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How much longer do I have to feel like this?

365 replies

Depressedmum32 · 14/10/2004 10:29

Can some one give some advice please, I just recently gave birth to my 4th baby and for the rist month I felt fantastic and was flying round doing everything. Iwas so wired that one night I was cleaning my windows at 5am after feeding ds!!!Then I started to feel ill, like I had the flu, kept feelomg dizzy and this went on for couple of weeks before I collapsed with chest pain and was rushed to hospital. Was told I had a blood clot on my ling and spent the whole weekend feeling hysterical, had to stop breastfeeding as I was on blood thinners. Cried cos I missed my children so much and thought I was going to die. Then they told me I had no blood clot just pleurisy and sent me home. I first felt relieved to be home and with children but after a couple of days I started to have Panic attacks for no reason, I was just suddenly get this rush of fear and feel terrified. Then I started waking up in the night with my heart racing hystarical with fear, so eventually I was on;y getting 1 hours sleep a night. During the day I was sitting around thinking of all the things I could drop dead from and then 2 weeks ago I suddenly felt wierd, A sense of unreality which terrified me even more. Kept going to the docs where they diagnosed pnd and prescribed ad's. Referred to cpn but no appt till oct 26th. Refused to take the ad's as I was so scared of all the possible awful side effects and convinced myself I just needed to sleep.Dh took a few days off work and I did feel a bit better after getting some rest in the day, but sleep at night. non existant. When I did go to sleep, I kept having awful dreams and waking up. Hv came on monday and said I had to take the cipralex just to lift me enough to the things that would make me feel better.Started on 5mg as Isuffer from panic and immediately the panic became worse, so the second night could only get to sleep with the aid of sleeping tabs. I am now day 4 and I feel wrethched, nauseas and panicky, still feel dazed as though I am not really here and that frightens me. Didnt feel depressed until I started to feel wierd, its the wierdness the t depresses me, is this normal pnd? I just want to feel human again.

OP posts:
Spacecadet · 28/10/2004 15:12

I do still feel as though I have been left alone to cope with this.

sawiros · 28/10/2004 14:19

i have being flying around trying to figure out how to use the site i think i have got it now im glad it is not only me who feels depressed i have been ill scince i was 30 weeks pregnant with my second baby boy my eldest is 22 months my husband works long hours because i am unable to work and money goes nowhere in todays world i have severe sciatica and cant shift my pregnacy fat over my stomach i hate my body and i hate being restricted all the time (:

suedonim · 28/10/2004 14:18

Spacecadet, I'm so glad you've been able to see your GP, who sounds very sympathetic and sensible. Is there not a system of visits though? When I was ill after ds2 I saw the dr twice a week and had daily visits inbetween from my HV, until I started to get better. Re your dh, maybe your GP could have a word or two in his shell-like. You're as sick as someone with, say, pneumonia and need nursing back to health and imo, your dh has a duty to stand by you and help you through this. If you want to talk, do CAT me, I'd be happy to do what I can to help.

essbee · 28/10/2004 13:59

Message withdrawn

essbee · 28/10/2004 13:57

Message withdrawn

Spacecadet · 28/10/2004 13:46

The way I feel at the moment can dh can go if he wants

Spacecadet · 28/10/2004 13:45

Been to the doctors, nearly passed out from fright in the surgery, felt like evryone was looking at me thinking I was mad.Gp says that these feelings are very common with pnd, was very synpathetic and said it is no wonder I feel like this, as I have been through so much, I cried so loudly I think everyone must have heard me.He said worrying that I might have harmed my baby is very common and is part of the obssessional tendencies that often occur with pnd.He said couldnt my dh take some annual leave or something so I am not on my own torturing myself, but dh has already said no, he said He doesnt care how bad I feel it is my own doing and he has had enough, he says he can only take so much and although he loves me he is threatening to leave me if I dont pull myself together.He says I am not to ring him at work anymore.Gp has not put me on ads as he said he wants to leave it to the cpn to decde but he is writing her another letter to explain how I am now feeling.He says I have lost my sense of perspective and my obssession with dd is a transference of my fears about my health.Bit too much to take in.Health Visitor has phoned and she said she will visit me on monday.

essbee · 28/10/2004 13:12

Message withdrawn

PuffTheMagicDragon · 28/10/2004 10:42

Spacecadet, did try to CAT you last night, wasn't able to as you have requested no emails to be forwarded. You can ask the site to change this so you can receive messages from other Mumsnetters, but completely understand if you don't want to.

As I said last night, some of what you are going through I can identify with, but not all. I'm obsessively private about my own experiences, but would be happy for you to contact me via CAT in case I can be of any help.

PuffTheMagicDragon · 28/10/2004 10:34

I am so glad you've got that urgent appointment Spacecadet and that you are going to try and really let the gp know just how terrible you feel.

You have NOTHING to be ashamed of. You are an amazing person who cumulatively has had TOO MUCH to cope with.

Am in and out out today, but will check in on this thread and am back in this evening and around all evening after 8.00pm.

Spacecadet · 28/10/2004 10:14

Watched dh like a hawk this morning pouncing on him everynow and again to yell, have you sterilised that? etc etc if has just told me to piss off and said you are not going to start this obsession with cleanliness that you did with ds2

wobblyknicks · 28/10/2004 09:55

spacecadet - sorry i've missed most of this but if you want someone else on msn to chat to, my addy is wobblyknicks (at) tiscali.co.uk

Spacecadet · 28/10/2004 09:51

Yes Ii am a rmn but no longer work in the mental health sector, however the cpn said that we do make terrible patients and that is true, trouble is as well is that i know too much which is why i went barmy went they thought i had a blood clot.I work in the acute sector now nut dont know if i could face going back at the mo, especially not with the high rate of mrsa there is at my hospital, wouldnt want to pass iot on to dd.I had no sleep last night so I am shattered.I have an urgent docs appt later on at 11.10, will lwt you know how I get on.

mumwithnoname · 28/10/2004 09:23

Hi SC, The letter idea is a really good one, I've used it a couple of times when I knew I couldn't talk about how I was feeling. Take care and be honest with your gp its the only way he'll know how to help you. am I right in guessing that you are a RMN? I'm a nurse too and I think we make terrible patients!!!
(Think I need a fireguard to stop my kittens trying to go up the chimney!)

kkgirl · 28/10/2004 08:56

SC

How are you today?

nasa · 28/10/2004 08:31

don't feel ashmed spacecadet, you're just not well at the moment but with help you will get better. How are you feelign this morning? Let us know how you get on at the doctors. Thinking of you.
x

marthamoo · 28/10/2004 07:51

Spacecadet - I hope you managed to get some sleep. Are you going to go and see your GP today? You're right - you have to be completely honest about how you are feeling and how bad things are. It is so hard to do that - our instinct is not to let down our barriers so much that we show others how bad we are feeling. But you know you need some help - you have to do it. for your children, if not for yourself.

I found it so hard to tell my doctor how I was feeling - what a wreck I was. She did ask me if I felt I would hurt my ds - and luckily I was able to say, truthfully, that I wouldn't - and she didn't question that or doubt I was telling the truth. Being frightened that something is going to happen to your dd is not the same as being frightened you are going to hurt her.

I can sympathise so much with your dh's lack of understanding. It hurts, doesn't it? My dh just could not grasp why I was in such a terrible state. It must have been quite frightening for him: a heavily pregnant, fairly cheerful, only slightly crazy woman went into hospital - and what came home didn't bear much resemblance to that person. Instead of the happy Mum of a new baby he was expecting he got a person who would wail and rock back and forth, refuse to go near the baby, and not speak, sleep, eat or wash for days on end. He pretty much left me to it - he told me much later that it was his sink or swim theory: if he left me to cope I would. I didn't though - I sank like a stone. Perhaps your dh is the same - he thinks by not acknowledging how bad things are, you will somehow come back from all this by yourself. You can't - I don't believe it's possible to do it without help. Like mine, your dh needs a wake-up call - he can't stay in denial, you need him.

You have NO REASON to feel ashamed. That's like saying you're ashamed you have flu, or a broken leg. You are ill - it isn't your fault, and you need help to get better, it's as simple (I wish!) as that.

MTS knows far more about OCD than I do - can you afford to see someone for private CBT, as she suggests? If not I think you definitely need to see a psychiatrist - someone who specialises in OCD and/or PND. It's just another name for a doctor - and it's what they are there for. PLEASE be honest with your GP about everything - don't be brave. If you think you won't be able to get the words out, write it all down beforehand and give him/her the piece of paper.

I wish I could make it better for you. I wish the support here on MN would make it better - wave that magic wand. It just isn't that easy and the person who has to get through it is you. You can do it though - I came back - and so have many, many other people. Life doesn't have to be like this - you are entitled to enjoy your baby daughter. I wish you strength to get through this. Please let us know how you get on at the GPs. Take care.

Spacecadet · 28/10/2004 01:48

Just to let you know that i have had a long chat with essbee and calmed down a bit, i am going to the gp tomorrow and i think i will prob end up back on ads feel absolutely exhausted but dont know if ill sleep properly. mts i have added you to my contact list.I thought i was getting better but iwas wrong wasnt exactly truthful with the cpn when i saw her, now i have to tell the whole truth.I am crying again because i cant beleive how low i have sunk, feel ashamed actually, feel anxious bout going to bed cos i will have to check on dd over and over again. sigh...

PuffTheMagicDragon · 28/10/2004 01:36

Thanks for letting us know essbee.

really am going to bed now.

MummyToSteven · 28/10/2004 01:30

am off to bed now. hope you get some decent sleep tonight, and feel better tomorrow morning.

essbee · 28/10/2004 01:14

Message withdrawn

PuffTheMagicDragon · 28/10/2004 01:06

Am going to bed now.

Thinking of you Spacecadet.

night night xxxx

If you feel up to it, let us know how you are doing tomorrow.

PuffTheMagicDragon · 28/10/2004 00:14

Thanks essbee, let us know how she's doing.

essbee · 28/10/2004 00:08

Message withdrawn

mumwithnoname · 28/10/2004 00:04

Just retrieved the computer off my teens! If you can't sleep tonight maybe you could keep posting for a bit longer I'm sure someone will be around for a while longer, some of the psychiatric websites are worth a look too. Found laying in bed with a whiling brain torchor, so I'd just pass the time.You could be suffering withdrawal from the ADs. I'm on cipralex and when I tried to reduce my dose in summer I became really ill (suicidal). A friend of mine got Buspirone from her gp and found it really good and faster acting than most so its maybe worth a mention to you gp tomorrowTake carexx