Looking for answers/direction

[Sibz]

Hi there,

Just needing some help for my mother, she has been unwell pretty much soon after i was born 26 years ago. She started feeling cold just on her back, and over the years it spread to the rest of her body, and in the last 3 or 4 years to her arms.
She wears many layers of clothes to keep warm, as she is alwas feeling cold. Often at times, she'll feel ill, and will have excess sweating where she needs to change her clothes several times a day. The excessive sweating always causes her to get a cold, and she just shivers and feels worn out and stays in bed.
About 10 years ago, she was hospitalised, because she was feeling colder than normal, non-stop extreme sweating and had severe abdominal pains. Which they later diagnosed it with depression. (we've even been told she  may have started with post natal depression, but no one ever knew) She has been on anti-depressants and the abdominal pains are usually under control with the medication, however the coldness and the excessive sweating which makes her feel ill all the time has not gone away but continues to increase. We've tried other antidepressants, but no good changes, usually it makes her worse.

Other than a psychiatrist she has seen, 2 different neurologists to see if there was any abnormalities on that side, but all tests show everything is normal - although one said cause she has had so much trauma, her system is working, but just not in the order that everyone else's is.

We've also taken her to an endocronologist, and he didnt see any significant thyroid problems.
Shes had various tests done, everything always comes back normal, but nothing is changing her condition.

I need help, its worrying me, and worrying my mum even more, especially now that she is getting older and she's worried she won't be able to look after herself at all, as its even hard right now.

What can this be? Can all that sweating and feeling cold be part of a severe depression? Or is it neurological? Mentally/emotionally she seems to be ok considering all that she lives with everyday.

[uberadtx]

The mind and body are too complex for easy clear cut answers to any issue.  There is a medical term for excessive sweating but it usually occurs in the palms and feet. Unfortunately, depression like most illness can manifest differently in different people.  The fluctuations in symptoms seem to be part of illness in general whether its mental or physical.  If in fact she does have depression I can tell you that its as much physical as it is mental.  Giving her discomfort, I would go back to the endocronologist and have her adrenal system assessed.   There is no reason for your mother to be uncomfortable.  Sweating is the body's way of cooling off but it seems as though her body is doing it to excessive means thereby making her cold.  Sometimes doctors need a kick in order to bypass the normal testing so we have to advocate for ourselves.  Keep us posted.

[Venora Moonwind]

did they test her thyroid?    a wonky thryoid will give these symptoms.as well as her adrenals as suggested by uberatx.    let us know how it turns out.
Love Venora

[Sibz]

Thank you for your input. I have realised that a large part of it is to do with depression. Only because when she's off her antidepressant the sweating increases so much she becomes sick, and the tablets control it some what, but not enough. I thinnk it was better in the past, she needs something stronger, but no new medication is helping, i think there worse. The endocronologist had run some tests, but nothing came up, except her hormonal levels, and apparently they were due to menopause.

[Sibz]

Thanks. Yes they have tested her thyroid, and was on thyroid tablets for a little while, but it turned out her thyroids are functioning normal - the tablets made no changes. She even had some tests done by a neurologist and evrything always turns out normal. The tests were measuring the voluntary and automatic functions throughout her body.

[justlikeyou]

after 26 years of suffering id be willing to try anything.

even outside the box thinking, does alcohol allow her to feel any better?

marijuana?

excersise?

[Sibz]

My mum doesnt drink alcohol, and believe me she wouldnt be the one to try.
Or any other drugs.
Exercise, she had a little at one stage, to be honest because she doesnt keep it up for long, i dont know if it has given her any benefits or not.