Hi, I am new to this forum and I’m looking for some advice. I am 22 years old and I live a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, a balanced diet, and occasional social drinking in moderation on weekends. For the last two years I have gone through an obnoxious amount of testing, but with every lead comes a new wall that I hit. To give some background, 2 years ago I began having a lot of digestive issues. I was having BM only 1-2 times a week (I have been this way for as long as I can remember); however, often times they were only occurring when a meal made me ill and I would be in pain for hours before and/or after. I also became aware that I had developed a hemorrhoid as a result of my constipation. I went to my physician and after some blood work and a positive result from a bloody stool test, she sent me to a GI. From there I had tons of blood work, a MRI, an endoscopy, and a colonoscopy. I was tested for celiacs, gallstones, thyroid disease, and all sorts of things, but nothing came back positive. Then in September my eyelids starting swelling shut and they were extremely raw and itchy. I went to the doctors and I was given steroids; however, as soon as I finished the steroids my eyes swelled shut again. This time I went to an allergist and I had a small reaction to wheat after being testing via back pricks. I went home and discovered that my new mascara contained wheat, and nearly every other mascara does not contain wheat. I stopped using the mascara and my eyes haven’t swollen since. My question is, is it possible that a back prick could show a smaller reaction than what my intestines could be experiencing? I was diagnosed with Gastritis and Duodenitis after my scopes, and none of my symptoms (all are found below) have gotten better. I am extremely frustrated and I am tired of the pain and illnesses. I am considering making an appointment with an allergist for skin patch testing to see if I have delayed reactions to food. I am wondering if I am allergic to other foods because several times a week I experience the deep itch in my throat and ears that I cannot relieve. I understand that not all of the "symptoms" that I have listed below will relate to food allergies, but I wanted to be thorough in case something catches anyone's eye. Any insight would be much appreciated!
Symptoms
1. Abdominal Pain
2. Hiatal Hernia
3. Acid Reflux
4. Lactose Intolerance
5. Joint Pain
6. Stool is either very soft and light or dark and hard..no in between
7. Hemorrhoids
8. Eye Floaters (I can pull them out of my eyes every 15-30 min)
9. Nausea
10. Shortness of Breath
11. Constipation
12. Random, sudden diarrhea
13. Swollen Eyelids
14. Dizziness/ Headaches
15. Mild Liver Enzyme Elevations (in the 50s, instead of below 30 and 40)
16. Exhaustion
17. Deep itch in throat and ears after eating
18. Anxiety: this summer I was miserable. I have never been so unhappy and it drained me.
19. Joint Aches (often and when consuming certain alcohol such as wine coolers and hard lemonade)
20. Iron deficiency anemia (during menstruation)
21. Gastritis
22. Duodenitis