Who knew hormones sucked?

[zombiequeen]

Yeah, lately I've been heating up the bag thing warm thing that my friend gave me, putting that on my lap, and crocheting. I don't really sew to relax anymore because I realized that I would get migraines from being upset everytime a needle poked me or I did something a little bit off. I also play a lot of Viva Pinata, because really, whacking pinatas with shovels does a ton to help me relax. I don't know why I stopped playing that, maybe I'll try that tonight.
Maybe I should start drawing and writing again. I really enjoy making stories, especially complicated ones where I have to be really distinct. Or sculpting, I love sculpting. Maybe I'll have hubbs pick me up some sculpey clay so I can sculpt again.
I know that this is a bit of a random all over the place post, but I keep realizing that I'm grinding my teeth and so I'm really trying to concentrate on not doing that. It's so much harder than it should be, really.

[fireheart]

I do the five things thing occasionally, however I'll sometimes switch touch with smell or vice versa.

[Seshat]

I used to go talk to my fish too but his tank is in the living room and I almost pee myself going down the hall at night because I get so freaked out. I'm so glad the bathroom is like ten feet from my room.
Maybe I should get checked for paranoia/anxiety disorders? I know the state doesn't normally pay for that but just knowing that maybe there's something wrong in my head too makes me scared.

Unless there's something to be scared of in the hall, yes, that's an anxiety disorder.

(Note: I have LOUSY night vision, so for me there really is something to be scared of in a dark room. Bumping into stuff, stepping on the dog, etc. As long as the anxiety is at a level consistent with the danger, it's not a disorder.)

However, do not be afraid of the potential for 'something wrong in your head too'. Depression and anxiety are very, very common. They're like the common cold, only for the mind instead of the respiratory system. And just like a cold, they have severe levels (pneumonia) and mild levels (the sniffles).

The chances are that you have the mental equivalent of the sniffles. Most likely if you go back to writing, drawing, sculpting, and whacking pinatas with shovels, you'll cure yourself of the mental sniffles.

Relaxation techniques are the vitamin C & garlic of the mind.

If it doesn't, you may need to talk with a doctor. But there's no harm in giving relaxation a try first.

PS: if your tooth-grinding continues, tell your dentist. He'll make you a mouthguard to protect your teeth and help you discourage yourself from grinding. I broke a tooth from tooth-grinding! You don't want that.

[42_42_42]

Tooth grinding leads to headaches, too. I love, love, love my NTI mouth guard. It just slips over the front two teeth and then you can't grind or clench. It helps so much and takes like 20 minutes at the dentist to make.

I suffer from chronic anxiety and panic disorder and depression myself. If you're getting so upset that you get a migraine from just poking yourself with a needle and are so anxious about walking down the hall at night, it sounds to me as if you definitely need to see a psych. There's a very good chance that all of your problems are linked.

[zombiequeen]

Thanks,
Husband isn't working third shift anymore, so that is a big help. I can actually sleep through the night again. I do have bad night-vision, but I leave my door open and the light on when I walk to the bathroom...I'm just terrified of the dark. It could possibly be an anxiety disorder...I don't have insurance until the end of the month so I cannot get checked until October.
I don't have dental so I can't afford to get my teeth checked. I don't doubt that a night guard would help, do the ones sold in the drugstore help?

[42_42_42]

The mouth guards you mold yourself help prevent damage to your teeth when you grind, but they do not prevent you from clenching your jaws or grinding, both of which contribute to headaches. That being said, those kinds of guards are better than nothing.

[Seshat]

Given that I broke a tooth due to grinding, and now need a crown on it.....

[42_42_42]

Given that I broke a tooth due to grinding, and now need a crown on it.....

Then, yeah, get the mold-at-home OTC kind for now and get a dentist to make you an NTI when you can afford it.

Here's more info about the NTI:
http://www.nti-tss.com/index.php?opt...tpage&Itemid=1

Here's what it looks like:

It's really small and slips over the front teeth:

[zombiequeen]

Thanks for the advice. I'll have to look into that next time I go to the drugstore.

[Seshat]

My dentist gave me a proper moulded one.

The mould stuff tasted yucky. Not OMG GET IT AWAY, but definitely.. not-food.

He basically filled two containers with the moulding stuff, one for my top teeth, one for the bottom.

Put each in turn on my teeth, held it there until the moulding stuff had dried, then eased it off my mouth. (It moves a bit, like those silicon cake pans, so it's not hard to get off.)

Sent the moulds off to a lab somewhere, and on my next visit (today) I became the proud owner of a mouthguard.

It fits perfectly over my lower teeth - all the teeth. It holds my mouth slightly more open than it otherwise would be, and my tongue likes to explore it (like it explores new fillings, or other changes to my mouth).

It's not uncomfortable. It's not comfortable either. It's just different.

[zombiequeen]

Like when they do that flouride stuff? My dentist used the grape kiddie stuff instead of the mint last time I went in...eeech.
Do you know how much it would cost? I have state insurance so dental isn't covered.
I have a funny gag reflex, if something touches the gums in the back bottom of my mouth, I freak out. Rest of my mouth is fine, it's just the back on my bottom jaw.
I also gnaw on things in my sleep. Like...I chewed a hole in a blanket once. Is there a chance I'd eat the guard? That would be really odd.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

Those types of guards are meant to take stress and grinding. You'll want to ask about wear and ... tear () when you get one. From what my mom tells me, the reduction in headaches, jaw-aches, and even upper-back stress (radiating pain, the like) is really worth the cost of the guard.
If your dentist is any kind of dentist (even some of the 'bad' ones know!) they'll know about strange gag reflexes and whatnot-- just tell the doc when you get ready for the 'procedure.' It's similar to when I got fitted for braces and then the retainer/night retainer later: it can cover the roof of your mouth, depending on how they're doing it-- so just stay calm, tell yourself it's not going to choke you to death... ._____. (it's been over ten years since I've had my mouth guard fitted, and I still remember the sensation... and the only reason why I didn't gag and ruin the mold was the constant 'sitting' on my gag reflex, heading it off before it started... it was a long five? minutes... urg.)
You might want to practice messing with your gag reflex, just poking back there with a toothbrush or something that you won't accidentally swallow or hurt yourself on (easily) when you're practicing not freaking out. It might help-- it might make your gag reflex worse...

[BarbieGirl]

Have you been checked for other food allergies lately? I have a feeling that food allergies can cause some problems with pms etc. When I was in highschool I had horrible cramps, couldn't move much or I'd end up puking everywhere. right after highschool found out I was allergic to dairy, soy, wheat, corn and peanuts, among the myriad of other things like plants etc. I'm still working on getting eating correctly but, I've really limited my intake of those things and my periods aren't nearly so bad.

Also, your symptoms make me think that the bc hormones are reacting extremely negatively with your body and that for the sake of bc you may need something different all together.

I was on Mirena an IUD for about 18 months, worst fricking time of my life.
MASSIVE mood swings, wasn't really ever happy, either pissed off or just apathetic. no libido, hair loss, acne, facial hair, weight gain, couldn't remember simple words like pharmacy. memory loss, joint pain, increase in migraines, my asthma got a lot worse, panic attacks, the list goes on.
Some hormones (especially if they are non natural) just don't work with certain people and can cause or exaggerate a lot of problems.

if I were you I would get your actual numbers from your thyroid check and all the other hormones he checked and then see where in the range you fall, you could still be in the high range and be 'fine' but that might be too high for you....

as for meditation something like this I haven't done that one specifically but I've got some old tapes somewhere that I used to use and were pretty awesome for relaxing.

Good luck and I hope you can get everything taken care of quickly!

[teh_blumchenkinder]

Have you been checked for other food allergies lately? I have a feeling that food allergies can cause some problems with pms etc. When I was in highschool I had horrible cramps, couldn't move much or I'd end up puking everywhere. right after highschool found out I was allergic to dairy, soy, wheat, corn and peanuts, among the myriad of other things like plants etc. I'm still working on getting eating correctly but, I've really limited my intake of those things and my periods are nearly so bad.
(snip*)

May I be terribly, terribly nosy and and ask... what does your typical diet for a day look like? Dairy means no milk or cheese (and other sundry stuff, but those are the biggies for me), soy means ... no edmame, tofu, soymilk or other soy products-- which, if you're east Asia (China, Japan, Korea) in diet is a major hit, just like dairy is for someone from a northern/northwest European diet (Germany, northern France, Netherlands...); no wheat is no bread products, no corn is no bread products as well, especially tortillas, as they are made with corn dough (masa). Peanuts, meh-- ... actually, some fried foods, the legumes themselves (which includes peanut butter), and anything with traces in it, which, all of these on the 'list' is found in much, if not all, processed foods!
I'd be terribly upset if I couldn't even have cheese, but I suppose I'd get over it if it meant I felt better and could function. I'm glad I'm not as physically sick as you were (hopefully past tense still) during The Visit.

[BarbieGirl]

May I be terribly, terribly nosy and and ask... what does your typical diet for a day look like? Dairy means no milk or cheese (and other sundry stuff, but those are the biggies for me), soy means ... no edmame, tofu, soymilk or other soy products-- which, if you're east Asia (China, Japan, Korea) in diet is a major hit, just like dairy is for someone from a northern/northwest European diet (Germany, northern France, Netherlands...); no wheat is no bread products, no corn is no bread products as well, especially tortillas, as they are made with corn dough (masa). Peanuts, meh-- ... actually, some fried foods, the legumes themselves (which includes peanut butter), and anything with traces in it, which, all of these on the 'list' is found in much, if not all, processed foods!
I'd be terribly upset if I couldn't even have cheese, but I suppose I'd get over it if it meant I felt better and could function. I'm glad I'm not as physically sick as you were (hopefully past tense still) during The Visit.

I tend to cheat at least with the dairy... Milk itself is worse but sometimes I can handle cheese, but goat's cheese is pretty good. So calcium supplements for me and sometimes fat free goats milk. I make my own bread and other baked items with Spelt flour, it's the closest grain to wheat flour, luckily I'm not gluten intolerant because spelt has gluten in it. Basically little to no prepackaged food because nearly everything has corn syrup or partially hydrogenated soy bean oil. Lots of fresh foods and homemade stuff. Luckily I'm currently a stay at home mom so I have some free time to make my own food.

Oh yeah, I'm definitely not anywhere near as sick as I used to be. Although after 2 kids, losing an ovary and the mirena I'm just really out of whack but luckily not sick =-)