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I Have Fever, Fatigue And Daily Headache. What Do These Symptoms Suggest?
Question: Hi, I'm very confused. I went to see a doctor recently for unexplained health problems including 1) off and on heat (feeling like I have a fever when I don't have one) 2) off and on fatigue 3) chronic daily headaches
bloodwork came out normal except cholesterol of 109 which I was told is too low, hymocysteine of 9.7 which i was told is too high and should be lowered, a gluten intolerance, and high levels of mercury
The doctor wants me to take a million supplements.
coq10 100mg 4x per day, probiotics, magnesium orotate 30mg 4x per day, msm2000 2x per day, cardioB formula 2x per day (includes B6, Folic Acid, B12, Betaine) (maybe for lowering the hymocysteine?), vitamin D 10,000 a day (my vitamin D was at the very low end of the OK range), pro omega fish oils 2x 2x per day, and something called GI renew to treat what he said is leaky gut.
I'm overwhelmed. Do I take all of this? or just some?
bloodwork came out normal except cholesterol of 109 which I was told is too low, hymocysteine of 9.7 which i was told is too high and should be lowered, a gluten intolerance, and high levels of mercury
The doctor wants me to take a million supplements.
coq10 100mg 4x per day, probiotics, magnesium orotate 30mg 4x per day, msm2000 2x per day, cardioB formula 2x per day (includes B6, Folic Acid, B12, Betaine) (maybe for lowering the hymocysteine?), vitamin D 10,000 a day (my vitamin D was at the very low end of the OK range), pro omega fish oils 2x 2x per day, and something called GI renew to treat what he said is leaky gut.
I'm overwhelmed. Do I take all of this? or just some?
Hello XXXXXXX
Thanks for your query. The symptoms that you have described (feeling of fatigue, tiredness, warmth of the body without any fever and chronic headaches) are often the symptoms of gluten intolerance that you have been already diagnosed with. Moreover your blood work has come positive for gluten intolerance. Leaky gut syndrome which you have been told by your practitioner is basically a proposed condition of an altered or damaged bowel lining. It is not a recognized diagnosis and there are no diagnostic tests which can prove this condition. It is often described in association with gluten intolerance because a gluten free diet has been helpful in improving the symptoms. But this is not a confirmed medical condition.
We can only do a colonoscopy and do a biopsy of the intestinal lining to check for any damaged bowel lining. But as such there is no test to prove this condition. It is also thought that leaky gut can be the first step for diabetes, autoimmune diseases like lupus, intestinal colitis and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Homocysteine is an amino acid produced in the body. Normal levels are in the range between 5 to 15 micromoles per litre and your levels are within the normal limit. They are not raised.
Magnesium orotate is a mineral supplement and is used by athletes to increase endurance. It is also used to treat symptoms of magnesium deficiency ( include hyperexcitability, muscle weakness and fatigue) and medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis.
MSM is methylsulfonylmethane which is a dietary supplement and is thought to be beneficial in osteoarthritis. This is a herbal product and the FDA has not approved this herb for any medical use. When you are taking this supplement, look out for any allergic reaction, stomach upset or constipation/ diarrhea which are frequent side effects of this drug.
Regarding your symptoms, besides gluten intolerance three possibilities which are coming to my mind are hypothyroidism, vitamin D deficiency and chronic fatigue syndrome. If you have not got investigated for these three possibilities, it is important to get them done.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions then please do post us.
Wishing you good health.
Regards
Thanks for your query. The symptoms that you have described (feeling of fatigue, tiredness, warmth of the body without any fever and chronic headaches) are often the symptoms of gluten intolerance that you have been already diagnosed with. Moreover your blood work has come positive for gluten intolerance. Leaky gut syndrome which you have been told by your practitioner is basically a proposed condition of an altered or damaged bowel lining. It is not a recognized diagnosis and there are no diagnostic tests which can prove this condition. It is often described in association with gluten intolerance because a gluten free diet has been helpful in improving the symptoms. But this is not a confirmed medical condition.
We can only do a colonoscopy and do a biopsy of the intestinal lining to check for any damaged bowel lining. But as such there is no test to prove this condition. It is also thought that leaky gut can be the first step for diabetes, autoimmune diseases like lupus, intestinal colitis and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Homocysteine is an amino acid produced in the body. Normal levels are in the range between 5 to 15 micromoles per litre and your levels are within the normal limit. They are not raised.
Magnesium orotate is a mineral supplement and is used by athletes to increase endurance. It is also used to treat symptoms of magnesium deficiency ( include hyperexcitability, muscle weakness and fatigue) and medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis.
MSM is methylsulfonylmethane which is a dietary supplement and is thought to be beneficial in osteoarthritis. This is a herbal product and the FDA has not approved this herb for any medical use. When you are taking this supplement, look out for any allergic reaction, stomach upset or constipation/ diarrhea which are frequent side effects of this drug.
Regarding your symptoms, besides gluten intolerance three possibilities which are coming to my mind are hypothyroidism, vitamin D deficiency and chronic fatigue syndrome. If you have not got investigated for these three possibilities, it is important to get them done.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions then please do post us.
Wishing you good health.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I see, and based on the symptoms I described. Is there any reason for me to be taking the MSM 2000 and Magnesium Orotate supplements? I don't want to unnecessarily over supplement?
Also, being that my vitamin D level was at the very bottom of the acceptable range and I want to raise it, what is a good amount of vitamin D to take daily? The doctor I saw suggested 10,000. I thought this was too much so have been taking 5000. Is that OK?
I am changing my diet to eliminate gluten but do you think I should continue to take the GI renew product that was given to me by my doctor to treat the leaky gut?
Also, being that my vitamin D level was at the very bottom of the acceptable range and I want to raise it, what is a good amount of vitamin D to take daily? The doctor I saw suggested 10,000. I thought this was too much so have been taking 5000. Is that OK?
I am changing my diet to eliminate gluten but do you think I should continue to take the GI renew product that was given to me by my doctor to treat the leaky gut?
Hi,
Thanks for your follow up,
You can talk in detail with your doctor or take a second opinion from another doctor who can physically examine you and then you can take msm2000 if he prescribes it. As mentioned earlier, it is a herbal drug and hence should be used only when the body needs it direly.
You can take magnesium orotate for some days as prescribed and then stop taking it after consulting your doctor. Also eat magnesium XXXXXXX foods like bananas, beans, chickpeas, fish, nuts, soybeans, spinach etc which are natural sources of magnesium.
Regarding vitamin D levels, you need to take a XXXXXXX of vitamin D with milk or curd once a week for 8 weeks and then once a month. Each XXXXXXX contains 60,000 IU of vitamin D. You can start with a gluten free diet and if the symptoms persist then you can take the GI renew supplements which you have been prescribed.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions then please do post us. Wishing you good health.
Thanks for your follow up,
You can talk in detail with your doctor or take a second opinion from another doctor who can physically examine you and then you can take msm2000 if he prescribes it. As mentioned earlier, it is a herbal drug and hence should be used only when the body needs it direly.
You can take magnesium orotate for some days as prescribed and then stop taking it after consulting your doctor. Also eat magnesium XXXXXXX foods like bananas, beans, chickpeas, fish, nuts, soybeans, spinach etc which are natural sources of magnesium.
Regarding vitamin D levels, you need to take a XXXXXXX of vitamin D with milk or curd once a week for 8 weeks and then once a month. Each XXXXXXX contains 60,000 IU of vitamin D. You can start with a gluten free diet and if the symptoms persist then you can take the GI renew supplements which you have been prescribed.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions then please do post us. Wishing you good health.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Last question: regarding hypothyrodisim... I have a TSH of 1.87, T3 free of 3.3, and thyroxine free of 1.40. Could this levels indicate a mild hypothyroidism or is that something I can rule out?
Also could an elevated cortisol level cause my symptoms (heat, chronic headache, fatigue)? And is there anyway to test for this?
Also could an elevated cortisol level cause my symptoms (heat, chronic headache, fatigue)? And is there anyway to test for this?
Hi,
Hypothyroidism is diagnosed by measuring the TSH levels. Normal range of the TSH levels should be between 0.4-4 mIU/L but when treating hypothyroidism, we intend to keep it between 1-2. Your TSH levels are absolutely normal and hence hypothyroidism is completely ruled out.
Regarding cortisol levels, a mild elevation in cortisol levels may not produce recognizable symptoms. it is only when the levels are too high that symptoms are produced. The symptoms of Cushing's syndrome include elevated blood pressure, diabetes, pink to purple stretch marks on the abdomen, fatigue, depression, moodiness and a fatty hump on the back. Your symptoms are less likely to be due to elevated cortisol levels.
Normally, cortisol levels rise during the early morning hours and fall by night. So you need to get an early morning blood test for cortisol levels done. You may be asked to avoid strenuous physical activity the day before a cortisol test. You may also be asked to stop prescription and non prescription medicines before the test. Then a blood sample is taken and the cortisol levels measured for morning and afternoon. It is called serum cortisol test.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions then please do post us.
Wishing you good health.
Hypothyroidism is diagnosed by measuring the TSH levels. Normal range of the TSH levels should be between 0.4-4 mIU/L but when treating hypothyroidism, we intend to keep it between 1-2. Your TSH levels are absolutely normal and hence hypothyroidism is completely ruled out.
Regarding cortisol levels, a mild elevation in cortisol levels may not produce recognizable symptoms. it is only when the levels are too high that symptoms are produced. The symptoms of Cushing's syndrome include elevated blood pressure, diabetes, pink to purple stretch marks on the abdomen, fatigue, depression, moodiness and a fatty hump on the back. Your symptoms are less likely to be due to elevated cortisol levels.
Normally, cortisol levels rise during the early morning hours and fall by night. So you need to get an early morning blood test for cortisol levels done. You may be asked to avoid strenuous physical activity the day before a cortisol test. You may also be asked to stop prescription and non prescription medicines before the test. Then a blood sample is taken and the cortisol levels measured for morning and afternoon. It is called serum cortisol test.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions then please do post us.
Wishing you good health.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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