[raptor (OP)]

Hello from America. I love the Naked Scientist, by the way.
So, on to the subject of this post. If anyone can help, it would be great--

I think I may have blood circulation problems. I can't stand up on my feet very long, hang them over ledges, etc. They swell and become red and start to itch. Nothing drastic has happened to cause emergency assistance, though.
When I eat a big meal my elbow and shoulder joints hurt very badly. I can move them, they just will ache a lot. Sometimes, out of the blue, either one of my arms will hurt and I will get a pain in my chest (only momentarily, though, lasting maybe 2 or 3 minutes and nothing like a heartattack).
Everytime I take a nap, I will wake up to a horrid headache and nauseau. This doesn't happen when I wake in the morning, just naps (this has been going on as long as I can remember).
My nose always hurts. It has always hurt, even when I was very young, I remember losing hours of sleep at night because my nose hurt so much. Never had a nosebleed, though. I am guessing this is a sinus gland problem.
Which brings me to my final symptom, my Lymphnode glands have been swollen since I hit puberty. My first doctor chucked this up to have a dorment bacteria or virus in my body.

Again, nothing has been bad enough to cause great danger, I've always worked around it. I've just finally come to wonder about what I could possibly do to make all this a little better. All of these symptoms have been occuring since a bit before puberty, which is why my parents thought it that. In Junior High, I saw a doctor (military). I got blood tests for several things he thought I might have. Hep B, TB, Epstien Barr (sp?), amongst many others. Which was a horrible experience, my blood looked like tar, it was so thick, and the nurse kept having to stop to find a vein that would drain faster. My doctor just ended with Epstien Barr, saying that it should fade through time. Time passed, I saw a civilian doctor, and he said the same, "It just might be you growing into your body and a common case of Epstien Barr." None of my symptoms seemed important to pursue constant medical attention, so I ignored them through the years.
Five years later, and my best friend (who is pre-med in Washington DC) asks one of her professors about my symptoms. They, as well, were stumped.

Could anyone shed some light? Maybe there are some similar cases out there. Maybe this isn't a "case" at all.

Thanks. Dan.

[chris]

CAn you give me some more to go on please ?

Age, weight, family history, smoking, alcohol etc.

Thanks

Chris

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx

[cruzin4us]

Raptor -

Is your blood still thick??? My husband's friend has many of the similar symptoms and I know one of them is thick blood.  Let me know, and I will ask my husband more questions too.

Laurie

[raptor (OP)]

Age=22, fluxuate constantly from 160 to 180lbs on a regular basis, family history inludes mother--heart disease/colon cancer father's side pretty much healthy ( I believe, though records are vague because my grandfather was kidnapped and never found, and most relatives on that side have a tendency to disappear or move back to Puerto Rico), smoking=smoked for 1 year (five a day), then started up two years later (3 a day), drinking includes drinking like a college student when in college. I will have a beer or three about twice a week, now. All these symptoms started way before the bad habits started. Like I said, most of them have been this way since I was younger.

Well, I abhor blood tests, now. I refuse to get anymore, because the nurses take too long tapping me, and it feels like a soul being dragged from my vein--not fun in the least. I have trouble staying concious, and they can never find a vein that stays pushing blood for long enough to fill a vile. Plus, I haven't needed blood taken since then.

[cruzin4us]

Raptor,

My husband spoke with his friend, and he has something called "Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia".   Many of his symptoms are what you describe such as thick blood, lymphe node swelling, soreness, etc.

I don't know if this is what you have, as I'm far from being a doctor.  

Here is the website I found on the internet.  I hope this helps.

http://www.iwmf.com/WhatIsWM.htm

Please let me know if this sounds like you.

Laurie

[raptor (OP)]

Thanks Laurie.
I am going to take this to my friends at medical school, maybe they could find something from that link. I doubt I have an anemia problems, I don't bruise or bleed easily and I don't think my spleen is inflamed. Sheesh, that would be horrible.

[cruzin4us]

I know that my husband's friend gets tired easily, but he golfs, plays tennis, etc., has thick blood, lymph nodes are swollen.  He is probably around 50, but has had this for quite sometime.  He went to alot of Doctors before they figured out what it was.  

What triggered me to think of him, was his biggest complaint is "his blood is sooooooo thick".

Anyway, it's a crap shoot, but ask your med friends, I'm curious to what they say.  Let me know.

Laurie

[raptor (OP)]

Will do. Interestingly enough, when I did get my blood taken around 6 or 7 years ago, the viscosity of it shocked the nurse, to which he replied, "Wow, you must have very healthy blood for it to be so thick and dark!" I never found out it thick/dark blood means healthy or unhealthy in that matter.

[ROBERT]

Hi Dan,
Im NOT a Doctor, but have you considered autoimmune disorder as a possible diagnosis.
There is a condition called LUPUS (SLE) which can include:- hypercoagulable blood (APS), swollen lymph nodes, swollen legs, rashes, jointpain, headache, damage to nasal septum, and LUPUS often begins at puberty.