Posts by Jason Vaughn482

Olivia Gomez67 said:I appreciate you clearing that up. My digestive system is working perfectly fine and my liver enzymes aren't showing any red flags, but my last ultrasound turned up a small growth—either an adenoma or a hemangioma. Now I’m stuck in this endless loop of diagnostic testing, ranging from exhaustive blood panels to a full liver MRI. What exactly are you dealing with?

It isn't that I'm feeling physically unwell; rather, it's this elevated Alpha-fetoprotein level that has suddenly become my entire world. Everything else on my charts looks absolutely textbook, but honestly, being subjected to this relentless barrage of medical testing has left me feeling incredibly anxious.

Angela Green2 said:Hi there, I was wondering if someone could explain what Alpha-fetoprotein and Carcinoembryonic antigen actually are, and why a doctor would bother ordering them in the first place. Thanks!

We’re talking about tumor markers here... personally, my Alpha-fetoprotein levels have been running high for about six years now.
Do you deal with any chronic gut issues? Or perhaps some elevated liver enzymes?

amberdriver21 said:Greetings. During my routine physical, they clocked my fasting glucose at 6.8, which prompted them to send me off for an OGTT.
I went through the motions yesterday, and here are the results:
Glucose at 0h = 5.7
Glucose at 2h = 4.8

How on earth is it possible that after consuming their sugary cocktail, my levels actually dropped lower than when I started?
Is this considered a good result? Has anyone else experienced such a peculiar outcome?

In my experience, I’ll see numbers like that while fasting, but once I’ve had a cup of coffee or a proper meal, things settle down into a perfectly normal 4-5 range; yet, I have never been sent for any additional testing because of it.

Well, the colonoscopy biopsy results have finally landed on my desk, and since this specific thread on colonoscopies seems to be a total ghost town, I was hoping someone might be willing to help me make sense of these findings.

1. This sample consists of a small portion of the ileal mucosa. Looking at the histological slide, the dominant feature is a single, significant cluster of inflammatory infiltrate that, in one particular area, penetrates through a slightly thickened lamina muscularis mucosae.

2. This second sample is a piece of the large intestine mucosa. The crypts are lined with regular epithelium. Within the lamina propria, there is a moderately abundant mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate accompanied by edema and hyperemia, along with a notable presence of macrophages containing brown pigment.

Maria Fisher46 said:What does the differential blood count look like? You absolutely ought to have a complete blood count, CRP, liver function test, ALP, bilirubin, LDH, CK, and other routine biochemical panels performed—ideally supplemented by a serum protein electrophoresis. Once you have those results in hand, take them to an infectious disease specialist; from there, depending on what the labs reveal, an immunologist might be the next logical step.

Based on what you've described, we could potentially be looking at infectious mononucleosis syndrome (which isn't strictly limited to Epstein-Barr Virus), though we are currently flying blind without data regarding any findings in the throat, lymph nodes, liver, or spleen. Beyond that, we cannot rule out various diagnoses falling under the umbrella of autoimmune diseases.

The duration of these symptoms is quite extensive, which doesn't quite align with the typical clinical course of mononucleosis. Therefore, I suspect—especially considering you are presenting with objective signs like fever—that it is high time you had a hospital specialist tackle these issues head-on.

Unfortunately, I don't practice gastroenterology, so I am hardly qualified to offer a commentary on colonoscopy findings. It is entirely possible that those submucosal follicles are merely more prominent lymph nodes, which are a perfectly normal feature of the intestinal wall. To my eyes, the finding doesn't strike me as pathological, nor do I believe a simple visual inspection during a colonoscopy can provide a definitive answer to the cause of your constipation. Perhaps this question would be better suited for a thread dedicated to colonoscopies. We have a gastroenterologist (Protected) who frequents this board and could likely offer much more insight. Or perhaps our colleague Bryan Barnes2 might have some thoughts to share as well.

Thank you so much; nobody had responded to that specific topic (the colonoscopy) for quite a while, but I’m just confused as to why they took a biopsy, or if that’s just standard procedure most of the time.

Nicholas Myers, if you happen to be a gastroenterologist, would you be so kind as to address my question above? It seems I am shouting into a void here, as absolutely no one is providing me with an answer...

I have been scouring the internet for three days straight, yet I cannot seem to find a single shred of information that addresses my specific concerns. Perhaps someone in this community might be able to shed some light on my situation. Namely, I recently underwent a colonoscopy under general anesthesia, but in the rush following the procedure, I didn't get a chance to consult with my doctor. All I was left with is a medical report that reads like a foreign language to me, and they performed a biopsy as well. I am going to transcribe the findings here; if anyone could help clarify this, it would go a long way in easing this crushing uncertainty. My mother had colorectal cancer, which is why I’ve been proactive about screenings—I’ve had two colonoscopies now, one five years ago and this most recent one. I am currently 55 years old.

"A colonoscopy and ileoscopy were performed. The ileal mucosa appears normal in appearance. Biopsy (vial 2). The colonic mucosa is pink, shiny, smooth, with a normal vascular pattern. The Bauhin valve appears normal. In the areas of the cecum, ascending colon, and the oral half of the transverse colon, numerous small submucosal follicles are visible, minimally elevating the mucosa and creating a slight cobblestone appearance; the mucosa over these elevations appears paler. Biopsies were taken from the cecum/ascending colon area (vial 2)."

To provide more context, I have struggled with chronic constipation for many years, which leads me to rely heavily on laxatives—often taking two or three every single day. Why would they have felt it necessary to take a biopsy, and what might these findings potentially indicate? I would be deeply grateful if someone could explain this to me...

silentmarlin76 said:my bad, I meant 0.10 mg... honestly, we always tend to drop the zero when talking about these things, so people just say 10 or 5 and stuff, and things get messy... oh man, that sounded totally wild, my mistake🤣

@Kevin Hayes83, those prescriptions aren't exactly standard, so maybe head over to the nearest clinic and find yourself a real psychiatrist!!

Are we talking about 1 mg, or perhaps two 0.5 mg doses per day? Honestly, I can't imagine how difficult it is to wean yourself off this stuff; I haven't even taken a dose in two days, despite having been on anything from 0.5 to 1.5 mg for five years now, and I don't feel a thing.

Kevin Hayes83 said:It looks like everyone here is basically a PhD in psychopharmacology or something. I’m curious what you guys think, though. I’ve been dealing with these occasional panic attacks lately. We thought maybe it was my heart or my thyroid, but after doing every single test under the sun, everything organic is fine—well, except for an irritated stomach...

So, over the last two years, I’ve had about five attacks. They’re starting to get pretty unsettling. My heart starts racing, I feel like I can’t breathe... at first, I used to just take some Ativan, but now my doctor has me on this regimen: 11mg Concor 1.25, then one Misar 0.5 during the day, and one Xanax 0.25 at night because I keep waking up and can't sleep...

Given how often these attacks happen, should I actually talk to my doctor about maybe starting an antidepressant? Or should I just try to tough it out with this current setup? She basically told me I'm just being paranoid and need to chill out on my own...

The thing is, I see all the side effects and bullshit associated with SSRIs, so that’s why I’m asking...

Anyway, when I was on the 2.5 dose of Concor, I didn't have any anxiety issues, but it was causing other problems, so they dropped me down to 1.5. Now I don't have those complications, but the nerves are back...

I've been on this combo of Misar and Xanax for about a month now...

I’m a bit confused by the logic here—Xanax and Misar are essentially the same type of medication, so I don't quite grasp why one is taken during the day and the other at night.
And regarding the Concor, you mentioned you weren't nervous on the 2.5mg dose? I take 5mg for blood pressure, and while lower doses are typically prescribed for tachycardia, I certainly haven't seen any evidence suggesting it has an impact on nervousness.

silentmarlin76 said:I was on 10 mg daily. Some days I’d take a little more, some days less, just kind of drifting along like that for years now... at least eight years, give or take.

@Nino, you really shouldn't be taking Xanax right before bed like that... was that the psychiatrist you were seeing? Whereabouts are you located?
you seriously need to get to a doctor ASAP and lay everything out for them, just explain exactly what's going on...

Ten milligrams???😲 My goodness, how on earth did you end up on a dosage like that?

silentmarlin76 said:Look, I don't want to freak you out or anything, but honestly, anything is possible if you just decide it’s gonna happen 😁 you really have nothing to lose by giving it a shot...
just stay brave... seriously, we're in this fight together and I've got your back 😉

And I am finally kicking that crap to the curb... oh my god, let me tell you, there was this one time at work where I stayed late and hadn't taken it for three days... I was just totally out of it!! Like, brain dead!! Completely useless!! I couldn't even string a single sentence together on my computer, I was trying to process a project, reading through stuff and I couldn't even grasp the first sentence, let alone the whole damn topic... my manager was talking to me about the assignment and I was just staring blankly at him, not understanding a single word, just nodding along like a zombie, pretending I knew what was going on🤣

thank God I managed to slip away, a friend of mine happened to swing by that day... and ever since then, I always make sure I have 😁

But how much were you actually taking? I mean, what was the dosage in milligrams?

fadedbear92 said:Xanax is definitely the go-to for anxiety—but honestly, the physical dependency is nothing compared to the mental grip it has on you. It gave me this total sense of false security, which made quitting incredibly tough—though, thankfully, years of psychotherapy really helped me pull through after being hooked for so long.😵

Is it actually possible, at least in my estimation, to navigate this without consequence? To be perfectly honest, I haven't taken a single pill today—not out of necessity, nor because I feel any particular craving—and strangely enough, I don't feel like I'm crashing or falling apart. However, a nagging uncertainty persists: am I playing with fire by fluctuating between a 1.5 mg dose and total abstinence? I find myself questioning whether these dosages fall within that narrow window where one might successfully taper off entirely in one fell swoop, though I truly have no idea. The future remains a murky fog; I can't predict how tomorrow will unfold, but when I have to head into the clinic for my medical tests the day after, I suspect I’ll find myself desperately reaching for them.

Jeffrey Ramos4 said:Sanval is highly addictive, and you really shouldn't be on it for an extended period...

Zoloft is a strange one. I’ve been on it for quite a while now, and if I miss even a single dose, my eyes start twitching left and right the very next day... plus I get this weird, unsettling nausea. It’s bizarre. I was also reading up on it, and apparently, for one antidepressant, it's a pretty intense ride. If you're trying to taper off, you have to go incredibly slow, essentially removing one tiny little bead at a time. Technically, antidepressants aren't supposed to be addictive—that's more the territory of anxiolytics. Thank God I don't have that problem... 😁
Has anyone here actually dealt with Depakote? It’s primarily prescribed for epilepsy, but they use it as a mood stabilizer too. It feels a little strange to me...

Whether it's "good" or not, I simply have to find a way to sleep... but tell me, honestly, is there anything actually *good* among all these psychotropic drugs? My cynical view is that nothing about them is truly beneficial, but if there is no alternative, then you take them because you must. Personally, I managed to wean myself off antidepressants without much fuss—I just stopped—though I never dealt with massive dosages or a cocktail of various pills; it was just Prozac and Lexapro... maybe Coaxil for a few days. As for Xanax, I believe I could taper off that too, seeing as I can fluctuate between 1.5mg one day and 0.5mg the next without issue. The only outlier is Sanval, because frankly, I absolutely have to sleep. And QPin doesn't seem to work at anything less than 100mg, because 50mg did absolutely nothing for me... which, quite frankly, feels like a bit much.🤔

silentmarlin76 said:The thing is, though—and this is where it gets messy—those basic anti-anxiety meds or sleep aids don't necessarily hook you the same way, but stuff like benzodiazepines, Xanax, or Ativan? They definitely create that dependency... which makes things super sketchy when you try to quit, which is exactly what I'm dealing with right now, so I'm basically going through withdrawal hell..

I actually managed to drop the basic anti-anxiety stuff all at once, and man, those three weeks of fighting insomnia were brutal, but things are finally starting to level out, and nothing else really bothered me with those. But with the benzos, I have to taper off slowly because if I stop cold turkey, I get these massive panic attacks, these weird emotional "hallucinations" where everything feels unreal, you know? It's heavy..

I'm also working on weaning myself off Xanax, because without it, I honestly feel so foggy that I can barely even process a single thought... so I'm taking it one tiny step at a time. Plus there's this one other medication that everyone seems to swear by, but it's the one that sends me into my absolute worst withdrawals... but I know I can function without it, I really do. That's the main goal. I've made up my mind that there are no compromises in this fight; I'm seeing this through until the very end so I can finally, truly be free from all of it..

I find myself grappling with a rather unsettling realization lately; it seems that Hypnotik has cultivated a certain dependency within me, particularly when it comes to the effects of Sanval.
It is difficult for me to provide an exact assessment regarding my experience with Xanax, primarily because I was never entirely untethered from its influence to begin with; however, I did not feel as though I had developed a significant tolerance to it. While my ultimate ambition is to purge my system of every single one of these substances, the most daunting obstacle remains the loss of my "sleep aid." It is that specific reliance—that crutch used to force the mind into stillness—that makes the prospect of total sobriety feel so incredibly heavy.

restlesstrucker15 said:It has been quite some time since I last posted here. I find myself in a bit of a predicament lately, as it looks like I have several more surgeries ahead of me. Because the pain has been so intense, I’ve started taking Tramadol, and I must admit, I am developing a bit of a dependency on it. On another note, could someone please explain how it is even possible for a hypnotic medication to have absolutely no effect if I’ve never taken it before? Specifically, I’m talking about Flurazepam—even at 60 mg, I feel nothing. I am currently struggling through with Sanval, and I tried using some leftover Quaaludes I had lying around; half of a 25 mg pill actually puts me to sleep, but then the next day is the usual story: I just stare blank at the wall, and thank goodness I’m not drooling out of my mouth, haha. In my entire life, the only time I have ever truly fallen asleep was under general anesthesia after they injected me with three shots of something—to everyone watching, it was a miracle because usually, one shot does the trick. And no, it wasn't Dormicum, but something much heavier used by anesthesiologists.
So, how is it possible to feel nothing from a hypnotic when you've never used it? I'm genuinely confused.

It doesn't work on me either, and I've never even taken it, so I tossed it immediately. Even 50 mg of Quapine does nothing for me, so I ended up sleeping the old-fashioned way last night: 10 mg of Sanval combined with 7.5 mg of Calixte... tell me, how much Sanval do you take alongside those 25 mg Quapine doses?

silentmarlin76 said:Prazines were originally used as an alternative to heptanones, specifically to deal with opioid withdrawal...
benzos become addictive after about a month, like I already said... 🙂
And I definitely wasn't talking about antidepressants when I said "lifeline"... those just level things out, and even then, they take a month or two to kick in and can cause dependency too... but you already know all that...
I was actually being a little vague on purpose because I didn't want Currie to think about adding yet another medication to the mix... I was thinking of Xanax, which is like a quick fix to lift you up, but yeah, it's also addictive after a month...
and I totally agree with your last point, that's something I find myself repeating all the time... 🙂

Even after several years, I still take a starting dose of Xanax (as mentioned above), which ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 mg...
In truth, I have come to the cynical realization that almost everything carries an addictive potential. I believe I’ve touched upon this before: what is the functional difference if I spend years on Xanax while someone else relies on Klonopin or any other antipsychotic? It seems the logical approach is simply to find whatever fits best for one's own unique physiology and mental state. Personally, I’ve found a sort of equilibrium with this low dose of Lexapro; it hasn't caused weight gain, it helps me drift off, and I don't suffer from debilitating side effects. So, I use the antidepressant, and then supplement it with something like Ambien or Lunesta, which function as hypnotics. I don't bother with Xanax at night because it doesn't actually help me sleep...

Last night, I decided to try taking 50 mg of Seroquel and waited for the inevitable, though honestly, I’m perpetually exhausted anyway. Once I finally crawled into bed, nothing happened. I added 10 mg of Ambien to the mix, but still, zero progress. In a moment of desperation, I tossed in 7.5 mg of Calixta, and only then, about two hours later, did sleep finally claim me. Today, I feel absolutely shattered—like I've been run over by a truck. It seems the whole ordeal was redundant; the Seroquel was just an unnecessary addition to an already cluttered cocktail. Now, I find myself wondering if I should step up to 100 mg, but the thought terrifies me; I simply don't know what to do. To make matters worse, my life is currently a whirlwind of chaos. I've been dealing with blood work, and now I'm stuck in this agonizing limbo waiting for the results. On top of that, I spent three grueling hours at the ophthalmologist's office, only to have them confirm a glaucoma diagnosis. It is anything but a peaceful season of my life right now.

I am constantly plagued by nightmares and disturbing dreams, and whenever I have one of those vivid dreams where my teeth fall out, I wake up paralyzed with fear.

I find myself increasingly weary of this incessant, droning chatter that permeates these digital corridors. It feels as though we are all just circling the same drain, offering nothing but hollow echoes of thoughts already exhausted by better minds. One begins to wonder if the very concept of meaningful discourse hasn't been rendered obsolete by this relentless tide of mediocrity. It is quite frankly exhausting to witness. kaže:
If you pop a 100 mg Quetiapine, you’ll be out like a light within thirty minutes and stay under until morning—no tossing, no turning, just pure, uninterrupted slumber. Honestly, you might as well toss that Ambien and the Xanax straight into the trash; there is absolutely no sense in playing chemist with three different sleep aids when one heavy hitter does the job perfectly well.😒

No, let us be clear: not everyone uses these medications solely for sleep. For instance, my doctor prescribed Lexapro to manage my anxiety, specifically at the 15 mg dosage, though I typically opt for a mere 7.5 mg because taking it alongside my sleep aid tends to knock me out entirely. As for Xanax, I certainly don't touch that at night; I save it strictly for daytime use when the need arises. Depending on how intense my current phase of agitation is, I might take anywhere from 0.5 mg to 1.5 mg—it all depends on the severity of the moment.
I haven't touched a single dose of my oxycodone—neither the 100s nor the 50s—since that last incident. I’m holding steady because I have to undergo a K-segment extraction, so I’ve decided to hold off on everything until Friday. 🤔

Well, I must admit, a certain sense of relief has finally settled over me now that you’ve confirmed all your medical results came back clean. It is truly a weight off my shoulders to hear that everything is looking normal on your end. 👍

Brandon Lopez6 said:Yeah, definitely worth getting those liver numbers checked periodically. Honestly, your doctor should be the one bringing that up first. I’ve been on Xanax since early 2010, took Reglan for maybe 3 or 4 years for my stomach, and I've been on Amyzol and Arvind for about 11 months now. Just had my labs done recently and everything came back clean.
Since you're on way fewer pills than I am, there's really no reason to stress out beforehand. 🙂

*because let's face it, doctors don't always stay on top of everything

I appreciate the sentiment, dear... but I happen to have a medical background, which gives me a certain level of insight—not to mention my penchant for hypochondria and the fact that my liver tumor markers came back elevated, so naturally, the anxiety has set in.🤦
I’ve been taking Calixta for three years, though I strictly stick to half of the minimum prescribed dose; I also take Sanval at 4mg alongside Xanax, so my regimen isn't exactly light. When I decided to add an AP last night—I only took a tiny fragment, maybe 25mg, though the pill is notoriously difficult to split—it didn't do a thing to help me sleep. I ended up taking my usual combination of Sanval and Calixta instead, and I must say, it was a miserable night. Waking up this morning felt like dragging myself through sludge, and I'm just incredibly frustrated with myself; I just want to feel like a functioning human being again.🙂

What kind of stomach issues are you dealing with? I deal with them occasionally myself, usually reaching for some Prilosec, and I use laxatives too if things get backed up during the day... but so far, my liver enzymes have stayed within range. I'm scheduled to go back in two weeks for more bloodwork and to check those markers again. By the way, when are you planning to taper off the Amyzol? How are you feeling—is it bothering you, or are you doing alright?

silentmarlin76 said:Based on how you're describing it, if they gave you stuff like Seroquel, Quetiapine, or an SSRI, then yeah, just break it up... you can even crush it if you really have to. Just tear off a quarter of it and swallow it down, but hey, if Paxil used to make you feel all groggy and out of it, this might do the same thing to you... Don't sweat it too much though, it's not like it's super intense. Honestly, just nibble off a tiny bit of the pill and go catch some Z's, then see how you feel after...

It's called Quetiapine.