Am I a hypchondriac?

[daniebelle]

My Question:

Am I a hypochondriac?


Background:

I've been diagnosed with bipolar since a few weeks after my 19th birthday.  That makes is 9 years now since I'm 27.  Sometimes I feel like if I can't control my mood swings I've developed a way of living with them.  When I'm manic the best cure is to go sleep.  My husband has my permission to try to coax me into taking a "nap".  Without fail that ends the episode.  Well at least the worst parts.  I may still be on the up side of my cycle and prone to keep getting uncontrollably manic until I crash and burn into depression.

The one thing I can't explain is the physical pain I feel on a continual basis.  My muscles ache just about all the time.  I have migraines that only respond to imitrex injections or just waiting them out.  I've been to the doctor about the physical pain--I feel like he thinks I'm being a whiner.  I just don't understand where its coming from.  I've had for about 4-5 years now.  On days where I'm mentally and emotionally well my body hurts to the point I don't want to move much take care of my daily responsibilities.  I exercise as much as I can.  But I just don't get it.  Am I just being a wimp here?  Does everyone else feel these things and don't make such a big deal about it?

Sometimes this pain makes me feel MORE nuts because I can't explain why I feel it.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and if possible answer my question. =/

[tres1965]

I take imitrex injections too, on some severe headache's they give me the pills though. I
did discover the top, top headache numbing med is stadol. They give it in a nose spay or
a shot.
DRAWBACK though is it is an opiate & 99.9% of Dr's/Neuro.'s won't give it.
I get the heckish aches a lot, always have had them, & my family has them.
I haven't taken Stadol but a few X'S & I was thrilled to find it, but the rate of addiction
terrified me. So, I only cautiously use it!

I think if you think you are ill enuf' to go thru the hassle & $$$$$  of an illness that it
doesn't matter what the world thinks, you know your body, take care of it!
*hugs* Tres

[tres1965]

I take imitrex injections too, on some severe headache's they give me the pills though. I
did discover the top, top headache numbing med is stadol. They give it in a nose spay or
a shot.
DRAWBACK though is it is an opiate & 99.9% of Dr's/Neuro.'s won't give it.
I get the heckish aches a lot, always have had them, & my family has them.
I haven't taken Stadol but a few X'S & I was thrilled to find it, but the rate of addiction
terrified me. So, I only cautiously use it!

I think if you think you are ill enuf' to go thru the hassle & $$$$$  of an illness that it
doesn't matter what the world thinks, you know your body, take care of it!
*hugs* Tres

[LeftCoastChick]

I would get a second opinion - I live in chronic pain and have so for years. I had CT and multiple Xrays done, which prove I have arthritis and spodylolothesis - which is one on my L5 vertabrae didn't form correctly and then I got arthritis on it, because vertabrae shouldn't have movement the way it does with me. I have had  some severe headaches, migraines and cluster type ones, but they almost completely stopped when I switched over to Lamictal from a SSRI. It was partially anxiety and depression which where mostly the culprits and I think the med itself. I still get a migraine once a month, it's hormonally induced. (gotta love being a woman) I've only had a dozen headaches in the last 6 months.

    It was my psychiatrist who said it wasn't a real pain, even my arthritis, I was shocked. I told my GP and her mouth dropped, I think she had "words" with him. I can't take most of the meds that are on the market because I have severe reflux disease, BUT being in a better state of mind has helped me cope with the pain to a better degree. I woke up this morning and I couldn't move, my back and ribs were locked up, and I had a hard time breathing,  I'm still in agony - it's hard to move around, I feel like my spine's going to give out, so I finally caved and took some Tylenol 1's and my Flexeril to ease it up.  

I truly believe that some pain is caused by the imbalance of brain chemicals, and you are actually feeling pain, no doubt about it. BUT it sounds like your BP isn't controlled enough with meds (if you are on meds) .  I can only say from personal experience that my quality of life is better after going on Lamictal. As well, I was in a support group for folks with BP and severe depression for 4 months for folks who were just diagnosed and were having issues with even daily tasks and isolation.  It was only for a 4 month period and I miss the group tremendously - but the group helped me reckogize many things and it sure helped with coping mechanism and not to take things "lying down' per se, both literally and figuratively.

I would speak with your psychiatrist about your pain levels, there are also a multitude of psychopharmaceuticals used for chronic pain sufferers as well . Sometimes after an accident, the brain gets overloaded because of the intense pain, and doesn't realize that the area has healed, so it keeps on firing pain chemicals.  The brain is a strange and complex organism.  Hypochondriac is someone who thinks they get sick with everything and does it for attention (like my ex room-mate) , your's is completely different, you don't run into the doctor for every sniffle or strange feeling in your body. Now this is just my opinion, but knowing someone whom I am sure is, and what you have described, it's a resounding NO!