I’ve been wondering about this too. I've actually started taking a variety of vitamins based on my neurologist's recommendation.
It makes me wonder, though—how can I tell if I'm overdoing it, or if all these supplements might actually be doing more harm than good? Don't worry, I did ask! I'm not the type to just blindly follow advice without checking first. The answer I got was basically to take them for a set period, like three months, and then take a break before starting again.
Right now, my regimen includes Neurobion (B complex), Vitamin C, Vitamin D, calcium, and some Omega-3s from flaxseed oil.
fadedheron892 said:I’m totally on board with what Casey Palmer5 said—having an experienced physiatrist guide you through the right exercises can make a world of difference.
But honestly, at the end of the day, you really have to trust that the specialist who actually examined you and ran all the diagnostics knows what they're doing. At least, they should. I mean, what am I supposed to do? Walk back into my specialist's office—the same one who looked at my scans, performed the exam, and recommended urgent surgery—and tell them, "Hey, just so you know, some people on an online forum suggested surgery is a last resort and I should try physical therapy first"? That doesn't exactly fly.
I seriously doubt doctors would jump straight to suggesting spinal surgery unless they had already ruled out every other viable option.
I know exactly what you mean. Honestly, you really need a larger bed to deal with this. I have this habit of falling asleep on the sofa in the living room, and I always end up tucking my hands under my head or my body. Then, when I wake up the next morning, I’m just sitting there wondering how I'm supposed to move my arm without feeling completely numb from sleeping on it all night. If you can manage it, try lying on your back with your arms resting outside the covers. Personally, I can't fall asleep on my back at all—I'm almost always a stomach sleeper. Because of that, I run into this issue quite a bit, though it happens much less frequently when I actually sleep in my bed instead of crashing on the couch.
Pain when you move your eyes can sometimes be a sign of optic nerve inflammation. And trust me, that’s nothing to take lightly. It could end up being nothing at all, but it could also be something serious.
My advice? Don't sit around waiting for an appointment or a referral, because your eyes are way too sensitive for that. Just head straight to the emergency eye clinic at Mayo Clinic after 4 PM. They’re incredibly thorough and professional, and you don't need a doctor's note to get seen.
Samuel Morgan40 said:You really don't seem to know how to take a bit of criticism, do you?👎 I’m not even going to address the personal jabs or the implication that I’m somehow "uneducated"—I simply have no comment on those. Look, if you’re out here claiming that something has medicinal properties—even if you aren't speaking specifically for yourself—then I think I’m entitled to react to that statement just like anyone else. You say this is a casual topic, but we aren't exactly posting in a casual subforum, are we? If you have some personal philosophy regarding healing or a specific definition you'd like to share, I’d certainly be interested in hearing it, but there’s really no reason to get defensive. 🤷
Here is your original post:
Just because it happened to help you twice doesn't mean we can label this drink as having medicinal qualities.
Yeah, I don't know. ☕ The issue isn't about me reacting; it's about that condescending tone you're using—as if those little winking emojis are supposed to mask the attitude? All that irony, the "get it?" vibes, the "I didn't realize" comments, etc.
Since we're being so serious about semantics, let's just take back the word "healing" entirely. It's not that I wasn't clear, and it's certainly not that my intention was vague when you look at the WHOLE post instead of just dissecting every single sentence.
I should point out—this isn't just based on my own experience; there are plenty of other cases, and I've even heard doctors suggest having a Cola in certain situations. I'm not advocating for drinking Cola; in fact, I avoid it because I don't think it's healthy for daily consumption. But I do believe that in small amounts, it can help in certain scenarios.
Samuel Morgan40 said:I suspect you might have missed the point of my previous post entirely. That bit about the price was just something I threw out there—it wasn't meant to imply its primary marketing purpose; rather, it was my sarcastic response to your claim that it has medicinal properties, which simply isn't true. "Medicinal" implies something specific, and we certainly can't define it based on whether it happens to make you feel better, especially when it might actually make someone else feel worse. We could argue that it helps settle your stomach after you've felt nauseous, perhaps, but calling it medicinal is a stretch since it doesn't actually treat any underlying disease or syndrome. You get what I'm saying? 😉
Oh, I definitely realize how much you enjoy playing teacher. But since you’ve decided to take me under your wing with such unearned confidence, why don't you take a look at the rest of my thoughts here:
Kyle Lee7 said:It's not like I'd suggest it as a prescription, but hey—it can be helpful. At least for me.
I'm not suggesting Coca-Cola is actually a medicine, nor would anyone ever write it on a prescription pad, but strictly off the record? Yes, it helps a lot of people deal with stomach discomfort. And no, it wasn't about needing to burp; I was dealing with heatstroke accompanied by vomiting so intense I could barely function (which, if I recall, was mentioned in the original post).
I'll hold off on debating the technical definition of "medicinal"—this is just a casual chat, and there's really no need to nitpick every single word.
Samuel Morgan40 said:It’s not about medicinal properties; if it were, the price would be three times higher. It’s just the carbonation—you could drink sparkling water or anything else with CO2. It all comes down to which flavor you prefer. You could even drink walnut liqueur for all I care.
I don't think the price would actually triple. We're really talking about marketing positioning here. From a business standpoint, Coca-Cola is far more profitable when positioned in the carbonated soft drink category than it would be if they marketed it as a remedy for nausea and stomach aches.
Since a single product can really only occupy one niche in the market at a time, Coca-Cola stays right where it is.
That being said, my point still stands: if it was specifically Coca-Cola—and not just any sparkling water or walnut liqueur—that helped me when I was dealing with nausea and vomiting, then it's a valid observation.
Alright, tell me something—do you live by yourself or with someone else? I find it hard to believe you’re living alone. Honestly, I don't think there's a single household out there where nobody has ever dealt with a common cold or a sore throat. Go ahead and check in with your housemates.
feralharbor89 said:Kyle Lee7, it would probably be best if you started by getting a full-body MRI, followed by a lung scan, an EEG, and a CT scan. Make sure to check back in here once you have some results, because you'll likely notice a few more symptoms in the meantime, which will help us suggest what specific tests to look into next.
And maybe even a biopsy? 😕
melloworca6, you make a really good point.
I personally know about a case involving a college student—someone very driven who just hit a rough patch and ended up repeating a year. Afterward, she developed this whole laundry list of physical symptoms. They ran every single test imaginable on her, even flying her out from California to a specialist in New York just to scan her from top to bottom, only to gently suggest to her, her fiancé, and her parents that she sit down with a psychiatrist. It turned out to be standard anxiety, and they recommended therapy, but the parents kept demanding more MRIs and were absolutely furious when those requests were denied. They were even asking for some kind of IV drip—honestly, it didn't matter what it was, as long as there was a needle and a bag of fluid involved. ☕
It makes you wonder how many people are actually like this, and just how much all those unnecessary tests cost, especially when, on the flip side, truly sick adults and children often struggle to get the essential testing and treatment they actually need.
A private doctor giving someone a medical leave just for a sore throat? Yeah, honestly, they’re either messing with us or it’s pure hypochondria. I won't go any further with my theories; I'd rather not think about it.
But since I'm already here... I'm finding it a little harder to breathe today. Could it be lung cancer? And my head has this dull, heavy ache—could it be brain cancer?
Arthur Palmer7 said:I’m just stating my point here—I don't see why I would need to visit a psychiatrist over something like this.
With all due respect, have you seriously never dealt with a simple sore throat or swollen tonsils before? What kind of "throat cancer" are we even talking about? Upper respiratory infections—whether they're viral or bacterial—are easily one of the most common health issues out there, second only to cavities. Does that mean we all have cancer? If you're feeling unwell, go see your primary care physician. But if you start assuming every little cough is lung cancer or every swollen tonsil is throat cancer, then you might actually need to look into help for hypochondria.
There are plenty of different reasons why foot drop or numbness might happen, and honestly, believe me when I say most of them don't require emergency surgery within a 72-hour window. You should definitely head over to the ER or see a neurologist just to be safe—it could be something totally minor, or it could be something more significant, but you aren't going to lose your leg.
Take it from someone who dealt with both feet being completely numb for two or three months straight. It was so bad I couldn't tell if I was walking on my own feet or on hooves! But I pulled through, and now I'm back to walking perfectly fine.
At the Mayo Clinic, there are some truly incredible child psychiatrists and psychotherapists. Contrary to what some people might believe, they aren't just handing out prescriptions left and right; instead, they actually take the time to sit down and talk with the kids. If you’re interested, feel free to send me a private message and I can pass along some names.
Right now in the US, psychotherapy isn't strictly regulated for anyone who isn't a licensed medical doctor. This means that when someone practicing privately isn't a psychiatrist-psychotherapist, they're essentially operating outside of standard legal frameworks. As a result, patients visiting them are doing so entirely at their own risk.
There’s this persistent myth floating around, and honestly, even some doctors seem to buy into it, regarding that famous rule about drinking eight glasses of water a day. Not too long ago, you couldn't walk down a street in Washington, D.C. without seeing billboards everywhere—all over the country, really—asking things like, "Have you had your eight glasses today?" It turns out that whole thing is mostly just an urban legend. Don't get me wrong, staying hydrated is vital and you definitely need to drink enough fluids, but I know plenty of people who feel forced to chug water even when they aren't thirsty just because of those ads. They'll sit there with a massive bottle next to their desk, forcing themselves to sip constantly all day long. Is that actually necessary?
Back in the day, psychiatry and neurology used to be treated as two sides of the same coin, so most people who studied them back then have naturally evolved into neuropsychiatrists today. I’d bet my money that the majority of them eventually leaned more toward the neurology side of things.
Jack Lopez63, I think you're generalizing a bit too much here—where did you get the idea that doctors immediately order expensive tests for every little thing? That’s just not accurate. Most of the time, they aren't going to send you off for an expensive panel just because you have a sore throat or need a basic urine culture; more often than not, they just prescribe antibiotics on the spot.
To build on what melloworca6 mentioned—as someone living with a chronic condition myself, I could easily spend every single day cycling through doctor visits and costly diagnostic tests, but I don't, nor do my physicians suggest it. In fact, I don't know anyone who actually does that. I totally get why seeing waiting rooms packed with seniors can be frustrating, but let's be realistic: the average retiree doesn't have the constitution of a teenager. They're usually managing things like high blood sugar or blood pressure. 😉
Besides, trying to self-diagnose via internet forums and following medical advice without ever actually stepping foot in a doctor's office is irresponsible at best—and honestly, pretty reckless.
Sean Brown86 said:Hey everyone! 🙂 Just wanted to update you all that after doing every single test imaginable, I finally saw a psychiatrist. Her conclusion was that my body essentially went on strike due to a fear of failure—even though everything seemed fine on the surface. She mentioned that because I was constantly obsessing over whether I’d perform well (specifically regarding soccer), my body basically found an excuse to shut down to avoid potential failure. I've been prescribed Faverin, which she says should start affecting my autonomic nervous system in about eight days, so we'll see how it goes. I'm really hoping this is the answer... if it works out, thanks to everyone here for all the support and posts! 👍
So, it really was that? Fingers crossed for you. Since you went through every single diagnostic test possible, it’s not like someone just brushed you off by saying "it's just stress." The mind is incredibly powerful; it can trigger more than just perceived symptoms—it can manifest actual, serious physical illnesses, or at the very least, intense anxiety symptoms. Either way, you should see some movement soon.
Just because some doctors have been wrong by blaming psychological factors doesn't mean others aren't wrong when they stubbornly hunt for a purely physical cause. At the end of the day, anxiety-driven symptoms can be treated, whereas many other physical ailments unfortunately cannot.
Comparing who "does more" is honestly kind of ridiculous. I mean, a nurse isn't supposed to examine a patient, deliver a diagnosis, prescribe medication, or perform surgery—that’s simply not their job, nor are they trained for it. It's just like how a gynecologist wouldn't be treating a neurology patient; nobody would ever think to compare those two roles, even though a gynecologist is a physician while a nurse holds a different designation. Trying to weigh them against each other is like comparing apples to oranges; it’s total nonsense.
Susan Rodriguez4 said:Pure nonsense! I refuse to let some snobby, ill-mannered, arrogant person drag me down to their level. This is about professional standards. In a doctor-patient relationship, nothing should be "earned"—neither kindness nor rudeness. It's all about basic decency and maintaining a professional distance from your personal feelings.
👍 Well said. For those who argue there isn't much to learn here, I believe it was already mentioned in this thread that at the Department of the Treasury, they actually have coursework covering the fundamentals of physician-patient relations; it's part of the psychology curriculum, and I think there might even be an elective for it.
No one is suggesting you should bow down to a rude patient, and nobody is asking for that. But regardless of how a patient acts, a doctor shouldn't stoop to their level by being equally arrogant or aggressive in return. Furthermore, if you prescribe medication, your role as a physician includes providing clear instructions on how to take it, the duration of treatment, the expected outcomes, potential side effects, and any drug interactions to avoid.
Those are the basics. Just as a patient MUST be briefed on every test and therapy, many of those procedures require the patient to provide informed consent.
I think OB-GYN could be highlighted as a particularly fascinating field, mostly because I’ve seen several of my friends and acquaintances receive worse treatment than a cow gets at a local farm vet (specifically regarding miscarriages, pregnancy complications, or issues during labor). There is this classic, frustrating pattern: a woman shows up with a legitimate issue, only to be told, "There's nothing wrong with you, go home." Then, just two days—or sometimes even just a few hours—later, that same woman returns with the exact same problem, which has now become much more advanced, and suddenly the staff is yelling, "Where on earth have you been?!!" "Well, they sent me home," she says. Man, what a joke.