Don't know what to do

This is my first time writing. I was diagnosed with bi-polar disease 4 years ago. Five weeks ago, my speech started to slur and my hand started trembling. At first the doctors thought that this could be caused by my medications. I was taking zoloft, klonopin and lamital. So, they told me to get off all my medications because the severe speech problem that I was having and the tremors they said could be a side effect. Well, I weaned off my medications and my condition is the same, plus now I have to go through the ups and downs of getting back on my medications. I am just so frustrated. I was doing fine five weeks ago and then all of a sudden my speech started slurring for no reason . My hand shakes for no reason. When this first happened, I left my job and immediately went to my dr. He thought I was having a stroke or something and admitted me to the hospital right away. I am only 37 years old, so I knew it wasn't a stroke. I spent 5 days in the hospital. After 5 days my condition was getting worse, my speech got so bad that my husband could not even understand me. On the 5th day, the doctors told me that my condition was not "life-threating" so they sent me home and told me to follow up with a neurologist. My own primary care doctor said to me that this might be "in my head", and that since I had bi-polar I could be making these symptoms up. I am so angry! I have since seen a new neurologist but he too has said that this could be something that I am doing to myself, but he is still looking for an answer. So, too sum up my living nightmare I had to leave my job, I can't drive, I have been at home afraid to talk to my friends because of the way I sound, all in all I am just so frustrated that no one can find an answer to what is causing these symptoms and if one more doctor tells me this is due to the fact that I have bi-polar, I am going to scream. It was bad enough going through everything that happened on my way to getting diagnosed with bi-polar but I can not deal with this new condition or what ever it is. Please, if anyone can give me some advise, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for listening to me vent.

needhelp,

from my experience and from i understand from drs, NOTHING happend with your body "for no reason."  this concept, excuse me if this hurts you, is foolishness.  all that you have said is trhat the dumb medicos haven't figured out what is causing your speach and tremmer problems.  in your head?  that's usually what they say when their limited knowledge and belief cannot find a cause.  i had a similar experience with a neurologist and his lacky newly hatched psychologist about 18 yrs ago.

do you ever watch tv?  you need "House."  we all know that he is fictional, but what a dr.  my gp before my wife and i left texas was like House in that he wouldn't stop until he found the cause.  and not once, except for when i tried committing suicide because of the pain caused by a botched spidural steroid injection, did he say "it's all in you head."  drs like House are out there - my mexican dr in texas (he was born in Monterrey and his family moved to the usa legally when he was a small child) is proof that they're out there.  you just have to keep on kissing frogs until you find your prince.  yucky, huh?

don't let the bast*rds get you down!  i have found that sometimes you have to be forcful and persistant with the medical profession to get the help that you need.

hope this helps.

warren

macwheeler,
I was checked for ms...not it thank goodness. Thanks for the reply.
needhelp

Hello Need help,

I am sorry to hear you are having these problems, but you aren't alone with many of them.  It's good you found this site, beacause it changed my life when I found it.  The support and love you feel here is great.

I have the same type problems with my doctors.  Just because I am bipolar doesn't make me a liar. I have gone in with constant back pain and chest pain and even though they don't know  my history they see phsc. doctor on my report and decide to do very little and focus more on finding out what is mentally wrong with me.  I try to tell them I see him for sleeping problems, which is part true, but they don't belive it. It's like havind a criminal record.  I hope that you are able to find a really good doctor that understands you.  Best of louck and know we are always here for you.

Well that sucks!!!  I can't believe the doctor would make you wait so long for the results.  That is the worst part. Waiting.  I am actually lucky in a way because the only place I get get medical help that I need is the hospital and I get my results the same day or the next day it's amazing.  As you can tell I don't live in the States anymore, I live in Thailand.  The only thing I wish I had was  regular doctor.  I forget what you call them.  General doctor maybe.  Anyway, it's normal to get depressed and feel like your insides are twisted in knots or lack life.  You have to find somewhere deep inside you where you can find a bit of happiness until you get results and I would demand, call everyday, just plain bother them until they give you the results. They don't take that long, maybe some do, but not most.  You are right in saying they do treat us different and label us, but I don't know how to make that go away except going to a different hospital, but then no background at all.   I don't know.....I hope things will lighten up a bit for you and remember we are here.

Hi everybody,

I wanted to thank all of you for being so supportive. It is so wonderful to vent and get responses from all of you , it is nice to know that there are people (you guys) who know what I am going through or have been in similar situations. Not too much has changed, just trying to start exercising to keep myself busy. Still waiting on the doctors but will write more when I hear . Thanks again for being so supportive and good luck to all of you. Hopefully, I can return the favor.
Warren, thank you for your last post...
Need help now

Well other than the depokate I have tried the lamictal and klonopin. I have not had slurred speech.

I know that when you tell the doc's you are bipolar they think everthing is in your head.

I started not telling me so that they will take me seriosly. At the end then I asked if it would interfere with my meds. That way they will take me seriusly up to the point.

zebra