[60F] Experiencing gastrointestinal and cognitive symptoms

What might be happening

Based on the information you've provided, here are a few possible conditions that could be causing your symptoms:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): This is a common disorder that affects the large intestine. Signs and symptoms include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea or constipation, or both. IBS is a chronic condition that you'll need to manage long term.

  • Treatment typically focuses on relieving symptoms so that you can live as normally as possible. This might involve dietary changes, medication, probiotics, and stress management.

• Hypothyroidism: This is a condition in which your thyroid gland doesn't produce enough of certain crucial hormones. Hypothyroidism may not cause noticeable symptoms in the early stages. Over time, untreated hypothyroidism can cause a number of health problems, such as obesity, joint pain, infertility and heart disease. Symptoms can include fatigue, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, dry skin, weight gain, puffy face, hoarseness, muscle weakness, elevated blood cholesterol level, muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness, pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints, heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods, thinning hair, slowed heart rate, depression, impaired memory.

  • Standard treatment for hypothyroidism involves daily use of the synthetic thyroid hormone levothyroxine.

• Depression: Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth living. Symptoms can include feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness, angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters, loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much, tiredness and lack of energy, reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain, anxiety, agitation or restlessness, slowed thinking, speaking or body movements, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame, trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things, frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide, unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches.

  • Treatment is usually via a combination of medication and psychotherapy.

What you can do

It's important to consult a healthcare professional for a proper diagnosis and treatment. In the meantime, here are some things you can do to help manage your symptoms:

1. Keep a food diary: This can help you identify any foods that trigger your symptoms. You can then try to avoid these foods and see if your symptoms improve.
2. Stay hydrated: This is especially important if you're experiencing diarrhea, as you can quickly become dehydrated.
3. Try to maintain a healthy diet: This can help improve your overall health and may help reduce your symptoms.
4. Regular exercise: This can help reduce symptoms of depression and improve your overall health.
5. Try to get enough sleep: Lack of sleep can exacerbate many health problems, including depression and IBS.

What you should look out for

You should seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of the following:

• Severe pain or cramping in your abdomen
• Blood in your stool
• Unexplained weight loss
• Signs of dehydration, such as dark urine, dry mouth, and feeling lightheaded when standing up
• Thoughts of harming yourself or suicide

Remember, while I strive to provide accurate information, I'm not a doctor. Always consult with a healthcare professional for a formal diagnosis and treatment.