Posts by Brandon Newman95

Jerry Moore2 said:I went through the exact same thing a few years back.

The way I see it, we’re looking at physical issues here, not some mental breakdown.

How old are you, anyway?

Go get your iron levels checked again—and I mean seriously check them!

That constant exhaustion and being on edge? That's almost always a sign of anemia.

The fact that you’re snapping at people and just don't have the energy to even hold a conversation... that impatience to just end the chat? Yeah, that's textbook anemia right there.

My thyroid levels were fine, and I don't deal with depression or anything, but I acted just like this when my iron was low. A few supplements really turned things around for me.

Here’s what actually helped me pull through:

I took iron supplements and focused heavily on iron-rich foods. My doctor told me straight up that the pills take about six months to really kick in, so in the meantime, you have to eat your way out of it.
I also took Vitamin B complex (honestly, it’s a lifesaver for irritability and totally safe)
And Ginseng!!!! You absolutely have to try it. It's safe, but man, the energy boost is massive.
Cut back on the pasta, grains, and bread, and start eating way more veggies, fruit, and fresh juices.
Eat plenty of fish.

I mean, look, I’m not saying I totally agree with you, but honestly? It feels like you're just losing interest in all the stuff that actually used to matter.
Everything is just grating on my nerves lately. I feel like I’m constantly snapping at everyone and everything—just constant irritation over the smallest things. And then it hit me: this total loss of interest in everything I used to actually care about. My focus is completely shot, I have zero energy for anything, and I just can't get myself moving. It’s like, nothing feels worth the effort anymore. And don't even get me started on the sleep situation. It’s a nightmare. I’m exhausted all day, yet when I actually try to sleep, I can’t. I’m tossing and turning, waking up every hour, just totally restless. Then, out of nowhere, I’ll get these bursts of hyperactivity where I feel this manic need to crush every single goal I have. I go way too hard, burn myself out completely, and then I just... quit. And look, I’ll say it again: I have *never* been someone who gives up. Never. But lately, I’ve noticed I’m just retreating into myself more and more. I'm pulling away from the world.

So, this guy is insisting on running a full blood panel—specifically checking iron levels and making sure there’s a thyroid test included. He’s basically saying if that comes back clean, then you're just losing your mind. Honestly? This sounds exactly like my life was about six months ago. I was dealing with anemia, Hashimoto’s, some nasty virus, and my mental health was absolutely trashed at the same time. It's a mess.
Everyone handles it differently.

Kyle Lee7 said:Whoa there, let’s slow down—we definitely shouldn't be handing out medical diagnoses on a forum (and even if we were doctors, I certainly am not one)! I was simply suggesting that based on the description, this looksa bit like that. The OP should definitely check in with a professional to get a real opinion!

For sure, but even a GP should have a clue what they're looking at. If they don't know, they should be sending you straight to a specialist.

Kyle Lee7 said:It’s definitely a psychiatrist you should see (psychologists don't really handle this side of things, though they can run specific tests if a psychiatrist requests them). Based on what you've described, it sounds like it could be anxiety or depressive disorder. Treatment usually involves psychotherapy and/or medication, depending on how severe the symptoms are. Honestly, it’s pretty wild that a general practitioner would just shrug their shoulders and say they "don't know." Seriously?!

See, I called it. Anxiety and depression.

Kyle Lee7 said:Whether you have a formal diagnosis or not really doesn't change the bottom line. It all comes down to this: is your ultimate goal to collect labels, or is it actually to feel better? Psychiatry isn't exactly an exact science like physics or math. The specific name attached to a condition matters less than the treatment itself—and honestly, a skilled psychiatrist knows how to help you regardless of what official label is on the chart.
For instance, a wide range of diagnoses can be managed with antidepressants, and your doctor will determine which specific medication fits your profile. The same goes for psychotherapy; the approach to therapy often remains consistent regardless of the specific diagnostic code.

I get that the diagnosis isn't everything, but for me, there’s this slight connection to something potentially organic.
Basically, over the last six months, I've been through the ringer: hematology, ENT (twice), a full neurological workup, psychology, psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, endocrinology, thyroid hormones, more endocrinology, emergency hematology, and basically everything else under the sun... CBC, iron levels, all that at a major hospital. Honestly, I have to give props to my primary care doctor—he pretty much nailed what was going on right away, even though he insisted I run all the other tests anyway.
Anyway, in most cases, psychiatrists usually ask for a neurological workup followed by psychological testing (at least in my experience).
My goal isn't to walk away with a fancy label; I just want to feel better.

restlesssurfer said:The last couple of years have been a blur of weirdness. It started with this constant, excessive irritability—something I just brushed off at first. Now, everything grates on my nerves. I’m snapping at everyone. Nothing feels right. Then came the total loss of interest in everything I used to love. My focus is gone, my energy is zero, and I’m stuck in this loop of being exhausted but unable to actually sleep. My sleep is terrible; I’m constantly waking up. Sometimes I get these bursts of hyperactivity where I feel like I have to achieve everything at once, only to crash and give up. And I’ve never been someone who quits. Lately, I’ve just been retreating into myself. Most days, it’s just the fatigue that hits hardest. It follows me everywhere, making it impossible to live normally, keeping me under constant stress. My doctor told me to check my thyroid, iron levels, and lung function, but all the tests came back perfect. After that, she basically said she had no idea what was happening.😲👎 I read somewhere that these symptoms sound like depression. When I mentioned it to my boyfriend, he asked why I would be depressed, because honestly, there isn't a specific reason. But it’s getting harder to manage. I can't function anymore. I can't blame any medication, because I don't take anything besides an occasional inhaler for asthma when my breathing gets tight during high stress. Does anyone have an explanation? Or advice? Also, I moved into a new apartment five years ago. I thought maybe it was the bed, so I swapped it out, tried different positions, even slept in different rooms. Nothing worked.

Another thing: I have this constant, underlying sense of dread. I haven't dealt with any major tragedies, though my childhood was stressful. I don't think that's the cause of how I feel now.

Any advice would mean a lot.

My take: see a neurologist or a psychologist/psychiatrist—usually, those are the ones who order the deep-dive tests.
It's highly likely this traces back to your childhood since things were rough growing up. That kind of stuff can stay buried and pop up way later, especially if you never processed your emotions. To be honest, this sounds a lot like an anxiety-depressive disorder. I’ve been through my own hell over the last six months and still don't even have a diagnosis yet.

In most cases, a CT scan is pretty harsh because you're getting hit with so much radiation. It honestly feels like a good GP sometimes knows way more than anyone else just from listening to their patients' lived experiences.
My own primary care doctor told me straight up that a CT scan involves too much radiation; he said if we need anything more detailed, a neurologist should be the one ordering it—and honestly, both neurologists and GPs need to know how to read these things properly.
The standard move is always to start with an EEG first, and then you figure out the next steps for further evaluation after that.

Noah Price said:Normabel? Honestly, I wouldn't touch that if people are using it for off-label purposes. I’ll stay on my side of the fence, especially if my doctor decides against prescribing it for something else...

Normabel is basically a type of benzodiazepine—it’s literally designed for everything related to calming you down. Honestly, I used to be pretty resistant to taking stuff like that, but unfortunately, I have to take them now. And don't just assume your doctor won't give you something—just ask. Everything is handled under medical supervision anyway.

I tried mixing xanax with Zoloft once, and honestly? It was a total disaster. I felt completely wasted, like I couldn't even walk straight.
I was on Ativan for a little while—that actually worked okay for me.
Fast forward to now: I’ve been taking 1.5 mg of Ativan once a day for three days. So far, so good, I think... but hey, we'll see how things look in a week.

Alex Barnes8 said:Yeah, I found the EEG much more draining, and the MRI was even worse. Is it possible to take a sedative beforehand? I have a hard time staying still, I guess. Would that mess with the accuracy of the results? 🤷

Where have I heard this before? "It's really hard for me to stay still." Seriously? Tell me about it. I deal with the exact same thing.

So, I went through the whole gauntlet—standard EEG, an EEG after the meds, plus CT scans and MRIs... honestly, the whole thing was just exhausting. If you're looking for a tip, you can actually take some Xanax before you go in, but you have to let them know beforehand that you took it. These symptoms all started kicking in right after I caught that virus, and now everyone is just guessing. Nobody seems to have a clue what's actually going on with my diagnosis; they keep throwing every possible thing at me. It's maddening.

Lisa Hall2 said:Can anyone recommend a REALLY GOOD private gynecologist in Chicago who can see a patient IMMEDIATELY and actually has a few minutes to sit down and talk through all my questions?

Supernova Clinic, Dr. Rajhvan. 38 Savska St

A brain CT takes about 2 minutes.

As promised, here are those first lab results showing just how bad this anemia is hitting me:
WBC 6.2 ( 4-12)
LIM% 12.2 (20-52)
MON% 11.6 (5-13)
NEU% 75.1 ( 34-72)
EOS% 0.7 ( 0-9)
BAS% 0.4 (0-1)

LYM 0.8 (1-5)
MON 0.7 (0.1-1.0)
NEU 4.7(2-8)
EOS 0.0 (0-0.4)
BAS 0.0 ( 0.0-0.2)

red blood cell 4.84( 4-6.20)
HGB 87 (119-157)
hematocrit 0.283 ( 0.350-0.550)
MCV 58.5 (80-100)
MCH 18 (26-34)
MCHC 307 (310-355)
RDW 19.6 ( 10-16)

platelet 208 (150-400)
MPV 8.7 (7-11)
PCT 0.181 (0.100-0.380)
PDW 24.8 (10-18)

The numbers in parentheses are the normal ranges... honestly, what am I even supposed to make of this mess? Last time I checked these back in November...

Alright guys, here’s my latest thyroid panel results:
T4 113 ( 58-161)
T3 1.88 (1.2-2.7)
TSH 1.54 ( 0.436-4.60)
TPO 165 ( less than 34)
TGA 360 ( less than 115)

Everyone I talked to keeps saying this points straight to Hashimoto's... just waiting on more tests now to confirm.

Sam Hall15 said:I’m with bbmiro on this—if we're just talking about managing an autoimmune condition without any major flares, you really just need to keep an eye on things. Check your hormone levels regularly and maybe test for antibodies once in a while...
As for the water situation? Unless you actually suspect something's wrong, just take a sample to a local lab for testing. As for poking around on yourself, don't bother unless you start feeling actual symptoms or some bloodwork comes back showing something significant, like bacteria or heavy metals...

My hormones look fine, but my antibody levels are definitely off. Honestly, I’m a total nightmare for my primary care doctor and everyone else because I never seem to show the "typical" symptoms for anything I have.
Anyway, I've talked to most of you guys and gotten pretty much the same advice from various doctors too.
Shout out to placiddrifter26 and Sam Hall15 for the help.

Brian Barrett70 said:So, I finally made it to the doctor and man, it was brutal! Seriously, you wouldn't believe how much that exam hurt. Anyway, I just got my referral for hospital admission—they said they'd send an ambulance to pick me up (honestly, I can barely sit still enough to type this)—and since the weekend is hitting, I'm wondering if I should just head to the ER right now? Also, does anyone know how long these hospital referrals actually stay valid? Thanks and cheers.

Look, whether it's the weekend or not, it really depends on how bad you feel. As for the referral—I think they usually last about a month—but if I were in your shoes, I’d get to the hospital ASAP. Especially if they're talking about inpatient care.

placiddrifter26 said:get a thyroid ultrasound done just to rule out any nodules.
If the ultrasound doesn't show anything weird—like a nodule or general swelling—then you basically just monitor your hormone levels and don't bother with any meds.
But if there actually is a nodule, and since elevated anti-TG can sometimes pop up in the bloodstream with malignant ones, you'd probably need to go in for a biopsy.

High antibody counts usually point toward an autoimmune issue, and you really only start treatment if your TSH is high enough to confirm Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Basically, I already talked to both of them, and they've already set up the referral for endocrinology to figure out which tests we need next.
I'll shoot you the rest in a DM.

So, here’s the deal: my thyroid hormones are actually fine—T3, T4, TSH are all looking normal—but my antibodies are through the roof (TPO and TgAb). If you guys were my GP, what would be your next move? Asking specifically for Sam Hall15 and Green Ninja here.

mistyhound2 said:Iron is honestly the worst metric you can use to measure iron-deficiency anemia. Seriously, checking serum iron is pointless. But hey, most of these clueless doctors don't have a clue. Look, if you're anemic, you're anemic, and the cause is probably some kind of messed up iron balance. That’s why you run other tests to actually find out *why* it happened in the first place. And that's on your primary care physician's plate, not some specialist like a gynecologist or a hematologist. You only see a specialist when your GP hits a wall with complex stuff...

The cause isn't some weird iron imbalance—it's strictly a gynecological issue. I'll send you a DM to explain what's actually going on.

Jeffrey Peterson43 said:And we can't forget that red meat is actually the most efficient way to get iron, since it's the richest source out there.

I get it, moderation is key for everything—including a glass of Cabernet.