Resolved question:
I have a skin rash that I have had for a long time. It is the worst on my thighs and the back of my arms but sometimes appears on my butt and torso. I have had a few diagnosis by military doctors to include dermatitis, however, it is getting worse and changing. My skin is very dry as well. My concern is that I have a more serious underlying issue. I often have tingling and numbness in my toes and fingers. As well as sharp pains when I breathe in deep which happen at random. I have chronic joint pain often in my ankles, knees, hips, wrists and shoulders. A hand full of times I have lost complete vision in one eye, and randomly have vision problems such as double vision when trying to read. My feet and hands are often cold even if I am hot. I am also anemic, and had hypertension in my last pregnancy( son is now 1 year and 2 months). I have been diagnosed with insomnia and anxiety disorder, so I often dismiss some of my symptoms as a result of stress and anxiety. I also have bowel issues to include hemmroids and blood in my stool. My question is basically, if these symptoms are likely related, or a cause from stress and of anxiety. I have a nagging feeling my symptoms are more than anxiety related issues.
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Family Physician-GP
Hello. Thank you for choosing Doctorspring. I will be glad to help you.
From the variable and multi-systemic symptoms that you are presenting with, I would definitely suggest to you that it is too premature to consider anxiety as the cause. It seems unlikely that your anxiety has caused all these symptoms. Anxiety can even be considered as a cause only once other probable medical conditions have been ruled out.
From your presentation of all the symptoms that you have mentioned about, including the image of the skin rash you have sent, I would first consider vasculitis as the cause of your problems. Vasculitis is a condition where the arteries in different parts of your body get inflamed and cause symptoms involving various systems in your body. All the symptoms that you are presenting with can be part of a presentation of vasculitis.
I strongly recommend that you consult an Internal Medicine physician who would have to examine you and have some tests done to find out the probable cause. This is not a self treatable condition and neither can it be neglected. So it is necessary that you consult your physician to find out the probable cause and begin interventions accordingly.
Various tests including ESR,CRP,complete blood count and detection of certain antibodies in your blood may have to be done.
Urine analysis to detect any protein or RBC's and ultrasound,MRI or angiogram amongst other tests may be required to identify the cause of your symptoms. We can look at any other cause being responsible for your symptoms only once vasculitis has been ruled out.
If any vasculitis is found to be your problem then you would be initiated on steroids under the guidance of your physician.
Hope this helps.