[shutterbug]

Fuster....i always advocate seeing a doctore, but doctors are human too and i think self educations is VERY important.

WHY??? Because here I am....clinically diagnosed as bipolar and major depressive, and yet I have MANY physical symptoms such as severe fatigue and pain (like i wake up feeling like i've been ran over). I've emersed myself in learn about my bipolar disorder and depression over the past year and now i'm starting to realize that most bipolars and major depressives don't have this physical pain. And in all my research, I don't remember where severe fatigue and physical pain are listed as symptoms of either.

So i'm having to look else where to see what the doctors have apparently missed or misdiagnosed because in a year....i have not been very responsive to any of the meds that have been tried on me. And i've been in weekly counseling for the past 14 months too.

I was also diagnosed with sleep apnea, which my origninal psychiatrist said can totally mimic bipolar disorder and he's had to take patients off of meds once they got their sleep apnea under control because they were fine. I used my sleep machine religiously for like 6 months or more and felt better, but still had so many daily problems that I know there's something else besides just sleep apnea going on here.

And my family has a history of thyroid disease...my aunt has a very rare thyroid disease called Graves Disease and her mother (we believe) died of untreated diabeties.

Anyway...my aunt on my dad's side was also diagnosed with fibromialgia. And that....in addition to being tested once again for the thyroid functioning.....is why i'm headed back to a physical doc as soon as i can afford it.

Anyway..........my whole point is KNOWLEDGE IS POWER...........learning about stuff and taking that to your doctor is NEVER a bad thing. Doctor's don't spend 24/7 with you or in your shoes so you know best how you are feeling and verbally i don't do well explaining things to people. I told my original psychiatrist that i feel like i'm walking around wearing a cement coat and he said "That's why you need to excersize and lose the weight." I wanted to SCREAM! I've been over-weight for about 6-7 years now and i know what that feels like compared to this....and if a psychiatrist as good as him couldn't understand that....then this must be more of a physcial problem than a head problem - the feeling so tired and in pain all the time.

It's very possibly that i could have fibromialgia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and the sleep apnea.....oh, and along with the other diagnosises of ADHD, PTSD and social anxiety disorder. But that's just too much to be wrong with one person. I'm just trying to figure this crap out and thought i'd share some info i found.

And i'm not advocating pinpointing FM or CFS as a root of all problems. This is the mental health forum and most people who come here have already recieved diagnosis's such as bipolar and such. This is just kind of added reading to say hey.....so many things mimic mental illness....that it doesn't hurt to explore all avenues.