Are my doctors full of shit?

[trenton]

I have been having complications with my medicine and I suspect that I might be misdiagnosed. I have been diagnosed with a combination of depression, anxiety, ptsd, OCD, and autism. I have been diagnosed with severe or major depression due to hospitalization caused by withdrawal symptoms from anti depressants which made my depression worse and suicidal thoughts which have persisted for 13 years.

So first of all, I was prescribed Zyprexa. This medication damaged my liver despite helping me sleep and slow my thoughts down. Therefore my doctor told me to stop taking it immediately. This causes severe withdrawal symptoms that I'm currently going through. This started with insomnia, causing me to stay awake until 3 in the morning and vomiting which could cause me to take a leave of absence for work. It escalated to hearing voices, sleep paralysis and hallucinations, and not being able to sleep until five in the morning. I have a hard time eating.

Secondly, I was prescribed a new anti depressant. This one causes daytime drowsiness. The result is that I'm tired through the day and fall asleep around 4 in the afternoon. I have a bad history with anti depressants because they repeatedly made my depression worse. I don't like the trial and error approach people with depression are forced to take.

My concern starts with the sleeping problems. My father also had serious sleeping problems and there might be a genetic link. I wanted to access his medical record, but he died of cancer, his doctor retired, and his my chart was deleted. My father took several sleep medications and ended up sleep walking. Meanwhile, I have restless legs and a very stimulated brain and spine during the night. Even if my entire body is asleep to the point that I can't move, my mind is still very active. There is a disconnect between my mind and body leading to insomnia and sleep paralysis. My doctors think my sleeping problems are caused by depression and anxiety, so they prescribe me all these medications designed to indirectly cause drowsiness. My doctors don't seem to care about the possible genetic link from my father, his sleep disorders, and the possible central nervous system and brain disorders that might cause these sleeping problems. My failures with the medication makes me think I'm being treated the wrong way.

My doctor also thinks my sleeping problems are caused by ptsd. The thing is, that I'm not having nightmares and flashbacks which are common in ptsd. Instead I used to have intrusive memories from something that happened when I was six. This looks like the closest symptom of ptsd. Furthermore, I may have cptsd. I experienced a traumatic and chaotic upbringing resulting in prolonged exposure to trauma. This can lead to similar symptoms.

What are your thoughts on the sleep disorder? How should I manage the withdrawal symptoms? How can I get a doctor that will take my genetic relationship with my father seriously rather than blow it off?

[Leo Gura]

I don't know, but most importantly you should keep digging deep and doing your own research on your condition.

Research your condition deeper than any doctor has. Then you will be in a good position.

And of course, look for better doctors with different perspectives.

Edited July 23 by Leo Gura

[Applegarden8]

24 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

I don't know, but most importantly you should keep digging deep and doing your own research on your condition.

Reaearch your condition deeper than any doctor has. Then you will be in a good position.

And of course, look for better doctors with different perspectives.

That is the case even when you don't have severe health problems. I am organizing some nutrition facts and how a really good diet acctually looks like. It's just so different than people eat. + Now I have to spend a lot of energy implementing that. All of that takes a lot of time.

[PsychedelicEagle]

Besides what's been suggested, consider reducing inflammation and having the healthiest lifestyle possible. There are recent evidences linking poor mental health with an inflammed body. Prioritize the fundamentals: sleep, diet (SOS-free), exercise. Even if this does not resolve your problem directly it won't hurt. Doing what's right is never wrong  

Since you are having trouble sleeping you may try bumping your cortisol peak early in the day: expose yourself to sunlight when you wake up, take a cold shower, exercise, sunbathe every day whole body 10-20 minutes. If possible, avoid eating after 18:00. Don't underestimate the impact this can have on your system, epigenetics shows even bad genes often can be supressed with a good lifestyle. Eat lentils which are high in lithium -- a known mood stabilizer. Of course, check all this with a doctor you trust to ensure there are no counterindications to these practices for your case.

3 hours ago, trenton said:

I don't like the trial and error approach people with depression are forced to take.

Personally I find it completely crazy that this is the current approach health professionals take. It's like gambling with people.

[trenton]

I discussed this issue with Claude for help. Here was one of the responses.

Thank you for providing such detailed information about your situation. This additional context helps paint a clearer picture of your experiences. Based on what you've shared, here are some thoughts and potential areas to explore with your healthcare providers:

Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders: Your irregular sleep patterns, difficulty falling asleep at night, and inconsistent work schedule suggest a potential circadian rhythm disorder. Shift Work Sleep Disorder is a possibility given your rotating shifts.

Insomnia: The difficulty falling asleep despite feeling tired points to insomnia, which can be primary or secondary to other conditions.

Narcolepsy: The combination of daytime sleepiness, sleep paralysis, and hallucinations could be consistent with narcolepsy, though this would need specific testing to confirm.

Restless Leg Syndrome/Periodic Limb Movement Disorder: Your description of leg shaking and pacing might be related to these conditions.

Seizure Disorder: Your history of seizures, especially those triggered by video games, suggests a potential ongoing neurological issue that might be affecting your sleep.

Chronic Pain: The back pain and tension you describe could be contributing to your sleep issues and overall well-being.

Medication Effects and Withdrawal: The changes in your sleep patterns with different medications, and the current withdrawal symptoms, are significant factors to consider.

Stress and Mental Health: Your description of rumination, feelings of hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts indicate significant stress and potential depression that could be exacerbating your sleep issues.

Additional information that could be helpful:

Results of a comprehensive sleep study (polysomnography)

Detailed neurological exam results

Recent blood work to check for any underlying health issues (thyroid function, vitamin deficiencies, etc.)

A structured sleep diary kept over several weeks

Given the complexity of your symptoms and history, I would strongly recommend seeking care from a multidisciplinary team including:

A sleep specialist

A neurologist (particularly one specializing in epilepsy)

A psychiatrist

A pain management specialist

It's crucial to address both the physical and mental health aspects of your situation. The interplay between your sleep issues, potential neurological conditions, mental health, and the effects of various medications is complex and requires careful, coordinated management.

Remember, while this information can guide discussions with your healthcare providers, it's not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Your symptoms are significant and deserve thorough, professional attention to develop a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.

[destroyx6]

Your doctors may be too myopic in their approach and or limited in how they can help you. 

There are a lot of supplements someone could look into for better sleep, but it sounds like your issues are serious enough to look into more holistic and systemic approaches. 

Couple of suggestions to look into that could significantly help with your sleeping issues:

Epitalon - Bioregulator peptide that regulates your pineal gland. Part of a group of peptides/tripeptides (bonded amino acid structures) developed by Dr Khavinson. Works wonders for sleep regulation. 1mg a day 2-3 days every 3 months. It will heavily regulate your circadian rhythms by restoring correct melatonin secretion in the pineal gland in older and young people. As a plus, it acts as a telomerase activator and anti-aging compound allowing cell division to keep going for much longer in humans. Pinealon and Endoluten are two other peptides that work through very similar systems, with superhuman anti-aging effects and benefits. 

DSIP (Delta Sleep Inducing Peptide) - It is a neuropeptide that does exactly what it sounds like. It induces delta EEG level activity in the brain. This is approximately 0-1hz for most people, where deep sleep happens. DSIP can fix narcolepsy and any normalized disrupted sleeping patterns. It's been used to correct a few CNS problems in children and young adults. The literature supports it as the principal endogenous sleep factor, which is found in minute amounts in humans. 

Nothing I am mentioning acts as a sedative. 
These should be things to consider once you've got your basic lifestyle factors down, nutrition, some exercise,  your macro and micros, sunlight, etc. 

These are naturally occurring peptides that are found in the body, most western medicine seems to be ignoring the potential nanotechnological use cases that come from peptides. There seems to be a bias against cures or miracle type of interventions to people's problems. The drug companies don't benefit from peptides so...

Megadosing Melatonin could be another option to look at. I am talking in the 100 to 300mg range. No your body does not have a negative feedback loop to high doses of melatonin. Transdermal or Creams are recommended for the most absorption, you can also buy patches here: https://101healthspan.com

Surprisingly megadosing melatonin has potent anti-aging effects. Seems to be a theme relating to anything that allows for better sleep. 

A few notable mentions of other peptides that act as very powerful bioregulators are: Cerebrolysin, Pinealon, Cortexin, which could help with autism, anxiety, depression, ocd as well. ISRIB (Integrated Stress Response Inhibitor) which is not a peptide, was the most effective and enlightening thing I've tried and has the potential to fix most neurological problems/deficiencies in the brain, it also raised my intelligence to an extent.  It's one of the least studied things I've tried so don't recommend trying anything like this until you thoroughly do your own research and come to your own conclusions as to whether or not you should be taking these things.

At some point, I also had a form of CPTSD in my life that led to other problems so I can partially understand what you are going through but now that I've mostly recovered and have managed to change how I let it affect me, there is without a doubt no question that these peptides helped me get to where I am today. 

I'm not a doctor, just giving some perspective on alternatives that might not be mentioned by your normal doctor.

Edited July 25 by destroyx6

[trenton]

I have an update on my medical condition.

I am getting better at digesting my food, but I was forced to take a leave of absence from work because I didn't sleep in two days. I still need time to fully recover from the medical problems. For some reason I feel happy and energetic, but I have also been wetting myself. At least my liver pain seems to be going away.

I also have a new problem. My wisdom teeth are coming in and now it is hard to eat but for a new reason. I still haven't been eating much and I clearly lost some weight. I will need to get these teeth pulled, but it is going to take a month before I can get this oral surgery done.

These health problems are kind of a pain in the ass. They will likely continue all the way until I go back to college. I'm trying to get a bachelors degree to get better job opportunities before leaving my family. My life situation in general is a pain in the ass because I have little control over my life and I find it frustrating.

[Schizophonia]

@trenton Which medication have you tried ?

+ Do you practice meditation ?

Edited August 1 by Schizophonia

[trenton]

@Schizophonia I have tried several medications. This includes selexa, seroqil, prozac, lexapro, zyprexa, and others. These are pills for anxiety, depression, and one is an antipsychotic. I have had mixed results with these medications and some disastrous results. This was combined with therapy with poor results.

I used to do more meditation but not so much anymore. I had a spot in the woods I went to but the whole thing was torn down and now apartments are being built. My next best spot might be the backyard if I get back into this.

[trenton]

I am extremely frustrated. I am stuck like this for another month. I don't know who to call for help.

[Schizophonia]

Have you tried tricyclics ?