Metallic taste in mouth, involuntary movements, fatigue

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Hello,

I'm posting on this forum because I'm at my wit's end.

Last September, I started noticing a weird metallic taste in my mouth. This coincided with a slight sore throat. I consulted my gastro doctor (I have UC) who suggested I may have acid reflux. He ordered an upper endoscopy and diagnosed me with gastritis. By the time the scope was actually performed, the sore throat had resolved on its own. For what it's worth, I had no other traditional acid reflux symptoms other than the metallic taste and sore throat.

After my gastritis diagnosis, my GI doctor prescribed omeprazole 40 mg once a day. Within a week of being on the omeprazole, I developed these weird, involuntary movements. Not tremors, but sudden, jerk-like movements in my fingers, toes, shoulder, etc. throughout the day. I read that omeprazole can cause magnesium levels to drop in the body which can lead to muscle twitching, but that's only after long term use, not just one week. I also developed fatigue--feeling tired throughout the day even after getting what feels like a full night's sleep.

The combination of fatigue + muscle movement prompted me to see a neurologist who said he wasn't too worried but recommended I see a sleep medicine doctor. The sleep doctor had me do an at-home sleep test which found no abnormalities other than my oxygen levels briefly dipping a bit in the middle of the night. Being the paranoid person I am, I called my neurologist back and pleaded with him to order an MRI for me even though it was against his better judgment. He relented and I had my MRI in February. To my relief, the scan found nothing out of the ordinary. Since the MRI, the involuntary movements have lessened significantly, so I'm wondering if stressing out actually exacerbated my symptoms.

Anyway, I finally did what I should have done from the start and saw a primary care physician. She ordered a full blood and urine test and found:

  • Testosterone levels = Normal
  • Magnesium, calcium, iron, etc. = Normal
  • Kidney function = Normal
  • Vitamin D =Below normal (20)
  • Slightly elevated AST liver function

My doctor recommended I start taking a Vitamin D supplement (2000 IU 2x per day) and limit my alcohol intake to help with my increased liver functions. (I should mention I am not a heavy drinker by any means. I enjoy maybe two drinks per week.) I've been on the Vitamin D for a few weeks now, but my doctor said that's too soon to notice any improvement. The chronic fatigue is honestly what bothers me most--waking up not feeling fully rested and then feeling wiped out by the afternoon. I'm not sure if this ties into the fatigue problem but I also feel like my eyes are more sensitive to light since this all started; I feel the need to squint more than I did before when I'm outside or driving during the daytime, even when it's not particularly sunny out.

Now my doctor wants me to follow up with her in 3-4 months. Frankly, I don't to have to live like this for another 3-4 months without some other sort of proper diagnosis and treatment. Is it possible for something as common as low Vitamin D levels to make me feel THIS crappy? Can anyone think of any other health issues that could cause these symptoms that neither myself nor my doctor would have considered yet? I'm starting to get desperate.

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