Posts by Alexander Hughes2

Charles Hernandez49 said:I really need some advice. My doctor thinks I'm just dealing with depression, but my therapist is convinced there’s an underlying physical cause making everything feel so heavy. My red blood cell count and hemoglobin are both high, and I've been having this nagging pain near my liver area—even before I started any meds—so my therapist is getting pretty suspicious about it all. To make things worse, I checked my vitamin and mineral levels the other day and my iron is through the roof, plus my PMS is absolutely wrecking me right now. What should I even do?

Look, having high iron levels can happen for a ton of reasons. It could be from taking certain herbal supplements, messing with hormone therapy, or just general hormonal imbalances throwing everything out of whack. There’s also a condition called hemochromatosis where iron basically starts building up in your organs like sludge in a pipe. Seriously though, you gotta go see an internist and get some real answers.

Immunosuppressants are basically drugs that tell your own immune system to just... chill out. You see them used all the time for stuff like autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, and that whole gang. They’re great at dialing down the symptoms of the actual disease, but man, they can be totally nasty for everything else. Like, you become a magnet for every little bug going around, your hair might thin out like crazy, and it even messes with your reproductive health—ovaries, testes, it's all on the line. For women, you've got uterine issues too... Honestly, we're talking about things that act like cytostatics or steroid hormones. I don't even know which side is worse 😢

No rush at all! Just wondering, have you actually been diagnosed with PCOS? Like, what’s your cycle looking like lately? Are you taking any meds or supplements right now? Also—and totally fine if not—but have you noticed any nipple discharge?

Gerald Lewis36 said:please, if I could just get an answer ASAP... I've had high white blood cell counts for 2 years now, hovering between 13 and 20, even though I've been on Sumamed and all sorts of antibiotics. My doctor can't figure out why they won't drop. Also, my RDW is low, GGT is at 118, and CRP is 19.3.
I'm dealing with a ton of stuff—asthma, migraines, high-risk HPV, and PCOS, plus insulin resistance is starting to creep in. I was on Yasmin for years, but now they switched me over to Celest.
I'm seriously begging for help because I'm at my wit's end. The internist I saw couldn't find the root cause of any of this.
Thanks in advance.

Hey, have you actually seen a hematologist yet? Your CRP is up, your GGT is up too, and they're still keeping you on hormones for the PCOS? Have you gone through testing for autoimmune issues or rheumatoid factors? And what’s your ESR looking like?

Honestly, it feels like your OBGYN and your internist should be talking to each other way more than they are.

Besides the asthma and the gyno stuff, are you feeling anything else? Like joint pain? One thing I know for sure: just throwing antibiotics at you without finding the actual cause isn't going to fix a thing.

Jonathan Doyle55 said:Look, I don't even drink... maybe like two beers a month tops... that's why I'm asking! Thanks for all the help, seriously. I started taking some Silymarin to see if that helps... can't hurt, right? So I'll just finish two boxes and then go back for more liver tests...

Are you on any medications right now?

And what about cholesterol or triglycerides—are those levels up?

Also, do you work around anything toxic? Like dyes or nail polish or stuff like that?

Silymarin should definitely be good for you, won't do any harm, but honestly, it'd still be a smart move to figure out why that GGT is running high in the first place.

Jonathan Doyle55 said:So, like, what’s the deal when your GGT is totally through the roof—say, hitting 100—but all your other stuff like AST and ALT are sitting there looking perfectly normal? It's super weird, right? Like, why is only one number acting out? And I was wondering... could something like having mono like ten years ago have anything to do with it? Is that even a thing?🤷
So, like, can I just... I don't know, maybe take some Silymarin and hope my brain finally decides to stop acting like a glitchy laptop and just snaps back to reality? Like, is that even a thing? Can you just pop a supplement and suddenly everything stops feeling like a total fog?

Look, I’m telling you, this whole thing has absolutely nothing to do with having had mono before. Seriously. People keep trying to pin it on that, but it's just not it. It's like when you think your car won't start because of a dead battery, but really, it's something totally different under the hood. This isn't about the mono. Period.

So, look, if you're seeing high GGT levels on your labs, you gotta know—it’s usually a massive red flag for alcohol-related liver issues. Like, most of the time, that's exactly what we're looking at. It's basically the body's way of waving a giant neon sign saying, "Hey, maybe dial back the drinks?"

And honestly? It could totally spike because of other toxic stuff floating around too. Like, you know how one bad ingredient can just mess up the whole vibe of a recipe? It's kind of like that. You get one thing out of whack, then some other nasty toxins start acting up, and suddenly everything is just way more intense than it should be. It’s a total domino effect.

Look, I’m telling you right now—if you’ve been hitting the booze, just stop. Like, dead stop. Right now. Seriously, quit cold turkey today. And don't even think about just feeling your way through it; go get an ultrasound on your liver immediately. Just get it checked out. Please.

Morning. First thought? Just pure gratitude to God. I start out with those little exercises the Jesuits use before prayer, then dive into some meditation—really focusing on my breathing and looping a specific Psalm from the Holy Bible that I feel like I need to hear that day.

It's all about tapping into God's presence through all five senses, you know? Or just that deep awareness of Him being there. A quick thanks to God, some quiet contemplation over the Word... and just like that, the day has officially kicked off.

Then, as the day goes on, I’ll do some walking prayer—mostly just thanking God while I move—and keep trying to stay aware of His presence. Plus, some meditation on what love actually feels like...