Have Had Lots of Medical Tests with No results...Should I Refuse More Tests?

It sounds like there might be something more going on that no one has diagnosed yet?

Have you ever watched those medical mystery shows? Sometimes there's some rare thing that few doctors know about, such as sphincter of oddi malfunction. That's one illness I learned about on one of those shows.

In that case, no amount of alternative treatment would have helped, but the correct diagnosis was crucial.

It's scary to undergo so many tests, but most likely you weren't harmed by them.

When my sister was having a difficult time narrowing down some of her issues (turns out a BAD stomach parasite) I advised her to take ONE month off of all medication, Dr. appt's and to take a journal and write everything down all day long from when she woke up to bowel movements, to eating and walking, what elevated her stress that day etc you name it she wrote it ... after that month she and the Dr went thru all the info, found patterns and thus found the diagnosis ... maybe that could be what you and your body needs.

Doctors and treatments are so very diverse! Aren't we all?!! I've had my own health issues and really had to find my own way. When one avenue wasn't working, I tried something else. Some people find Naturopaths to be very helpful. Others might suggest requesting to be sent to a research-training hospital - they are often up-to-date on the latest. Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic etc. No doctor can possibly have all the answers. I can't recommend enough to listen to your own body. Something doesn't feel right. You'll probably need to be your own advocate. Your wise to inquire. Keep doing so. A door will open. Good luck!!! Please let us know how you're doing.

Here's the thing about medicine:

"When you hear hoofbeats, think horses... not zebras."

98% of the time it's something easy, simple, and "normal". ANY set of symptoms could be one of about 200 - 500 different things. BUT it's USUALLY one of say 5 things. If it's not those 5 things... they move on and test for the next 5. If it's not those 5 they move on and try the next 5. They just keep moving down the list. Fortunately you don't have to test for *everything*... because one test will usually eliminate 20-50 things. So the possibilites list gets shorter and shorter with each test.

It's a lot like parenting. If your baby is crying in the middle of the night you don't automatically assume that a stranger has broken into your house and pinched your child. You assume that they're hungry / wet / scared. If not one of those things then you try and figure out if they're sick... and if they're not sick if they are in pain (gas/ teething/ bruise/ ears/ etc). FAR down on the list would be a stranger breaking into your house to pinch your baby (but it does occasionally happen).

Medicine works the same way, but it's trickier because there are SO many more options. Doctors look at what is most likely first and then start moving down the list in the order that makes the most amount of sense.

By trickier, here's and example: My husband wasted 4 months and several hundred tests when he came back from costa rica because he didn't think to tell more than the triage nurse that he'd just come from costa rica. 4 months later, he saw a tropical disease specialist and was cured within a week (the open sore was tested for everything from infection to diabetes to allergic reaction to LOCAL parasites). BUT what if he'd never been to costa rica? What if a coworker/ friend/ family member had just honeymooned in costa rica, and he'd been infected? Would he even THINK to share that with the docs?

Part of medicine is also geography: My Uncle who has caught malaria a few times in his travels (malaria can always relapse, he was just spiffy enough to catch more than one strain of it). Suddenly collapsing at work with a *ridiculously* high fever and brought into the ER it didn't matter how many times he groaned for quinine, until my mum went in... they ignored him. The doctors didn't even know what malaria LOOKED like, they'd never seen it. However, if he collapsed in Egypt with a high fever the first thing the ER docs would have done is shoot him up with anti-malarial drugs. IN CERTAIN AREAS of this country, Lyme disease is an issue... in other parts it's never seen outside of medical school. In the "right" part of the country part of the questionairre determines if a person is out in the woods a lot. Ditto certain areas know to check deer hunters for the "human version" of mad cow disease (the human kind is also carried by deer... it's actually very hard to for people to catch bovine "mad cow disease", but as easy as catching a cold to catch it from a deer). But in my city, people don't understand hunting (it's just not common), so it's not on their radar.

Yet another example of "abnormal" is something known as referred pain. I have a friend who died of colon cancer because his shoulder hurt. It's called "referred pain". Meaning that the neural impulses get mixed up and while the PROBLEM was in his gut, the PAIN was in his shoulder. 6 months of physical therapy later he was in N stage, and it was too late. If, when the physical therapy provided no relief he'd had more tests, the cancer could have been caught. But he was a golfer, and the assumption was that he'd tweaked his shoulder. And it was also inflamed and somewhat damaged from golfing, so it was a good diagnosis. Just not the RIGHT diagnosis.(( A lot of patients get ticked off at tests that don't seem to relate to their problem, but doctors are VERY familiar with referred pain... so they often order tests that don't "make sense" if you look at a problem like it's the only possibility))

Refusing more tests just means you won't find out what's wrong. You'll either heal naturally, or it will become chronic but not dangerous, or you'll die.

Typically, when one of the options is death, I try to avoid it.

C.,

I'm sorry that you are going through this. I second the suggestions about finding a good naturopath and looking at your diet. It's so easy to forget that we really are what we eat. Is it possible you're having side effects from any medications you're taking? Clearly, allopathic medicine is not providing you with the answers you need. At this point, I would refuse any more testing, and look into detoxing instead. I recommend starting with a three-day juice cleanse which you can read about here: http://www.herballegacy.com/Three_Day_Cleanse.html Then, add back only whole grains, hormone-free turkey or chicken, and fresh fruits and veggies. Avoid dairy, processed foods, and anything with additives as much as possible. Drink plenty of filtered water. Start on a good multi-vitamin, herbal calcium supplement, and probiotic. Fish oil and COQ10 are good for your heart, as is Hawthorne berry. The probiotic can help any digestive issues. There are many other forms of alternative medicine that can help you destress and begin to heal. A qualified naturopath will certainly be able to help. Best wishes!

B.
Board-certified Holistic Health Practitioner

Of course I don't know the details of your health issue, but it sounds like you have exposed yourself to enough radiation & should not get anymore x-rays or ct's at this time. Have you evaluated your diet? I know someone going through something similar (almost constant chest/upper abdomen pain) & he believes it's digestion related. Can you try a naturopath dr? They can do other tests (blood test to determine digestive enzyme levels) to see if your body is lacking the proper enzyme levels to digest your food correctly. A naturopath doesn't prescribe medicine, they find natural ways to heal the entire person (not as wacky Eastern medicine as it may sound). Other than digestive issues, how is your cholesterol & triglycerides? Can your heart be ruled out? I understand from a cardiologist that a stress test will only identify a person w/ 70% blockage in their arteries. So, a person could have 50% blockage (a lot in my opinion!) and a stress test would say they are fine. I think you first need to rule out your heart...and can only do this if you actually see a cardiologist. Not necessarily for more tests, but to evaulate what you've already had one & get their prof. opinion. If you are certain it's not your heart, I would definitely look into digestive issues.

I know this is going to sound wacky, but I'm going to share it anyway. I went for 3 years with sudden onset of severe abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea, lasting for 2-3 days. I mean NOTHING would stay down, not even melting ice in my mouth. I had every test and scan, went to the ER 8 times for fluids and IV meds to stop it, and had my gall bladder removed, all with no effect. A friend recommended a "healing touch massage", which I did out of desperation. It was like someone flipped a switch! I'd never put much stock in alternative medicine, but it made a believer out of me in one trip. I'm not saying it will work for you, but I AM saying it's worth a try---it certainly worked for me, and that was almost 4 years ago.

Can you live the rest of your life the way you are now? Or is the discomfort too great? With out further test you will not know what is causing your symptoms or how to treat it, so it is really up to you if you want answers and treatment or not.

Without more tests, how will you find out what's wrong? Maybe try to find a different doctor... One that specializes in diagnostics.

BeforeI was diagnosed with Celiac I was told it was IBS, depression, perimonopause (SP?), heartburn,etc.. I even asked a doctor if I should be tested for celiac and he said no. Before I was diagnosed I felt like my heart was vibrating, I would throw up so much my family would no teven take notice, I was always tired, you need to keep looking if you feel something is not right. Ask if it could be an autoimmune disease. !out of 133 people have Celiac and don't know it. Keep going it is amazing when you finally know what is wrong. I was misdiagnosed 20 years ago and I am still happy after all these years that they finally found out what was wrong.

Your best bet is a good chiropractor-kinesiologist. They do not do the standard chiropractic adjustments. They use the body's muscles to diagnose and treat problems. My doctor uses acupressure, micro-current, nutritional supplements, etc. These doctors often advertise themselves as CPK docs, or they could use the name Chiro-Plus. We have the best in Wichita. Dr. Milton Dowty, who is located here, actually combined several diagnostic tools, discovering a synergistic effect. He has trained doctors all over the country. I see Dr. Kelley Arnold in west Wichita and love him. I have been successfully treated for hormone imbalances, yeast/fungus problems, allergies, fibromyalgia, back and joint issues, neuropathy, autoimmune issues, intestinal/digestive issues, etc.

I would suggest seeing an MD who is also a naturopath. I am not sure if there are any locally in Branson. There is an office in Webster - Called Webster Family Physicians. Regardless of what you do. Prayers for you to find the answers to this pain and to end your suffering.

Many years ago, in my 20's, I suffered something very similar. Extreme internal pain, sudden onset, was losing weight, etc..They ran so many, many tests on me....for me it turned out to be IBS - irritable bowel syndrome. I had such extreme stress from my job and very serious emotional demons from my past just exploding all at once. My system was taking a beating. If I could go back now, I'd follow Bridget's advise below. I'd de-stress. I'd detox. Eat lots of good yogurts. Find someone who can treat the whole you. It sounds like western medicine ruled out all the bads. You'll be safe giving accupuncture, accupressure, EFT, naturpaths, D.O.'s a visit.

Sorry you are in such pain.