Hello doctor, I am a 58 year old woman (previously healthy) having breathing problems, chest soreness, sore throat, and nasal stuffiness (among other symptoms). These four main symptoms all take place at the same time and have been enduring for months. On multiple occasions, the symptoms have become so severe that I have had to go to the hospital/ER. I have seen many doctors and I have had many tests done and nobody can figure out what is wrong with me. The symptoms came on acute starting four months ago. The four main symptoms definitely appear to correspond with and be exacerbated by my eating and they come on severe after eating certain foods or big meals (but I cannot figure it out). For the record, here are all of my symptoms: daily debilitating shortness of breath that fluctuates in severity (worse with humidity or any kind of exertion), chest soreness, intermittent sore throat, intermittent nasal stuffiness without phlegm, jitteriness, anxiety, panic, jaw clicking, depression, hair falling out, poor attention span, inability to concentrate and confusion, weakness, extreme fatigue, excessive morning urination, intermittent stabbing back pain and head pain, occasional entire body itching, previous cough and congestion, previous trouble swallowing, nausea, and severe weight loss in 11 weeks (32 lbs).I have been to the ER three times in 90 days with suspected pneumonia, swallowing problems, two seizures (from mixing the medicines with my Dilantin) and suspected heart attack (which the head doctors at Franklin Square disagree with each other about. I had slightly elevated troponin levels when I had my seizures. The head cardiologist says the elevated troponin levels were from my seizures, and the head neurologist says seizures cannot cause elevated troponin levels.) I also had a cardiac catheterization and afterwards, the surgeon came out and made it very clear I did not have a heart attack. These are all the tests I have had done (all these tests came back negative while some showed a small issue here or there): Swallowing test (all fine).Strep test (all fine).Thyroid test (all fine).IgE Test (all fine).Pulmonary function test (all fine).Flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy (all fine except some vocal folding).Chest X-ray (all fine). (it looked like there was a prior infection in the lower left lung).CBC (all fine). (cholesterol was high, has since gone down a little).Head and chest CAT scans (all fine). (3 mm triangular pleural-based nodule of the right upper lobe. This likely represents an intraparenchymal lymph node. Diffuse thickening of the adrenal glands, likely related to hyperplasia. In addition, there is an indeterminate 1.5 cm nodule. The left adrenal gland. Left adrenal gland nodule of indeterminate nature. This may represent an adenoma, though would be more definitively evaluated with adrenal protocol MRI or CT).Cardiac catheterization (all fine). (Surgeon: no heart attack. Paperwork: acute non-Q wave myocardial infarction).Endoscopy w/ biopsies (showed mild esophagitis and duodenitis).Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (showed elevated penicillium levels. I am allergic to penicillin).EKGs after seizures (normal sinus rhythm, pulmonary disease pattern, left axis deviation, RSR or QR pattern in v1 suggests right ventricular conduction delay, incomplete right bundle branch block, left anterior fascicular block, ST and T wave abnormality, consider anterior ischemia, abnormal ECG).Family History: Father: Heart Disease, Diabetes.Mother: Hypertension, Diabetes.Siblings: Four Siblings Diabetes.I have been seen by two internists, two GIs, two ENTs, two pulmonologists and a neurologist. I have been prescribed PPI’s, Zantec, Dilantin, Xanax, Lexapro, Prednisone, three inhalers and OTC Gaviscon, Tums, Benadryl, Tylenol, and Ibuprofen. Currently I am only taking three medications: Xanax (0.25 mg/day), Lexapro (10 mg/day), and Dilantin (400 mg/day).I used to think all this was from severe acid reflux (GERD), but my latest theory is that it is all from mold exposure (and I am quite convinced about this). I got sick at my workplace two years ago with four respiratory infections in three months when the old HVAC system was jerry-rigged by technicians. At that time, my employer installed two air purifiers and I covered the vent with multiple layers of cheesecloth. Since then, the workplace was tested for mold and they reported two colonies of Penicillium. I have written proof from the DLLR that I was exposed to the mold Penicillium at my workplace (where there was a substantial water leak in the ceiling above my head). I am allergic to penicillin. Four months ago, I removed the cheesecloth to replace it and was not wearing a mask. This is when all this started. What do you think? Please let me know if you believe this could be from the mold, or if you have any other theories.
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