I’m wondering if anyone here who’s been on Elice or Cipralex has dealt with some seriously intense side effects like a runny or stuffed-up nose—and I mean really bad. It's gotten to the point where I'm constantly reaching for nasal spray because I can't breathe through my nose at all, and I’ve basically got a tissue glued to my face 24/7 because it feels like someone just turned on a faucet and won't shut it off. I noticed in the fine print that this is listed as a possible side effect and that things should settle down after about six weeks of treatment. For context, I’m currently on day five of taking half a 10 mg pill. I’m supposed to bump up to a full pill after a week, but this whole sinus mess started the very first day I took it. It was pretty mild at first, but now it's just getting progressively worse every single day. Has anyone else gone through this and had it eventually clear up, or is this one of those side effects that means I should probably just call it quits and stop taking them altogether?
Does anyone happen to know a solid gynecologist (specifically a woman) in the Columbus area who’s currently accepting new patients under Medicare? Thanks.
These results from your coagulation tests are actually pretty interesting, though they’re a bit tricky to parse unless you live and breathe this stuff—just to be clear, I’m not a hematologist and I don't specialize in clotting disorders, so please take this as just my own personal take based on what I know.
First off, looking at the numbers, the deviations in the APTV and TV are actually quite minor.
It’s funny because people usually fixate on a prolonged APTV or TV—basically, anything that comes in higher than the upper limit.
Very little attention ever gets paid to a shortened APTV, like what we’re seeing here.
Usually, a short APTV is brushed off as part of an acute phase response—which is basically just the blood reacting to inflammation or an injury—and it's typically temporary; once whatever triggered that response clears up, the APTV values normalize. There's also always the possibility that the blood draw itself wasn't handled perfectly, which can sometimes skew things.
The reason I called these results "interesting" earlier is that, logically speaking, a shortened APTV doesn't really line up with bleeding symptoms. If someone were experiencing spontaneous bleeding, you’d generally expect to see an extended APTV (values above the limit) or, at the very least, values within the normal range.
But, since there are certain clotting disorders where patients still show totally normal baseline results, and considering this person has only had a handful of tests out of a much larger set—with values that are only slightly off, albeit in an unexpected direction—I honestly think you can't draw any real conclusions from this alone. You can't confirm or rule out a disorder based strictly on this; it likely means more follow-up is needed to match the clinical picture with a hematologist's assessment.
Could someone please help me make sense of these coagulation test results: 1. Prothrombin Time (PT) 11 (reference interval 10-15 s) 1.13 (reference interval 0.70-1.30 ratio) 0.94 (reference interval 0.90-1.20 INR)
NOTE: PT INR is used to monitor oral anticoagulant therapy. The recommended therapeutic range is 2.00 - 3.50.
I was sent in for these tests because a capillary burst in my eye completely out of nowhere—no heavy lifting, no straining, no sneezing or coughing, nothing. There was zero pain, but blood just spread across the entire white of my eye. High blood pressure has been ruled out, and I’ve been on oral contraceptives for years along with hormone therapy for hypothyroidism. Do these two values that fall below the "normal" range suggest any specific issues or potential problems? Thanks.
My mom’s been rocking the whole single-kidney lifestyle for about 30 years now, all while managing diabetes on top of it. Honestly, she hasn't run into any major issues with just the one kidney so far. My mom's mother—my grandma—was in the same boat and had one removed too, and she managed to live another 25 years after the surgery. She eventually passed away at 82, though it wasn't even kidney stuff that got her; it was colon cancer.
Hannah Bishop said:and food just isn't going down easy...
An overactive thyroid? When your thyroid levels are up, it can cause that whole annoying sensation where swallowing feels difficult or you constantly feel like there’s a lump stuck in your throat.
So, I was on Trinovum pretty much non-stop for about five years, feeling totally fine and keeping everything under control, until my doctor suggested it might be time for a change since Trinovum was becoming a bit "old school," so I made the switch over to Minulet. Fast forward a few years later—again, strictly following medical advice—and I moved on to Yasmin, but then about two years ago, my doctor decided to swap things up one more time and put me on Cilest. For what it's worth, I haven't really had any issues with any of these pills, except for when Yasmin started acting up; I began dealing with some irregular spotting, basically bleeding right in the middle of my cycle. That’s exactly why she switched me from Yasmin over to Cilest.
Jonathan Doyle55 said:Well, unfortunately, we didn't pull it off, and my mom's been diagnosed with metastases, so naturally, we’ve been briefed on the road ahead—which is obviously going to be anything but pleasant. Since she lives on her own, we're stuck weighing our options right now, wondering if it's better to arrange for someone to move in and help her out, or if we should find her a high-quality, compassionate care facility where she can get proper support until the end while allowing us to drop in and see her every single day. We went through something pretty similar with my dad, but back then, the call was made to keep him at home. The real kicker was that we just weren't in a position to provide the kind of high-level medical care he actually needed, so I can't help but feel like he was suffering more than he should have, even while he was right there with us.😢 Does anyone know of, or could they recommend, a decent assisted living facility or care home in New York City? Basically, they just don't want them over at Vinogradska because they claim there isn't enough room for patients like that, and honestly, it's the same story at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Thanks in advance.🙏
So, my family and I are currently stuck in a situation that’s almost a carbon copy of yours. A few posts back, I went into detail about my grandmother’s case—she recently suffered a stroke, which left her entire left side paralyzed, and she’s also dealing with a kidney stone that completely blocked one of her kidneys. They actually just installed an external stoma for her today; basically, there's a little tube going directly from the kidney through the skin rather than through the ureter, so the urine drains straight into a bag. On top of all that, she’s 81 years old and managing both diabetes with insulin and high blood pressure. We could have managed the rest somehow, maybe even healed her or patched things up enough to give her a little more time, but then they found late-stage colon cancer, and the metastases had already spread to her liver. The doctor was brutally honest with us—he basically said there’s no hope left, and now we're just counting down the days until she passes. He told us straight up that there isn't anything else for the hospital to treat; at this point, pushing forward would just be prolonging the suffering. I mean, obviously, I’m not making the call here since I don't have any experience with this kind of thing, but the doctor currently looking after my grandma suggested we look into the facility in Marof for patients in her situation. There wasn't even a question about whether she’d be heading home or getting placed somewhere else, because honestly, with the issues she's dealing with right now, we just can't provide the level of care she needs at the house. Look, I have no idea what it's actually like there, but the doctor pointed us toward Marof, so we'll just see how it plays out. At the end of the day, I think you really have to do your homework and ask all the right questions first, because let's face it, all we want is for our loved ones to spend their final days being treated with actual humanity and dignity. I am so incredibly sorry about your mom; my heart really goes out to you. Honestly, we’re walking through a pretty similar kind of hell right now, so I truly get it. Just hang in there and stay strong.
Amanda Miller69 said:Dear Snow White, my mom unfortunately lost her battle too; she had liver metastases as well, and if it helps at all, there wasn't much suffering—eventually, her liver just gave out and she simply fell asleep. It’s incredibly heavy, especially when you realize there's no more help left to give, but please pray for her, that God takes her and that she doesn't have to struggle anymore. Maybe I sound blunt right now, but that’s honestly how it was with my mom. During those last seven days, I was actually praying for her to just go so she wouldn't have to linger on the edge like that. I won't get into the specifics of what she suffered from or how she fought it here; you can just look back at my old posts if you want to read about it. Hang in there. I’ve already lost both my parents, plus my grandparents, and I'm only 30. Life keeps moving forward, no matter how surreal or strange that feels.🙂
I am so deeply sorry for such a massive loss and for all the pain and hardship you've been through. Thank you so much for those comforting words. That part where you wrote "she simply fell asleep" really hits home for me, and I’ll be praying that it’s the same for my grandma—that she can finally drift off peacefully, without any more pain, just resting easy like she truly deserves. Throughout her whole life, she was nothing but kind to everyone, never caused anyone a moment of trouble, and was just pure goodness, even though life certainly didn't go easy on her. I want to believe that once she's gone, she'll become my guardian Angel; I really want to believe that she’ll always be by my side, watching over me just like she did when I was little, looking out for me her entire life. And when my own time eventually comes to leave, I hope she'll be waiting for me somewhere at the end of that tunnel, reaching out her hand to lead me into that endless heavenly light, into eternity, into an infinite peace and bliss, where pain and suffering simply don't exist anymore...
Lisa White54 said:Up until recently, I was fighting this battle all on my own, at least until I signed up for this forum. We actually get each other here; we can trade advice and make things feel just a little less heavy because we're all in the same fight together. All my friends, all my family... honestly, it speaks for itself. At first, they try to be understanding, but after a while, they just don't want to hear about it anymore. It’s easier for them that way—they don't have to carry the weight. I don't blame them, though; everyone has their own life and doesn't exactly have spare time to deal with someone else's drama. Since this illness drags on for so long, I ended up feeling pretty isolated in my struggle. But I'm not backing down! Fighting for a new Tomorrow!
Dear Lisa, truly, from the bottom of my heart, I really hope your grit and persistence pay off, because I can only imagine how tough it's been for you alone. I feel for you, and I'm so sorry for everything you're going through, but I honestly admire the sheer strength coming through your words. I can see you're still full of hope, and you haven't let it slip away, which I think is what keeps you going and gives you that fuel. I really respect you for that, because personally, I don't feel strong at all, and honestly, I've run out of hope...
Thanks, Lisa White54. I’ve been going through your posts, and honestly, my heart just goes out to you... I can see how much you're struggling, but please don't lose hope, because there's still plenty to look forward to... I really think so... I realize nobody here can actually step in and fix things for me, and after I sent that first post, I found myself wondering what the point of all this even was, but still, it feels a little lighter knowing someone actually gets it—someone who's walking a similar path... I guess I just need a bit of empathy, some kind of comfort, and it helps seeing that someone understands where I'm coming from, which is probably why we all end up here, pouring out our pains and our struggles... I just want everything she's going through to be over as soon as possible, I just want the suffering to stop and for her pain to finally fade away...
Lisa White54 said:If you want to help her, you first have to be strong and stay positive so you can actually pass that energy on to her. What do you think we all felt when we first got news about an illness? Nobody is immune to those feelings, but you have to let your head take the lead if you’re going to help the people you love. Besides, why start crying and mourning ahead of time? Getting a diagnosis isn't an automatic death sentence, regardless of age. I know older folks back in Jordan who went through treatment and lived just fine. Stop whining about yourself; your grandma is the one struggling, so go help her.
Basically, you're right—everything you wrote is true. I guess I just wanted to tell you that for her, there really isn't any hope left. The doctor was brutally honest with us; it’s basically over... and how am I supposed to not cry? Even though she's still breathing, I know I'm going to lose her very soon. Everyone keeps telling me I have to be strong, and that’s exactly what I’m trying to do, but I honestly don't know if I can hold it together. There are moments where I feel like I'm just going to snap. Of course I want to help her; that’s literally my entire life right now. Ever since this happened, that’s all I do and the only reason I keep going—to make things easier for her and to support her. All I can really do is go to the hospital and sit by her side. She’s never coming home again, and I feel my strength draining away. I'm terrified I'll break, because the truth is, I'm not a strong person. I never have been... And yeah, logic has to override emotion; obviously, we all know that. If I were in your shoes trying to comfort someone else, I’d probably say the exact same thing to them with the best intentions. But this isn't just about some initial diagnosis. Her body is completely wiped out after a stroke, and she only has one kidney, which was blocked by a stone five days ago, so they had her on dialysis every single day (all of this happening following the stroke). On top of that, they found metastases in her liver; the cancer has spread. The doctor told us straight up not to hold our breath, that there’s no more help to give, and it's just a matter of days now. So how am I supposed to not cry and grieve? I go to her and tell her everything will be okay, even though I know it won't. I cry because I'm terrified of the pain she’s going to endure dying from cancer, and I love her so much that her suffering feels like my own. It’s not a matter of "just get over it" or "deal with the grief and pull yourself together"—no, she’s still here. Every single day when I say goodbye to her at the hospital, I feel like I'm saying it for the last time, because I know it won't be long. I'm scared of her pain. There's nothing else I can do besides being there and comforting her. I have to tell her things will improve when I know they won't, while she just tells me in that weak, broken voice, "it hurts, it hurts..." and occasionally gives my hand a little squeeze. I'm just afraid I'll shatter, that my heart will actually break watching her suffer like this—seeing my sweet, tiny, precious grandma, who has given me nothing but goodness and love throughout my whole life.
Thanks, wanderingharbor61, for the understanding and the support.
Hey everyone, I just wanted to jump in here and say that I truly feel for all of you on this thread. I wish I could offer some actual comfort to those who need it, but honestly, I’m only here because I’m looking for those exact same words myself. The truth is, I’m hurting—it’s an agonizing, deep-seated pain, and part of me feels like I might break under it too. My head knows one thing, but my heart and my gut are telling me something completely different; I can't help myself, the pain is just... it's driving me insane. About ten days ago, my sweet grandma suffered a stroke. She’s slowly coming around, but her left side is paralyzed, and right now she’s communicating at the level of a small child; sometimes she isn't even aware of anything, but that isn't even the worst part of it all. On top of that, there's a kidney issue, and to make matters even worse, an advanced stage of carcinoma has spread to her liver—they aren't even sure where the primary site is yet, so they're running more tests. And what am I supposed to do with that? The doctor was brutally honest with us; he said there’s nothing more they can do. She’s recovering from the stroke, sure, but the cancer is going to take her very soon. She’s 81, so we aren't holding onto any false hopes—she won't be with us much longer... How am I supposed to come to terms with that? Every single day I look at her, and she is so full of strength, fighting so hard, but I can see her suffering. It hurts her, and she tells me through her strained, difficult voice how much she's in pain, even though she was never the type to ever complain or play the victim. She fights, and I see that spark of will to live in her eyes. I try to comfort her, telling her she’ll get better, that things will improve, and she just keeps repeating back to me, "better, better..." My goodness, people, it is just devastating. In the end, I have to be the strong one, but I'm realizing that now is when she’s going to need me most. Since the third day after this happened, my doctor prescribed some antidepressants just so I can function enough to get through the day, because until then, I wasn't sleeping, eating, or drinking anything; at night, I was even hallucinating, seeing her standing right next to me calling for help... There was one day where I just stopped crying; I thought I had reached my limit, my eyes were so swollen they wouldn't open, and then suddenly, the tears just started pouring again... my heart feels like a wounded bird, and every few minutes I feel this tingling sensation in my head, almost like ants crawling inside my skull. Every day I'm at the hospital, feeding her tea through the tube, comforting her, talking to her, and holding her hand, all while knowing deep down that there is no hope left... She was so much more than just a grandmother to me. Throughout my whole life, she loved me more than anyone else in the world. No matter what I did, she was there for me; when nobody else understood me, she did. I spent so much of my childhood by her side, and she gave me everything... and now, she's leaving. She is slipping away, and I am powerless to stop her. I know the reality—I have a husband, I have my own child, I know I have to keep moving forward for them. My brain understands that perfectly, but the heart... the heart is a different story. I've always been overly emotional; feelings have always ruled me more than logic, so how am I supposed to handle this? I'm terrified of her suffering. I'm scared to watch her every day as every breath she takes pulls her further away from this world. I don't know if I can bear watching her struggle like this. How am I supposed to accept her pain? Why does she have to suffer like this? Why can't she just pass away peacefully? Maybe that would be easier for me. She never caused anyone a moment of grief in her entire life; why is she being condemned to this kind of agony? She didn't deserve this. It feels like none of my family really gets how much I'm hurting. Everyone just says "life goes on" or "you have people to live for," and of course, I get that—I don't need someone to tell me. But my heart and my emotions are just louder than my reason. I find myself wondering: Am I the only one who can't deal with such a sudden, painful loss? Are other people just less sensitive? Why can't I cope with this? Isn't it perfectly normal to be driven mad by the suffering of the person who loved and supported me my entire life, who looked after me like only the best grandmother could? How am I supposed to find peace when no one understands me? Everyone talks about the "natural cycle of life," as if I haven't already accepted that old people eventually have to pass away. I know that, but it still hurts... it just hurts so much. How do I let her go? How do I stay behind? How am I supposed to survive the hell she is going through alongside her without losing my mind? How do I comfort her when she needs it so badly, when no one can comfort me? How am I supposed to help her when I'm the one who needs help? Thanks to everyone for any word of comfort you can offer.
Look, I remember this one time I had exactly one—and I mean just one—cactus spine stuck deep in my finger. It ended up getting infected, and once the swelling finally popped, the whole thing just worked its way out along with the pus. But again, that was a single tiny thorn. Now, it really all comes down to whoever you’re talking about; if they’ve got a bunch of these things embedded in them, they probably shouldn't be playing doctor and should just head to an urgent care clinic to have it professionally handled. At the end of the day, you're dealing with a foreign object under the skin, which is basically an open invitation for an infection. Where there's pus, there are bacteria, and while things might settle down on their own, you never really know what kind of mess you're inviting in. If someone is covered in these little splinters, they definitely shouldn't mess around waiting for them to just migrate out naturally, but if we're only talking about one or two, it’s likely not worth making a huge deal out of.
Yeah—honestly, if you're looking at Persen, grabbing the Persen forte version is probably your best bet since they pack a bit more of a punch. You can also find the standard Persen for a cheaper price, though the Persen forte capsules tend to be stronger than those tablets. Since they're plant-based, the most important thing is that they won't get you hooked, but they still do a solid job of helping you unwind and chill out.
Laura Campbell18 said:I’m curious about what an actual appointment with an endocrinologist looks like. I assume they just send you off for blood work right away? But what if you’re on birth control pills and that messes with seeing your true hormone levels? Is there even any point in bothering with an endocrinologist then? My take, after talking to my OB-GYN and primary care doctor, is that I should just deal with this whole situation whenever I finally decide to have kids. It feels totally nonsensical to me...😕
Look, I’ve been doing this for seven and a half years now, going in every six months, and back when I first started, I was seeing the endocrinologist even more frequently to manage my thyroid. As far as the physical exam goes, it’s really nothing special. They might palpate your thyroid or check your blood pressure if there are any obvious issues, but honestly, most of the time an endocrinology visit is basically just a deep dive into the lab results you bring in. That’s how they actually get the real picture of what’s happening inside your body. If it’s your first time and you show up empty-handed, it’s a good idea to at least have some basic blood work ready; between those numbers and your conversation, the specialist will likely sniff out where the trouble is and send you for specific testing. Then, when you come back for the follow-up with the completed labs, they’ll either tweak your medication or ask for more tests. For my part, I’ve been managing my thyroid for seven and a half years by getting blood work, thyroid hormone panels, and a yearly ultrasound. I take all those results to my endocrinologist, we have a chat, and then she—she’s a woman, by the way—prescribes my treatment, which in my case is Synthroid. Depending on the labs, my dosage either stays steady or gets bumped up. Since I don't have issues with blood pressure or cholesterol or anything else, she doesn't even bother with a physical exam; she won't even check my blood pressure, she just reviews the data and decides on my next dose. Then she just tells me to come back in six months with the same set of labs, and that’s pretty much the whole routine.
It’s not actually the pain of getting blood drawn that gets to me. And honestly, it isn’t even the anxiety about what the results might show—I don't sit there spiraling about whether my labs are going to come back bad or whatever. It’s something else entirely. While I’m just sitting there waiting for my turn, my brain starts running these ridiculous little horror movies where the needle snaps off inside my arm, or my blood starts gushing everywhere and they can't get the needle out. Or even worse, I start imagining this phlebotomist accidentally blowing right through the vein and hitting the other side, leaving me with a massive, unstoppable bleed. That's the stuff that haunts me; it’s always playing on a loop in the back of my mind, and I have zero clue why my brain chooses those specific scenarios to obsess over, but it’s my one big, irrational fear when it comes to blood work. I don't actually pass out or anything, but I definitely end up looking deathly pale every single time. The nurses are always checking in on me, asking if I’m feeling okay or if I need to lie down, because it’s pretty obvious I’m having some kind of internal meltdown. When I step away from it all, I tell myself how childish it is, but then the next time I walk back into that clinic, the same old movie starts playing in my head all over again...
Don't even mention it, I really hope you start feeling more like yourself soon. I was just sharing what worked for me, but I also remember this one friend who decided to go through with the ear piercing herself; she ditched the surgical steel on the fourth day, swapped in some solid gold, and honestly, she felt better almost immediately.