Hypothyroid, allergies, depression, & sleep disorder

Hi,
I need help.
I am suffering with Hypothyroid, allergies, depression, & sleep disorder.
My Dr. has me on:
Levoxyl .075mg (hypothyroid)
Cymbalta 60mg (Depression, diagnosed as Bipolar/Cyclothymia)
Zyrtec 10mg (allergies)
Bromochriptine 2.5mg (Restless legs Syndrome)
Estazolam 2mg (sleep) not working anymore
Allery shot every week for cat, dog, dust, dust mites, & mold.
Light Therapy for Seasonal worsening of Depression.

My hands & feet are icy cold all the time, even in the 80-90 degree summer heat.

I am female, 46 yrs, unemployed due to health issues.

1. Describe your main suffering?
Can't get to sleep till wee hrs of morning, then want to sleep all day.
Dreams of failing exams, snakes, & spiders.
Cold hands & feet, runny nose, fatigue.

2. What other physical sufferings do you have in your body?
Left shoulder pain due to Bursitis, arthritis. I am recovering from injury from rolling over in bed. I had orthroscopic surgery in September 2007.
Depression—worse in winter—diagnosed as Bipolar/Cyclothymia
Fatigue and aching joints—worse in winter/cold wet weather
Restless legs Syndrome when not on Bromochriptine

3. What mental sufferings / feelings do you have associated with your physical sufferings?
Depression—worse in winter—diagnosed as Bipolar/Cyclothymia
I cannot handle pressure or too much responsibility.

4. What exactly do you feel when you are at your worst? Describe the sensation in your own words.
Crying, sensitive to light, sound and cold. Suicidal thoughts and hopelessness, despair.

5. When did it all start? Can you connect it to any past event or disease?
I can remember depression and hyperactivity before and after puberty.
I had a lot of migraines before starting depression medicine.

Cyclothymia became extreme immediately following several miscarriages and one birth (I have a 21 year old daughter).

6. Which time of the day you are worst?
Morning. I have trouble waking up and getting out of bed.

7. What are the things which aggravate your suffering and which are those which ameliorate the same? Example- time, temperature, pressure, rubbing, washing, eating, tight clothing etc.

Cold, wet, dreary/dark days (lack of sunlight) contribute to my depression and allergies.
I hurt and am depressed and all I want to do is sleep. I have no motivation to accomplish anything.

8. Do you think your sufferings have relation to any external stimuli (like, change of place) or any internal biological changes in the body, like, menses (in females)?

I had a pattern of being worse prior to menses, but, in August 2007 had a D&C and NovaSure laparoscopy performed which eliminate flooding/bleeding/cramps. Since this surgery I do not experience heavy cramps and bleeding. The depression does not seem to set in as hard since the surgery.

9. When do you feel better, during hot weather or cold weather, humid or dry weather?

I feel better on warm (not hot/humid) sunny days.

10. Describe your general mental set up? Are you Moody, Arrogant, Mild, Agreeable Changeable, Nervous, Suspicious, Easily offended, Quiet, Arguing, Irritating, Lazy etc.

Definitely changeable and unmotivated. I have no desires or goals. However, when there are times that I get involved or interested in something I take it to an extreme level and either become frustrated, anxious, burn-out and often times do not complete the task.

- How do you feel before or during a thunderstorm?

Fearful (I hate thunder/lighting); achy from the moisture in the air; and down due to lack of sunlight.

- Do you like being consoled during your tough times?

No, I just want to be left alone and shutdown/shut out the world and sleep.

- Are you sensitive to external stimuli like smell, noise, light etc?

I am very sensitive to smell (perfume, cleaners, hairspray, etc.), I do not like loud noise (music, traffic, multiple noises make me very irritable), I am sensitive to lack of light, and, I am also scared of the dark.

- Do you have any typical habit or gesture like nail biting, causeless
Weeping, talking to one self etc?

I talk to myself to stay on task because I have trouble concentrating. I bite my cuticles when I try to sit still and I have one leg always moving when I am seated (usually crossing my legs with the left leg moving). I scrape the skin from the side of my thumb with my index finger chronically.

- How do you feel about your friends, family, your children and especially your husband / wife?
I have a half-sister that I say is my only true friend. I am not shy, however, I am not comfortable in social settings and do not mix well with others (especially females). I tend to talk at people and do not listen or conduct an actual conversation.

I am estranged from my adopted family (father, brother, sister-in-law, aunts, uncles, cousins). I am on good terms with my husband’s family, but, not especially close-knit.

I do not tolerate children well at all. I am on speaking terms with my daughter but we have never had a strong bond with her and we wear on each other after extended visits (2+ days).

I have been married 24+ years and am closer to my husband than I think most married couples are mainly due to the trials we have endured with my health and my daughters past antics.
Prior to the NovaSure procedure the lack of sex was a big issue between us because sex was painful/uncomfortable. Since the procedure, we have sex more often because my desire has returned and I am not experiencing pain.

11. What are your fears and do you dream of any situation repeatedly?
I have nightmares often (to the point of screaming out). Currently, most of my nightmares involve snakes and spiders. Without taking the Bromocriptine I continually move/jerk in my sleep to the point of falling out of bed.

12. What do you crave for in food items and what are your aversions?

I love chocolate. I can’t stand the taste of milk (but I like cheese).

13. How is your thirst: Less, Normal or Excessive?

Less to Normal. I do not drink caffeine (no coffee, rarely do I drink soda). If anything I drink bottled water or raspberry tea.

14. How is your hunger: Less, Normal or Excessive?

Less. I usually have a slice of raisin bread and water for breakfast. I don’t eat lunch. Dinner is light compared to most people. I tend to snack on chocolate at night in front of the tv.

15. Is there any kind of food which your body can’t stand?

Milk, ice cream ( I like the taste of ice cream, but, it gives me diarrhea and/or constipation/stomach cramps/nausea).

16. Is your sweat normal or less or more? Where does it sweat more: Head, Trunk or Limbs?

I sweat very little. I tend to sweat most on my face. I do not tolerate heat well at all and become red in the face very quickly with just a little exposure to the sun/heat.

17. How is your bowel movement and stool type?

I have a bm once per day. This has improved significantly since the NovaSure procure. Prior to the surgery my bm hurt to the point of bleeding and tears. I tend to have diarrhea often.

18. How well do you sleep? Do you have a particular posture of sleeping?

Terrible. I take my late night meds (Bromocriptine & Estazolam) at 8:30 p.m. I become drowsy at 10:30 / 11:00 but cannot sleep. I have not been able to get to sleep until usually 1:00/2:00 a.m. Then I cannot wake up to the point of getting out of bed until noon the next day. When I do ‘wakeup’ I am very medicated/dopey/druggie which does not wear-off until mid-afternoon.

The past month has been the worst. Prior to that, I would get to sleep around 11:00 and had a very consistent pattern of having nightmares to the point of screaming out each morning between 5:00 – 6:00 a.m.

I usually sleep on my right side in a fetal position.

19. Do you think you are able to satisfy your sexual desires in general?

Yes.

20. Do you have any strange, peculiar or unusual symptom or feelings? How are you different from others?
I feel that everyone else is different than me. I just don’t fit in.
I cannot handle any pressure situations and I do not initiate any activities i.e. housework of any kind (laundry, cooking, housekeeping, getting mail, going outside).

I spend my time either sleeping, surfing the net, or making meals for the 2 house cats. This is year round and not just on bad weather days. I have never been able to hold a job for more than a few weeks since I gave birth. I become very stressed and over-apply myself and then burn-out and either quit or am let go.

21. What medications have been taken earlier by you to treat the diseases and do you have any particular symptom surfacing after the medication?
When I was first treated for bipolar I was given Lithium which did some good but was soon taken off it and put on other depression meds.

22. What major diseases are running in your family?
Due to adoption at 2-1/2 yrs old, I have very little family history. My half sister and I have a lot in common however – hypothyroid, depression &/or hyperactivity, sleep disorder, fear of the dark , and look a lot alike.

23. Describe, how do you look like? Describe your overall appearance.
(For Females) I am 5’2”, 120 lbs, blond hair, fair complexion, wear a size 18 boys pants.

24. If your menstrual cycles are not normal, please describe the irregularities, like pains, moods, flow type, clots etc.

See my answer in question no. 8.

25. What major diseases have you had in your life and when. Please write them in a chronological

Cronic Sinus infectiion, Vaginal warts, cervical dysplasia, Cyclothymia, deep vein thrombo-phlebitis, restless leg syndrome