I need your expertise

I feel like when I see my primary care I have a ton of issues...BUT I really do and I think alot of it is side effects from medicines/medicine I am on or have been on. Not to mention my life right now, isn't peaches and cream(financially) but whose is?

How do I talk to her about everything I need or is wrong with me without her thinking Im a fruitcake, hypochondriac, or drugseeker....I just want to be NORMAL!

Here is my first problem......I cant sleep! I have terrible insomnia, it keeps me up ALOTTTT, and then if I dont get enough sleep I am sicker by morning. My mind just wont shut off or stop when I lay down.

2nd issue...this one is worse I think....Im SOOOO irritable, short-fused, impatient, and feel like Im losing control ALOT. I can tell its due to the pred or other drugs because I dont feel this way when off drugs. Im not depressed or sad. But sometimes I do lose control to where I will cry/sob. I don't have good coping skills, ya know. I quit smoking and can't drink but need something LIKE A FREAKIN VALIUM....cause I worry and obsess over small stuff. It will consume me!

 (By the way, Im not bipolar/been tested.)

 What do I need to be on to help me? I have a 19mth old who needs mommy to be okay.

and then I have the migraine headaches, my aching right knee, and another issue with my tonsils/throat, and now a constant (I think) sinus infection!

I JUST CANT go into my PCP next week and say hey by the way....and tell her all this without her thinking Im crazy!

I can't offer any experience dealing with your problems, but there are a couple of things that pop out. First, your other problems (migraine headaches, aching right knee, and another issue with tonsils/throat, and now a constant sinus infection) could easily all be due to Crohn's. I don't get migranes, but all the others happen to me and I think that many others could say the same. As for your mood problems, you could just tell the doctor that you are not sleeping well and suffer from mood swings. This should not be anything unusual given the other problems. That should get the doctor thinking along the lines of valium. In my case, I have had some relief from the sinus/throat stuff when I went onto the Specific Carbohydrate diet and I think that joint pains are also diminishing. Those symptoms were present in my case even though I followed a fairly strict diet before and was technically in remission. As for your mood problems, all of those, including insomnia are side effects of prednisone: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prednisone Maybe if you get a tolerable alternative to pred you will not need valium???

Songstress, it is your doctor's job to listen to ALL of your complaints and come up with a plan. Sit down and make a list of EVERYTHING that is bothering you, then review it with your doctor. I always used to worry about what the doctor would think, too! But that is what they are getting paid for, lol! Good luck to you. Blessings, Julie

hey songstress,
do you have a specialist for your guts?
My family doctor always gets an earful from me when I go in as the side effects from all the meds, especially prednisone which makes me very loopy.
I have to warn my friends and family so that they can give me reality checks when I am over reacting.
I agree with julie1014 - make a list and be specific about dates and such. It will help you pin down exactly when you are having symptoms and give your doctor something to go on.
Good luck - you are not a hypochondriac!

I often feel the same way. Like I have too many problems and take too much time. If I have a lot going on I will tell the receptionist when I call that I need to discuss 4 new issues (or 5 or 12) and that I may need a longer appointment than usual. She then schedules the doctor accordingly and I don't have to feel like I am taking up too much time. You might want to call your docs office and ask what to do about needing extra time.

Then have a list. Often I will say "I have a lot of things going on. Some of them may be minor but I wonder if they could somehow all be related. If I tell you all of them we might have a better chance of figuring this out." Then I list them.

thx sally! great to know someone understands..and FITZY..thats a terrific idea..I think I will try that