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Post by leanneh on Oct 22, 2018 20:41:06 GMT
I’ve found that perinatal mental health is very misunderstood but lots of healthcare professionals. It’s great that you have made the sensible decision to stay away from the Facebook group though as it shows you are taking sensible steps to look after yourself. That sort of self-care is really important!!
Is your gp seeing you regularly to review your medication? When you next see them perhaps discuss it with them and perhaps go armed with some research in physical symptoms being linked to perinatal mental illnesss and show the gp. Perhaps you would increase the dose slightly and see if it takes of a bit of an edge off the sinus symptoms?!x
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Post by monica on Oct 23, 2018 17:45:41 GMT
Hi EC
I completely understand your frustration with this illness. The physical symptoms can be so unpredictable though I do think there will be deeply hidden triggers so when you feel crap on a seemingly good day there’ll be a reason behind it even if you can’t see what it is. Do have hope you’ll recover - i felt exactly like you. Id be floored when Symptoms returned feeling I’d be the exception to the rule and would never recover, but I did and so will you. When you hav e these doubts look at the overall picture of how you’re doing. Hopefully that’ll give you reassurance .
I also got PNI after my second child and managed to remain PNI free with my third. I think a set of unrelated events created this perfect storm . Why I struggled with the physicalbsymproms I don’t know - maybe the exhausted pushed me over some point.
I completely understand about not wanting to be part of the fb group - it’s brilliant if it doesn’t trigger you but I can see how it might.
Hang on in there my friend x
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Post by EC on Oct 24, 2018 8:52:39 GMT
Thanks for your replies Monica and Leanneh. It's interesting what you said about no apparent triggers of physical symptoms. I'm trying to be more aware of how my mental state affects me physically. I've felt recently that the floaty feeling especially when I'm out and about is with me all the time and the other symptoms like heavy head, skull and facial pain/pressie seem to come and go. On a positive, it's so much better than feeling like your on a ship but still a bit disconcerting. Went to the doctors yesterday to get another blood test for lymmes and also to increase my dose of anti depressants. I feel a bit disappointed with myself as I really felt (when I first started taking them) like I was having weeks of feeling normal but recently it feels like, although they are not as bad, the physical symptoms have been creeping back to most days. I have thoughts of, what if I increase the dose, see an improvement and then it gets worse again. I don't want to keep increasing my dose all the time to just feel normal. How did you guys know when to stick on the dose that you were taking? X
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Post by monica on Oct 24, 2018 19:35:44 GMT
Hi
Re antidepressants I had one increase and that seemed to be right for me. I did still have dips though so it didn’t get rid of those but I stayed overall ok. The dips did get less intense and /or easier to manage over time so that helped . Play it by ear - everyone is different and it’s common to need adjustments - itcrealky is the wisest thing to do do don’t ferl disappointed. You wouldn’t mind upping antibiotics for an infection and this is no different . You’re managing really well x
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Post by EC on Oct 24, 2018 19:44:52 GMT
Thanks Monica What was that word that you meant so I wouldn't get disappointed? X
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Post by monica on Oct 24, 2018 19:57:36 GMT
So sorry - the typos are horrendous! I’m tired!
Feel ...not ferl!
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Post by EC on Oct 24, 2018 20:08:25 GMT
Thank u x
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Post by monica on Oct 30, 2018 8:38:17 GMT
How have you been this past week? X
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Post by EC on Nov 4, 2018 22:29:13 GMT
Hi Monica, thank you for asking after me. I've felt better the last week or so. Definitely felt normal walking around and not had the weird space out feeling which is nice. I'm aware it will come back but it's been so nice having a respite. I increased my dose of med to 75mg which is 1 1/2 tablets. Today felt so tired. I've had days like this before. Don't know if it's a hormonal change as due my period. Trying to remember that I've been here before. I keep having thoughts of how bad I felt this time last year. I find it hard to believe that I felt so awful and I don't even know how things improved. It's been such a slow process. I hope you are doing well x
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Post by leanneh on Nov 11, 2018 22:45:25 GMT
Sorry EC you’ve probably mentioned already but which meds are you taking? I initially started with citalopram and initially it did give me a boost but this quickly wore off and I felt quite flat again despite the dose increasing. My cpn then switched me to sertraline and despite me needing to go onto a high dose it did really help and the benefits stayed. It settled me quicker than anything else. I’m just wondering if it could be worth switching to a different type. It could be worth seeing about a referral to a psychiatrist as they know their stuff when it comes to medication. The GP’s just tend to prescribe the cheapest or the one they know!x
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Post by monica on Nov 16, 2018 9:02:46 GMT
Hi EC
How are you? Really hope you’re feeling better. Both pmt and disease increase can make you feel pants but you’re quite right - you’ve been here before and it WILL lift again. Whilst recovering I did find the rollercoaster ride very hard especially at the beginning when every blip would send me into a panic that I’d never recover...but I did and so will you. When you’re in that place be especially kind to yourself - try to eat well , sleep and do something nice for yourself even if you don’t derive the same level of pleasure you might normally xx
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Post by EC on Nov 22, 2018 8:06:47 GMT
Hi ladies thank you for asking after me. I am now on 75mg of sertraline. Was only on 50mg but have increased it half a tablet over last month. Found that physical symptoms reduced/disappeared for a few weeks (maybe this was a placebo) but since my period I've had days where my headache, nose pain gets worse. It's not all the time so I'm try to see this as a positive. I know I said this before, so sorry but it's frustrating that the face pain that was one of my first symptoms seems to have returned intermittently. I thought I was shot of it! Every time I get a blip I think maybe I need to increase dose of mess but then I think I would get blips on a higher dose and I can't keep increasing dose every time I get some physical symptoms. Generally I'm ok though. Just trying to remember your advice that this will pass. I do find that I have thoughts about last year and think back with horror. I honestly feel like this website saved me and was the beginning of my recovery. Thank you so much for your support xx
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Post by EC on Nov 22, 2018 8:08:15 GMT
Just reread, that was meds not mess x
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Post by monica on Nov 22, 2018 22:03:22 GMT
Hi EC
Firstly thanks for your lovely words! So kind! It’s a real privilege to be able to support you. You’re a wonderful woman - struggling because of this awful illness!
Yes hang on in there! It will pass. Though I do understand how hard it can be when the symptoms reappear . But they will pass ! Really hope the increase in meds helps level things out. Maybe try to ride out the symptoms before increasing again I doubled the dose after a few months of antids - it didn’t make the symptoms disappear or really lessen I don’t think just helped me cope better. I wish there was more research into the whys of this illness x
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Post by monica on Dec 6, 2018 15:46:50 GMT
How are you EC? Hope things are going well x
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