Posts by Nicholas Mendoza60

Roger Campbell3 said:There could be a ton of reasons... maybe H. pylori or some stomach issue, an allergy... even gluten intolerance... Honestly, T isn't the main driver for concentration, it's more about the hormone precursors. Everything is just toxic these days, which is why everyone seems to have some kind of health struggle... might be worth looking into Paleo or LCHF diets...

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So, I went ahead and got my serotonin levels checked this morning, cost me about $30
Results should be in after 10 days

Borrelia burgdorferi detection 1. ... wait, let me check those prices again...
Borrelia burgdorferi detection...
Cortisol is $8

This clinic is huge, they claim to have like 4,000 different tests available... apparently some big-time tycoon from New York City invested in the whole thing

I didn't realize they even offered a test for tryptophan, that amino acid you need to actually process serotonin...

That one is gonna run me $50

So, why am I feeling so anxious and just totally out of it?
My testosterone is sitting at 26... 🙂man of action here, I guess...
Even my mood is completely trashed right now

One doctor told me my blood pressure is super low—it never even hits 100

I’m pulling 12-hour sleeps and still waking up feeling like absolute garbage

Roger Campbell3 said:So what's the point of doing the analysis? Like, what symptoms are we talking about? Is this some private clinic out in Savannah or something?

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Just totally wiped out all the time... chronic fatigue...
Septum deviation
Sinus issues
Anxiety kicks in...
Zero concentration... basically zero...

Heading out to Savannah tomorrow so I figured I'd just get it done...

Here’s what I’m dealing with
My blood pressure hits a low of 100 at its worst
A deviated septum
Sinus inflammation
Sleep is a total disaster... I’m having a million dreams but I just can't catch any actual deep sleep
During the day I get these tremors, plus anxiety and my focus is just shot
Headaches...
And honestly, I've felt exhausted my entire life... like, if I work one day, I basically need two days just to feel human again

Jacob Lopez51 said:Honestly, if you want the most accurate stuff, go through Quest Diagnostics because they send your blood over to specialized labs for the Western blot and all those other specific tests. I remember paying about $217 for it once, and the results hit my inbox in just four days.

I started out doing the ELISA and KME testing at a local lab—they actually provide a really detailed breakdown with all the parameters, whereas some places just give you a basic positive or negative and leave it at that. If it’s positive, they tell you exactly what's going on.

So, I took all those results to a Lyme disease specialist, and she basically looked me in the eye and told me that based on everything, there was zero chance I'd ever even been near a tick, let alone had it... despite the fact that my symptoms were a 100% match. Yeah, right. Like that's ever gonna happen!

Back then, I was spiraling pretty hard with health anxiety, so I ended up getting every scan and blood test under the sun...

The Borrelia IgG/IgM blood draw is coming out to 32 miles-25usd
Should I just pull the trigger tomorrow or is this a total waste of money?

restlessdriver said:The ELISA test is supposedly pretty unreliable... can give you false positives or negatives all the time. You really need a Western blot to confirm things since they actually look for specific antibodies. That one’s way more accurate.

If things get really serious, you might be looking at a spinal tap, but honestly, that’s a last resort—only if the diagnosis is absolutely critical. I wouldn't suggest it otherwise... definitely not my first choice.

As for that bullseye rash, apparently it shows up in about 70% of cases, but skin reactions aren't a guarantee. You just can't be certain without running those specific Lyme tests...

Getting the Borrelia IgG and IgM blood work costs about 32 miles$25
down here in
Trebinja Do you think it's worth me doing this?

Hey, I'm heading out to Savannah tomorrow
They're doing blood work there to check serotonin levels
Has anyone here actually gone through with that test before?

restlessdriver said:Wait, did you get bitten by a tick or something? Have you actually gone out and gotten tested for Lyme disease? Because honestly, those MS symptoms overlap so much with Lyme... the muscle and bone aches, the numbness, all that neurological stuff... it's crazy.

Facts
But man, how much can you even trust those tests...

Has anyone actually gone out and gotten their serotonin levels checked via a blood test?

Jacob Lopez51 said:If they can't find anything explaining the symptoms, then you're basically looking at the psychiatrist's door next. Honestly, I think you might just be burnt out... your nervous system is fried and your chemistry is totally out of whack. You should definitely get an MRI just to rule everything else out. It feels like some kind of anxiety-fibromyalgia thing...

Also, go check your Vitamin B12 and D levels, plus RF, ANA, thyroid antibodies, insulin resistance, and cortisol.
So, what do the actual labs look like? They really ought to line up with whatever shows on an MRI..

Insulin resistance (they're an athlete)
What does Vitamin D have to do with any of this?
Need an MRI to rule out MS too

The anxiety-fibromyalgia thing totally fits...

restlesscobra13 said:Thanks for getting back to me.
My blood pressure is usually pretty low, sitting around 95/60.
I had my thyroid levels checked and they seem fine, but the antibodies are looking a bit sketchy (anti-TPO is at 49.71, when it should be under 34, and anti-Tg is 20.20, where it needs to be under 115)

Just cut out the gluten
It can totally throw your thyroid out of whack...
You're young, so just lean into nature and have a little faith and you'll be alright...
That low blood pressure is definitely a tricky one though...

restlesscobra13 said:So, like, late October or maybe just as November was kicking in... I started getting this weird tingling sensation in my left arm. At first, it only lasted a few hours, you know? But then a couple of days later, it hit me again—only this time it went on way longer and felt way more intense. It wasn’t like I couldn't move it or anything; I could still move my arm just fine and everything felt physically "normal," but there was just this constant, nagging feeling of tingling... almost like a burning sensation... I ended up calling my primary care doctor about it, and she basically told me it’s probably just some issues with my neck/cervical spine. She suggested I stick to some exercises and take some Tylenol, then just give her a call back in a week to see how things are going...

So, I finally went in for my blood work yesterday—you know, the whole nine yards... CBC, TSH, CRP, ESR, urinalysis, full biochemistry, the works. Honestly? Everything came back totally normal and within range, except for my MPV, which was sitting at 12.2 when it should be under 10.4. My monocytes were also kind of hovering right on the edge at 11.4%, since the limit is 12%. The weird thing is, that general tingling sensation I've been dealing with actually cleared up this past week! But now, instead, it’s like this constant nerve and muscle pain has moved in... It started migrating everywhere—my back, shoulders, neck, even my head... mostly hitting me right in the forehead and the base of my skull. Super annoying. I called my doctor to see what's up, but she basically just told me to stick with the Lupocet for another week and keep exercising. Like, really? That's it?...

So, I finally dragged myself to the doctor for a full-on checkup... just one of those things you have to do, right? I went in for the whole nine yards—breast ultrasound, abdominal and pelvic ultrasounds, checking out my lymph nodes, an EKG, a complete blood count, urine work, and even a Pap smear. The breast scan came back as BI-RADS 2, which is totally fine, but they did find some erythroleukemia on my cervix about 1.5cm wide. My labs were a little wonky too... my monocytes were up at 12.6% when the limit is supposed to be 12, my MCHC was sitting at 349 (normal is 345), and my MPV was 12.3. As for the Pap test, it showed some reactive changes in the cells linked to inflammation. Even with all those little hiccups in the numbers, the doctor who saw me basically said everything looks pretty much okay overall... so, yeah... nothing to panic about yet, I guess...

So, I finally made it to the neurologist today... and honestly, things are looking a little dicey. They’re seriously suspecting I might have cervical brachial syndrome or something along those lines. It’s all pretty overwhelming right now, but they've already started throwing a whole laundry list of tests at me to figure out what's actually going on... I'm looking at getting an MRI for both my cervical and thoracic spine, plus some SSEP on the median nerve, an EMG, and an EEG too. Just a total marathon of testing ahead of me... ugh...

So, I finally bit the bullet and got my MRI done at the beginning of December... and man, looking at these results is just a lot to process. My cervical spine is definitely showing some wear and tear—there's some osteophyte formation going on, and in that C5-C6 segment, there's this tiny disk protrusion, like 1.3mm, pushing slightly to the right. It’s crowding the anterior epidural space a bit, plus some other minor degenerative stuff... typical aging, I guess? But then there's the thoracic part that's a little more intense. My thoracic kyphosis is totally straightened out, and around the Th8, 9, and 10 vertebrae, there's this stretch about 6.2cm long where things are getting a bit cramped... the central spinal canal is being narrowed down to about 1.2 by 1.5mm... just a lot to wrap my head around...

So, I went back to see my neurologist again... and honestly, it was kind of a letdown. He basically told me that the MRI didn't show anything that explains why I’m dealing with all this pain and tingling. Then, because I mentioned how much my joints have been hurting lately, he started questioning if it might actually be arthritis instead... which just adds another layer to this whole mess. Now he's telling me I need to go see a physical therapist to get checked out... ugh...

So, I finally went to see my physical therapist today... and honestly? It was kind of the same old story. She didn't find anything major either. According to her, there aren't even any real signs of arthritis... which is wild given how I feel. My elbows are super sensitive right around the lateral epicondyle area, but apparently, that Milsov test came back negative. She did note some Tinel sign over my left carpal tunnel, though... plus an ID of about 5-6cm and some flat feet... but overall, she’s basically saying everything looks "normal"... She recommended a bit of a routine to try and get me some relief: five sessions of ultrasound on my trapezius muscles, some local massage work, and five rounds of TENS therapy covering my neck and hands... so yeah... we'll see if that actually does anything...

So, I went back for some more testing at the start of December and man, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind... I saw an ENT specialist to check out some vasomotor and allergic rhinitis along with chronic tonsillitis—they also noted some enlarged angular lymph nodes, which is just great. Then I hit up the orthodontist because my jaw keeps clicking, and they actually referred me out for that too. On top of all that, I had a neck ultrasound done... it showed some small reactive lymph nodes on both sides along the front edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, plus a couple of reactive submandibular ones reaching up to 15mm on both sides. But the big thing was the thyroid... the structure looks pretty inhomogeneous, so they're looking into possible lymphocytic thyroiditis—maybe Hashimoto? ...

Ugh, so lately my joints have been acting up like crazy... and I’ve been getting this weird buzzing sound in my right ear every now and then too. But today? Today it’s just different. Now there’s this constant pain shooting all the way down from my right knee straight to my foot... honestly, I'm just over it...

So, I was pretty active in sports back when I was 14, but I just recently started getting into weight training about a week ago. I don't smoke and I don't drink, so that's not it... My throat always seems to act up during the winter, too. I've dealt with strep infections a few times—the last two times didn't even give me a fever, just that constant scratchy feeling in my throat... Most of the time, I’m either sitting around or just lying down. I'm 5'2" and only about 95 pounds, and I'm 22 years old. Looking at my immediate family, there's a lot of stuff going on... high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism with suspected Hashimoto, benign uterine tumors, glaucoma, and arthritis. Honestly, I've been in a really dark place mentally ever since all these health issues started piling up... especially since I've lost weight because I just don't have the drive to eat anymore...

Does anyone have any clues on what I should even try next? Seriously, thanks to everyone for taking the time to read this...

Start checking your blood pressure 3x a day. If it stays low, that could be causing
Keep an eye on whether you feel worse when the barometric pressure shifts from south to north or vice versa
If an MRI doesn't show anything weird with your spine or whatever
Then you’re probably dealing with crappy circulation—basically just that heavy winter depression vibe
Get your serotonin levels checked via a blood test
And definitely get your T3, T4, and TSH looked at too

You'll start feeling more like yourself by early March 2021

Has anyone actually tried using this in tablet form?

Anyone here ever tried taking tryptophan?
Apparently, if you don't have enough of it, your body just can't soak up serotonin properly...
I went to see this specialist for some kind of advanced bioresonance testing, and they told me my tryptophan levels are totally bottomed out

Question
Got my testosterone levels back this morning and the range is listed as 6-27
Mine came back at 25.5... pay attention to those red letters

Anyway, I’ve been having a hard time waking up lately, and my libido is all over the place—sometimes it's there, sometimes it's totally MIA
How can this not be an error?
If my testosterone is actually high, does that mean my cortisol should be low?

Man, yesterday was such a vibe... 70 degrees and pure sunshine
Today though? Total bummer. Just 35 and super cloudy

Carol Lopez23 said:It is certainly possible for your primary physician to handle that for you, perhaps by having their nurse or a medical technician assist with the process.

My B12 levels were tanking because I accidentally ate some pate while dealing with celiac disease

Daniel Green98 said:So wait, why didn't they just put you on injections?

Well, because the normal range is like 154 to 700...
Mine was at 450 last year and then it tanked down to 202
I started taking those supplements and bumped it back up to 313
But man, I'm really stressing about that 202 reading
If that's the case, how low is my B6? Since they're supposed to move together, right?
P.s if we're talking B12, and I'm burning through 3-4mg a day, where the heck did it all go?

We don't even do injections here, it's basically Science Magazine level stuff...

coastalbison6 said:Most vitamins, supplements, and drug bases are manufactured in India, with a smaller portion coming from China.
When you break it down per pill, the total cost is basically pennies.
Every company just handles its own formula, mixing, dosing, packaging, and ads...
Everyone still makes a massive profit, no matter how low the price tag seems.

That's right, B12 stores in the liver, and depending on your levels, it can last for two years or more. An adult typically needs about 3-4µg a day.
An internist should be able to tell you why your B12 is dropping or if you aren't absorbing it properly.

Just finished my intestinal biopsy, results should be in about a month
Who knows why my levels are so low...
All I know is that I am absolutely wiped out... just constant, massive fatigue...

So, I think I read somewhere that your liver actually stores up Vitamin B12, if I'm remembering that right...
The thing is, you don't even really start seeing the deficiency hit you until maybe three years later?
I’m just totally lost on how my levels can drop from 450 down to 202...
Especially since I'm already taking supplements and I eat plenty of meat and stuff...