[BlueJay49]

I sometimes get this odd sensation in my eyes, face, neck, arms and/or chest. It's almost as if I had just finished a tour of a vapor rub or methol factory and the smell is so thick that it lingers on my skin after I leave resulting in this sort of "icey-burning" feeling. It's mild and not what I'd call "painful" but it's enough to get my attention. Anyway, thats the only way I can think to describe it. Oddly enough (and perhaps related) I first began to notice this after I used 9 cans of roach fogger in a room where I should have only used one or two. My sinuses and eyes burned like fire for days afterwards. That was almost a month ago though.

I was diagnosed with cervical arthritis (w/bone spur) at C-4 and C-5 a few years ago. I was also in a car accident awhile back and have suffered from Tourette's Syndrome (head and neck jerking tics - which can be severe at times) since I was a child (I'm middle-aged now). I also have other conditions such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), stress intolerance, OCD, ADD, Panic Disorder, Hypochondria, Insomnia, etc.

In addition to these conditions, I also have a deviated septum, Chronic Sinusitis and allergic Rhinitis and get frequent sinus infections that seem to linger forever with or without treatment. Recently, I was put on Z-Pack which I have taken many times before so I'm not sure the sensations I mentioned at the top of this post would have anything to do with this but who knows.

On top of this (yes, I'm pretty messed up!) I also have GERD, Gastritis, IBS and Lactose Intolerance. I have all the usual burning, belching, bloating, cramping, diarrhea, constipation, spasms, etc, but lately (for the past week I'd say and shortly after I began to take the Z-Pack) I had this terrible burning, aching pain that extended from my upper-abdominal area all the way around to my upper back on the ride side. This slowly got better over a period of days but I am still unable to eat anything without feeling like I have just swallowed a handfull of tacks. I ate dinner (just a salad with blue cheese dresing this evening and it felt like instead of going into my stomach, everything just went into my guts and made my whole insides burn, spasm, etc.

Before all of this I had a lot of otheer issues with random dizziness, head pressure, INSANE brain fog, elevator/shifting senasations, dazed, spacey, somewhat off-balance at times (especially in the mornings), vision issues (I see double when I focus on a stationary object and look to one side and my vision gets blurry or unfocused at times), hot/cold flashes, Occassional fatigue, left-sides headaches, prickles, goosebumps, numb spots, etc.

Many of these symptoms have come and gone or been replaced by others. Some I've had in the past (many years ago) but have returned. Some are easily explainable and have a rational cause. Others are a mystery.

As far as going to see a doctor is concerned, I have spent the vast part of my life seeing various speicalist and having all sorts of tests done. Recently I have had a brain and cervical MRI, TONS of bloodwork on 3-4 different occassions, I've seen a Neurologist, Opthamologist, Gastroenterologist (who did both an endoscopy and a colonopscopy) and removed some benign polyps, etc. The list goes on and it's a very long one.

I'm so weary of feeling this way day after day...year after year. Won't someone please take a personal interest in me and help me?. It's so frutrating when you feel so bad every day and yet you look normal, your symptoms are difficult to describe and almost every test comes back "normal". While "normal" test results are always a good thing, if everything were really "normal" I wouldn't be feeling this way.

Sorry for the length of this post. Some of it may sound familiar (like a broken record). Other parts of it are new and have never been shared before. I just don't know what to do or who to talk to anymore. There must be some other person out there who shares my circumstances (or at least some of them) or a doctor who can help me figure all of this out. It's also possible (I suppose) that all of the conditions I have been diagnosed with (and have mentioned here) are responsible for all of my symptoms but I don't know which is why I am writing and seeking answers.

Again, sorry for the length of this and thank you for reading it and for any input/advice you can provide.

- BlueJay

[Travelinglady]

Hi, BlueJay. Sorry you are going through all of these problems. And I thought I had a lengthy list! It could be yet another symptom of the disorders you already have, as you suggested. Are you monitoring your diet? Maybe it's some thing you're eating....

I don't know the longer term effects of exposure to bug spray, but maybe it's possible that could be a factor.

Are you seeing a therapist? Perhaps he/she at least could give you support, too. My goodness, I can't imagine dealing with all those problems on my own. My therapist even gives my exercises to do to help me deal with my pain and other symptoms. Like ways to relax.

At any rate, I hope things get better soon!