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Burning / stinging / swollen tongue and sore throat
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DESCRIPTION
Right, rear edge of tongue burns and stings.
Burning is centered on a small, subcutaneous lump that's only on that side of the tongue.
Lump is about 1.5 cm x 1.0 cm and has remained the same size for years.
Throat feels sore and dry.
Severity varies, worsens about 1 hour after meals
Moderate correlation with extent of simultaneous intestinal bloating after meals.
START
Started when I took meclizine Feb 1999 (problem areas were dried out - xerostomia - via meclizine
side effect)
WHAT MAKES IT WORSE
Mechanical action of chewing
Eating, particularly carbohydrates, and particularly fructose
Tylenol, big time
perhaps ibuprofin
WHAT MAKES IT BETTER
Not eating (tried fasting too long Nov 2000 and nearly died from metabolic acidosis)
Bowel cleansing, particularly as invoked by Propulsid. Propulsid completely eliminated the
symptoms during the week of diarreah while I adjusted to the drug; symptoms returned after
that week even though Propulsid was continued.
Chewing food preferentially on other side of mouth
Low carbohydrate diet
Solaray brand "Comfree" algin/pepsin capsules
Magnesium Citrate. Similar reaction as Propulsid, but gentler. Symptoms abated for ~48 hours.
Other laxatives. The stronger the laxative, the more the tongue pain is temporarily reduced.
Massage (such as chewing gum)
Ice
Phenol-based anesthetic spray briefly masks symptoms
TESTS AND RESULTS
allergy (via blood test, normal)
food allgeries (via skin test, normal)
throat infection (normal)
endoscopy with biopsy of stomach tissue (normal, very slight hiatal hernia, enlarged adenoids)
24-hour pH test (done while on tagamet, normal)
AIDS (negative)
assorted scopes via nose and throat (normal)
hair analysis (high mercury: 5 units where 1 is limit, 97th percentile)
urine analysis w/DMSA for mercury (high: 7 units, where 3 is limit)
liver function (normal)
DHEA level (normal)
Stool parasites (none found)
CDSA, severely elevated dysbiosis index reading: 26
ASSORTED DIAGNOSES & TREATMENTS (UNSUCCESSFUL)
Allergy (claritin)
Acid reflux (tagamet, zantac, prilosec, prevacid, aciphex, carafate)
Tonsillitis (broad spectrum antibiotic, nasal sprays)
Foliate Papillitis (none)
Candidiasis (lamisil, nystatin, diflucan, sporonox, 4-day fast, enemas, vitamins, herbs)
Poor digestion (assorted enzymes)
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Left ear noise sensitivity
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DESCRIPTION
Left ear finds most noises (anything at or over moderate level) to be irritating, almost painful
Left ear gives a sensation of fullness, primarily in morning
Hearing is muffled after I recline for a period, returns to normal within a few minutes after standing,
as if the result of fluid repositioning
Itchy feeling deep in ear canal (sometimes also in right ear)
START
November 1997
same ear had been unusually itchy for several months prior
WHAT MAKES IT WORSE
Eating carbohydrates, particularly wheat
Vague association with severity of burning tongue symptoms
WHAT MAKES IT BETTER
Not eating (was much better for a week after the 4-day fast)
Small improvement from diflucan
TESTS AND RESULTS
Standard exam (normal)
Hearing (normal; test performed while I was upright, hearing is effected only when I recline)
Skin tests for food allergies (normal, no allergic response)
ASSORTED DIAGNOSES AND TREATMENT (UNSUCCESSFUL)
Inner ear infection (ceftin)
Tonsillitis (broad spectrum antibiotic, nasal sprays)
Candidiasis (lamisil, nystatin, diflucan, sporonox, 4-day fast, enemas, vitamins, herbs)
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Motion sickness, nausea, dizziness
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DESCRIPTION
Bouts of motion sickness that take 2 to 6 weeks to subside
Low level dizziness at other times (i.e. when a bout not in progress)
Sensation of body moving when it is not
Visually and movement induced
Movement produces low level discomfort/pain in head, followed by nausea
When a bout is in progress, hearing an unexpected noise produces sensation of movement
Severely life limiting: I cannot do any significant visual effort, head movement or travel without
invoking symptoms
START
Awoke with it one morning in November 1998
Experienced an unusually bad bout of diarreah the same day
The next two dizzy bouts were accompanied by diarreah
Preceded by visually induced headaches from Jan 1996 to Aug 1998. That August I began using a
new pair of glasses
WHAT MAKES IT WORSE
Decrease in thyroid hormone dose.
Reading, and any close up visual effort.
Head movement.
Visual effort with simultaneous head movement is particularly provoking.
Very stressful events.
WHAT MAKES IT BETTER
Increase in thyroid hormone dose.
Lying still and doing nothing
A week of near zero movement and visual effort will virtually elminate symptoms (but they return
quickly when a more normal routine is resumed)
Distant vision with little eye movement (watching TV from a distance)
TESTS AND RESULTS
CAT scan of nasal areas (normal)
MRI of brain and brainstem, w/contrast (normal)
MRA of brain blood supply (normal)
hearing tests (normal)
multiple ENG tests all show imbalance (weak responses on right side)
Vision tests show nearsighted right eye, farsighted left (same since age 12)
Vision tests reveal I lose depth perception while my head moves (even slightly)
ASSORTED DIAGNOSES AND TREATMENT (UNSUCCESSFUL)
Vertigo (meclizine, triamterene)
Labrynthitis (spelling?) (guaifenesin)
Vestibular neuropathy (vestibular rehab therapy)
Benign Paroxsysmal Positional Vertigo (Epley maneuver)
Vestibular migraine (acetazolamide, not yet tried: amitriptylene, zoloft)
Binocular disorder (visual therapy)
Aniseikonia (visual therapy)
OTHER
I've tried many different pairs of glasses
I've tried reading monocularly: use of right eye alone invokes symptoms faster than binocularly; use
of left eye alone invokes symptoms slower than binocularly
If I attempt to read without glasses, I get tightness in the right sinus area within a couple minutes,
followed by headache
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Weak / hoarse voice
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DESCRIPTION
Voice becomes weak: requires excessive air flow to produce normal loudness level
Inability to hit low notes
Sensation of swelling or obstruction at vocal cords
Diurnal cycle: least in morning, worst in evening
Had occurred on 90% of days, now down to 20% thanks to garlic supplements
START
Aug 1998, immediately after approximately two week use of Nasonex steroid inhaler (which created
burning sensation in voice box area)
WHAT MAKES IT WORSE
Recent finding: Licorice (may imply excess esophegeal mucous)
WHAT MAKES IT BETTER
garlic supplements keep this under control, though no doctor can tell me why
Resumption of steroid nasal inhaler
diflucan (large improvement!)
alginate supplement
TESTS AND RESULTS
assorted throat scopes (normal, but done in morning when symptoms at minimum)
ASSORTED DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT (UNSUCCESSFUL)
Post nasal drip (claritin)
Allergy (air filter, avoid cat)
Acid reflux (same list as further above)
Candidiasis (lamisil, nystatin, diflucan, sporonox, 4-day fast, enemas, vitamins, herbs)
OTHER
Daily cycle would seem to be the key
Response to diflucan implies candidiasis
diflucan gradually became less effective after 4 weeks
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Heartburn
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DESCRIPTION
Burning sensation in chest, particularly after meals
Without treatment, results in esophageal spasms
START
January 1991 (?) after vomiting after restaurant meal (food poisoning?)
WHAT MAKES IT WORSE
Solid food
WHAT MAKES IT BETTER
Acid reducers (tried many, but Tagamet seems to work best)
DGL
TESTS AND RESULTS
Endoscopy Jan 2000 (normal, very small hiatal hernia)
24-hr pH test August 2000, results normal
ASSORTED DIAGNOSES AND TREATMENT
Acid reflux (tagamet, zantac, prilosec, prevacid, aciphex, carafate)
OTHER
March 2001: have weaned off all acid reducers, symptoms mostly under control via licorice (DGL)
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Blind Spots
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DESCRIPTION
Small areas through which I cannot see appear suddenly
Typically they self resolve within a week
Areas are gray in color, with a bright edge
Similar in appearance to the effect from looking briefly at a bright light
START
December 1998
Not again until March 2001 and then April 2001
Not again until February 2002 when I was hypothyroid post surgery
WHAT MAKES IT WORSE
Stress?
hypothyroidism
WHAT MAKES IT BETTER
increasing dose of Synthroid/Cytomel
TESTS AND RESULTS
Standard eye exams (normal retina)
ASSORTED DIAGNOSES AND TREATMENT
Floater
Ocular (?) or opthalmic migraine
OTHER
Two episodes of other visual effect: hazy vision, like looking through waxed paper, right eye only (self
resolved within about an hour). Also diagnosed as opthalmic migraine.
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Breathing Difficulty / Chest Pressure
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DESCRIPTION
Odd discomfort (burning / tickling) while inhaling
Sensation of not getting enough air, but hyperventilation produces lightheadedness
Sensation of chest pressure
Wake at night feeling like not getting enough air
Similar to a "panic attack" except no other symptoms (like racing heart) present
START
November 2000, then diminished
again July 2001 through December 2001
again July 2002 through present
WHAT MAKES IT WORSE
Diet seems to play a role
During November 2000, it was triggered by fasting
In July 2001 it was triggered by Earthrise brand chlorella which was contaminated with mercury
In July 2002 it was triggered by amalgam removal
WHAT MAKES IT BETTER
November 2000: eating carbohydrates
TESTS AND RESULTS
Full cardiac workup November 2000 revealed nothing to account for symptoms
ASSORTED DIAGNOSES AND TREATMENT
metabolic acidosis
acute symptoms of mercury poisoning
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