Feel terrible

[alexis]

I think something's up with me. I've been feeling headachy, sick and the overall feeling is like car sickness. Except i get it even when i'm NOT in a vehicle of any sort. And I can't take car trips without getting really sick any more. And I'm tired alot, my back feels like this tired sort of achiness very often and I feel crappy. I have no idea what it is and if it's serious. Maybe it could be the fact that I've been eating very irregularly these three weeks due to school starting and all. I have no idea. Any one got any advice on what to do?

[annie7]

Is it possible that you could be pregnant?

[alexis]

I doubt it...I just had my period and though it was relatively trouble free' (None of the usual killer cramps) and was shorter than usual (four days instead of six), it was well, still like a regular period...I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but in pregnancy, spotting; yes, constant bleeding; no...right?

[Fiona]

Although rare, I think it is possible to still have periods and be pregnant, especially with the first period after conception. If that's not it, sounds like you need a blood test (I'm no expert but I'm thinking anaemia or low B12 could be the cause). Hope you get it sorted soon.

Fiona

[Christa]

Other than pg as a possibility, I am thinking maybe a medicine issue or altitude sickness.

Have you stopped taking any meds? Withdrawal from some medications (such as anxiety meds) can cause some of the sxs that you mention.

Also, altitude sickness can cause fatigue, nausea, & headaches. Have you recently relocated to a significantly higher altitude for school?

[alexis]

My school is on the same level ground, i live in a country where the highest point is a hill not more than 600 meters above sea level, so altitude sickness is kind of out.

It could also be a problem with my enviroment because I'm surrounded by air conditioning for most of the day and I've started realising that I'm really sick when I'm in an air-conditioned room. I'm also sensitive to overly strong smells and air fresheners. Either that or it could be my sinuses making me sick(again), they've been really clogged up and I've been blowing my nose alot. I thought it might be a good idea to find myself a nice, understanding doctor and have a physical exam complete with blood tests and all. My last physican exam was about 12 years ago and that cannot be good. :rolleyes:

I was just thinking about Christa's point about withdrawal. I've been taking a strong antihistamine on and off for a while. I'd take one pack for about ten days and stop for a couple of weeks and start again. Christa, do you think that could be the cause?

[PikkuMyy]

All the symptoms you mentioned are symptoms of sinus congestion. My husband was siffering from all of them for a while - months - and finally went to the doctor. He felt the nausea was the worst of them. The doctor said that he had a lot of sinus congestion and post-nasal drip, and that was causing all his symptoms. It's true!

I'd get yourself on some sort of daily antihistamine like claritin that will get your symptoms under control regularly and not cause the sort of sleepiness you get from Benadryl. I know Claritin (loratadine) is available generically, at least here in the US, and is very cheap when you buy the store brands.

I hope you feel better!

Emily

[annie7]

Before you put anything else in your body, I gotta go with "See a doctor".

[alexis]

I'm already on Zytec(?) an antihistamine and Naphcon-A which is antihistamine eyedrops. I don't ALWAYS have zytec on me due to money constraints (It's nine bucks for a pack of ten), but the eyedrops are always there.

I agree with you, Annie, I should see a doctor, pronto. I'm still trying to find one who isn't too expensive and is not a b****. And it seems that to look for a nice doctor here, is like trying to find the Holy Grail.

[PikkuMyy]

Oh, I do agree to see a doctor. From what I understand, the air ain't so hot in Singapore unless you're living in the countryside. You may have a buildup of pollutants in your system.

My husband was a chemist - he says that air conditioners do not exude any kinds of chemicals. However, they do make the air drier, which can certainly make you feel icky - like a sore throat and sinuses.

[Christa]

Originally posted by alexis
My school is on the same level ground, i live in a country where the highest point is a hill not more than 600 meters above sea level, so altitude sickness is kind of out.

I guess that I don't know much about geography!

I was just thinking about Christa's point about withdrawal. I've been taking a strong antihistamine on and off for a while. I'd take one pack for about ten days and stop for a couple of weeks and start again. Christa, do you think that could be the cause?

I actually don't know on that one - sorry! I do hope that you find a good doctor, though.

[alexis]

In Singapore, the climate is hot and humid and there is no country side, unless you count the botanic gardens, LOL...but i doubt it's pollution, there's been something a while ago about excessive exposure to air conditioning that can make a person feel awful. It applies to almost everyone here bcause there's so much air conditioning everywhere due to the climate...

[Jenica]

This is a little different than your situation but here's my experience with antihistamines.

When I was younger and often self-medicating I used to take Benadryl nightly to counter my falling-asleep type insomnia. At the time I worked at a thrift store (read: lots of dust) and had no known allergies.

Every morning as the Benadryl would wear off I started to have a terrible allergic reaction to the dust in the store; eyes watering, sneezing, face flushing, etc. Eventually I quit taking the Benadryl and I find that now I am allergic to dust and pollen. Not highly allergic but definitely allergic nonetheless.

Whether this is due to working at a thrift store (being overexposed to dust daily) or due to taking Benadryl I am not sure. But I would say that it's entirely possible there are allergy-related aftereffects of taking antihistamines, since Benadryl is a pretty mild over-the-counter allergy med and I think I had a reaction to it.

[SandyBeachBums]

My sister bought some generic Claritan at CostCo last time we were there. It was way cheaper =) But, I can't remember the price difference.

Heather

[alexis]

Clarityne gave me headaches, that was why the pharmacist reccommended Zyrtec.

Anyway, after consulting with a TCM physician today, there's basically nothing wrong with me. He just suggested that I make some changes in my lifestyle like sleep earlier, aviod stress as much as possible (Kind of impossible considering that I went from O levels to a BA course), and to keep up with my twenty minutes of meditation every day. And of course, he suggested that I avoid cold drinks as much as possible, something about my spleen, and take some 'tonics' like gingseng tea and what not. I am also supposed to schedule a well-woman check up as soon as possible and if I should start throwing up or coughing up blood or something as serious, I should immediately go to a hospital. Guess I should really get off my butt and start looking for some knd of medical insurance. :rolleyes: But it's nice to know that I'm not about to die. Yet.

[Christa]

You have double checked on the pregnancy thing, too, right?