Aa
hate the feeling
I know a lot of you will be able to relate to this...I always think something is wrong with me....like two weeks ago I went tubing in a lake and then three days later I started having headaches and I was like ohh no I have a brain parasite and right now I keep worrying about that...oh and other daysi worry about having a heart attack:( hate this!!
I seem to be a bit confused. You stated you saw your doctor on 9/10 and discussed the headaches. She increased your dosage of the Zoloft to see if that was causing the headaches.
You wrote the above post 21 hours ago, which would have made it 9/11, and are wondering if your doctor should increase the dose.
Could you clear up my apparent misunderstanding of the events over the past couple of days.
Chronic headaches can wear us down, wear us out and make life generally miserable. I'm not qualified to question your doctors decision to take a "wait and see" approach. You've had a daily headache since you went tubing in August. In my humble opinion, I think your doctor should refer you to a neurologist after this length of time.
You were fine until three days after you'd gone tubing. This is only my opinion, but I think the two are related. Maybe a chiropractor could help? Personally, I think I'd want X-rays taken of my neck, upper back and shoulder area before I saw a chiro to rule out a more serious injury.
Sometimes, even when we trust our doctors, if we aren't getting answers, we have to look elsewhere for them.
I think you've suffered with these headaches long enough now. I think the next move depends on how much longer you're willing to feel like this.
Keep me posted, OK?
Peace
Greenlydia
You wrote the above post 21 hours ago, which would have made it 9/11, and are wondering if your doctor should increase the dose.
Could you clear up my apparent misunderstanding of the events over the past couple of days.
Chronic headaches can wear us down, wear us out and make life generally miserable. I'm not qualified to question your doctors decision to take a "wait and see" approach. You've had a daily headache since you went tubing in August. In my humble opinion, I think your doctor should refer you to a neurologist after this length of time.
You were fine until three days after you'd gone tubing. This is only my opinion, but I think the two are related. Maybe a chiropractor could help? Personally, I think I'd want X-rays taken of my neck, upper back and shoulder area before I saw a chiro to rule out a more serious injury.
Sometimes, even when we trust our doctors, if we aren't getting answers, we have to look elsewhere for them.
I think you've suffered with these headaches long enough now. I think the next move depends on how much longer you're willing to feel like this.
Keep me posted, OK?
Peace
Greenlydia
I wonder if my dose of zoloft needs to be increased...this headache will not go away and my mind starts wondering:(
Since all this didn't begin until after the birth of your baby in January, I would strongly suggest paying a visit to your OB/GYN.
Perhaps you are dealing with some out of balance hormones. Possibly some postpartum depression, which the Zoloft should help. But, if you've been feeling this way for the past 8 months, left untreated, depression can lead to anxiety (and vice versa). I just think there may be a connection and in my humble opinion, your OB is the most qualified to deal with them.
A runny nose? OMG. Toots, listen up. There is absolutely NO disease known to man in which a runny nose is symptomatic of anything more serious than the common cold or allergies.
With an 8 month old baby I'm guessing you've become, like ALL mothers, allergic to baby poop.
Please let me know how you're doing.
Peace
Greenlydia
Perhaps you are dealing with some out of balance hormones. Possibly some postpartum depression, which the Zoloft should help. But, if you've been feeling this way for the past 8 months, left untreated, depression can lead to anxiety (and vice versa). I just think there may be a connection and in my humble opinion, your OB is the most qualified to deal with them.
A runny nose? OMG. Toots, listen up. There is absolutely NO disease known to man in which a runny nose is symptomatic of anything more serious than the common cold or allergies.
With an 8 month old baby I'm guessing you've become, like ALL mothers, allergic to baby poop.
Please let me know how you're doing.
Peace
Greenlydia
I am 28 years old...I had a baby in January and that is what started all this...I did tell the doctor about the headaches and she upped the dosage to see if it is the zoloft...then this morning had a runny nose and you know the first thought that came to mind ahh!!
Hypochondria is NOT a "nice" thing. I don't know of a single person who enjoyed it.
May I ask how old you are? It often helps to know what stage a person is in life when answering questions.
Why did you see the doctor four times in the past month? Did you discuss the headaches when she upped your dose of Zoloft? 50mg is still a very low dose, but hopefully, in another week you will begin to feel some relief of symptoms. If the headaches continue, you need to talk to her specifically about those. I think I can pretty much promise you they aren't being caused by parasites.
The "brain tumor" that was causing MY horrible headaches in the 7th grade, which I had daily for nearly the entire school year, turned out to be a need for glasses. I spent my days squinting at blackboards, and my nights filled with terror wondering when I was going to die. That was the first of many years I lost because of hypochondria.
Perhaps you didn't get dumped while tubing, but it's stil a very vigorous activity and it would be quite easy to pull or wrentch a muscle. No matter how much fun you were having, it still takes strength to hang on to the tube and even if we feel totally relaxed, you can be your body is tensed up during the ride. That is a simple autonomic reaction we have no control over. And that tension can come back to bite your butt in the form of headaches or sore stiff muscles or both.
For a hypochondriac to Google ANYTHING is asking for trouble. Our minds are unbelievably powerful and if we are anxious and afraid, in other words, if we are hopochondriacs, our brain is totally capable of creating those symptoms. I'm talking not just being afraid we MIGHT get those symptoms, I'm saying we now HAVE those symptoms. They are very real and they are very scary.
You know now what you need to do to free yourself from this malady. Talk with your doctor as soon as you can, get that referal and start the process of getting well.
I would like to add just a tiny word of caution here. If your doctor suggests putting you on an antidepressant, hold off until you've had a few sessions with your therapist. Too many doctors think everthing needs a pill to fix when often, just talking to a profesioanl will work. I am NOT against medication if you and your therapist decide it would be in your best interest, but I strongly urge you to not grab onto a "quick fix." Medications may help you feel better, but they only treat the symptoms. A therapist will help you fix the REAL problem.
Keep us posted, OK?
You're going to be fine!
Peace
Greenlydia
May I ask how old you are? It often helps to know what stage a person is in life when answering questions.
Why did you see the doctor four times in the past month? Did you discuss the headaches when she upped your dose of Zoloft? 50mg is still a very low dose, but hopefully, in another week you will begin to feel some relief of symptoms. If the headaches continue, you need to talk to her specifically about those. I think I can pretty much promise you they aren't being caused by parasites.
The "brain tumor" that was causing MY horrible headaches in the 7th grade, which I had daily for nearly the entire school year, turned out to be a need for glasses. I spent my days squinting at blackboards, and my nights filled with terror wondering when I was going to die. That was the first of many years I lost because of hypochondria.
Perhaps you didn't get dumped while tubing, but it's stil a very vigorous activity and it would be quite easy to pull or wrentch a muscle. No matter how much fun you were having, it still takes strength to hang on to the tube and even if we feel totally relaxed, you can be your body is tensed up during the ride. That is a simple autonomic reaction we have no control over. And that tension can come back to bite your butt in the form of headaches or sore stiff muscles or both.
For a hypochondriac to Google ANYTHING is asking for trouble. Our minds are unbelievably powerful and if we are anxious and afraid, in other words, if we are hopochondriacs, our brain is totally capable of creating those symptoms. I'm talking not just being afraid we MIGHT get those symptoms, I'm saying we now HAVE those symptoms. They are very real and they are very scary.
You know now what you need to do to free yourself from this malady. Talk with your doctor as soon as you can, get that referal and start the process of getting well.
I would like to add just a tiny word of caution here. If your doctor suggests putting you on an antidepressant, hold off until you've had a few sessions with your therapist. Too many doctors think everthing needs a pill to fix when often, just talking to a profesioanl will work. I am NOT against medication if you and your therapist decide it would be in your best interest, but I strongly urge you to not grab onto a "quick fix." Medications may help you feel better, but they only treat the symptoms. A therapist will help you fix the REAL problem.
Keep us posted, OK?
You're going to be fine!
Peace
Greenlydia
Thank you for all your comments you have sent my way...I hate feeling this way..I went to the doc last week I have been like four times in the past month...she up my dosage of zoloft to 50mg so I am hoping the headaches will go away...and I didn't get dumped tubing...and I need to stop googling symptoms that is where the parasite comes in and I was fearing the headaches were coming from ahhh!!!
It's called hypochondria and is extremely common. Most people who are prone to anxiety about their health develope this condition. You have an interesting twist to yours. After tubing on the lake, you developed headaches, which most hypochondriacs would assume was a brain tumor, but you fear you have brain parasites.
Most likely you developed headaches because during your tubing time, you could have pulled a muscle or tendon in your neck, back or shoulders that would result in headaches. (Yes, even three days later!) Did the person driving the boat "dump" you? Did you get what we call out here in the Pacific Northwest a "nasal enema?" THAT, I can speak from personal experience, will give you nasty headaches!
And yes, all of us here who have experienced hypochondria know only too well that in your spare time when you're not worrying about brain parasites, you have that heart attack to fret about. Pretty soon you'll add cancer and MS to the list.
Hypochondria can rob you of any joy you might find in life. Which is why you absolutely must do something about it now. I wasted YEARS being freaked out about one disease after another and at 61, I've yet to come down with ANY of them!
See your doctor for a complete physical and discuss your hypochondria. Ask for a referal to a therapist who can help you get to the root cause of this fear so you can deal with it and get on with living a normal, happy and healthy life.
Oh, and I forbid you to Google a single symptom unless you have a hangnail or just stubbed the heck out of your big toe.
Make an appointment with your doctor tomorrow. Please don't put this off. I don't want to see you waste years of your life like I did. You can't ever get them back!
You CAN Google hypochondria as long as you go to good websites like the Mayo or Cleveland Clinic, the NIMH website (National Institute of Mental Health) or the John Hopkins University. You can research hypochondria and begin to get an understanding of what you're dealing with.
This is a highly treatable condition and I hope you stay motivated to overcome it. You will be so happy you did.
Peace
Greenlydia
Most likely you developed headaches because during your tubing time, you could have pulled a muscle or tendon in your neck, back or shoulders that would result in headaches. (Yes, even three days later!) Did the person driving the boat "dump" you? Did you get what we call out here in the Pacific Northwest a "nasal enema?" THAT, I can speak from personal experience, will give you nasty headaches!
And yes, all of us here who have experienced hypochondria know only too well that in your spare time when you're not worrying about brain parasites, you have that heart attack to fret about. Pretty soon you'll add cancer and MS to the list.
Hypochondria can rob you of any joy you might find in life. Which is why you absolutely must do something about it now. I wasted YEARS being freaked out about one disease after another and at 61, I've yet to come down with ANY of them!
See your doctor for a complete physical and discuss your hypochondria. Ask for a referal to a therapist who can help you get to the root cause of this fear so you can deal with it and get on with living a normal, happy and healthy life.
Oh, and I forbid you to Google a single symptom unless you have a hangnail or just stubbed the heck out of your big toe.
Make an appointment with your doctor tomorrow. Please don't put this off. I don't want to see you waste years of your life like I did. You can't ever get them back!
You CAN Google hypochondria as long as you go to good websites like the Mayo or Cleveland Clinic, the NIMH website (National Institute of Mental Health) or the John Hopkins University. You can research hypochondria and begin to get an understanding of what you're dealing with.
This is a highly treatable condition and I hope you stay motivated to overcome it. You will be so happy you did.
Peace
Greenlydia
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