Blood tests, ETC

[Patchouli]

This is a mess. Some of my numbers are okay, some I don't understand and have to research, and basically the doctor said same thing she always says, eat more fish and vegetables. No fried food. (What, me? I'm eating fried food? I didn't think so). Some of my other numbers were really good. Iron not so good, and that wasn't even mentioned. I do like knowing where I need to improve and to research what can be done. They told me to cut my bread and pasta products, stop eating so much potatoes. Cut back on red meat (goodbye iron, I don't each much red meat!!). As if. Honestly, I frequently don't eat bread, not much pasta, not much rice lately, and occasionally an order of fries that I split with someone or mashed taters. I have an account with the dr office and they put results in the account after I see the doctor. Ugh. And she was almost concerned at my weight, a few pounds less than last year.
So how do you think you're doing health-wise? Do you care? Are you on a lot of medications? I'm on one. Do you eat as much as you want whenever you want, whatever you want? Do you exercise? Some of you don't have to because you run around all over the place all the time.

 

[Bacpacker]

Check into them. Hope all is ok

 

[Peanut]

I’ve had some wacky blood test results the last 7/8 years. I’m unsure if it’s my age or the current state of medical testing. I suspect the latter. It made the VA a dangerous place in my book. Doctors there aren’t allowed think anymore. They get test results and the computer tells them what to prescribe. I tossed meds more than once, then stopped going. I knew I didn’t need the crap they wanted me to take. As long as I can afford to pay out of my pocket I’ll see civilian doctors, but the last 3 years their blood tests have had screwy results at times. At least they don’t rush to give me pills.

You know it’s bad when you need a second blood test to verify the first one. I’ve requested (insisted) that more than once.

 

[Pearl]

This is why I don't go to doctors!! You are only good to them if you are not well!! Some things I don't need to know!!

 

[Patchouli]

I'm a pipsqueak, ask @Pearl . I'm not overweight, at all. My biggest problem is drinking 1 or 2 cans of caffeinated soda a day. Curse me now!
Yeah, they've suggested and tried over the years to get me on cholesterol meds, blood pressure meds (totally don't need that), a giant vitamin D, sleeping pills, anti-depressant once. Have given me prescriptions for steroids that I didn't take. Nope, I just stay on the one med and it is very minimal and keeps my heart rate in check. The original surgeon was going to take me off of it eventually but that was far from here and the new cardiologist said it would safer to stay on it. My heart races a bit if I'm not on it.

I go once a year, @Pearl and do a tele doc if i'm sick and need a doctor's note. Previously, I NEVER went to the doctor either. Stayed away from them for years.

 

[Patchouli]

I say for years that i stayed away from them, just saw my cardiologist. And since LH is gone in the past few years, I have thought I should get a check over once a year. Seems too often.

 

[Haertig]

Funny - I came to this thread after leaving a website I was checking out to try and find more healthy vegetables. I was also looking for more variety in vegetables for meal planning.

https://www.liveeatlearn.com/green-vegetables/

I'm a believer in preventative health care. So I do go see doctors for routine blood work and tests when I'm well. I don't often go to see them when I'm sick, because I'm rarely sick and when I am, it's not usually serious enough to go see the doctor for. So you end up going at one time or another - You can go only when you're sick, or you can go when you're healthy and mostly prevent yourself from getting sick in the first place, and having to go then. Your choice. I don't see any benefit to avoiding doctors and then being surprised with diabetes, blocked coronary arteries, cancerous growths in your colon, uncontrolled blood pressure, congestive heart failure, ..... What good does that do you? I'm already screwing myself over by getting older, fatter, less exercise, etc. Avoiding medical care and continuing on in ignorance would just be double-screwing myself.

 

[Caribou]

I am allergic to all cholesterol meds so my neurologist put me on OTC Red Rice Yeast. I also take 15,000 units of D3 daily. Hope you are feeling well.

 

[Patchouli]

I'm fine, it was just a yearly thing I do, or a check up from my achey hands and feet... Last year she made me think I was FINE, my numbers are better this year and now she's concerned.

 

[Bacpacker]

Funny - I came to this thread after leaving a website I was checking out to try and find more healthy vegetables. I was also looking for more variety in vegetables for meal planning.

https://www.liveeatlearn.com/green-vegetables/

I'm a believer in preventative health care. So I do go see doctors for routine blood work and tests when I'm well. I don't often go to see them when I'm sick, because I'm rarely sick and when I am, it's not usually serious enough to go see the doctor for. So you end up going at one time or another - You can go only when you're sick, or you can go when you're healthy and mostly prevent yourself from getting sick in the first place, and having to go then. Your choice. I don't see any benefit to avoiding doctors and then being surprised with diabetes, blocked coronary arteries, cancerous growths in your colon, uncontrolled blood pressure, congestive heart failure, ..... What good does that do you? I'm already screwing myself over by getting older, fatter, less exercise, etc. Avoiding medical care and continuing on in ignorance would just be double-screwing myself.

That's mostly what I've done for 25 years now. They still didn't find the problems with my heart. They treat some things, but don't count on them catching it all.

 

[Jen]

This is why I don't go to doctors!! You are only good to them if you are not well!! Some things I don't need to know!!

That's probably a good way to do it. I was suckered into several meds years ago and in order to continue them I have to see my doctor twice a year. I am afraid to go off the meds. Two of them I know I need to control my racing heart.

What about dentist? I didn't go to the dentist for a year while I was having so much physical trouble. I went back this summer and they have a whole list of things the dentist wants to do. I don't have tooth pain. I really don't want to get all that (expensive even with insurance) stuff done. I'm thinking of stopping my cleanings. I postponed the one this month to January while I think about it.

 

[Jen]

I'm fine, it was just a yearly thing I do, or a check up from my achey hands and feet... Last year she made me think I was FINE, my numbers are better this year and now she's concerned.

My hands hurt. Actually my thumbs. I haven't told my doctor and won't. I don't tell my doctor about any pain that I don't want to have all sorts of tests done for and I really hate spending my time visiting a doctor.

 

[Supervisor42]

I say for years that i stayed away from them, just saw my cardiologist. And since LH is gone in the past few years, I have thought I should get a check over once a year. Seems too often.

I am very diligent about going in for my yearly 'pit stop'.
I have a paper-clipped 1/4" stack of all my blood tests going back to 2014 in my desk.
If something starts to creep out of range I can get on it quick, and easily correct it.
Decades ago, with my first blood test, I got busted with a felony cholesterol level of 260.
...Took me 3 years to get it under control.
Some meds had bad side-effects, some meds didn't work.

 

[Haertig]

That's mostly what I've done for 25 years now. They still didn't find the problems with my heart. They treat some things, but don't count on them catching it all.

Granted, they won't catch everything. But one thing is guaranteed ... they won't catch anything if you don't even let them look. I hope things get sorted out with your heart blockages. I'm really praying for you on that. I would be spooked to get blindsided with something like that if my doctor dropped it on me out of the blue. They'll get you fixed up. They're working on that now. But I'll bet the way you found out about it was kind of on the stressful side.

I consider myself lucky to have a cardiologist now. A few years ago I have a brief (30 second) run of V-Tach when taking a treadmill stress test. Boy did that get those technicians all puckered up! Because that can be very bad - like fatal - I had every cardiac test known to man thrown at me on a "stat" basis. Turned out it was a nothingburger. The cardiologists (yes, multiple) all said that it was just a speck of muscle on my heart that got a little extra stimulated. They said it was harmless and I'd probably had it my entire life. I can confirm that - my heart has always had erratic beating when trying to slow down after strenuous activity, even as a kid. They said I was at no more risk than anyone else because of this - it is just an annoyance thing. They offered to fix it (it's called an "ablation"). I had that done. And it's fixed. But I still have a cardiologist and all the neat things that go along with that. Yearly bloodwork. Echocardiograms every few years. EKG's. Treadmill stress tests now and then. Radioactive vessel studies every so often. They always come back fine. But having them done provides peace of mind (they're all paid for completely by insurance). I know from the echos and bloodwork that I don't have CHF creeping up on me. The radioactive studies show that I have no blockages or anything building up to a potential blockage. That's great to know. Most people don't get to know anything in this regard until it's quite advanced. Normally I would be the poster child for cardiac disease due to being overweight. That's why I said "lucky to have a cardiologist". I now have people looking after me ahead of any problems that may develop. There are a million other ways you can be sick and not know it, not just your heart - that's why I have routine colonoscopies and yeuchy stuff like that. It's for my own good.

I am all for preventative health care. I don't shun doctors and routine exams and testing.

 

[Bacpacker]

Granted, they won't catch everything. But one thing is guaranteed ... they won't catch anything if you don't even let them look. I hope things get sorted out with your heart blockages. I'm really praying for you on that. I would be spooked to get blindsided with something like that if my doctor dropped it on me out of the blue. They'll get you fixed up. They're working on that now. But I'll bet the way you found out about it was kind of on the stressful side.

I consider myself lucky to have a cardiologist now. A few years ago I have a brief (30 second) run of V-Tach when taking a treadmill stress test. Boy did that get those technicians all puckered up! Because that can be very bad - like fatal - I had every cardiac test known to man thrown at me on a "stat" basis. Turned out it was a nothingburger. The cardiologists (yes, multiple) all said that it was just a speck of muscle on my heart that got a little extra stimulated. They said it was harmless and I'd probably had it my entire life. I can confirm that - my heart has always had erratic beating when trying to slow down after strenuous activity, even as a kid. They said I was at no more risk than anyone else because of this - it is just an annoyance thing. They offered to fix it (it's called an "ablation"). I had that done. And it's fixed. But I still have a cardiologist and all the neat things that go along with that. Yearly bloodwork. Echocardiograms every few years. EKG's. Treadmill stress tests now and then. Radioactive vessel studies every so often. They always come back fine. But having them done provides peace of mind (they're all paid for completely by insurance). I know from the echos and bloodwork that I don't have CHF creeping up on me. The radioactive studies show that I have no blockages or anything building up to a potential blockage. That's great to know. Most people don't get to know anything in this regard until it's quite advanced. Normally I would be the poster child for cardiac disease due to being overweight. That's why I said "lucky to have a cardiologist". I now have people looking after me ahead of any problems that may develop. There are a million other ways you can be sick and not know it, not just your heart - that's why I have routine colonoscopies and yeuchy stuff like that. It's for my own good.

I am all for preventative health care. I don't shun doctors and routine exams and testing.

No disagreements with any of that. I've had a couple stress test, second one the nuclear version. Was due for another that probably would have caught this. But my last one showed no blockages at all. Thats what makes me question how this got so bad so quick. I've done all the testing for years. Between my GP and my Endocronologist I get 4 blood test a year. Plus the other stuff on top of that. They just flat missed it even with all that. I wish I had went to a cardiologist back after I caught covid. That seems to be when everything started downhill timing wise.
But I'll never know for sure.

I sure apprecieate the prayers. I can use all those I can get.

 

[Haertig]

I've had a couple stress test, second one the nuclear version. Was due for another that probably would have caught this. But my last one showed no blockages at all.

That is scary! I had assumed that you hadn't had these kind of tests done - it's not really routine. I guess stress tests are, but not the nuclear studies (I don't think).

 

[Bacpacker]

My GP had me do a regular ST, then 5 years later the nuclear version. Both looked fine. I was due for another later this year. And yeah it is scary.

 

[Patchouli]

My hands hurt. Actually my thumbs. I haven't told my doctor and won't. I don't tell my doctor about any pain that I don't want to have all sorts of tests done for and I really hate spending my time visiting a doctor.

Yes, she wants me to get my hands scanned or xrayed or whatever...I'm not needing to do that. She didn't remind me about getting it done either, shows me how concerning it was (wasn't). They don't hurt all the time, my job aggravates it. Yes, in my "ham hock" area of my thumbs. I hurt both feet very badly when i was 21 in a car accident and now I get arthritis. No surprise.

 

[Haertig]

My GP had me do a regular ST, then 5 years later the nuclear version. Both looked fine. I was due for another later this year. And yeah it is scary.

God came up with a good plan for this - your body has been building up it's collateral circulation. Your blockage might have come as a surprise, and you did not have symptoms, because you have well developed cardiac collateral circulation. Hey, that's one benefit of us getting older - we've been developing that longer!

 

[Haertig]

They don't hurt all the time, my job aggravates it. Yes, in my "ham hock" area of my thumbs.

CMC joint arthritis. I'll bet this is @Jen 's problem too. And my problem as well. No tests required to diagnose it. My wife diagnosed mine in about 5 seconds. Of course, she works in orthopedics and specializes in hand, so that might be a factor! She said, "Let's walk over to my X-Ray machine and see what you look like ... but I know exactly what it is already." My hand image was on her computer screen in about 3 seconds and she said, "Yep, you have something to complain about. I'll go get you a splint."

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/thumb-arthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20378339

Splints can help when it flairs up. I have the type of splint below. My favorite. Small, doesn't get in the way of normal hand use, and doesn't absorb fluids you may encounter, or sweat.

https://bracelab.com/metagrip.html

I also have this splint. Works well also. But it gets in the way more than the first one I mentioned above. And after absorbing a bunch of sweat it will smell a bit funky.

https://mckiesplints.com/products/mckie-arthritis-thumb-splint?variant=31862156951650

Arthritis pain comes and goes. It depends on lots of things. I had to wear my splint almost non-stop for months to be able to do anything in relative comfort. Now, I haven't worn it for many months and have had zero pain doing anything.

 

[Snowman]

Doctors Keep You feeling Lousy so They Make Money off Unhealthy People...!!!

Remember this :

See How They have Changed :

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ftsa&q=recommended+food+chart&iax=images&ia=images

Scroll all the way down and get a Free Education...?!?

 

[Pearl]

CMC joint arthritis. I'll bet this is @Jen 's problem too. And my problem as well. No tests required to diagnose it. My wife diagnosed mine in about 5 seconds. Of course, she works in orthopedics and specializes in hand, so that might be a factor! She said, "Let's walk over to my X-Ray machine and see what you look like ... but I know exactly what it is already." My hand image was on her computer screen in about 3 seconds and she said, "Yep, you have something to complain about. I'll go get you a splint."

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/thumb-arthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20378339

View attachment 162865

Splints can help when it flairs up. I have the type of splint below. My favorite. Small, doesn't get in the way of normal hand use, and doesn't absorb fluids you may encounter, or sweat.

https://bracelab.com/metagrip.html

View attachment 162866

I also have this splint. Works well also. But it gets in the way more than the first one I mentioned above. And after absorbing a bunch of sweat it will smell a bit funky.

https://mckiesplints.com/products/mckie-arthritis-thumb-splint?variant=31862156951650

View attachment 162867

Arthritis pain comes and goes. It depends on lots of things. I had to wear my splint almost non-stop for months to be able to do anything in relative comfort. Now, I haven't worn it for many months and have had zero pain doing anything.

I have horrible thumb arthritis!! I have neoprene splintsI wear. Especially when doing things like trimming Buddy's hooves!

 

[Pearl]

I am allergic to all cholesterol meds so my neurologist put me on OTC Red Rice Yeast. I also take 15,000 units of D3 daily. Hope you are feeling well.

 

[dademoss]

I get a physical/tested every 13 months, cuts down on the insurance hassles.I always have a couple results a unit or so out of range, I think the tests are getting more and more sensitive.

I take one pill for BP, it is well controlled.

CMC joint arthritis is VERY annoying, the price we pay for gaining this much life experience.

 

[Snowman]

From the Mayo Clinic :

c/p :

"Our take

Caution

Red yeast rice is capable of lowering blood cholesterol levels and total blood cholesterol levels. While the supplement is generally considered safe, it might carry the same potential side effects as statin cholesterol drugs.


Red yeast rice might cost less than a statin. However, with a supplement, there's less assurance regarding quality and how much active ingredient is actually in the product. Some red yeast products might contain only small amounts of monacolin K and potentially have little effect on cholesterol levels.

Safety and side effects​

Red yeast rice can cause mild side effects, including:

• Abdominal discomfort
• Heartburn
• Gas
• Headache
• Dizziness

Red yeast rice might contain monacolin K, the same ingredient that is in the prescription cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin. Lovastatin side effects include liver damage and muscle disorders (myopathy).



Don't take red yeast rice if you're pregnant, trying to become pregnant or breast-feeding.


An older study raised the concern that some red yeast rice products contain a contaminant called citrinin, which can cause kidney failure. However, a more recent study that analyzed 14 red yeast rice dietary supplements didn't find citrinin in any of them."

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-red-yeast-rice/art-20363074

"

Interactions​

Possible interactions include:

• Alcohol. Don't drink alcohol if you are taking red yeast rice. The combination might increase the risk of liver damage.
• Cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune). Taking this immunosuppressive drug with red yeast rice might increase the risk of myopathy.
• Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitors. Taking red yeast rice with drugs, such as erythromycin, that inhibit this enzyme might increase the risk of harmful red yeast rice side effects.
• Grapefruit. Drinking grapefruit juice and taking red yeast rice might increase the risk of the supplement's harmful side effects.
• Gemfibrozil (Lopid). Taking this cholesterol drug with red yeast rice might increase the risk of myopathy.
• Hepatotoxic drugs, herbs and supplements. Red yeast rice might contain monacolin K, which can cause liver damage in some people. Taking red yeast rice with these types of drugs, herbs and supplements could increase the risk of liver damage.
• Niacin. Taking red yeast rice with high-dose niacin might increase the risk of myopathy.
• St. John's wort. Taking this supplement with red yeast rice might reduce the effectiveness of red yeast rice.
• Statin. Taking red yeast rice with other statins might increase the risk of harmful side effects.

Aug. 10, 2023

​

 

[Patchouli]

@Caribou said he uses the red yeast rice instead of the medication.
Thanks for the info everyone. The splints look helpful @Haertig , will look into that.

 

[Haertig]

Doctors Keep You feeling Lousy so They Make Money off Unhealthy People...!!!

If this was not meant as a joke (and it's a good one-liner that I could imagine Paul Lynde saying!), it could be used for example purposes in the other recent thread about "What information source do you trust?"

 

[Tirediron]

Doctors Keep You feeling Lousy so They Make Money off Unhealthy People...!!!

Remember this :

View attachment 162869

See How They have Changed :

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ftsa&q=recommended+food+chart&iax=images&ia=images

Scroll all the way down and get a Free Education...?!? SCHOOLED???

Yes remember the food guide if you want to eat the most profitable foods that make you sick, grain and sugar store well, they a profit based comodities, Education means real empirical data, not what the internet shills tell you

 

[Snowman]

Does anyone Remember that Healthy Food Pyramid from Science from Junior and High School back in the 50's n 60's...?!?

^^^ This one is not it...!!!

 

[d_marsh]

So how do you think you're doing health-wise? Do you care? Are you on a lot of medications? I'm on one. Do you eat as much as you want whenever you want, whatever you want? Do you exercise? Some of you don't have to because you run around all over the place all the time.

I have routine health assessments, but they are always based on fitness for service not 'what can we find to make money from'. The MD's are not going to make money off me by claiming I need this pill or that pill so they never find anything wrong. And no, I don't really care. And no, I don't take any pills other than vitamins. I have a very specific vitamin regiment that I don't vary from.

People eat way too much overall and WAY too much chemical non-foods disguised as foods. I eat until I am satisfied not until I am full, I keep my diet reasonable, I work out at least 5x a week, I am very active, I drink a lot of water and do not use drugs, smoke and only drink low-moderate amounts of alcohol. The worst thing I do is drink soda.