Everything seems normal during tests, but I'm still having horrible symptoms?

Question

I'm a sixteen year old female. Since the fall I've been getting an abnormal number of minor infections (colds, flus, etc.) that have gotten more and more frequent as time has gone on. Around two months ago, my symptoms became drastically worse. I have severe fatigue, near constant nausea and head aches, and all over body aches varying in severity. I also feel really weak and become short of breath walking down the halls at school (stairs are almost painful). I've had a lot of unusual bruising all over, as well, especially in my legs, and multiple swollen lymph nodes in my neck especially. I've been to the my family's doctor around five times in the past three months. I've had a lot of blood work done, mostly normal except this last test showed iron deficient anemia and some of my thyroid levels have been off, but not bad. She's put me on prenatal vitamins for iron, but says that i shouldn't worry because my symptoms are to general to diagnose and likely just in my head. Since then I've gotten bed ridden with the cold from hell and a bout of pink-eye. I can't accept that this is nothing. I never get sick like this and I'm so done with being tired and weak and in pain all the time.
I want to ask my doctor about leukemia, but since my last CBC around two months ago was normal I know it's not likely...
Is there anything I should be looking into, should I ask my mom to find a new doctor for a second opinion? Is there something this could be that I'm missing?
Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Getting sick simply means you are being exposed to germs that your body has never encountered before...End of story.



Being in bed with a cold.

Not a big deal.

Happens to many.



Anemia IS a serious medical condition, however because it's common and easily treated it is typically dismissed in the first world as "just" anemia. Anemia is a common killer in the third world.



Those vitamins ARE medicine, and should be treated with the same respect.

Without them, you could die. With too many of them, you could die.

Follow me?



So you're trying to grasp onto some fatal disease as an explanation for your symptoms, when the fact is, you already have one - the one you have however is very easily treated.



So I would suggest you thank your lucky stars, take your medicine as directed, and have your thyroid checked again in six months.

Answer 2

Your CBC was normal, which means your platelet count was normal. Therefore, any bruising you do have is not due to leukemia. When someone with leukemia has bruising, it is because their platelet count is very, very low.



I am also guessing that your iron deficiency anemia is not severe, as it is being treated with prenatals. Severe IDA is treated with iron infusions.



I'm not sure why you want to ask your doctor about leukemia, since your lab work shows you don't have it. If you're not getting any answers, then by all means see a new doctor. But don't try to diagnose yourself, especially with normal labs.

Answer 3

Sounds more like you are having allergy symptoms. Yes, that too can make you want to sleep it away, though often you have a job and cannot do that. Yes, allergies can indeed wake up your immune system and cause many of the swollen lymph nodes you are experiencing. All of this really sounds like a normal thing, a recent problem with your health and nothing more.

Answer 4

WebMD Symptom Checker helps you find the most common medical conditions indicated by the symptoms body aches or pains, fatigue and tires quickly including Viral syndrome, Hypothyroidism (adult), and Anemia.



There are 90 conditions associated with body aches or pains, fatigue and tires quickly. The links below will provide you with more detailed information on these medical conditions from the WebMD Symptom Checker and help provide a better understanding of causes and treatment of these related conditions.



See http://symptomchecker.webmd.com/multiple-symptoms?symptoms=body-aches-or-pains%7Cfatigue%7Ctires-quickly&symptomids=43%7C98%7C293&locations=66%7C66%7C66 for full details on all the above.