I have a question for you.
Actually, I have to make two points before I get to my major point. It's important that you understand my back story in this case so that you can sufficiently laugh and me and feel sorry for me. Or something. I'm not sure. Whatever. Go with it.
Point one: I don't do that whole Web MD crap. I'm sure it's great and probably helps a ton of people, but being as I am the daughter of a total hypochondriac with a not so tiny prescription drug addiction, I don't want to unlock any weird fears in myself. I don't want to type in the symptoms for a cold and have the web tell me I have the Bubonic Plague.
Children of hypochondriacs have to walk a fine line between reasonable concern for our health and not wanting to overreact to something small and thus sound like a nutjob in the ER.
Point two: I don't like bathroom humor. Or I don't mind it, but I don't participate in it. I'm not offended by fart jokes or whatever, but I'm unlikely to make them.
That's because I don't do things like fart or burp or barf or whatever else you do in the bathroom. I've always been embarassed about that, ever since I was little. Freud would tell you that's why I'm so anal retentive. I say to Freud, my attention to detail and need to control my life only helps the world around me function properly. So there.
For some reason though, I've never had any problem discussing pee or announcing to the entire world and their persnickety grandmothers when I have to pee like a racehorse on death row. Wonder what Freud thinks about that.
I even actually said the word poop in a comment on a friend's blog the other day and you know what? I didn't die! Maybe I'm growing.
So it is with these two points that I finally tell you my very short and potentially pointless story. I've been having stomach issues lately. Again. You don't know it's again because I don't like to necessarily share my stunning digestive pyrotechnics (name that movie).
I've always had a sensitive stomach. I store all my stress there. I had horrible heartburn as a little kid and the doctor had me on all sorts of antacids and dietary hoopla, but he probably just should have prescribed some therapy.
I've had docs decide I was lactose intolerant (I'm not) (and the test period was the worst month of my life) (I love cheese). I've had a colonoscopy (all clear) and steroids meds (I guess to make things work?) which made me feel worse. It's not IBS. It's just that I have a sensitive stomach. And it comes and goes.
Lately, I've been getting nauseated super easily. One beer and I'm not even drunk, but I'm still expelling five days worth of potent potables. My roommates must think I'm bulemic.
So that is how I found myself the other night. I hadn't even had alcohol, but I'd eaten rich food (I love rich food) and I barfed (look at me! discussing barf!) so violently that my face became super red and even tingled, as if all the blood in my body shot into my face at once. Well that can't be good, amIright?
So that sucked. But my question to you is not about my stomach issues. The problem is that now I have these teeny red bumps on my eyelids and around the frame of my face, like they're maybe broken capillaries or something.
Do you think that's what it is? If so, does it go away? Can I treat it?
I'd provide photos, but they're so tiny that the camera didn't pick them up.
Thanks, readers. You're better than Wed MD.
If anyone says I have the Plague, I WILL find you and kill you.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
37 comments mean you love me:
Because I thought your slight neurosis about webmd was funny, I went there and looked up "eyelid bumps". It didn't tell me anything life-changing. It told me about styes. I would guess that you'd know if you were having styes.
I would ask if you've just changed soaps or laundry detergent or something like that. You could be having an allergic reaction. If that's not the case, I had a friend that got the virus that gives you strep throat in her skin, which caused a similar rash on her face. It was just a quick antibiotic treatment over a few days before it was gone.
I'm sure whatever it is (broken capillaries, allergic reaction, strep, whatever) that it will indeed go away either on its own or with treatment. You will not have bumpy eyelids forever.
Feel better.
You probably have petechiae - tiny little red dots/bumps that are broken capillaries. If you were barfing and it was strenuous, then you'd get them on your face.
I get them EVERYWHERE, because evidently being me is strenuous all over my body.
Not a big deal at all, and they should fade soon. Unless you're genetically predisposed to getting them, like me.
PS YOU ARE AWESOME!
I got this phenomena once from coughing so hard during a cold ... they will eventually vanish... I don't recall how long I had the things, but they are now completely gone. Your other symptoms sound like my Mom's Celiac disease.. which is an allergy to gluten... It's probably not though, because I'm not a Dr, and do not play one on TV.
The little bumps definitely sound like broken capillaries, that actually happened to me recently after a bout of a nasty stomach virus. It's called a petechial rash, and it will go away in a couple of days.
In reading about your tummy problems, celiac disease immediately came to mind. Don't google it, it's basically an allergy to wheat gluten - a person with a flare up of celiac would absolutely get sick after a single beer, or a dinner of rich food.
Don't be afraid to mention these things to your doctor, and ask to be tested. The symptoms you describe are real, and problematic, and you won't sound crazy for trying to find a treatment that can allow you to live your life.
Good luck!
@Carina thanks for searching for me. I don't think it's any of those. but thank you.:)
@Suniverse that's exactly what it's like, but on my face. so annoying. you must hate that!
ps
you're the best! xo
My first thought was gallbladder. The rich food...
I hope you feel better soon!
Xo susie
@Chelle Nevar you're not a doctor? I thought I knew you! I hope I'm not allergic to wheat gluten. I'm already allergic to soy and that cuts out all carbs. that's gonna suck hard.
@Nicole thanks! when I get a doc (irsurance free), I'll go ask. I really hope it's not. I'm severely allergic to soy already, so that would make my diet sans carbs completely. yikes. maybe I'll just cut out beer. :)
@andygirl It's definitely not a fun disease. Unfortunately, other food allergies makes it more likely :(
Believe me, I know all about health insurance (or lack of) woes. That said, if you do think it's a possibility, I strongly recommend seeing a doctor as soon as you can. It's also important to keep eating a normal diet until you get tested or you won't get accurate results. Also, if you decide to go gluten free (with or without a diagnosis), you need to be very careful about your diet - if you're not seeing a dr or nutritionist, it's going to take some intensive internet research to make sure stay healthy.
I hope you feel better! It truly sucks to have undiagnosed, random GI problems. Just know it's NOT all in your head, and when you find the solution (and there IS a solution) you can get back to your life without the icky interruptions.
10 Things I Hate About You!!!
sorry... feel better!
Ugh, I feel for you. I had some awful stomach issues after I had my appendix removed and had to get a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy (a blood test and upper endoscopy is how they check for celiac disease- and I was petrified but I don't have it! yay!)- but the doc found nothing, diagnosed me with IBS (which he acknowledged just means intestinal issues with no known cause), and eventually I got better. Weird. I never had barfing issues, though- I hope you feel better!
I don't think you need to worry about celiac just yet. I am almost certain, as mentioned above, that it's just a rash from the stomach tsunami.
My mom has diverticulitis, and that sounds like her symptoms. Have you been checked for that?
I'd go with broken capillaries! I avoid WebMD and just go straight to my mom the nurse, who then tells me "No, you're not dying, it's not cancer or a tumor."
Ugh. I HATE web docs. My sister once heard from some moron guy at her husband's work that carrying your baby on your hip will make him/her bowlegged. So what did my incredibly paranoid sister do? She looked it up. I was on the phone with her, telling her that carrying kids on your hips does not make them bowlegged and that the guy at work is a total friggin idiot, when I heard this typing. The conversation was as follows:
Me: You're not looking that up online are you?
Sis: I can't find anything! There's nothing about what effects there are on carrying your kids on your hip!
Me: That's because it doesn't make them bowlegged!
Sigh. I love my sister, but she uses web advice way too much. She actually thought she had cancer for a period of time because some dumb website said so. Ugh.
Anyway, I hope your puffy eyelids go away. And, just because I can: you do NOT have cancer. :)
So I too have a sensitive stomach and carry my stress there. More so as a kid, but even know it acts up. I actually am lactose intolerant. But still LOVE cheese. (Love hurts).
I love talking about my bodily functions, I'm not sure why. I think that's weirder than not wanting to talk about it.
I hope your little bumps go away! I'm sure it's just from the strain of barfing.
@Nicole *sigh* well, in the interim, I'm laying off beer and keeping a food journal. at least I can do some legwork. :)
@Coco I knew you'd get that! you're so smart. :)
@Skye yikes! they prob would have done all that to me if I plain hadn't stopped going to docs. got sick of being poked and prodded and got used to kinda feeling sicky all the time. I think it's prob a combo of things, including stress. did you end up medicating? did it help?
@Bitter Betty I can always count on you to be a voice of reason. :)
also, I think I'm gonna laugh off the beer for a while. can't hurt right? plus? I'm getting a beer belly.
@Kate honey, I don't even want to know what that is. I kid, but I'm such an avoider when it comes to stuff like that (hypochondriac drug addict mom). I think I'll just monitor my diet and see what happens. :)
@Hutch I need a mom like yours! :D
@Colleen have I told you lately how much I love you? your sis sounds like how my mom would be if she knew how to work the internet. except I'm sure your sister is a lovely person. :)
thanks, hon. I found that icing my eyes actually helps. so who knows?
@lex [lexinthecity] once again, soul sisters. thanks, hon. I think it was too, esp since they appeared instantly.
Damn I have no real internet for a few days and this comes along... and I have an answer!! Yay...:) Yes it goes away again. Just some burst blod vessels from the exercion of puking your guts out (lovely eh?). Been there and done it and got 'em and they all went away. This where I point out it was during student life and drinking too much tequila... needless to say I stopped doing that.
yes when you vomit that hard, it's VERY possible you may have broken capillaries. And they heal will heal on their own. But, you really MIGHT want to get checked out to find out WHY you are vomiting like that in the first place.
@Nush you're so smart! I think I'm gonna have to lay off the beer for a while. *sad*
@meleah rebeccah thanks, darlin! this is not the first time this has been an issue and I was NOT happy with how docs treated me before. I think I''ll just monitor my diet and see what I find. :)
Yes, those are broken capillaries (lotsa puking for 2 pregnancies taught me that). I have IBS, so I understand how awful having stomach problems is, and how greatly it affects the day to day. I hope you get to feeling better soon!
I'm glad other people have been able to offer up diagnoses, because I'm too sad about your cheeseless month to be of any help right now.
I think I've decided you're my long lost twin (let's not discuss the blatant timeline issue there...).
My mom is a complete hypochandriac, and now I'm wary any time a doctor prescribes me anything. I'll yell "PROVE IT!!" and demand tests (and I'll demand to see the results--that I can't decipher) before I'll take anything.
I don't ever want to be that person that overreacts or assumes that they have SARS just because they coughed twice in a day.
Is underreacting just as bad...?
@Liz thanks, hon. I can only imagine what my stomach will do when I'm preggers. yikes. xo
@alonewithcats it was the WORST month! I love cheese. I eat it daily. never. again.
@loveleyrambles.com we must just be the same person. only explanation.
I do think underreacting can be just as bad. it's in my nature so I do try to watch out for it. *sigh*
I leave the internet a few days and miss answering something doctor-y. Boo. With Celiac Dz, if you always have a sensitive stomach, always have stinky, ummm expelling of gas? and bowel movements, and you know, gasiness (spelling?), I might consider thinking about Celiac testing (there are a lot of places that test for free, if you want, a friend of mine was diagnosed by one of these and is soooo about it, she could probably tell you when and where and everything even though she lives nowhere near PDX). If it comes and goes, less likely.
If you had a colonoscopy, then I assume they've ruled out diverticulitis, Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Dz. If you have a lot of bleeding I would get you to an ER.
I have a similar thing (I think? Not the vomitiness though). When I'm uber-stressed (yay for going into med school and causing this on myself) I tend to eat shitty and my stomach gets super pissed and everything hurts, I get gastritis, acid reflux, and gassy. Muuuuy Terrrrible!
@Jackie T it's more like a constant belly ache and I get nauseated easily, plus more that I'm too embarrassed to discussed on the blog. I had major acid reflux as a kid. it was awful, but hasn't bothered me in years. pretty sure it was alllll stress considering my childhood.
yes, they ruled out all those intestinal issues and I didn't wait around for more tests, because I just didn't like my meds or my doc. made me feel worse and she didn't listen to me. *sigh*
but I'm doing a low wheat thing right now and actually feeling better, so we'll see.
Post a Comment