Post Concussion Syndrome after car addicent.
 

Hello NT!

New member here, just hoping to get some help/advice, hopefully one day I can return the favor to someone too (although I'd rather people never get concussions at all where they'd need the advice!). I was in a gnarly car accident on 8/17/15 where I was sitting in the front passenger seat when our little sedan was hit by a Ford F350 right where I was sitting. As a result, I hit my head pretty hard on the right side. 3 days later, I started experiencing vertigo, dizziness, and memory loss/time lapse/"fogginess" and didn't understand why.

Immediately after the accident, we were taken to an ER in a little podunk town, working in an ER myself, I kept requesting a CT scan however the PA assured me I would be fine, gave me 800 mg of Ibuprofen and sent me on my way.

The symptoms that I started to get I thought were due to my thyroid acting up, PMS, or an ear infection. I have never experienced anything like this before. It's bothersome because it's already 4 weeks later and my doctors are telling me to just wait it out. I understand there is no magic pill for this to make me feel normal again, but if anyone has any tips I would be seriously grateful. Probably one of the worst things accompanying my PCS is the anxiety. I've read in other posts that anxiety is a side effect of PCS and wouldn't you know, I had a panic attack and a half the other day at work for the very first time in my life. I say half because the first time it was full blown, the second time I felt it creeping up on me and managed to go meditate and talk myself out of it. What is a pinch less bothersome but still incredibly frustrating is my sense of time - this is what I don't know how to correctly call it. What happens is I might go brush my teeth, read a book, walk the dog, but it all feels like it happened hours or days ago when in reality it may have been only 2 minutes. Does anyone else have this too?

As of now, my MRI came back just fine, I'm taking 450mg Magnesium every day, trying to exercise daily, and trying to handle things the best I can.

If anyone else has experienced PCS and can tell me about their symptoms, things that helped them, anything at all, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks so much guys.
:(

Super Better
 

First off...welcome. this is a hard club to be welcomed too. If I were you, I would file for short term disability, get away from work, focus on your recovery as if your life depended on it. You are at the early stages catch it now and you have the potential to make a full recovery. However if you dont take it seriously it can become a lifetime kind of thing. I am a year and a half out and still feel like I hit my head yesterday.

Listen to the ted talk Super Better by Jane Mcgonigal, she pretty much outlines what you need to do to recover. Figure out your triggers and dont trigger your symptoms, kind of like scratching a scab, you keep scratching it wont heal. Beleive in a full recovery, dont get depressed and anxious and in time you will heal. However if you are like me, you beco super depressed, super anxious, keep triggering your symptoms this recovery can last forever. Also she has a pod cast too. Youtube Joe Rogan 694. To understand how to heal. Welcome to the most difficult thing in your life, if you face it properly you can overcome it or you can be coming to these forms years from now looking for hope.please get away from your job, its non conducive to recovery. Also if I were you after getting help on this post I would get away from NT, because you can become obsessed with looking for answers and that just fuels anxiety.

Wow! Thank you so much, this is great information. I will ABSOLUTELY listen to the Ted Talks and the podcast and Joe Rogan. I'm actually a little worried about the recovery because I went back to work a few days after the accident. I'm wondering seriously if I'm doing myself more harm by being back, I'm unsure of how easily I'll be able to get disability or take time off work though as I have rent, tuition, and my car to pay. Without my job, I will have nothing :( I think this is something I really need to talk to my doctor about again.

Seriously, thank you so much for the information. I will listen to everything tonight.

Be cautious about doctors
 

Be cautious about dictors. All my doctors pointed me to the wrong path. This is a relatively new condition that doctors dont have a handle on. Your best doctor is your body, it will be giving you all sorts of signals. Listen to it. Also journal your recovery its theraputic. A super healthy diet is also key.

Yes, sounds like pcs
 

So, read the vitamin stickie at the top and get what you can going in your system. These things will help you deal with stress which the injured brain does not like.

Vitamins and supplements are no cure all though.

Get your upper neck checked too. This can get out of whack in a car accident and the neck can mimic concussion issues.

Hang in there. You will pull through, but take it easy and reduce stress.

Take care!

poetrymom

LilyNYC,

Welcome to NeuroTalk. Sorry to hear of your injury. It sounds like you would have a personal injury claim so that may be a way to get some financial help. Disability programs sometimes are easier to get if you agree to refund disability payments from future recovery in a Personal Injury claim. Check out www.tbilaw.com to see if he has referrals to your area. An injury like your needs a knowledgeable attorney, not just any ambulance chaser.

You may be able to keep working if you can lower the activity/stress/intensity level. As was said, learn your triggers and avoid them if you can. An ER is full of stresses and triggers. What kind of work do you do in an ER ? Are you also a full time student ?

Jane McGonigal has some interesting things to say but her experience is unique to her. You mileage may vary. There is a saying. "If you have seen one head injury, you have seen ONE head injury." Pushing through because you are determined to get better can make for a long roller coaster ride. But, journaling your days, activities/symptoms is worthwhile.

Although it is a great goal to not get anxious or depressed, the injured brain often has less ability to tolerate stress thus making it difficult to avoid anxiety. But, try to not let your thoughts create anxiety. Your brain's reaction to environmental and cognitive/emotional stress ( sounds, light, cognitive load, emotional stress/relationships with people, etc) will create enough anxiety.

You don't say what your current symptoms are except struggling with anxiety attacks, etc. Likely, there were triggers that caused the attacks. It may have been an accumulation of small triggers or a single trigger.

The injured brain needs extra nutrition. The Vitamins sticky at the top has a good regimen. The most important are B-12, a B-50 Complex, D-3, Omega 3 oil, magnesium/calcium (they work better together). Vitacost is currently doing a BOGO 1/2 off sale if you need to stock up. I like their house brand.

As was said, most doctors are clueless. Without more severe symptoms to indicate a need, a CT Scan right away would have a premature high dose of radiation. Most are done to protect the doctor and profit the hospital more than benefit the patient.

Try to avoid responding to every little change in symptoms. The roller coaster of PCS is to be expected.

BTW, 85% of concussions resolve spontaneously within 6 weeks or so. Too much activity can extend this 6 week period.

We are here for you so don't hesitate to ask for help. But, try to avoid using a Smart Phone to follow online issues. Smart Phone users tend to become too anxious. Try to be patient and things will get better.

My best to you.

Mark in Idaho

Hi and welcome.
The others have given you some great advice, which I will second, and try not to repeat.

Instead, I will address an issue we share, problems with the sense of time. Yes, that is a manifestation of your TBI. In my case, hours and hours could pass, and I'd have no sense of that. I'd get up in the morning and then be surprised to find it was already dark.

In most instances, this goes away with, no pun intended, the passage of time. My awareness is better, now, but not perfect. I have yet to recover my ability to project time. You know, things like when you estimate how long it will take you to get somewhere, to meet someone.

As you're recovering, when you identify deficits (or others point them out, because TBI can induce a lack of self-awareness), you need to find ways to work around them. Don't deny deficits, or beat yourself up, trying to do things the old way. With TBI, the trick is to do what it takes to let you function as smoothly as possible.

In my case, on the time thing, I started to wear a big wristwatch, my family made a point of telling me the hour, several times a day, they would point out how long I'd been doing particular things, they helped me devise a schedule and used egg timers to help me move from one activity to another, etc...

To this day, if I need to project time into the future, my husband has to help me devise the schedule and, then, write it out, so I don't forget. I just can't keep it straight.

I was impressed that you were able to meditate your way out of the panic attack. That puts you in good stead to deal with that issue.

Still, I would suggest seeing a psychologist, who understands TBI, as soon as possible. I'm sure the lawyer, that you should also get ASAP, will recommend that. As well, he/she will tell you to carefully document all of your symptoms, etc... I'm not always sure that that's always best for the psychological wellbeing of TBI patients, but it is essential for the adversarial world of litigation.

Lily,

I hope you pass through this real quick.

Don't be afraid to ask questions here if needed.

I really wish I would have started Marks vitamin regimine earlier...I started about 5 weeks ago and can tell a subtle but welcome difference, some of the rough edges are a bit smoother.

I have dealt with a ton of anxiety since my injury. It is part of the ride for some of us. You can conquer it, you might still sense a storm going on but you can make yourself calm down.

Bud

Welcome! Yes, definitely follow Mark's vitamins regime. The best advice I got was from neuropsych and psychiatrist. Eat healthy and exercise when you can. But rest a lot at first, then watch for trigger signs and take breaks.

Hang in there! Stay strong!

The fact that you can recognise when a panic attack is imminent and calm it down is a positive sign. Sounds like mediation a few times a day could help a lot. Certainly brain rest, it's not always easy easy to recognise brain fatigue as it's not like tiredness and you can't push through it.

Isn't that a fact Super E!

Bud

Thank you, I really need to focus on a healthy diet and cut out the crap!

Thanks for the support, I will definitely bring up the neck with my doctor when I see her next week.

Hi Mark,
Well unfortunately it was the driver's fault of the car that I was in. I am a RN in the ER. I'm trying to avoid as much stress as possible! Sometimes that makes things worse just by stressing the stress! Vicious cycle. I'm only a part time student at the moment. Luckily, when I'm at work, I seem to be distracted and more focused and seem to even forget my symptoms - unless the vertigo is really bad.

I like the idea of journaling, I was thinking of that before but I'm glad you brought it up. I've been writing lots down lately since my memory is poor to remember things here and there but I'm sure writing down symptoms and possibly finding a pattern would be very beneficial.

As far as symptoms, besides the anxiety, I've had non stop vertigo, thankfully it isn't horrible, but it's surely bothersome. What worries me the most though is my sense of time. One doctor thought it might be detachment/depersonalization/derealization which freaked me out even more!!! I've read the signs and symptoms of these but nothing I find seems to really fit what I'm experiencing. The sense of time for me is distorted in the way that I might have breakfast at 6:45AM, but come 7:00AM, it feels like it was much more than 15 minutes prior (maybe even feeling like hours or days ago) and it also doesn't feel like it's 100% there in the memory that I'm able to recall instantly like I used to be able to do. I can tell you what I ate, but I can't tell you super fine details the way I was able to before unless something was specifically called to my attention. I'm wondering if this is something else that others have experienced too? The same doc said that he had dealt with football players who experienced the same time sensation issue but I can't seem to find any info on this anywhere - which leads to your next point. I need to stop googling PCS and anxiety every hour, you're 100% right.

Thank you for your detailed vitamin regimen, I need to add some Curcumin and DHEA, I've been taking the rest for the past two weeks pretty consistently. My neurologist gave me a high concentration of Magnesium intravenously in office that was supposed to improve symptoms but I honestly don't see a difference sadly.

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.

Oh my god, thank you sooo much. It makes me so relieved to hear this. I've been going back and forth between a possible detachment disorder and PCS because of things I've been told. I was really worried that I was developing a psychiatric disorder because of the symptoms and I'm so glad you posted. Thank you SO much. I don't loose time, I seem to add time to things that have just happened making them seem like forever ago when it was only a few minutes - but I'm hoping that this is just another way of the TBI/PCS showing itself. Did you ever experience this side of things? I've been given an SSRI to decrease my cognitive impairments - here's hoping it works!

You have been such a help, thank you.

Thanks for your kind words, Bud. It is nice to know there are people out there who are able to give some insight through a very anxiety causing time in life. I hope that everyone who is kind enough to share some words heals just as quickly themselves if not already.

Did you notice a significant difference with eating healthy and exercising if you weren't doing that as much before? I find that after exercise I become pretty dizzy and I'm really not even pushing myself at all - ex: today I did 30 min on the elliptical at a really easy level. Did you also experience this?
Thanks!

This is definitely a hard thing to identify and I don't think I'd be able to if you asked me right now. I guess it's when the vertigo starts to act up a little more for me and it's harder to concentrate that usual. Does this sound like something that you've experienced?

Thanks.

lilyNYC,

You have a legitimate claim against the driver's auto insurance company. Don't feel like it would be disloyal to your friend. The insurance company just looks at it as a number. The driver's policy covers the occupants of the car you were in and the other car(s). That is a big part of why we are required to carry auto insurance, so those in our car are covered if we mess up.

Most auto policies have a coverage called 'medical payments.' It is usually $5000 or so. It is a no fault coverage for medical care. It does not cover lost wages or pain and suffering, just the cost of medical care/deductibles and co-pays.

Try to relax when you get a comment like derealization, etc. They are just temporary conditions, not permanent diagnoses. The time issue is common and goes away as our brains heal. It can be part of the anxiety we experience. Anxiety messes up the time clock in our brain. I think it has more to do with focus and memory. Things that we would have remembered doing in the morning built the time span like a stack of bricks. When we do not focus on the morning activities even though we do them, some bricks go missing. It can help to use task lists. That way, we notice all the things we did and develop a sense of time for that period.

Remember the old saying, " I just lost track of time." It happens and is not a big deal.

My best to you.

Lily,

I had a difficult time with exercise. At around 3 months I figured I should be running again. It took awhile to figure out that I couldn't exercise at all.

At 9 months I started walking and had to stop again. Around 14 months I was able to walk and swim and now at 18 months I can run 1/4 mile.

Others seem to have no difficulty exercising.

My thought is to let your body be the judge. If after exercising for a few days your symptoms seem to be increasing, stop or slow down for awhile. You will know with a little experimentation what you are capable of.

Bud

Mark, those words have been really, really relieving to hear and I appreciate your comments on my thread of desperation, haha. I don't think anyone will ever know how this feels unless they go through it themselves, thank you So much. I feel a lot better reading this.

Wow, I'm sorry to hear you had difficulty starting up the exercise again. I will definitely try to keep track of my triggers and feelings afterwards. It's so hard to remember to do this, let alone how I was feeling at the time. I do not wish this on my worst enemy! But thank you, I hope you continue to heal quickly.

Hang in there Lily. I actually overdid the exercise in my early months (I actually am/was a competitive cyclist and didn't want the season to slip away, one of the many errors I've made in my recovery). I'm exercising at a much lower threshold now and things seem to be improving. This leaves me more energy for my family. I'm at 7 months now, and have gotten over one big hurdle, which is light sensitivity--but still have dizziness and can have terrible brain fatigue. I also have had real bouts with anxiety, and I find that PCS and anxiety are a double edge sword. One causes the other, and vice-versa. They feed off each other. I'm working on calming my anxiety. Although it has been hard, I'm also working on accepting the "new me." I think I will be a better person having gone through this. I know I will. Like Bud said--I hope that you pass through this episode very fast. Lots of great people on this forum to give you hope and support.

When it comes to exercise, the increase in heart rate can trigger symptoms. My physiotherapist monitored my heart rate, during an exercise session, to find my tolerance threshold.

The key - and, as a former big time jock, I know it's hard - is not to push yourself too hard.

Hi Lily- I was like you and went back to work full-time immediately after my accident. The concussion symptoms didn't start showing up for about 10 days to two weeks after. The accident was the other person's fault (ran a red light and hit me), but my own insurance was giving me problems immediately, too, so I hired a lawyer right away. So, luckily I started P/T for my whiplash injury with in a few days, but the concussion was never really taken seriously til months later, when things were still not where everyone thought they "should" be. Problem is, there's not a lot of long-term, detailed research on head injuries to really even say what's normal and what's not, and how they should be treated. It's a sad state of affairs. I will always wonder, too, if I'd have done better if I had taken a break. Problem is, I already had a surgery scheduled for a month after, and that was going to take up all of my leave time. I simply didn't have the possibility of taking time off.

As for the time thing, I still have trouble with this over a year out. Things that happened before the accident seem like they happened more recently than things that happened afterwards. I had to get a smart phone so that I could set myself alarms for meds, alarms when it's time to get my son from school, reminders for everything. It's actually helpful because it was taking too much of my brain power to try to remember all of those things...and I just couldn't anyway. I used to have a mind like a steel trap, so that was rather hard to get used to. One thing that also helped me a lot is to automate everything I possibly could, especially recurring things like paying bills.

Another thing I had trouble with was trying to hide the problems I was having. I thought I was doing really well, but then I went back and looked at work I did right after the accident, and found a whole lot of errors. :o A couple of friends filled out questionnaires before my neuropsych eval (which was about 10 months after the accident) and I was pretty surprised at how they described me, how I'd changed. Now, when I see a look on someone's face that says "What's her deal?" when I'm trying to talk to someone about scheduling something or any kind of planning or decision-making, I just tell the person I've had a head injury. 95% of the time, the person's attitude is great and it actually takes the stress off of me a bit. :) Another thing that was super hard for me: asking people for help. I was trying to power through, too. One bright spot in this whole ordeal is that some of my friendships have gotten much deeper, partly because I allowed myself to ask for help. Also, knowing that things could have ended up much, much worse has put a lot into perspective for me. I have gotten over quite a few fears I used to have, and done some silly fun things I never would have done before, simply because I know how close I came to not ever having the chance to do them at all. That was another bright spot. :D

Also, you mentioned your thyroid. I'm hypothyroid, and I had to have my dosages adjusted a couple of months after the accident. Everything went suddenly haywire in the matter of a week or two. I recently started seeing an osteopath to try to look into a more holistic approach to healing, and she ran a giant endocrine/hormone panel. Pretty much everything was in the tank. :( The other doctor I was seeing after the accident (the one who didn't initially take the concussion seriously) now says I might have neuroendocrine problems due to the TBI, and he's referred me to an endocrinologist. All of those chemicals are related, and the damage done to the brain in a TBI can have very real affects on the rest of the body. It's pretty amazing, but just this summer, researchers discovered that the brain is actually connected to the lymphatic system of the rest of the body. So, not only can't we trust that doctors in podunk towns will have the most up-to-date information, but there's plenty of stuff that is just plain unknown, period.

I would echo MarkInIdaho (I think that's who said it) and suggest you make a claim on the driver's insurance. It just might reimburse you for work you miss due to doctor's appointments, physical therapy, medications, etc., too (my policy, and the policy of the person who hit me did). I know my own policy had a set amount per person in the vehicle, not just one amount split over everyone. The driver paid the premiums for the benefit, and you need to take care of yourself. :) Just keep a journal of how long appointments are, make copies of bills and receipts that you pay out of pocket in case you can be reimbursed. Especially if you have to take some time off of work, every little bit helps, believe me. :rolleyes:

Were you injured in any other way, such as whiplash?

Thank you Alma Vera, I'm so sorry to hear you experienced such symptoms! You're on point about the concern about missing work. I keep seeing posts on here about taking it easy and not putting yourself in stressful situations, which I'm totally trying to avoid, but I can't just outright quit my job = I will be homeless in a matter of weeks! Who will pay my rent, student loans, groceries, everything?! Unfortunately I don't have a good support system for this, nor would I feel comfortable letting someone in my life right now support me.

When was your accident? How are you feeling now?
The thyroid thing was something I was praying that this was, but turns out after 3 panels of random thyroid tests within the past 6-8 weeks - everything is normal for the time being.

I hate this numbness, this anxiety, the feeling like I can't breathe or act normally. I totally understand you when you said you were trying to hide your problems. I'm afraid if I tell my bosses that I have a head injury, they'll deem me incompetent or incapable of safely doing my job. This is the issue I've been dealing with lately - I have an opportunity to leave my current job and go to a much less stressful one, slightly better hours, but the opportunities of a lifetime will be lost...which is why I keep trying to push through.. Like you said, I'm wondering if this is doing more damage than anything else.

I wish there was a scan to pinpoint what was wrong! I keep seeing ads for this place in Texas and I'm so tempted to fly out there from NYC just to get some help (although it's probably BS).

Thanks for bringing up the alarms, I know it's so simple and it seems like I should've already done that - but in all honesty, I haven't. I'm trying to stay as "normal" as possible.. with abnormal deficits. I will absolutely use the alarms for everything.

I really hope for you that you've recovered!
Thank you.

P.S. thanks for the insurance info. I just started the paperwork earlier today, trying to scrounge up receipts! I took a week off work but luckily they allowed me to use my sick time.

Also, no whiplash. I have an appointment with an ENT Surgeon in December... unfortunately that was the soonest, to see if this is something with my ears as I've had a history with ear problems...wishful thinking? I think so. I doubt ear problems would lead to the memory time lapses though!

Thanks for sharing with us.

lilyNYC,

What is the Texas diagnostics you mentioned ?

Try to keep in mind that with your current struggles, your job opportunity of a lifetime may have been for a past life. With the intolerance to stress that many of us have for a lifetime, the job of a lifetime is the one with low stress levels. I found that my job of a lifetime was one where I went home each day with the job completed, nothing hanging over my head for tomorrow. Then I just had the next day's job to look forward to. Short project jobs are not real common but they are worth the effort to find them.

Hey Mark,
I'll try to find it. I know I've book marked it somewhere. Perhaps you're right, I just started this job at an amazing hospital that will get me into any other hospital in the country, just finished orientation and I'm finally functioning on my own - but the night shift and stress of the job is really weighing down on me.
I will post it to you as soon as I find the name.
Thanks again Mark,
-L

LillyNYC please read
 

LillyNYC, please read the post I just submitted. I hope you find good information and encouragement. I just want to reiterate to no schedule too much for yourself or put yourself in a position where you have too many demands. Surround yourself with people who are support. Hang in there. It has actually made me a better person. :)
Grace F

FYI lily - The post that I think GraceF means is at the end of the

Things you wish you'd known when you first got post-concussion syndrome Thread


http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post1179397-125.html

Thanks for the well wishes, lily! :) My accident was in June of 2014. My whiplash injuries are a distant memory, thankfully. My physical therapists were very good and really drilled into my head new ways of holding myself, positioning my head and neck (esp since I work at a computer all day), and I've done my best to stick with them. I only have pain coming back when I get lazy. ;)

The thing with they thyroid is that it's part of a 'chain' of other endocrine glands, and even if the 'usual' thyroid tests come out normal (which is a huge range, btw), it doesn't necessarily mean that everything is actually functioning the way it's supposed to. There are many other places in the process where things can go haywire. My naturopath (I mistakenly referred to her as an osteopath before) had me do a complete hormone workup for just this reason. Just tonight, I started looking at some of the links that were posted here about neuroendocrine problems after concussion, and I am very surprised to see that some of them don't show up until 3 years post-TBI!!

After getting back into activity over the winter and spring and doing better for a few months, I suddenly started to experience a huge increase in fatigue and other symptoms - even though my schedule was much less busy at the time. I noticed that my appetite disappeared, but I wasn't losing weight -- but my middle is getting bigger. My sleep is a mess, and in a way, it's worse now that the seasons are changing: I'm back to not being able to tolerate cold, so I put blankets on at bedtime because my teeth are chattering, then I wake up at 2 or 3 a.m., drenched in sweat. Every night. And I'm someone who has ALWAYS slept with my window cracked open all year long, even living in the upper Midwest. :rolleyes:
Unfortunately, when I mentioned my change in body shape and not losing weight, it was automatically chalked up to my age and menopause. Well, I don't think that's it, as my hormone levels came back BELOW menopausal levels -- some too low to register on the tests.
But I started pregnenalone about a month ago, and I think it might be the reason that, for the first time since the accident, I have been able to get into a craft/hobby project after work and enjoy it. I sewed Halloween costumes for my son and myself, and I made my son's up off the top of my head. That's much more like the "old" me, and it made me so happy that I could do it, even with my atrocious sleep. However, the morning after Halloween, I woke up with a sore throat and cough, and I've been sick since. :p Still, I would have been crushed if I'd gotten sick even a day earlier. I've been taking other supplements, such as B12, citicholine, B6, C, A, Zinc, Omega 3s...and all they seem to do is make me sick to my stomach, lol. I'm hoping that just maybe the pregnenalone is converting to progesterone. I have permission to go up to 2 pills a day, and I think I'm going to try it.

I don't know what kind of job you have, but if your injuries would not endanger someone else's life, I would think that you have a right to ask for accommodations under the ADA. Some of these could include temporarily lightening your workload, giving you the ability to take additional breaks of even a few minutes at a time to walk around and clear your head (my speech-language pathologist had to tell me over and over how important it is to my brain to have a break in concentration every so often -- you'll actually be MORE efficient), etc. I was able to ask for a better office chair, as mine was almost 20 years old, and even with pillows and cushions I brought from home, it was causing me pain. If you have retained an attorney for the accident, see if you can get any info from him or her about protecting your job. It would help to lessen your stress if you didn't have worries about losing your job hanging over your head. As Mark said about your chance of a lifetime...that might have to be adjusted, maybe just for the time being.

I held off on getting a 'smart phone' as long as possible, but after late charges on bills, missed appointments, etc., I invested $30 for a cheap LG Straight Talk phone from Walmart. Saves my bacon over and over. Even doing things like taking a picture of something I want to remember and look up later can be really helpful. Another hint -- use the timer on your stove and microwave oven at home to help you out, even if you're putting on a pot of water for pasta. I've boiled a few pots dry when I've put things on to cook and forgotten about them. :p I also use them when I'm putting my sprinklers on in my yard. And if you work with a computer, Windows has a thing where you can set yourself a task reminder to pop up, whenever you schedule it to, and you can type a message in the little box, too. My boss told me about this, because when I do focus, I won't move for so long that I end up stiff. So i set it to pop up on my screen at the top of every hour, with the message "Get up and walk around!" Sounds dumb to anyone else, I suppose, but it's helped me a lot. :)

Good luck to you! I hope you find out good news about getting some help at your job. :)

AlmaVera,

Why are you using OTC hormones rather than targeted and prescribed bio-identical hormones ? Is you ND testing you to see how you respond to the pregnenolone ? Are you taking any DHEA ?

Here is the place where my wife gets her bio-identical hormones. They are by far the most affordable. https://www.womensinternational.com/..._referral.html They also have a referral database if you need someone who works with bio-identicals.

At peri-enopause and post menopause, it can take a few try and test cycles to get proper balance.

I'm using oral pregnenalone, and a bio-identical estrogen cream, both prescribed. My ND is a big believer in bio-identicals. She started with the pregnenalone first, since it's a precursor hormone, then started the estrogen. I tried DHEA, but had virilization side effects. As it happened, I was lucky to have my employer's semi-annual wellness blood draw a few weeks ago, and I paid for some extra tests. Unfortunately, there was some snafu and they couldn't run the female hormone test. :( I will need my ND to test it, though that will cost more.

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