Emotions Everywhere - Los Angeles,CA

Whoever can get you in first-- but since it could be out of whack hormones I'd lean torwards the OB.....

Get your thyroid checked. I have hyperthyroidism and have a lot of these symtoms. It makes you feel, anxious, dizzy, and just not right.

It could be depression, but I'd recommend getting your thyroid checked 1st.
Some of your symptoms sound like hyperthyroid- especially the being hot all the time.

Your ob/ gyn. They are very familiar with post-partum depression. My ob/gyn has also had my thyroid checked.

Sounds like you are going through a lot right now and some counseling could be helpful in figuring out how to handle the relationship issues.

Hang in there!!! =o)

More and more people are diagnosed with post partum anxiety along with depression. Some of your symptoms sound more like anxiety...... Your doctor can help. Both are treatable. You may also benefit from some counseling simply because you really do have a lot of "real" issues complicating things as well.

One thought about making friends.... Depression/anxiety are very isolating.... If you do seek treatment and start to feel better you might be
surprise to find yourself feeling more connected to people. I felt very isolated from even my good friends when I had PPD after my second. Once I felt better I could see weird that really was.... There was never a problem.... It was just the PPD making it hard for me to interact.

I'm sorry you are feeling so crummy and I really hope you feel better soon.

i went to my regular doctor. my issue is rage like feelings. never toward my babies, mainly my husband and we are 100% fantastic. I get severe mood swings after having my babies, usually starts at around 2 to 4 months after and lasted for a few months the first time and i'm still having issues from time to time now and my twins are almost 9 months old. I take celexa and it evens me out. i still get upset about stuff but not to nearly the extreme and i can handle it. I would have your doc check you out about the tightening of your chest and shortness of breath that could be a cardiac issue or high blood pressure. your hormones are probably all out of whack and that could be causing the feeling hot...i am always hot so i can sympathize, I always feel like i'm inside a volcano. good luck and please keep up posted!!

I'm in the same boat. My baby is 9 months old and I've had SO much trouble sleeping lately, and have had panic attack-like symptoms off and on. I feel overwhelmed all the time and feel like I'm just up and down and all over the place. I don't know if you're nursing, but my doctor said as long as you're nursing, hormones are out of whack. I decided not to take meds and just ride it out (mine seems to get worse when I'm menstruating) so my doc thought it was PMDD. I saw my OB-GYN since it seemed to be period-related. But you could see either. I never thought my emotions/hormones, etc would go so nuts after a baby and take this long to get back to normal! I feel hopeless and lonely a lot of the time too. Just try to get out if you can. Good luck, hang in there! You're not alone momma!

Do you need a diagnosis? You know how you feel and what you are experiencing. What will a an "official" diagnosis do to help you? If you want to take anti-depressants or anti-anxiety meds, that would be the only reason you'd really need to see a doctor. Personally I like to stay as far away from pharmaceuticals as possible anymore (and I speak from experience - pre-pregnancy I was prescribed many different antidepressant/anxiety meds - none helped, and the side effects were, in some cases, awful).

Often depression can be as simple as something as magnesium deficiency. I had similar issues after giving birth and while there were things I couldn't change - friends became absent from my life, husband wasn't as supportive as he could have been, didn't have much family support - I did up my magnesium intake by taking coral calcium (powder form, mixed with cranberry juice) and making sure I got outside and took a minimum 45 minute walk every day. Sunshine and exercise are very helpful! Also you might want to try Rescue Remedy for the anxiety.
Again, there were situations that I could not change or control, but I really felt better after doing what I described above.

Of course thyroid issues might be worth looking into as well, as others have stated.

I still feel isolated at times and might have a little bout of the blues, but not depressed or anxious. Learned to be happy with what I have and I have really enjoyed spending the time connecting with my daughter. Best wishes to you.

I agree with getting your thyroid checked. I also had hyperthyroidism after having my little guy. Symptoms sound the same...and it is often misdiagnosed for depression.

Best of luck...

Hey Alice,
Sounds like you may be dealing with hormone issues. All the symptoms you mentioned: hot flashes, depression, lack of sleep, etc are tell tale signs of an imbalance. I would suggest going to your doctor and asking to have your hormone levels tested.
I will warn you though, most ob/gyn will suggest that you go on anti-depressants for PPD, especially if it's unbearable.
In my case I went the full year doing natural methods to keep my mental state in tact. I took large doses of fish oil, and vitamin D along with a product called Gabatone Active that helped me to sleep at night. Then the moment my son was weaned I went on BHRT (bioidentical hormone replacement). I will tell you I feel a hundred times better and it's getting better with each passing month.

Sounds like a lot of things rolled into one body...

the band around your chest and hard to breathe? I would've gone straight to the ER...it COULD be hyper-tension or it could be something like a panic attack...

The lack of sleep - yeah - could be postpartum depression - your life has just changed in many ways - people you thought were friends, weren't. Your family is across an ocean...

You can go to your OB or to your PCP...but you need to tell them EVERYTHING on how you are feeling - lack of sleep, everything you mentioned here so that they can do a FULL work up on you - EKG, chem check (thyroid, hormones, etc.) and get to the root cause...if you are breast feeding then you might want to talk to them about any meds that are safe while breast feeding.

And ending your life or your childs life is NOT PPD it's postpartum psychosis...and if you get that feeling - even for a minute- call 911 immediately.

It sounds like baby blues to me. Hormone adjustment can hit mothers with newborns in a day or in a month or in a year. Talk to your obgyn. In the meantime, try and eat healthy and get some excercise, even if its doing 10 jumping jacks or planking. That might make you feel better.

Don't feel lonely. You always have us!