very serious (to me)
Karla,
Your situation sounds VERY serious. I agree with all the others here who posted messages to you, you NEED to seek help. You need to talk with someone about your mental status and you need to speak with a physicina about your labs and levels. Please make those phone calls and do what you need to do, you have to be your own advocate.
Take care of yourself, we are here for you.
Your situation sounds VERY serious. I agree with all the others here who posted messages to you, you NEED to seek help. You need to talk with someone about your mental status and you need to speak with a physicina about your labs and levels. Please make those phone calls and do what you need to do, you have to be your own advocate.
Take care of yourself, we are here for you.
HW: 404/ SW: 380/ GW: 155
Please talk to someone TODAY. I understand your not wanting to take anti-depressants, there are other alternatives but you need to be seen TODAY.
I had a very similar problem after my hysterectomy. I had terrible depression and anxiety. Once they got my hormones straightened out, I got a little better but still really bad. The psychiatrist prescribed me high doses of Omega 3 because I wouldn't take anymore SSRIs either.
It was like a miracle.
See a psych today, then see an endocrinologist. It's going to be alright. Just hang in there, ok.
Please update us and let us know how you're doing.
I had a very similar problem after my hysterectomy. I had terrible depression and anxiety. Once they got my hormones straightened out, I got a little better but still really bad. The psychiatrist prescribed me high doses of Omega 3 because I wouldn't take anymore SSRIs either.
It was like a miracle.
See a psych today, then see an endocrinologist. It's going to be alright. Just hang in there, ok.
Please update us and let us know how you're doing.
Years before my DS I had many of the same symptoms. My gyn checked my prolactin level and it was elevated. She referred me to a neurologist who did an MRI and I did have a tumor on my pituitary gland. It was not terribly big so I took medication and slowly got semi sane. However.....simultaneously I took antidepressants. You really need to consider that if you want to be sane and not do things now you will regret later. Or, for that matter, so you won't hurt yourself now which would be devestating to you and your family. The meds for the tumor take quite a while to start making changes.
Once everything was leveled out, I had to take the meds daily and have an MRI every six months at first and then every year. I was told it would be a life long ritual but after about 10 years the tumor no longer showed on the MRI and now I just have my prolactin level checked each year.
In some cases, medication is not the effective treatment and you will have to have surgery to remove the tumor. That is normally if the tumor is really big.
Good luck and get to the doctor and the psychiatrist. You have to consider antidepressants. I had had the nipple discharge for years and doctors kept saying it was not significant. You may have to really insist on the needed testing.
Once everything was leveled out, I had to take the meds daily and have an MRI every six months at first and then every year. I was told it would be a life long ritual but after about 10 years the tumor no longer showed on the MRI and now I just have my prolactin level checked each year.
In some cases, medication is not the effective treatment and you will have to have surgery to remove the tumor. That is normally if the tumor is really big.
Good luck and get to the doctor and the psychiatrist. You have to consider antidepressants. I had had the nipple discharge for years and doctors kept saying it was not significant. You may have to really insist on the needed testing.
I did have an MRI about 15 years ago, they thought I had a turmor due to my periods etc
there was nothing
they put me on fertility drugs
to level things out
not to have kids
This is why I will not take anti's
about 17 years ago I had resstless leg syndrome
it was really my back
they put me on carba dopa
I went nuts
they put me on zoloft
i went even more crazy
I was falling asleep at the wheel with the kids in the car, couldn't stand to be alone
etc
they put me on wellbutrin
even more crazy
I flushed the whole thing down the toilet and started taking brewers yeast and health food shakes
got so much better
I would rather be tired
Now I am on 5mg hydro for the back pain
I take 3 a day
at least it doesn't make me crazy/
I have a hard time trusting the medical community due to all their screw ups
there was nothing
they put me on fertility drugs
to level things out
not to have kids
This is why I will not take anti's
about 17 years ago I had resstless leg syndrome
it was really my back
they put me on carba dopa
I went nuts
they put me on zoloft
i went even more crazy
I was falling asleep at the wheel with the kids in the car, couldn't stand to be alone
etc
they put me on wellbutrin
even more crazy
I flushed the whole thing down the toilet and started taking brewers yeast and health food shakes
got so much better
I would rather be tired
Now I am on 5mg hydro for the back pain
I take 3 a day
at least it doesn't make me crazy/
I have a hard time trusting the medical community due to all their screw ups
Medical screwups. Tell me about it. Sometimes I feel as if I know more than the doctors do. But I figure being forced to learn as much as I've had to learn is the price of living in a human body.
I agree with the person who said to get to the ER. If you think you might be a danger to yourself, by all means, go to the ER and worry about the bill later. Chances are if you have no insurance you won't have to pay anyway. That is as long as you go to a nonprofit hospital.
Years ago, when my husband lost his job and I was having so much trouble with my health, I was able to see a doctor for free. I had to talk to the doctor and his billing person to work out this deal, but I was able to do it. Right now the economy is bad, people are hurting, I think you can get the help you need without having insurance.
As for Niacin overdose, I pulled this from the Mayo Clinic website (again):
As far as an antidepressant. The only brand that's ever worked for me has been Lexapro. Wellbutrin gave me hideous migraines, everything else I tried just made me feel crazy and scatterbrained. Lexapro is the only one that's been good for me. Maybe you could try that? There is a generic available now I believe.
Please let us know how you're doing,
Lynda
PS: Have you had headaches and/or vision changes?
I agree with the person who said to get to the ER. If you think you might be a danger to yourself, by all means, go to the ER and worry about the bill later. Chances are if you have no insurance you won't have to pay anyway. That is as long as you go to a nonprofit hospital.
Years ago, when my husband lost his job and I was having so much trouble with my health, I was able to see a doctor for free. I had to talk to the doctor and his billing person to work out this deal, but I was able to do it. Right now the economy is bad, people are hurting, I think you can get the help you need without having insurance.
As for Niacin overdose, I pulled this from the Mayo Clinic website (again):
Niacin overdose symptoms include:
- Severe skin flushing combined with dizziness
- Rapid heartbeat
- Itching
- Nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Severe liver damage (hepatoxicity)
As far as an antidepressant. The only brand that's ever worked for me has been Lexapro. Wellbutrin gave me hideous migraines, everything else I tried just made me feel crazy and scatterbrained. Lexapro is the only one that's been good for me. Maybe you could try that? There is a generic available now I believe.
Please let us know how you're doing,
Lynda
PS: Have you had headaches and/or vision changes?
On March 28, 2012 at 9:01 AM Pacific Time, Karla N. wrote:
I did have an MRI about 15 years ago, they thought I had a turmor due to my periods etc
there was nothing
they put me on fertility drugs
to level things out
not to have kids
This is why I will not take anti's
about 17 years ago I had resstless leg syndrome
it was really my back
they put me on carba dopa
I went nuts
they put me on zoloft
i went even more crazy
I was falling asleep at the wheel with the kids in the car, couldn't stand to be alone
etc
they put me on wellbutrin
even more crazy
I flushed the whole thing down the toilet and started taking brewers yeast and health food shakes
got so much better
I would rather be tired
Now I am on 5mg hydro for the back pain
I take 3 a day
at least it doesn't make me crazy/
I have a hard time trusting the medical community due to all their screw ups
What's the "hydro" that you take for your back. Hydrocortisone? That's a hormone and can affect your endocrine system. Specifically your cortisol levels.
As for the MRI you had 15 years ago, that was a long time ago. A lot can change in 15 years.
Carla mentions going to an internal medicine doc. That's a good idea too, although I'm sure he'll want a blood test to look at your thyroid and prolactin levels and probably an MRI to look for a tumor on your pituitary.
Carla also mentions being thorough when describing your symptoms to a doctor. Also good advice. My brother once had some terrible problems with dizziness that didn't get properly diagnosed until he decided to mention the nausea he was having as well. Turned out he had a cancerous brain tumor.
Not that I think you have brain cancer, but you might have a noncancerous tumor on your pituitary pumping out hormones.
Whether it's an internal med doctor, or an ER, or a family doctor, or an endo (my choice), get thee to a doctor!
Lynda
Oh, I forgot to mention. Armour changed its formula in the spring of 2009 and started adding cellulose. Now it's ruined. Lots and lots and lots of people are having hypothyroid issues thanks to Armour changing its formula. It's possible that Armour isn't working for you anymore. Again, you'll need to see a doctor to know for sure.
there was nothing
they put me on fertility drugs
to level things out
not to have kids
This is why I will not take anti's
about 17 years ago I had resstless leg syndrome
it was really my back
they put me on carba dopa
I went nuts
they put me on zoloft
i went even more crazy
I was falling asleep at the wheel with the kids in the car, couldn't stand to be alone
etc
they put me on wellbutrin
even more crazy
I flushed the whole thing down the toilet and started taking brewers yeast and health food shakes
got so much better
I would rather be tired
Now I am on 5mg hydro for the back pain
I take 3 a day
at least it doesn't make me crazy/
I have a hard time trusting the medical community due to all their screw ups
What's the "hydro" that you take for your back. Hydrocortisone? That's a hormone and can affect your endocrine system. Specifically your cortisol levels.
As for the MRI you had 15 years ago, that was a long time ago. A lot can change in 15 years.
Carla mentions going to an internal medicine doc. That's a good idea too, although I'm sure he'll want a blood test to look at your thyroid and prolactin levels and probably an MRI to look for a tumor on your pituitary.
Carla also mentions being thorough when describing your symptoms to a doctor. Also good advice. My brother once had some terrible problems with dizziness that didn't get properly diagnosed until he decided to mention the nausea he was having as well. Turned out he had a cancerous brain tumor.
Not that I think you have brain cancer, but you might have a noncancerous tumor on your pituitary pumping out hormones.
Whether it's an internal med doctor, or an ER, or a family doctor, or an endo (my choice), get thee to a doctor!
Lynda
Oh, I forgot to mention. Armour changed its formula in the spring of 2009 and started adding cellulose. Now it's ruined. Lots and lots and lots of people are having hypothyroid issues thanks to Armour changing its formula. It's possible that Armour isn't working for you anymore. Again, you'll need to see a doctor to know for sure.
Karla, your name is beautiful! I say that because my name is Carla. (Wink!) I like it better with a "K" though. Lucky you!
ANyway, I'm so sorry you are going through this. I know how you feel, I truly do.
But you really need to get help and trust the doctors.
That is not to say don't question them or voice your concerns, but they are the most informed of everyone you can get advice from.
The thing you need to remember is doctors are "practicing physicians" - they practice medicine. They do not have all the answers right away and they are not magicians.
They are after all, human, just like the rest of us.
So they can make mistakes, like the rest of us.
That is why it is very, very important to work with them.
Give them all the information that you can.
Help them with the diagnosis as much as you can.
Be proactive!
Tell them everything. Even if you think they will say it isn't important, tell them anyway.
You never know what little bit of information you share in those conversations with the doctor that can lead them in the right direction.
Some people here think you need to see a gyno, some a psych, some an endo.
None of us can know for sure what is going on.
We all mean well.
We all want to help.
All we can do is share information about our experiences and knowledge, but none of us truly know what your symptoms are or what they mean in combination with each other and the meds/vitamins/supplements your taking.
And to even go further, you may have been exposed to something in your home, work, car, yard, local park or anywhere else that could have been that may be causing a reaction to what your taking or the otherwise benign underlying condition you may have.
So, please take everything everyone says with a grain of salt but remember it all and share it all with a doctor.
Any doctor.
An internal medicine doctor is a start.
They will be able to help you or steer you in the right direction much better than any of us will.
The best advice any of us laypeople can give you is get to the doctor.
Now, I hope you don't take this wrong. I am not yelling or scolding you here. I am trying to be the voice of reason for you and since you said your going crazy and can't think straight, I think you may need someone to be very specific.
That is what I'm trying to provide you here.
As far as the anti-depressants go; Before I ever took one, I was so scattered, absent minded and disfunctional. Then once my doc put me on Paxil, I took it for years with no problems.
Then suddenly I didn't feel right when I took it, so my doctor changed me to Cimbalta, which I didn't tolerate at all. So she finally gave me Celexa in the generic form and it works fine. I have no idea of any specific feelings while on it, but if I stop taking it, I stress more and can't focus. Plus, I get Migraine headaches if I don't take it. So, I know it is helping me.
The dosage is important also. It usually takes a while for any doctor to get the correct therapeutic dosage with all patients.
So, please don't just blatantly disregard all antidepressants.
If you give the doctors a chance, I'm sure they will find one that works for you.
Please know that I am praying for you.
God Bless!
Carla
ANyway, I'm so sorry you are going through this. I know how you feel, I truly do.
But you really need to get help and trust the doctors.
That is not to say don't question them or voice your concerns, but they are the most informed of everyone you can get advice from.
The thing you need to remember is doctors are "practicing physicians" - they practice medicine. They do not have all the answers right away and they are not magicians.
They are after all, human, just like the rest of us.
So they can make mistakes, like the rest of us.
That is why it is very, very important to work with them.
Give them all the information that you can.
Help them with the diagnosis as much as you can.
Be proactive!
Tell them everything. Even if you think they will say it isn't important, tell them anyway.
You never know what little bit of information you share in those conversations with the doctor that can lead them in the right direction.
Some people here think you need to see a gyno, some a psych, some an endo.
None of us can know for sure what is going on.
We all mean well.
We all want to help.
All we can do is share information about our experiences and knowledge, but none of us truly know what your symptoms are or what they mean in combination with each other and the meds/vitamins/supplements your taking.
And to even go further, you may have been exposed to something in your home, work, car, yard, local park or anywhere else that could have been that may be causing a reaction to what your taking or the otherwise benign underlying condition you may have.
So, please take everything everyone says with a grain of salt but remember it all and share it all with a doctor.
Any doctor.
An internal medicine doctor is a start.
They will be able to help you or steer you in the right direction much better than any of us will.
The best advice any of us laypeople can give you is get to the doctor.
Now, I hope you don't take this wrong. I am not yelling or scolding you here. I am trying to be the voice of reason for you and since you said your going crazy and can't think straight, I think you may need someone to be very specific.
That is what I'm trying to provide you here.
As far as the anti-depressants go; Before I ever took one, I was so scattered, absent minded and disfunctional. Then once my doc put me on Paxil, I took it for years with no problems.
Then suddenly I didn't feel right when I took it, so my doctor changed me to Cimbalta, which I didn't tolerate at all. So she finally gave me Celexa in the generic form and it works fine. I have no idea of any specific feelings while on it, but if I stop taking it, I stress more and can't focus. Plus, I get Migraine headaches if I don't take it. So, I know it is helping me.
The dosage is important also. It usually takes a while for any doctor to get the correct therapeutic dosage with all patients.
So, please don't just blatantly disregard all antidepressants.
If you give the doctors a chance, I'm sure they will find one that works for you.
Please know that I am praying for you.
God Bless!
Carla
You need to be evaluated by a psych. Some mood disorders will actually become WORSE if you take an antidepressant. That is why its so so so important to be evaluated by a PSYCH and not just a pcp. Please call a local psych and explain your situation and you are in need right now. I'm sure they have a pho number for you to call. This is an emergency. You have children to think about, please don't leave them.
Most Active
Recent Topics