# Physical Symptoms and Depression



## Guest (Jan 9, 2008)

I am a chronic depressive - I'm lucky cos I'm very well (on medication) and have been for the best part of 2 years.However, I do still get "wobbly" days - I had a very black day on Monday - I know why - the kids were going back to school - all the joys of Christmas were over, hubby back at work, me nervous about getting back into the routine - etc etc.When I get these black dog days - I also experience physical symptoms - the 2 main ones are a tightening in my breasts (wierd - but apparently not that uncommon) similar to the sensation in early pregnancy and during periods and a very strong metallic taste in my mouth. When I was very seriously ill - this taste was with me all the time - I don't know what it is - must be some chemical imbalance - to be honest I was way too ill to "research" this in any way at that time.Does anyone else who suffers with mental health "issues" get these or other physical symptoms. I'm not unduly worried by them now but I'm just curious really?Sue


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## Sammy-Jo (Aug 11, 2007)

i suffer with depression to and have for years, i find i get alot of physical sytoms from it i as well get the tightning in my chest but i also get alot of upper back pain on my bad days i dont know why. there have also been times where i get gross taste in my mouth. as you said its probly just from a chemical embalance. i also find that after a dark day i tend to become very sick for the next few days.


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## Guest (Jan 9, 2008)

Hi Sammy-Jo - great to hear from you and nice (well not nice of course - but you know what I mean) that I'm not alone in this. Actually I was reading an article in a trashy women's mag at some airport or another and there was this dead interesting article by the Brit soap star Denise Welsh, describing these symptoms as a warning of a beginning of a very bad bout of depression (she has bipolar disorder and speaks very openly and frankly about her condition) - amongst these - tigthening around the breasts, metallic taste in the mouth (as I described) but also sensory disorders - pins and needles, numbness in the hands and feet. Interestingly, I used to get these in my teens (but was never diagnosed with depression until 2006 - though I think I've had bad bouts in I was about 17).I'm sorry you feel rotten for days afterwards - I've been very lucky - though I'm never complacent about the good mental health I've been enjoying.Can I ask - are you on medication and if so, which one. I'm on 30mg of mitrazapene (which I take last thing at night) - a not-very-widely prescribed SSRI derivative. I was tried initially on Citralopram and Prozac - both with disasterous results.A very warm welcome to these boards - please stay in touch.Which part of Canada are you from - we are visiting Vancouver and Vancouver Island this July - can't wait.Sue, Manchester, UK


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

They were discussing on the radio this morning the theory that some women douse themselves in perfume because one of the effects of depression can be to mess with your ability to smell. If it can do that, it isn't that odd to think it could effect the sense of taste. Pain seems to be a common symptom. One of the newer antidepressants is also marketed for pain syndromes as well as pain that can come with depression.K.


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## Guest (Jan 9, 2008)

Oh yeah - I'd concur with that too Kathleen - also my body temperature regulator (sorry there must be a fancy word for that) was affected. In the cold - I'd stay cold for ages and wouldn't take my coat off for at least 1/2 hour after I'd come in.Interesting.Sue


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## twonK (Oct 30, 2006)

I don't get tightening in the breasts since I don't have any







however my IBS and depression are almost perfectly synchronised.Bad IBS pain --> powerful depression & anxietypowerful depression & anxiety --> Bad IBS pain My particular cognitive speciality is blaming myself. Lots of the time it's pure self-loathing. When I do this, it (understandably) sets off my stomach and gut and when they're agitated, I just want to disappear.A good example was yesterday. I was fine mentally and physically until 3pm when my IBS flared up, this time with no provocation as it happened. Within half an hour I was dreading the future, seeing no happiness in my past, hating my colleagues, was convinced I would get fired and so on. I went from emotionally fine to emotionally destroyed in 30 minutes. And within an hour it was gone again.This has been happening to me for years and I'd like to know if anyone else out there experiences this tight relationship between IBS pain/sensation and depression.Pete


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## Guest (Feb 7, 2008)

Hi Pete - how interesting - see my IBS symptoms are very mild but a bout of very bad IBS and the subsequent round of tests seem to set off a spiral of suicidal depression in the autumn 2005/spring 2006. How I can relate re the self-loathing - its horrible and self-destructive and yes I've definately "got the t-shirt" in that department. Is there anything that works for you that gets you out of the that - a lessening of the IBS symptoms or is there a coping strategy - I'd be very interested? I had a terrible day yesterday - I'll post about that another time maybe - I still get them even though now I'm generally well and have been (thank goodness) for about 2 years.Sue


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## twonK (Oct 30, 2006)

Hi Sue,sorry to hear you struggle with similar issues. To be honest I don't have any good, reliable tips for the self-loathing side of things. It's something that has resisted the many different styles of psychology and meds I've tried.For me there's a large element of obsessional thinking at the core of my issues. A typical sequence of thoughts for me is:- whatever you do, don't think about the terrible thing X- (of course, saying don't think X makes you think about X!)- blame myself for reminding myself of this horrible thingAnd I can't seem to get out of it. One style of psychology that has made me understand it more is ACT. You might want to check it out.Pete


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2008)

Thanks Pete will do.Sue


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