Man, after reading that whole thing about your friend, I’m honestly spiraling a bit—total panic and anxiety mode over here. My mind already tends to wander toward the worst-case scenarios anyway, but seeing those words “stroke” just sent me straight into a tailspin... 😢
Amy Kelly said:Personally, once those "attacks" settle down after maybe 30 minutes, I don't really feel much of anything else.
So I'm not exactly terrified, though obviously, it’s still pretty unsettling.
Lately, though, I’ve been dealing with some different stuff; I’ll wake up feeling all dizzy and nauseous, and it just hangs on for a few hours until I can get some sleep, eat something, and take a pill—then it finally lets up.
I'm actually about to start looking into why this daily vertigo thing is happening.
You should probably get checked out by an eye doctor, look into your cervical spine, and see a neurologist.
Good luck.😵
Man, I hate reading about people dealing with vertigo. I'm crossing my fingers that your tests come back okay. Maybe it's related to menopause?
I already went to the eye doctor and everything there seems fine, so I guess I really need to get my neck looked at... ever since I started working from home, I think I sit at my computer way more than I used to, and my posture is honestly terrible. I can really feel the tension and pressure in my neck and shoulders... it's just awful, I feel totally wiped out.😵
Amy Kelly, thanks for checking in. Honestly, it’s a bit of a relief knowing I’m not just going through this alone. I mean, I’m not exactly thrilled that you’re dealing with the same mess, but you know what I mean 😉
Yeah, I’m feeling the exact same way. I actually went down the rabbit hole thinking maybe it was anemia or just crazy stress levels, but then sometimes it just hits out of nowhere for no reason at all. It’s super uncomfortable and honestly, the panic sets in pretty much instantly.
I was actually reading up on it recently, and apparently, it pops up a lot during pregnancy and then again around menopause, which probably means it's heavily tied to whatever our hormones are doing.
For me, this time they hit three days in a row, then I had a one-day break, and then—bam—another two days of it. Just like you, if I’m at home, I basically just lie down and try to wait it out. If I happen to be stuck at the office, though, I’ll try to duck away for half an hour and just sit there staring at a wall until the "party" finally dies down.
Do you get any kind of pressure in your head behind those flashes, or any other weird symptoms? I know you mentioned you don't deal with migraines...
The first time it happened, I was back in college and honestly had no clue what was even going on. It’s this visual migraine aura that starts out as a sort of gray smudge right in my line of sight, which then morphs into these jagged, zigzagging flashes of light. They usually last for maybe an hour at most. After that, I might get a full-blown migraine, or sometimes nothing follows at all. I’ve dealt with those lightning bolts a few times now. Occasionally they come paired with a real migraine—you know, the whole deal with the pounding headache and trouble speaking clearly—but most of the time, it’s just the aura without the actual pain. Interestingly enough, once I started taking Prozac for my anxiety, both the aura and the migraines just... vanished. I mean, I don't know if there's a direct link, but it’s definitely something worth noting. For the past year, I've been tapering off the Prozac, and lately, those flashes have started creeping back. Usually, they only show up once every few months, nothing major. But over the last two days, they've been hitting me every single morning. Today, after the aura passed, I ended up with this dull ache right at the bridge of my nose, and I just feel... off. Like I can't focus, or I'm not quite myself. I even felt a bit dizzy at one point. I tried taking some Advil and Xanax, but it didn't really do much to take the edge off.
Naturally, I’m starting to freak out, and my anxiety is absolutely skyrocketing. I’d love to just listen if anyone has any advice or even just a thought to share. On top of everything, my cycle has been pretty irregular lately (so I'm guessing perimenopause might be kicking in), and this specific migraine hit on the third day after a really heavy period that left me bedridden for two days. I wonder if there's a connection to my cycle? Or maybe it's tied to some intense stress I went through about two weeks ago?
Thanks so much in advance for any help or input you guys can give.
Alex Morales3 said:Look, I totally get why you’re spiraling—when something like this happens, your mind immediately jumps to the absolute worst-case scenario. But honestly? Like we were saying before, it’s probably just some tiny capillaries bursting because your nose has been through the ringer lately. I’m dealing with this brutal cold myself right now—it’s migrated from my nose into my ears, my throat, everywhere—and it just won't quit. My doctor put me on Nasoryl, but after using it for five days, I started seeing blood on my tissue, so I ditched it immediately. When your nasal lining is already all raw and irritated, some of these meds can be way too aggressive for that kind of "terrain," and that's exactly how you end up with those little broken vessels.
I actually quit taking Taft the second that happened—honestly, just cough it out and move on, right? No more blood in my nose today, and I'd really like to keep it that way. Ever since it happened, I haven't been able to think about anything else; my hypochondriac brain is running at 100 miles per hour, I guess. Thanks so much for the message and the encouragement. I was genuinely spooked, and the panic was starting to set in, but this forum is always here to help take the edge off. 😉
Maria Allen6 said:The thing is, mucus from the nose drips down into the throat, and then from there, it moves upward because it triggers that constant urge to cough... I don't know how you people manage to stay warm, but you can always just set a small bowl of water between the ribs of your radiator. You can even buy those decorative ones if you actually care about aesthetics. If you’re heating your place with a wood stove or a furnace, just put the water container on top. There is absolutely no need to go out and spend money on fancy "humidifiers." That whole "hype" will pass soon enough.
Thanks for all the input, everyone. Honestly, I was pretty freaked out; I’ve always been a bit of a hypochondriac, so even the tiniest little health thing feels like a massive deal to me—like, huge. So, you can probably imagine how much I panicked when I saw that tiny speck of blood 😲 We have central heating here, so I'll definitely try putting some water bowls on the radiators 👍
Michelle Lopez86 said:Honestly, I deal with the whole bloody nose thing too sometimes when I'm blowing it. It’s usually just the dry winter air messing with everything—it dries out your nasal passages until those tiny capillaries just give up and snap, and then you've got blood everywhere. Plus, I’ve got a deviated septum, so it’s kind of a perfect storm of issues whenever the temperature drops.
Well, if it's just coming from the nose, I don't really give it much thought, but when it starts coming up from the throat, then 😱
Maria Allen6 said:It probably isn't anything serious, because that’s usually how these things go, though I can't help but wonder why people insist on poisoning themselves with all those harsh chemicals—take Lysol, for instance. What's actually interesting, if you think about it, is that if you aren't keeping your home sufficiently humid, you can end up seeing blood like that just from the dry air now that we've turned the heat on.
Thanks for getting back to me 🙂
Yeah, I know about Operil—it’s definitely not the best way to handle things, but when my nose is totally plugged up, I've tried it live and it's pretty much the only thing that actually works for me. 🤷
My nose still feels pretty congested, too, and whenever I blow it, there's some blood in there, kind of like what happened with that throat phlegm issue. I've been using saline drops and rinsing it out, and I actually stopped taking Tafen so it wouldn't irritate everything even more.
Turning the heat up is a bit risky lately since it's freezing outside, and I don't have a humidifier sitting around. But hey, whether it's from the dry air, my sinuses, or just a cold, I just hope it isn't something way worse than that.
I couldn't quite get a hold of my doctor, so I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or maybe some advice? I'm just feeling a little bit worried about it all 🙂
I’m starting this thread mostly because I’m hoping someone might be able to talk me down a bit or offer some insight.
Just to give some context, I’ve been dealing with asthma for a while now, along with nasal polyps and some pretty annoying sinus issues.
So, out of nowhere tonight, while I was just talking, I felt this thick, dark phlegm build up in my throat—it actually had some blood mixed in with the mucus. It wasn't watery at all; it was more compact and really thick. I don't have a cough, and my throat doesn't even hurt, but I have been blowing my nose way more than usual lately because everything feels so stuffed up. I'm on a regular regimen of Naproxen (using the nasal steroid spray version) and I've also been using some Vicks stuff recently just because the congestion is so bad and it feels like my sinuses are just overflowing.
I guess I should mention that I totally panicked the second it happened, and my mind immediately jumped to the absolute worst-case scenarios. That said, I did have a chest X-ray done about two months ago, and everything came back perfectly clear.
Is there any actual reason to freak out here? Is it possible that this stuff coming up from my throat is actually just drainage from my nose or sinuses? To me, it kind of looks exactly like the mucus I get when I blow my nose, but I can't help wondering if I should be genuinely worried.
The thread's looking a little dusty, so I figured it was about time we brushed things off and got talking again!
I’ve been dealing with asthma since I was about 15, and I’ve been using an Advair Diskus for the last decade or so. Since I started on it, I haven't really had any massive attacks that required a trip to the ER or anything like that. Mine isn't allergic asthma, though—my main triggers are usually just humidity, sudden temperature shifts, or when I push myself a bit too hard physically. My most recent lung function test showed an FEV of 77%. Because of that, my pulmonologist decided to switch up my routine; instead of the Advair Diskus, he's put me on Forspiro.
Has anyone else here actually tried this medication? I'd love to hear what your experience has been like, if you don't mind sharing.
Could I possibly ask for some help with a test interpretation on these results:
(E) RBC (IFC) 4.57 (E) HEMOGLOBIN (IFC) 120 (E) HEMATOCRIT (IFC) 0.369 (E) MCV (IFC) 80.7 L (E) MCH (CALC) 26.3 L (E) MCHC (CALC) 325 (E) RDW (IFC) 13.5 (E) MPV (IFC) 8.7 (E) PLATELETS (IFC) 421 (E) LEUKOCYTES (IFC) 11.73 H (E) NEUTROPHIL GRANULOCYTES (%) (IFC) 69.5 (E) LYMPHOCYTES (%) (IFC) 20.2 (E) MONOCYTES (%) (IFC) 7.8 (E) EOSINOPHIL GRANULOCYTES (%) (IFC) 2.0 (E) BASOPHIL GRANULOCYTES (%) (IFC) 0.5 (E) NEUTROPHIL GRANULOCYTES (abs) (IFC) 8.15 H (E) LYMPHOCYTES (abs) (IFC) 2.37 (E) MONOCYTES (abs) (IFC) 0.92 H (E) EOSINOPHIL GRANULOCYTES (abs) (IFC) 0.23 (E) BASOPHIL GRANULOCYTES (abs) (IFC) 0.06 (C) ESR (WES) 15 (S) IRON (Fe) (FOT) 7 L (S) UNBOUNDED IRON BINDING CAPACITY (UIBC) (FOT) 65 H (S) TOTAL IRON BINDING CAPACITY (TIBC) (CALC) 72 (S) TRANSFERRIN SATURATION (CALC) 0.10 L (S) C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP) (IMT) 1.9 (S) FERRITIN (IMT) 18
Since I have fibroids and heavy periods, I’ve been struggling with my iron levels. Looking at these numbers, I guess they don't look great.
What would you say those elevated leukocytes, monocytes, and granulocytes mean, especially since my CRP and ESR are actually within the normal range? Should I be worried, maybe? Could this just be a result of the sinusitis I've been dealing with for about a month now? I also have asthma, so I typically use Advair and Flonase.
redcyclist7 said:I’m kind of lost on where to drop this question, so I figured I'd just post it here. I’ve been taking Kendural C because of some anemia issues. Has anyone else noticed their stool changing color? It isn't exactly black and it isn't brown either—it's more like this weird light black, maybe a dark gray sort of thing. I also deal with colitis and my cholesterol is running a bit high (around 5). Some people mentioned it might be related to gallbladder stuff? I'm eating normally though, and I don't really get nauseous. The Kendural C can be a little tough on me sometimes, but I guess I can manage.
I’m actually on the exact same medication, and my stool looks pretty much identical to that. No worries at all. 😉
Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone could point me toward a solid neurologist here in Washington, D.C. I've got some MRI results that pretty much need a professional set of eyes to walk me through what they actually mean and, I guess, figure out what the next steps should be. Thanks in advance.
It is my belief that while certain symptoms may resurface upon discontinuation, one generally finds a much swifter path to recovery once they are gone. 🙂
Let me reassure you right away: based on those symptoms, you aren't facing anything life-threatening. Personally, I suspect this isn't actually being triggered by the Xanax; it feels much more like a manifestation of your underlying anxiety and depression. This will pass. 🙂 How many more weeks on Zoloft will it take before these symptoms finally subside? 🙂 Stay brave.
Skickas FR
And maybe some psychotherapy at the start would help, if you can manage to find someone or afford it.
Thanks for getting back to me and for the reassuring words about not having anything life-threatening... the hypochondriac in me has already spun out a dozen different worst-case scenarios. 🙂
As for therapy, I started seeing someone again about once every couple of weeks, and I definitely think I need to stick with that.
I've never really dealt with this kind of exhaustion or drowsiness before; it seemed to kick in right when I started the Xanax and then about a week after I began taking the Zoloft. The lack of motivation actually lifted after three weeks on the Zoloft, and I feel way more driven than I did back in December, so these current symptoms are throwing me for a loop....
I'm pretty new to this thread, so I guess I'll just give a quick rundown of where I'm at: I was on Zoloft for about three years to deal with depression and anxiety, and then my doctor decided it was finally time to try tapering off, which took about three months. I took my last dose of Zoloft at the end of November, and things actually seemed fine for maybe two weeks or so.
But after that, I started feeling those low moods creeping back in—just general lethargy and this mild anxiety that feels more like restlessness. Since things weren't really improving, my doctor put me back on 50mg of Zoloft daily, plus some Xanax (0.25mg twice a day). I've been back on the Zoloft for three weeks now, and I think I started feeling my spark come back and my mood lift a few days ago. The restlessness disappeared about two days after I started the Xanax, though my doctor wants me to stay on it for a little while longer until the Zoloft fully kicks in.
The thing is, for the last two weeks, I've been feeling incredibly exhausted, sleepy, and just totally drained of energy. I actually went to get blood work done about a week ago, and everything—iron levels, all the usual stuff you'd check for these symptoms—came back totally normal. It seems like this all started right around the same time I began taking the Xanax.
Is it possible that being tired all day, feeling drowsy, or having that "weak muscle" sensation could be side effects from the Xanax? I mean, I've always been a bit of a hypochondriac, so I’m already spiraling and trying to imagine every possible illness that starts out with these kinds of symptoms. 😁
Thanks in advance to everyone for any insight you can share. 🙂
So, I'm 31. Up until recently, my gynecological health has been pretty much textbook—nothing ever really went wrong, and my periods have always been regular, usually lasting about seven days.
Over the last couple of months, I’ve noticed things getting a bit heavier on the second and third day, though honestly, it didn't feel like anything out of the ordinary or even particularly extreme.
This month, everything seemed to start on schedule—day 28—and lasted for eight days. By day eight, the discharge was just that typical brownish stuff I usually see. But then, on day 10 and 11, I started noticing this light pinkish discharge when I went to the bathroom or checked my underwear. It wasn't a ton, but it was definitely enough to make me feel uneasy. By day 12, it had almost completely cleared up, but then I had sex with my boyfriend and experienced some bleeding—it was bright red, looking almost exactly like the heavy flow I get on the second day of my period. That really spooked me, so I called my doctor right away, though I can't actually get in to see them until Thursday.
To give a little more context, I've lost quite a bit of weight lately—maybe around 20 pounds—and I've been dealing with a massive amount of stress, both with work and my personal life.
Naturally, my mind is jumping straight to the worst-case scenarios (I guess I'm just a chronic overthinker by default 😁), so if anyone has any words of comfort or maybe some insight to share, I'd really appreciate it. 🙂
So, I’ve pretty much always had a super predictable cycle, usually hovering somewhere between 28 and 32 days. It typically lasts about 5 or 6 days, though by the fourth day, things usually taper off significantly compared to those first three heavy days. Over the last year, though, my cycle has been getting a bit shorter lately, so it wasn't unusual if it showed up on day 27.
But this month, things were a little more rushed than usual, and I ended up starting on day 24. And honestly, it’s not just the timing. Today is actually my fifth day, but the flow is still feeling as heavy as if I were only on day three, and I’m even dealing with this dull, nagging ache in my ovaries. I guess I’m just feeling a bit thrown off because this hasn't really happened to me before. Does anyone have any idea what might be causing all this? Thanks in advance.
Oh, and yeah, just to clarify, I stay on top of my checkups and haven't really run into any issues in the past.
I guess I’ve been having these weird little "glitches" popping up here and there in my head too. It isn't just the blood pressure stuff; it's more like this bizarre sensation where my brain feels totally clouded over—kind of like I'm walking through a fog. Everything starts feeling surreal, you know? Like the world around me just looks... off. And honestly, much like you, I’ve become way more forgetful lately. I just feel constantly muddled, and my brain doesn't seem to "function" the way it usually does whenever that mental haze kicks in. Last time it happened, it stuck around for a whole week. Usually, my blood pressure runs pretty low, though. I probably haven't been much help, really, just figured I'd share what I've been going through myself 🙂
I’ve been sitting here with this low-grade fever, like 98.6 or maybe just slightly above, for days on end now, and it just won't budge. My doctor keeps insisting it doesn't even count as an actual fever, but honestly, I feel pretty lousy, so having my concerns brushed off like that is really starting to get under my skin.