high carbon dioxide in blood anyone?

[Kendo]

I'm headed to a new internal medicine specialist tomorrow and just got a copy of my recent blood results. Yet again I have a high carbon dioxide in my blood. I've been cleared by a respirologist and cardiologist in the past year yet still get lightheaded with even the littlest exercise.

My ANA is still positive and speckled and homogeneous. Good news is that my ESR and CRP are great, so whatever makes me lightheaded (and breathe faster with exercise like stirring soup) is not showing up in the inflammation panel.

So many of my specialists know nothing about Sjogren's so I'd like any feedback you wonderful people have!
Thanks
Kendo

[lighthouse33]

Symptoms & Treatment of High Carbon Dioxide Level in Blood

http://www.medicalhealthtests.com/blood-tests/blood-carbon-dioxide-level.html

High Level of Carbon Dioxide in Blood

http://www.ehow.com/about_5503535_high-level-carbon-dioxide-blood.html

What does a high level of carbon dioxide in a blood test mean?

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/3457/7992/1452524.html

High values of carbon dioxide:
High carbon dioxide (bicarbonate) levels may be caused by:
Vomiting, dehydration, blood transfusions, and overuse of medicines that contain bicarbonate (especially antacids).
Conditions such as anorexia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), heart disease, Cushing's disease, and Conn's syndrome.

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/bicarbonate?page=2

Higher-than-normal levels may be due to:

Breathing disorders
Cushing syndrome
Hyperaldosteronism
Vomiting

The following conditions may also alter bicarbonate levels:

Alkalosis
Delirium
Dementia
Renal tubular acidosis; distal
Renal tubular acidosis; proximal

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003469.htm

What Causes High Carbon Dioxide in Blood?

http://www.livestrong.com/article/142405-what-causes-high-carbon-dioxide-blood/

[lighthouse33]

Interstitial Lung Disease

Causes of Interstitial Lung Diseases

Autoimmune disorders   Ankylosing spondylitis, Beh?et's syndrome, Goodpasture's syndrome, mixed connective tissue disease, polymyositis and dermatomyositis, relapsing polychondritis, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, Sj?gren's syndrome, and systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus)

Diagnosis

Because interstitial lung diseases cause symptoms that are similar to those of much more common disorders (for example, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), they may not be suspected at first. When interstitial lung disease is suspected, diagnostic testing is done. Testing can vary by the disease suspected but tends to be similar. Most people have a chest x-ray, computed tomography (CT), pulmonary function tests (see Diagnosis of Lung Disorders: Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT)), and often arterial blood gas analysis. CT is more sensitive than chest x-ray and helps doctors make a more specific diagnosis. CT is done using techniques that maximize resolution (high-resolution CT). Pulmonary function tests often show that the volume of air that the lungs can hold is abnormally small. In addition, the person's response to exercise is commonly tested.

http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/lung_and_airway_disorders/interstitial_lung_diseases/overview_of_interstitial_lung_diseases.html

[Kendo]

Thanks so much lighthouse! What a treasure trove of information. I'm starting to think I'm getting closer to a real diagnosis and am not still in the "pre-diagnostic" stage of disease, as my GP put it last summer.

She has now retired so here's hoping the new, younger internal medicine guy will put together all the puzzle pieces and not just think I'm crazy
Kendo

[Cassi307]

This is interesting. My carbon dioxide levels have been slightly elevated the last 2 labs that were done. I assumed it was because of my asthma. Think I should pay a little more attention to all my results instead of worrying about the kidney disease and the inflammation markers.

Kendo let us know how you make out at the md.

[Kendo]

My appointment was for 90 minutes and the doctor took more than 45 to discuss my "calcium disorder". Even though a neurologist and family doctor thought the MS-like symptoms I had five years ago were due to low blood calcium, this doc thinks that was just a spurious or lab-error result.

I had the same conclusion from a 85 year old calcium doc who used to run the calcium labs for the hospital because he didn't think anyone else did them right. But since his lab shut down 30 years ago he doesn't trust either the hospital or commercial labs low calciums I had.

So I had a candid talk about how I look perfectly normal and my labs for both calcium and potassium are both in the normal range. But I take supplements to keep them that way and get quite ill when I try to stop or lower them. I explained how Sjogren's can cause antibodies to almost everything in the body!

So he did look seriously at all my summary of blood results and my shortened summary of how various problems have been showing up over the last few years. He had read the rheumy's letter saying I was in the early stages of Sjogren's and said I should have more EMGs because of the muscle weakness and leg cramps.

He will ponder my case but doesn't think he has much to offer. Oh, well .... the saga continues.....of the mystery diagnosis. We never did get to the high carbon dioxide!

Kendo

[Cassi307]

Kendo
It sounds positive that he spent 90 minutes instead of pushing you out the door. What calcium disorder does he think you have?
Does he sound like he is supportive of your Sjogren's diagnosis or does he think there is something else?

More important, are you comfortable with keeping him for your internal med needs?

[Kendo]

My calcium disorder is even under suspicion at this stage. Too bad they can't live in my body when the calcium gets low. My guess is that I have some destruction of the thyroid and parathyroid glands (that regulate calcium) in the neck from Sjogren's. I only started taking Synthroid two years ago and have anti-thyroid antibodies but below the threshold for positive.

I think that was my only appointment with this doctor, unfortunately. It seemed like a consult from my nurse practitioner and he said he'll send her his findings once he has thought about my case some more.

Oh, well. At least it gives me practice for seeing a world class calcium doctor/researcher in a bigger city in July. He probably won't believe me either!

Kendo