Worried about going to the doctors.

[belle]

Hi all.
So i've posted about a gazillions times how truly exhausted i am all the time. I mean i can sleep for hours and hours and still wake up feeling like poop. On top of that, i have REALLY BAD noticeable lack circles under my eyes, not little ones, big dark ones (they come down at least 3cm under my eyes) that for some reason the left eye is worse. Anyway, i have heard that lack of sleep can cause them as well as dehydration. I'm neither lacking in sleep or dehydrated i drink loads of water every day.

This morning i decide to google black circles and it came up with a few interesting things that it could be, including adrenal exhaustion. For someone like me who is constantly on red alert, teetering on the brink of panic, surely your adrenal glands would become slightly tired after 10 years.

Problem now is that of course i can't see my doctor about it, because he/they already think i am a fricking loon.

[lorac]

Belle you are not a loon and it is very difficult to find a doctor who is very sympathetic to our problems. I once went to the doctor and asked about adrenal exhaustion but it didn't seem to be something he wanted to recognise. If you are worrying about this then there are some really good herbalists or natural healing centres who will give you far more help with this, it seems to be more there line. I went to a local healing centre when I suspected that was my problem and he put me on a special diet and gave me accupuncture it really did help to get me back on my feet again. Going to him didn't cure the anxiety but it did give me back alot of my energy and I was then more able to deal with the other problems.

Hope you feel better soon Belle.

Carol x

[Nechtan]

Yes it is nervous exhaustion and I can fully relate. It is just horrible and as yet I have found nothing to remedy it. Our constant anxiety just tires our nerves out so really it doesn't matter how much you sleep. The only thing I have found is to just let it run its course. Last week I had it nearly all week and then at the weekend it just went and I felt alot better. And that is how it seems to be with me. It usually comes about after I've had alot of anxiety and have worn myself out as a result.

It is a shame your GP is not understanding but the unfortunate truth is that alot of them are not equipped to deal with anxiety symptoms. But when this is the case he/she should still be listening and referring you to someone who does know what you are talking about and can maybe help.

All the best

Nechtan

[belle]

I've felt this 'exhaustion' (and i don't use that word lightly) for many years and i've had FBC test done and of course i am not anemic, so as far as the doctors go, thats the end of testing.

Makes me mad!

[RosieXXX]

Hello Belle,

Some doctors just don't understand health anxiety, which makes it a whole lot worse for us to cope with; we end up feeling even more isolated. I know what you mean about not wanting to go because of what they will be thinking - i am exactly the same. I wonder if it would be worth seeing another doctor within the same practice - they might be more understanding.

[Nechtan]

It is really frustrating. Most GPs will only acknowledge a problem if their instruments tell them there is one but how the hell do you measure how exhausted and overworked your nerves are on an instrument? In that regard it is pot luck. There are some doctors out there who are understanding and it is really only if you get one of them that you stand any chance of being listened to. That is another annoyance of mine- being ignored. I hate when I have gone to the doctors in the past and you know as you are talking that they are not listening and have already made up their mind regardless of what you say. It starts to put doubts in your own mind.

I think the real problem with exhaustion though is that as far as I know there isn't anything to make you better except for resting the nerves. So that equates to being less anxious and less tense which is difficult because its a vicious circle that the exhaustion is making you anxious and so on.

I actually posted about this last year in this thread (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=35356) as it was getting me down so much but there doesn't seem to be anything to lift the energy levels back up again. It might be worth a look though as there are some suggestions in there.

All the best

Nechtan

[countrygirl]

You said you have had a FBc and are not anaemic but just wondering if you have had your thryroid and glucose levels checked. Just that both these things can cause unbelievable tiredness and are both so treatable it would be a shame if you have never been tested and its one of these. One blood tst could tell you about both of these.

On the adrenal stress side - you can get an adrenal stress profile test done privately- its an at home test so you just provide saliva samples during one day and send them off and you get a detailed report on how well you adrenal system is coping with your anxiety. I have read that anxiety can cause an inbalance of stress hormones that can causse alot of the symptoms we get. I had one of these tests a few weeks ago and am waiting for the results. It cost £141. don't know if I am allowed to tell you where to get it from????

Otherwisea s everyone says being anxious all the time is completely draining as we know and could be your problem.