Back, stomach and kidney pain, middle ear infection, vomiting, constipation and tiredness

by joana
(cape town)

My husband has been feeling sick for the last 12 months. The doctors here in South Africa say he has a middle ear infection and something else that they don't know. The last antibiotics they prescribed almost killed him as he had to be rushed to the hospital. For the last five days, he has been vomiting, dizzy, suffering from constipation, back pain, stomach pain, kidney pain and having lots of cold sore around his ear and all over his body. Now they prescribed B6 and B12 as they fear he might have a cold sore virus and that may become a fatigue syndrome. We tried antibiotics, ear drops, cortisone and he didn't get better. Can you please help us?

Multiple Symptoms

Multiple symptoms such as your husbands do ring alarm bells to doctors usually. The fact that he has these unexplained symptoms with evidence of herpetic infection around the ear and elsewhere makes me think he is immunosuppressed. Low immunity has lots of causes including retroviral infections such as HIV or the human immunodeficiency syndrome, acquired immunodeficiency seen with cancer states and immunosuppressant states and Multisystem disorders such as lupus, sarcoidosis and rheumatological conditions. Has he been tested for hypercalcaemia? Raised calcium levels can cause constipation, back pain, stomach pain and kidney pain. You don’t mention his age, but conditions such as myeloma can also present in this way.

What Medical Investigations Does He Need?

This is difficult to answer without knowing what investigations he has already had. Basic investigations would include blood tests checking his blood count, kidney tests, liver tests, calcium and magnesium levels, antibody tests, CRP and ESR would be standard. An HIV test and tests for chronic infective conditions such as brucellosis and TB. A CXR, maybe a CT scan and urine tests might help too.




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