Lots of little things turns into big problem

For about 3 years i have been getting many seemingly unrelated problems  my BF has had Crohn's for more than 20 years  since he was in his 20s  he was worried i might have it too since symptoms are very similar

the doc said i had IBS , possioble wheat allergy and severe aneamia she ignored nearly all the other things (other than the bowel pains) i was curious about :- prematurely greying hair (not hereditary) for a few years  bearing in mind i turned 18 last month, diarrhoea (not the most pleasant topic) run to the loo and then... nothing, constipation (sometimes at the same time), severe stomach pain which is becoming more frequent and sometimes wakes me up, constant soreness around the stomache area, very painful ribs sometimes  mainly in the right side, severe back pain, hip pain, stomache and muscle cramps, very bad joint pain (esp right knee and left wrist), recurring numbness in left side of body, arm very sore and difficult to lift, sort of locking pain or stiffness which starts at the knee then spreads down and up whole leg (becomes achy, sore and yet numb), weakness and fatigue, fingers and joints achy and difficult to bend (despite regular occasionally strenuous exersise(you know what i mean  ), odd marks on my body like large burst blood vessels (about 1mm in diameter), dizziness and nausia, regular headaches and ,oddly, a wonderful feeling of euphoria.

OMG i look like such a hypochondriac  no wonder theve ignored it, nevertheless they happen and i'd rather they didnt.

BTW they tried to diagnose depression because of the ammount ive times ive been in hospital (for phisical injuries caused people in school, in england being able to think for yourself is like being the antichrist)

Post Edited (Cap'n Jack) : 1/27/2007 5:01:44 PM (GMT-7)

You have anemia and are getting odd marks on your body that look like bruises or burst blood vessels? That, to me, sounds like someone with internal bleeding. You definitely need to see someone else as that alone--much less your other symptoms--are NOT signs of IBS. IBD can cause internal bleeding, or you could have an even more serious problem inside. Weakness in your limbs, numbness, and joint stiffness can be signs of serious illness, like certain autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibrmyalgia, and I think lupus, much less Crohn's. Please tell me they have checked your blood work for cancer and for thyroid problems. Unfortunately a lot of people dismiss young people as being too, well, young, to get something like fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis because those are thought of as older people's diseases. I think that was part of the reason why my gall bladder attacks were dismissed--they started when I was 18 and doctors really thought I was too young for it to already be bad. I guess after 5 years I finally got old enough for it to be considered a possibilty and it was discovered that was my problem and had been all that time.

Sounds like you need a second opinion on that blood work, because that's not right. I don't know a lot about anemia, but that could be causing a lot of your problems.

At this point, if you can't get a doctor to help you with it, you might consider doing some research online and self-medicating. Iron is dangerous if you get too much of it, which is really why it should be done under a doctor's care, but you don't see to have a doctor that cares, and surely iron levels that low are dangerous in and of themselves. First try to get a second opinion, then if you get no help, see what you can do for yourself. Like I said, too much iron can be dangerous, so be careful and do a lot of research first.

Have you tried probiotics or even simple yogurt? That can actually help your immune system a lot, as the bowels are the biggest part, actually, of yoru immune system. Also, the probiotics may help correct some of your stomach ailments.