deenie
08-07-2006, 05:30 PM
I'm a 44 yo woman who has had two children after the age of 40. Since the birth of my second child and especially since weaning her at age 1, I haven't been feeling myself. I know stress of two toddlers can result in a lot of these symptoms but I wonder if it's chronic fatigue related. I've been under a lot of stress before and never reacted like this. I went through years of infertility and 3 miscarriages (all antibody and hormone testing at that time was normal and there was no found medical reason for IF). I eventually got pregnant through IUI with my son and then 6 mos later naturally with my daughter (even though I was still nursing, go figure!). After my DD, I had some tingling and numbness in my feet/toes but a neurologist couldn't find anything wrong. I didn't want to do a brain scan since I was nursing but I went to an orthopedist who found pinched nerves that could be causing the numbness and also frequent back spasms that I've had for years that seemed worse after the second baby. I also get nerve pain with one toe that comes and goes.
FF to now - I have terrible insomnia (mostly staying asleep), nervousness, irritability, rapid heart beat, breathlessness and heavy feeling in my chest most days. I have had heart palpitations at times (even though a stress test, heart echo all showed nothing wrong but fast heartbeat when nervous), experienced flushing and warmth in my hands although my hands and feet are usually cool. My cycles have been heavier since having kids and not very much like clockwork anymore. Sometimes they're also lighter or shorter. Just not predictable.
Also, lately when I catch a cold from my kids, I don't get a typical cold sometimes. It's usually mild symptoms and then I get a low grade fever (99+) over a week later that lasts several days. Sometimes I don't even get a cold. For example, I had an out patient procedure done and they told me my temp was 99.2. I usually run around 98 degrees (on the lower side) so this was surprising. I felt run down but didn't know I was sick. This has happened several times. When I was getting married, I had a low grade fever for a couple of weeks with no known cause.
Also, occasionally I'll wake up with a little red spot on my palms or fingers that seem to go away as the day goes on. Strange...I think they're eczema related (I get some small patches on my elbows that I treat with OTC cortisone) but I figured I'd mention it too.
I don't know whether this is all perimenopause related, chronic fatigue, stress, fibromyalgia, thyoid or a combo. I'm sick of going to Dr's and not getting anywhere. I've gotten sleep Rx but that doesn't help. I need to sleep but never seem to get enough....like I never get in a deep sleep. I used to get 7 or so hours and felt just fine. Now 8 hrs doesn't even come close.
My internist ran bloodwork last year when I went to him about my shortness of breath and insomnia and with my thyroid testing, TSH was 1.03 (0.40-5.50 range) and he said my thyroid was fine. That coupled with previous thyroid testing during my infertile years made me not pursue it further. My potassium was high but he said that was probably because the specimen wasn't handled properly. Actually, years ago my internist ran a thyroid test on me during a routine exam because he thought my eyes were very big...that's just me and the test showed nothing. I'm thin but I just attributed it to luck. I've always been that way. All other bloodwork came back ok.
I just know I don't feel normal. I've been to a psychiatrist, internist, neurologist, orthopedist. They all give reasons why I feel like this but I just wonder if someone is missing something because I still feel lousy.
Can you have some symptoms and not others? Some days (infrequently I feel normal) are better than others but I just know this isn't normal. Then I get scared and wonder if something is really wrong. I'm stressed but I'm not the only woman to have two young kids. I don't feel pain, per se (except when I get the nerve pain or muscle spasms), but just run down and TIRED.
I know my internist would run more tests if I ask him but I just am hesitant to go back because it's just so hard to keep going to these appts. Frustrating too. Any suggestions as to whether this would really be CF related would be appreciated. I'm assuming it's hyper but I don't know. Thank you.
FF to now - I have terrible insomnia (mostly staying asleep), nervousness, irritability, rapid heart beat, breathlessness and heavy feeling in my chest most days. I have had heart palpitations at times (even though a stress test, heart echo all showed nothing wrong but fast heartbeat when nervous), experienced flushing and warmth in my hands although my hands and feet are usually cool. My cycles have been heavier since having kids and not very much like clockwork anymore. Sometimes they're also lighter or shorter. Just not predictable.
Also, lately when I catch a cold from my kids, I don't get a typical cold sometimes. It's usually mild symptoms and then I get a low grade fever (99+) over a week later that lasts several days. Sometimes I don't even get a cold. For example, I had an out patient procedure done and they told me my temp was 99.2. I usually run around 98 degrees (on the lower side) so this was surprising. I felt run down but didn't know I was sick. This has happened several times. When I was getting married, I had a low grade fever for a couple of weeks with no known cause.
Also, occasionally I'll wake up with a little red spot on my palms or fingers that seem to go away as the day goes on. Strange...I think they're eczema related (I get some small patches on my elbows that I treat with OTC cortisone) but I figured I'd mention it too.
I don't know whether this is all perimenopause related, chronic fatigue, stress, fibromyalgia, thyoid or a combo. I'm sick of going to Dr's and not getting anywhere. I've gotten sleep Rx but that doesn't help. I need to sleep but never seem to get enough....like I never get in a deep sleep. I used to get 7 or so hours and felt just fine. Now 8 hrs doesn't even come close.
My internist ran bloodwork last year when I went to him about my shortness of breath and insomnia and with my thyroid testing, TSH was 1.03 (0.40-5.50 range) and he said my thyroid was fine. That coupled with previous thyroid testing during my infertile years made me not pursue it further. My potassium was high but he said that was probably because the specimen wasn't handled properly. Actually, years ago my internist ran a thyroid test on me during a routine exam because he thought my eyes were very big...that's just me and the test showed nothing. I'm thin but I just attributed it to luck. I've always been that way. All other bloodwork came back ok.
I just know I don't feel normal. I've been to a psychiatrist, internist, neurologist, orthopedist. They all give reasons why I feel like this but I just wonder if someone is missing something because I still feel lousy.
Can you have some symptoms and not others? Some days (infrequently I feel normal) are better than others but I just know this isn't normal. Then I get scared and wonder if something is really wrong. I'm stressed but I'm not the only woman to have two young kids. I don't feel pain, per se (except when I get the nerve pain or muscle spasms), but just run down and TIRED.
I know my internist would run more tests if I ask him but I just am hesitant to go back because it's just so hard to keep going to these appts. Frustrating too. Any suggestions as to whether this would really be CF related would be appreciated. I'm assuming it's hyper but I don't know. Thank you.