Symptomatic!

[NikkiNicole]

I've been eating really cleanly since April 27th. Since last Thursday, I can't make good food choices to save my life. I was chalking all my weird feelings up to the change in the diet, but when I mentioned it to my doctor she wasn't completely convinced.

My ears have been bugging me for months, even with the strict eating but now it's all the time. I take a deep breath, left side is muffled, I tilt my head to left, ear is muffled, I work out, ears are muffled, I yawn, ears are muffled. It's annoying and I need to use my ears for work!!! So I emailed her my laundry list of returning symptoms and she says that my "Eustachian Tube Dysfunction" is acting up. Since when did I have this and why wasn't it on my list of "Ongoing Health Conditions". She explained that it is all part and partial of my Wegener's. Hmmm. Really?

I also have nasal pain all the time. My nose was crusted over the other day and PAINFUL to the touch. It throbs and then I get jolting pain. I feel out of it. And now ... my skin is crawling. I keep feeling like I have a bug on my ankle, but there's nothing there. It feels like a bug is walking on my arm, I look down, there's nothing there. Then I feel like a bug just bit me, that sharp stab of the skin, but there is nothing there.

I've been ordered to go over and do my blood work today. Not that it means anything, it won't show anything. It never does. I'm curious if my ANCA is going back up. Not that that truly means anything. I don't have a standing ESR test, just the CRP. I have to check my creatinine, urinalysis, ANCA, CBC, Thyroid Functions, etc. Hmmm ...

I only spoke w/ my general doc, my rheumy is on maternity leave until mid- October at least. Curiouser and curiouser.

I will be going back to my clean eating starting tomorrow. It was supposed to be today but I just can't bring myself to do it. I am emotionally eating today. It's a day I hate more than anything. I keep putting it off but for reals, I'll be good starting tomorrow.

Anyone have the skin crawlies? The Eustachian Tube Dysfunction?

[annekat]

I have had the skin crawlies and the occasional stabs of pain on the skin. As for the eustachian tube dysfunction, I am way far gone on that; what you are having sounds like mine in the earlier stages. At this point, I'm sure I have "glue ear", though no one has used that term, as one has a hole in it but nothing comes out, and I know they are full of something... I'm using antibiotic drops in that one indefinitely. So I'm beyond ear tubes. And of course, my hearing has suffered greatly and I wear aids. Part of my hearing loss is from nerve damage from a big ear infection back in 2008, though that is in what is now my "good ear". I hope it never gets that bad for you. It may well not.... it sounds like if this is a bit of a flare, or the start of one, you could benefit from some prednisone.... I hope your doc can advise you on that; is there another rheumy you can talk to until yours is back from leave?

Are seasonal allergies an issue in your area right now? Those can also cause these ear symptoms, and they do with me, on top of the Wegs. When they do, I end up taking a dose or two a day of pseudoephedrine.... awful stuff, but it helps. Or even if you don't have allergies, if you can stand to take it. But I'd try the pred first, if you have some. And the diet thing, of course! We'd like to hear if that helps right away. The nasal symptoms you are having, too, make this sound a bit flarish... I hope you can nip it in the bud!

[Bing505z]

I have this Eustachian Tube Dysfunction in my right ear. I still have tubes in my ears(green ones, every time I see a Doc for the first time they mention the color lol) and my ENT said that there is no reason for them to come out. This condition with my right ear comes and goes and some days it is more muffled than others. My hearing tests are normal and I have no pain. I do notice that at night it is less muffled and from the time I wake up in the morning it gets worse as the day progresses. I told this to my ENT and that is how he figured out it was my Eustachian Tube. He said as I slept at night the tube would close, and when I got up and progressed through my day it would stay open giving me the muffled hearing. Weird huh. Oh yea, forgot to add I feel the crawly stuff on my ankles and feet, but nothing painful, just strange sensations. During the beginning of my battle I totally could not use my legs and my feet went completely numb and I basically had to learn how to walk again.

[mishb]

Anyone have the skin crawlies?

Absolutely/always.
It can have many meanings, and if you google it some will say skin cancer, herpes, drug withdrawals, hallucinations.

I asked my GP many months ago and she said that it is from hormonal changes.

[renidrag]

I have to agree with Anne about a little pred just in case. I saw my Rheumy yesterday and I am no longer in drug free remission. Didn't like some of the numbers and put on Pred again. He is letting me decide dosage between 1 to 5mgs. Will see how this works. I told him I would stop if any weight gain, but I don't think that will be a problem. Hopefully this will make me feel a little better so exercise won't be such a big deal. Have to watch diabetes levels now and had to contact Blood Clinic to manage Warfarin.
Dale