Scared to take my medicine.

[lumish]

Hello, my name is Bret. This is my first post aside from the introduction page. I have severe health anxiety in addition to panic attacks, depression, OCD, and bipolar disorder. I was recently diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury with acute post concussive symptoms. Since then my health anxiety has become horrible and consumed me. I sleep fully dressed with a bag packed in the bed beside me so I can get to the hospital as quickly as possible. Something made me sick a few days ago and now I just won't eat anything besides rice. It is getting bad. Primarily, the doctor said for my brain damage to heal I would have to take either fish oil or flax seed oil. I am allergic to crab and fish oil causes increases in bipolar symptoms in some people so I won't take it, and flax seed oil can cause dangerous drops in blood pressure for people with low blood pressure which I sometimes have. I have to take one of them, and have layed awake every night for a week crying because I am too scared to take them.

[Shazamataz]

Hi Bret, sorry you are having such a hard time. I would be surprised if something like fish oil would increase bipolar symptoms but am no expert of course. It's basically a food as opposed to a medication.

I spent 2 months last year with a bag packed for the hospital so I somewhat understand your fear. Do you live alone? If so, it's hard because there's nobody to make sure you are ok.

Have you any support in place? It's really lonely feeling so badly.

Sorry I can't be much help but hope you feel better soon.

[Dave1]

Hi Bret,
Welcome to the forum, I'm sorry to hear how you are feeling - I hope you can find ways to reduce the anxiety.
If this was me I would go to the chemist/pharmacy preferably at a quiet time of day when they have least customers and ask them every question that's concerning me. (I make a list before I go). They're the experts, they'll choose a supplement that's safe.

[Beckybecks]

A very good idea Dave1. I do that too. I have a serious phobia about taking meds, even if theyre just natural supplements. I Driv the pharmacy staff mad I'm sure!

However it's been pointed out to me that often the supplement I'm taking is something I'm consuming in food anyway. Food doesn't come with warnings. Medicine, supplements and vitamins have to have a leaflet enclosed with warnings. It's the law. The side effects they list are normally so rare there's very little chance of suffering from them.

Bret, there are so many foods containing flax seed oil that I'm sure you've eaten them with no side effects. Cereals, jams, sauces, sweets, fish products, gelatin, muffins, crackers, biscuits, bread. That's just a few of the products that have flax seed oil added to them. And they don't come with warnings.

I really do,understand how you feel bcause I have a cupboard full of vitamins and supplements and other medication all waiting for me ...... It takes me a long time to build up the courage to take one, but once I've tried it and there's no problem I can carry on.

If it's going to help you, you need to try and take them. Why not try taking a very low dosage to begin with and see how you go. When you feel confident that there's no ill effects you can increase the dosage.