Posts by vividsailor7

Betty Cooper60 said:Hi everyone, I could really use some help here... Actually, a huge amount of help. I'm spiraling a bit right now and honestly don't know what to do. I had blood work done yesterday because I was worried I might have picked up an STI. These were my results (only the ones outside the normal range): neutrophils 75.6 (44.0-72.0) and lymphocytes 18.1 (20.0-46.0).
My lymph nodes are also slightly swollen.
I tested negative for HIV and Hepatitis B and C... (is it possible for those to be false negatives?)
Is there any chance I'm infected with something, even though my partner at the time (this was a few years ago) claims he’s totally clean? Please, I need help, I don't even know who to turn to...🤷😕
HELP ME!!

silverheron91 said:Well, I guess I’ve officially joined the "fainting club." 🙂

So, about 20 minutes ago, I was doing some exercises—totally overdid it a little bit, honestly—and then I stood up way too fast. The next thing I know, everything just went pitch black. There were these bright stars dancing in my eyes, and I felt completely wiped out and disoriented. When I finally came to, it took me a good while just to wrap my head around where I was, who I am, what I was even doing, or what day it was.

It was a terrifying feeling.

wearycrane5 said:Thanks for the quick reply, vividsailor7!

My mistake on the wording—I said tablets instead of supplements. It seems everything in pill form just registers as a "tablet" to me lately.😵

What I’m actually trying to figure out is whether these supplements carry any side effects (aside from the obvious benefits)? In my case, I'm currently taking New Nordic products.

http://www.newnordic.com/template/t03.php?menuId=4

Thomas Fox67 said:Thanks 🙂

Taylor Thompson68 said:-30
-back of the head, occipital area
-never had anything like this before
-used a digital one, then checked with a manual cuff... it was around 210/130, pulse near 100
-no other medical issues

Thomas Fox67 said:Since I haven't actually stepped foot back in that clinic since my first appointment, can someone please fill me in on what kind of follow-up tests they actually run? And seriously, can I just get my primary care doctor to order them instead of dealing with all that headache at the hospital?

Taylor Thompson68 said:I’m posting this on behalf of a friend who doesn't have an account here, though I'm also curious since I work in healthcare and can't quite put my finger on what happened.

Preacher was with her boyfriend, they were having sex, and right as he reached climax, he started screaming "my head, my head" like his life depended on it. He was acting totally frantic, just losing it. He was begging for some aspirin. After about five minutes of him yelling, he calmed down enough for her to check his vitals. His blood pressure hit 216/128... anyone have any idea what could be going on?👋

wearycrane5 said:Hi there,

I was hoping someone with more experience could break down the difference between standard over-the-counter pills (like Andol or Caffetin, for instance) and those plant-based supplements? What are the real pros and cons here? I generally try to avoid taking pills whenever possible—but my doctor recently prescribed some plant-based Blueberry tablets twice a day to help with my vision, and I’d love to dig a little deeper into how these types of supplements work. Any insights or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Best,🙂

Melissa Wells6 said:Hey everyone—I’ve noticed this weird lump popping up just below my belly button, slightly to the left. If I had to give you a visual, it feels about the size of a large kidney bean. It’s been there for a few days now, and it’s definitely tender when I touch it. I haven't been hitting the gym or doing any heavy lifting lately, so I can't really point to any physical strain. I'm not sure if it's related, but I haven't had a bowel movement in four days, which is unusual for me since I'm normally very regular. I have been dieting, though, so maybe that's why things have slowed down.
Also, just to add some context, I've been eating a ton of cauliflower twice a day over the last week.
If anyone has any thoughts or ideas on what this might be...😕

melloworca6 said:Hrvoje, I realized that it actually came back negative. I was just curious about what specific value would be elevated if the test had been positive. (I just have this need to know every single detail, you know? That way, if it ever does come back positive in the future, I won't be caught off guard and will understand exactly what's happening immediately.)

melloworca6 said:Thank you all so much for the responses.🙂

I basically already knew all of this because I’ve spent a massive amount of time digging through research online and pouring over medical books. Honestly, my doctors here are essentially stuck in a state of doubt—they can't quite decide if it's strictly Sjogren or if it's actually overlapping with SLE. Personally? I am desperately hoping it's just Sjogren.

The only thing that really tripped me up was this whole business regarding the serum protein electrophoresis. I was doing some digging online and stumbled upon mentions of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and honestly, seeing that pop up made everything feel a lot less clear. It actually scared the hell out of me, seeing that connection in my results.

edit: I have one more little question: what exactly is a monoclonal protein? What would my results actually look like if that came back positive? Regarding what else might be elevated besides gamma globulins?

melloworca6 said:So, you think it could actually be Lupus?

Regarding those symptoms from my undefined collagen disorder—I've got swelling in my joints (especially the small ones in my fingers), dry eyes, or rather a total lack of tears (I actually got diagnosed with keratoconjunctivitis sicca), and dry mouth due to a lack of saliva...

Honestly, I don't even think Sjogren is the main issue here. What's eating at me is whether this could actually be Lupus. Both Sjogren and Raynald, along with my thyroid issues (Hashimoto isn't confirmed yet, but there's suspicion because my anti-Tg is right on the borderline), can all be side effects of Lupus.

frozenhawk0 said:Thanks for the quick replies, everyone! 🙂
Like I mentioned earlier—I’ve dropped 15kg and I'm doing my absolute best to eat right. As far as iron goes, I really don't think it's a diet issue. I've had blood work done over the last few years here at home, and my iron levels have never been anywhere near low. I even had my blood drawn after the diet two months ago, and everything looked fine... so that's what's throwing me off.

Oh, and you guys asked—can this cause hair loss?
Without being dramatic, I feel like I've lost at least 50% of my hair.🙂

frozenhawk0 says:
I would be so incredibly grateful if someone could please find the patience and willingness to look over my lab results and help me make sense of them!

I had blood work done because I lost about 50% of my hair in just one month (it’s falling out everywhere—diffuse thinning, during washing, and in clumps), and I’m also breaking out in these rash-like spots all over my body (on my chest and arms). I saw a dermatologist who sent me for blood work and told me to get screened for thyroid issues and H. pylori.
By the way, I have PCOS and have been on Diane for three years. Before I started taking those, I had my thyroid checked and my TSH was 7. Nobody really reacted to it at the time; my endocrinologist just sent me back to retest two months later when the TSH had dropped to 2.5—I've never taken anything for my thyroid.
I don't know if this matters, but I lost 15 lbs about three months ago.

As for the "standard" hematology stuff, everything looks fine except for my erythrocytes, which are 3.73 (ref range 3.86-5.08).
I'll type out the full biochemistry panel here:

Glucose 5.4 (4.4-6.4)
Bilirubin-total 6 (3-20)
Urea 3.2 (2.8-8.3)
Creatinine 73 (63-107)
Urate 189 (134-337)
Alkaline phosphatase 49 Aspartate aminotransferase 16 (8-30)
Alanine aminotransferase 9 (10-36)[\B]
Gamma-glutamyl transferase 9 (9-35)
Creatine kinase 36 (0-153)
Lactate dehydrogenase 117 Alpha amylase 87 (23-91)
Cholesterol 6.7 Triglycerides 1.52 HDL 1.94 >1.2
LDL 4.10 Potassium 4.7 (3.9-5.1)
Sodium 136 (137-146)
Total calcium 2.42 (2.14-2.53)
Chloride 104 (97-108)
Iron 9 (8-30)
UIBC 72 (26-59)
TIBC 81 (48-79)
Proteins 69 (66-81)
Ferritin 5.87 (15-150)

They also ran some markers:
CA 125 33.27 CA 15-3 12.22
Thyroid results:
FT4 12.9 (10-25)
FT3 4.6 (3.6-7.8)
TSH 1.39 (0.4-4.2)
hTgAb 40 TPO-Ab 225 b>

Helicobacter pylori (ELISA)
IgG negative
IgA borderline (they didn't give numbers, it just says that... and they didn't test for IgM)

I’ve had just about enough of this nonsense! Honestly, how many times do we have to go over the same ground before it finally sinks in? It’s exhausting. Every single time a new thread pops up, it’s the exact same circular arguments, the same tired excuses, and the same lack of basic common sense. It makes my blood boil! And don't even get me started on what **John Thomas2** said earlier. "It's not that big of a deal," they claim. Not a big deal?! Are you kidding me? That is a complete dismissal of the actual facts sitting right in front of us. It’s intellectually lazy, plain and simple. Then you have **goldentinker79** chiming in with those overly optimistic takes that completely ignore the reality of the situation. It’s easy to be positive when you aren't the one dealing with the fallout. We need logic. We need substance. Instead, we get this endless loop of superficial chatter. It is infuriating! If we can't have a serious discussion based on actual evidence, then what are we even doing here? I'm done playing nice about it. Fix the discourse or stop wasting everyone's time! kaže:
How does an antibiotic—in my case, Augmentin—affect the effectiveness of birth control pills? I’m using Yaz.
Look, I was supposed to start a course of antibiotics today for an infection, and honestly? I’m feeling incredibly skeptical. I stopped by the local CVS, and the pharmacist there gave me the standard line—telling me that, in principle, I shouldn't feel any side effects and that one won't interfere with the other. But give me a break! I’m not buying it. I’ve read enough from other reliable sources to know that there's a real possibility these drugs could dampen the effectiveness of my birth control. It feels like they’re just brushing off a legitimate concern with a "don't worry about it" attitude. I don't know... something about it just doesn't sit right with me. 🤷

melloworca6 said:I have a question for all the doctors on here, but please don't kill me for not typing out my entire lab report—it’s just way too long since I had a full immunological workup done.

I just dug through my latest immunology results and noticed there’s a specific note and a "DZ 97" comment on this one, even though none of my previous lab reports ever had anything like that. I know it's some kind of internal code, but does anyone actually know what DZ 97 stands for? What is it referring to?

So, just to give you some context on my situation: I’m dealing with hypothyroidism, Raynald syndrome, and an undefined collagen disease that they suspect might actually be Sjogren.

Edit: Actually, I’ll just go ahead and transcribe the results since I have them right here in front of me. The reference ranges are in parentheses.

Immunoglobulin G - 25.40 (7.0-16.0)
Immunoglobulin A is sitting at 5.71 (normal range is 0.7 - 4.0).
Immunoglobulin M - 2.56 (0.4-2.3)
C3 - 0.98 (0.9-1.8)
C4 - 0.06 (0.1-0.4)
Circulating immune complexes - 76 ( Serum protein immunofixation electrophoresis results: No monoclonal proteins detected.
Cryoglobulins—not present.

Autoimmune disease serology:

Anti-dsDNA - 23 (negative if under 100)
ENA screen - POSITIVE
Anti-SS-A/Ro testing came back at 859—which is obviously positive since anything over 120 is considered a hit.
Anti-SS-B/La - 314 (positive, anything over 120 is a hit)
Anti-Sm - 156 (positive, anything over 120 is considered high)
Anti-Sm/RNP - 407 (positive, anything above 120 is considered positive)
Anti-Jo-1 - 33 (negative, anything under 100 is negative)
Anti-Scl-70 is sitting at 118—right on the edge of that 100 to 120 threshold. Just hovering there.
Anti-histone antibodies—129 (positive, anything over 120 counts).
Centromere antibodies - 93 (negative if below 100).
Cardiolipin antibody screen - NEGATIVE
Anti-MPO antibodies (pANCA) came back at 81—which is technically negative since anything under 100 is considered normal.
Antibodies for PR-3 - 12 (negative, anything under 100 is fine)
ANF - POSITIVE
ANF titer - 1:10,000 (that is a massively positive titer, anything over 1:3,200 is huge).
ANF fluorescence tip: CYTOPLASMIC AND PUNCTATE

Notes and comments - DZ 97

Hannah James76 said:Dad had his follow-up with the gastroenterologist yesterday, and they said things are looking okay given the disease he’s battling. We’ve even got home health care coming out now; a doctor and a nurse will be visiting him at home, giving him an IV once a week and Vitamin B injections every other day. He’s supposed to be drinking Prosure, but he just refuses it 😢. I honestly don't know if there's anything else we can do for him. The biggest hurdle is that he's struggling so much mentally—he won't move, he just stays stuck in bed. It’s hard to believe that just a month ago, he was still behind the wheel driving a car. He has simply given up. He's refusing food, too. The thing is, nothing actually hurts besides the vomiting, and we've noticed that sometimes when he gets worked up, he starts throwing up, but other times he goes two whole days without it... Could this be tied to his mental state?

Donna Martin4 said:Hi,

My father picked up some fungal issues, likely from a recent stay at a wellness spa. Specifically, it’s Microsporum Canis and Trichophyton Mentagrophytes.
He was advised to use Canesten, but even though he got the diagnosis four months ago, there hasn't been much progress. Now my mother has caught it too since they share a bed.

Questions: Is it worth seeing a specialist dermatologist, or should we just stick to the treatments people have mentioned here?
I'm also wondering if sharing a bed is the main issue... it seems pretty obvious to me that the fungus is just passing back and forth between them. 😕

Any advice would be appreciated...

Steven Miller56 said:Hello, ladies. 😁

I only have one thing on my mind right now, because tomorrow I finally get the prescription for my pills—though I still have no idea which ones they actually are.
I was doing some digging online regarding pills—looking into side effects, potential issues, and various personal experiences—and I just happened to stumble upon this. Article u kojem piše sljedeće:

Yasmin and Jaz are easily the most recognizable fourth-generation contraceptive pills on the market today. What’s particularly interesting is that they actually come from the exact same pharmaceutical manufacturer.

I’m feeling pretty down about this. I’ve been talking to several people lately, and the consensus is unanimous: stay far away from Yasmin. Apparently, a lot of women have dealt with massive issues because of them, and some have even lost their lives. If you want to see how bad things really got, you can head over to the 'Yasmin' thread to read about some truly harrowing experiences.

Honestly, the thing that’s bothering me most right now is the fact that Yaz and Yasmin are actually produced by the exact same company. 😕
I'm not entirely sure, but there's a high chance my gynecologist is going to put me on Yaz. What exactly is the difference between Yaz and Yasmina?
It seems to me that the discussion regarding Yaz pills on this forum has been stretched out quite extensively, whereas some other topics only manage to span a few pages. 😬
Does that mean these are somehow "better" than the others, or what...? 😕

You're welcome!

Angela Wright said:🤦 Every time I see those potassium levels dropping, I’m rushing straight to the Kalinorm.🙈 I totally called that "vitamin" nonsense coming. Honestly, this is just me typing away while I have my little one tucked in my arms.😁