|
Post by Veritee on Jun 7, 2005 19:42:04 GMT
Hi Hanna
I 've got this great American book called 'Beyond the Blues'
which lists some physical symptoms such as the dizziness you feel, but very little has been documented about the physical symptoms women get with PNI and for some it is this that is overwhelming.
On this site though , as you can see the physical symptoms are very common and you really can feel very ill and so it is really hard to think that this may be caused by an emotional or mental condition.
This is why I have collected some of the things women have said about their physical symptoms in one are as this might help others who have this.
I am glad these posts helped
All the best
veritee
|
|
|
Post by wendabell on Jun 8, 2005 2:14:22 GMT
yep the headaches for me were the worst and no pain killers in the world helped.The constant presure on my eyes was unbearable at times.stress causes it my gp said and when we have this illness we do get stressed a lot.
|
|
|
Post by hanna on Jul 8, 2005 16:40:01 GMT
hi i was just wondering if anybody has experianced like pressure on the top of the head like theres a weight sitting on it this is reall worrying me as i think it may be a brain tumour i alsogo dizzie and my hands tingle also my eyes feel sort of sore if anybody has felt these please let me no ,everybody says its anxiety but im yet to be convinced HELP
hanna xx
|
|
|
Post by Veritee on Jul 8, 2005 17:37:25 GMT
Dear Hanna I think you describe EXACTLY the headaches and 'head presure' I got with PNI and also I had the dizziness too, which bothered me for over 2 years. I think this sounds to me like two of the well known symptoms of PNI. But the tingling hands could be carpel tunnel syndrome which is quite common during pregnancy and after childbirth which is caused by retaining extra fluid ( many women retain fluid during pregnancy and this can also happen after a birth especially if you are lactating. The extra fluid causes you carpel nerve not to have enough room where it goes though the very small carpel tunnel in the wrist - so it presses against the bone and causes tingling and pins and needles in the hands which gets worse at night when you are trying to sleep or if you hold drive ie hole you hands above your heart on the steering wheel or do any other repetitive task. Carpel tunnel syndrome is not a bit dangerous but very irritating and very common for women who have given birth. It usually goes in a year or so and can be treated in the meantime with diuretics or you can have a small operation see: experts.about.com/q/2076/1383650.htmSo I would definitely have your tingling hands investigated! Also about your headaches and other symptoms I am pretty certain that these symptoms are caused by PNI related anxiety - but there is no reason why you should have to accept this without proper investigation also . I recommend to everyone on here that if you do not accept that your symptoms are caused by PNI that you 'insist' they they are investigated! If nothing else it will put your mind at rest and there is no reason why they should not be. Have you had investigations into your headaches, dizziness and tingling hands? Let me know All the best veritee
|
|
|
Post by newwie not logged on Jul 8, 2005 21:01:42 GMT
Hi I too have the pain in my head like a pressure but it is more in the back of the head than the front and it is piercing pain like it hurts soo bad and nothing i do takes it away but it does come and go. Also i always feel so tierd like my body and bones are soo weak. Another one is that of the dizziness i tend to fall over as it does get so bad sometimed it feels like im gonna pass out but dont get the flushes before hand just the emense dizziness. I also fele like there is something major wrong with me all the time like i have the big C all the time and they just cannot find it?
Hope this helps in you not feeling alone. Newwie
|
|
|
Post by giselle on Jul 12, 2005 21:21:07 GMT
Hi
I've been suffering various physical symptoms for about 6 weeks, having given birth to my second son four months ago. My GP has diagnosed me as having hypochondria, but my symptoms seem so real. I have had a foggy, swimmy sensation in my head, pain all over the right side of my head, pain and numbness in and around my ear, pain in my jaw, the sensation of having a swollen, twisted tongue and pain in my throat and neck.
I have also had numbness and pain in my right limbs.
I feel exhausted all the time and physically unable to look after my baby, despite really wanting to do more with him.
I too have had an MRI scan which was clear, but I still feel like I am being strangled much of the time, and have a lump in my throat. It all gets worse when I am lying down and so I am getting hardly any sleep.
Has anybody else had any neck and throat problems?
Giselle
|
|
|
Post by monica on Jul 12, 2005 22:16:40 GMT
hello Giselle
I'm sorry to hear you're having such a crappy time. I think I've gone into my physical symptoms earlier on in this thread. I, too, started having physical symptoms when my son was about 4 months old, which didn't seem to go and in fact got worse. I had this pressure sensation behind my right eye, then was getting headaches, which I'd never had before, mainly on the right side of my head. I could imagine a tumour growing there and pushing my brains to one side.
I think from when my baby was 2 months old (if I'm honest), I felt I was tired. I'm always anaemic, but this was different. I can remember just after the eye probs started, I walked somewhere with my mum and I could barely put one foot in front of the other.
Around December I had tonsilitis which lasted about 2 months and even after I recovered from that my glands in my neck were up. I'd also have really back neck ache, too. I suffered from sinus probs as well. I had really bad phlegm and sounded like some heavy cigar smoker as I'd be retching all the time. I also had that through my pregnancy.
As for the emotional side of things, that was hell in itself. Inially, I put the typical depression symptoms down to the fact I felt so crap all the time, which set the depression off, but now I suspect the two were interlinked.
You mentioned the jaw ache/pain. that was me, too.
Apparently, anxiety can bring on a whole host of symptoms. For instance I suspect the jaw, neck ache was due to the stress. I found myself clenching my jaw all the time and my dentist said that the muscles in my jaw were over developed and this could also lead to neck/head ache. I got a made to measure mouth guard (£50) and used it a couple of times. However, in my case, I'm convinced the hormonal, chemical imbalance which is said to cause PNI, was to blame for many of my physical symtoms.
I also had numb/tingling patches first in my left side then on my right particulary my hands and feet. It was weird as sometimes these numb patches would change daily.
I've been on anti ds since Jan and I feel so much better. The physical symptoms have largely gone or much improved. Sometimes I get some numb patches - I wonder if this linked to PMS?
It's awful that your GP has labelled you a hypochondriac. No one mentioned to me the physical symptoms of PNI until I got to this website. I think quite a few people thought it was all in my head, BUT IT WAS NOT! These symptoms were real just as if I had broken my arm and I'm sure it's the same for you. I think most GPs and Health visitors don't realise this. Maybe you could see a different GP?
It's great that you had an MRI so quickly and obviously fantastic news that it's clear. I attend a group on PNI which run by a CPN. She was saying that unfortunately there is no test to check the imbalances caused my hormones or whatever chemicals cause it.
Sorry to go on, but I can remember how awful I felt and the fact that no body could help me nor tell me what was wrong with me and how all that lead me to believe I was dying. It was pure hell.
Take care
Love
Monica
|
|
|
Post by giselle on Jul 13, 2005 21:36:05 GMT
Hello Monica
Thanks for replying so quickly. Its funny you should mention the dentist as I have just been to see one today and had a mouth guard fitted for £50! The dentist was really good though and said it should help relieve some of the symptoms but that things would get better as I get better. I know what you mean about the headaches. I have one constantly on the right side of my head just above my right ear. Although the MRI scan was clear I can't help thinking it must be something serious 'cause sometimes it's so painful it feels like something trying to burst out of my head. All of my symptoms are on my right side. My throat feels raw. Probably 'cause I've been clearing my throat and swallowing so much trying to get rid of the 'lump'. Everything seems to get worse when I lie down. I go to sleep ok but when I wake up I feel like I'm being strangled like someone's squeezing my throat! My neck feels tight all the time and I get pain up the back of my neck in to my head.
My GP has given me some anti ds which another Dr said was a very low dose (25mg's). I've only been on them a week. I'm seeing my Dr again next week so we'll see. You only get to see your own Dr at my practice which is good sometimes but not others! My health visitor who is my Drs wife reckons I have PMS!
I feel like I'm going on now but it's such a relief to find people who understand what I'm going through. Some days I spend the whole day feeling like I'm dying and I can't understand why nobody seems to get it and do something! You're right, it is pure hell!
Take care
Love
Giselle
|
|
|
Post by wendabell on Jul 13, 2005 21:47:20 GMT
hi giselle, i have posted on the main post natal board for you.
|
|
|
Post by Nicci on Oct 1, 2005 8:53:29 GMT
Never thought i would be so happy to find out that i am actually suffering from PNI, as i thought that all my symptoms were the cause of a terminal illness. My baby is 5 months old now and in the first 8 weeks i was fine so when i was experiencing all these symptoms i thought it definitely could not be due to PNI, even went to A&E twice with my chest pains. On anti depressants now which means I'm getting more good days than bad!
|
|
|
Post by cheshire on Oct 1, 2005 9:58:32 GMT
Hi Nicci
Welcome to the site. I know just how you feel as I was relieved too when I found out about PNI after having suffered with it for about 7 months (I think?). I had quite a few visits to A and E too before this. I'm in recovery now after 13 months, and glad to hear you're having more good days than bad now too.
Take care Hopefulxx
|
|
|
Post by yoyo on Oct 1, 2005 14:32:24 GMT
Giselle - how are you doing?
I was wondering - did you have a trauma or traumatic brith recently at all? I got veyr much like you with the whole laying down and feeling I couldn't breathe / was being strangled and they said it was likely to be post traumatic stress which would ease with time. I had to have sleeping pills for a week or so and was told to have a good alcoholic drink if I didn't want to take the pills :-) Took a while to go but after a few weeks I wasn't so bad.
|
|
|
Post by cheshire on Oct 12, 2005 23:54:18 GMT
Dear Everyone,
I was just reading posts tonight for longer than usual as I could not sleep - and I read yours and in particular what YoYo says above - I could not lie down either, in fact I could not sit down and breathe regularly for quite a while. I found this horrendous.
You got the 'lump' in the throat too hey? I hated that because I felt breathless anyway and then there was something else stopping me from breathing...seemingly..I actually scalded my sinuses (because I thought that was the problem) steaming my face in boiling water - I was convinced it was an awful virus, but only to find it was an awful illness instead (PNI).
This is one thing I could go on and on about because I found the physical symptoms horrendous. I vividly remember one particular night when the breathing was not at all right - frightening in truth - and I lay awake and said to myself I just don't care if I can never have regular sleep again, I just don't ever want to be gasping for breathe all night long. I remember little at the time as the breathlessness made me a bit lethargic and weak, but I would go nights without any respite and then it would subside. It was awful.
The other baddy was panic attacks - and yes, I get these even now (not at all full blown, just feelings of panic) if I'm not careful - especially in enclosed spaces. But there was only one event that I have had that I would say was a panic attack even though my breathing was bad for months. What happened was that I was perfectly relaxed one evening (no breathing problems) and had watched a film and gone to bed and actually got to sleep. Next thing was I was downstairs and out of the front door - almost unable to breathe (of course no one dies of a panic attack, just wanted to reassure you of that) and I just remember the look on my husband's face - he was already calling the GP..they had to send someone out as (there is a name for this but I don't know what) I was at risk of passing out due to lack of oxygen (?) to the brain...
Sorry, but this is helping, I will go on no longer. There is more to tell really which I think may take a lot longer to share because of its seriousness, but this is a start at least.
Hopefulx
|
|
|
Post by cheshire on Nov 10, 2005 8:28:18 GMT
Hi Francoise, I have just read your first post. In fact I have just read through this thread - I don't know why I have chosen to do this now, but I suppose I shouldn't analyse.. You had it bad didn't you? I think we had a similar experience with the prolonged panic attacks. Why do they happen? When you said this too: i cant breathe if someone knocks the door or if the phone rings I am still panicked by this too but I do not know why. I have the phone down really low now and we have a very persistent post man when it comes to parcels. I don't like him as he rings more than once - why do I hide upstairs amd why does my heart start banging and why does he intimidate me? I wish I understood why this all happened/ is happening. Why didn't I feel this ill with my first?
|
|
|
Post by sarajay28 on Nov 10, 2005 9:51:20 GMT
Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to add a couple of things about my own experiences, Firstly Hopeful, my PNI has been so much worse with B3 than B2?? It was the physical symptoms i noticed first, panic attacks, breathlessness, fuzzy head, chronic back pain and throat/neck problems. I never had ANY of these the first time round, i too also wonder why? but like you say don't over analyse, this seems to be one of my worst traits! If i'm not worrying about something i then wonder why i'm not worrying! LOL I know how hard it is but please please try to tell yourself that your not going to feel like this forever and one day you'll be able to answer the phone/door without even thinking about it. I know what it's like as i'm still there somedays too but today is a good day and i'm going to enjoy the feeling!
Love to all, take care
Sarah.xx
|
|