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Post by stylzies on Jun 23, 2005 7:33:31 GMT
Hi everyone..
i am 25 and have just had my first baby in february this year. If it wasnt for this website i would never have thought that it was a post natal illness i was suffering from and basically would have gone crazy. A month after he was born i developed headaches which would last all day everyday. They are still there now, 3 and a half months later. I started having panic attacks, dizzy spells and thought i was losing my mind and my memory. I had no idea what was going on with me, i thought it was a tumour or cancer. I still do. I have trouble going to sleep at night and i wont sleep during the day because i think that i am going to die in my sleep. I'v been to doctors who think my problems are just stress from the baby but he is such a good baby that he causes me no stress at all... I'm going out of my mind with worry everyday because the headaches are still there and my panic attacks also. If anyone out there has suffered anything similar, PLEASE let me know! Like what treatments etc worked for you and just generally how u handled it.... thank you for taking the time to read my story....
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collette
Senior Member
Jacob will be a year on the 1st September!!
Posts: 248
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Post by collette on Jun 23, 2005 8:36:13 GMT
Dear Stylzies
Welcome to this forum. I am sorry to hear that you have been experiencing these symptoms. There are plenty of women on this forum who can relate to what you are saying, so do not worry, as you are not alone!
You mentioned that you have been to your GP and he put it down to stress? Did he mention post natal illness at all? or has your Health Visitor mentioned this or completed an Edinburgh Post Natal Depression questionnaire with you?
I myself have had PNI since November last year a few months after my baby jacob was born in September. I have been on anti ds since Feb and these certainly are working for me. However I think first of all a diagnosis is important so you can get the support you need.
However, this website is not really here to offer you medical advice we are here to support you. We all support one another through the good days and the bad and we welcome you on board and hope you feel happy to continue to use this forum for part of your support.
Have you talked about any of this with any of your family or friends or your health visitor at all???
Just remember that you are not alone. I thought it may help you to take a look at the sectionon the physical symptoms of PNI as many women experience them and have posted similar things to yourself on this section as well.
Hope this helps!
Love Collette x
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Post by Veritee on Jun 23, 2005 9:59:43 GMT
Hi Stylzies And welcome to the forum - yes as Collette says we are a self help and mutual support forum run by survivors and current sufferers of PNI and we aim to support each other. You asked if anyone else has experienced your symptoms? What you described is so common for women with PNI to experience especially in the first few months. Although they eventually became less frequent when my daughter Caja was about 5 months my first real indication that I was suffering from more than the 'baby blues' which is just a passing phase for many women post birth - was that about 2 days after I arrived home I started to experience the most awful debilitating headaches that lasted all day and I go them nearly every day. I also share with you the dizzy spells especially, memory loss, being unable to sleep because of a horrible feeling of impending doom - ie that something awful was about to happen including that either me or my baby would die and later on I began to experience panic attacks and had what we call on the site 'what if' thoughts at first about mine and my babies health but over time became quite disturbing and obsessive. Like Collette I am surprised if the GP you saw did not mention PNI ( I went to the GP when my headaches began and my doctor did not suggest PNI/PND either - but this was 16 years ago for me and I thought that the level of awareness that GPs in general have about PNI had increased. However their are many women on here who have had to go back to the GP and tell them that they think they have PNI so that they can start to get effective treatment. One was round it would be to ask your HV to call and tell her as Collette rightly suggested that you would like to do the Edinburgh Post Natal Depression questionnaire. see veritee.proboards7.com/index.cgi?board=help&action=display&n=1&thread=2605This is not foolproof but it is a good indication as to whether or not you have PNI. If your HV feels you have they will then refer you back to the GP. But in the meantime please talk to us on here - we are only too pleased to listen and try to support you. tell us a bit more about yourself if you would want to. All the best Veritee |
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Post by monica on Jun 23, 2005 14:53:09 GMT
Hello
I'm sorry to hear you've having such a rough time. Your story echoed mine so much, I wanted to let you know I'm thinking of you. My baby was born last June and I think things started going down hill about October, when I developed a sensation of a pressure round my right eye. After that I started feeling spaced out, then getting headaches, particularly on the right side of my head and dizziness. It felt as something had changed with my vision but I couldn't explain what it was. Sometimes, suddenly I would feel dizzy and sick and feel as if my blood pressure had suddenly dropped. I started panicking that I had a brain tumour and became completely obssessed that I was dying and everyone around me. Everytime I'd look at my children, I'd cry. I couldn't eat, sleep and started becoming agrophobic. Later I started getting numb patches on my body, which would change place everyday. I was so desperate.
For me the turning point was taking anti depressants in Jan. The first few weeks were awful (this is common with anti ds) but then I started to feel better. For instance, the headaches have largely gone, the pressure is still around my right eye, but is better. I'm still worry a bit about dying but it's nowhere as bad as it was and I feel able to function and enjoy life.
Sorry to waffle on, but I know when I felt awful and I read about other's physical symptoms, it was such relief as for the first time there was a possibility that I was not dying. Obviously I'm not an expert by any means, and only really have my own symptoms as example and those of the wonderful ladies on this site, but apparently the drop in hormones after the birth can do horrible things to you. Anxiety in its self can lead to physical symptoms. Once I felt better, breathing exercises seemed to take the edge of my stress. I started doing abit of exercise which also helped perk me up. I tried acupuncture which particularly the first time, made me feel really good and hugely alleviated my physical symtoms, even if only temporarily.
My health visitor was lovely and would visit me weekly, although she didn't seem to know much about the physical side of PNI. In my area there is a CPN who specialises in PND and runs a group for about 8 weeks. I just went for the first time and thought it would be useful, particularly with coping with the anxiety.
Speak to your HV. there might be something similar in your aread. I'm sorry your doctor wasn't all that helpful. May be try another one? Have you spoken to your nearest and dearest about this?
I'm thinking of you.
monica
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Post by stylzies on Jun 29, 2005 12:37:05 GMT
Thank you all so much for your replies! It is so reassuring to hear that there are other people out there going through what i am going through, especially about the headaches. Lately they have been getting a tiny bit better, and i am hoping that they will soon go away without me needing to take pills because i am a bit scared of taking them too! I have an appointment with a neurologist in a few weeks so i am hoping that he/she will be able to shed some more light on this problem. Today i tried not to think any negative thoughts and tried to look towards a happy future, and i must admit it kind of helped! Although it will be a different story when i have to go to sleep...
All the GP's i have been to did not mention that this condition could be PNI, one doctor even said i didnt looked stressed or upset at all, but on the inside its pretty much turmoil all around!
I keep asking myself, how come noone else i know that has had a baby hasnt had this happen to them?? Do any of you ladies think that??
Anyway!! Thank you all for taking the time to reply! It was so encouraging to read your stories and i will keep you updated with whats going on with me if u all will do the same!!!!!!
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Post by yoyo on Jul 4, 2005 12:39:15 GMT
Definitely - in fact there is a lady I see about 3 times a week with a baby 2 months older than mine and she is soooo happy and full of the joys of spring - I hate to see her as it reminds me how bad I feel, In fact I often see other mum's out with theur little ones and feel bad as I have such awful thoughts so much of the time.
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Post by angel on Jul 4, 2005 12:42:55 GMT
quite a lot of my friends had babies last year and i'm so sure that they never felt the way i do I've only just found this site but it seems there are lots of people here going through the same feelings which is reassuring
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Post by Veritee on Jul 8, 2005 22:29:37 GMT
How are you
How have you been ?
Do you feel any different - did you get any of the answers you needed?
Are you still suffering the headaches sleeplessness , panics, dizziness etc and have you been to your GP or HV? I thin sometimes you have to actually spell it out to then as they often do not realize unless you make it clear - the problem with PNI is that you do not look or seem any different from the outside from any other mum, so no one can tell what you are going through unless you tell them and having PNI carries so much stigma even now , that women who suffer it do not volunteer this information easily even to their doctors and even when we do tell, we rarely tell it as it really is and as bad as it really is to suffer!
This is also the answer to your question
'I keep asking myself, how come noone else i know that has had a baby hasnt had this happen to them?? Do any of you ladies think that??
Well at least 1 in 10 of every mum you meet has or has had PNI and it could even be 1 in 7.
But you may never know unless you find a way to open out this conversation - because PNI is called
'The Smiling Illness'
because so many of us hide it even from other women.
But at least some of those other mothers you meet that you think are so happy are actually suffering as you are!
It is almost part of the cruelty of this illness that we can not talk to each other about it when we meet at baby groups, playgroup, out shopping etc.
but we can talk to each other on here -- so I hope you will feel you can continue to talk to us
all the best
veritee
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