This Internal Trembling Makes Me Feel Like I'm Dying

Hi, I just joined this site and I have so many problems/questions I don't know where to start. I am a young feeling, but not lately, 66 year old female. I'm 5 ft tall, weigh more than I should, about 190. I have hypothyroid for which I take .112 synthroid, HBP, taking Bystolic and Azor. I also have Type II Diabetes. I can't take Metformin, it makes my colon bad. My blood sugar runs around 220-250 every day.

I ran out of my Azor and couldn't buy it so I was without about 3 weeks. I am currently out of synthroid. I only get paid once a month by SS, so my meds suffer, which isn't good. My internist gave me some Ativan at my request. It helps me calm down about the fear of what I have but is just a bandaid.

For about 2 months now, I have been feeling terrible. No energy, extremely lethargic. My right eyelid has decided to overuse its muscle, pulling down the eyelid off and on and staying there awhile. My main problem is Internal Trembling. I feel like I'm shaking but visually outside, I'm not. I can feel my heart beating a lot more. I took my BP last night and it was 217/91 then 200/91 then 189/91, on meds. When I walk, it feels like my feet aren't touching the ground, if that makes any sense. My sleep is interrupted by my bladder all night, I'm sure because of my blood sugar. And I just plain can't sleep. Oh, I Fall asleep ok and easily. In fact, I'm groggy and sleepy all day. I've made an appointment with a sleep center next Monday overnight. I'm sure I need a CPAP and I welcome it. It would be wonderful to sleep through the night. I wake up shaking inside and go to sleep that way. I will be also making an appointment with my cardiologist. I don't have heart problems to my knowledge, but I have her for my BP problems.

The last couple of days I've had an ache at the base of my left skull. Thats when I took my BP. I had a back injury when I fell in the bathroom of a hotel and slammed my back against the edge of the porcelain tub. Upon MRI'ng my back, they saw that my spleen was enlarged. They don't know why. I also have a splenic aneurysm that's calcified. They want to keep an eye on that, but I haven't had another MRI to monitor it.

I am a hot mess. Can anyone relate or give me encouraging words??

Thanks to all who respond.

Sally

I'm so sorry for all you're going through. I understand finacial issues and how difficult and stressful it is finding money to pay for meds but I think it's incredibly important to take your medicine. Having blood pressure that high is dangerous as well as having high blood sugar. Try to breath and do whatever it takes to get yourself healthy again. It has to be a priority. There are perscription programs that can help you pay for your meds.

Best of luck.

Forgive my ignorance here. I've been blessed w/excellent health insurance my entire life so I'm out of touch w/the reality of those that don't.

But I do want to get your prioriities straight in my head.

You are going for an in-lab sleep study. How will that be paid for?

Metformin makes your colon bad? In what way?

You receive a check from Social Security once a month as your only source of income?

You are overweight, have hypertension (high blood pressure), type II diabetes, are hypothyroid, have right eyelid drop, have internal trembling, are acutely aware of your heartbeat, have lost some sensation in your feet, experience nocturia and daytime exhaustion.

Okay. Long term untreated obstructive sleep apnea can cause most all of these problems. Which comes first the weight or the OSA? No answer for that one. The eyelid drop could be from a TIA. The diabetes can easily account for the lack of sensation in your feet. Treating the OSA should easily correct the nocturia and reduce the daytime exhaustion as well as help w/weight loss. It could also make you more responsive to your meds for diabetes and hypertension.

But at this stage it is NOT going to be a miracle therapy. You NEED to put your diabetes and hypertension meds at the TOP of your list of priorities. Establish an account w/your pharmacy and immediately pay for a one month supply of those meds each month. Talk to your pharmacist and doctor about manufacturer assistance programs for each of your meds.

Go to your Senior Citizen Center or whatever state and local senior assistance is provided in your area and find out what assistance is available for your particular needs.

(We live in a rural area and I was surprised to learn that our senior citizens out here can arrange for a ride to and from their doctors, etc. for $1 one way that covers the entire county!!!)

GREAT that you have good insurance coverage for the sleep study - and OSA therapy if you are Dx'd w/OSA.

BEFORE you agree to ANYTHING get back to me about the titration study and recommended therapy. The local DME providers tend to be "less than truthful", guilty of "sins of omission", providing bare bones equipment when you are eligible for top of the line equipment, etc., etc., etc. I've been down this road and have lots of advice to help you thru the mine field.

The morning after your sleep study BEFORE leaving the lab provide the staff w/a WRITTEN REQUEST that you be provided w/a copy of the sleep doctor's dictated results (1-2 pages) AND a copy of the full scored data summary report w/condensed graphs (5+ pages).

A lot of it will be "greek" to you at first - BUT - you will be grateful you have them in short order.

I understand then about the Metformin. I just encountered a fecal impaction at the rectum a few months ago. NOT FUN! I tend to constipation rather than diarrhea and have all my life, even before Crohn's.

I've endured 3 fecal impactions in my lifetime - 1 during each of two pregnancies and then this last one a few months ago. I thought I was going to end up in ER this last time and promised myself if things hadn't "improved" by bedtime I would go to ER. It was late afternoon before there was any indication that wouldn't be necessary and a full three days to completely clean out. Whew!!

After the sleep study is evaluated IF it is found that you do have OSA you will either be scheduled for an in-lab CPAP titration study or with an auto-titrating CPAP (APAP) to try at home. Either way, once you have the Dx please get back to me so I can offer worthwhile advice.

Our stories are similar. I worked so have some disability retirement of my own, plus Medicare and good insurance thru my husband's employment. Fortuntately my saint of a husband continues to stick by me thru all these last 40+ years.

And, OOOOOPS!!! Yeah, I slipped up and didn't include Synthroid or equivalent in your list of PRIORITY meds - the meds that are needed to keep you ALIVE. You need to pay for them FIRST right off the top of your check. Assistance may be available for some. Its not fair but you can get by w/o your "comfort" meds if necessary. All your other expenses can be negotiated down.