u/lulai_00

I'm 35yo female. Ever since having my daughter, I've dealt with cyclical reflux/regurgitation episodes. Highly affected by hormones (worsens in some parts of the month). They come and go. Can't figure out how to resolve. These are the tests and meds I've tried:

- Meds:

Antidepressants nor antipsychotics helped.

Ppi's caused me joint pain (havent tried them since treating SIBO though)

Pepcid

Club soda

Ginger

Digestive enzymes (kind of help)

Gaviscom (can't tolerate magnesium)

Reflux Gourmet (meh)

Atrantil

Iberogast

Xifaxamin+neomycin twice

Probiotics from kefielr

- Tests

Gastric emptying test for gastroparesis (can gastroparesis be cyclical though?)

SIBO Test (positive both times-year apart) - treated twice, likely will have to treat a third time, not sure what's causing it

Billiary function test

Colonoscopy and endoscopy

Fat absorption test

Stool tests

Almost every blood work possible.

I eat pretty healthy. Meats, protein, some veggies and fruit. Not a lot of processed food. But I can figure this out. I also absorb stuff differently that I used to as well - absorb medication more intensely than I used to. I deal with burping, pressure, reflux and upper back pain a lot.

I'm on my second gastroenterologist who doesn't really know what to do with me. So here I am, asking. I'd appreciate any direction. Thank you.

It's taken a long time to get a doctor to listen to me and understand my symptoms; which are highly cyclical.

Being 35, people assume you're "too young," but I think pregnancy shifted my hormones in a big way that they never came back from.

Symptoms I am having:

- Trying to sleep and can't cool off to save my life

- Night sweats

- Random bouts of insomnia

- Cyclical anxiety

- Cyclical depression

- Migraines

- Random dry eyes

- Gut issues

- Joint pain

- Extreme exhaustion

They recommended estrogen patch followed with microgestin - I'm also newly on psychiatric medications. Good Lord, being a female is hard.

In the past, I had tried progesterone alone - nope. Testosterone cream made me angry. Really frustrating.

Anyone else young with this? How do you cool off at night?

Has anyone else ever had to take medical leave to address their mental health with work?

I had to do that this year and a few years ago, with postpartum. And it feels so taboo, especially in my field. I'd love to hear your stories.

Aside from the emotional and gastro issues I have with my period, I get hit with a wall of complete exhaustion. I also bleed quite a bit and I'm already thin. I'm annoyingly pretty regular, get migraines, aches, and just sooooo tired.

Is there anything that helps y'all?

I've never dealt with panic attacks until 2020. Got on meds, proceeded till I got pregnant. Dealt with postpartum panic attacks, tried a bunch of meds. Went off meds for a while; major medication sensitivity. Lots of labs and doctors.

This past month, I had the worst set of panic attacks in my life. I've been struggling with my health anxiety, life, divorce, single parenting, etc. I was hit my a category 5 panic attack wave. It wouldn't let up. I was disoriented to the max, tremors, nauseous, incabale of taking care of myself, couldn't sleep, hijacked by my brain, doom and gloom nonstop. Had someone bring me to the hospital by day 4. Took over a week for meds to even begin to sort of touch it. It brought me down to a place of massive distrust and unsure if I can take care of myself. I swore up and down, something was wrong with me. What was this? What did I do wrong.

Psychiatrists in the ward and outpatient have been minimally supportive and helpful. I see a private one tomorrow. I'm very sensitive to meds. That's my issue in the past. But Jesus Christ. How did I get knocked off my feet so quickly. For such a long time.

Has anyone experienced this? What helped you?

Long story short: I've been on a variety of medications and tend to be a side effect magnet.

My biggest side effects I'm having 2 weeks in: constant, low/medium frequency anxiety and random tremors. Today I couldn't use my right hand to do basic things like grabbing a receipt because it kept shaking like I had a movement disorder.

Anyone else go through this?

Last month, out of the blue, I was hit with waves of panic attacks that sent my body into a non-stop surge of adrenaline. Until I finally went to the hospital, my body would not relax. This was all before my cycle and I've never had anything this big occur before. Not lasting for days, non-stop. Trembling, stomach issues, nausea, brain going 100mph, insomnia, depression and massive dread.

I have SIBO that I've treated twice; and it's gotten more manageable as of late.

I saw a hormone specialist who thinks it could be PMDD triggered.

I see a neurologist Monday.

Gave my psychiatrist a list of meds I've tried in the past and I'm on low-dose Prozac which makes me constantly feel on edge. I get a second opinion Tuesday.

I'm on short term disability because of how massively it shook me to my core.

Has anyone experienced something similar? What has helped you?

New update hit and now messenger looks different. The word "Google" takes up half the page before you scroll to see your messages. And it's too much contrast. WHY. How do I change it back.

I was on this medication for 2 years before I had my daughter. However, when I tried it again, each time, it made me massively depressed. What gives?

I developed higher medication sensitive after having my daughter. I was successful on Zoloft for two years. Now, anytime I try it, I have massive depressive.

I started Prozac last week. I've only been on 6mg because anytime I try higher, I cannot function. I feel *drugged* like I'm circulating mud through my brain. It's helped the mental anxiety A LITTLE but not much. It hardly helps the physical anxiety either. I really suck at having the patience to wait. Sigh.

Anyone else deal with either of these:

- Increased anxiety and back spasms after eating sometimes

- Random body spasms shooting on and off / weakness feeling.

What helps you?

I just finished reading a post someone made 4 years ago about something similar. So, I wanted to share mine.

I've dealt with OCD/anxiety most of my life. A little anxiety attack here and there, and off I go.

Around 2020, I started having them daily. I realized a year later, it was from my birth control. But I'd wake up with palpitations every morning and couldn't relax. Due to this escalating, I eventually got on Prozac. And once I stopped my BC, the random paranoia went away.

2022 I got pregnant and got off of Zoloft. Had my daughter and went into terrible postpartum. Off and on different med trials for 3 years; medication sensitivies I didn't have before. SIBO. Stomach issues - maritial issues. I began to really distrust my body.

2026. I had been working hard with exposure therapy. Trying to live life and show myself I can enjoy things again. Driving an hour from home. Being an hour from home. Taking a short trip, etc. all success. Then, came two weeks ago. I had all my comfort things and I figured it would be a little uncomfortable. But, that night as we arrived; nothing really set me off. My body just shifted. It has likely started the day before. I had a panic attack, a huge one, and then my body never shut off. Shaking, muscle spasms, massive derealization, "where am I?", brain going 100x an hour, nausea, throwing up, couldn't sleep, couldn't relax; my brain and body felt hijacked. And I had no meds because I had been managing mini panic with chamomile tea and yoga.

This went on for 6 days until I went into a facility. Brought myself to the ER by day 5. They tried gabapentin and wanted to try abilify. I'm one of those *one med at a time* people due to side effect issues. I don't take benzos because I once tried that in 2020, for three days straight, and by day 4 if I didn't take it, my skin was freaking crawling. That lasted a week, so NOPE.

I write this as I took a short term disability leave because of this. I am following up with a neurologist and a perimenopause specialist because I think my hormones are playing a role in it as well. I'm also currently starting Prozac and have rescue meds like gabapentin (which make me pass out if more than 50mg) and propranolol (I take 1/4 of 10mg or I'll pass out).

I'm just so frustrated. Has anyone been through something similar? What helped you? And also, how did you mentally heal from it?

Migraine triggering panic symptoms?

I've only recently been diagnosed with migraines as of late. I never particularly got "pain," as much as pressure, brain fog, light and sound sensitivity and fatigue.

This past cycle, right before I started my period, I went into this panic attack over something. Prior to, I was already feeling symptoms; nausea and light/sound sensitivity. I had a panic attack that night over something. A big one. And then seemingly never came down from it. I couldn't sleep. Had muscle spasms, weakness, nausea, vomiting, incoherent thinking, etc. Nothing that usually calms my panic attacks was working. I kept throwing up, having micro muscular spasms and had massive confusion. My panic attacks rarely in the past have caused large incoherence like this. Almost extreme depersonalization or detachment from reality. Making decisions and creating a structured thought felt like walking through mud. Couldn't sleep.

I did end up going into the hospital to protect myself / seek help and I'm seeking treatment for panic disorder at the moment and following up with my neurologist.

Because it was extremely terrifying how my body refused to relax even once I was home safe in my bed. My mind becoming foreign. But I'm curious. What are the odds this could be migraine related? Hormone related? Gluten/dairy related? My panic attacks used to be a few minutes to maybe an hour. This felt like a systemic high jack. I've also rarely struggled with sleep before and now it's almost am impossible task. Also as a random note

Timing:

- Right before menstrual cycle

- Going to a new place on the road

- Reintroducing gluten into diet multiple times

Symptoms:

- Incoherent thoughts

- Intrusive thoughts

- Light / sound sensitivity

- Muscle shakes /micro spasms

- Weakness

- Nausea / Vomitting

- Insomnia

- Buzzing feeling

Duration: 4+ days (hasn't happened before like this).

Notes:

- I don't take medication. I did try chamomile tea and Pepto to help my stomach/anxiety. Both were amiss.

- The hospital put me on gabapentin. I could only tolerate about 100mg a day without it making me pass out. This did help, but gabapentin would give me headaches. If I took too much, I simply could not stay awake.

- Melatonin has been incrementally helpful, but not really with sleep.

So yeah, wtf just happened?

I've only recently been diagnosed with migraines as of late. I never particularly got "pain," as much as pressure, brain fog, light and sound sensitivity and fatigue.

This past cycle, right before I started, I went into this panic attack over something. Prior to, I was already feeling symptoms; nausea and light/sound sensitivity. I had a panic attack that night over something. A big one. And never came down from it. I couldn't sleep. Had muscle spasms, weakness, incoherent thinking, crying, nausea, etc. Nothing that usually calms my panic attacks was working. I kept throwing up, *micro shakes* and had massive confusion. My panic attacks rarely in the past have caused large incoherence like this. Almost extreme depersonalization or detachment from reality. Making decisions and creating a structured thought felt like walking through mud. Couldn't sleep. I don't usually cry that much either.

I did end up going into the hospital to protect myself and I'm seeking treatment for panic at the moment and following up with my neurologist.

Because it was extremely terrifying how my body refused to relax even once I was home safe in my bed. My mind becoming foreign. But I'm curious. What are the odds this could be migraine related? Hormone related? My panic attacks used to be a few minutes to maybe an hour. This felt like a systemic high jack.