Kimberly Murphy46 said:you honestly have no clue ...
Honestly—you clearly have no idea what you’re asking. It’s like asking if you should go out drinking when you already have liver failure.☕ Just use some common sense... if you have pneumonia, you shouldn't even be breathing too hard, let alone smoking. Go ahead, though—keep smoking and check back in a few months so we can hear the final diagnosis. ☕
Arthur Moore8 said:Man, that's rough. You didn't scare me off, but I am still a bit worried about being out of commission for work.😢
Anyway, how did the infection end up turning out? Any trips to the hospital or new meds? How long am I going to be stuck away from everyone else?
Look, since it wasn't a full-blown infection—just the start of a virus—I just went straight home, hit the bed, drank warm stuff, blah blah blah, the usual routine... I shouldn't have stepped foot outside for about a month. Mostly just to avoid breathing in that freezing outdoor air and all that. I stayed home for about three weeks (aside from some quick trips to campus for important exams), and I felt fine. As for the virus itself, I caught it about two weeks ago with a super mild sore throat, a runny nose, and a cough. I didn't really treat it much because I was too busy with college, and I'm okay now—except for that lingering cough. Just a little bit left to hack up, but some codeine/dextromethorphan cough syrup handles it. 👍
hmm, honestly, I had the exact same thing happen earlier this year—around five months ago—coughing like a total idiot and literally hacking up a bottle's worth of mucus every single day 🤣 I don't want to freak you out, but unfortunately, for me, it turned out to be the start of pneumonia... just a fever for a day or two, but that cough? God, it was brutal 🤣 still a smoker, though... Tell your doctor you need an urgent referral to a pulmonologist for a chest X-ray, then let me know how it goes
Michael Newman18 said:Thanks, but does anyone here actually have any experience using Symbicort?
I’ve dealt with asthma since birth, though I don't get those "classic" attacks—it’s more like allergic asthma. Dust, mites, pet dander... that kind of thing. It stays with me year-round regardless of pollen counts or whatever. Summer is the only time things feel slightly easier. Usually, I just rely on Claritin tablets to deal with that miserable morning sneezing and congestion... honestly, if I could just stop sneezing my head off first thing in the morning, I might actually be able to breathe, but even with the Claritin, it's still 🙏 🙏 Anyway, I’ve cycled through just about every asthma med out there—truly, everything—and nothing has really been a game-changer. A few months back, I had some lung inflammation that combined with my asthma, and god, it was awful. I couldn't catch my breath at all; my eyes were constantly watering... easily the worst moments of my life. My pulmonologist put me on Symbicort, twice a day. And I will say, it helped. It made breathing easier. It wasn't a long-term fix for me then, but it provided enough relief when it mattered. I used it for maybe two months and then stopped. Now, I just use it as needed—kind of like how I use Ventolin. If I’m really struggling, I take an inhaler and that’s that. Though, personally, I find it much safer than Ventolin, which can be pretty sketchy if you aren't careful...
I was taking Advil PM back when I was hitting rock bottom with depression—did it all on my own without bothering a doctor or anything. It’s true what they say, it takes about a month to actually kick in, but once it did? I felt better than I ever have. Not "floating" or whatever, just... normal. Clear-headed, sober, sharp. I stayed on it for two months—think I was popping two a day during the first bottle, then just one a day with the second. Honestly, I think there's a long-term effect too, because I haven't had another breakdown or a crying spell since... and that was two years ago. So, 👍 thumbs up for Advil PM!
You mentioned alcohol—I don't know about you, stormyhawk15, but my friend doesn't touch the stuff. She might have one beer a month, smokes, but barely... We suspected mono, especially since her lymph nodes were already swollen from a previous strep infection—which she was treated for. Is it actually possible for some lingering strep to just stay there and "threaten" her?
I’ve been scouring the forums, but I can't find anything helpful regarding these liver enzymes—any advice would be appreciated. A friend just got her bloodwork back, and the results aren't exactly great. It looks like this:
MCHC 348 -> limit 345 W-SCR % 37 -> limit 35 Urine specific gravity is 1.030 -> normal 1.025 Epithelial cells -> high Bacteria present slightly AST 33 -> limit 30 ALT 51 -> limit 36
I realize it's not exactly a medical emergency, but seeing both ALT and AST elevated isn't ideal. Bilirubin is normal. About two months ago, she went through two full courses of Penicillin. Could those pills be the culprit? She did have Gilbert's syndrome as a kid, though her bilirubin is fine now and there's never been any follow-up issues with her liver. Otherwise, she's generally in pretty good health. Could someone help me make sense of these numbers or suggest possible causes? I know things like hepatitis or mono could be on the table... but if there are other reasons for these kinds of levels, please let me know. Thanks in advance.
You guys were just talking about that silver water on Edge of Science yesterday. Some doctors gave it to this poor woman—she was already sick, though I couldn’t tell you exactly what with—and now she’s turned completely gray and lifeless. Just wandering around like a ghost. It totally wrecked her! You can't exactly claim to be sane when you're pumping silver into your system... 👎
Thanks for the lightning-fast reply!!! You’ve been a massive help!! 🙏 🙏 It was actually about swollen lymph nodes—so, back to the endless hunt for a cause, ugh... 👎 But thanks a million, 🙏 👍
Back again, but for a different set of results. I had bloodwork done for HIV and a few other things, and here’s what came back. My doctor didn't explain a single thing to me—I have no clue what any of this means... so if someone could please break this down ASAP, I'd appreciate it because I'm stressing out.
IMMUNO-ENZYME TEST Toxoplasma gondii............ IgM .....negative IgG .....0 IU/ml Reference values for IgG: <4 negative >4.. blah blah = just what does negative mean? And this toxoplasma thing—what even is that?
HIV 1 and 2 antibodies.... negative Cytomegalovirus.... IgM... negative IgG... 1:883 positive Epstein-Barr virus.... IgM... negative IgG... 184 units/ml positive
I know what HIV is, but what's CMV... and Epstein? And why is the IgM negative but the IgG shows up as positive? What does that actually signify? Is this all normal?
I’d suggest trying Advil—it's about $27 and you get a decent amount of capsules in a pack. Honestly, they pulled me out of a massive depression and a total mental block; I was actually happy with them. They really help with focus and mood—for real. Plus, there’s zero dependency issues, none at all. As far as I could tell, there weren't many side effects either, and I was taking them for roughly 😬—since then, I haven't felt the need for them again 😍 though I last took them two years ago 👍 👍
About two years ago, I went through the exact same thing—same weird skin flare-up, though mine was higher up, mostly around my neck and shoulders, maybe trailing down a bit. It freaked me out at first. I ended up seeing a doctor who explained it’s just those fungal things you pick up from the ocean 😲 when you're swimming at the beach. You dry off with a towel, it picks up all that stuff, and if you aren't washing the towel properly after, you're basically just repeating the cycle. Especially if your skin is a little sensitive, you end up inviting those little pests right back in. 🤣 The doc put me on some topical cream, and about two weeks later, they were gone—never came back. Honestly, I can't remember the name of the ointment; I tossed the box. If you tell me what your doctor prescribed, maybe I'll be able to jog my memory.
James Watson84 said:An inhomogeneous hypoechoic thyroid ultrasound might—but doesn't necessarily—point to an issue with how the gland is functioning. My suggestion? Get another ultrasound done by a specialist at a major hospital or an endocrinologist, run some blood work for thyroid hormones, and then, if it looks necessary, check for antibodies. Lymph nodes are just lymph nodes. "Reactive" is actually a good thing 🙂. The SCM refers to the sternocleidomastoid muscle—that one running from just behind your ear down to your breastbone and collarbone area. You've got clusters of lymph nodes right alongside that muscle that tend to swell up more toward the top third of its length, near the angle of your jaw.
Thanks so much 🙏—yeah, I already know I’m dealing with hyperthyroidism, so I guess it makes sense that things look a little off on the scan... it’s probably not some huge disaster, which is a relief. Thanks 😬
I often hit that wall where I just can't fall asleep at night—then, once I finally do, I'm a total zombie the next morning no matter what time I get up. But if I skip the sleep? I feel fine. The longest I’ve ever stayed awake was about four days straight. And honestly? It felt amazing. It was during this trip to a cabin in the mountains with friends—plenty of drinks, all that good stuff... One friend went straight to bed that first night, while I stayed out drinking with another buddy. Morning rolls around, one guy wakes up and joins us, while the first one heads back to sleep. I'm still sitting outside, sipping away. We were there for four days and I didn't close my eyes once—the only time I actually laid down was for maybe two hours watching TV, and even then, sleep wasn't even on my mind. Heh. But once I got back home 🙂 heh
It happens all the time. About a month ago, we did it again, though we started out at a friend's place since she was home alone. I had to drag myself up way too early because I had to be in the city by 7 PM to meet her. We were drinking while the others slept, and I spent the night watching TV because sleep wouldn't come. Then the next morning, we headed to the cabin, went outside, and again—no sleep because I just wasn't tired. I ended up playing cards by myself. That went on until the end of the day—three days without any sleep.
Went for my ultrasound today. Here’s what the report says:
"The thyroid gland is normal in size but shows highly inhomogeneous, hypoechoic parenchyma with irregular contours." "Salivary glands are unremarkable." "Bilateral lymph nodes present near the submandibular area; some larger/more numerous nodes in the upper third and angular regions—the largest on the right is about 27mm, oval-shaped, appearing sonographically reactive."
So, salivary glands are fine, but what’s the deal with the thyroid—specifically those "irregular contours"—is that a bad sign? Also, what the heck is "SMC," and what are these lymph nodes? I’m really hoping "reactive" means something good... basically looking for someone to translate this medical jargon into plain English if anyone actually knows how.
The scan was prompted by constant swelling in my neck and groin, plus some lumps, though I don't see them here—I can't tell. Still waiting on the abdominal and groin ultrasounds; my appointment isn't until the end of the month, so I’ll probably be back here asking about those too...
Karen Martinez75 said:👍 Perfect! You've really gone down the rabbit hole... but thank God, everything eventually works out. I’m honestly fascinated by all this herbal stuff—people think it's a waste of time because you don't see results right away, but if you actually stick with it, the end result is a total shocker. For me...
Me too, seriously! I actually laughed when they handed me that liquid miracle and told me to just rub it on 🤣 but hey, I figured I had nothing to lose, and after a week or two 🙏 🙏 hehe 😬 Basically, all those pills and "miracle cures" are just made from our local herbs—meaning nature gave us everything we need! hehe 😁