6 posts shown.
Z is just wonderful. Honestly, one could get used to this kind of nonsense even in adulthood. Personally, I wouldn't mind a bit more of it 😁
Maria Fisher46 said:Look,
Generally speaking, when you're on sulfasalazine, if your AST or ALT levels stay under twice the upper limit of normal, there’s no need to mess with the dosage. If they hit that two-to-three times threshold, we might need to talk about scaling back or even stopping. Anything north of three times the limit? You stop immediately.
When starting out, I usually recommend checking those liver enzymes every two to four weeks.
Looking at your labs, your AST and ALT are sitting at 1.4 times the upper limit. Technically, you could stick with the current dose, provided we keep a close eye on things with checks every two weeks.
That said, this is just general guidance. Since I can't see your full medical history through a computer screen, I can't take responsibility for how this applies to your specific situation.
Thanks so much, this was really helpful. 🙂
Hi there,
I just got my lab results back (image) and a few things are running high:
(S) AST - Result 41 U/L (Ref. range 8 - 30)
(S) ALT - Result 50 U/L (Ref. range 10 - 36)
I’ve been taking Salazopyrin (2x2) for a little over a month now on the advice of my Rheumatologist. They're treating suspected Spondyloarthropathy—mostly inflammation in my knuckles, then my shoulders, and so on. I'm 39, and this inflammation has been hanging around for a couple of years; I hadn't started any medication until now. Other than that, my health is relatively fine, though I've been in menopause since my mid-30s and am on hormone replacement therapy (Angeliq).
My Rheumatologist suggested these liver function tests to see how the new med is hitting my system. The numbers are slightly elevated, and my GP (who is actually just a temp right now) is completely stumped. They literally told me they have no idea whether I should stay on the meds or stop altogether. They asked if I was feeling anything else—headaches, fever, etc.—but I just get migraines, which I've dealt with long before this. I tried calling my Rheumatologist, but they won't be back in the office until mid-month.
I'm stuck. Should I pull the plug on the Salazopyrin or keep going?
Thanks.
Switch up your profile picture on San Francisco or Mountain View—basically any app the older crowd actually uses. Put up a photo of you and your boyfriend.
Then, just reach out with a casual text, the way you normally would. Maybe ask if they need anything from Target or the grocery store.
A friend of mine around my age recently used this exact tactic to let her family know she was seeing someone, and honestly, it went totally smooth without any unnecessary drama.
(Summary at the end)
If you walked into a hospital, you’d find a massive crowd of sick people. Of course, not everyone there is ill—there’s staff, visitors, and all that—but if you judged the entire world based solely on that view, you’d get a much sicker impression than if you just sat in a public park on a day where the weather is actually decent for a stroll.
Loneliness is something we rarely bring up with friends, our parents, or coworkers. It isn't "socially convenient," and we aren't used to it. I’m using "we" because I suspect it’s true for most people. Feeling lonely during certain stretches of life isn't unusual. It’s human. The reasons vary; sometimes it’s just a minor drag for an evening or two, and other times it really bites. Regardless, I think the feeling is familiar to almost everyone. And since it’s not exactly a topic for Sunday brunch, it’s only natural to look for a space where you can actually talk about it.
This is one of those spaces. It isn't the only one, but it is one of the rare free 😁
That’s why I believe this place is valuable. People are starving for places like this. They need a spot where they can show up and share their loneliness without feeling stigmatized or ashamed. A place where you can vent after a breakup, or share that persistent, lingering solitude—a place where loneliness itself isn't treated as something isolated or pathological.
I had my own periods where it hit me hard. Thinking back on it now makes me a little sad, but I’m grateful this place existed, along with the people here who didn't treat that loneliness like a disease. They were people I could unload my heavy thoughts onto when things felt tight in my chest. This wasn't a cure, but it made some days—some lonely Sundays—a little easier to bear.
I believe there are still lonely people out there today looking for a place where loneliness isn't viewed as an illness, and where you don't necessarily have to talk about the loneliness directly. It’s just *there*. Sometimes it’s the focus, but more often, people talk about everything surrounding it. Looking at the current threads, I’m honestly glad I went through my darkest moments years ago rather than facing them today.
I feel a sudden need to thank this place (which isn't really a physical place, but a collection of diverse people and their thoughts) for simply existing. For being my park where I could go for a walk whenever I needed to. Beyond that, I feel compelled to leave a sign for those still searching for that park—a place where you can be lonely—only to stumble upon a multi-car pileup of topics at every turn. It’s not your fault. I don't know who moved the trauma down here or when, but damn, it happened. Just know that what you see here isn't the full picture of loneliness—loneliness isn't pretty (usually), it isn't sweet, and it isn't dear—but it isn't as bloody as it seems to be here.
Summary for those wondering what the topic is: walking through the park.
Matthew Anderson said:It’s impossible because we’ve tried this countless times already, and it’s never the first time things have stalled out after just a few months.
What exactly is supposed to happen after a few months pass? You shut down a section because people aren't behaving according to your personal standards, and then what—magic happens? Everyone suddenly realizes their mistakes and decides to pivot toward a better way of acting on their own? That’s incredibly naive, or if you want to be polite, wildly optimistic. Humans don't work that way. You can't just sit around expecting everything to fix itself in a couple of months through sheer willpower.
That whole topic used to be a staple on Reddit, mostly because it tapped into a certain nostalgia for when the platform actually felt readable. Closing a thread like this doesn't achieve anything positive. It’s like trying to deal with an ant infestation by putting a sticky trap upside down on the floor. All you're doing is creating a mess for everyone involved.
I get it—you don't feel like putting in the work to moderate that subforum. I just find it a shame that there isn't anyone willing to step up and lead by example, fostering actual discussion instead of resorting to cheap, heavy-handed power moves. Apparently, I'm talking nonsense, because clearly, if you don't have someone to manage a space, it's better to just kill it entirely rather than let it exist as the messy disaster we're looking at right now. It’s just a pity; I actually liked that section.