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Post by EC on May 13, 2018 8:11:54 GMT
Hi everyone For the last 8 months I have been getting strange physical symptoms. I had a bad stomach bug after I gave birth which took around a month to recover from. I then started feeling imbalance and spaced out and facial pain. I thought something was wrong and kept going back to the doctors who kept telling me it was post viral. I was so concerned about my sinus pain I had a ct scan privately which showed nothing. Meanwhile my sleep deteriorated because I was worried about my health. I was convinced that my lack of sleep was making the symptoms continue. After a very bad period of sleep it slowly started to get a bit better and for a couple of weeks I slept through. For the first time in months I noticed a let up of the symptoms for a few days. They did return but I knew it probably was t going to be an immediate recovery. However I still felt disappointed. I then had a few more days a week later where I felt a bit more like my old self but all of a sudden started to develop tingling which I had convinced myself was ms. My sleep went to pot again. Managed to speak to a neurologist who put my mind at ease but my sleep has still not really improved. Last 2 nights not really slept apart from a few hours. I wouldn't say I've had racing thoughts just can't seem to sleep even though knackered. Feels like my sleep drive has disappeared. Sometimes feel like I'm drifting off and then my mind wakes me up. I found the PNI website yesterday and until then thought all my symptoms were post viral from my illness but it seems like I've got a lot of similar physical symptoms as others. I wasn't feeling particularly low before all the symptoms started, just feeling unwell and not sleeping properly seemed to bring on the anxiety. Just looking for reassurance that my sleep will return to normal. Has anyone come through the other side with the bad sleep. With my first child I had a bit of insomnia but came through it relatively quickly but this time just feels different. I have a few better nights, feel more positive and then go and have an awful night, convince myself these physical symptoms will never go and my life is over. I don't think it helps that in returning to so work next month, only 1 day but am stressed about how I will cope with symptoms. Any advice suppprt greatly received.
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Post by monica on May 13, 2018 21:08:48 GMT
Hi
Just wanted to welcome you to this site. Your story is quite similar to mine in that mine commenced with strange physical symptoms before anything else though I was probably mildly depressed. Often Pni is thought of as solely depression /anxiety but there's a whole range of symptoms women can struggle with. In fact in my case the lack of answers for the physical stuff sent my anxiety spiralling. I too suffered from dreadful insomnia .
It sounds like you feel reassured about the symptoms - you've certainly been checked out thoroughly.
Insomnia is torturous. I'm perimenopausal and have it intermittently . It's been horrendous and I've been under the care of a insomnia clinic. More than happy to share tips with you. Yes you will overcome it!
Sorry to go on about my symptoms - mine included pressure behind one eye, sensitivity to light, headaches , numb/tingling patches , feeling really foggy headed and as if I wasn't here, exhaustion .
IDo keep talking - I'll post some tips tomoz x
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Post by EC on May 14, 2018 6:36:35 GMT
Thank you for replying. I just feel so frustrated by this. Thought I would feel back to myself by the time I went back to work. How did you come out of your bad sleep with PNI? Or is it just a process? I'm trying to be patient with myself but it just feels like when're things get a little better, I go back to square one. I guess I just need to accept this is how it is at the moment. I'm convinced things will never improve without sleeping properly. No other mothers I know seem to have these problems x
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Post by monica on May 14, 2018 16:18:11 GMT
Hi Lack of sleep is a form of torture! I understand your frustration . For me reducing the stress worked and that was by taking antidepressants which very quickly helped me sleep better. Saying that I'm now perimenopausal and suffer from intermittent insomnia. It got really bad so I was referred to a sleep/insomnia clinic which helped hugely. I was asked to keep a sleep diary for a few weeks. I had to note caffeine intake, exercise , sleep etc. Apparently caffeine can stay in your body for up to 8 hrs so I was advised not to have any after 2pm. Other tips included - keeping the bedroom for sleep and sex only. So if I awoke during the night I had to give myself up to 15 mins to fall asleep. If I couldn't then to go into another room and read or anything really other than looking at screens. If I felt tired I could go back to bed but to stay up for up to max of 1 1/2 hrs then to go to bed. If after 15 mins I couldn't fall asleep I had to get up and repeat process. - no looking at screens before and during bed as they act as a stimulant . - trying not to dwell about sleep during the day - after a bad night just to get on with it and not reflect in it - keeping positive and having positive thoughts - try not to nap daytime After a couple of weeks we looked at diary and worked out I was getting about 7 1/2 hrs sleep on average. I had to reduce this by about an hr for 2 weeks. So go to bed 12-6. Set an alarm and get up at 6. Reducing sleep helps hugely. If after two weeks I'm sleeping better and I really was I could up this by 15-30 mins. i was recommended this book wordery.com/the-effortless-sleep-method-sasha-stephens-9781456492540?currency=GBP>rck=NHZXeUVGNUZ0aS9wbm1lSnhsQjVvd1BzejljdHFrMEFLdDFlQzlXOGowc1g0K0RhMEt5Q3FHbTdweTVBUVZWUC8wWmk1WVNwVmk1RlpJUEFqOWc4V1E9PQ&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5-TXBRCHARIsANLixNwaZFT-2iHSoLGIU8KW2YTNaqLdLShaYmge2pHGc9Iez3h1lgnZJloaAmzDEALw_wcBGive it a go or maybe get a referral to a sleep clinic!
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Post by EC on May 14, 2018 16:35:53 GMT
Thank you so much for the reply. It was really informative. Can I just ask why you had to cut back to 6 hours if you were getting 7 1/2 hours sleep. That sounds like a good amount of sleep to me. Has it been helpful in increasing your sleep? Xx
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Post by monica on May 14, 2018 17:14:09 GMT
Sorry - my mistake! I reduced it to about 6 1/2 every night !
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Post by monica on May 14, 2018 18:26:06 GMT
It improved within a week!
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Post by EC on May 14, 2018 18:53:17 GMT
Wow that's good. I've just bought the book but just a bit worried my sleep is so bad that I'll be in and out of bed all night x
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Post by monica on May 14, 2018 20:54:40 GMT
Hi
You may well be but establishing a sleep routine will really help. I was astounded how quickly I started sleeping through. I think the reduction in sleep meant I was really tired when I went to bed which helped.
Good luck!!
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Post by EC on May 15, 2018 7:41:31 GMT
Felt so anxious this morning that if these physical symptoms I've been experiencing are all anxiety based, what if they never go! I've been like this for 8-9 months, it's hard to see life beyond feeling unwell. Feel so frustrated as I feel like if I didn't have these physical issues I would feel fine. I feel like I need constant reassurance and like I've lost control x
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Post by monica on May 15, 2018 10:09:54 GMT
They will go. I felt exactly the same as you. It was 4-5 months before I opted for medication which helped me. I imagine without it might ha d taken longer but there are pros and cons to taking them.
Try to make changes to your lifestyle , thought processes, listen to your body . Try relaxation techniques. There will be times when it feels impossible and symptoms do ebb and flow (this is normal) but overall you should start to notice improvements. This is a horrid and cruel illness but you'll recover x
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Post by leanneh on May 15, 2018 10:18:34 GMT
Hi EC,
Welcome!! Haven't been on for a couple of weeks but I totally understand the feeling that things are never going to get better. My little boy has just turned 2 and I have only very recently managed to come off the antidepressants once I felt more myself again. It is a slow road but you will get there I promise!
I used to find that trying to focus on the little snippets I had where I felt happy were really helpful for me. When I had a real dip I used to make myself focus on those times which would remind me I just had to cope until the next good spell hit. It's really hard though as all your brain wants to do is pull you down to think that things are never going to improve.
Can you make a list of all the positives in your life and things you have coming up to look forward to which you can look at when you are finding things particularly hard? X
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Post by EC on May 15, 2018 14:54:24 GMT
Thank you so much ladies for your advice and support. Somedays I really do feel more positive and then, usually after a bad nights sleep feel rubbish again. My main panic at the mo is work. I do try and stay in the moment and not dwell on things in the future. It's been such a comfort to read that I will recover from this. X
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Post by leanneh on May 16, 2018 14:03:00 GMT
I was still quite poorly when I returned to work and was still under the care of the psychology team. They didn't want me to go bCk and their advice and that of my GP was I wasn't ready and to take some time off sick. I refused and went back and it was actually really good for me. It gave me a bit of the old me back and gave me something to focus on! Try to see it as a positive as it may really help your recovery! X
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Post by monica on May 16, 2018 14:55:50 GMT
Hi
Lack of sleep really makes me feel like rubbish so getting a handle on that will help you hugely.
What's worrying you about work? Can you tell them how you're feeling? Maybe then your employer can make the transition smoother forvyou.
Like Leanne going back to work helped me hugely - it was a great distraction which helped me recover.
The ups and downs are normal though horrible especially initially as it feels like you'll never be rid of this illness but in time they do level out x
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