Does anyone know if there is any possibility of strongyloides being mistaken as pulmonary emboli and a lung infarct?
I know it's a "crazy" question, but I figure it's safe to ask here. So, very long story short, I travel to 3rd world countries for work. I can pinpoint the exact moment my severe abdominal pain (intermittent after eating) to the first time I traveled to Africa. I worked with animals, livestock, and displaced persons and at medical camps. Fast forward 8 years and I see an ENT for chronic sinusitis and infection. He gives me steroid to try for 3 weeks duration. I feel no improvement whatsoever, and shortly after develop a nagging dry cough which I have never had before. Coughing is not my thing, runny noses and nausea were my thing.
Anyways, things get worse and worse. Abdominal pains happen even after foods that have never caused symptoms before, I begin getting headaches for the first time in my life, and I wake up in the middle of the night feeling like I am suffocating almost every night. Also night sweats (which started the year I went to Africa first as well) got worse. I have ovarian cysts out of nowhere that are rupturing. Anal "fissures" (maybe), alternating constipation with D (whereas before I only had chronic D), I am having serious trouble swallowing as well. Chest pains worsening. Feels like there's something always in my nose, throat, and ears. Sharp pains in spine when breathing, laughing, burping, etc...sharp pains in butt, vag, (embarassing, but hey), Pain in legs, nerve pain, numbness, cystic
Acne for the first time, veins bulging out everywhere, yellowing skin and eyes, even eyes changing color to yellowish green, small red petichae everywhere, little sores that almost could be
Acne but definitely aren't and are all over my body including legs and feet. Etc, etc, etc, etc...
My cough continued for 6-7 months, when I decided to go get acupuncture for the first time due to what I thought was a weird pulled muscle in my back that had come simply from sitting up in bed. I'm laying on the table face down with maybe 30 or so needles all over, including around my spine and ribs where I felt the pain shoot down the day before. As I'm laying there, I can literally FEEL something move from my spine towards my ribs. The tension gets tighter and tighter but I keep putting up with it since the acupuncturist said tension can get worse before it releases. I can feel my legs release, then my neck and arms, so I wait for this part to release. Instead, I start to feel EXCRUCIATING pain that wraps around my entire ribcage. I can no longer breathe even shallowly without the worst pain I have ever felt in my entire life. (and remember, I had ruptured cysts and torsion....) I remember thinking that this must be exactly how it feels to be stabbed with a knife. I called for help but could barely speak, but luckily she heard me and came running.
I went to the ER where I was first diagnosed with "pneumonia." Huh? I asked if it would cause that pain, and the doc said, "not usually." and sent me off with some weak
Antibiotics even though I had just returned from Kenya a week prior. Those didn't work at all, so fortunately, I followed my gut and saw my GP who sent me for a stat CT scan where I was told to wait for my doctor to call. She told me they found "numerous" clots in my lungs and an infarct and I needed to get to the ER right away. I did and started blood thinners and thought that was the end of it.
They never found any DVTs in me, and I have no genetic factors for clotting. I even got the extended ANA testing that rules out even the rarest autoimmune diseases. My ANA titer was SUPER high at 1:640, and my Igg and Iga and whatnot all came back positive, but no autoimmune issues were positive. My eosinophils are through the roof, (22%) and NO ONE cares. The docs say it can be "normal." Eosinophilia is normal??? It's either parasites, cancer, or another life threatening disease. It's nothing to overlook. Thus, I decided to look up eosinophilia, and that's when I decided that I definitely have strongyloides that was made stronger through the steroid, and then took even stronger hold during my blood clot incident. OR...
Were they even blood clots at all? I've pored over my CT scans and they are insanely difficult to read, but I could imagine little bitty worms in my lungs looking like emboli/clots. An infarct shows up as patchy airspace, so that can be
parasites too. I have a huge clot left apparently where my infarct and rib pain is, but I swear it feels like something is in there. I can feel a lump when I wear a backpack or lean on a hard seat. It seems to slowly be moving down my right side, not getting any better soreness wise. I can breathe now, but still hurts and I can't burp or laugh still without grabbing my side in pain.
3 weeks ago, I noticed severe lower left abdominal pain (i had had a dull ache in my lower left side for years, but this was sharp and I couldn't move without shooting pain), so my doc gave me
Antibiotics , one of which was Metronizole, which kills some parasites. My muscular pain, joint pain, breathing, asthma, and gut pain all got better within 24hrs. No joke. I am seeing clear stringy worms that keep their shape in my stool, along with white/off white spots, black flecks, blood, mucus, and what appears to be the exact shape of flukes. (However, these fluke shapes can be torn apart and don't appear rubbery enough? Not sure what their texture is, but the shape is there)
My mid back is always sore lately and makes me feel sick. My right side as well, where my liver is. I know pain can radiate from my lower lung to my liver possibly, but it seems to be a different type of sensation than everyone else I've talked to with an infarct.
My doc already thinks I'm crazy and said that because of my PEs. I will be scared of every little pain even if it's nothing. My severe abdominal pain was not "nothing." I was bloated on one side only. I've never seen anything like it, but my doc didn't seem concerned and just prescribed me stuff to get me out of there. Why are doctors so afraid of parasites?? I don't understand...I travel to Africa and S. America for work. Why wouldn't I have at least one parasite? Why do they make us all feel crazy? (I did not mention the blood clot being mistaken thing at all...I was very calm and simply asked if I could have a
parasite maybe due to my travels and the location of the pain...) I am sure a blood test would come back positive, but I don't even want to ask for one. I have ordered Ivermectin on Amazon and will get more fun things if need be, but this is incredibly frustrating. I'm honestly thinking of going to SE Asia to be treated. Has anyone else done that? I know Kenya just literally hands out worming kits for free at medical camps, but here in the U.S, it's "absurd" to think anyone has any worms...
Sorry, that was not a long story short, but just glad to have found a forum with people experiencing the same symptoms and frustrations. I mean, ffs...I have 22% eosinophils, ANA 1:640, IGg IGa positive, rapidly decreasing potassium, trouble breathing, severe pain and abdominal issues, relief with
Antibiotics , (at least for now), etc...I don't know why my doc thinks I am so far off base? What more do I need? Apparently bringing in worms won't even help as I've read so many times on here...