I really don't know which section to post this but I'm pulling my hair out and doctors are useless so I'm hoping someone will say "oh I know what that is..."
My husband has a history of mental health problems, but not since we met. He can't handle stress at all well and gets overloaded quite easily.
He had some kind of nervous breakdown a couple of years ago which seemed a bit abnormal to me. He got paranoia and behaved in some strange ways. I would say he seemed depressed but it seemed like more than that. It was some sort of episode.
He saw the GP at the time for numerous physical complaints - stomach aches and so on, but the GP found nothing. The GP said he felt he needed mental healthcare but DH refused (he's VERY anti this due to traumatic past experience as a teen).
This episode where he was very extreme seemed to go on for 3 months, then he was listless for months.
After that he got better but we had to change our life significantly to remove all stress. Then he got covid. Not sure if that's relevant but it might be so I'm putting it in.
Then about six after the episode he got joint pain and fatigue. That's escalated and escalated to a point where we don't do anything or go anywhere. He wakes up in the night in pain, he wakes up in the morning in pain, he is always exhausted.
He gets an extremely swollen abdomen. He's developed allergies to foods and pollen. Painkillers do nothing. It's worst in the morning. Stress exacerbates it.
Now he's developed a heart problem. He's only 41 and was a keen cyclist with exceptional fitness and we eat like vegans! His heart has always been fine.
We've seen doctors and had every test and everything comes back negative. They're not really helping us, we just get passed from pillar to post.
Does anyone have any ideas?
I'm at my wits end. He doesn't even have energy to speak to me.