I haven't included everything because the questionnaire is vast, and lets face it, there are some things you probably just don't want to know! But its really incredible that a doctor has taken all this information, and gone through it to find trends and look at my health in a multidimensional way! I think every doctor should do this!
1) My Current Sense of Well-Being
Included questions of quality of life, happiness, energy level, pain, ability to function in life, etc. Most of my responses fell between 3 and 6 on a scale of 1 (worst) to 8 (best).
2) My Priorities
Rating money, pleasure, health, spirituality, success, family, volunteering, sexual intimacy, happiness, and recognition from 1 to 10. Also, to what degree are you willing to change your life to become healthy?
3) Central Nervous Systom Symptoms
Dizziness/Loss of Balance: 5
I had severe vertigo after the birth of my daughter (Feb 2010). It lasted for 3 months, and gradually improved to a moderate symptom. It became much milder after switching to a low-glycemic diet (Dec. 2010). Since then, it gets worse if I don't eat for a few hours, if I accidentally eat something with sugar in it (even a tiny amount), if i had a poor sleep the night before, if I'm stressed, or if I'm exposed to chemicals, plastic smells, fragrance, renovation related fumes/particles, or deisil fumes. Otherwise it the symptom has essentially gone away.
Concentration Problems and Difficulty with Memory: 6
I had a siezure in 1993. It left me feeling disconnected from reality/spacey for many years after. Sometimes people would tell me it looked like i was moving in slow motion. I was anemic and regularly weak and unhealthy throughout most of Jr. High and High School, (partially because I was a poorly nourished vegetarian). It improved in somewhat in college (I assume because my nutrition improved some). It improved more once again in Seminary when I was trying to improve my nutrition even more.
All my symptoms became severe in January of 2006 until 2008 while I was on the drug Effexor. During this time I often couldn't speak, have thoughts, or read. I came off Effexor in January of 2008, and my memory, ability to speak, think, and read all returned, but not to the level I could do these things before.
May 2011 my memory problems and concentration problems are constant (sometimes moderate, sometimes severe). I have difficulty retrieving basic information and memories. During conversations I have to really focus or I forget what we're talking about. These symptoms get worse with poor sleep, stress, sugar, processed foods, Effexor, or when I don't eat for a few hours. They get better without these stressors. Both the low-glycemic diet, and the fructose-free diet have improved these symptoms in a very noticeable way. Sometimes I am very clear and focused now, and can remember things very well!
Unexplained Fatigue: 7
I've had this problem since about 1993. I can be having a fun, successful day, then the next moment I'm unable to walk, or feel like I have around 30 seconds to get down to the ground or I will pass out/fall asleep. This has happened many times on the way up the stairs. I make it about 1/3 of the way up, and then I can't move my leggs to the next step. Regularly just walking takes a huge amount of energy. This gets worse with sugar, poor sleep, the smallest amount of stress, and of course, Effexor.
I'm not sure why there are times where this symptom goes away for long times. I think the Vitamin D and Omega 3s this doctor prescribed have helped, but the problem is still severe when it happens.
Numbness/Tingling: 7
From 2009 on (starting when i was around 5 months pregnant), I had numbness and tingling regularly in my hands, feet, face, arms, scalp, and my legs. It moved around, but regularly it was in most of these areas, especially my scalp, face, and arms. It wasn't specific to one side of the body or the other.
In April 2010 I would get a severe burning sensation (like a fire was lit on my skin) if I touched somewhere on my body (especially if I didn't realized I had touched that spot). It would burn for a few minutes and then go away. I also had muscle spasms and 24 hour a day vibrating sensation in my arms (and sometimes chest). After 1 1/2 months it became moderate to severe instead of severe all the time, but it never went completely away. I had an MRI done, and it was clear.
Since on a Low-Glycemic Diet all these symptoms have become mild, and sometimes completely go away! It gets worse with sugar and poor sleep.
Brain Fog: 8
Since 1994 I have had brain fog 100% of the time (mild to moderate). Feels like mild to moderate pressure around my brain, but it doesn't hurt (just pressure/strain). The brain fog got MUCH better in 2002 to 2005 before I started taking Effexor. I was thinking the clearest in my life during this time. I was also remembering much better.
Since taking Effexor and coming off it I have never been able to shake the brain fog, except for on a very occasional day. It gets worse with sugar, poor sleep, and some foods.
Trouble with Confusion: 6
I get confused all the time during conversations because I can't hold the sentences in my head. Using the phone is difficult for this reason. This symptom IS getting worse. Sometimes I get lost while driving on the main roads I regularly drive on. If it doesn't start getting better I will have to make some big changes.
Inability to Tolerate Light: 4
If I don't eat for a few hours the headaches are painful (also caused by sugar and poor sleep). I tend to prefer working in a darker room (natural light only) because indoor lights give me headaches.
Drowsiness: 6
This can come on almost instantly. I will fall asleep whether I lay my head down or not... so I lay my head down. When this happens I sleep for 3 to 6 hours VERY deeply and I can get up for a bit afterward, but I'm extremely weak and disoriented for the rest of the day, and usually go back to sleep . This symptom is staying the same, but gets worse with stress, poor sleep, or sugar.
4) Gastro-Intestinal System Symptoms
Abdominal Pain/Discomfort: 6
1994 to Fall of 2002 I had moderate to extremely painful cramps most of the time. In Fall 2002 I went on the pill for 3 months (but came off of it because I lost emotional and body sensation). Since then I have had less cramping (and its less severe).
In February 2010 (following my daughter's birth) I have had almost constant mild cramps. For about a year and half after this c-section I couldn't sit straight up or twist without feeling like something was tearing in my abdomin. I learned that I had adhesions from the surgery, and was very discouraged as I realized I would not be able to run, do sit-ups, or even stand straight up ever again. After my friend Holly prayed for me (around June 2011) I have been able to stand up straight, and even stretch out my abdomin! But I am still not able to engage my abdominals to hold myself in a table-top position or to do crunches. This has never been a problem before, not even after my other surgeries... I'm not sure why God would partially heal me, but I'm grateful for the relief. Today my organs feel like they are swollen inside me, and they buckle when I try to twist. My abdominal muscles feel like they're in the wrong place.
Nausea/Vomiting: 4
Since I've had kids I've had mild nausea a few days a week, and this has gotten worse since Feb 2010 when my daughter was born.
Bloated feeling: 7
I experienced "bloating" for the first time after my daughter was born (Feb 2010). It gets better and worse from day to day.
Indigestion/Reflux/Heartburn: 3
I had these symptoms with severe anxiety from childhood to 2003. Also had regular pain in my chest and left arm. None in 2003. Again while taking Effexor (06-08). Rarely since.
5) Respiratory and Cardiovascular System Symptoms
Breathing Difficulty: 1
For as long as I can remember, until 2001, my chest felt tight (often like something is sitting on my chest - labored breathing). This was occasional in 2003. From 2006-2008 (while taking Effexor) my breathing was always labored. It felt like if I wasn't thinking about each breath, it wouldn't happen. Sincethen breathing takes more effort. I breathe loudly. In 2010 we discovered mold in our house, but it was likely there since we moved in in March 2007. It gets worse withs stress, sugar, and poor sleep.
Heart Pounding/Racing Heart: 5
As long as I can remember to 2001 I had constant chest pain and my resting heart rate was 120 bpm. I had an ECG done and I was told that I'm fine - a racing heart is just normal for some people. It got better in 2001 when my anxiety got better. Still today I have occasional panick attacks and an occasional random big heart pound or two.
Out of Breath Easily: 4
From grade 4 on I felt like I have never quite had enough breath. In Grade 7 I had rheumatic fever and a siezure one month later. For the next 2 years feeling out of breath was a big problem. Less so in Sr. High. From 2006-2008 (while taking Effexor) I never had enough breath. Today I feel like I'm out of breath about 50% of the time, but its not severe often. Gets worse with poor sleep, sugar, and stress.
6) Musculoskeletel System Symptoms
Joint Pain: 6
My joints have always been uncomfortable, until 2003, and then again starting in 2006 to 2008 (while on Effexor) my joints were extremely stiff. It got a bit better in 2009 during pregnancy, and then 2010 to the present I am stiff and always sore. It is difficult for me to flex my fingers and ankles and the base of my neck is very stiff. I always move my arms, legs, neck, ankles, and fingers around slightly because they are uncomfortable. Occasionally this is quite painful. Maybe the weather makes it worse?
Muscle Aches/Tension: 6
I have tension in my shoulders and back constantly since childhood. I didn't experience muscle pain after exercise until I went on Effexor in 06 (and each time since). Since 2010 my calves and feet often cramp, I have lots of pressure behind my knees, and my muscles are always stiff and weak. Gentle stretching makes it worse, even if done regularly. Its generally getting worse with time, and gets worse with poor sleep, stress, and sugar.
Back Discomfort: 6
I always have back discomfort. Strain in my back lasts for days if I lay on my stomach for a short period of time. I am not able to hold myself up with good posture since Feb 2010 (birth of daughter). I get a strange feeling in the sides of the middle of my back shortly after a spell of weakness. It almost feels like "butterflies" in my kidneys.
Muscle Weakness: 6
Muscle weakness has hit me out of nowhere regularly throughout my life. When it happens I am suddenly unable to lift my arms or legs, or it takes great strain/effort to do so. I feel the need to lay down and be very still, not even move my neck or eyes. I also lose the ability to grasp with my hands. 2006 to 2008 (on Effexor) these symptoms were there most days.
From 2009-2010 along with the burning and numbness, I couldn't hold anything in either of my hands for a number of days at a time. After a few months this slowly improved. Now it only happens occasionally and my grasp is weak, but I can hold things. Worse when I don't eat for awhile, with poor sleep, and with stress.
Twitching: 1
When I'm tired or have allergies my eyelid twitches. From 2006-2008 (while on Effexor) my eye twitched a lot. In 2009 I had severe twitching and spasms in arms and legs while pregnant (and continued 2010 after the birth of my daughter).
Unexplained Leg Cramps: 5
This has happened throughout my life for a few days at a time (sometimes weeks). I think this gets worse with the weather, and perhaps with some sort of nutrient deficiency.
\Other: Bone Pain
Sometimes I feel like the bones in my feet, hands, and wrists are breaking, or that they will if they have pressure on them, or if I hold anything. My grasp is effected due to the pain. This has happened to me occasionally throughout my life. When it happens it lasts from days to a week.
7) Urinary Tract Symptoms
Unexplained Fluid Retention: 4
I often wake up puffy all over 2010 to 2011.
8) Gynocological Symptoms
Problems During Pregnancy: yes
Around 34-36 weeks the amniotic fluid levels drop to unsafe levels (no actual fluid loss, though). This has happened with each pregnancy. I was told that I needed a c-section in each case. My third child was born at 34 weeks and was kept in the NICU for 2 weeks until strong enough to suck.
9) Skin-Related Symptoms
Excessively Dry/Oily Skin: 6
Until 2005 (first pregnancy) I had perfect skin. Since then my face is always dry. Fact products do help, but I have used safer ones since 2008 - they don't always work as well. My scalp has also been effected.
Itchy Skin: 3
Very itchy 2006-2008 (on Effexor), and in 2010 during last pregnancy. Its better now.
Pins and Needles/Numb Sensation: 7
See Central Nervous System Symptoms.
10)Ear, Nose, and Throat Symptoms
Cold/Flu/Etc.: 3
For as long as I can remember I have gone from one illness to the next (each dragging on for months). i always seem to have something. This changed in 2008 when I came off Effexor and began taking Fish Oil, Vitamin D, andc Vitamin B50. I generally had good health until mid 2009 when the numbness and tingling started up. My family and I began getting frequent infections. We would go through 3 to 5 courses of antibiotics before finally beating an infection (usually ear, sinus, throat/tonsils/strep), only to have it recur 1-2 months later. After discovering that I have Hyperinsulinemia (and the low glycemic diet) I didn't have an infection for a very long time.
Nasal Congestion: 2
Throughout life I have had nasal congestion with allergies (usually along with an itchy face/nose). I regularly have painful sinuses. It can last for weeks. I don't take allergy or cold medications.
Sore Throats: 6
2010 to 2011 I always have a mild sore throat. Day to day it gets a little better/worse. Throat losanges and drinking lots of water don't help.
11)Emotional Symptoms
Any Unintentional Weight Change: 4
I have worked out 4-5 days a week and played on multiple sports teams for most of my life (until January 2006 when I went on Effexor). I put on 40 pounds (during pregnancy), and lost only 5 when I had the baby. On Effexor I was so weak that I couldn not move much. Although i tried to exercise for 2 years, no stamina could be built up. I was usually incapacitated, or a very slow walk was an enormous task.
I was able to exercise again in 2008 (after Effexor) and did 2-4 times a week. I lost about 10lbs. Since 2010, after my daughter was born I am still weak, and have no abdominal strength (as well as pain symptoms that make exercise difficult), but I have eaten a near perfect diet since Hyperinsulinemia, yet still weight the same as when I was pregnant.
I should also mention I was underweight from puberty until 2001, due to nutritional issues. I was interested in eating, but couldn't eat much of what was served at home because I have been a vegetarian since 1988. I mostly ate plain or packaged white pasta, cheese sandwhiches on white bread, and peas, corn, or carrots.
Depressed Mood: 5
September to December of 2001 had a Major Depressive Episode. I had a poor diet during this time - exclusively packaged foods in my college dorm plus protien shakes and various herbs and vitamins. I felt no physical or emotional sensation during that time, and saw in shades of grey. Got better spontaneously.
In 2007 (when the Effexor was up to 225 mg) I started to struggle with more severe depression, and the severity continued to increase with the dose until I was at 1 1/2 times the hightest recommended dose. I felt it was the wrong thing for me throughout the doses prescribed, but I was assured that even thoguh I experienved no perceived benefit from the drug, and it had severe side effects, coming off of it would make me worse. My doctors (family and psychiatrist) refused to take me off of it until one day I told them (happily) that I was pregnant. They took me off of it in a two week period, assuring me that because I was stepping down there would be no side-effects. I had severe vertigo, yelled/screamed, felt terror, and had the shakes for one month, then it slowly got better for the next two months until I felt great. But I do believe this drug has had lasting consequences, bound up somewhere between many of my symptoms. I found out later that the psychiatrist was involvegd in high-dose Effexor research (I had been asked to be part of a study near the end) and I felt used and mislead.
2010 to today I feel great about 3/4 of the time, and only occasionally feel mildly depressed for a few days. I feel very depressed maybe a few days each month. This seems to follow a discouraging period of time with my health where it has interfered with my job or my families ability to function, and I feel guilty or useless. The discouragement seems in proportion to life.
12)Sleep Symptoms
Trouble Having a Good, Sound Sleep: 6
During Fall of 1993 to 1996 I had insomnia most nights, sometimes because of anxiety, and other times because of racing thoughts. From 1996 to 2006 I only had occasional insomnia for a few days to a week at a time. I was on Effexor from 2006 to 2008, during which I slept constantly, but had nightsweats throughout the night (every night once I was at 225 mg). I could not move while asleep (even my head) and this continued for a few hours after i woke up most days. I couldn't close my mouth, even if I was drooling.
From January 2008 to January 2010 I slept well. Itching and shaking kept me up sometimes, but insomnia was rare. January 2010 I was up with the baby (which through off my sleeping patterns). shaking and pain in my abdomen and hips keep me from a comfortable sleep. In February 2011 I used melatonin for a few days to correct my sleeping pattern. I still have pain in my abdomin and hips and that makes a good sleep rare. May 2011 to present stress from illness has kept me up all night occasionally.
13)Psychological Symptoms
Loss of Energy/Run Down/Drained: 7
I have had low energy since 1993 (maybe since the siezure, or because I had poor nutrition and was suddenly going through puberty). I would be compelled into a deep sleep that I would fight against at school in the afternoons, and from 4-6 would start to black out if I stood up too fast).
2006 to 2008 (on Effexor) I was regulary incapacitated. From 2010 on I have had low energy and feel run down nearly every day, but the Low Glycemic Index has lessened the severity.
Also see comments under Musculoskeletal Symptoms.
Inability to Relax: 6
Since I was a little girl my heart would pound and I'd feel out of breath like I couldn't speak when someone asked me a question or made me feel pressured. I don't know if I ever experienced relaxation. I had to push for words to come out.
From 1993 to 2003 this all continued and I would twist my wrists, my jaw, and tighten my stomach until I had a stomach ache. I also held my breath a lot.
From 2003 to 2006 my anxiety decreased substantially. I discovered what "relaxed" is. From 2006-2008 while on Effexor anxiety wasn't a problem. In 2008 to 2009 I had moderate anxiety, 2009 to 2010 we were in an extremely stressful life-situation with severe and constant anxiety. 2011 on I've had moderate anxiety that comes and goes depending on how well i can perform at work and at home.
Difficulty with Simple Decisions: 7
This has been a big problem throughout my life because I always feel like I could be forgetting something important that needs to be considered, or I simply can't think through it all fast enough. See: Central Nervous System Symptoms: Trouble with Confusion
14)And a list of other questions!
When Sick, Do I Recover Quickly: 4
During 1986 to January 2008 I was nearly always sick. Stomach Flu and colds would hang on for weeks, and sometimes a whole season, and I would continue to be physically weak for months afterward. In January 2008 I was taken off Effexor, and this doctor had me take Omega 3s and Vitamin D (I had recently also started taking Vitamin B50 that was recommended to me by a naturopath a few weeks earlier). After withdrawal was done (a few months) I experienced NO sickness. When I felt something come on, it quickly went away before I got sick. I was in my first trimester of pregnancy with my second son also. This lasted until January 2009. July 2009 after becoming pregnant with my daughter I had pneumonia, and then H1N1 (after being immunized 2 weeks earlier). In December 2009 I started taking potent multivitamins from USANA and Calcium. During this time I had vigorous energy - probably the most I had in my life. I can't remember when I stopped taking the USANA vitamins (2 to 4 months later) because of financial difficulties. At this point my family started to have chronic infections (We had moved to a rural home during this time). We mostly had throat, tonsil, sinus, strep, and ear infections. I took about 6 courses of antibiotics over the next 6 months. My oldest son Isaac took about the same, and my husband had way more infections continuing for an additional 6 months. He ended up having his tonsils out, as well as taking prebiotics I'd heard the doctor talk about in a class. He hasn't had any more infections since on from the surgery itself.
Unexplained Hot Flushing or Sweating: 6
From 2002 to 2006 I had a few hot flashes. Then, starting in January 2006 (on Effexor) I had frequent hot flashes - usually when I tried to hold my son. I could not hold him often or for long because it kept happening (people around me perceived this as not wanteding to hold my son, but that wasn't the case). This was very discouraging. It got worse as the Effexor dose went up to the point where I'd have them regularly and nothing in particular seemed to be triggering them. In January 2008 these symptoms basically went away after withdrawal from Effexor was done, although ever since I easily break into a sweat, but I almost never sweated before Effexor (not even when exercising).
Since 2010 I have broken into a sweat often, with only a small amount of exertion. It has improved somewhat since a Low Glycemic Diet.
Visual Problems: 7
I went nearsighted when I was pregnant with my 1st son. In January of 2006 (on Effexor) an Optomitrist said my eyes were giving out because they were tired from the pregnancy and he gave me reading glasses (which i only used when I noticed my eyesight go, or if I had a headache). I was in seminary at the time, and reading 8-10 hours some days. I can't remember if my eyesight went before or after Effexor. I didn't put the two together at the time. But, as Effexor dose went up, my eyesight go progressively worse. In January of 2007 my eyes stopped focusing altogether and instead, constantly zoomed in and out, not matter how hard I tried to get them to focus on a single point (like a camera lense zooming in and out). They would also slip to a different point on the page and wouldn't scan slowly left to right. They jumped right right away, no matter what i tried to look at. Glasses made no difference for these problems. I could not read this year.
In January of 2008, after coming off Effexorf my eyesight has improved to where I don't need glasses, but any time I am weak or stressed they start zooming in and out and jumping around again. Sugar and poor sleep amkes it worse, too.
Altered Taste in Mouth: 5
January 2006 to January 2008 (while on Effexor) I had a metallic taste sometimes and a metallic smell in my nose sometimes. Also dry mouth. I remember getting a metallic taste ocassionally when I was young. Had it regularly from August 2010 to February 2011. I wonder if it was insulin I was tasting, because that's what it tastes like when my insulin is high.
15)Family History
Diabetes, Cancer, Heart Problems, Food Sensitivities, Alzhiemers,
16)An inventory of toxicant exposures in the home, office, community
Mold, powerlines, well water, pesticides, pthalates, lumberyard sawdust (treated wood), new home, bleach, solvents, Milk Allergy, Dust and Animal Allergies, Tuna, Chinese Herbs, a few minor head injuries...
17)An assessment of diet and nutrition
Low Glycemic, Fructose Free, Vegetarian, Caffien gives me severe insomnia and brain fog, Rosemary and Soy give me cramps. Ate too much fast food (convenient when sick).
18)Questions related to my prenatal environment (This medical history went back before my birth!!)
mom's diet, exposures to toxicants, supplements taken, medical problems, medical procedures or treatements, home environment
