Posts by velvetmoose9

Steven Martin13 said:Sorry I was being a bit vague before, so I figured I’d sit down and give you the full rundown.

So, health-wise, I’m basically golden. Heart, lungs, bloodwork—I ran pretty much every test under the sun before hitting the gym again. Even my cardiologist and pulmonologist actually gave me the green light to get back into training because my lung capacity is through the roof (about 7 liters, with about a 20% increase in inhalation/exhalation efficiency). My max heart rate hits 196, and even when I pushed it to 198 during testing, my blood pressure stayed steady and I didn't feel any weirdness at all.

No allergies to speak of, either. My only real issue is some neck stiffness from suddenly stopping my workouts and spending way too much time sitting at a desk.

Anyway, I’ve started hitting the gym 4 or 5 days a week.
Day 1: Chest and triceps
Day 2: Back and biceps
Day 3: Rest day
Day 4: Shoulders (front, side, rear) and forearms
Day 5: Legs
Day 6: Neck exercises

The routine goes like this: 10 minutes of warm-up (cycling, elliptical, or stepper depending on the muscle group), then some static stretching, followed by 3-4 sets per muscle group using a rep scheme of 12-10-8-6 until failure. I do three different exercises for each group.
For example: flat bench, tricep dumbbells, chest fly machine, tricep pull-downs, dumbbell chest presses, and more triceps. Then I wrap things up with 10 minutes of cardio and more static stretching.

I’m planning to fold my protein into my post-workout meal. Basically, a solid shake, since I don't really want to deal with heavy carbs right after lifting, though honestly, a meal without carbs feels wrong to me (usually).

I'm trying to get my eating schedule sorted out; right now I'm only eating 2-3 times a day because Prozac tends to slow down my metabolism. The goal is to hit at least 3-4 meals, eventually working my way up to 6 or 7 a day once I adjust.

I handle carbs pretty well, so I’ll gradually scale them back to see what my sweet spot is. Same goes for slowly reintroducing chicken, tuna, cheese, and stuff like that as my body gets used to it.

Currently, I've been on Prozac 50mg every morning for about four and a half months. Haven't had any side effects other than feeling pretty lethargic (just zero motivation to do anything).

I actually emailed a company that makes Whey (I won't name names, but they're a big-name manufacturer) and they got back to me saying their Whey (80+ isolate) doesn't contain 5HTP, but it does have L-Tryptophan. They suggested I talk to a doctor regarding taking it alongside Prozac since they haven't run any specific studies on that combo.

My gut is telling me to be cautious because even though they are contraindicated the only way to really know is to try. From what I understand, there isn't a massive health risk or a direct serotonergic surge, but it could potentially manifest as increased aggression, restlessness, or tension.

Oh, I should mention I deal with an anxiety disorder (non-specific, a mix of panic attacks and intense anxiety).

Sorry for the novel here; I just wanted to be as precise as possible. If I missed anything, feel free to ask so I can clear it up.

I suspect that your point about the contraindication for consuming whey protein in those amounts might not be quite right, though I can't say for certain. Did you perhaps mean to write that they ARE NOT contraindicated? 😉
I’m still sticking to what I said in my last post—START SLOW, GO SLOW. Just take it one step at a time and progress gradually, and the chances of anything bad happening are slim.

Alright, let's call this "encouragingly NO" 😉 because I’d say you can pretty much bet on this being just a cosmetic issue where most likely there isn't anything actually serious going on behind the scenes.
It’s probably just structural, you know, how your skin is built—if you look at Exhibit A from back in elementary school (just ask your folks about that redness you used to get, they'll probably remember)
I’m not totally sold on the idea that antihistamines are going to make a massive dent in the redness, though I guess it might make sense to start taking something like 2-3 weeks before you head out and then keep it up while you're soaking up the Sun, but hey, it doesn't cost you much to try some Xyzal or Zyrtec for a couple of weeks. If it actually helps significantly? Awesome, even better!
Try to steer clear of any food or drinks that tend to flare up your redness (which I'm sure you already know by now), and it definitely makes sense to grab a facial sunscreen with a slightly higher SPF for the summer—though, fair warning, there's always a chance a certain cream could actually make the redness worse, so if you're picking a specific one, you might want to run it by a dermatologist first.

Now, here's something you won't find in any medical textbook, but in my experience, "masking" the issue a few times has helped quite a bit in similar situations—using a decent quality gel or an alcohol-free aftershave can provide some temporary relief. Just keep in mind that any gel or cream could potentially aggravate things, so you're basically playing the trial-and-error game here... It's definitely worth asking a seasoned dermatologist about it, though.
The bottom line: maybe—occasionally—temporarily—consult a dermatologist.

Susan Parker2 said:I used Oranozol until I ran completely out—so, for about a month, applying it twice a day.

According to my dermatologist, some people are just more prone to this than others. On top of that, certain things tend to flare up the redness, like spicy food, stress, alcohol, and so on...

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=30j69gn&s=6

The photo is a bit blurry, so it's hard to tell.
1. Is this exact same "redness" showing up on both cheeks? On your forehead? Anywhere else on your body, or just general skin changes?
2. Did this pop up out of nowhere, or did it kind of creep up on you over time?
3. Did it start during puberty, or was it even back when you were a kid?
4. Does anyone else in your family deal with similar "redness" (mom, dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles...)?
5. Do your joints ever ache—like your hands, knees, or ankles—without any obvious reason why?
6. Do your joints ever swell up, or maybe feel warm and painful?
7. Do you ever wake up with stiff fingers in the morning (with no real cause, like heavy manual labor) where you have to basically "work them out" before they actually function properly?
8. Is there a history of rheumatic or autoimmune diseases in your family?
9. Any issues with your heart?

Steven Martin13 said:Basically, I’m looking for an opinion from someone who actually knows their way around pharmacology.

The situation is that I'm planning to start taking pure Whey protein, but I'm currently on a regimen of Prozac 50mg and Lexapro (as needed).

I was reading somewhere that even in the cleanest protein isolates, there's some 5HTP amino acid present that gets metabolized directly into serotonin in the body. So, I'm wondering if this is something worth worrying about—like, could I accidentally trigger serotonin syndrome or just end up with too much serotonin floating around my system?

Along with that, I'll be using a multivitamin, fish oil, plenty of chicken (casein, right?), low-fat cottage cheese, tuna, stuff like that. I'm planning on cutting carbs pretty significantly.

I'd really appreciate a perspective from someone with a pharmacology background, rather than just hearing personal anecdotes, because everyone's body reacts uniquely to this kind of combo.

P.S. If I posted this in the wrong subforum, please tell the admin/mod team to move it. Thanks.

"everyone's body reacts uniquely to this kind of combo."
I'll give you my full signature on that one.
Also, why are you even looking to consume whey? Working out or something?
Cheese and eggs from decent sources are perfectly fine protein options.

What you've listed works, provided there aren't any underlying medical reasons (organic issues) where consuming whey protein might do you harm (I don't have access to your medical records, which is a huge limitation for giving a serious recommendation, so I have to be careful here).

If you've been on a "stable" Prozac regimen for at least 6-8 weeks without experiencing significant side effects like serotonin syndrome, then doses of a whey protein supplement (assuming it's a high-quality product!) used to bring your total protein intake up to roughly 1.0g per kg of body weight (to start with) alongside targeted exercise (you didn't mention what kind of workout you're planning) under the guidance of a properly trained professional, shouldn't negatively impact your serotonin metabolism.
Depending on how intense your workouts get, after about 4 weeks—if your body needs it (meaning, if your physical activity is demanding enough to require more protein)—you could bump up the whey so your intake hits 1.5g/kg of body weight. After maybe 4-8 weeks (again, depending on intensity and lack of side effects), you could potentially push it to 2g/kg of body weight, though, of course, this should all be done under the supervision of a qualified professional and your doctor or the specialist who prescribed your medication.
Generally speaking, engaging in more serious targeted exercise with whey as a supplement, while supervised by a pro, could eventually (it's not a guarantee!) help lower the required dose of Prozac or shorten the duration of medication treatment, specifically if we're talking about something like depressive disorder (though I don't have those details).
But again, I'm stressing that this requires close coordination between the person on Prozac who is exercising, their trainer, and their doctor...

Susan Sanchez61 said:A good few years back, I was diagnosed with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. They told me it’s just how I was born. I’ve been on Isoptin 80 since 2007. About a week ago, my doctor switched me over to Rhythmol, but man, it just doesn't sit right with me—it feels like this burning sensation around my heart and my pulse is just constantly racing. I mentioned it to my doctor today, and she put me back on Isoptin.
The catch is that I heard they might be discontinuing this specific medication, and there isn't a direct replacement available—since the active ingredient is verapamil, and that's hard to find.
Does anyone else here dealing with the same diagnosis know what they're using instead?
They also floated the idea of an ablation if the pills don't do the trick. Has anyone actually gone through that?
Thanks!

I haven't seen any official word about verapamil being discontinued (and honestly, even if there was, that sounds a bit off), because it would be pretty wild to pull such a useful and valuable drug from the market, especially considering how much it helps with both chronic arrhythmias and certain acute tachyarrhythmias.
Now, Rhythmol (propafenone) is a solid med, but like pretty much any antiarrhythmic, while it "fixes" one type of rhythm issue, it can sometimes inadvertently trigger another. It’s a shame an ECG wasn't taken right when you were feeling lousy, because that would have cleared up a lot of the mystery. Usually, it takes a bit of trial and error with different antiarrhythmics to find the one that actually clicks with your system.
As for the ablation, it’s generally a highly successful procedure, and we have a few top-tier medical centers here in the States where they do them quite well.
I’m a little skeptical about the whole WPW thing, though; it wouldn't make much sense for a doctor to recommend verapamil if that was actually the case.

steelwalker68 said:So, I took my antibiotic around 8:00 AM, had some coffee, grabbed some fish sticks and a protein bar. Checked my blood sugar at 11:30 and it was sitting at 6. Then I had some potato dough for lunch around noon, and by 2:30 PM, it was up to 8. After that, I had more coffee, took my next dose of antibiotics, ate a bit more salad, and hit 7.1 by 6:00 PM. Honestly, though, I’ve been feeling super weak lately... and my mouth feels incredibly dry. For context, I'm about 5'5" and only 105 lbs.

You definitely need to get in to see your doctor sometime soon.
Have you noticed any unintentional weight loss over the last year or two—maybe even just in the last couple of months?
"Feeling weak" is such a vague way to put it, it doesn't really tell us much...

steelwalker68 said:I have a quick question. If I've posted this in the wrong thread, please forgive me.

So, I was prescribed Dalacin 300 mg because of a tooth infection. Out of nowhere today, just because I felt like it, I decided to check my levels with a glucometer after breakfast and it was 6. Then after lunch (about 2 hours later), it hit 8.7 .😕

I'm taking the pills every 8 hours now, so I'm not sure if they're causing this or what? 🤷 Both of my parents deal with diabetes. Also, I'm 27. Thanks for any help.

Dalacin (clindamycin) is an incredibly potent antibiotic, and like anything else you throw at your body, it has its side effects, but it’s not really standard for it to "spike" your blood sugar levels.
Actually, any kind of inflammation can bump those numbers up—though, honestly, I'm not entirely sure how much a single tooth infection could swing things that hard, but hey, nothing is impossible.
Given that both of your parents have diabetes, it definitely makes sense to get an OGTT done once you're finished with the dental work, and then maybe follow up with more testing depending on what those results look like.
Then again, if lunch involved some seriously sugary dessert, that might explain the jump too.
It's also worth remembering that even home glucometers aren't always 100% perfect...
Are you keeping a steady weight, or maybe getting some regular exercise?

Jonathan Morris40 said:here’s my blood work too:

cholesterol is high
uric acid is high
triglycerides are up
ALT is borderline
GGT is elevated

My doctor suggested I ease into a diet, cut back on the burgers, and said my blood work should stabilize if I do. 😬

He mentioned there’s nothing super alarming about the numbers. I had an EEG done yesterday, and they’ll mail the results straight to my house in about 5 to 10 days, so once those arrive, I’ll have to head back to see my doctor.

What do you guys make of all this?

So, how are you feeling lately? Any changes—feeling better, the same, or maybe worse? Have any symptoms cleared up, or did anything new pop up (like swelling in your shins or that heavy, bloated feeling in your stomach)?
Feel free to drop your normal lab ranges alongside your current values if you want to compare things.
I’m guessing your doctor told you to follow up on these abnormal results in about 6 to 8 weeks, provided you stick to total abstinence from Excess alcohol and cut way back on refined carbs and fats. After that, it’ll depend on what the labs show and what an abdominal ultrasound reveals (he might have already given you a referral for that).

James Rodriguez7 said:Back then, I wasn't really paying much attention to it. Around 2010, I was taking some dance classes, and looking back, I’d notice my arm felt pretty weak in certain moves. For instance, when I’d be holding my partner—you know, that classic ballroom posture where your upper arm is extended forward and your forearm is against her back, hand tucked between the shoulder blades. Just a standard waltz hold. I’d get this slight ache only in those specific moments. At the time, I just figured my arms were naturally a bit weaker than average. Those instances were too fleeting to really dwell on, and I never noticed anything similar outside of the dance studio. That was way back in 2007 or 2008.

As far as medical jargon goes, I’m a total layman, so I’m not entirely sure what this serology thing actually refers to. (I see mentions of antigens and antibodies in the dictionary, but that doesn't tell me much concrete. What should I even be looking for on a lab report? Which department, which clinical unit, or what specifically is being analyzed?) I'll mention two of the many results I have: the first shows that my complete right arm feels a notch colder than my healthy , left one. The second is a molecular-genetic analysis for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). I’ve got two ways of reading this: 1) through DNA analysis, deletions of exons 7 and 8 of the SMN2 gene were identified.
2) through DNA analysis, there were 2 copies of exons 7 and 8 of the SMN1 gene, 0 copies of exons 7 and 8 of the SMN2 gene, and 2 copies of the NAIP gene.

The crew over at the Rib doesn't really support this kind of therapy, so I reached out to my doctor directly. He claims it’s mostly just a money grab and isn't an actual cure. At least, in my case, that's how it seems. That’s the main reason I haven't started it yet, and honestly, it's why I decided to open this thread in the first place.

The recommended treatment plan is this: 20 mg for the first week, 15 mg the second, 10 mg the third, and 5 mg for the final week. Taken after meals.
From all the data I have, the only thing that sticks out as being outside the normal range involves the serum protein electrophoresis: the alpha 2 globulin and beta globulin values are just a tiny bit lower than average. Like, barely.

My doctor (a private practitioner down in Miami) only mentioned nerve inflammation as the justification for the pill therapy. I didn't push him for more info. Generally, I don't ask a lot of questions; I just follow instructions.
Unless, of course, I'm in a situation like this where things get expensive and serious.

Anyway, thanks for spending the time to read this. What I really need is some advice on what to do next, but the only thing that makes sense—and it’s what everyone keeps pointing out—is that I need to exercise and stay active. On the other hand, it would be great if I could hear from someone who has actually undergone one of these biological therapies. Ideally, someone with a similar case. I see they use it for things like dental work, but that doesn't really help me here.

I kept pushing the idea of a possible injury (maybe one I forgot about), because it seemed odd to me that the folks at the Rib hadn't asked for a DNA analysis. But, looking back, I see that it *was* done; I assume they saw the results and somehow commented on them, maybe adding a note about spinal muscular atrophy to the report?
I agree that, given everything we know about modern medicine, consistent, daily targeted exercise is incredibly important—both for maintaining muscle mass and keeping the shoulder joint function within its full range of motion (any decent physical therapist can recommend the right exercises). Honestly, that’s already quite a lot you can do for your long-term health.
I'm hoping that the potential corticosteroid therapy will help...
Regarding "biological therapy," based on what I know now, I find myself agreeing with the doctor from the Rib...

Honestly, we’re all just waiting on those pathology reports to come back before anyone can really make sense of this mess.
It was basically a total fluke discovery—there weren't even any symptoms or anything to point us in the right direction. Once the oncologist weighs in, which should be pretty quick, we'll have a better idea of what we're looking at, so I'm trying to stay cautiously optimistic about a good prognosis.
Until then, seriously, do yourself a favor and stay off 😉

It’s been a minute since I really dug into pediatric stuff, but from what I recall, eosinophilic granuloma is basically just a BENIGN version of histiocytosis. That said, you definitely want to get an oncologist in the mix to be safe, and they’ll probably push for a biopsy of the lesion to get a solid pathology report. It can be a bit of a roller coaster where things flare up again or show up in different bones—and yeah, pathological fractures are a real risk—but honestly, these things often just clear up on their own without coming back. Because of that, aggressive treatment isn't always the move; sometimes it's just local corticosteroids or maybe even a little surgery if things get hairy...

slysurfer14 said:Sorry for being a pain again!!!!
I was wondering if anyone could help me make sense of this CT scan result
"the noted lesion (specifying which bone here) may primarily correspond to eosinophilic granuloma.
I'm just really stumped by what that bolded part actually means...

A little backstory—about a month ago, I took a hit to my knee, and ever since then, the pain just won't quit. Went to see a surgeon last week, had some X-rays done, and they spotted a shadow on the bone. After looking at the images, they rushed me through a CT scan, and I finally got the results today. Based on what they saw, the surgeon is sending us straight to oncology. We're waiting on an appointment (scheduled for next week), so if it's not too much trouble, could someone please explain what this granuloma thing is about....

Thanks in advance....

Regarding the bolded part, I’m guessing (so, my hunch is) that we're talking about someone on the younger side, usually under 30, though most likely somewhere in that 10-18 age range.
It would definitely be helpful to have a few more details (age, gender, any past medical history, maybe current issues or meds being taken, etc.)
Was there any pain in that specific spot before the injury happened?

Jonathan Morris40 said:So, I finally made it to my doctor's office today. I actually went ahead and did that thing where you write everything down on a piece of paper—you know, listing out all those random symptoms in some kind of logical order so you don't forget anything mid-sentence. It felt a little organized, maybe even a bit overkill, but I figured it was better than just rambling. He took the paper, gave it a quick read-through, and then he just looked at me and asked... So, I’ve been sitting here wondering if it’s actually feasible to just power through and keep working my regular job, or if I should just bite the bullet and call in sick. Honestly, it’s one of those dilemmas where you're weighing whether you can actually function versus just taking the downtime to deal with everything. I told him that... I think I can hold steady for now, but if things start heading south, I’m definitely going to reach out to him and let him know what I need.

So, I just got my blood pressure checked, and it clocked in at 120/80. My doctor mentioned that this is most likely all in my head—psychosomatic, I guess—but he admitted he’s a bit stumped because honestly, I haven't been under any kind of stress lately. He didn't want to jump to any conclusions based solely on that reading, though, especially since I'm still recovering from that bout of meningitis. He suggested there might be some lingering connection there. It also seems weird to him that this has been dragging on for so long; usually, when people deal with dizziness, it comes in waves, but mine feels like it's just constantly hanging around. Plus, you can't really brush off this feeling of being out of it; having this level of cognitive fog persist all day at the same intensity—and even spiking here and there—just doesn't feel like something that should be dismissed so easily.

He was pretty open with me about everything, honestly. He told me I didn't need to go spiraling over the stress of it all, but he wouldn't completely rule out the possibility of the meningitis coming back or even a tumor popping up.

He sent me off. I had to go get some blood drawn today, and honestly, I’ve always been one of those people who gets a little bit of that weird, low-key anxiety about it. It’s nothing major, just that tiny part of my brain that starts questioning why we even need to monitor all this stuff, you know? But anyway, I sat there in the clinic, just waiting for my turn, thinking about how much easier life would be if we could just skip the whole needle thing entirely. It’s one of those routine things that feels way more invasive than it probably should be, but there I was, staring at the ceiling and trying to act like I wasn't slightly bracing for the poke. All in all, it went fine, though—just another thing checked off the list. And I'm also looking into getting an EEG done. I was just sitting here thinking about that EEG session from the other day. It’s funny how you go into these things expecting some big, dramatic revelation, but instead, it’s mostly just lying there while sensors are stuck to your head, waiting for the machine to tell you something about your own brain. It’s a weirdly quiet experience, honestly. Just me, the humming equipment, and those technicians moving around. Still, it gives you plenty of time to drift off into those random, wandering thoughts we all get when we're forced to sit still for too long..

I've got a couple of questions for you guys:

So, you're wondering what actually shows up on a standard blood panel if someone's dealing with something like meningitis or maybe even a tumor? It’s one of those things where you can't just look at one number and get the whole story, but there are definitely some red flags that doctors hunt for. If we're talking meningitis, the big giveaway is usually in the white blood cell count. Your immune system basically goes into overdrive, so those numbers spike like crazy because your body is trying to fight off whatever infection is hitting the central nervous system. You might also see changes in your protein levels or how your electrolytes are balancing out. When it comes to tumors, it's a bit more subtle and honestly way more complicated. A blood test isn't going to scream "cancer" at you in most cases, but they often look for specific markers—what doctors call tumor markers—that certain types of cancer release into the bloodstream. They also watch for unexplained anemia or weird shifts in calcium levels, which can happen when a mass is messing with your body's chemistry. But honestly, a blood test is really just one piece of a massive puzzle. Even if everything looks relatively normal on paper, it doesn't mean nothing is going on. That’s why doctors always pair it with things like an EEG or imaging. It's all about seeing the full picture, not just staring at a single lab report and guessing.
So, you're asking about an EEG? Honestly, it’s basically just a way for doctors to peek at the electrical activity happening inside your brain. It's not like some intense, invasive procedure or anything; they just stick these little sensors—electrodes—on your scalp to track those tiny electrical pulses. Usually, the whole thing doesn't take a huge chunk out of your day either. Depending on what the doctor is looking for, it might just be a quick snapshot that lasts maybe thirty minutes, though sometimes they want you to stay hooked up for longer to see how things settle down. As for how reliable it is, it’s generally considered a pretty solid gold standard for catching certain types of stuff, like seizure activity. That said, it isn't perfect. Since it's just a recording of electrical waves, sometimes there's a bit of "noise" if you move around too much or if the connection isn't quite right. It’s a really useful tool, but doctors usually look at the results alongside your actual symptoms and other tests to get the full picture. It's more of a piece of the puzzle than the whole damn thing.
How long does the wait usually last when you're trying to get an EEG scheduled?

Thanks in advance. 🙂

Jonathan Morris40 said:So, what the hell was the point of sending me in for an EEG if there isn't even a single damn thing showing up on the results? 😠 So, I was sitting here thinking about all the different tests we go through, and it got me wondering—what exactly is the point of an EEG anyway? Like, what's the actual goal when they hook you up to all those sensors? I wonder what he can actually demonstrate.?

I honestly didn't think a standard blood panel could actually flag whether there’s a tumor lurking around, but then again, what exactly is the point of running one if they can't use it to cross-reference everything else I've been feeling? It's got to be more than just counting cells; there's probably some subtle marker or something hidden in those numbers that gives them a clue about what's going on with my specific situation.

I'm curious about this. I've been sitting here staring at my ceiling, just wondering how that bout of meningitis I went through is actually going to mess with my life moving forward. It’s one of those things where you think you’re totally in the clear once the fever breaks, but then you start questioning if everything is really back to normal. Honestly, I'm just trying to wrap my head around how much of a lasting impact this could have on my current situation.Is there any chance he’ll actually make a comeback?

Jonathan Morris40 said:Count me in, too. 😁 ugh, I mean, if he’s seriously worried about something heavy—like we’re talking a tumor or meningitis—why on earth wouldn't he have sent me straight off for a full-blown neurological workup? It just doesn't add up to me. If those were actually on the table, you wouldn't just sit there; you'd be rushing to get more tests done immediately. Or something like that? Look, I get it—you can usually pin down things like meningitis or epilepsy through an EEG, but a tumor isn't always that straightforward. Am I really going to have to shell out a few thousand bucks for a CT scan or whatever else just to be absolutely certain? I’m honestly terrified that things aren't looking good at all, and who knows what tomorrow might bring—not even talking about a few days from now when I finally get my follow-up exam.

Look, we aren't talking about a busted thumb here, so it kind of baffles me why people treat these kinds of serious issues with such casual indifference.

Honestly, your primary care doctor handled everything incredibly professionally and did exactly what they were supposed to do.
-They checked your mental status and your level of alertness, asking if you could actually function normally during your day-to-day routine, and they even offered you a safety net by suggesting medical leave if you weren't up to it.
-They kicked off a really solid, targeted diagnostic plan within the primary care framework because your symptoms are pretty vague right now—if I’m reading this right, maybe something involving the cardiovascular system—and an EEG can provide some really useful guidance on where to head next, whether that's a neurologist, an infectious disease specialist, or an internist.
-The cardiovascular stuff could point toward an inflammatory process, anemia, or something else entirely...
-As for the EEG (look, I'll admit, I sometimes wonder if certain tests are just "for what?")—given that you dealt with purulent meningitis back when you were a kid, it’s very likely, though not guaranteed, that the results will show some sort of non-specific changes. Then again, there could be specific findings, like non-convulsive status epilepticus or temporal epilepsy resulting from whatever is going on (which is a slim chance, but hey, the symptoms are vague, right?).
Once those results are in, it’s going to be much easier and faster to navigate getting seen by a neurologist, an infectious disease doc, or an internist...
If there's one thing your doctor might have done differently before sending you to specialists for more advanced diagnostics, it would have been a funduscopic exam—that's where you might spot indirect signs of elevated intracranial pressure, which sometimes doesn't show up clearly on non-invasive imaging like a CT or MRI scan (assuming those are even needed).
Bottom line: your doctor acted perfectly and correctly, both for your sake and for their colleagues. You should honestly feel comfortable recommending them to your family, friends, or anyone you know...
And I'm sure they already told you—if things take a turn for the worse, get yourself to the ER immediately so they can "teleport" you exactly where you need to be.
Make sure you bring ALL your old medical records with you.
I totally get why you're worried; if I were in your shoes, I’d be pretty rattled too. But here's the kicker—you sat on these vague symptoms for two whole weeks without doing a single thing about it. Is it worth even bringing up what happened right before all this started? Did you make that call while you were fully lucid, without someone else having to push you into it? You made a mistake, plain and simple, and the consequences are staring us in the face. Now, man, just step up and actively participate in fixing this situation. Up until now, you've done what you needed to do, but all this misplaced anger toward your doctor is unnecessary. They are doing a GREAT job. You're in good hands.
Keep us posted on how things go. 😉

They’ve honestly gone through the ringer with this one, running all sorts of different searches and checking in with some of the biggest names in the field to make sure they aren't missing anything.
Honestly, from where I'm sitting, it feels like nobody has actually nailed down the direct cause of isolated motor impairment when you still have full sensation intact. It’s one of those medical mysteries that keeps everyone guessing.

So, looking at this MRI report, it mentions some "discrete signal changes" along the right side of the C5 and C6 nerve roots, though thankfully there’s nothing pointing to a tumor or any actual compression in that area. It also notes that the deltoid muscle shows reduced volume with some slight fatty infiltration. Honestly, seeing that, I’m guessing this isn't exactly a new development—it feels like this has been brewing since well before 2010. Anyway, how have you been holding up? Still, better before. So, I’ve been noticing some pretty obvious muscle wasting lately, and honestly, it's starting to make me wonder if that's why my arm feels so weak and clumsy during certain movements.

I missed it—did anyone happen to suggest a muscle biopsy? I’m honestly not even sure how common that is here in the States, or if it would even make much sense given how isolated the damage is. Anatomically speaking, it feels pretty localized, you know?

So, looking at these search results, everything seems pretty clean and organized. It’s highly likely they ran some serology to check for potential infectious agents, but honestly, I'm left wondering exactly what kind of protocol they actually followed. If that were truly the case, you wouldn't expect them to just hit one specific, clearly defined area of the body; it would be much more widespread than that.

I remember a situation that was pretty similar—not exactly the same thing, mind you—where someone wrecked their ankle and, for a bunch of different reasons, couldn't really swing a forearm crutch, so they had to go with an axillary one instead. There was even this one MMA fighter involved, though his injury had a much more obvious cause behind it. That’s kind of why I’m being so stubborn—maybe even a little extra about it—when I keep asking if there were any heavy compressive forces or awkward pressure points back a few years ago.

The whole "bio-regenerative" therapy thing is such a massive, sweeping term, isn't it? It’s hard to pin down exactly what people mean when they throw that around. From what I can gather, the criteria for actually using this stuff are incredibly intense—they don't just hand it out to anyone. My only real hope is that it isn't just some broad-spectrum approach that hits everything at once; it really needs to be selective to actually work. Fingers crossed it delivers on the efficacy side of things.
After doing my own deep dive and getting a clear handle on what this "bio-regenerative" therapy actually entails, I think I’d probably head over to the specialists at Rib to get a second opinion before pulling the trigger.
I honestly don't know why people act like Decortin is some kind of miracle cure when you take it. It’s just one of those things where you hope it works, but half the time you’re just sitting there wondering if you’ve actually felt a difference or if it’s all in your head. I remember back when I was living in San Diego, I used to take stuff like this constantly because my nerves were always shot from working too much, and looking back, I can't even tell if it helped or if I just got lucky with a good night's sleep. It’s fine, I guess, but don't expect it to change your life overnight. I guess he probably should. I’m all for trying to dial back the inflammation, but honestly, I’m struggling to see how we're supposed to know where to start. It isn't even clear what kind of dosage we should be looking at, let alone how aggressively we should be tweaking the therapy as we go. Plus, looking at what's been laid out, there’s just no way to be certain that an inflammatory process has actually been detected. We’re flying blind here—there isn't any data on things like elevated sedimentation rates, CRP, CPK, or LDH, which are basically the bread and butter when you're trying to pin down basic signs of inflammation, and we're missing those more specific markers too.

Jonathan Morris40 said:I've got an appointment with my doctor tomorrow, and he's supposed to give me some referrals. How am I even supposed to explain this mess to him? What’s the best way to lay out everything I'm going through so it actually makes sense?

That's a really solid question, honestly.
I'm sitting here thinking about how I'd even try to pitch this to a physician if I were in your shoes. 🤷
My advice? Start with the big stuff—mention that you dealt with purulent meningitis back when you were a kid. That should pretty much grab their attention right out of the gate. Once you've got them listening, walk them through the timeline of your current symptoms, starting from that very first incident. Be sure to mention that weird heart fluttering sensation followed by those long pauses, and don't leave out any of the lingering issues that haven't let up. Make sure they realize this whole thing has been going on for 2 weeks now.

Definitely hit us up later and let us know how it went and what the plan is. 😉

Jonathan Morris40 said:I was reading up on purulent meningitis the other day, and man, it’s some heavy stuff. It’s basically when the membranes surrounding your brain and spinal cord get hit with this intense bacterial infection, leading to all that nasty pus buildup. It’s not exactly a "wait and see" kind of situation either—you're looking at an immediate trip to the ER and probably a heavy dose of IV antibiotics right out of the gate. It’s one of those things that really puts into perspective how fragile everything is, especially when you think about how quickly a serious infection can turn into a life-altering crisis. Definitely one of those medical scenarios you hope to never encounter personally, but it's wild how much science has advanced in managing it compared to what people used to deal with decades ago. I actually went through this when I was just nine months old. I remember my folks telling me that the doctors had to go in and drain some kind of infection from my head. It’s one of those things you don't really remember yourself, obviously, but the whole story has always stuck with me.

Yeah, I’m a smoker—probably going through about half a pack a day at this point. And honestly, I definitely went a bit overboard with the drinks lately. I never had any issues with my heart before, and I've never really noticed anything weird like an irregular heartbeat or my pulse racing out of nowhere.

I haven't actually hit my head or anything, and I don't have any swelling or pain anywhere, so physically I feel pretty solid. I haven't bothered checking my temperature yet, though I could easily grab the thermometer—honestly, I don't think I'm running a fever or anything. My speech feels mostly fine, but there are these weird little moments where I just... freeze. Like, I'll be mid-sentence and suddenly my brain stalls, forcing me to just pause for a second to figure out what I was even trying to say. I still trip over my words occasionally, but that’s kind of always been a thing for me whenever I start talking too fast; I tend to stumble over myself. Until now, I just figured that was totally normal, you know? Just one of those things where your tongue gets tied up.

I’ve never really dealt with anything quite like this before; this is a total first for me. I mean, looking back, maybe something similar happened once or twice in the past, but it was so subtle I probably just brushed it off without thinking twice. It didn't feel like anything out of the ordinary back then, but this? This is definitely hitting different.

Look, I’ll be honest—maybe two or three times a month when I’m actually heading out on the town, I tend to overdo it with the drinks. It’s one of those things where you get caught up in the moment, the crowd is hyped, everyone's celebrating, and suddenly you’ve had way more than you intended. I know, I know, that's not really an excuse, and honestly, if anyone wants to throw stones, go ahead—I'm far from perfect. But the thing is, for the rest of the month, I don't touch the stuff at all because I'm usually just staying in. If I really wanted to, cutting alcohol out entirely would be a breeze; it’s honestly not even a struggle for me to walk away from it. 👍 Honestly, if lighting up a cigarette is what it takes to get me through this, then fine—but trust me, I’m planning on kicking the habit for good regardless.

I’ve always had this weird issue where I can't seem to settle down before hitting the hay. It’s like my body is stuck on some kind of permanent loop; my leg won't stop twitching, and even when I'm just sitting at my desk at work, I find myself tapping along to whatever music is playing without even realizing it. I just can't get that total sense of stillness where my hands or feet actually stay quiet. If I ever do manage to get perfectly still, I’ll start shrugging my shoulders or tossing and turning around. It’s constant motion. Honestly, it feels almost instinctive, like if I actually let myself relax completely, I might just slip right into a sleep or pass out entirely. It’s this weird reflex I've been dealing with since day one.

You seriously need to get on the phone with your doctor right now, assuming you haven't already. Seriously, don't wait around.
You really have to dig deep and figure out if there’s an actual organic, underlying cause behind this new disorder—like, you need to nail down what's actually triggering it biologically—and then, if it makes sense, decide if any kind of treatment is even warranted. Probably. Time to get the ball rolling on treatment.
The symptoms you’re describing could actually be a byproduct of elevated intracranial pressure—which honestly isn't exactly a rare occurrence after dealing with something like bacterial meningitis. Given how long this has been dragging on alongside everything else you mentioned, there's also a real possibility we're looking at some kind of inflammatory process within the central nervous system, though the exact cause is still pretty much an open book.
Look, you should probably get on top of this as soon as possible.!
If the tests come back clean and show there’s nothing actually wrong, honestly, that’s the best-case scenario. In that case, the only "treatment" you're gonna need is just cutting back on the gas and the cigarettes. 😉

Jonathan Morris40 said:Hey everyone... I'll try to keep this brief and explain my symptoms as clearly as I can.

So, I went a bit too hard on the drinks (Friday, Feb 15th) and spent all Saturday nursing a massive hangover. Honestly, I felt somewhat human by the afternoon, and then the crew ended up hanging out at my place again later on. I had this pounding headache, so I popped an Tylenol pill. I didn't touch any alcohol on Saturday.

Around 10 PM that night, my head started throbbing and I got hit with some dizziness. Everything around me looked weird—everyone seemed off, almost like I was watching myself from the outside. I stepped out for some fresh air, but I felt terrible. After a little while, I started shaking, my heart began racing like crazy, and I just felt wrong, like I was about to pass out. Physically, I felt okay, but mentally, things were a complete disaster. Then I sat down on the bed, turned pale as a ghost, dark circles appeared under my eyes, and I broke out in a cold sweat within 15 seconds—it was literally pouring off me. I laid down, and my friend checked my pulse; it was around 82 bpm and irregular, with these huge pauses in the rhythm.

As I lay there, my right leg started twitching uncontrollably on its own. I was just staring around at everything like it was some kind of hallucination; I completely lost my sense of time and space. I stayed in bed for five hours, though it felt more like ten minutes had passed.

Also, whenever I try to talk, I'll stop mid-sentence because my brain just locks up, and I have no clue what I was trying to say. It’s like my consciousness and my brain just stopped functioning properly.

My vision and hearing got totally messed up, too. What worries me most is that even though some time has passed since that night, and I managed to sleep and wake up the next day feeling significantly better, I still have these gaps where I lose my memory. One day I was at work and I couldn't even remember what I had actually done that day.

To make matters worse, things aren't really improving. My head still feels "off," my perception of space is super distorted, and it feels similar to that disoriented sensation you get when you're jolted awake from a deep sleep and start stumbling around the room. It's something like vertigo.

These symptoms are so bizarre, and searching online hasn't helped one bit. I'd really appreciate any advice on what the smartest move would be right now.

Does anyone have a rough idea of what this could be and what kind of tests I should ask for at the doctor's office?

Thanks so much in advance for the help and for taking the time. 🙂

PS: Don't hold back with the grim or dark predictions. I've already braced myself for the worst. 🙂

Forgot to mention, I'm 26. I haven't had health issues before, except that as a kid, I had meningitis.

You didn't specify WHICH type of meningitis (bacterial, viral—maybe something like the Kansas City Chiefs virus/HSV?). It's impossible to tell for sure how much lingering damage those old infections left behind—did you go for follow-ups, physical therapy, or specific exercises afterward? Did you take any medications—which ones, for how long, and for what exact reason?
Excessive consumption of etil is never good for anyone, especially if the brain has already been compromised; it's certainly not going to be happy being exposed to heavy amounts of ethyl derivatives...
A headache can be benign, but it can also be a sign of serious intracranial activity, especially given the described—albeit imprecise—sensations of disturbed vision, hearing, and balance, along with that dissociative state, memory loss, and potential cardiac arrhythmia (do you have a history of heart arrhythmias? Those long pauses are pretty nasty) per se, or it could all be part of a new onset disorder. You can't rule out an epi-event either...
Once you've cleared the initial hurdles with your primary care doctor—getting those basic blood panels and an EKG out of the way—you’re almost certainly looking at a trip to a neurologist. Honestly, I think a deep-dive neuro exam paired with an EEG makes total sense, and they might even need to run some neuroimaging just to rule things out. Depending on what they find, you could be looking at seeing an internist or even an infectious disease specialist too...
You're definitely someone who needs a really thorough workup
By the way, besides any etil you might have had, was there anything else involved? Like cigarettes? And hey, are you absolutely sure you didn't take a hard hit to the head? Check for any lumps, localized pain, or swelling. Any fever? Blurred vision? Or maybe issues with swallowing or tripping over your words when you speak? Have you ever dealt with anything feeling this weird before?

James Rodriguez7 said:God,

Whatever the title was, I’m dealing with atrophy in my right shoulder deltoid.
It all kicked off around the summer of 2010, starting with some muscle loss and then moving into a loss of strength in that arm. My range of motion is pretty much the same as my healthy left side, but the real kicker is that lack of power—you feel it immediately whenever I try to lift anything even slightly heavy. I've already seen maybe five or six neurologists, gone through just as many EMNGs and three MRIs. Last year, my right biceps started weakening up too. Up until recently, the standard advice was just to stick to exercise and physical therapy. But after visiting a specialist down in Miami, he suggested biological regenerative therapy since there hasn't been any real progress over the last two and a half years.

Has anyone else dealt with something similar, specifically regarding bio-therapy?
Any thoughts or advice would be huge.

It’d really help if you could share the findings from those five or six neurologists (like, what did they actually write down? Do they agree on a diagnosis, or is everyone just guessing?), and definitely include the EMNG and MRI results.
What kind of specialist is this doctor (private practice?) who’s recommending "biological regenerative" therapy? What exactly is he suggesting, and what specific outcome is he actually expecting from it?
Did you ever have a trauma, a fall, or an injury to that right shoulder or arm? What do you do for a living? Have you been doing heavy manual labor with that arm for a long time? Over the years, have you been leaning on it, putting prolonged stress on it, or maybe sleeping on it weirdly? Also, do you deal with any habitual subluxation or dislocation—basically, is that shoulder joint unstable or prone to popping out?

If you’re actually looking to "learn" how to stitch—strictly for your own peace of mind, I guess—your best bet is to head down to a local outpatient surgical clinic. Just walk in, be polite, and maybe use that sweet, charming tone of yours when you pitch your little hobby to the surgeons. Out of every six doctors there, there’s a decent shot one of them might actually let you try a few stitches. It’s a total grind, though; you’ll be hanging around there for hours, sometimes days, because not every patient needs stitches, and even when they do, some surgeons aren't exactly thrilled about letting an amateur mess with their work. 😁
The odds of pulling this off definitely go up if you're in a smaller town, though I was actually doing this alongside my residency, so after a while, I basically became the resident seamstress—not sure exactly where you're at in your journey.

I’m guessing (though I can’t say for sure since I don't have the full clinical picture or all your test results in front of me) that the workup is going to expand. You'll likely end up doing those tests I mentioned in my last post, and they'll probably ramp up the imaging side of things too, maybe getting an MRI or something similar out of it.
Are you having any trouble swallowing food or liquids, or noticing any changes there?
Any issues with your speech?
When you saw the neurologist, did you happen to notice if there was any sort of tongue tremor?