Chook Me!

Is there a disease with me, or am I just not feeling good?

I honestly have no clue. I'm 16, turn 17 in less than two months. Guy, 5'8.5, 138lbs at lightest in the mornings (13.1% body fat or so). I prefer to think I exercise regularly (walk about 2 hours a day unwillingly- my school is huge). I don't get my optimum amount of sleep, only about 5-6 hours a day, but it doesn't seem to matter. I always seem tired, utterly exhausted, never in the mood to just go out and do something physical. In the summer I tried to, for once, get all of the sleep I needed. It didn't work. I slept nearly 11-12 hours a day and it didn't help. I have this mental 'fog', I call it, that is always there, just beyond me. I can barely ever think straight for a long time at once, and it effects me deeply. I'm highly intelligent apparently, as I got extreme high marks on my state graduation testing I took last year, and I've had a upper-college reading level since I took tests in 6th grade- and probably before then too. This block that keeps me from thinking freely is ruining all of it- my grades are getting in the toilet fast, just because I can't think or focus on school work, despite easily grasping the concept I just don't notice the work. My physique, while never being better, is actually turning worse. I can't run more than a minute without being utterly exhausted now, while once at the doctors office when I was 11 I ran for 25 minutes straight at 6 miles an hour with a constantly graduating incline. I feel just down low to the ground, with absolutely no energy. At the same time I have this low headache- usually so insignificant I really don't notice it. Some days it'll peak, and I can't be around any noise at all. Kind of related, my spine feels really weirded out, like it can't move. And it's hypersensitive- poked in the spine makes me scrunch forward, and a water balloon once hit it. To keep it succinct, let's just say I taught my friends around me several new swear words because of the pain. It constantly hurts. My diet is fairly clean- I eat mostly meat more than fruits, vegetables or even water for that instance. Dinner every night has meats, from chicken wings to grilled steak, and my lunches are usually made with a Chik-fil-a chicken sandwich. I drink sodas maybe once a week, sometimes once every few weeks. Being in Arizona, I drink a lot of water by habit- about 3-4 bottles a day. Not enough, as it is, but that's the best I can do, seeing as it costs a dollar a bottle and the fountains suck. The few things I have been diagnosed with are ADD, and chronic urticaria. The ADD wasn't caught by anyone for years, until only about 6 months ago I connected the dots in my behavior myself. The chronic urticaria I have no clue, nor does anyone else, how it got started. If you don't know, imagine being allergic to a bee so that, when stung, you swell and develop red hives, or large round bumps, on your whole body. Then imagine having a constant reaction to it for 5 years. And being constantly on benadril for the first half of it. Yeah... Is there any obvious disease or something wrong with me? Or do I just not feel good usually? I've had most of the symptoms for years, but some are newer.

Public Comments

1. Sounds to me like your entire system is out of whack. The sleepiness and brain fog say chronic fatigue, the pain and headaches sound like Fibromyalgia. But then you say you eat a lot of meat. And it sounds like it's more processed meat at that. Like breaded chicken and such. I would suggest you try to find a doctor who practices complimentary medicine or a natural path. Either one will look for the actual cause of what's wrong and will generally use safer herbals and other natural less invasive techniques, instead of just treating the symptoms and the side effects of whatever drugs prescribed like standard doctors do. But until you can find a doctor I'd suggest doing a few simple things first. One start drinking a LOT more water. You're in a drier, hotter climate so you need more anyway. Take your Weight and divide it by your height and that is how much water in ounces you should be drinking in a day, but I would try to drink a little more than that because of the climate. The next one you'll need your Mom's help with. I suggest that you cut meat out of your diet for at least 2 weeks, along with anything that comes in a box or a wrapper. This goes for dairy too. Try to just eat fresh fruit and veggies. BUT! you can eat as many fruits and veggies as you want so you won't starve. I honestly think you're more likely to have developed some slightly more severe food allergies. I've actually heard and read studies where they are linking artificial sweeteners and High Fructouse Corn Syrup with ADD and ADHD. Plus I know those can both cause pain to flare up in the body. So the main point of this is to help your body clean itself out a bit and reset. And after about 2 weeks I'd say start adding things back in SLOWLY. And anything you add back should be clean food. Organic or at least all natural, whole grains (no more white bread - how people can even eat that paste is beyond me ) whole wheat, rye, rice, etc. No more breaded meat of any kind (unless the breading is home made) make sure it's lean meat, chicken, fish, really lean beef or venison, some pork ( I still love grilled pork chops). There's a lot more, but I think you get the idea. I know it will be hard. But wouldn't living with your chronic problems be harder?? If you have any more questions about this, please feel free to email or im me. The contact info is in my answers profile.
2. Are you on meds for ADD? Sometimes there are side effects from these meds, like the ones below: Common side effects of stimulants for ADD & ADHD: Feeling restless and jittery Difficulty sleeping Loss of appetite Headaches Upset stomach Irritability, mood swings Depression Dizziness Racing heartbeat Tics Stimulant medications may also cause personality changes. Some people become withdrawn, listless, rigid, or less spontaneous and talkative. Others develop obsessive-compulsive symptoms. If not and even if you do take meds, you need a better diet. You should avoid fast food places and eat more vegetables, fruit, whole grains and less fats and red meat, especially fried foods. You can drink more water, some fruit or vegetable juice. You can wash out the water bottles and refill them at home. You probably need a check-up by your Primary Care Physician. He can do blood work and check out your spine and hives. Benadryl can cause side effects such as:Drowsiness, dizziness, headache, constipation, stomach upset, vision changes (e.g., blurred vision), irritability, decreased coordination, or dry mouth/nose/throat may occur. These effects may decrease as your body adjusts to the medication or become worse. If any of these effects persist or worsen, inform your doctor. You need an exercise program also. Start by walking for 30 minutes after school or maybe to school if possible. Walking around school doesn't count as it is done in intervals after you have been sitting for 40 minutes in class. You can add weight training to tone up your muscles. You can by some weights or start by lifting 1 lbs cans from your pantry. You need to get 8 hours of sleep every night to be sharp. Is there some reason you aren't sleeping? Or just staying up on the computer? You could be depressed also. This is why you should see your PCP as he can check all of your symptoms and make recommendations. Good luck.