We're at a total loss. What should we do?

It’s not purely psychological. I’ve dealt with mental health issues before, and this isn't that. Her hands are swelling, her mouth, her legs... she can’t walk, she can’t even speak properly. And get this—they didn't even give her anything for the dizziness. Can you believe that? Honestly, at this rate, she might as well be royalty for all the special treatment she's getting. She's heading in for hormone tests now, not thyroid stuff, just something else, so we'll see what happens. Thanks.

Jessica Brown7 said:Her hands and mouth are swelling, she’s got tremors, can't walk, can't even speak... and they won't give her anything for the dizziness. Can you believe that? I mean, at this rate, she might as well be royalty. She’s heading in for some hormone tests now—not the usual ones, but something else—so we'll just have to wait and see... Thanks.

I can't recommend anything for the vertigo because they haven't pinpointed the cause yet. The way her hands and mouth are swelling, it's pointing toward her neck again, which, by everything I can tell, brings us back to the C1 vertebra. I actually went through something similar where I couldn't even string three words together properly; if it had been four words, the whole order would have been scrambled. But then again, I’m just dealing with an autoimmune issue, and back then I was having kidney problems too (C1)...

Stay safe out there 👋

Jessica Brown7 said:It’s not entirely psychological. I have some personal experience dealing with mental health issues, and this doesn't feel like that. Her hands and mouth are swelling, she's having trouble breathing, she can't walk, and she can't even speak... And they didn't even give her anything for the dizziness. Can you believe that? At this rate, she could end up being royalty! She's heading in for more hormone tests now—not for thyroid issues this time, but something else—so we'll see what happens. Thanks.

But how can you be certain it isn't a panic disorder? Based on those symptoms, it sounds incredibly similar. Having "some experience with mental health issues" doesn't necessarily mean one is qualified to rule out a clinical diagnosis.

If it hurts while sitting, you're probably looking at a neck issue. But honestly, don't rule out panic disorder either, because that can easily just be a side effect of a cervical spine injury. She should try some herbal antidepressants, but for heaven's sake, tell her not to touch those until she gets her thyroid levels checked via a blood test first.

My sister’s been seeing both a psychiatrist and a psychologist, and they’ve both ruled out panic attacks. Now she’s getting referred to a psychologist. I know what a panic attack feels like because I’ve dealt with them myself, and this isn't even close. Her heart doesn't race, and she isn't even scared. It starts with this intense heat in her feet, then her whole face turns blue, her hands turn bright red, and she gets hit with this massive dizziness. Then her arms and legs go completely numb—like, really numb. She can't even speak. Then, after about 45 minutes, everything just goes back to normal. Before all this started, my sister was such a happy, easygoing person. Now, because they can't figure out what's happening, she's constantly anxious, even though she was never an anxious person before. She looks like a skeleton now—pale, dark circles under her eyes... it's awful. This definitely isn't psychological. She’s doing slightly better these days. Her thyroid levels were fine, but now she’s testing for other things, like growth hormone, adrenaline, cortisol... something like that.
Carl Campbell3, what kind of autoimmune disease do you have? You can just send me a DM if you don't want to talk about it here. There might be a connection to what my sister is going through...
Thanks everyone for caring...

They’re sending her to a neuropsychiatrist, because apparently psychologists don't exist (at least not in my book).
Actually, back in the day, most neurologists were basically neuropsychiatrists since their specialty covered both psychiatry and neurology.

And yeah, panic disorder doesn't look the same for everyone. But if that's already off the table, keep digging.

I'm not entirely sure what might be going on here, but I suggest looking into more natural options first. I always recommend this approach to everyone because I truly believe it can make a difference. While I haven't personally encountered this specific issue before, I wanted to weigh in. You shouldn't just 👎 rely heavily on medications if no doctor has even given you an official diagnosis yet. Have you tried using aloe vera? Personally, I swear by it for almost everything.👍 I actually started taking it by accident while dealing with a skin issue, but it turned out to benefit my entire system. My general health, immunity, energy levels, strength, migraines, low blood pressure... so many things finally felt balanced again. Just look up Aloe Vera gel online; there is a wealth of information out there that will make it all clear to you! Just please, be careful about which brand you choose!

Did your sister ever end up seeing an immunologist?

It’s not that we’re just hunting for a referral, but the doctor is dead set on thinking this isn't an immune issue. I have a gut feeling it’s something else entirely.

She’s been diagnosed with lupus.

They were doing just fine, too... 👋

I’m pretty much certain the whole thing is crawling with Candida from top to bottom. Hit me up in my DMs.

Hey there... I honestly can't believe what I'm reading right now because it feels like you're describing my life word for word... After dealing with this constant, recurring dizziness that hits me in cycles every two or three months for thirteen whole years, I was finally diagnosed with CHRONIC VERTIGO... and that was basically it. After all that time, the doctors just told me exactly what I already knew—that my vertigo is chronic.
I've gone through every single test imaginable, truly everything—checked my heart, my thyroid, my neck—everything came back perfectly fine, blood work is great, urine samples are great... everything is absolutely normal. Physically speaking, I’m in peak condition, but I still can't find the actual cause or any kind of cure for this spinning sensation... So, at this point, I've just kind of accepted it and I'm just keeping on pushing forward.

Jessica Brown7 said:We're trying to get a referral, but the doctor is dead set on thinking it isn't an immune issue, while I’m convinced it absolutely is.

Don't let them steamroll you. Honestly, I would have been showing up at her clinic every single day until she finally handed over that referral.

I dealt with a doctor just like that once. I told her my ankles were swollen every morning, so she felt them and just ordered basic blood work—sed rate and white cell counts. I eventually lost my patience and went to a different doctor instead. She ran a full panel that looked totally fine, but once I actually saw an immunologist? Turns out my immune markers were a total disaster.

So don't let them brush you off. If I had just listened to my first doctor, I still wouldn't have any idea what was wrong with me.

Got the test results back. Hormones look fine. But honestly? This whole thing is enough to drive you insane.

Jessica Brown7 said:Got the referral, hormone levels look fine. Honestly, this whole thing is enough to drive anyone insane.

Has anyone actually managed to snag an appointment with an immunologist yet?

Yeah, we got them. Now there’s this new symptom popping up ever since the dizziness started letting up. Every time I finish lunch, I just get hit with this massive wave of exhaustion, chills, and then this rash breaks out across my face. It lasts for about two hours... what on earth is going on now?????

Jessica Brown7 said:The kidney hormone levels look fine.

And those panic attacks... honestly, I deal with them myself, so I know exactly how much that feels like!

Any updates on my sister?
Did you guys figure out what's going on with her yet?
Hope she's doing better 😉

It was better for a few months there, but now she’s dealing with this weird pressure on the left side of her head again. It hits whenever she's sitting or standing, and it lasts anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. She feels like she’s about to black out—legs go numb, she starts sweating, turns pale, and sometimes actually passes out. Lately, there’s been some discomfort in the left side of her neck too, though we've had everything checked out by doctors and those tests came back fine. Her short-term memory is also acting up. I don't know. The doctor says it isn't psychological, and I trust him. Thanks.