Therapist

Hi is there anyone london based that could recommend a good therapist who is sympathetic to our condition? I’m struggling with anxiety, depression and insomnia and could do with some help.

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Please don’t leave the Category blank

Understandable.

I’d recommend Dr Lawrence McKenna via the London Hearing & Balance centre in Grafton Way

https://www.lhabc.co.uk/

Thank you so, so much!

Do you also recommend the neurologist/s there for treating vestibular migraines? Since Dr Surenthiran is no longer working at the NHS I’m wondering who to turn to for advice on medication.

Hi Natty. I’ve often wondered what happened with you. Assumed you were settled on meds and getting on with life. Anxiety and depression can both be closely linked with VM. If you go the NHS route all you will get offered is on line NHS material and CBD. Might work but a Clinical Psychologist would certainly seem a better option.

I’ll mention it as it could be very relevant to your current condition. Your User Card, which I appreciate may be way out of date as it’s two years since you last posted on here, states you take both Venlafaxine and Nortriptyline. Antidepressants can actually cause depression.

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They are oto-neurologists and treat all vestibular conditions (McKenna is a clinical psychologist)

You might be able to see him on the NHS too but I don’t know how long it would take.

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I cannot believe you remember! You’re amazing!
Sounds like I should write an update on my profile. In essence I managed to wean off the venlafaxine and reduce the nort a little in order to start ivf. Unfortunately the ivf was unsuccessful and I believe (always so blimin’ hard to correctly identity causes!) stirred things up again a couple of months later. Earlier in the year, pre ivf, I wasn’t symptom-free, maybe 65% but when you are back at the bottom that feels such an achievement. Now back off work and housebound and struggling to read or look at screens.
How are things with you?

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Thanks James, I will email them now…

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Be great if you could do an update whilst you are back around. Might help some future comer. You never know. Interfering with hormones and VM isn’t a good mix. Often seems to cause further problems. And go seek help if you feel you need it but remember your anxiety and depression could be very closely linked to your very recent IVF failure in which case it’s a perfectly natural and normal reaction. Stress alone can cause increased inflammation within the body which could result in VM symptoms too.

It was my last attempt( I’m now 45!). Up until this spring I’ve been unable to try for children due to all of the VM drugs. I do actually still have one embryo in the freezer and was due to try with this until my symptoms escalated some weeks back. I’m now thinking it’s unlikely I’ll ever get the opportunity again which saddens me.

Professor Louisa Murdin at Guy’s Hospital. I see her on the NHS. She is very skilled and very kind. Professor Linda Luxon at the Balance Centre is also good, but you have to pay.

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Thanks so much for replying Sandra, I will look into both of these.

There’s info aplenty on here about Prof Luzon experiences.

Hi Natty,

I am a psychotherapist and been living with this, in direct tandem with fertility problems, for around 5 years now. While I can’t be your therapist because of the personal connection being too close through this forum, I would be really happy to have a phone chat to offer some support and guidance and maybe also a bit of mutual sharing.

Do send me a private message if you want to take me up on the offer.

Anna

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That’s a very kind offer Anna, thank you. You are both Trust Level 2 so should be able to arrange that over an mvertigo Private Message. Cheers to both of you!

I’m sure you know by now, but you can just hit the Message button (with the envelope) that appears on the User Card which pops up when you click or tap someone’s avatar, e.g.:

image

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Wow, how very kind! I’m struggling to carry on right now so a chat would be so, so welcomed. Thank you Anna :pray:t2:

Ive been trying since I received your message to speak to Dr McKenna’s secretary and also just managed to today. She’s going to check but doesn’t think he will take on any outside patients unfortunately :pensive:

by that do you mean outside of the Balance Centre?

If that’s the case then I would get a referal to one of the consultants (e.g. Bamiou, Luxon, etc.). They may accept just an email request.

They will surely refer you on to him, but perhaps they prefer a specialist to triage first (fair enough?).

It does add to costs though.

Yes that’s correct, outside of the Balance Centre. Thanks for your suggestion re going via one of the other consultants.
My immediate issue today is getting meds to help me sleep, despite being on these previously my GP won’t issue without guidance from a psychiatrist who understands the condition. My neurologist says the GP should issue. Navigating the system is so very challenging! Particularly when I simply can’t stand looking at screens!