nor what to do. I just started taking 50mg Pseudoephedrine (the real stuff - not the OTC with PE) and am on day two of that. But I still feel sad and hopeless. If I call my Dr. I am afraid he'll just resort back to anxiety and I don't want that - I just want to not feel as though I will have a head cold for the rest of my life. Since October my eyes have been stinging and been irritated on a daily basis. Eye doctor said it was chronic dry eye but I get seemingly no relief from anything so I chalk it up to one more thing I can't seem to get rid of. My skin is super dry and at any given time feels like I could just break out into a full-body itch.

From the research, it seems as though it's allergies or sinusitis but I can't rule out food either... is there any sure way to tell and how can I get rid of it? Looking at the symptoms I can't say I've suffered greatly from any of them. If it was a gluten problem, would I notice immediately after eating something containing glutens?

Side note: since all of this, I've lost 50-60++ lbs and now run 5-8 miles a day and have been for almost a year now.

[Gemini]

I'm 28 years old and have been having problems for about a year now. I don't know where to start as this will not only be my first post, but my first time publicly putting my story out there. You see, the entire past 1.5 years has been absolutely the worst of my life and I feel like it's come full circle.

I've never had allergies, surgeries, or major health problems. At 5'7" and weighing in at 237, my weight was my biggest health problem, but I never worried about it.

About 2 years ago, my family and I moved into a home and this is where my life changed for the worse but also the better. While living in this home, we each came down with bronchitis for the first time ever in our lives. A month or two later, I would get it again and this is where it began.

I went to my Primary Care Physician for the first time in years (again, I am young and lazy and therefore never went in - not even for annual checkups). By this point, I'm pretty wound up about it and he feels its Anxiety and/or acid reflux. I am not sure I ever had acid reflux because I only had heart burn after taking the pills, but I digress. Eventually I'd stop taking the acid reflux pills as I felt no improvement. If anything, I felt worse, and sure, by now, anxious because I've felt no improvement.

Ever since then, I feel as though I've been swallowing large amounts of mucus and it's literally driven me nuts. At night I experience an itchy throat (sometimes a sore throat) and when I lay down I get congested. It's to the point where I feel like I've had a head cold cold for a year, only no daily headaches or pressure.

I've seen my Dr. 3-4 times since and have tried antihistamine, steroid nose spray, and sudafed. I can't remember which of these provided my relief because it was about this time last year but eventually the symptoms suppressed and I stopped taking the medicines, but eventually it all came back. By the time I'd get home from work, I felt like my face was melting off and I just wanted to goto bed.

Explaining this to my dr. he pushed anxiety and a bit of depression. To lead a life with no health problems to suddenly this made me worried and therefore was my every thought. In January I began taking Buspar for anxiety hoping it would eliminate the 'head cold' feeling.

Well it hasn't and I feel I'm exactly where I started. I don't know what it is nor what to do. I just started taking 50mg Pseudoephedrine (the real stuff - not the OTC with PE) and am on day two of that. But I still feel sad and hopeless. If I call my Dr. I am afraid he'll just resort back to anxiety and I don't want that - I just want to not feel as though I will have a head cold for the rest of my life. Since October my eyes have been stinging and been irritated on a daily basis. Eye doctor said it was chronic dry eye but I get seemingly no relief from anything so I chalk it up to one more thing I can't seem to get rid of. My skin is super dry and at any given time feels like I could just break out into a full-body itch.

From the research, it seems as though it's allergies or sinusitis but I can't rule out food either... is there any sure way to tell and how can I get rid of it? Looking at the symptoms I can't say I've suffered greatly from any of them. If it was a gluten problem, would I notice immediately after eating something containing glutens?

Side note: since all of this, I've lost 50-60++ lbs and now run 5-8 miles a day and have been for almost a year now.

This all sounds like classic, seasonal allergy problems. You could very well have Celiac Disease which will make allergies much worse, in general, until you go gluten-free and heal. Allergies can pop up anytime and may happen after a move. You never know when you may start to react to things in your environment.

I have been strictly gluten-free for 5 years now and my allergies still are somewhat of a problem. They improved a bit and I stopped getting sinus infections once I healed from the celiac disease but I still have symptoms when it gets moldy. I am trying a new alternative treatment and it seems to be working so far.

I would suggest pushing your doctor for a Celiac panel and some allergy testing for seasonal allergies. That way you will at least know what you are allergic to. As far as anxiety is concerned, that's the newest load of BS they sell to the public. They are always pushing anti-depressant and anxiety drugs on people and should be shot for not looking into health issues that pertain to something else. It's the cheap way to treat and shut people up. They pulled that on me when I was dying from undiagnosed celiac disease and I would have none of it. I used to tell them I was depressed from having a doctor who wasn't helping me.

Good work on the weight loss too! Keep it up and keep exercising....that is the best Rx for any down feelings you may be having.

But start being pushy with your doctor or get a new one. You need some basic testing to start the ball rolling.

[frieze]

new house, check for mold

[Skylark]

About 2 years ago, my family and I moved into a home and this is where my life changed for the worse but also the better. While living in this home, we each came down with bronchitis for the first time ever in our lives. A month or two later, I would get it again and this is where it began.

I know how hard it is to "come out". Glad you decided to post.

This has a chance of being environmental. Have you checked the home for toxic molds, or is it a new house with a lot of formaldehyde leaching from paint, wallboard, etc.?