The good news... and the bad... (follow up)

[Abbanabba]

OK - I went and saw my GP today and things went as well as I could hope for. After the letter from my cardio, she was every bit as surprised as I was at his complete turn around.... and his diagnosis of anxiety/depression as the primary cause of my symptoms. While she agreed that I may be suffering some form of depression, she thought it would probably be due to my ever declining health and that I'm not getting any answers about it.

Anyway, I presented her with my 2002 doppler with the dx of mild PH and asked her what she knew about the condition. It turns out that she has another patient with severe PH and agreed that it certainly seemed worthwhile checking out. She tried to contact the cardio her other patient sees, as he has experience in dealing with PH, however he was unavailable, so she has sent a referral to his colleague and explained her concerns about what I have been experiencing. In her view, someone of my age and general health should NOT be experiencing this (..and she was able to see how short of breath I was just sitting in her office..) and she wanted to make sure she wasn't missing anything. At least now I know I will be getting the proper tests done to see exactly where things are at.

THANK YOU!!!!!

In the meantime she prescribed me a short course of anti-depressants just to cover all bases and told me to see her in 2-3 weeks to see if that had made any difference. While she believes my symptoms are not primarily a symptom of depression, she feels if I am suffering some "situational depression" it may help to alleviate things a little.... so we'll see how that goes. At least she is taking me seriously and making sure things are happening.

So that's where things are at right now. Hopefully I'll be able to get in and have these tests done in the next couple of weeks and that will put my mind to rest one way or another.

I'll keep you all posted....

Cheers
Anna : )

 

[LoriSue]

I am glad to hear that your doctor is taking you seriously and that she is willing to help you find a direction that will work for you. It is good to see that she is doing her job and looking for someone who will help you. Keep us posted.
Lori

 

[bethanne]

THREE CHEERS FOR ANNA ...
I am so glad for you that you will be seeing a different cardio. Will you have to wait long for your appointment?

That is such good news.

 

[Nancy]

Hi Anna-

This is a very hopeful post. You have someone on your side, it seems. Please keep us posted on what transpires, and keep the fire to their feet.

 

[SJJ]

Anna,
This is truly good news! Your persistence has paid off-you made it happen, girl and I hope you feel empowered by that!
Keep us posted,
Sue

 

[Kevin M]

Good work.

It can take a few weeks for anti-depressents to kick in, so try to be patient with them. It usually doesn't change things overnight.
Kev

 

[Raverlaw]

Anna,

It's good to hear you will be getting some answers. Physical condition and the uncertainty that accompanies it can very easily be the cause of depression or anxiety. Anti-depressants may or may not help if that is the case.

I'd wager that a competent diagnosis of your heart situation, along with a prognosis for any corrective work that might be needed will do more for you than any meds!

We're sending positive thoughts your way to help you along each day. Keep in touch and let us know how you're doing.

 

[Georgia]

You go, girl

You go, girl

If you do have situational depression, the response by your pcp alone should help to mitigate it. Light at the end of the tunnel is a wonderful thing.

I'm so glad you've found a doc who'll fight for you and get you to the right doctor. Congrats. The war's not over for you yet, but your persistence certainly won the day!

 

[Rich]

Anna,
That is good news.
I hope you and this doctor can get to the bottom of this.
Please keep us informed and our prayers are with you.

Rich

 

[Abbanabba]

Thanks so much everyone for your ongoing support. I know I don't need to tell any of you how much it means

Bill - ....I'm just not quite sure what to make of your latest photo!! It did, however, bring a smile to my face

As far as the antidepressants, I was having a read through the little brochure (..all 35 pages of it!!..) and couldn't relate to any of the "signs of depression".... ie: negative internal dialogue, shift in eating patterns, caring less about appearance/friends/family/sex, sad thoughts, loss of interest in pleasurable activities/hobbies, etc..... The only thing I could relate to were feelings of fatigue, sleeplessness (..which, incidentally, has been a problem my entire life..), and hopelessness - however that is in direct relation to my health and I don't need to tell you why!!

Still, I told my GP I'd try it out - if nothing esle to see if it would help my sleeping (..although antidepressants, sleeping pills, diet, exercise, herbal remedies, etc.. have never made a scrap of difference in the past..).

I think you're probably right Georgia - now that I'm being listened to and things are moving along, I will start feeling better about things. There's nothing like being in control of your life to make you feel good

Anyway, thanks again....

Anna : )

 

[Raverlaw]

Anna,

If you've experienced sleeplessness your entire life, I doubt that an anti-depressant med is going to help at all - it might even make it worse.

Just curious - do you find it hard to GO to sleep, or do you wake up frequently during the night?

If you have trouble getting to sleep, there are a number of homeopathic remedies out there which work for a lot of people without introducing any meds into your body.

Also, to my uninformed way of thinking, when you are fatigued all day, you tend to rest frequently, and then don't have the need to sleep all night through. The thing that always makes me sleep like a log is a day of intense physical activity. I wasn't able to do that for months before the surgery, and I noticed I was having trouble sleeping through the night.

I'm hoping that, now that my heart is *fixed*, I can be active enough to physically tire myself out and get that entire night's rest that I miss *so* much.

 

[Abbanabba]

Well ain't you just lookin' spiffy Bill!!!

Re: my dreadful sleeping patterns I have a lot of problems getting to sleep AND staying asleep AND with waking up early!! Even when I was fit and healthy and getting plenty of exercise I had problems.

It has improved slightly over the last couple of years. A good night is now 6-7hrs instead of 5 and I've found a combo of magnesium/B6/zinc helps reduce the number of times I wake up, but I've not yet found anything to help the getting to sleep and the early wakings.

I just roll with the punches and get rest whenever I can - at least not working is a silver lining in that capacity!! Maybe I'm just one of those "geniuses" like Einstein who only needs a few hours a night

Meanwhile..... still waiting to hear about a date for the second opinion......

Cheers
Anna : )

 

[Ross]

I'd give almost anything to get at least 5 in one shot. I only get between 1 to 2 1/2 at a time.

 

[bethanne]

Hey Guys and Gals,
Now that I have been taking "calcium channel blocker" nefidine for 10 days I am sleeping through the night for the first time in probably 10 years. My husband said I have been falling asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow and even snoring a few times.

My point Anna is don't dismiss the "not sleeping issue". It does have an effect on how you feel during the day. ..

I'm glad you will be getting a second opinion Anna

 

[Lulabelle1]

Hi.
Simple and cheap "Melatonin" helps me go to sleep...and for awhile was helping me to sleep all night too. It is not for people who suffer from asthma. Before you try it...talk to MD to ensure it is safe for you...I buy it at Walmart in 3mg strength...and take 3 every night about 1/2 hr before I go to bed...it puts me to sleep.
It stinks not being able to sleep....one needs to have a peaceful uninterrupted nights sleep to feel well the following day.
Lulabelle

 

[Guest]

Your doctor can order a sleep study. You spend the night in the hospital hooked to all sorts of monitoring devices. Because of the unfamiliar place and all of the hookups my first one did not go well. A few years later (new insurance) I got another one OKd. This time I went with the attitude of what can I do to make it work. I practiced sleeping in the exact outfit that I would wear and a positive attitude. They found that I have sleep apnea. I got a CPAP machine a year ago and now have over 2,400 hours on it. I am rarely sleepy during the day.

My current student just educated me about Ativan (lorazepam). It works well for about two weeks but then it loses its effect. It robs you of the two most restful stages of sleep. After two weeks of using it nightly you are basically addicted. Your sleep gets worse and worse but if you try to do without it, your sleep gets even worse. Stopping it cold-turkey runs a risk of seizures.

 

[Kathy]

Anna,

It sounds like things are looking up! I'm glad that your GP took your concerns seriously.

I've had sleeping problems over the years. I do best with absolutely rigid sleeping schedule week in and week out. I make it a point never to nap, although I would love to at times. The only exception to my nap rule was the period following surgery.

 

[Bryan B]

My Mom has insomnia. Hers is the type where she's able to fall asleep, but will wake up and not be able to get back to sleep. I have the type of insomnia where I can't get to sleep for hours if at all (can't turn the brain off). I have used Ambien recently and it works well for me, with no groggy effects the next morning. But like all drugs in this class chronic use will lead to addiction, so I only take it if I've had a couple of bad nights in a row.

 

[Abbanabba]

I'd give almost anything to get at least 5 in one shot. I only get between 1 to 2 1/2 at a time.

Ross-
I hear you!! For me to get 5+ hours, I generally have to be in bed 8-10hrs. That broken sleep is a bitch!!

Lullabelle-
I tried Melatonin, but unfortunately it didn't do anything - but still, it was worth a shot : ) I do know plenty of people who have found it very effective, however.

Allodwick-
It's amazing how difficult it is to get a doctor to refer you for a sleep study!! Usually it's the old sleeping pills/antidepressant line. Now that I've found a decent GP I will see if we can get that looked at as well.... (..she's going to get sick of my face real soon!! ..)

Cheers everyone - and pleasant dreams!!
Anna : )

 

[Georgia]

One of my major symptoms prior to surgery was broken sleep - waking up in the middle of the night and not going back to sleep. Went on for 2 - 3 years - not every night. Stopped as soon as I had surgery. I think it probably had a lot to do with chf that I didn't know I had, and probably low oxygen.