Posted by garnet71 on May 14, 2009, at 18:16:56
My son is always tired and I'm concerned about him. He's 20 now. He had mono in 10th grade of H.S., and after being treated for that, has been tired all the time since he was 18, so he tells me. We just ran out of COQ-10 a couple days ago, and he just told me he has noticed a difference. that stuff is so expensive, I had bought the good kind (BlueBonnet). COQ-10 is indicated for chronic fatigue syndrome. My son works in lanscaping during the day. He works really hard, but he's 20 so shouldn't be fatigued constantly.
I took him to an allergist when he was about 13, and he tested positive on 90% of everything on that scratch test. The only option was to have regular allergy shots for years, and we couldn't afford it at the time. So I wonder if the allergies have something to do with it. He told me the other day his dad took a spoonful of raw honey every day when he was a kid, and his allergies dissapated over a few years. Is there any evidence this works?
His bones used to hurt all the time when he was growing up-mostly his knees. I always attributed this to growing pains; his doctors never thought much of it. But the joints in his hands still hurt from work.
I also suspect celiac disease, although when I tried to get him to sustain a gluten-free diet, he would only do it for 2 days or so, then eat an Italian hoagie or something..lol One of the reasons I suspect celiac disease is because his father became lactose intolerant in middle age, and I've read that lactose intolerance develops as a result of celiac, but it is actually a phase of celiac disease rather than lactose intolerance. And my son drinks tons of milk, 2%. He's had stomach problems, he used to get lots of burning feelings in his stomach, and sometimes it was so painful, he'd double over and wake me up in the middle of night in tears, and I rarely see him cry. He hasn't had major stomach problems for at least a year though.
I've asked him several times to go to his physican about the fatigue for more than a year now, but he has been reluctant to go. He lost his health insurance when he started school, because his work hours had to be reduced to 25 a week, but he's taking a break from school this summer and is supposed to get his health insurance back soon, and now wants to go to his physician.
He also goes hunting every year, and we live in a high lyme area, but I know those Lyme disease tests are not accurate.
He's had anxiety off/on over the years too, but thinks SSRIs make people worse so he wouldn't get treated, though I had to take him to the ER once it was so bad. That was when he was about 13 or 14, doesn't have anxiety attacks now - but does experience mild anxiety from time to time.
He said he'd feel silly bring me, his mom, with him to the doctor's office..but I really want to go with him. But I want to look into all possibilities before we go.
Some questions -
I've read here or somewhere else there is something called "post-viral syndrome". Has anyone here had mono, then a reocurrence, or know about this syndrome? Can allergies alone cause this tiredness?
I don't want him to slip through the cracks with this doctor, though I found this doctor a few years ago for him-and he is one of the better ones. But it seems with such generalized symptoms, it's easy to fall into the health care abyss. And they always put you with a nurse practitioner if you don't ask for the doctor; even if I tell my son to ask specifically for his doctor, i know my son won't do it or will say he 'forgot'.
Should he get tested for Celiac, Lyme's, and mono? Anything else? Anyone have advice about the allergies?
I'm also concerned because he hasn't dated all this time. He had steady girlfriends all through high school, then when he graduated, hasn't dated since. He told me he has had sex at parties or whatever since then, but am wondering if this is abnormal. He tells me he just doesn't meet girls anymore, there's nowhere for people his age to hang out, and he doesn't have a car anymore. These are the reasons he gives me. He also seems really miserable in the morning, but tells me he is just not a morning person. He gets irritable alot, but we don't fight at all anymore; not for the past year at least. We get along great.
He also has ADD; was extremely hyperactive since he was a baby; bouncing off walls; I oculdn't even come inside to answer the phone if he was playing outside because he'd run into the street the moment i disappeared! When he was still in his crib, he wore a bald spot on the back of his head and I was accused of child abuse by one hospital (suspecting I never held him-omg i held him too much!) and he used to jump out of his crib each night and I'd hear a loud thump on the floor..lol He doesn't have the hyperactivity anymore, but has inattentive ADD. He's pretty calm all the time now, I don't know if it is the fatigue or if these could be symptoms of depression. He doesn't seem particularly sad, but doesn't seem as happy as he used to be. He used to joke around and be silly a lot, he's not like that much anymore.
When he had health care, he took Adderall and that worked ok, but he couldn't take it consistently because he didn't want to spend the money going to get a script each month (wtf do they make you come in each month just because it is a controlled substance?)
If you've read this--thank you! I know it's long, sorry :(
poster:garnet71
thread:895816
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090505/msgs/895816.html