Unexplained physical symptoms

[Emma]

I hope someone out there is/has experienced what I have been experiencing! My beautiful very much wanted daughter is approaching 11 months and I would in no way say I am suffering from depression, I wake up every morning thanking God I have her and pretty much enjoy every second with her, but I have been feeling physically strange for about 5/6 months. Started with tingling in my limbs on and off and slight numbness also. I feel that brain is just not working properly, sometimes in company I feel completely stupid that I cannot express myself properly, that is something I have never felt before. I feel in a constant state of worry that I am getting "ill" and how on earth would we cope if I did. My husband, doctors and neurologists have said I am completely healthy but I dont feel that way inside. It is like I am waiting for something really bad to come along and ruin what we have! HELP!!

[Catherine]

Hi Emma,
I would just like to explain that being depressed does not mean that those who suffer are ungrateful and unhappy with their children, my children are both beautiful (as all children are) and were both 'wanted'.I remember when at 6 months postnatally I was told I had postnatal depression, I was absolutely shocked. I told my psychiatrist,"I cant be depressed, I absolutely love my life and my children and my motto has always been to always look on the bright side of life!!" PND is an illness not an attitude. It comes from, in my opinion sleep deprivation, extreme exhaustion, hormones and high levels of stress and worry over the childrens well being and worries about our own health. Like you, I thank God for my beautiful children and treasure the time I have with them when I'm feeling well. Having an illness like depression does not detract from the fact that mothers deeply love and care about their children. You sound as if you could well be sufferring some symptoms of tiredness, worry and doubt that are all part and parcel of this rotten illness. I would suggest you contact the Association for Postnatal Illness for a preliminary chat and they will point you in the right direction.
Take care
Catherine

[Emma]

Thank you for your response, I really apologise if i offended in my comments, I in no way meant to imply that i love my child more than any other mother does their own children. i guess the term "post natal depression" conjeurs up the wrong impression in some cases, the only other case I know of PND is someone is was suicidal so in ignorance i refused to believe i was in any way suffering from anything like that!
Thank you for your advise which i will follow.
Kind Regards
Emma

[Wendy]

Hi Emma

Just wanted to introduce a new possibility here. It's a bit basic and unresearched but here goes. Have you heard of nappy brain? It's a new term I just heard yesterday and I quite liked it. Basicly I think something weird happens to the brain after we give birth. I also have P.N.D. though so it's probably not the same scenario as you have described.
I do know other ladies who don't have P.N.D. who have noticed changes since the birth of their babies though.

This is what I am experiencing a lot:

- brain doesn't feel sharp often
- balance problems
- clumsy and forgetful
- struggle to formulate my sentences and have to
concentrate really hard to converse
- feel like brain is in go slow mode

When I first became aware that I had post natal depression I was also in a constant state of worry.
So if you're really concerned there's no harm in getting assessed just to eliminate P.N.D. as a cause of your distress. Good luck.

Cheers
Wendy

[JOANNE]

HI EMMA

I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN AS I HAVE EXPERIENCED NUMB ARMS,TINGLING LIMBS,LACK OF CONCENTRATION,WORRIES ABOUT GETTING ILL,WHO WOULD LOOK AFTER BABY ETC,I THINK IT MAY BE ANXIETY CAUSED BY PND,WHEN MY DOCTOR ORIGINALLY SAID I WAS DEPRESSED I ARGUED WITH HIM AS LIKE YOU I LOVE LIFE AND AM USUALLY THE LIFE AND SOUL OF PARTIES, ALWAYS CHEERFUL.I LET MY FEELINGS FESTER FOR A LONG LONG TIME AND THEN STARTED WORRYING ABOUT HEALTH OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY AS WELL AS MYSELF AND STATRED HAVING PANIC ATTACKS,IT IS HONESTLY WORTH SPEAKING TO DOCTOR TO SEE IF YOU CAN GET SOME COUNSELLING,MEDICATION OR ADVICE

GOOD LOOK
PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO WRITE BACK IF YOU NEED TO "CHAT"
I THINK OUR BODIES CHANGE AFTER BIRTH TO PROTECT OUR BABIES AND WE DO NOT REALISE WHAT THE HUGE RESPONSILBLITY OF HAVING A NEW PERSON TOTALLY RELIANT ON US TO FEED,CHANGE,COMFORT,LOVE ETC TAKES ON US AND WE THINK IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO US THERE WOULD BE NOBODY TO LOOK AFTER THEM (ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT TRUE)

HOPE SOME OF THIS HELPS

REGARDS

JOANNE

[Emma]

Joanne

What a relief to read your message, I think that is what I needed to hear, someone else has experienced these weird tinglings etc. Thank you so much for replying!

I find it is like a viscious circle, I will have had a great day with my baby and then Im sat at night and it starts, or Ill be shopping and my leg will start to feel numb, and this overwhelming feeling of panic comes over me that i am getting MS and who will look after me baby, it just is so terrifying. Are you still experiencing it, have you had help etc? My Dr wont admit that these symptoms are linked to PND and has just left me "dangling" keeping an eye on it and that is all i seem able to do , I dont feel like I can function at all at the minute?

Thanks Joanne, hopefully hear from you soon,

Emma

[JOANNE]

HI EMMA

SNAP,I TOO THOUGHT I HAD MS(STUPID I KNOW)(YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET A CUP OF TEA OR A GLASS OF WINE AS ITS A LONG STORY) BRIEFLY(AS POSIBLE) 7 YRS AGO MY SON WAS BORN & HE HAD LOTS OF PROBLEMS(HES FINE NOW) WE MOVED TO A NEW HOUSE (ALMOST DERELICT)AND THEN I FOUND I WAS PREGNANT AGAIN(UNPLANNED) ANYWAY WHEN WHEN DAUGHTER WAS QUITE SMALL (NOT SURE WHAT AGE) I STATRED GETTING A NUMB ARM,THEN SOMETIMES TINGLING ALL OVER & THEN A WEIRD SORT OF SHAKING INSIDE,I THEN STARTING WORRYING ABOUT THETE HEALTH OF MY MUM (SHE WAS NOT EVEN ILL) THEN MY CHILDREN,CHECKING ON THEM AT NIGHT,THIS WENT ON FOR A LONG TIME UNTIL I HAD MY 1ST MASSIVE PANIC ATTACK( I DIDNT KNOW THATS WHAT IT WAS AT FIRST) AND ENDED UP AT CASUALTY,AFTER MANY TESTS THEY ASKED IF I HAD BEEN ANXIOUS AT ALL AND REFERRED ME TO MY DOCTOR WHO DIAGNOSED DEPRESSION (NOT PND AS MY DAUGHTER WAS BY NOW ABOUT 2)ANYWAY I EVENTUALLY GOT BETTER BUT IN JULY 2002 I MOVED HOUSE AGAIN AND DISCOVERED TO MY HORROR I WAS PREGNANT AGAIN, MY GORGEOUS DAUGHTER WAS BORN IN JUNE 2003( I AM NEVER MOVING AGAIN) SHE IS GORGEOUS AND A REAL PLEASURE BUT APPX 6 WEEKS AFTER HER BIRTH I STARTED WORRYING ABOUT MY HEALTH AGAIN AND ENDED UP BACK WITH SAME FEELINGS FEELING VERY FAINT,TINGLING,NUMBNESS I WENT BACK TO DOCTOR WHO PRESCRIBED ANTI DEPRESSANTS BUT BECAUSE I WAS BREAST FEEDING HE WAS LIMITED TO WHAT HE GAVE ME,I THEN SUFFERED A SEVERE PANIC ATTACK AND SUBSEQUENTLY GOT MYSELF INTO A REAL STATE,AND ABOUT 4 WEEKS AGOS AFTER SPEAKING TO MY DOCTOR I WENT TO SEE MY HEALTH VISITOR WHO WAS GREAT,I AM GOING TO AN ANXIETY MANAGEMENT COURSE,I HAVE STOPPED BREAST FEEDING(MAINLY BECAUSE I AM GOING BACK TO WORK) AND THE DOCTOR HAS CHANGED MY TABLETS,I AM FEELING BETTER FOR MOST OF THE TIME BUT DO HAVE SOME BAD DAYS,BUT BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE I AM A LITTLE BIT MORE AWARE AND I DIDNT LEAVE IT AS LONG THIS TIME WHICH I FELT HELPED,I USUALLY HAVE THE FEELINGS MORE AT NIGHT,I AM NO EXPERT BUT YOGA AND BREATHING EXCERSISES ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP,TRY HAVING A BATH AND READING TO SWITCH OFF,TAKE ANY HELP FROM ANYONE THAT OFFERS IT,TRY TO KEEP BUSY AND MEET UP WITH FRIENDS,OTHER MUMS DURING THE DAY,JOIN BABY CLUBS ETC,AND SPEAK TO YOUR HEALTH VISITOR I AM SURE SHE WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP
GOOD LUCK,I AM ALWAYS HAPPY TO "CHAT" ANYTIME
HAPPY NEW YEAR

JO

[Emma]

Hi Joanne,

Thanks for your reply, luckily I had a glass of red wine in my hand at the time of reading it!! Our situations, apart from the moving and all the babies(!!!!), sound identical, I made my husband come and read it, he said I could have written it! Thanks so much, I am definately making an appointment next week to see someone to get it sorted out. I just want to get on and enjoy my life.

Hope you are continuing to get better, Id love to keep in touch to see how you are going on, my e-mail address is [e-mail] ( i dont care who sees this!!)

Many many thanks

Take Care

Love

Emma x

[Kate]

I've just been reading the stories from emma, joanne et al with tears of relief in my eyes. I have two small children, a gorgeous little boy who's 2 and 3 months and a beautiful little girl who's just over 8 months. i've always considered myself to be a relatively level headed and normal person, but since i've had the children, i too am very scared of becoming ill. I seem to suffer quite regularly from "brain fog" where my brain doesn't feel sharp and i really struggle to kick myself into gear. My husband thinks i'm a hypocondriac (excuse the spelling!) and i agree with him that i am.

I am unreasonable, and fractious and can be short with the children and my husband at times when they haven't really done anything wrong.

I saw my doctor and he prescribed anti-depressants but these gave me panic attacks so i stopped after a few days. I've since spoken with my health visitor and i'm hoping she's going to arrange for me to get some councilling.

I know i'm not offering any kind of advice here, but i just wanted you all to know that i'm so grateful to read your stories as it really does help to know you're not the only one out there suffering like this and feeling such an idiot because of it.

Thanks girls!

kate

[joanne]

hi kate

I am glad that I offered some help,Emma emailed me a while back and she was feeling a lot better(which was great news)I f you are reading Emma,How are you doing.Kate have you had panic attacks b4 going on the anti-ds and what type are you on? I am no doctor but some of the side affects of the tablets are that they can give you panic attacks whilst they are beginning to work but they should help with them after a few weeks,I am currently taking 40mg citalopram and have been feeling very anxious and at times very down,but I have not had a panic attack for some time now and feel that HOPEFULLY I would be able to control them at moment (
I know how awful they are.

Good luck


Jo

[banana]

Hello to Emma and Joanne.

All I can say is I am so glad that the 2 of you posted on here!

At the begining of my illness I was on the forum asking about physical symptoms everyday - especially the tingling in my skin!

Nobody on here ( until now ) had mentioned it so I was convinced that I didnt have PNI and infact I had some horrible, dreadful illness that was killing me. I was so irrational ( i also put it down to M.E ). The tingling hit me one morning. I went to bed a totally normal person and awoke the next day to be suffering head to toe with sore, tingling skin - this lasted 6 weeks. I am glad to say that it has improved dramatically and I only now occasionally get an odd tingle for a few seconds maybe in my arm or on my neck.

I just wanted to add to this thread incase anyone else out there gets this as a physical symptom as I know how distressing it was for me when nobody had really heard of it before. Just to say that it can be a side effect of PNI.

Hope you are doing well and once again im so glad to have heard your experiences ( although I do wish that others didnt have to go through it ).

Lana Banana x

[monica]

Hi

I just wanted to add that I too experienced among other things the numbness, which would change on a daily basis. It wasn't until I read started reading up on other people's experience on this site that I started to think that maybe it was PNI, not something more sinister. I found this such a relief as up until that point no one, not doctors, health visitors had mentioned that this maybe due to the anxiety.

Monica