Posts by velvetmoose9

612 posts shown.

Lab results - looking for opinions [PLEASE READ 1ST POST] in Health · May 7, 2013

jaderidge51 said:I'm 22, and I've actually had Hepatitis B since birth, though I only just found out recently.

IMMUNOASSAY TEST
Hepatitis B core antibodies positive
S/CO=> 8.00 (ref up to 1.0)

Hepatitis B surface antigen positive
S/CO.... 3166.95 (ref up to 1.0)

Hepatitis B core antibodies positive
Hepatitis B surface antigen positive
Hepatitis B core IgM negative
Hepatitis B surface antibodies negative
Hepatitis B e antibodies positive
Hepatitis B e antigens negative

HBsAg positive
HBV DNA PCR detected, 10^4 IU/ml reference range: detection limit 6 IU/ml - 1.10*10^8 IU/ml

It's recommended to get a CBC, CRP, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, GGT, AST, ALT, and PV, along with an abdominal ultrasound. Also, run follow-up anti-HBc and anti-HIV tests. Bring all results back for a check-up.

Just so you know, I handled this one via DM.
Thanks to everyone for letting this be an exception to the rule about posting lab results here publicly.

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Foot X-ray results in Health · May 6, 2013

Karen Hayes96 said:Hey everyone, I could really use a little help here.

Following my orthopedist's recommendation, I went in for an EMG, X-ray, and MRI of my left foot. The radiologist's report states: ".... sharply defined, condensed bone structures measuring about 20 mm are visible cortically and endostally in the proximal phalanx of the big toe, suggesting sclerosis (clinical finding? previous trauma? osteoid osteoma?). No signs of bone structure disruption found in the other bones of the foot..."

Could someone please explain what they mean by cortical and endostally in the proximal phalanx of the big toe in terms of sclerosis?

Thanks so, so much!

The radiologist just put the most likely possibilities in parentheses.

It’s kind of like how we work on Healthline; neither the radiologist reading the scan nor us had enough context to go on, such as
-did you have any previous injuries to that left foot?
-what was the actual reason for seeing your primary care doctor first, then moving on to the orthopedist (like, how long has this been hurting, did it hit you all at once or creep up on you, or what did those other tests show...)?

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Dealing with pollen and dust allergies... in Health · May 6, 2013

Some people actually view pregnancy as a time when the immune system gets a bit dialed down—which honestly makes evolutionary sense—so maybe that’s why allergies feel a little more manageable during this phase.
Taking 180mg of Fexofenadine is a pretty respectable dose; there’s really no point in going higher, and I’m not even sure if anyone else would find more potency in this specific situation (if you’ve already burned through your supply of Zyrtec, Xyzal is basically just a modified version of Zyrtec—it has fewer side effects, but for a lot of people, it doesn't hit those allergy symptoms quite as hard).
Using a local corticosteroid makes sense for several reasons—it’ll help dial back the nasal irritation and, looking at the long term, maybe prevent a chronic inflammatory process from descending (and I’m emphasizing maybe here) and hopefully stop, or at least slow down, the onset of clinically significant lower airway hyperreactivity (the layman's terms being asthma). For instance, Nasonex is actually quite good; it doesn't dry out your mucous membranes too much, systemic absorption is minimal, and back in the day, it was one of the only options considered acceptable during pregnancy. So, yeah, I’d include that in the mix, hoping we won't need to resort to any heavy-duty rescue inhalers anytime soon 😢
You could also potentially try Singulair tablets (though that’s usually geared toward different issues, like nasal congestion caused by allergies combined with polyps and such, but sometimes it acts as the game-changer that comes off the bench—leukotrienes are a sneaky bunch).
Opatanol is totally fine, actually!

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Dealing with pollen and dust allergies... in Health · May 5, 2013

swiftbear86 said:In my line of work, my main goal is just being honest and responsible to my patients (even the difficult ones).

I’m not one of those people who lives to push sales, so don't worry about that.😉

I often find myself telling them, "You actually don''t need this," and they just laugh at me because they're like, "Hey, I've already got something similar sitting in my cabinet at home!!"

Man, if more people actually thought like this, life and work would be so much easier and a whole lot better for everyone involved... 🙂

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Dealing with pollen and dust allergies... in Health · May 5, 2013

swiftbear86 said:It’s going to take a little while to get any real reviews since the spray has only been on shelves for two weeks!

I’m not the type to jump on a bandwagon and call something "amazing" unless I’ve tried it myself or my family has, but right now, this seems like our only real option. It's priced at about $20, whereas last year we could grab the Nasya spray at the pharmacy for $33. That’s quite a jump—enough to make someone really hesitate before giving it a shot.😉

The thing with Nasaleez is that it’s a bit awkward to use. It looks pretty unappealing because you end up with stuff dripping out of your nose, making you look like you’ve been snorting something else entirely.😉

Fair point! 👍

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Dealing with pollen and dust allergies... in Health · May 5, 2013

Honestly, it happens all the time—once your nasal lining has already been pretty much shredded by an allergic inflammatory reaction, most of the stuff that’s supposed to actually help can end up feeling super irritating instead, which is just the worst 🙄

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Dealing with pollen and dust allergies... in Health · May 5, 2013

I've been thinking about that Ectoin lately too, but honestly, I just haven't seen enough solid feedback yet to really form a decent opinion on using it as an adjuvant therapy.

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Dealing with pollen and dust allergies... in Health · May 5, 2013

Andrew Martin47 said:I ended up deleting my previous post, but I’m rewriting it because apparently, I need to provide more background info about myself first.
I'm 16 years old. My mom keeps reminding me that when I was a little kid, I dealt with chronic bronchitis and asthma. I've always been allergic to dust, and I used to have an allergy to tobacco too, though that seems to have cleared up. I've actually been smoking for about a year now—nothing crazy, just maybe 10 cigarettes a day. But honestly, never before (not that I can remember, anyway) have I had these intense coughing fits and this constant pain in my lungs. It's also worth mentioning that occasionally, though not all the time, if I take a really deep breath, I feel this sharp, stinging pain in my left lung, right around the middle area. It happens so often that, say, when I'm trying to focus on reading a book, I find myself having to force a deep breath every few minutes because my normal nasal breathing just doesn't feel like it's pulling in enough air. When I finally do manage a deep inhale, I feel amazing, and man, I wish I just had one of those inhalers on hand so I could just puff some stuff into my lungs every couple of minutes to help them stretch out a bit. To top it all off, sometimes when I cough, it sounds like there’s some tiny little baby inside me coughing in perfect unison with me, and the sound is just straight-up eerie. The coughing is at its worst in the morning, and it produces this incredibly deep, heavy sound.
The problem is, Mom refuses to take me to see a doctor; she just insists I'm being a hypochondriac. Since we don't live in a crowded house, she doesn't really hear how bad the coughing actually sounds. What am I supposed to do? I have no clue if this is just some allergy acting up or something else entirely.
For context, my BMI is 20.3 and I'm vegan.

Andrew Martin47 said:LMAO, I was basically fighting for my life through the heatwave this past Saturday and Sunday, but thankfully, things have finally cooled down.

Honestly, you really need to head over to the doctor and get a full-blown workup done. We’re talking a complete battery of tests—a standard CBC, ESR, CRP, whatever the GP thinks is necessary, plus an ABG to check those respiratory gases, and definitely a chest X-ray to look at your heart and lungs. Once you actually have all that data sitting on the table, then they can sit down and perform some real differential diagnosis to figure out what's actually going on with you.
We really need to get that pneumonia and bronchitis ruled in or out—maybe even check for some atypical stuff—so we can actually get a proper treatment plan moving as soon as possible.
Same goes for the allergies; if that's acting up too, you really need to make sure you're treating that properly as well.
Give someone a pack of cigarettes. For good.
You should probably sit down with your doctor to hash things out and maybe look into tweaking your diet a bit, too.

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Dealing with pollen and dust allergies... in Health · May 5, 2013

Daniel Gomez10 said:My allergies have been driving me absolutely crazy these last two weeks, even with the Fexofenadine 🙂
. I know this is peak season for everything in the air, but having these symptoms break through every single year is just getting on my nerves. Plus, the eye irritation is constant—I really wish one pill could just handle all of it.
Maybe I'm asking for too much? ☕

Anyway, does anyone know if there’s anything "stronger" than Fexofenadine?

So, which specific symptoms are hitting you the hardest? Which ones are constant, and which ones seem to be ramping up?
I'm assuming you're taking Fexofenadine 120mg? One option might be temporarily bumping it up to 180mg (provided you don't get side effects—younger people often deal with some diarrhea when they do that...).
Tyler James5 makes a good point; Zyrtec is often like the "napalm" option, though it can be pretty sedating for a lot of people, which is why they usually pivot to Xyzal, even if it's slightly less punchy.
As ElGatoFelix once pointed out, those antihistamines can actually dry your eyes out even more, even while they're working to "quiet down" the allergic reaction itself.
While not everyone agrees with this approach, back in previous years when pollen counts were hitting those terrifying levels, some people found relief by mechanically flushing their eyes with saline. You basically let the tearing subside and then apply local drops or ointment. Quite often, the tear ducts (for a bunch of different reasons) just can't adequately or quickly enough "wash away" that massive amount of debris. If you just put a drop or two in, the allergen particles stay behind, continuing to trigger inflammation both mechanically and chemically. Flushing isn't exactly a walk in the park and you have to be super careful, but for many, it significantly improved their quality of life. Of course, you should definitely check with your doctor first since they actually know what's going on with your specific situation 😉
.
Then again, if you didn't start the Fexofenadine early enough (like, about 5-7 days before the pollen really started blowing in), that could definitely be the catch...
Histamine isn't the only mediator involved in the inflammatory process causing all this chaos, so even the best, most potent antihistamines won't always provide total relief. That's why therapy often gets combined depending on which symptoms are dominating the show...

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Mosquitoes absolutely hate me... in Health · May 5, 2013

dustymarlin10 said:It’s actually kind of wild; mosquitoes just don't seem to like me. To put it another way, instead of swarming me like they do everyone else, they basically give me a wide berth.
Yesterday I was actually tracking one: it flies right up to me, "sniffs" the air, and then just drifts away. It didn't even want to bite.
I haven't been bitten a single time all season, even though I'm constantly outside hanging out near the woods.

What could possibly cause these bloodsuckers to act like this?

If I'm posting this in the wrong sub, my bad...

You’re in the right place, man, definitely...
From what some researchers have said—if I remember correctly, it was a group from the Netherlands—some people carry specific types of bacteria on their skin that produce something that, for lack of a better word, stinks to mosquitoes. And it's strong enough that they just pass on the buffet.
And if my memory serves, they get "annoyed" if there's a high diversity of different bacterial species on your skin. But if one particular type dominates (and there are probably certain preferences there too), they find it much more appealing.
So, there's a real chance you should be thanking your skin bacteria for your "mosquito resistance."

If you feel like "testing" that theory, try taking a really deep scrub with plenty of soap or body wash and then head out feeling freshly clean and totally UNDIRTY (that might actually be the key factor here) and see how the mosquitoes react.

Supposedly, there are also certain foods that "enrich" your sweat with a natural repellent, though I can't quite recall which ones specifically; or certain medical conditions that supposedly "repel" them...

Just a heads-up, since I'm mostly just recalling stuff I read in articles a while back, I should probably take this with a grain of salt.

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Involuntary commitment and forced treatment: what are my rights? in Health · May 5, 2013

nimblesailor85 said:So, we're dealing with a guy who's been diagnosed with schizophrenia—he’s constantly hallucinating, talking to voices, and he's convinced the whole world is out to get him and his family. To top it all off, he's constantly smoking weed because he thinks it keeps him level, but he's clearly struggling with depression too. His parents are basically playing blind, pretending nothing is wrong, while he genuinely believes he’s perfectly fine. We actually tried to trick him into seeing a psychiatrist once, but he just thought she was part of "them"—you know, one of those conspirators. I'm really wondering how we can actually help him without making things worse. If we force him into treatment, is he just going to have a total breakdown? Is there any other way to make him realize that things aren't quite right?

Generally speaking, when someone is going through something this intense, they usually end up being brought in by paramedics, and more often than not, the police have to step in to assist.
If this really is a case of severe mental health issues, taking a proactive approach makes a lot of sense.
That said, you should definitely sit down and talk things through with the rest of the family first.

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Dealing with pollen and dust allergies... in Health · May 4, 2013

jadeviper9 said:I've been wrestling with allergies for about 7 or 8 years now, and every time spring rolls around, it feels like an absolute explosion inside my body. I'm allergic to basically every type of grass and dust under the sun. For the last few seasons, I’ve just been cycling through Aerius, Flixonase, and some random eye drops. But yesterday, I switched things up—took the Aerius and tried this new Avamys spray. It seems like things have finally settled down since last night, though, if my past experience holds true, it usually takes two or three days for my system to actually mount a defense. And God forbid I miss even a single day of the spray or the Aerius. Everyone raves about how great Avamys is, but honestly? Just be prepared to pay through the nose for both medications.

Avamys works fine, just a word of caution—make sure you don't aim the nozzle straight at the septum (the middle part of your nose).
It actually happens quite a bit where people point that fluticasone spray right at the septum, and then a few days later, they end up dealing with nosebleeds. 😢

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Snake bites: What to do? in Health · May 2, 2013

stormyorca said:I was wondering if a regular person can actually just go out and buy antivenom for rattlesnakes, copperheads, or black widows

stormyorca said:is it even possible to just walk into a local pharmacy and ask for some antivenom (doubtful) or is there some other way to get my hands on it?

Luckily for us "regular folks," that’s still not really an option.
Handing out antivenom isn't exactly a casual thing you do without consequences.
You really need a professional watching over things to assess whether applying antivenom is actually the right call for that specific bite.

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Low libido: what works? in Health · Apr 27, 2013

Nathan Evans said:Hey guys,
I’m looking for some perspective and maybe a bit of advice here. Honestly, I’ve been feeling pretty miserable when it comes to my love life, and I’m starting to feel like finding a girlfriend is just never going to happen for me. It’s one of those things that eats at you day after day—it’s constant. As time goes on, it feels like things are actually getting worse. I can barely focus on anything else because I’m stuck in this loop of feeling sorry for myself about being alone. So, I did a little digging online for libido suppressants, or basically any kind of medication that might take away that drive for women. That would honestly be such a relief. I stumbled upon this thing called flaxidex:
The problem is, I’m not even sure if it’s legit or easy to find; my searches haven't turned up much. I was wondering, is this something I could realistically bring up with a GP or maybe a psychiatrist? I’ve heard people mention hormone testing, but that sounds way too invasive for what I’m looking for. Also, are there other suppressants out there? I came across Finasteride, but from what I read, the side effects seem pretty intense. I’d really appreciate any thoughts or advice you all might have.

Thanks in advance

You already got a super direct answer over on Psychology PDF, so I’d suggest heading back there.
There's no need to start a duplicate thread over on Health PDF either.
Closing this topic now.

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Facial paralysis / weakness in the facial nerve and muscles in Health · Apr 26, 2013

hiddentrucker3 said:About a year ago, I dealt with a pretty intense case of facial paralysis. It took maybe 3 to 6 months to recover, but honestly... it’s still not quite back to normal. To a stranger, you might not even notice it, but if you look closely... 😛then there's the constant fatigue, that weird muscle tension on one side of my face, and those crocodile tears.
Looking at the stats for Bell's palsy, about 15% of people end up with an incomplete recovery, and roughly 5% don't recover much at all, or just minimal improvement. Everything really hinges on how bad the nerve damage was right at the start. There are surgical options like nerve grafting, but doctors only recommend that if the paralysis is total. It’s a massive, complicated procedure with a lot of unknowns—you're looking at risks like losing hearing, messing up your balance, or even making the facial nerve damage worse. As I dug deeper into this, I realized that in all of America, there are only a handful of specialized clinics that actually perform these kinds of surgeries. Lately, though, people have been using something called a "silhouette lift" to try and get some facial symmetry back; they basically use special threads to tighten things up under local anesthesia. I’d love to hear from anyone who’s tried that... any recommendations for surgeons? Whether it's private practice or at major hospitals like Mercy Hospital...

You should head over to Mercy Hospital and ask for the ENT clinic. When you're setting up your appointment, try to make sure you get routed to someone who actually specializes in this stuff rather than just a general practitioner.
If they can't figure out a way to fix it themselves, you can always push them for advice on what the next steps should be or ask for a referral to another specialist clinic.

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Broken finger on my hand in Health · Apr 20, 2013

Betty Mendoza5 said:Hey there.
Back on April 1st, I fractured the base of my left ring finger's middle phalanx near the PIP joint. I’ve been stuck in a splint ever since, which they finally took off yesterday during a follow-up. The doctor gave me some exercises to try, but honestly, I can't even get through them. Every time I attempt to bend the finger or make a fist, the pain is so intense I feel like I might snap the bone all over again...
I can only bend it halfway before the sharp pain kicks in.
Should I be worried about this, or should I just give it more time? My biggest fear is that I'll never regain a full grip because of this finger. Thanks in advance. If you want to see my X-rays or have questions, shoot me a DM since links aren't allowed here.

Look, after a fracture and being stuck in a splint, dealing with stuff like this—the pain and the stiffness—is totally normal.
Those exercises your doctor suggested? You really need to be doing them multiple times a day, maybe a few dozen reps each time, but you have to go SLOWLY and only push it up to where the pain is still manageable.
At this stage, getting back to 100% is really all about how stubborn and patient you can be with the process.😉
If you stick to what your doctor told you, you should expect your range of motion to get better every single day while the pain starts to dial back.
That said, if things start feeling worse, or if you feel like your recovery is hitting a wall, it’s always a smart move to check back in with your doctor.

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Lab results - looking for opinions [PLEASE READ 1ST POST] in Health · Apr 19, 2013

wiredcanyon39 said:What’s a normal LDH level?
237 isn't that low enough?

I should probably mention my Mayo Clinic results, Denmark stats, TRC, and Sedimentation—everything there looks totally fine.

And from what I'm reading online, the upper limit is somewhere around 241, so I'm thinking this is pretty much in the clear. 😁

The right answer is 😁

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Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 18, 2013

nimblepanther14 said:The X-ray machine broke down just an hour before my turn, so I ended up sitting there for an hour waiting for it to get back online...
I don't want to give you any false hope here...

Alright... If it turns out to be something on the lungs, like a tumor, what are the odds? Honestly, I don't even want to go there... and I'm not asking because of the other people lurking on this forum... It's just not cool how some people act.

I usually hit the gym pretty regularly, but my doctor told me to stay away from the weights until we figure out what this fluid in my lungs is all about.

...look, I'm no Milan Kundera, but I've had a gut feeling about scenarios like this before...
Just to be clear, I haven't seen the clinical picture, the actual X-ray results, or the medical records, so take this with a grain of salt.
But honestly—all the time—we see situations that look almost identical to this.
You should definitely mention that bit about the X-ray machine failing to the pulmonologist.

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Support resources for families dealing with cancer and other serious illnesses in Health · Apr 18, 2013

nimblepanther14 said:I’ve had to lay two people to rest just this past month.. 😢
And now it’s my turn to step up.. look, a tumor and thyroid surgery shouldn't be some massive ordeal, right?
But.. while getting everything lined up for the procedure, I went in for a chest X-ray..
And it turns out I have, and I quote, "a small amount of fresh pleural effusion."
I'm heading in for blood work first thing tomorrow, then seeing a pulmonologist next week..

Honestly, I don't even know where my head is at.. I'm just pissed because I really don't need this extra baggage right now.. and it might end up pushing my surgery back..
And the worst part.. maybe I'm just being a pessimist or I'm totally misinformed.. but I can't shake this nagging feeling that the fluid in my lungs is coming from the thyroid tumor.. you know what I mean..
I don't recall having any kind of infection or any chest injury that would explain this..
What should I do, maybe grab some kind of immune booster just in case..?

If it is what I think it is, I don't know what I'll do... I just don't know.. I'm scared, I'm angry, and I'm just completely lost..
And why.. why does it have to be this way.. isn't what I'm dealing with already enough... why does everything have to get so complicated?
Sorry if this is a bit much.. it's just been hard finding someone to talk to about this, so I'm venting a little here.. (mods, feel free to scrub or edit this if it's out of line) ...

No reason to delete or edit this. It's perfectly fine
I can't give you a definitive read on an X-ray report, since I don't have the full clinical picture or access to your medical files.
That finding doesn't necessarily have anything to do with your primary diagnosis.
It's definitely a good sign that you're seeing a pulmonologist so quickly to get their take.
Besides, the report specifically mentions it's just "a small amount..." so even if there is something pathological going on, it was caught before it could really progress.
To be honest, descriptions like that pop up all the time. Very often, they just vanish by the time the next scan comes around a week later.
X-ray machines aren't perfect, and half the time the equipment is ancient anyway...
So, just hang in there and stay brave 😉
By the way, go hit a gym, find a heavy bag, or go for a run on some trails—it really helps clear your head 😁

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Stethoscope - Q&A thread in Health · Apr 16, 2013

hollowdriver17 said:Personally, I feel like the Sprague Rappaport feels a bit more sensitive—not necessarily in terms of acoustic precision, which is a plus in some ways—but when you're listening to the thorax, you can actually hear the peristalsis. For instance, if I’m using the Sprague Rappaport, a murmur might sound like a II/6 intensity, whereas with the Littmann, it comes out as a I/6. Plus, even the slightest touch on the tubing messes with the sound on the Sprague Rappaport, while with my Littmann (the classic one, I think that was the exact model), I never really had that issue 🤷

Have you noticed those kinds of discrepancies too?

Nice catch! 🙏

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