I need urgent care- short stay in France for the purpose of treatment only for french citizen.

[Russethouse]

Sony, I'm not unsympathetic, its horrid to have something wrong and be unable to find a cause.

In my mid twenties I suddely got the most severe urticaria (nettle rash) just after I started going out with a new boyfriend, not very attractive ! I had huge red weals on my face, my back, my legs, it was painful, irritating and very unsightly. My GP at once put me on a very strong dose of steroids (the strongest the pharmacist had ever dispensed) until I could have tests. Nothing showed up as an allergy so I was put on a very restrictive diet, nothing worked, this situation occurred regularly over 3 years, the whole thing was a mystery but very upsetting as the drugs made me put on weight -  eventually I married the boyfried and I never had the urticaria again - the whole thing seems to have been stress related - very weird.

Later I suffered from colitus and anxious to avoid steroids again I visited a homeopath - they insisted I had proper medical tests to rule out a physical cause, but when that was done they treated me very successfully. I wish I'd tried that route previously.

Why not ask around and see if you can get a recommendation to a good homeopath in your area (your GP practice may know of someone) - it may be money well spent

Good luck !

[sony]

I just seem to have gone through everything. This is an extract of what I have written to so many people. This particular text was sent to a hypnotherapist in 2008:

For the past few years I have been suffering from severe nausea. It has become increasingly worse, and the past two years have been particularly unbearable. I have no idea why this is happening and no doctor or therapist has been able to help me or understand the problem.

I also suffer from anxiety and am in a constant vicious circle; I am anxious about the constant nausea and the feeling that I cannot escape it, yet my anxiety can fuel the nausea. I just do not know how to get out of this – I have more or less tried EVERYTHING.

I have been examined for medical problems, undergone therapy for psychological issues and followed the dietary advice of a nutritionist. Having explored all avenues, nothing has helped at all!

Throughout this I have taken various forms of medication, including; Citalopram, Effexor, Prozac, Dosulepin, Prochlorperazine and antacid tablets. I have also taken herbal remedies.

The therapies I have tried include; counselling, CBT, EMDR, acupuncture, hypnoanalysis and hypnotherapy.

I also took the Yorktest – according to the results, I have an intolerance to Cows milk, lettuce, cucumber and yeast. I cut these out of my diet for weeks and tried to eat as plain as I could – again, to no avail.

Following this, I took a saliva test, then a stool test. The stool test apparently revealed some kind of digestive imbalance, but my condition has still not improved despite following the advice of the nutritionist concerned.

I am so desperate to escape this terrifying "illness" that is blighting my life. Feeling so terribly nauseated most of the time, I am unable to lead a normal life.

Although I have previously tried hypnotherapy and experienced no lasting results, I thought that it may be worth another attempt with a different therapist. Many people seem to have been ‘cured’ by this method, and it would be a dream come true if it could work for me.

In your professional opinion, do you believe it would be worthwhile giving hypnotherapy another chance? I have already spent an enormous amount of money on trying to find a cure, and I simply cannot afford to waste any more money, especially as due to my condition I am unable to find work.

I have reached the stage where I do not hold much hope in any therapy – I have tried everything and each method has always failed. I feel like no-one will ever be able to get to the bottom of this but I really need to be able to live my life.

I have tried to explain my situation as best as I can, so that you can give me an honest opinion as to whether you feel you may be able to help me.

I would be grateful for any advice you could give me.

[debbie]

RH: Would you mind telling how you are treating your colitis as I have the same problem? I know this is a different subject from the current post. sorry.

[Daft Doctor]

What some people don't always understand is that sadly not every symptom has a diagnosis and it is a fact that just because an illness is not terminal doesn't mean it is curable.  There is also a big difference between 'no identifiable cause' and hypochondriasis and the OP may well fall into the former category.  It is easy for sufferers of such symptoms to criticise the (often many) GPs and specialists involved in their care as incompetent or uncaring, when in fact they are simply reflecting the current state of our medical knowledge and expertise.  Without wanting to sound harsh, I have a feeling that the situation for the OP would be the same wherever in the world he went for care, and he would carry on spending either his own or tax payers money in the meantime.

I agree that the NHS isn't perfect but in general serves the truly ill extremely well, and I echo the supportive comments given above.  As for private treatment, don't be fooled into thinking that you will get superior care just because you (or an insurer) is paying for it.  The amount of appraisal and quality monitoring in private practice is almost non-existant, vastly different from the hoops we GPs and NHS specialists have to jump through just to keep practicing.  In private medicine you are just as likely to hand your money over to a retired NHS specialist who hasn't picked up a book for years, just in it to supplement his pension and his grandchildren's private school fees. Tread carefully!  

 

 

[Russethouse]

 With me its sporadic and if I  notice the warning signs I take a few of those Activia drinks which seems to restore balance, and head off problems now, however when I first got it the homeopath suggested I greatly increase my plain water (not fizzy) intake - something like four 2 litre bottles a day,(but only in that amount for a short time) avoided any 'acid' foods (in my case onions are not good!) and to start with the homeopath gave me tablets of something I thought was a poison (arsenic ?) Its a long time ago now. I also found chamomile tea soothing....

Sony, it seems to me you are going round in a vicious circle - is there an holistic centre near you where various practitioners could liaise to help you ? If you have had all these tests it sounds as if you should be somewhat reassured - just have faith that you will get over it.

[sony]

Precisely the sort of comment I was expecting daft doctor. I feel I made my point- so won't enter a pointless dialogue with you.

[sony]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

Sony, it seems to me you are going round in a vicious circle - is there an holistic centre near you where various practitioners could liaise to help you ? If you have had all these tests it sounds as if you should be somewhat reassured - just have faith that you will get over it.[/quote]

It's just that it's been so long, and seemingly is getting worse.

[Daft Doctor]

And I feel I made mine

[Russethouse]

Sony, If you can't work what do you do with your time ?

[sony]

I walk a lot, spend time on the net. What the average "unemployed " person does I guess. I try not to let myself go but I am now starting to really be severely depressed.

The situation seems impossible to fix.

[Russethouse]

Could you help more with your gran ( I know that isn't always easy, my mother is very elderly and not an easy person) or do some volunteer work ? Anything that might help take your mind from your problem. Do you have hobbies at all ?

I know feeling nauseous is pretty all consuming and depressing and I'm not underestimating that it would be a challenge, but while you are working out what else you can do it might be worth trying.

 

[virginia.c]

I've just revisited the beginning of this thread and seen that it was initially raised pretty much word for word some considerable time ago (see Cat's comment).

What's going on???

[sony]

Does it really matter if I started another thread???

Re voluntary work, it does make sense, I know, the vicious circle has dictated up to now that I haven't bothered- lack of motivation.

I have applied for a course this September, in patisserie, in London. It's a huge step for me but I'm doubting myself so much. As you can imagine, after all those years, anything seems like a huge step. Trouble is, at nearly 30, if I don't do anything now I have the funny feeling I could let myself go further and be like this for the rest of my life.