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Feeling Nausea, Light Headed And Fatigued. Diagnosed With Chronic Constipation. What Is The Problem?

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Posted on Mon, 5 Nov 2012
Question: I have been feeling very ill for the past week and a half with nausea that has not gone away, aching in the abdomen, lightheaded feeling that doesn't go away, and a feeling of being very fatigued all the time. I went to the hospital 5 days ago and had a flat plate x-ray done to me and they diagnosed me with chronic constipation. I was given a bottle of that magnesium drink that tastes of lemon, that night i was able to pass a very liquid like bowel movement three times that night, then one more time that morning. My symptoms did not improve, and on Wednesday of that week, I went to my family doctor who prescribed to me moviprep which i took 46 ounces of that same day, and had several bowel movements of passing water that was basically urine colored. That night i had a numbness feeling in my right leg, like it was falling asleep, and chills. I was told that if i didn't feel better within 24 hours of taking the moviprep to get a CT scan of my pelvic and abdomen for any obstructions. that following morning, on Thursday, I woke up feeling worse then I did the day before, and got my CT scan done, the results showed that my colon was clear, that there was nothing in it, and after talking to my family doctor yesterday she had said, after looking at my CT scan as well as the flat plate x-ray from Monday, she had said that I was probably never constipated, but she noticed from the CT scan that I have a thickening of the walls of my appendix. I started drinking lots of water after my CT scan because they were having a very difficult time finding my veins, and the increase of the water helped relieve some of the symptoms a little bit. I would just like to figure out whats wrong with me from my symptoms of the fatigue, the constant nausea, the abdominal discomfort, an occasional twinge in the chest, the lack of appetite, and when i do eat the nausea makes it so that i can't eat much, and a dull throbbing in the left temple of my head that i have recently developed. Please help me doctor, I am worried that nothing has seemed to have gotten better in over a week, this is the longest I've ever felt sick before. Please help, looking up my symptoms on webmd or something online is just making me more scared of possible problems.

P.S. Tomorrow I will be getting a complete blood work done, and have a follow up appointment with my family doctor next Friday.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Anantharamakrishnan (2 hours later)
Hi,
Thanks for writing to us.
Given your complaints, it does sound suggestive of acute appendicitis. This is typically characterized by pain is in mid-abdomen and later shifts to right lower quadrant. This is accompanied by fever, tenderness, and the white blood count will rise. When in doubt, the treating doctor generally repeats the physical examination again - any mass or rigidity needs early and extensive work-up
A CT scan nearly normal practically excludes many significant problems.
The twinge in the chest and throbbing in the temple are very likely not related to the event - the pain and tension could also be responsible
It is right that browsing the web could scare - neither many sites are officially approved nor the information censored. Also, they would like to cover every possibility to suit everybody....
Relax! It is already ten days now - no complications over the duration is itself reassuring.
The only way for proper assessment and assistance will be to be in constant touch with the treating physician or surgeon. A second opinion by another internist is also a good option.
It is physical examination / repeat examination that is important under the circumstances
Good luck
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Aparna Kohli
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Answered by
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Dr. Anantharamakrishnan

Cardiologist

Practicing since :1966

Answered : 4505 Questions

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Feeling Nausea, Light Headed And Fatigued. Diagnosed With Chronic Constipation. What Is The Problem?

Hi,
Thanks for writing to us.
Given your complaints, it does sound suggestive of acute appendicitis. This is typically characterized by pain is in mid-abdomen and later shifts to right lower quadrant. This is accompanied by fever, tenderness, and the white blood count will rise. When in doubt, the treating doctor generally repeats the physical examination again - any mass or rigidity needs early and extensive work-up
A CT scan nearly normal practically excludes many significant problems.
The twinge in the chest and throbbing in the temple are very likely not related to the event - the pain and tension could also be responsible
It is right that browsing the web could scare - neither many sites are officially approved nor the information censored. Also, they would like to cover every possibility to suit everybody....
Relax! It is already ten days now - no complications over the duration is itself reassuring.
The only way for proper assessment and assistance will be to be in constant touch with the treating physician or surgeon. A second opinion by another internist is also a good option.
It is physical examination / repeat examination that is important under the circumstances
Good luck