whats going on

[emmie]

as some might know have been unwell for a time, and now left with this awful situation where the doctor believes most of what is going on is mental rather than physical. So now faced with the following that is not easily explained. I get a swishing, rumbling sound in the lower abdomen, belly, its bloated and when the rumbling starts i get an instantaneous feeling of heat that spreads from belly up to chest to my face which gets very hot, and extends to top of arms, down the legs, that has left me with no answers. It infuses my head like a fog, and my ears are blocked and go hot and very red, and stay like this for a long time. I have tried telling the doctors this, but it doesn't seem to register that it's any more than nerves, as i have had x ray, blood tests for a variety of things. I would say it might be menopausal but never ever heard that it can last all night, or does this. So i am nowhere, except more swishing noises, pain, that extends around lower back, kidney area. These symptoms have been going for months but have got worse in the last few weeks. I know that you are not experts, but if anyone has any kind of clue, it would be appreciated.

[China Doll]

I said before on your other thread (which I now can't find randomly), I think you need to sort out your mental health in conjunction with your physical health. Your mental health is likely to be distorting your perspective and dealing with that at the same time as the physical is likely to make you focus more on the symptoms and patterns which is good info for the GP rather than constantly living in a state of worry and winding yourself up.

[emmie]

RH, i think someone else mentioned this, i have read through the article and don't know. It seems to be acid in the gut that is making the noises but not sure how that makes all the other areas mentioned go haywire. If i said i was frightened, that would be putting it mildly.

[emmie]

China, whilst i agree with what you say, i am not winding myself up, and never before have i posted on any site about health issues, preferring to sort things out with my doctors. But this is out of my understanding, and the doctors as they have said so.

[rowanwitch]

I suspect the onset of something real is triggering an anxiety state if you think back to other times when you were really anxious about something your stomach will be upset, gurgly butterflies etc you can feel disconnected... I wonder if the trigger is menopause symptoms and you have got into a cycle of overreaction... the instantaneous heat thing sounds very much like a hot flush and they can be horrendous to the point you can feel panicky and faint. Not sure about the pain though.

[China Doll]

But you are... you've said yourself that the illness has made you feel depressed (rightly so) and that you are frightend. Both those things need to be dealt with as well as the physical symptoms in order for you to start feeling better. Now they are walking hand in hand with each other and this is doubling your suffering. You do need to address it.

[emmie]

china, have tried to do something about both, but if docs say nothing is wrong physically then all that is left are anti depressants. So stuck between both camps. I have had pancreatitis in the past, and sometime wonder if there is a link, but as said the facial/head heat stays with me constantly.

[anneasquith]

em, has your gp suggested you take anti-depressants ? if he has, are you reluctant to take them, they may help you feel better.

[emmie]

Anne yes he has, and i am because if they see me as someone who is just depressed, then they won't take anything i say about how my body feels seriously. At least that is how i see it, and quite frankly the terrible sensations have me wondering how much longer can go on like this.
I have had medications in the past that left me like a zombie, and some which had terrible side effects. I have dropped so much weight in the last few months, though i had done some on doctors orders, appetite is now non existent, though i do eat, but do not feel hungry. I had a spell in a mental health hospital some time back, and believe me don't want to do that again.

[bednobs]

well as your gp isn't helping you anyway, can it hurt?

[emmie]

bednobs, only if they leave me on them and forget about the rest. They seem ready dispense them at a drop of a hat. I mean if i had a broken leg and it took time to heal so i felt down about not getting out, wouldn't they then see that a mental problem too.

[EvianBaby]

Em, I've noticed quite a few posts from you asking for advice/info on your medical problems and you do come accross as quite dismissive of suggestions.

It's understandable that your illness is getting you down but if there is something you can do to help that and then tackle the other symptoms it is worth a try isn't it? If you take some form of anti-depressant and continue to have the other symptoms then you can go back to your doc and say, look mate, it's not in my head, I'm still suffering. Surely you should be trying every avenue being offered?

[ruthandsam]

I think I would go back to your GP and ask for a referral to your local Psychological Therapies Dept (Primary Care). You would have an assessment done and then they would triage you for the appropriate type of treatment (if necessary!!!). There are many types of treatments out there that don't involve medication that can help treat, eg, health anxiety, stress (however it is brought on), etc which could quickly sort out if it is at all a 'mental' or physical problem or a combination of both. You have absolutely nothing to lose if you go down this route and it could be a great starting point in gaining control over your symptoms. All the very best to you.............

[bednobs]

well at least it seems like your gp has about the same opinion of you as you do of them!

[Eve]

Your doctors have done tests though and looked into things as you've mentioned blood tests, a chest xray, an acid test and you said he is going to have a prod around and see about sending you for a scan if needs be and you have your ENT appointment so they haven't just written you off and have been looking for a medical cause.

It seems to be really stressing you out so maybe they think that is a part of it - stress can manifest in physical ways and I imagine they want to not only help reduce your mental stress but reduce any impact it is having on your physical health as well which, as well as a benefit in itself in you feeling better, might help resolve certain symptoms to help them work out what anything else might be so they can help that.

Maybe your doctor was trying to engage in more of a discussion with you as to what you think and what you think might help to try and get some kind of a plan of action together which could be helpful in itself.

Some things do take time and it can be hard to be patient, especially when you feel so ill but if there is no quick diagnosis/solution then your doctors are the best people to work with.

[Ann]

Sorry to hear you still are not well em, I was thinking about you today. What i would do is - go back to your GP practice and say to the receptionist " I would like a second opinion - is there a nice kind doctor I can see (maybe a lady doctor?) I did that once and managed to see a locum who was only covering maternity leave, but she was wonderful and listened to me so caringly, and suggested all things my usual GP hadn't. When she became permanent I swapped to her as my GP, but unfortunately she left after having a baby. Please, please Em, do this - your GP should be doing something not leaving you to worry all on your own ......its making you worse. Go tomorrow and ask to see another doctor and tell them everything you have told us. I'm sure its not a serious physical thing, as I suffered similar symptoms after my husband had a heart attack. I found out it was inward stress (nothing I had had before) I didn't even realise it had affected me so badly but the doc said it was the trauma seeing my hubby in pain like that, realising I might lose him and visiting him in the heart ward etc - it took me 4 months to get better, longer than it took him to recover! All the best Em, keep your chin up x

[emmie]

Jenna/Anna thank you both, no resolution but have a kind doctor who i am seeing soon. And not interested in more drugs that make you zapped but had already been on the list to see counsellor, but these lists are full and take time to get on, and that was a step i took ages ago. Having a viral illness and coughing much of that time trying to sleep had been a nightmare, and don't sleep good anyway, so sleep deprivation has been part of the problem. Had tried sleeping tablets before but the side effects were not nice. Back to Gastro consultant next week to see if there is another way around the test i couldn't do. I know others on here and family members who have health problems, so i don't for one minute think i am alone in all this, but protracted problem have me reaching for a solution. Bednobs not all doctors are saints, some are dull, boring, unhelpful, some are lovely, wonderful, caring, kind, please don't judge my comments as anything other than severe stress. It's early or late whichever you prefer, so i bid you a good evening/morning, and hope its a good one for all