Dull vitamin/health stuff

[urocyon]

Minor eureka moment: increasing the B-complex is probably a good plan, since the fairly disturbing levels of lethargy, apathy, and depression lately feel very much like what I was getting before starting on it. At least I can blame the brain fog on that, too, slow as I've been feeling lately. Otherwise, it probably would have occurred to me earlier. *shakes head*

Apparently, if the thiamine supplementation level were high enough, I'd have seen quicker improvement. (There has definitely been some, along with lessening of symptoms related to other B vitamins, so the self-diagnosis still looks sound.) Things are better, but not nearly as much as I'd like, even before figuring out that it's probably another factor in this depression. I started out at the low end of recommended recovery dosage, and will probably double it for a while and see what happens.

I didn't even think to mention this factor in PT--tomorrow, I will. This is probably complicating rehab, since I'm still getting rather a lot of weakness, spasms, and nerve weirdness in my arms and legs. I've lost more weight (i.e. muscle, at this point) again lately, too, judging by how my clothes are fitting.

No wonder I noticed problems with wobbly legs before; my core strength has deteriorated to the point that, when evaluated, I couldn't stand on either leg alone for more than a couple of seconds without wobbling all over the place! Very disturbing--hadn't paid attention to just how bad it's gotten. Having spent most of my life just plain beefy with pretty good strength, not too surprisingly, I have been causing myself some problems assuming that those levels of strength are still there. But, I did lose at least 30 lbs. of muscle mass within a few months of frank starvation when I was back in Virginia, on top of earlier losses from the thiamine levels. That's too sharp a change for easy adjustment (!) Given that the strength/muscle mass aren't returning very well yet, I am wondering if postponing more of the rehab part of the equation might be a good idea. I'm definitely getting a lot of rebound spasms and overuse pain, and have never been great at judging if I'm overdoing it at the time.

That demonstration left me feeling much less like a malingerer, though.

So, I guess I'd better step up the supplementation, talk to (preferably e-mail, so I don't freeze up) the PT person about it, and see what happens. If the increased oral dosage doesn't help noticeably within a couple of weeks, I'll just have to give in and see the GP for some injections--absorption may still be screwed up. Really not looking forward to the "Waaah, why haven't you been in to see me for more than a year?! With vitamin deficiencies, no less!" reaction, complete with escalating levels of wild gesticulation and shouting. (Yep, have some experience with this.)

Don't mean to sound tediously health-obsessed lately, but it's been fairly pressing. Also--trying to turn into a post of its own--I'm finally working out some things about what I reasonably have to just put up with, and what I do not. Sorry for not being so attentive to other people, right now.

Comments

[vatine]

I've booked Friday off for voting purposes, so if you can get a GP-time sometime Friday afternoon, I can tag along, if you want.

[urocyon-c.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I know I need to go anyway, but I'm hoping to get this problem somewhat under control before I do! Sounds absolutely ridiculous, I know, but that should improve my coping ability, which is a Very Good Thing for going into a terribly stressful situation. Plus, I *really* want to avoid the possibility of getting chucked into the hospital for IV treatment (possibly semi-punitively, depending on how worked up the GP gets about perceived "noncompliance").

So, it's appreciated, but I'd rather hold off for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

[vatine]

No problems.

[imafarmgirl.livejournal.com]

Sounds stressful.

[urocyon-c.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm trying to keep some perspective, at least. :)

[singingnettle.livejournal.com]

It sounds like you have something significant going on, and there's no way it's "in your head" (except insofar as that's where you keep your brain.)

Once someone gets diagnosed with a chronic disease, everything tends to get attributed to that. It's scary. I have fibro and constant bone pain...the prospect of "what if it's really bone cancer?" scares the crap out of me too.

[urocyon-c.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Those niggling doubts certainly are persistent. :)

Yes, I'm very glad indeed that I ran across mentions of thiamine levels, diabetes, and oculomotor problems (pretty distinctive--and disturbing--symptom) in close proximity, before the symptoms got dismissed as "diabetic complications": too bad, so sad, nothing much to be done. Especially since that seems to be essentially what they are (http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/researchers_find_vitamin/). That study largely replicates earlier animal findings, apparently; there are also clear links to other complications. With any luck, more medical professionals will become aware of this research soon, but not many seem to be ATM.

That's not even going into all the things which have inappropriately gotten blamed on those old favorites, "stress" and "depression".

I know what you mean about having trouble *not* worrying that symptoms may be coming from something more serious and overlooked. Thank goodness, the chances are pretty low, some recent experience aside!