Posts by fadedbear8

slygull92 said:Don't just rely on Persen and Advil; honestly, that's pretty useless.

That’s the common consensus, anyway—though I know some people swear by them.

George Jackson15 said:I’m looking for some kind of calming medication or something to help manage depression, ideally with a minimal risk of dependency. It would be most helpful if there were over-the-counter options available.

Thanks in advance...

You can't just pick up antidepressants over-the-counter (unless you're looking at something herbal like Advil-based St. John's Wort, but that's really only for very mild cases)... otherwise, prescription antidepressants from your doctor aren't actually addictive.
As for sedative pills, they can definitely become habit-forming if you're taking them constantly over a long period without any breaks.
If you want something non-prescription, there are plenty of herbal options out there—things like Passionflower or Valerie, for example. Check with your local CVS or Walgreens; they usually have stuff based on Valerie, hops, or similar plants that have a mild sedative effect. Just keep in mind those are way weaker than something like Xanax or Valium, so it really depends on what you're dealing with and whether that'll be enough for you...

I'm also on the hunt for a solid dentist—ideally somewhere Downtown or close to the heart of the city.

The main thing for me is the aesthetic side of things; I need someone who does high-quality work, not some sloppy, rushed job.

Please send any recommendations my way—feel free to post them here or just shoot me a DM.

I'm looking for the exact same thing: a solid primary care doctor who actually does more than just push paperwork... hm, yeah, ideally someone with a bit of warmth and empathy—if those words even still mean anything these days.

I’m relatively underwhelmed with my own GP; she’s a woman who is just "meh" at best 🤷, depending on her mood, and her office is a complete mess... it's always chaotic and disorganized. But honestly, I'm even more frustrated with my son's doctor; with her, the waiting room is actually pretty empty—which might be a sign, since people aren't exactly fighting to get an appointment—but she is incredibly arrogant. She's always prickly, extremely rude, and totally disinterested; she'd probably be better suited working in debt collection or something.

On another note, I've heard from a few people that Dr. Klarić over at the Trešnjevka Community Health Center is a really decent guy. Does anyone know anything about him? I'd also appreciate any other recommendations you might have.

Also, could someone clarify one thing for me: next school year when my son becomes a student, does he switch entirely over to Student Health Services, or can he keep his family doctor and just go to the clinic for the routine physicals required by the university?

Zachary Mendoza2 said:Yes, I was teasing a little regarding the swinging.🙂 I agree with you that Michael Bishop8 refuses to face reality, but that is perfectly normal for people in love; I don't view it as unhealthy. Eventually, those people face reality, but it requires time and effort. Regarding the other point, I disagree; for me, love itself is a one-sided thing—it doesn't require reciprocity to exist. Relationships, however, are two-sided interactions and cannot survive if one side is missing. It is also normal for me, when in love, to want my partner all to myself, so these "let them go do whatever they want with whoever they want" variations seem strange to me. I am happy if my partner is happy, but not if her happiness comes from screwing someone else behind my back.

Honestly, I think Michael Bishop8 needs a little nudge to face reality—specifically, the end—because this whole "interlude" he's stuck in regarding the breakup is starting to feel a bit unhealthy. Sure, he can still love her—like you said to Zachary Mendoza2, you can love someone unilaterally, and I know plenty of people who stay infatuated for years without getting anything back—but there's no actual relationship there... and people usually only start sobering up once they truly grasp that.

Look, just because the report says "suspicious" doesn't automatically mean it's cancer. You mentioned yourself that her mom has had these cysts biopsied several times before. In those cases, they were likely labeled "suspicious" too—meaning the doctors just needed to be sure, otherwise, they wouldn't have bothered with the needle at all.

It’s entirely possible that what’s happening in her breast looks different on a mammogram compared to an ultrasound. Honestly, it almost certainly does... From what I understand, ultrasounds are better for looking at glandular tissue, while mammograms focus more on fatty tissue (since breasts are a mix of both). That's why it's usually best to have results from both so you can compare them and get the full picture.

If I were in her shoes, I’d take that mammogram over to the doctor who has been handling her ultrasounds and biopsies up to this point. It might just be that those same old cysts look a certain way on a mammogram, leading them to suggest surgical removal. No need to panic. If she had an ultrasound back in January, there's no way something could have grown that aggressively in such a short window.

I really think it just comes down to how different doctors handle these cysts—some prefer to leave them alone, while others advise taking them out. We're keeping our fingers crossed for her. Let us know how it goes.

Just typical marketing gimmicks. They’ll try to unload as many products as possible on you, convincing you that you need a whole kit for every little thing. It's basically the same script they run for everyone.
They aren't there because they actually care about diagnosing your scalp or hair health—they're just there to hit their sales targets.

Joseph Watson3 said:One sentence, two total nonsense claims. 😂

First off, Natreen doesn't actually contain aspartame. Second, formaldehyde doesn't just sit and build up in your system—it’s metabolized incredibly fast. Plus, there are plenty of other sources of formaldehyde in most American homes that far outweigh anything from aspartame.

Oh, give me a break! This is exactly what I mean—you just can't get straight answers. It contains aspartame, it doesn't... and now we're throwing in "formaldehyde accumulation" for good measure? As if that makes everything "clear."

Honestly, I’m under so much stress right now that this kind of stuff could be a literal trigger for health issues. And I actually agree with Joseph Watson3: I think it all comes down to what someone decides to fixate on. Is it aspartame? White sugar? Lactose? Fat? Stress, cell phone radiation, signals from Verizon or AT&T towers, work overload... you name it.

As for me, no, I don't drink coffee with Natreen because I'm terrified of gaining weight—it's just a habit (sadly, I guess). Coffee was always a staple in my house growing up, so I just picked it up from them. I've certainly never experienced what someone mentioned about sweating or having stomach pains from Natreen. 😕 Never heard of that! 🤷

I do eat cookies, chocolate, and sweets; it's not like I'm panicking over sugar or one of those women obsessively counting every single calorie. I have a normal weight, I'm not overweight, and I don't overeat. But I just don't touch sugary drinks—not out of fear of weight gain, but simply because I don't like them. I don't care for sweetened fruit juices (most of which are loaded with sugar anyway), and I don't drink Coca-Cola or any other sodas. I drink all kinds of tea unsweetened (and without honey, except when I have a sore throat or am feeling sick 🙂 🙂), and I don't sweeten lemonade or similar drinks either...

So, by process of elimination, coffee is just the one thing left that I consume Natreen with. Personally, I’d rather switch to brown sugar (my husband uses it quite a bit), but only if I knew it was actually brown sugar and not just what everyone's been talking about lately—basically just "dyed white sugar."

Rebecca Barnes2 said:Neosporin Plus from Pfizer is gonna run me about five bucks, thanks!

What do you mean "thanks"? Is that a good deal or too pricey for you?

Rebecca Barnes2 said:So, should I just grab the regular version or go with the Neosporin antiseptic cream? And am I supposed to be slapping that on after shaving instead of using my usual Johnson & Johnson balm?

Personally, I think the antiseptic one would be better for after shaving...

Can someone please tell me if all the sweetener tablets sold here in the States (like Aspartame, Snowy Peaks, and I can't even remember the rest) actually contain aspartame?

Honestly, I’m getting a little tired of the constant runaround. First, for years, the big trend was "just switch to brown sugar instead of white," only to find out later that "it isn't even really brown sugar—it's just white sugar with coloring." So now you're just left trying to figure it out for yourself.

And look, most of us aren't nutritionists or biochemists—we can't all be expected to navigate this stuff on our own.

True, but how much artificial sweetener are we actually talking about when people claim they're harmful?
I mean, I don't think having, say, two packets of Splenda a day—just for my morning coffee—is actually going to kill me... Between everything else we deal with—stress, processed food (let's be real, our diets aren't exactly diverse), pollution, hectic schedules, and lack of sleep... are we seriously convinced that two little packets of sweetener (and honestly, not even every single day) are going to cause cancer?

Matthew Thompson85 said:Those are just acne—I get them on my back here and there, but honestly, dear, nothing you can't fix. It's no big deal.

Actually, those aren't acne; they're blackheads. There's a difference.
Jamie Reyes3, try washing your face regularly and pick up an exfoliant designed for oily skin. If they're really getting out of hand, maybe see an esthetician for a deep cleaning. You'll be glowing 😉 and your skin will finally feel like it can breathe.

Rebecca Barnes2 said:Look, obviously I’ve got my Gillette shaving gel—not that cheap foam crap—and a brand new Mach 5 razor ready to go, but please don't come at me with a list of five different products because I can't just run out to the local CVS and grab whatever I want, okay? I just need one thing that actually works. Besides, even with fresh blades, using gel, and following up with balm, I still end up with this massive patch of red irritation on my neck every single time I shave. What am I even doing wrong?

If I were you, I’d try using some Johnson & Johnson. (Johnson & Johnson is the big name here, though there might be a cheaper generic version of it at the drugstore—I think it's called Neosporin). You could go with the standard cream or the antiseptic version with dexpanthenol—the latter has that extra disinfecting ingredient, which might be better if you end up with tiny nicks or scratches from the razor, even if they're barely visible 😕 —what do you think? Just ask the pharmacist to explain the difference between those two options and see which one they'd recommend for skin irritation.

I'm pretty sure that would be way better than all those cheap stuff brands like Johnson & Johnson... and most aftershaves are loaded with alcohol, which honestly just irritates the skin even more.

(You can't really lose here—it's always good to have that cream on hand for when your skin gets irritated, or for minor cuts, scrapes, or even burns, so I don't think it'll be a waste of money).

Maybe try some aloe vera gel—you can find it at any CVS or Walgreens (I think I have some from Biogen), or just grab some Neosporin cream since it has 5% dexpanthenol. It helps with disinfection too—at least, I think that's right. Personally, I find that Neosporin works wonders for stuff like this.

If things get worse and you deal with serious irritation or redness—like if the skin feels tight and painful—pick up some Avène TriXera cream. It’s great for soothing intense irritation and redness (there's another Avène cream specifically for allergies and irritation, too, though I can't recall the exact name).

Paul Vaughn24 said:I’m planning to grab some Orthomol Imunn as soon as I can get my hands on it, but for now, I'm sticking with Orthomol Vital f.
Man, it’s pricey—it feels like I'm blowing a hole in my wallet—but honestly, it's worth every single cent.
http://www.orthomol.de/Produkte/Immun/

Wait, what is that? Never heard of it! Do you pick that up at local pharmacies? Judging by the name, does this Orthomol Imunn have something to do with boosting immunity? And how does it differ from the Vital f version? Give us the scoop.

I've heard good things about Twinlab Dualtabs—the lady at my drugstore mentioned they're great for people who are super stressed but also active with sports. Apparently, if you aren't an athlete, there's no point in taking them... My husband is overworked and hits the gym regularly, so I grabbed some for him. Only problem is, he always forgets to take them (plus, he's pretty stubborn—he won't touch multivitamins, doesn't even want Vitamin C), so I'm just sitting here staring at the bottle while it gathers dust on the counter for months. At this rate, I'll probably end up taking them myself, even if I'm not much of an athlete.🙂 😉

Olivia Ramos66, just wanted to say thanks. We tried what you suggested and my son is doing so much better already. His skin under his armpits was EXTREMELY inflamed—looked more like eczema, pretty nasty actually. We were using some Bepanthen cream, and within two days it had calmed down quite a bit; by day three, it was definitely fading. I don't think we'll need to keep applying it today (I know long-term use isn't ideal)—I picked up some La Roche-Posay cream just to have on hand for next time. During the worst of the flare-ups, he also had this random itching on his back that drove him crazy—he was scratching everywhere, though I didn't see any redness or irritation or anything, so I'm not sure why he was itching, but I applied that La Roche-Posay once and it calmed down immediately. He said it felt really soothing.

He’s taking Dr. Mercola's black seed oil—six times a day, just like you recommended—along with one Claritin in the evening and a spray of Flonase before bed, and he's a whole new kid. He seems so much happier; his nose is clear, he's not struggling in the shower, no sneezing, no coughing, no nasal issues. Plus, he just looks better overall—he's cool, allergies aren't dragging him down anymore.
So, they're calling for a few days of rain here, so I'm guessing once that passes, we should be mostly done with ragweed for the year. I think he might be able to stop the Flonase today or tomorrow (I hate using it for too long since it's a corticosteroid, but—well—it really does help him, and he's only been on it for five days total until now, so I don't think it's excessive), and I assume he won't need the Claritin much longer either.

Lesson learned—next spring I'm buying the black seed oil ahead of time so he can start taking it early... it really seems to have an effect on the immune system regarding allergies.

Olivia Ramos66, thanks again. It's incredible how much a solid piece of advice can help so quickly and effectively—we saw a massive difference just one day after trying what you suggested.

Olivia Ramos66 said:Look, I already told you—the 3 grams is what’s actually been clinically tested. Lower doses haven't really proven their effectiveness! Those suggestions to take 4 or 6 capsules? That's just a marketing gimmick to make the product more palatable—people hate swallowing a ton of pills, so they lower the dose per capsule to keep them buying. Just look for a supplement that offers 1g of oil per capsule instead of 500mg, then he can just take three of those!😬

Thanks so much. Honestly, taking 6 capsules isn't an issue at all—whether he likes it or not, they're small enough that they aren't hard to swallow. But I'll definitely look around to see if any other brands carry the 1g version; so far, I've only seen the ones from Dr. Mercola.

Olivia Ramos66 said:First thing is, stop using the deodorant.😁
Standard American medicine would likely suggest a mild corticosteroid like hydrocortisone—that's totally fine for a short burst of maybe 2-3 weeks.
He could also try a neutral cream specifically designed for sensitive, allergy-prone skin (brands like Aveeno, Plant, or Uriage have plenty of options), or even oils like jojoba, or better yet, tamanu or calendula macerate for its anti-inflammatory properties. You could even add a bit of Roman or German chamomile (assuming he isn't allergic to them).

He stopped using the deodorant immediately. The problem is, the area is really red and covers a pretty large patch—sort of a circular shape around the armpit. He says it doesn't bother him, doesn't hurt, and doesn't itch (well, maybe just a tiny bit when he touches it), but man, it looks terrible... anyway, I think I'll go pick up some of what you recommended tomorrow.

😘 You're a lifesaver!!!

One more thing: should I be applying anything to this redness he's developed under his arm from deodorant? It looks like hives or something. It’s taking quite a while to clear up.

Olivia Ramos66 said:So, you really need to take about 3 grams—which would be 6 capsules in this case—for it to actually do anything. People often suggest even higher doses: 3 to 5 ml of oil, three times a day. Ideally, you’d take it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and then in between meals.

Six capsules? Hmm, that sounds like a lot to me... I mean, why do they suggest just 2 (or was it 4? — the instructions say "take 2 capsules, morning and night"... honestly, those dosing directions are a bit confusing 😕 )? Wouldn't it be in their best interest to have people burn through the supply faster so they buy more sooner? They might as well just print "take 6 daily" right on the box 😉!
So, you're saying that 3-gram mark is basically the standard for when you start seeing results?

Olivia Ramos66, thanks so much!
I picked up some black cumin oil capsules from Dr. Mercola, but the instructions are a bit vague:
"Adults: 2 capsules, morning and evening."
Does that mean 2 total per day, or 2 in the morning and 2 at night—meaning 4 daily?
Each capsule has 500 mg of black cumin oil.

I noticed you mentioned earlier that taking 3 capsules of a 1000 mg dose daily is fine...