Need some help here!

Man, I’ve been dealing with this breathing issue for what feels like forever now—probably closer to nine months? I actually went to see this holistic practitioner, Dr. Sadiković, who basically told me it isn't anything structural or organic, but more like some kind of energetic "blockage" in my gallbladder. I've been on the treatment he prescribed for about two weeks now, but honestly, the whole situation is just a mess. On top of that, I can’t stop dealing with a stuffed-up nose and this constant burning sensation on my tongue. I’ve been leaning on Afrin and other nasal sprays to get by—and yeah, I know, doctors say you shouldn't use those things for too long, but I literally cannot breathe through my mouth because of my tongue! It’s driving me crazy. As for the tongue, it’s hit or miss; some days it's better, some days it's brutal. I used to have Candida, though I haven't done a formal test recently, just did some self-testing. My blood work comes back mostly fine, except my ALT levels are slightly elevated—I think it’s around 60, while the limit is 45—and my LDL is actually lower than the standard range (it's at 1.2, whereas they usually want it between 3.2 and 4.8), but my doctors just tell me it's fine. Total cholesterol is sitting around 3.0, I think, but my triglycerides are right at the upper limit, and an ultrasound showed my liver looks a bit pale. I donated blood back in 2005, 2006, and 2007, so that should be okay... and my last sexual encounter was way back in 2001, if that even matters. I don't smoke (been clean for three years now) and I don't drink, so everything was just... steady. Until this morning. Suddenly, I woke up with a fever of about 99.5, running to the bathroom constantly, and feeling like I'm going to throw up. It feels like a typical stomach flu, but out of all the times I've had diarrhea over the last two days, there were two instances where I saw bright red blood—like, fresh, vivid red. I already scheduled a colonoscopy and I'm getting more labs drawn tomorrow. Has anyone gone through something similar or have any advice on what this could be?
sorry for the massive wall of text, but I am seriously freaking out here... thanks in advance to everyone🙂

Ethan Wilson73 said:I've been struggling with breathing issues for about 8 or 9 months now. I saw a homeopath, Dr. Sadiković, who claimed this isn't an organic issue but rather some kind of energetic "blockage" in my gallbladder. I've been on his therapy for about 15 days. On top of that, I deal with constant nasal congestion and a burning sensation on my tongue. I manage the nose with Afrin and other drops—I know you aren't supposed to use them long-term, but I can't breathe through my mouth because of my tongue! The tongue sensation fluctuates. I had Candida before, though I haven't done official testing lately; I just did some self-checks. My blood work is fine, except my ALT is slightly elevated (around 60, when the limit is 45) and my LDL is lower than the standard range (1.2 vs the usual 3.2–4.8), though my HDL is okay. Doctors say it’s fine. Total cholesterol is around 3.0, but triglycerides are right at the upper limit, and my ultrasound showed a slightly fatty liver. I donated blood back in 2005, 2006, and 2007, so that should be fine (last sexual encounter was in 2001)... I don't smoke (quit 3 years ago) and I don't drink. Everything was steady until this morning when I ran a low fever of 99.5°F and started dealing with diarrhea and nausea (probably a virus). However, out of about ten bouts of diarrhea over two days, twice there was bright red blood, like it had just been released. I've scheduled a colonoscopy and will get the results tomorrow... Has anyone here dealt with something similar or have advice?
sorry for the long post, but this is really wearing me down.. Thanks in advance everyone🙂

Look, go see an allergist and stop listening to Sadiković and those other frauds who think they can unblock chakras by themselves.😳 You probably trashed your stomach lining with whatever homeopathic nonsense he fed you.
And find a new primary care doctor, because clearly, yours doesn't know how to manage your case if they're letting you wander around aimlessly like this.
Go ahead with the colonoscopy. Honestly, I don't think it's anything catastrophic; it's more likely that the frequent diarrhea just caused some hemorrhoids to flare up.

I’m putting my signature on Angela Wright’s side—just change out that Legion of Merit stuff already...

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone. Honestly, I’ve gotta start making some changes... because living like this is just becoming unbearable. My quality of life near zero right now. Though, to be fair, it feels like I might just be coming down with some nasty bug or a virus, because when I swung by the local urgent care earlier, they told me there are hundreds of people showing up with these exact same symptoms. Still, I’m going to go ahead and schedule a colonoscopy just to make sure it isn't anything truly terrifying...

You didn't even say what kind of breathing issues you're dealing with...
Shortness of breath, coughing; does it happen while you're just chilling or when you're actually moving around?
btw. if I were in your shoes, I'd probably get tested for HIV too🙏

So, did you end up booking that colonoscopy appointment with Dr. Sadiković?

Look, there’s zero physical exertion involved here, okay? It’s not like I’m running marathons or anything... it just happens where I suddenly feel like I can't catch my breath, and that's just the reality of it. And honestly, why are people even bringing up AIDS? When I donated blood three times at the Red Cross, they told me straight up they test for HIV types 1 and 2, syphilis, gonorrhea, and hepatitis B and C—at least if I heard them right. If I actually had something like that, they would have flagged it, wouldn't they? Besides, I didn't go to some random guy like Sadiković for advice; I went to a legitimate specialist. Seriously, if you're just here to troll and make jokes, just stay off the forum.👎

I was scrolling through looking for an existing thread about heart or lung issues when I stumbled upon this one—so I figured I’d just jump in and ask my own question. For quite some time now, I've been dealing with some pretty intense breathing problems. I find myself gasping for air and breathing way too fast, even just from a casual walk, and honestly, even eating feels exhausting because it's such a struggle to breathe. My heart has been racing at a crazy pace, too. After a while, I finally made it to my primary care doctor today to get some referrals. She wants me to get blood work done, along with some cardiac and pulmonary testing. Since I've never actually had any of these scans before, I was wondering if I need to schedule appointments in advance or if I can just show up for them? Also, if it turns out my breathing isn't related to my heart or lungs, is there a chance one of those specialists could refer me to check my thyroid? Or would I have to head back to my GP to get a specific referral for that? I wanted to ask about the referral process here, especially since a good chunk of my family deals with thyroid issues, but everyone was talking so much that I completely blanked on it. Thanks in advance..

Ethan Wilson73 said:..please, if you can't handle a little sarcasm, just don't bother posting👎

Man, everyone is so sensitive these days. Get used to it. Seriously—if you go in for a colonoscopy, even the doctor is probably going to crack a joke at your expense—maybe not to your face, but still. It's part of life.

So, you’re claiming you went to see a specialist for this? What kind of specialist would Sadaković even be that you’d visit him for breathing issues? It doesn't make any sense.

As for the bloody diarrhea—look, most of the time it’s nothing to worry about. In the worst-case scenarios, we're talking Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, or in the absolute worst cases, cancer. Nothing else really comes to mind right now.

Look, N. Sadiković is a medical doctor who actually specialized in neuropsychiatry, but he focuses on alternative treatments like homeopathy. Honestly, it worked wonders for my mom—she finally got rid of those nagging stomach issues after bouncing around from one specialist to another all over the country without any luck. So, you can see the guy definitely knows his stuff. And honestly, why should anyone laugh? I don't care what people think; I have every right to choose the treatment I believe in. I've personally seen plenty of situations where alternative medicine really pulled through when other things didn't. In my book, the perfect way to handle health is just blending the two worlds—traditional medicine and alternative approaches—into one big combo. Anyway, I'll let you guys know how my own results turn out tomorrow!

Ethan Wilson73 said:Physical effort isn't even part of the equation here... sometimes you just run out of breath, period. And why would I have anything to worry about? When I donated blood three times back in the day, they told me they test for HIV types 1 and 2, syphilis, gonorrhea, and hepatitis B and C if I remember right...I assume they would have caught something like that...:

But you mentioned the last time you donated was way back in 2007...
The odds of a virus multiplying enough to trigger symptoms within three years are slim, but they aren't zero.
About this part—
You brought up a risky encounter from 2001. It doesn't necessarily mean they'd catch it right away; sometimes a virus takes over a decade to show up, and by then, it’s already established itself.
I'm not trying to freak you out, but if you're going through the trouble of getting tests done anyway, just get this one done too.

So look, I actually went out of my way to dig into this whole thing... and apparently, they say you've gotta wait at least six months because there just isn't enough HIV virus in your system to trigger a positive result before then. So we're talking a five or six-year window where it might not even show up? And besides, AIDS doesn't even kick in until the HIV has basically wiped out those CD4 immune cells or whatever they call them... but hey, thanks for your input, really. I mean, I've got nothing to lose by just getting tested, but from what I heard, the blood transfusion centers here in the States specifically screen for both HIV-1 and HIV-2 types. They also mentioned that anyone who’s had any kind of risky sexual encounter within the last year shouldn't be donating blood at all.

Look, he’s out there building an alternative side hustle before even touching the medical field, but hey—you’re entitled to your, uh, "opinion"... if you can actually point to any evidence to back it up.

And when it comes to HIV, people always seem to forget one glaringly obvious thing: your partner could be having risky encounters that you don't necessarily know about.

Casey Stewart7 said:I was looking for an open thread about heart or lung stuff when I stumbled onto this one and figured I’d just ask here. For a while now, my breathing has been absolutely trashed—I’m gasping for air even just walking normally, and honestly, even eating feels like a workout because I can't catch my breath. My heart is also racing like crazy. I finally hit up my primary care doctor today to get some referrals, and she wants me to get bloodwork done along with heart and lung screenings. Since I've never actually had any of these tests before, I'm wondering if I need to book an appointment in advance or if I can just show up. Also, if it turns out my breathing issues aren't related to my heart or lungs, can one of those specialists refer me to an endocrinologist, or am I stuck going back to my GP to get another referral? I wanted to ask about the referral here since a bunch of my family deals with thyroid issues, but everyone started talking at once and I totally blanked on it. Thanks in advance..

It's most likely your thyroid, so go get a thyroid ultrasound and check your hormone levels (TSH, T3, T4). You should definitely check your iron levels too, because being low on iron causes anemia, which leaves you feeling wiped out. Your doctor can easily write you a referral for an endocrinologist (she did it for my mom)

Look, I’m not even looking to get into a massive debate here, alright? I have zero intention of just running tests on a whim without actually sitting down and asking my doctor if it's even necessary first. From what I understand, whenever you get a blood transfusion in the States, they're strictly required to screen for HIV types 1 and 2, so there's no point in stressing. Honestly, five or six years since my last risky encounter is more than enough time for anything to show up on a test, so let's be real—you're clearly mixing up your terms when it comes to HIV and AIDS... maybe do a quick Google search so I don't have to sit here acting like a know-it-all... and as for Dr. Sadiković, he’s helped plenty of people I personally know, so that’s where my confidence comes from. If you aren't interested in trying alternative medicine, hey, that's your call, it's not my business. Anyway, like I mentioned before, I actually went in to see my doctor today; he told me I’ve got some irritation in my intestinal lining and thinks it might be caused by an amoeba infection or maybe salmonella, but he's going to run stool samples once we get the inflammation under control. So yeah, that's the deal. Plus, after following Dr. Sadiković's treatment plan, my liver numbers have totally stabilized—my liver isn't looking "pale" anymore and all my enzyme levels are back in the clear. That's all I've got to say about that.

Those "sudden" breakthroughs? They’ve basically just become the new status quo because they would have happened regardless.
The real issue with people turning to alternative medicine or lay practitioners is that these "patients"—if you can even call them that—take the placebo effect, or what actual doctors call an expectant response, and credit it to some quack or even a legitimate physician.
If you don't actually grasp the underlying science, any idiot with a loud enough voice can talk you into believing absolutely anything—provided you're gullible enough to let them.

Let's be honest: an ultrasound reading for just about anything is nothing more than the subjective interpretation of whoever happens to be looking at the screen. We see it all the time—those "pathological" findings that turn out to be perfectly normal once you look closer, especially when we're talking about minor, insignificant nuances.

Kate Collins67 said:Those sudden "spikes" in data just leveled out because they were going to anyway.
The real issue with alternative medicine enthusiasts—or laypeople who fall for quackery—is that these "patients" attribute the passage of time, or what actual doctors call an expectant outcome, to the charlatan or even a legitimate physician.
If you don't grasp the underlying science, well, any idiot can sell you a bridge if you let them.

An MRI report for anything is basically just the subjective interpretation of whoever happens to be looking at it. You see "pathological" findings all the time that turn out to be perfectly normal once you look closer, especially when we're talking about minor nuances.

I’m honestly fascinated by people who outsource their entire health and life expectancy to homeopaths, juice cleansers, or those bioenergy gurus—not to mention the rest of that crowd. Look, it’s a free country and people can make their own choices, sure, but at the end of the day, those patients usually just end up in a much worse state than when they started, or they pick up some secondary diagnosis along the way.
It isn't really the scammers' fault for making money off people; it’s more about the people who, out of pure desperation, allow themselves to believe it. It's tragic, really. A little bit of internet research could go a long way in helping someone understand their condition and treatment options... though I suppose that requires a level of logic some people lack. Who's actually the crazy one here? Honestly.
Trust me, being a doctor is hard enough without having to deal with patients like this, regardless of whether people think doctors are saints or villains. 🤷

Look, if you're looking for alternative remedies or any of those pseudo-psychiatric homeopathy things, there's actually a specific sub-forum for all that stuff, so please just head over there for those kinds of questions...
I’m pretty sensitive when it comes to those "alternative mantra" vibes, so let's just keep those comments out of this thread, okay?

Look, I don't mean to be "rude"—but honestly, why should I care if you're feeling sensitive? That sounds like a personal problem to me. What, are you some kind of deity or something? Just go ahead, lock this thread or delete the whole thing, because if you actually bothered to read the history, you’d see how this entire discussion just turned on me out of nowhere. It’s like I got blindsided by a bunch of aggressive trolls just because I mentioned I was heading to see Dr. Sadiković (who, by the way, has been nagging her to make an appointment). And let me tell you, these sudden "miraculous recoveries" where people are suddenly fine out of thin air? Yeah, they happen with everyone, it's a joke. Seriously, stop lecturing me. As far as I'm concerned, wipe the thread, delete my post, kill my account—whatever. But just so we're clear, if someone pulled that level of sarcasm or tried to mock me like those people replying here did in real life, I wouldn't be typing on a keyboard; I'd be settling it with my fists. Anyway, goodbye, and just lock this damn thread already!😠😠