Health Problems From PSTD?

[Auburngirl]

Of things that aren't direct symptoms I have: occasional acne, unexplained weight gain (ie I exercise a lot, eat healthily and have gained 10 pounds, I'm still healthy, but it's puzzling), muscle tightness/pain especially neck and jaw - usually after a bad night, upset stomach.

Not much when compared to what everyone else is dealing with. I think most of my symptoms are related to stress, which I'm trying to manage with all the tools I have (psychotherapy, exercise, medication, healthy eating, sleeping, breathing exercises, etc.). all of this is the worst when I'm stressed, and mostly disappears when I'm not.

 

[sigh]

Body in Pain from PTSD

A couple of the forums I've read have touched on this, but I don't see a single forum dedicated to it.

MAY TRIGGER

When I was young, the stress of my dad's sexual abuse gave me rashes. Doctors then weren't trained like they are now, and disregarded the rashes--not thinking they might be from stress.

I get migraines. I've gotten them for a long time. I take many medications for them including Percocet (which is set to go off the market). They are totally debilitating and often happen after I see my father.

I have an overactive thyroid which means that although I might feel fatigued, my body is ready to jump out of a window at a moments notice. This goes for Adrenaline too. My body is always on high response, just waiting for danger.

My cervical vertabrae in particular as well as the reason of my spine have been sending me out to pt's rolfers, and chiropractors. They seem to see the problem but are helpless to help out. Like I've missed a month of chiropractor right now and it's like everything went back to the way it was.

I hate getting my period. Being stuck with a needle is one thing. But having it come out of that part of your body is devastating. My father used to make me bleed. It was very painful.

My whole gastro-intestinal system including my stomach are messed up. I take a lot of pills for that. They have been messed up as long as I can remember. Anxiety feeding into that problem. It never occurred to m I could actually see someone about it.

I feel like I'm not going to live very long because my body is disintegrating right before my eye(glasses).

I dont know if this thread is going to be posted, but it sure felt good writing it. I'm sure I missed something, but whatever :eek:

 

[sigh]

I didn't expect this fast of a response. There are things I have that I have experienced that I didn't want to put on the list, like a slew of psychiatric dx's. They all collapse and fall under PTSD and bipolar disorder.

I have mono. I don't feel strong anymore, I feel weak. We've wondered if I have Graves' Disease. whoopee. I appreciate Anthony's list; lists are good for reference but not necessarily what's happening now.

I have terrible insomnia. I "zone out" and have narrowly missed car accidents. I have a tremor which sometimes encompasses my entire body and I just cannot stop shaking. I also have a lot of nausea and vomiting.

you can die from an iron overdose. there are many vitamins which become toxic to the system in large quantities. with the cranberry juice--my mom takes cranberry extract pills--if that helps.

 

[Julia_]

And here I was thinking I was just a hypochondriac...

I have quite a few from the list - skin problems, palpitations, exacerbated allergies, anxiety symptoms, chronic insomnia & depression, hair loss, am on the brink of diabetes and the worst of all is the obesity - which started within 12 months of the domestic violence I witnessed and was subjected to when I was little and has gotten worse and worse ever since....
I was always a sickly child - I got every cold and virus that went around school and when others were sick for 3 days or a week I was sick for 3 weeks or a month until I managed to get viral syndrome when I was 13 and, coupled with severe depression and suicidality, I couldn't get out of bed for three months.

It seems so unfair that I feel old and frail and weak at just 21 years old - and even if I can do a stirling job of hiding all my emotional and psychological scars, the physical signs of 15 years of constant stress and C-PTSD are visible from miles away. :wall:

 

[Saffron]

Alone; I had thought that what I had gone through was extreme but the reality now in what I have read here is that healing is improved through a positive outlook, and friendships that uplift can and do help us to cope and heal. I believe that there is no shame in real and true friendship, I think friends help more than they sometimes know.

 

[cat]

When I was first diagnosed with PTSD it was quired whether I had Health anxiety as I always seemed to be at my GP's with yet another problem. However, as therapy addresses my PTSD symptoms my health problems are improving, looking at my list most of them are anxiety driven.

Chronic viral infections
Allergies
IBS
Anemia
Enlarged lymph glands
Chronic insomnia
Unexplained pain in arms & legs
No periods - bonus!
Migraine
Chronic fatigue symdrome

Two complaints seem to be common to other posts: Migraine & CFS
I've had migraine for 30yrs but my attacks increased to daily when my PTSD was at its worst 6mths ago causing me to increase my medication. Concerned that i was overmedicating causing rebound headaches my GP suggested I try to avoid taking any meds for them. I had a horrendous month of migraines but it has paid off, I am almost free of them & those I do get, around 2 a month, are much less painful than before & I can treat with just a mild painkiller. So for other migraine sufferers its worth taking a look at your medication use.

As for my CFS, I don't know what to think. I no longer need to pace myself & don't experience the extreme fatigue I had a year a go from physical exertion but do have some following an intense session with my psychologist & when I'm very anxious. I'm also taking homeopathic meds which do seem to help releive the symptoms. My psychologist & homopaths theory on my CFS is that it is psychological, my Gp that it is physical but connected to stress so I'm hoping that in time I'll be free of it.

 

[LoveWins]

I have had no end of gynecological problems, raging infections that have been (and are) unbearable, and I was sexually abused. All tests I have had have come out clear and no medication is working. They seem to really be struggling to pin down the cause of it, and the tests and examinations obviously stress me out loads

Over the years I have also had recurring cystitis, pain in the womb area, a lot of headaches and a massive amount of bloating

I really don't know if there is a connection, but I know stress can lower our immune response:dontknow: It really hasnt helped matters anyway

Oh I also have really bad depression, but I figured that just comes under PTSD generally

 

[SunnyBrookFarm]

Wow - so many similarities:

I have:
High blood pressure (since 21 yrs old - all "normal" causes have been ruled out)
Interstitial Cystitis
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Possible Fibro (still being confirmed)

 

[MissPlumDrop]

My symptoms include hypertension (during highly stressful times), depression, chronic neck/back pain (ambulance from work a couple weeks ago), heart palpitations, sweating and chills, headaches, abdominal pain, vertigo, TMJ, more frequent colds and viral infections.

 

[Mercy]

I have depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, diabetes, diarreha, exhaustion, spinal deteriation, and many 'old war wounds'. I have had many surgeries, also statistically higher for people with PTSD. You can guess the first thing to go was the female 'plumbing'.

 

[RealityCheck]

the bladder infection wouldn't be cystitis would it? Some research I've done on alternative therapy says that urinary infections like cystitis are connected with the kidneys which symbolizes a breakdown in relationships - being p*ssed off with somebody close. I've suffered from that for years... once it did spread into my kidneys which was extremely painful and yes it was when I was really p*ssed off with my boyfriend at the time - he told me he'd just slept with another woman and I pretended to be OK with it. Instead of expressing my anger I internalised it and took on the pain myself.

 

[RosieNorth]

rheumatoid arthritis bothers me during my most stressfull periods. Recently I've found out that I have osteoporosis, my bones are like the bones of someone 20 years older than me.