Carcinoid Tumors

[njg]

Greetings: I have been sick for many years and kept telling my doctors that something was very wrong, but they all just concluded Fibromyalgia. For the last 4 or 5 years, I kept telling them that my skin would get bright red like a sunburn and I was very uncomfortable when this would happen: hot, sweaty, weak, etc., but they never pursued that issue. They would just shrug their shoulders and I think thought I was whiney or a hypocondriac. Finally I went to an infectious disease doctor who really listened and then ordered a 5-HIAA test. The test came back with double the normal count. He told me to see my GP and I am getting a CT scan of my abdomen next week. I guess if the 5-HIAA is positive that means it has gone to the liver?

I am hoping the test is wrong. I did not eat any of the listed foods within 2 days, but had a little tomato sauce 3 days before, I think, and I don't know if I took any Tylenol as the lab did not mention that to me as a possible influence on results. But, I suppose the fact that I also have the flushing sort of nails it. I should find out more next week, but it is hard to wait and my husband is suffering, too, worrying about it. Its causing a bit of tension for me because he seems to be worrying about "losing me" rather than how I feel.

Does anyone know about the 5-HIAA test and how significantly foods or medicines could really influence it? Do you think that because my results were double the normal that it doesn't even matter what I might have eaten?