so, to clarify..... I should up by B12 1000mg daily to 2000mg to get my level as close to 1000 as possible? i started by B50 complex today also. i bought the vits you recommended but quite honestly have a lot of anxiety to start all of them at once as i had a panic attack once after trying to take a new bunch of them years ago. absurd i know. i took my multi vitamin last evening and i swear i didn't sleep well at all, could the multi vit do that do you know? just a thought. i really should consider a leave of absence at work. this job stresses me out, even when it is a light load. im an RN and need to have a clear head. its hard with the anxiety. anyways, Mark, how much does that test cost....to have my labs checked for hormonal balance?? thanks again.

My wife's annual blood work is $200 to $300, maybe $400 if she needs a repeat. Some women's health clinics have lower cost arrangements with labs. Different labs have wildly different fees. The consult is only partially covered at best with some insurance. I think the lab and consult are about $500 per year on average. Last year, her new insurance paid most of it, just not the compounded hormones.

The first year is more expensive as balancing hormone levels requires trial and error for best results.

Do you have access to a neuro-endocrinologist ? Esthersdoll used one rather than a women's health specialist.

My wife sees an RNP who is board cert in women's health and is top notch. The gyno the RNP used to work with was not as good.

Thankyou for all the info!
Hopefully "this too shall pass".
Bless

Mark a friend and I were discussing the bio therapy. Does your wife take pills daily? My friend gets a pellet sewn into her buttock cheek once every 3-4 months at a cost of $345. My friend was just curious I suppose as your wife's cost seems way lower
Thankyou

My wife takes 20 mgs of DHEA as a tiny pill each day (OTC and cheap at 6 cents a day) and applies a compounded cream to her arm each evening. The compounded cream costs $105 for a 3 month supply. It is progesterone and estradiol in a precise ratio. She used to pay $45 a month from Women's International for the same cream. The cream comes in a self-measuring dispenser that you turn to a measurement line and apply what squirts out. Sort of like a deodorant except with the measurement built in.

Hormone pellet therapy is not as precise. Some absorb the pellets faster than others requiring inserting them at closer intervals. The YouTube showing the insertion does not look pleasant. My wife would never go for that. She's been doing it for 15 years with the cream and DHEA pills.

thankyou. Mark, in your wise opinion, do you think it was good for me to start with the

SSRI so quickly. Yes my nervousness was unbearable and it was the cure 5 yrs ago.

I just wish we could see inside what we are dealing with. its frustrating. id hate to

think i should have just left it alone and let my brain do its thing. ive read that most

avoid alcohol. quite honestly, having a cold beer gives me some relief. How does the

achohol slow brain healing? is it the sugar? im on day 11 of my 10mg celexa. not

feeling a whole lot yet. im amazed at everyones testomonies....seems like they suffered

alot worse than me and yet i let myself get so carried away with it all. it just feels like

awful anxiety. i am in a high anxious state most of the day. i am sleeping ok. im sorry

im rambling. i dont have many places to get support from others with experience. thankyou again Mark for being there for all of us.

The researchers who say no alcohol make an exception. They have agreed that a single serving can have a benefit with relaxation. This can out weight the negatives of alcohol.

For some, an SSRI is needed to get past the sometimes overwhelming anxiety. Focus on getting your thoughts off the anxious ideas. You want to take advantage of the SSRI to break the vicious cycle of anxious thoughts so that when to go off the SSRI, those thoughts are not ready to jump up and bite you.