Woman was misdiagnosed by 6 doctors—her friend solved her medical mystery in just 1 minute after learning of her symptoms
Women need to listen to their bodies and note any signs and symptoms that seem unusual, even if just a bit. There’s so much that goes on with the female body and often, everything is brushed off as a hormonal effect. We must dive deeper and get a valid diagnosis before presuming things casually. A woman’s health coach, Makenna Kovach (@maceperiod), revealed that her friend seemed to have unusual symptoms for a while and was misdiagnosed six times by doctors. When she sat and deconstructed her issues in detail, she was able to narrow down to a diagnosis within a minute, Newsweek revealed.
Kovach has been advocating for women’s health for a while. Her TikTok page shared insights on different issues women have that are not spoken of enough. Her videos often highlight how to identify symptoms and also speak of managing conditions, cycles and other changes in the female body. When she met her friend after a long time, she got to talking about her health and it was then that she revealed all her symptoms. These included dizziness, brain fog, “bone deep fatigue,” skin flares, migraines, anxiety, tight neck, ear clogging issues and more.
The woman also shared that she had visited six doctors, all of whom gave her different diagnoses. Some were Ménière's disease — a rare inner ear condition, clogged eustachian tube, vertigo and irritable bowel syndrome. However, despite taking medication for it all, her symptoms persisted. Kovach seemed to find the symptoms way too familiar and learned that they very closely matched what she had experienced herself a few years ago. She then asked her whether her joints were “hypermobile,” and when she agreed, Kovach immediately knew what was wrong.
"Not a single doctor said that she had histamine intolerance or MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome),” she revealed. “The second she sat next to me inside the car and explained her symptoms, I was like. ‘Oh, you have exactly what I have,’” Kovach remarked. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the condition is similar to that of an allergic reaction, except there is no reaction or trigger. The episodes are caused by the mast cells or immune cells mistakenly alerting the body to danger. “She kind of explained to me what happened one after the other and it was verbatim what I was experiencing last year,” the health coach said.
Her friend, who is a nurse, had ample access to good doctors. Unfortunately, no one was able to decode her symptoms and connect them with MCAS. General physician Tony Banerjee, also the founder of a private healthcare service HarleyDoc, explained, "Histamine intolerance can be very challenging to diagnose because the symptoms, such as flushing, rashes, digestive upset, headaches, palpitations and brain fog often overlap with many other conditions.” While there is no cure for the condition, it can be managed with the right medication and lifestyle.
@maceperiod My flex is that I can typically diagnose someone (if they are having issues) just by looking at them. Psa this is not medical advice and I am not a doctor. But I will say a lot of them miss the mark. There are sooo many connections to your mysterious symptoms. You just have to connect with the right person. #histamineintolerance #mcas #mysterioussymptoms #womenshealthcoaching ♬ original sound - Mace. | Women’s Health
One has to be mindful of what triggers the episodes and of the symptoms to treat them. In severe cases, it is recommended that individuals visit the ER. Kovach shared a caveat that she is not a doctor but urges people to be more mindful when it comes to diagnoses. Several people commented, sharing how similar diagnoses were misread by doctors. @ciarabennz said, “I have all of these symptoms and I was diagnosed with vestibular migraines.” @runway_yarns added, “I think this is a way bigger problem in women than we realize.”
You can follow Makenna Kovach (@maceperiod) on TikTok for more content on women's health and MCAS.
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