Family PN/Depression +Advice Needed
 

I don't even know where to begin since this madness has been going on for over 15 years. I'll try to be brief. Thank God I found this forum! Sorry this is so long and confusing...

The Past: My mom used to be a very strong advocate for her own health care. About 15 years ago she had a radical hysterectomy. Around that time she started feeling "numbness" in one of her legs. She saw many doctors and finally one shot her with a steroid and her symptoms went away. She had a yearly steroid shot even though her GP told her that eventually it would stop working.

Around 5 years ago she started drinking heavily. She has been smoking since the 70's. She doesn't exercise. Her diet is not very good. Then the steroid shot stopped working and her leg issue went downhill dramatically.

I and my family still thought as of 2000 that she was taking care of medical decisions and didn't force her to tell us what doctors were telling her. Then she retired in 2009 and it seemed like the wheels came completely off.

Around 2010 she had her first major fall. At this time she claimed doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with her leg/balance. Some doctor put her on Effexor and didn't really explain to her why. Then in 2012 her GP retired and everything got confused so now I'm in the process of piecing together this puzzle. Her personality has completely changed over this time.

In the last talk I had with her old GP's nurse she said, "Here's what nobody is going to tell you - it's neuropathy in her leg and she's severely depressed." This is the first time I heard neuropathy and that it may be caused by alcoholism, diabetes (which she may or may not have) and smoking.

Our family has since gotten involved but it may be too late. She's had five major falls over the past couple years. Our situation is complicated by the fact that my mom seems to be under a spell - almost some zombie version of her former self. Although she's agreed to stop drinking after a couple interventions, she just doesn't seem motivated to do anything to get better. She still smokes two packs a day, doesn't do the physical therapy exercises she was sent home with and refuses to use a cane even though she looks like she could fall at any moment. She consistently claims that nothing is wrong and that I'm being dramatic.

So it's her mental state that I'm most concerned with. And now after reading through some of the threads here - it's clear that there's a link between PN and depression. At first some of us and her friends thought she may have had a stroke.

If we cannot address her lack of any motivation to turn this thing around - what can we do? What can be done with someone who's radically depressed but claims not to be? What makes me mad is that she's been on this effexor for four years and no one has sought to oversee it or manage it or mandate some sort of talk therapy.

We recently got her in with a good internist who's reviewing the mountain of ridiculousness. I've decided to put my foot down on the Effexor. It's been four years and all I see is a shadow of my mother's former self. But the internest - whom I don't want to **** off - wants to up her dose! Why? What for? I talked to my mom and she agreed to try Wellbutrin instead. But now he's balking thinking that I'm bullying my mother into this change. After all the effort we undertook to get her to stop drinking, he wants to pump more of this major SSRI in to her? When this could have some hand in her complete lack of motivation - sleeping until noon every day?

The internist also decided against b12 shots saying that oral would be fine.

She fell a couple months ago and didn't tell anyone. Turns out she had a broken arm. She seems unconcerned that if she continues down this path she will cripple herself.

So don't know where to turn. So overloaded with info.... Any advice appreciated.

I took Effexor for a couple of years, it just petered out and I got super depressed. I wanted to jump off a bridge. Switched to Wellbutrin and it helped immensely, and I stopped smoking. That med makes you fell a little sick when you smoke. I loved smoking, and now can only have a few puffs if I stole somebody's smoke while drinking.

When she switches, she has to taper off of Effexor really slowly. It does these brain zaps that suck, and they're really bad if you go too fast.

Since this started AFTER a major pelvic surgery, did anyone suggest an Xray to see if anything was left in the pelvis?

Sponges, and even hemostats can be left behind which then cause all sorts of low grade infections, odd pain syndromes and other problems. Damage to ureters and nerves can happen in any hysterectomy.

I'd get another medical opinion ASAP... get x-rays of the pelvic area and a complete check up. I even knew one gal who had actinomycosis in her pelvis from this surgery. She had it over 10 yrs!

Your Mother may be self medicating to dampen the pain and discomfort. The steroid shots may have reduced inflammation temporarily and the damage would remain and continue.

Also, find a good integrative MD to help with supplements and diet. Toxins like smoking and sugar need to be stopped. Smoking is terrible for circulation as well as being toxic.

Diet needs to be very good, no sugar and simple carbs. Just good carbs and a healthful diet, gentle exercise. The nerves are so sensitive to the damage from insulin with or without diabetes. The mitochondria have to be addressed with diet and supplement.

A good integrative MD can check serotonin and other neurotransmitters that reg. doctors cannot help with.

There are so many good tests to take for mood. Neurotransmitters, Vit D, B12. A good DHA Fish oil is also important for that. A doctor can check hormone levels also. I hope you can find a good doctor.