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Post by francoise on Nov 9, 2004 9:42:49 GMT
Hi everyone I wanted to know whether anyone else has suffered many physical symptons aswell, I have a 15 week old boy but I have been so ill since he was born , started within a few days with just dizziness and then vertigo and I had a time there where I had to crawl around every morning until the room stopped spinning and at the same time had the runs and was vomiting , I was convinced I was going to die and I borrowed money to get an mri scan done, it was all clear though thank god ,I must of seen a doctor nearly everyday in those couple of months trying to get a different doctor each time because they kept saying the same thing to me that I had post natal depression. I was taking anti vertigo pills and anti sickness pills plus progesterone and my symtons changed into bad headaches night sweats and scary thoughts, my breathing has been rubbish with chest pains which the docs have said is like prolonged panic attacks.God I am going on and on arent I , I am sorry but I feel so alone with all this and things are hard , my life has changed so much , I dont go out the house anymore , i cant breathe if someone knocks the door or if the phone rings , I have been taking anti depressants for nearly two weeks now so im hoping they will do something , I refused to take them before because I was convinced I had cancer or some terminal illness .I find mornings the hardest though ,if anyone has experienced physical illness with this would you let me know , kindest regards to all of you on this site . francoise
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Carmen
Senior Member
2 boys - 5 and 23 months - recovered(but still on AD's)
Posts: 484
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Post by Carmen on Nov 9, 2004 10:46:40 GMT
Hi Francoise Wow...Yes...exactly the same. My baby is 16 months now but I've been going through this on and off the whole time. Was only diagnosed with PND 3+ weeks ago and am on antidepressants so the symptoms are lessoning.
I didnt go to the doctors for so long because I was really scared and was convinced I was dying (Brain Tumor, stomach cancer and bowel cancer went through my head the most) Most mornings I would wake up feeling really sick, sometimes even in the night. It would be on and off during the day too and so I really had trouble stomaching anything and lost alot of weight. I only vomited twice the whole time although felt like it many times but for the whole 16 months I alternated between being constipated and having the runs!
I suffered dizziness too, mainly if I had to stand in one place for a few minutes - I was OK if I was moving but couldnt stand still or would feel like I was going to pass out and have to sit down. I also got hot flushes at any time of the day. (I wondered if I was going through pre-menapause - but I'm only 31!) Breathing was also difficult for me at night (it might have been from the scary thoughts) when I lay in bed and I actually started using my son's ventolin. I also had the chest pains - actually they havnt gone away just coming less frequently. Also heartburn (didnt know what it was before I went to the doctor as I had never had it before-still get that too but got some pills for it now)
When I went to the doctor she told me straight away that she thought I had PND but I wanted all tests done because it was difficult for me to believe at first that this was causing all my physical problems. All the tests came back clear of course!
If your still nauseus in the mornings something that I've started doing and has helped me is that I take my 'happy pill' as soon as I wake up. (for some reason I wake up at 6.00am every morning feeling sick) Then, because I have a wonderful husband (well tonight I'm loving him anyway), I lay in bed for half an hour just to get myself ready for the day ahead and by the time I get up, so far, most mornings have been bearable.
Oh the other thing I had, and wonder if you have had also, is ........ OK this is really strange and I havnt heard anyone else having the same thing so dont know if it was just in my head but ....at times it felt like something was pumping through my blood...its a bit hard to explain but the best way I can think of is to say that when I was pregnant I was really sick and was having maxolon shots to stop me from vomiting and thats how it felt like some kind of drug was pumping through my veins. Well I've probably freaked everyone out now!!
Anyway please know that you are definitely not alone and I relate so much to what your saying - you really could be me!
Keep writing and reading - we are all here for you and each other.
Take Care Love Carmen PS Sorry I dribbled on so much!
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Post by francoise on Nov 9, 2004 11:42:42 GMT
Thankyou so much Carmen for your reply, you have been through the mill havent you , its awful thats its been so long for you , I understand what you said about that strange feeling because like you I was on medication for vomiting all the time when I was pregnant , I lost three stone altogether in pregnancy .I thought I was being poisoned by something after I had the baby , I even put it down to breastfeeding because I had a strange pumping feeling in my head but I stopped breast feeding after two weeks but the feeling didnt go away and then my milk had gone so I couldnt go back to it which is just aswell really because it was very difficult with the vertigo to remain sat upright for long enough, as for the breathing thing , well I borrowed my daughters inhalers and got the doctor to give me some but they didnt really make a difference with it. I am going to try what you said though and take my happy pill in the morning as I am usually awake very early lying there dreading the feelings starting up , thankyou again for your kind words too, this site is a life saver. francoise
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Carmen
Senior Member
2 boys - 5 and 23 months - recovered(but still on AD's)
Posts: 484
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Post by Carmen on Nov 9, 2004 21:34:22 GMT
Hi Francoise
I'm so sorry you're going through all this - I wouldnt wish it on my worst enemy! But I am glad that there is some one out there that can relate to the same physical symptoms I've had. Being poisoned is a great way to explain that feeling I've had - that's exactly what it feels like. In some ways I suppose we are being poisoned by this horrible illness!
I hope your day has been OK and the morning wasnt too tough for you - its only morning now where I live and I'm feeling pretty good at the moment but I'm about to go grocery shopping with the boys so we'll see how that pans out.
Got to go. Take Care. Love Carmen
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Post by wendabell on Nov 10, 2004 1:07:21 GMT
Hi there and welcome, I get headaches bad ones that tablets dont cure,i also feel that my head throbs and pulsates.Not anywhere else though. I guess thats why i keep thinking that i have a tumor in there. My chest hurts and i get this sharp pain in the side of my rib cage( keep thinking its breast canser) ive checked myself on a frequent basis but no lumps. When the phone rings or someone comes to the door i get like a heart flutter then my chest goes tight and my stomach churns. I get constipation too, my hair still falls out and my daughter is a year old.My eyesight goes blurry when im on a bad one too and i find it hard to focus on stuff like reading typing or watching telly. I break out in sweats sometimes and i to thought it was early menopause as im 34 yrs old.? Take it easy though kiddo you have it bad with the vertigo how horrible for you to feel like that , i hope my list of pains is of some help? At least you are now on the right road with us and can come on here for company and support even if you cannot get out of the house yourself. Heres a hint though...I have a hang up and get all panicky when doing something for my self i.e going out for me and end up like you a prisoner of your home.but one thing that does help me is doing something for my kids. dont get me wrong i still get the panick attacks but the guilt over rides that and i take them to the park,swimming,my daughters ballet or and this is a big panic for me birthday partys. So by doing things for them i get out, its not much but a start and even a walk around the block can be an adventure with a baby it doesnt have to be much.Most of all take it easy, you will be out there one day and who knows it maybe soon. You have come so far already even if you havnt left your home. Take care and love and hugs to you wendy x.x.x
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Post by francoise on Nov 10, 2004 7:50:50 GMT
hi Wendy Thankyou so much for replying to my post , its like your saying things that I forgot to mention , the pain in my chest is in the sides of my ribcage and I get the heart beating hard and missing beats and the headaches to , the vertigo isnt a problem anymore , that was in the first couple of month , now its just dizziness abit in the morning ,the horrible thoughts are quite in the mornings and I am going to try and go out today just to the post box nad the baby has his jabs next week at the clinic so im going to have to out then and get him weighed to so ill be there for a while but you and carmen have already helped me so much , im very thankful for this site and for the kind supportive women on it to , francoise
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Post by CAG on Nov 10, 2004 13:55:35 GMT
My son is 11 weeks old and my dizziness started when he was 2 weeks. On Monday it was so bad i slipped on the stairs holding the baby. I suffered this same physical symptom with no relief for a year when i had my daughter. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to beat it?
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Post by francoise on Nov 10, 2004 14:07:44 GMT
hi cag Well the only thing that helped with the dizziness was the pills that the doctor gave me , they are called betahistine and you have to try and take them before you get dizzy but thats hard unless you get the worst of it in the morning like i did and then you can take them before you get out of bed , about half an hour , and then its three times a day , but my vertigo is alot better now and Im not sure if its the mini pill or the vertigo pills or the anti depressants , but I wish you luck with those and I hope they work for you because its the most awful thing to bear. francoise
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Post by Julie on Nov 22, 2004 10:28:20 GMT
Hi Francoise,
I can relate to this as I am suffering with exactly the same thing. Why do you think you feel so anxious - is there any other reason perhaps in your life that is out of your control? Try and rationalise - that is what everyone keeps saying to me - but I can't. I will though, I will get my head round this. I have an appt. with the doctor today to get some blood tests done to see if there is anything else wrong with me. Fingers crossed I'll be okay. Fingers crossed you will be too - don't worry, it will work out and you'll be fine again.
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Post by francoise on Nov 22, 2004 12:07:23 GMT
hi Julie thanks for that , i must say though that the vertigo improved so much , now i only get slightly dizzy , well faint i would call it more so now,as soon as i wrote about it it semed to start to go away , what a relief that was , i was sure i was on the edge of getting put away , i did have a loss of control over something in my life , i cant write about it on here as it involves people in my hubbys family but i had all the blood tests done and they came back all clear , it did go though , the betahistines helped alot , ive stilll got them just in case , i hope yours goes away soon , i was two weeks postnatal when it started and about 15 weeks when it went as the baby is 17 weeks tomorrow,but it was definitely worse at the beginning, good luck at the docs, love francoise
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Post by anna x on Nov 23, 2004 10:13:59 GMT
hi francoise
I know exactly what you are talking about and I have manifested many phyiscal symptoms. I get a sensation in my throat that I can't swallow and feeling of tightness in my chest and very dizzy I also feel like I want to run away from situations. i think that all of these physical symtoms are related to one point and that is breathing poorly even if you are unaware you are doing it.Hiding from the phone and the door are also common. AsI have previously attended an anxiety management programme after second baby I know deep down it's nothing terminal but it dosent stop me thinking having a heart attack or have CJD or brain tumour. The best thing that helped me when I was ill last time was to get out for a walk try and breathe normally and try and get some prospective on my thoughts which seemed less severe when I wasn't stuck in. It helped to have someone with me who would'nt go over the top if I had a full on panic attack. Exercise also helped if I could manage to do an hour in a morning before anything else (very difficult) and seemed to banish my demons a bit and make the day a bit more bearable and gave me loads more energy. Hope you feel better soon.
Anna
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Vonda
Senior Member
I am 33 - two daughters, almost 3 years and 9 months
Posts: 302
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Post by Vonda on Nov 23, 2004 13:28:40 GMT
Just thought that I would mention that I think that most people with PNI get physical symptoms with one thing or another. I get headaches and stuff. I also think that irritable bowel syndrome is common too but I wouldn't take my word for it, its just what I've heard.
I don't know if your gp told you but it can take a few weeks before the Anti D tablets start to help so hang in there. I think it took about three or four weeks with me.
Vonda
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Post by francoise on Nov 23, 2004 14:18:52 GMT
hi anna and vonda i know it could be that i dont breathe properly , its like being scared of somthing but i dont know what , the physical stuff did wear me down but i have progressed now from that side of things , i can feel myself getting better physically but i needalot of work still on the anxiety side , the vertigo has gone for good i think and the chest pains arent as bad , the thoughts i had have changed to , i have never heard of anxiety management courses but they seem like a good idea , as for the bowel problem , ive heard people on here say they thought they had bowel cancer because of that i expect or blood there sometimes which can happen cant it , like you said vonda the joys of pni, not francoise
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Post by francoise on Nov 25, 2004 8:05:50 GMT
cant believe they have come back with a vengence since i wrote that last posting , its only two days ago but there you go , i expect you all know that feeling only to well , love francoise
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Post by anna xx on Nov 25, 2004 9:11:41 GMT
Hi francoise
Sorry to here that you feel so bad again I think it goes like that but you could take comfort in the fact that things must have improved somewhat because you can see a bad day amongst the good ones. I have been exactly where you are after birth of middle child ang begged my health visitor to have me sectioned(she never did). I told my husband frequently that I would just leave him to bring up kids on his own which I don't think I would have in a million years I just wanted him to acknowledge that how I was feeling was reaL to me. Anyway the main thing is I must have got better because I went back to work and 4 years later I've had another child. Even though I feel pretty bad again it's nowhere near as bad as before and I hope I don't get to that again. Basically it may not feel like you'll ever get better but you will.
anna
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