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What Causes Constipation, Nausea, Weakness, Dizziness And Headache?
Question: yes, for my wife(is experiencing nausea and retching even in the AM before breakfast, constipated and weak from lack of exercise and nutrition.
DETAILS:
GENERAL
• 73 year-old female
• 5' 6", 140#
• ...
PRESENTATION
• Constipation lasting about 10 days
• sporadic vomiting beginning the last week of May
• unrelated to the type of food but more related to body movement.
• vomit may consist of as much as 2 meals worth of food or (as in the AM) of brown colored slime without solids but lately with a greenish cast.
• weight loss
• fatty foods seem to be no problem but acidic ones do. Toast (even without a spread) may cause nausea.
• weakness and dizzyness
• sporadic nausea not closely related to the vomiting
• headache on left side
• itchy skin
• rising level of depression
HISTORY
• various organic diseases
• stage 4 renal failure with one kidney totally inoperative
• ongoing digestive difficulty - gas production in both stomach and intestines exacerbated by fish oils prescribed for lipid balance improvement
• decades-old uterine fibroid growths now shrunken to acceptable size.
• osteoarthritis in both knees.
• ...
• fall on December 28, 2015 resulting in double fracture now healed - after 4 months in a nursing facility.
• Continuing healing at home until about last week of May when constipation began.
• Recemt blood testing showed all normal but high li???, 2) ___ , 3) __ , 4) ___
• CT scan of abdominal area did not reveal bowel blockage but did show the (well-known kidney stones and uterine fibroids)
PREVIOUS AND CURRENT TREATMENTS
• various medication prescribed by previous doctors to address kidney needs, blood pressure, lipid levels, decavitamins w/minirals (for Seniors).
• nursing home: Bicarbonate of soda, Zofran (Opermerzole), calcium and vit. D supplements, Iron supplement and O... for gastric problems (reflux, nausea-vomiting)
• All but blood pressure medications no longer used because of general nauseous condition.
DETAILS:
GENERAL
• 73 year-old female
• 5' 6", 140#
• ...
PRESENTATION
• Constipation lasting about 10 days
• sporadic vomiting beginning the last week of May
• unrelated to the type of food but more related to body movement.
• vomit may consist of as much as 2 meals worth of food or (as in the AM) of brown colored slime without solids but lately with a greenish cast.
• weight loss
• fatty foods seem to be no problem but acidic ones do. Toast (even without a spread) may cause nausea.
• weakness and dizzyness
• sporadic nausea not closely related to the vomiting
• headache on left side
• itchy skin
• rising level of depression
HISTORY
• various organic diseases
• stage 4 renal failure with one kidney totally inoperative
• ongoing digestive difficulty - gas production in both stomach and intestines exacerbated by fish oils prescribed for lipid balance improvement
• decades-old uterine fibroid growths now shrunken to acceptable size.
• osteoarthritis in both knees.
• ...
• fall on December 28, 2015 resulting in double fracture now healed - after 4 months in a nursing facility.
• Continuing healing at home until about last week of May when constipation began.
• Recemt blood testing showed all normal but high li???, 2) ___ , 3) __ , 4) ___
• CT scan of abdominal area did not reveal bowel blockage but did show the (well-known kidney stones and uterine fibroids)
PREVIOUS AND CURRENT TREATMENTS
• various medication prescribed by previous doctors to address kidney needs, blood pressure, lipid levels, decavitamins w/minirals (for Seniors).
• nursing home: Bicarbonate of soda, Zofran (Opermerzole), calcium and vit. D supplements, Iron supplement and O... for gastric problems (reflux, nausea-vomiting)
• All but blood pressure medications no longer used because of general nauseous condition.
Brief Answer:
Following advice...
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you for asking!
I read your query and understood your concerns.
After reviewing carefully all the data you provided I would like to say that her symptoms in a few cases may be related to renal disease (including chronic renal failure or renal stones). However in most of the cases her symptoms (especially vomiting and loosing weigh) are associated with gastrointestinal and liver disorders.
This is why it's important in her case to exclude gastrointestinal and liver disease. From her data it's a solid 1.5 cm heterogeneously hypodense lesion. All the needed examinations should be done to exclude liver tumoral disease (including hepatic carcinoma).
If she was my patient I would have recommended the following examinations to find out what is causing her symptoms:
- Tumoral markers (including alpha feto-protein, Ca 19-9, CEA etc.)
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Abdominal MRI
- Upper endoscopy
- Colonoscopy
If above mentioned test are normal than her symptoms are related to renal issues.
Hope this will be of help!
Wish you and your family health!
Dr. Klerida
P.s: If you have more questions, please don't hesitate to ask me again.
Following advice...
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you for asking!
I read your query and understood your concerns.
After reviewing carefully all the data you provided I would like to say that her symptoms in a few cases may be related to renal disease (including chronic renal failure or renal stones). However in most of the cases her symptoms (especially vomiting and loosing weigh) are associated with gastrointestinal and liver disorders.
This is why it's important in her case to exclude gastrointestinal and liver disease. From her data it's a solid 1.5 cm heterogeneously hypodense lesion. All the needed examinations should be done to exclude liver tumoral disease (including hepatic carcinoma).
If she was my patient I would have recommended the following examinations to find out what is causing her symptoms:
- Tumoral markers (including alpha feto-protein, Ca 19-9, CEA etc.)
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Abdominal MRI
- Upper endoscopy
- Colonoscopy
If above mentioned test are normal than her symptoms are related to renal issues.
Hope this will be of help!
Wish you and your family health!
Dr. Klerida
P.s: If you have more questions, please don't hesitate to ask me again.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you Dr. Sheu for your advice.
Patient's mobility is poor so we would like to perform as few of the recommended tests as necessary in order to reach the conclusion as quickly as possible. (Patient complains of cold and requires cover even in 80 DEG F (27 DEG C) temperature.)
Is there a ranking (perhaps as shown) for the suite of tests?
Patient's mobility is poor so we would like to perform as few of the recommended tests as necessary in order to reach the conclusion as quickly as possible. (Patient complains of cold and requires cover even in 80 DEG F (27 DEG C) temperature.)
Is there a ranking (perhaps as shown) for the suite of tests?
Brief Answer:
Please follow...
Detailed Answer:
HI back,
I am sorry for the situation she is in.
With regards to the fact that she complains of cold , this is not a problem about the exams that I mentioned above.
But Is important to know about general conditions, vital sings , chronic disease etc.
This is why she needs a physical exam to better evaluate if she can do the exams I mentioned above.
Otherwise If she can not do all of them , at least she can do tumor markers.
Hope it was helpful to you.
Dr.Klerida
Please follow...
Detailed Answer:
HI back,
I am sorry for the situation she is in.
With regards to the fact that she complains of cold , this is not a problem about the exams that I mentioned above.
But Is important to know about general conditions, vital sings , chronic disease etc.
This is why she needs a physical exam to better evaluate if she can do the exams I mentioned above.
Otherwise If she can not do all of them , at least she can do tumor markers.
Hope it was helpful to you.
Dr.Klerida
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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