6 years, doctors clueless, osteoporosis and flu-like symptoms

[Joemontana]

First of all congrats, You are really a lucky person don't know how is it ''whatever'' my wishes for you have a great time ahead, Enjoy your life may god bless you...!!

Thanks

[vagabond79]

Have you been screened for Hyperparathyroidism? If not, also have your blood serum calcium levels checked.

Good luck,
S*

First of all, sorry for such a delayed response. I did not want to go into too much detail in my first post, so I will tell you a little more here.

I went to a bone endocrinologist at Duke in October 2012. He ran the following labs:

DEXA Scan (showed aforementioned bone density issues)
Prolactin
Testosterone, Total Serum
Thyroid Profile
Luteinizing Hormone
Bone Alk Phosphatase
Vitamin D Total
Gen Code Commercial Lab-B

All labs except for the DEXA Scan and Vitamin D came back normal. Since that appointment, I have been taking Actonel and Vitamin D 50,000 IU 1x weekly. Unfortunately, I have not noticed any changes in my symptoms.

Thanks for responding. Still trying to figure this out...

[vagabond79]

Hi Jon,

I've been suffering from strange and inexpiable symptoms for a few years-- including constant sinus pressure and sometimes flu-like symptoms... Mine are not the same as yours, but perhaps we share a commonality.

I'v been to many doctors and specialists and been tested for so many things but to no avail. I've been trying to self-diagnose myself for a while and recently stumbled upon a suggestion from another forum-- Something called Candidiasis. It's basically a fungal infection in the bowls. I tried the treatment (a strict die) which, to my amazement, actually worked!

When I started to dig a bit further, it seemed that any undiagnosed food allergy could be the culprit. The longer an allergy goes untreated, the worst the fallback will be. I found this on a website about dairy allergies:
" Food allergies also interfere with nutrient absorption, resulting in conditions such as iron deficiency anemia, osteoporosis, and fatigue. "

Have you been tested for any intolerances/ allergies other than gluten? If not, I really suggest asking your doctor-- or trying an elimination diet.

There's some more information here:
http://www.three-peaks.net/annette/allergies-death.htm

I hope this is of help to you!

Pamela.

Hi Pamela,

Thank you for your reponse.

I've been thinking a lot lately about food intolerances and allergies as a cause for my issues. Last week I went to a GI doctor and told him my issues and he just performed an endoscopy today. He said everything looked normal but he took some tissue biopsies, the results of which I will hopefully have sometime next week.

I went to an allergist probably a year ago and he tested me for about 50 of the most common things out there. I came back 100% negative to everything (which he said was a little odd in itself). However, I don't feel like he tested me for many of the intolerances out there. What kind of doctor would do this kind of testing?

I have the site you linked above saved to look at as soon as I can get to it.

Thank you!

[mewsician]

vagabond

Osteoporosis is a metabolic disease. Having it means that your body is not getting something it needs or is not processing what you are eating correctly--and your bones are suffering from it. I have had moderate to severe osteoporosis that I have just successfully moved from severe to moderate by eating gluten free (for a little over a year), without taking any prescription drugs. I suggest you try eating gluten free. It will eliminate any constipation problems you might be having, general stomach aches, bloating and gassiness and will give you energy! It takes about three weeks to see a difference.


I am not celiac, but I am apparently sensitive to wheat. You might be amazed at how easy it is to be gluten free. You just eat whole foods, nothing processed. It takes a little time to figure out what food makes you feel the best, but it's worth the effort. I would not be a bit surprised to hear that most people with osteoporosis are sensitive to wheat. My opinion about this is that around 1960 when the three ancient wheats were genetically combined to produce "whole wheat," many people began to be sensitive to one of those ancient wheats, but they test negative for celiac disease. They are not sensitive ENOUGH for the celiac test to be positive.

I rely on gluten free pasta as my staple (I also make my own bread in a small bread machine from garbanzo bean flour, oat flour, sorghum flour and teff). The brands Ancient Harvest and DeBole's have the tastiest pastas, and my favorite is small shells cooked al dente. Add a little chicken or turkey and some frozen spinach (onion and garlic, too) to a box of shells for a meal in a bowl (make four servings at a time so you'll have food ready).

The most recent research on vitamin D showed that you can take up to 10,000 IU daily and not hurt yourself. I take 2,000 - 4,000 IU a day and a little more when I have bone pain.

Feeling awful for a long time is AWFUL! Why not try some gluten free food?

[ray0012]

Hi Jon,<br><br>I hope you are getting better. I have also been having a frequent attack of flu with sore throat sometimes with a running nose, but most times without it. I have been trying out different medications, referred a number of doctors and alternative treatments including yoga.&nbsp;<br>I am 30, I have been generally healthy except I had allergies as a child.&nbsp;<br>Recently I found out that I do not have food allergies anymore as an adult but I have dust allergy - especially House Dust. These are mostly hidden in bedding so even vacuuming don't always help. Washing all the bedding incl. pillow covers etc. every week (more the better); opening of windows, curtains to let sun in as much and going out in the sun to get Vitamin D and eating a more healthy natural balanced diet - these all may sound very simple and obvious but it actually helped me, mainly the regular bedding washing. Around winter time, I get more sick and also in periods of high stress (work related pressure, etc.) seem to have an effect. A very balanced life-style, this may often be more easily said than done - does help. I still have the flu attacks at times but managed to reduce the frequency and get better quicker - still fighting for the full solution.&nbsp;<br>Just my 2 pence of worth. Hope it helps.<br><br>/Raj.

[PamelaPowley]

Hi again,

An intolerance won't always show up on tests. I have been tested for celiacs and that came back negative but my problems have gotten substantially better since reducing my gluten intake.

I've also been tested for Hypoglycemia-- low blood sugar-- which came back negative. However, blood sugar tests are not easy to read and there is no real standard for what a good levels should look like. The will vary from person to person and to get an accurate reading, multiple tests have to be taken to compare levels.

My best advice is to collect your own data: Record what you eat when you eat it and how you feel. Be very persistent! This will help you to identify the problem if it is at all food-related-- intolerance, allergy, or deficiency.

And most importantly, if you drink coffee or anything caffeinated-- stop. See if it helps (after you've gone through the withdrawal)

I really hope you start improving soon!

Pamela.