Does anyone else get heartburn from yogurt? It seems really odd to have this happen. I've noticed it's only some kinds of yogurt and seems to be the non-fat variety.

When I'm in a heartburn cycle, I get it from everything. Eating more than one banana at a time gives me heartburn I've given up trying to track it. My doctor gave me a 'script for Prilosec, which I've taken before (several years ago) and didn't get refilled because "hey, my heartburn's gone!" I'm in a cycle right now that's been going for about 6 weeks, so screw it, I'm going back on Prilosec.

HEYyyy!!!! I don't get reflux or heart burn very often, but I get terrible heartburn when I eat bananas here lately. Especially if they're "too ripe" - I pretty much have to eat them just barely ripened anyway. If they get too ripe I itch. I usually pop a rolaids or something and the acid-y feeling goes away. But the last time I ate one, it felt like i was going to explode on the inside. Never gotten it from yogurt though. That's interesting.

**hoping my incoherent rambling made sense- still sleepy**

No advice. Just another one who gets heartburn from almost any food. I actually can't think of a food that doesn't give me heartburn. Maybe celery? Anyways, I've been on 5 different kinds of pills. The current ones work the best but I still have an inkling of it. I want to get tested for gallstones personally because my mom had the same symptoms that I'm having when she got hers out a few months ago.

i've heard that the best way to get rid of heartburn is to drink a lot of water. but i have no idea, really. the only time i really had bad heartburn was when i was preggo, and at that point it didn't matter what i ate or drank, everything made me ill. ((((heartburnie busties))))

so, i came in here to ask a question.... i have had a migraine since yesterday evening. my stomach has settled down, and the headache is more of a background roar now, but it still hurts, and having my eyes open for long makes it worse, especially if it's bright. i have never been prone to headaches, even little ones, but all of a sudden, in the last month or so i have had 4 migraines. anybody know what's up with this? or have an idea?

An easy, inexpensive heartburn cure that works to help balance the alkalinity in the whole body:
Daily use of the biochemical Tissue Salt called Natrum Phosphoricum, or Nat Phos, after every meal. Use it for about a month following each meal and you will find the heartburn problem will be fixed.

It usually works immediately to stop heartburn while you suffer from it, because it immediately neutralizes acids. Recurrent heartburn is a symptom of a deficiency in this mineral salt (which, by the way, you can't get from food or supplements). It goes much further than just Tums or any of the other antacids on the market because it actually restores the balance of acidity and alkalinity in the body. Far more effective than Nexium and a lot less dangerous and expensive; goes one better than just plain old Tums in that it doesn't upset the acid balance in the body but actually restores it to it's healthy state.

You can buy Biochemical Tissue Salts at any good health food store, they're inexpensive, they are super easy to take and they work brilliantly. They come in 6x or 12x potencies, you can use either one for this purpose. Nat Phos also helps clear up other signs of deficiency in this inorganic salt, such as acne, fatigue, gout, kidney stones, swollen lymph nodes, varicose veins, and pustular skin diseases. They dissolve very quickly under your tongue and taste pleasant, they work immediately, they're cheap, and they make you much healthier than antacids.

another two cent contribution if you're looking for solutions other than the most obvious ones.

Get tested for gallstones and be sure you demand an ultrasound. My best friend was mis-diagnosed with ulcers for 7 years. It ended up being impacted gallstones and she had emergency surgery when her body went septic two weeks before she was scheduled to have it come out. By the end, she was having trouble eating anything and carried a pharmacy of heartburn pills in her purse.

Once she went to the hospital after having an attack (this was before she had been diagnosed) and the doctor on call asked her if it was her period. *tsk* She should've got an ultrasound then, but didn't.

When she finally got one, she took a look at the screen - apparently she had so many stone her gallbladder looked like the milky way. After the doctor took it out, he told her it had likely been completely non-functional for a few years.

The reason it went undiagnosed for so long was in part because she did not have a family doctor and went to walk-ins. However, each time she would take about her on going stomach problems, and they would do blood tests, but nothing will show.

Demand an ultrasound. It's the only reason my best friend is still alive.

I cannot reiterate what Geekchick says more vehemently, EJ. GET YOURSELF CHECKED OUT. NOW! I just spent a very unpleasant week in hospital because I thought it was just heartburn. It sure as fuck wasn't, this shit is serious like Stephen Hawking. GET THAT ULTRASOUND PRONTO, Erinjane!

Hey guys, sorry this is quite off topic..but I was wondering if there were any busties out there suffering from social anxiety/social phobia??

I bumped the thread for you, Bottleblack. I started an OCD thread with a better title, but, um, it gave the anxiety girls anxiety, so they started this one.

double posties

healthy greetings everyone...

it's been a while since i've visited this board, but i'm back!

i need some nutritional, whole-body, and just emotional support and advice if possible. probably, staying up late till 2 or 5 in the morning lately hasn't helped my immune system, but still...

being where i'm at. it's hard, sometimes.

so i realized, after noticing a blister of sorts on my left palm, that it moved to my pointer finger, on the left-hand side. i have herpes whitlow on my left hand and i am horrified, mortified, and no longer trust my body (for real this time).

reading up online about it (and googling all of the pictures of it so i could "confirm" my diagnosis, natch), i began covering the affected area with a bandaid.

so much for bandaids, because when i showered today (with a purple nitrile glove - i feel like i'm contagious in a really icky way), i noticed before i hopped in that i had two more blisters where the one blister was...

i feel so distraught. how did i get herpes on my hand? okay, so i know about autoinoculation and cuts and opportunistic infections. i did have a cold sore a while back, and my immune system isn't that great.

i just feel like i'm having a bunch of health problems. recently, i began seeing an acupuncturist and herbalist. that's been helping, i think, except when i feel really tired and gobble up lots of chocolate (which is full of arginine, an amino acid that supposedly feeds viruses).

i just want to trust my body again, but now i don't even feel like i can be sexual because of my oft-stigmatized herpes...so far as i know, i don't have HSVII, but i have had cold sores since i was a girl.

i don't know, i just feel like a disease bomb. i am taking lysine supplements, starting a protocol, and taking the herbs. i'm also getting acupuncture. why am i so stressed out?

i do feel frustrated in my life, like i have no money, like i am working a lot, like i'm tired a lot, and just poor and invisible sometimes. also, there aren't many trees and much nature in my city, so i feel cut off.

anyway, thanks for reading.

i can't believe i have herpes whitlow. this is gross. ohmygodohmygodohmygod.
or gaia. i just want to heal.

{{{persimmongirl}}} I know nothing about any form of herpes so I can't really help you there.
However, it sounds like you are working really hard to learn a lot and are simply overwhelmed by your emotional reaction to the various illnesses you are fighting. You are right in thinking that emotions play a part in recovery and health. As does rest.
I remember when I was having health problems back in 2006-07. One of the things I was struggling with was chronic yeast infections. It made me feel so gross and wiped out and unsexual. Add to that, the medication that made me so uninterested in the opposite sex (or even my left hand) and, well, it really wasn't a great time. And the idea of what was wrong with me just burdened me spiritually. I had a fibroid. Nothing fatal or even really visable but I knew that the fibroid was a physical manifestation of a lot of repressed anger and pain. Having it inside me was very stressful. I also felt betrayed that my body would actually show physical proof to the world that I was struggling with issues. It did feel like I couldn't trust it.
One thing that helped me was this website: Chronic Babe. I met the woman who created this site and she is very sweet and interesting and the site really was there for me when I needed it.
Another suggestion is that you look for community mental health resources in your area. It sounds like you would really benefit from having someone to talk with and many of these clinics have low- or sliding-scale costs. If you are in the States and need help finding one, PM me and I'll see what I can come up with.
Best of luck to you. I know that healing is possible although it may not take on the form that you are expecting (again, I know nothing about the health issue you are struggling with.) I had to learn that I could trust my body to do what I need to get done as long as I was willing to take care of myself in a whole new way.
One more thing: maybe you could ask your herbalist about melanoma/melanin (whichever one, I get confused) to help with your sleeping.

Anyone ever had gas stuck in their chest so bad that it causes chest pain???? I know it's gas because it moves down when I drink water. It is slowly subsiding but my gosh, i felt like i was dying for a little while. I had 911 on speed dial. Lordy, that was scary! Any idea of what I can do to make it go away?

Oh my, yes, konphusion. It's awful. My usual remedy for gas that won't pass is to try lying on my stomach. Usually, it will float to the top, so to speak. If that doesn't work, I move into a fetal position, but facing downward.

Although, that usually helps more when it's a little further along. I have had it in my chest before, but I'm not sure how much those positions will help.

Kon, after the whole being in hospital thing, my doc suggested Prilosec OTC for the gas that came along with my condition. But that's for frequent type things as it must be taken everyday for something like two weeks. Thankfully mine subsided. Now I have a cabinet full of Prilosec OTC.

When I've had really bad painful gas I drink a mug of hot water. I sip it slowly and I don't know what the deal is but drinking hot water seems to help way more than cold water.


I'm just wondering, have any of you ladies ever had a colonic irrigation? Some websites say that they are dangerous and don't have any benefits while others say that they are incredible and make you feel great, etc, etc. I'm curious about getting one.

I know a gal that wound up with a perforated colon because of a poorly administered irrigation. But I know people that swear by them, too. It's kinda like those Master Cleanse fasts. People seem to go both ways on them. I guess you'll never know unless you try, but I'd make sure to look into the practitioner carefully.

Turbojenn is commonly known as The Butt Flush Queen in the okay thread (what a thing to be known for! Maybe that will be on her tombstone!) so you may want to ask her. If I were going to decide to do it, I'd definitely ask her.

persimmon gal

(Melatonin = hormone which regulates circadian rhythm of the body: which determines our cycle of sleep/wakefulness

Melanin = pigment in our skin which darkens on exposure to sunlight, plays a role in vitamin D synthesis in the body

Melanoma = cancer of skin tissue)

very confusing because they are so closely related, no? Melatonin is what may help you out here.

Best to ask a nutritionist about melatonin, or a naturopath. It isn't an herbal medicine: although an herbalist would likely be very helpful in finding herbal remedies to restore your health that would be better than the melatonin in your case.

In my experience, herpes of all kinds will only surface when the "immune system" is so overtaxed the nervous system suddenly succumbs to illness. As far as nervous system disease, herpes is very, very mild: take this as a warning sign that you must prioritize eliminating much of the stress from your life.

That means: you must eat regularly, and you have to eliminate junky foods and processed foods--anything you would eat because you don't have time or you're rushing or you can't afford the real food. If this means you have to find someone to nurture you with food, then that is what it means....but really what I'm saying is your body's demanding some steady, nourishing food, on an ongoing basis. No more crap, simple as that: and stop sweating the chocolate. You're obviously craving it, so you need it. As for the arginine, your body needs it anyway, just like it needs all the amino acids, all the time. It's one trace element in chocolate which is not even considered the active medicine anyway (and you better believe that chocolate is a medicine, it's been used that way for more than 5000 years, and for good reason). You're working yourself up over nothing.

It would then follow that: you must remove yourself from situations that are making you feel stressed. First: stop looking at the internet for information on this stuff (you'll find far too much information that does not pertain to your case! This can't do anything except stress you out). I end up with a lot of patients who are given a "name" for their symptoms, rush to the internet to find out what it is, then invariably call me in a panic because they've only read about the extreme worse case scenarios and they are now in fear for their lives. My latest was diagnosed with too much iron in his blood--so naturally his fate, according to the internet's definition of the name of his condition, was daily dialysis and a lifetime of many drugs. His entire family were in tears when I showed up for his consultation, convinced he was never going to be "normal" again.

One dose of one remedy and a month on a crap restricted diet (on which he ate more food than usual, just far better stuff), and his doctors are very impressed to see his symptoms completely reversed. And they told him the internet information was for patients much, much further along in their disease than he was. My point is he freaked himself out so much he didn't ask for more details about his own case, and then just panicked when he read the information on line, which DID NOT reflect his own disease status.

If you are seeing an acupuncturist, tell him or her you are having these symptoms. There is such a thing, in energy medicines like acupuncture and other forms of traditional Chinese medicine, asian medical systems like ayurveda, and homeopathy, known as "the direction of cure", where symptoms are expected to arise as part of the process of healing--all in a predictable way. Often these symptoms pinpoint exactly how the treatment is going--they inform the practitioner about your progress good or bad; they are temporary; if needed they can be reversed with the use of an "antidote"; they may even be what we call a "proving" symptom which can result from the use of contradictory methods of treatment (does your acupuncturist know you're seeing an herbalist, and vice versa?) or from using too much of a medicinal substance. For example, quite a few of the solanacea plants (tomatoes, dulcamara, tobacco, etc) can cause symptoms like the ones you describe on your hand--if you take too much of the substance (and how much is too much depends only on you). If you're using alternative health methods, you have to tell your practitioner so he/she can manage your case properly: it's important to remember that if you choose to work with these methods they involve a lot more than just taking a pill oh having a treatment with acupuncture and then just going on your merry way. We're conditioned to do that by conventional medicine, but you can't apply the same logic with alternatives.


You've got a big fear of disease and germs in general, so that's stressing you out even more than everything else and your "immune system" doesn't need to be taxed any more than it is--talking to your practitioners will make a big difference here. Try and remove yourself from anything you don't need to put up with--take some time off from a lousy job situation, if that's bothering you; stop taking calls or hanging out with people who cause you some difficulty for a while; try to spend a lot more time resting; if you've got deadlines to meet see if you can't negotiate yourself some extra time for them (especially if you're in school and stressing about work you've got to get done--just ask for extensions ahead of the due date and rest).

cha charming, i just lurve you!!!!


that is all!

Anemia

Hi everyone

I haven't posted in this thread before, but I have a health question for ya. I am starting to become pretty convinced that I am anemic in some way (a doctor visit is in order within the next few months), but I wanted to see if any of you have any thoughts.

My biggest symptom is fatigue. Constant, sometimes very intense, fatigue, that I have been experiencing since middle school (I am now 21). I take several hour long naps whenever possible, because I am so desperately tired all the time. Since this has been happening for over 10 years now, I have gone through many life changes including an established excercise routine, regular sleep pattern, diet changes, etc., NOTHING helps. I also have depression/OCD/anxiety and thought this could be to blame - but as I did more research, I became convinced that anemia was the cause of my problems.


Some other symptoms that I have, listed w/ anemia:

-high pulse rate, shortness of breath, headache (these are pretty broad thougH)
-often light headed
-low blood pressure
-persistent canker sores in mouth (I have one that hasn't gone away in months!!)
-sometimes experiencing tingling/pins and needles (especially after a night of drinking - what does this mean?)

I have consistently very low blood pressure (my last was 90 something over 60 something), but a high pulse usually.

I am enrolled in an Anatomy and Physiology course right now, and on the chapter on blood we did some basic testing. One test was to compare the color of a blood droplet to this anemia scale. Mine was very bright red and definitely on the anemia side. I asked my teacher and he said it could be because I had my period recently (which was true). However this definitely got me started on the anemia search. We also did a hemoglobin test and mine was normal, but an air bubble got in and I think this effected the results.

One last thing, over the past several days I have had an INTENSE craving for dill pickles. I went to the store today and bought a jar of Vlasic snackmms. I have since eaten the ENTIRE jar!!!!! AHHHH. I couldn't believe it. I started googling pickle cravings (I am not sexually active so definitely not pregnant) - and did get some results in relation to anemia.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Is any of this ringing a bell in relation to another condition?

Your input is much appreciated!

I'm not getting anemia so much as general malnourishment, with possible specific deficiencies in minerals like magnesium, potassium, and maybe even silica and just plain old salt. A craving for lacto-fermented foods like pickles generally signifies a lot of important nutrients are needed.

The low blood pressure would be a concern to me; I don't see anemia I see a general lack of nourishment. One vitamin that I'd consider getting you on right away is B12. Has anyone talked to you about getting regular injections of this vitamin? Maybe a good place to start for diagnosing exactly what is wrong is to go and see a doctor about having some complete bloodwork done. All this guessing and surmising isn't really going to get us moving in a direction to fixing the problem, and if you are deficient in the B 12 vitamin (and other Bs) the bloodwork will reveal this. Then you can find someone to help you figure out a plan to reverse this.

I'm just mentioning the B vitamin because that might help a great deal with the depression/anxiety you're feeling, and the tingling you're describing. Otherwise, there isn't much to go on based on your list of symptoms, other than I wonder if you're eating regularly (the lightheadedness makes me think there's either not enough protein in your diet, or you're not eating on a regular basis and leaving far too much time in between meals).

(((((erinjane)))))

Thanks for your reply. I agree I must be lacking some nutrients, but I don't necessarily feel malnourished. I do sometimes eat irregularly, especially within the last year or so, but I have been having these symptoms for awhile. I thought B12 too, a deficiency in B12 can also be caused by pernicious anemia I know. I had considered buying some supplements, but I wanted to wait to get bloodwork done. I am in the middle of relocating right now, so once I get settled in I'll definitely be seeing a doctor.

I know my eating habits could use some improvement, but I don't think that they are anything unusual as to cause so many symptoms. I live on my own now, so I dictate what I eat and when, but even when I was younger living at home with my family, I ate healthy for the most part and very regularly, and still had these symptoms.

Regardless, I appreciate your input. You seem to be pretty savvy based on your other responses so I definitely appreciate you getting back to me. I'll let you know once I go to the doctor what the results are.

hey bottleblack,

I'm definitely with you on this. I have a lot of social anxiety/depression/OCD and always have. Are you on any medication? I was on Paxil 25-30mg for several years and kind of leveled out. At one point I felt ready to get off the medication and it was hell. After the withdrawal symptoms passed, I went back to square one where I could barely leave my apartment sometimes because I just felt so depressed and had so many obsessive/anxiety thoughts. I have since been on Effexor 225 for the past year or so. I've leveled out again, at a point where I can definitely deal, but it's hard sometimes. Like I said in my other post, I am in the process of moving - making me very very anxious, but once I get settled I'm going to see another psych doctor and take things from there.

Hope all is well with you, I"ll probably hop on another thread about this eventually.

mg86, have you considered getting into a more "traditional foods" style of eating? it involves more whole foods and a lot of traditional methods like preserved and fermented foods. a lot of what we think of as "healthy" really isn't that great. yes, a whole wheat cracker is better than a cracker made from white flour, but it's still not great. just a thought for ya.

ok all you wonderful ladies, give me some home remedies for sunburn. i don't have any cucumbers or milk, which are 2 of my personal faves, i've tried aloe but my skin is so sore... it's just not helping. my arms, shoulders, upper chest, neck and face are just bright, screaming red, and there are a few small blisters on my nose and along the straps of my tank top, which i'm thinking is more from the cloth rubbing than the burn, but whatever... it freakin hurts! help!

I was put on Paxil as well but found it did nothing. I was also prescribed Clomipramine and Klonopin, both of which did not help with my anxiety...I feel like I am immune to medication or beyond help or something...I wish I could just find something that I could take in the moment of nervousness that would just calm me down, instead of taking a pill every single day.

Actually, a serious deficiency in B vitamins will cause pernicious anemia, but I've no reason to suspect you've got that kind of anemia unless you're vegetarian or vegan, or an alcoholic (and you didn't mention any of these things in your first post, mg86). Pernicious anemia's fairly deadly, it's not like the anemia most women experience at some point in their lives.

I'm definitely with Damona on a whole, traditional foods nutritional eating plan. Most people eat stuff they're told is "healthy", like whole wheat breads, low-fat dairy, oils instead of animal fats--and all of that is not healthy food at all (it's just Big Food telling you to buy what they produce). You'd be amazed how well a body functions on foods human beings have been eating for thousands and thousands of years. And to me it's clear that a majority of your complaints would benefit from just making sure you're getting all you need nutritionally.

Anyway...complete blood work can get rid of some of the big mysteries, if they show you need B12 I'd suggest weekly injections of methylcobalamin until you can replenish what you need if your blood work shows any kind of deficiency (usually there are plenty of symptoms you need some, long before a blood test will reveal it, so if it does show on a blood test, then you're really, really depleted. Injections would be the only way to go in that case, supplements won't do it).

Remedies for Sunburn:

Lemon juice on the skin to restore the acid mantel;
sour cream, if you've got it, to moisturize and also fix the acid issue
if you can get to a store that sells homeopathic single remedies, a dose of Natrum Sulphuricum in a low potency (like a 6C or 12C or 30c) will help with any ailments from exposure to the sun--painful skin, sun stroke, the blistering/burning etc. Just take a dose of 3 pills, as needed (use when you feel your symptoms strongly: don't redose if you feel better! Not until your symptoms return).

hi kittenb and chacha,

thanks for your replies! i really appreciated it.

kittenb - the chronicbabe website is interesting. i'm trying to spend less time on the computer, but that looks like a good space for support. also, yeah, i'll take you up on your offer. i am seeing a counselor, but she doesn't take insurance, so i see her "as needed"/"as affordable". it's not at all consistent. actually, the herbalist and acupuncturist i am seeing (the same person) is the most consistent person i've been seeing as related to my health. for a while, while looking for low-cost/sliding scale counseling, i had really bad experiences. at a community/free health clinic, i talked with a young LSW man who looked more nervous than i was, and i didn't feel nervous. i just felt depressed and ug. another time, someone was racist, and i stopped seeing her. for a while, there, i was calling hotlines due to stress. i realized that even if i move, it doesn't make my past stay the last place i lived.

chacha - i love words, and i totally knew melanin from melatonin from melanoma. thanks for the 101, tho! there's actually a radiohead song called melatonin. actually, i'm doing (long-distance) communication with a naturopath since i started doing the dioxychlor protocol. i'm in the beginning process, and i never thought to call her up and ask her. so maybe that's on order. also, as above, the acupuncturist is the herbalist, and vice versa: same lady. at the urging of my counselor, who referred me to the acupuncturist and herbalist, i showed it to that doctor. she looked at it, but didn't say a whole lot. she poked it with her finger, actually, and i sort of wished she hadn't, since i'm afraid of it being contagious.

reading through my journal, i saw that i had a cold sore (on my lip) in late may. life has been tumultuous and a little stressful where i live. i try to avoid arginine-rich foods, but i've also been eating lots of canned herring (sardines), salmon (fresh and canned), and the acupuncturist/herbalist said that i have a good diet, but i need to eat a pound of greens four days out of the week at minimum. she also said no dairy, no spicy food, and at some point she'd get me to join a gym (or just walk around the block, for me). i'm not overweight, but i do feel tired all of the time. the other night, i actually ate some (dairy-free) dark chocolate, and i had the worst insomnia and heart palpitations, so i don't think i can eat chocolate! someone suggested i may have anemia, and told me to get a big jar of (unsulfured, for my asthma!) molasses and take a Tb. of it every day, but it's too sweet, and doesn't fit in with my dioxychlor protocol. i don't have a primary care doc, and haven't had complete bloodwork (CBC, and whatever else i need, maybe TSH???) in over a year (mostly because i haven't had insurance).

before i started eating fish more regularly, i was bordering on vegan, and have been vegetarian for a long time. but i also found myself just eating lots of starches (quinoa, brown rice, rice crackers, lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, bob's red mill gluten free breakfast, etc.).

the acupuncturist got me into watercress, more spinach, kale, and eggplant. she also got me stir-frying greens. my friend suggested i look at "eat right for your type." the same long-distance naturopath once told me about it, and i even took home a DIY blood-typing kit, but i forgot my blood type and was dismissive of the theory because i didn't like my food options (the meats listed). i'm probably more open-minded now.

lately, i really love fresh, boiled artichoke!

i hear your point on not escalating what is an otherwise straight-forward situation. herpes on finger (ew) = must reduce stress. i don't think i'm going to the place where one of your clients went, thronged with woeful family in tow. i actually don't have a lot of "family", per se, and probably one of my stressors is not having a strong social support network. that sounds so technical, but just feeling like i have people in my life about whom i care. and feel mutual trust and consistency. reducing stress is something i'm definitely working on. i do feel like i've lost my vim and vigor for life, though, and i'm trying to figure out, in a life-sense, what my motivation is, and remember/find out what i'm passionate and care about. i've had a lot of transitions in the last few months, have moved a lot (within the same city), and dealt with some trauma issues.

i worked really hard to get to where i am (moving to the city where i live now, getting a stable job, cutting off contact with people who i felt did not support me and help me grow), and along the way i think i became very self-sufficient but also somewhat bitter and closed. i feel like i've dealt with a lot on my own, and while i'm independent, i've also just been fighting and struggling a lot. it makes me trust myself, but it also exhausts me. i feel like i've spent what reserves i had to get myself over the hurdles of these past several years. i'm alive, but half-toned. i've had to do everything by myself, and while i don't mind being independent, i think i've found it difficult to find help. i'm very hard on myself, it seems.

the most stable - but somewhat stodgy and unfulfilling - element in my life right now is my steady job. i feel like i've kept moving and fighting to get to where i am (financial independence), that i've become stuck on survival mode. i don't enjoy life anymore. if i'm not working, i just want to be at home, and while i've had friends over and been to friends' places for dinner, i usually just stick around at home on the weekends. it's too exhausting to leave the house sometimes, and loud noises really stress me out.

removing myself from stressful situations: the thought of that makes me feel numb! i don't really like the city in which i live, but other times really do. i've moved so many times in the last three years, and it has taken its toll on me, i think. i'm usually a sign that enjoys travel, but lately consistency has its appeal, although not in the boring sense. just...stability, roots. i need that. i'm not sure to where i'd move, and of course the first thing on my mind is, "how will i support myself in xyz place?"

the job gave me a raise last week, and i actually did have three days off last week (for "vacation", in which i stayed at home and in the same city, doing laundry, cooking, buying needed furniture for my apartment, cleaning, and feeling like a normal human being because i felt like i could take care of basic things i was too tired for/didn't have time to do while working). i wish i felt less isolated and lonely where i live.

and, to be honest - although i got the raise, i didn't much care because i dislike/don't believe in my job.

i think i stopped trusting my body after i started grinding my teeth in my sleep (!). i noticed it first in 2005, when i'd wake myself up in the middle of the night doing it. that scared me. i couldn't believe i was doing damage to my body (even unconsciously). my herbalist and acupuncturist said that my overtaxed liver could be affecting my bruxism. i do wear a night guard, and that helps, but i wish i could find a way to stop grinding and being stressed out even in my sleep. when i got a dental cleaning, the hygienist said she wouldn't polish my teeth because the enamel was gone on my molars, and that polishing takes off a layer of enamel each time. this concerned me. stress effects on my body and spirit are expensive.

it's hard sometimes. i wish i had half the energy and joy i had three or four years ago. does stress create misanthropy?

wow, this is longer than i expected.

okay, thanks again for the responses. appreciated much!

hello busties...I'm de-lurking for the very first time to draw on your collective wisdom. I'm having a lady-parts problem and trying not to freak out--I can't tell whether I'm just feeling unnecessarily guilty, or if maybe there's something wrong. I can't figure out what's going on with my cycle.

I'm normally very regular, every 28 days. But 2 and a half weeks after my last period I am having what is either a very light period, or spotting. I've never experienced either. It's been 2 days so far of just enough rust-colored blood to half fill a tampon after 6 hours or so. (sorry to be so graphic!) I'm not on the pill and just use condoms at the moment.

I had protected sex about five days before my last "normal" period.
But I've been having a lot more sex than usual in the last two weeks, with a new boy. We're not is safe as we should be--it's unprotected at first but he puts a condom on half way through. I know this is retarded.

I also just started taking adderall again a few days ago after a month-long break. Everything else is the same as far as diet and exercise are concerned. I'm 30 years old, and against all odds have never been pregnant or contracted an std--or even a UTI.

I'm really worried that either I'm pregnant (if this is a very light period) or that I've contracted something or damaged something... Is it possible that the big uptick in sex threw my chemistry out of whack or something? Or perhaps I am being punished by a vengeful, patriarchal god for having sex with more than one guy in a month? Right now both seem like viable possibilities.

Could really use some advice. I don't have health insurance right now so this would mean an expensive trip to the gyno.

Um, they're your lady parts & they are important. Go to the danged doctor. I really don't think any of us can give you any practical advice since we aren't doctors/practitioners ('cept Cha) nor are we looking up your ginch.

That being said, having increased sex with multiple partners has never messed with my flow.

And stop fucking around with the condom midway shit, you're old enough to know better.

auralpoison,
of course you're right. I came here looking for some sympathy and possibly reassurance, since I don't have anyone else I can really confide in about all of this right now. I think I came to the wrong place though. Reading your response made me feel even more foolish and insecure--and embarassed. So never mind.

corrinda - I don't think that you came to the wrong place. There is a lot of support and reassurance on Bust. There is also a strong amount of "Calling it like I see it." Such is the risk when you put out a question in a community of outspoken women. The truth isn't a judgement.
You might want to check to see if your town or someplace near by has a woman's health clinic or even a Planned Parenthood since you mentioned that you don't have insurance. I was w/o health insurance and I had a strong fear of gynocologists. Once I finally went to one (I avoided it even knowing that I had a great clinic down the street), well, many things were wrong that could have been avoided if I had been more proactive w/my health care. I had to take emotional responsibility for the mistakes that I let my fear cause.
I hope you are able to find a place that you trust and can afford. Good luck.

Dude, Corrinda, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. Nor was I judging you. Fer reals.

It's just that your lady bits are IMPORTANT. Letting something like this go without professional help could seriously cause you physical harm. I know that healthcare is a bitch to pay for, but this could be something *SERIOUS*. Or it could be nothing, but wouldn't you rather know definitively rather than ask a bunch of untrained strangers about it? We're not gynecologists & just a brief rundown of symptoms isn't very useful unless we have that kind of training, which most of us don't. You have to be proactive in taking care of your pussy because it's the only one you'll ever have, so go to the doctor. PP & women's clinics are there to help you. These are numbers for joints in your area.

Brooklyn Women's Services - www.doctorepstein.com - (718) 531-6969
Planned Parenthood - www.plannedparenthood.org - (718) 965-7000
A Brooklyn Woman's Medical Pavillion PC: Call 24 7 Brooklyn a ... - www.nyabortion.com - (718) 222-0123
Brooklyn Gyn Place - www.mypregnancyplace.com - (718) 624-0604
Professional Gynecological Services, PC - www.thewomenschoice.com - (718) 875-4848
Parkway Birth Control Clinic - (718) 436-9020

I'm sorry if you were looking for tea & sympathy, but this to me isn't a tea & sympathy situation. This is SERIOUS. If you were one of my IRL gfs, I'd smack you in the back of the head & THEN give you a hug. Go to the doctor, stop half using condoms. It sounds like you've been taking good care of your Britney for thirty years, why stop now?

And fuck that patriarchy bullshit. Have sex with as many partners as you want, JUST PLAY SAFE FROM NOW ON! Your peace of mind & your cunny will thank you for it!

(((((Corrinda)))))

As a Saggy, that's how I often get responded to, especially if I'm just saying it like I see it.

There's absolutely no malice in my words, but they aren't fluffed up and cushioned. Nor are they passive aggressive or proselytizing.

Just honest. And, as the follow-up shows, Sags generally follow up with material help, and are absolutely flabbergasted when people think they're coming from a place of mean-spiritedness. Jerkfaces we are not. Unless, of course, a person is a jerkface, but I don't think that's where AP is coming from.

I've had a lot of Cancers, and possibly other water signs, respond to me in similar ways.

I am totally generalizing.

My disclaimer,
PG

Cool bath and throw in some white vinegar. That seems to help me.

Persimmon, a talk with your ND is definitely in order. It's the most important thing.

Other symptoms you're listing now definitely point to an issue with iron (the inability to stand the loud noises, the chocolate craving, the tiredness, the misanthropy)---and, yes, I would encourage you to strongly consider adding red meat and shellfish back into your diet. There also seems to be a big protein deficiency--stop worrying about arginine, it is truly a non issue! It is far more important that you have it! So please start sourcing out protein foods with all the amino acids--arginine included--because you're in need of them. The blood type diet is okay--but it is theoretically flawed (all the blood types existed at all points of human existence, that's just a fact that's been verified scientifically...so the author's theoretical groundwork for the diet really isn't correct) however, some people just do very very well on specific foods, others are hindered by them. I'm a type 0 who ate nothing but veggies and then veggies and dairy and eggs for over a decade--it was definitely not good for me to do that. Re introducing red meats in the form of game meats really improved my energy levels and strength. But I loved pulses! Technically I'm supposed to avoid those with all my energy. I don't, though, because they don't hurt me in any way and I like them a lot. So D'Adamo's helpful (at least you're not eating crap) but not something I'd follow completely.

I like the idea of adding more greens to the diet, as it seems incredibly grain heavy. Lots of grains, very little protein, very little fat, very few greens -- you're not getting enough of anything you absolutely need there. Also, whatever benefit you might gain from the grains you're not getting (because there is not enough fat in the diet to make absorption chemically possible). Also, veganism and vegetarianism are just really difficult to do well UNLESS you supplement significantly and/or add vast amounts of diverse foods to your diet--stuff you may not be able to get regularly or easily. Most people are simply not prepared to do that, and think that all you have to do is just stop eating meat foods. And that's where trouble starts.

If your ND is fully trained in Classical Homeopathy (she'll have a DHANP designation among her credentials if she is, if she isn't, go to www.homeopathy.org for a referral list of qualified homeopaths near you) ask her to treat you with classical homeopathy. Works better than anything else, particularly if your body simply will not utilize iron properly at all. No amount of diet or nutrition change will fix that (though there are tricks you can use to try and compensate), but homeopathy definitely can fix the body's inability to assimilate the iron if it's done right. If you're interested, seek out only qualified homeopaths--lots of NDs say they know it, but they use medicines which aren't homeopathic and no one knows what they're doing in the body--in short, you won't get good results with someone who isn't fully trained in the classical method.

As a bonus: that lingering asthma, the bruxism, the anemia, and that feeling that you're not loving your life will all be taken into consideration as well as the blood issues in your treatment, and you'll see huge improvements all around with homeopathy. If it sounds doable, please consider it.

Corrinda:

A big uptick in sex is supposed to give you healthy skin, lots of energy, and a ton of passion. If it gives you a change in your menstrual cycle, the sex is either stressing you out or what you think is your reduced period is really just the first signs of pregnancy.

So take Aural's advice and know that even her delivery was meant with great care and respect. Rule out the pregnancy, that's the first thing to determine in your case. If you're not preggers, you can then figure out what's going on next.

Above all, you have to insist on protecting yourself. In your case that might very well mean asking yourself why you're compromising this, why you're with a man who thinks that compromising this is a good idea at all. Any partner who puts his own pleasure before your need to stay healthy is not someone you want to continue with. Take my word for this: any compromises in this area with someone this intimate will lead to all kinds of frustration with him in the future, as well as all kinds of physical illness--specifically targetting your sex organs and your healthy sexual life--for you.

Six-word rant: Why is my hair falling out?

-Arg

Diet? Stress? A friend of mine was attending a prestigious scientific university, double major, & his hair started falling out in clumps because he wasn't making time to eat right & he was pushing himself too hard. He finished with top marks, but had to wear a hat for a good six months after. He looked like he'd been attacked with pinking shears & clippers for a while.

And yes, I am a Sag. Although I generally regard astrology as complete & utter hooey, sometimes it's startlingly accurate.

this is xp to the pregnancy thread. i'm hoping that chacha will see it and be able to help me.

ok, i'm asking for help here. anybody know anything to naturally induce labor? i'm 40 weeks, 50% effaced, and only 1-2 cm dilated.

i am going absolutely up the wall crazy. my mental health is in jeopardy here. i'm serious about that. nobody seems to take me seriously when i tell them my mental state. it scares me. i need to have my baby already. not only do i suffer from quite severe depression, i have other mental health issues that are going to kick my ass if i don't have this baby soon. i'm scared!

any physically, i'm dead beat. i have fibromyalgia and am in pain 24/7 with very little way to treat it whilst pregnant. that, on top of all the pregnancy symptoms has me in tears several times a day. i'm complaining, i know. i get to. i'm extremely swollen, to the point of my skin breaking down on my feet. the swelling in my hands has given me nerve damage and carpel tunnel syndrome so bad that i can no longer play the fiddle. i've been having contractions that are quite painful for weeks now. either my pain tolerance has fallen through the floor or nobody is hearing me. i'm so frustrated.

so, how can i get this dear little baby moving on out so i'll still be at least a tiny bit sane to parent him? any ideas or tips would be appreciated. thanks in advance.

fiddler

Fiddler: I answered you in the Alt Med thread;

Persimmon: is it falling out in clumps, like Alopecia? Is it falling out and leaving bare, round patches? Or is it just falling out in handfuls?

It's stress, either way--why not get some Natrum Muriaticum tissue salts in a 6x or 12x potency from your health food store, take four pills under the tongue four times a day. It'll help with the herpes and the hair loss. Cheap, effective.

Just jumping in here. I have been aenemic before and is usually caused by stress leading to not eating well. My doctor has always suggested to take a specific iron supplement to kick start things and focus on eating better. I'm feeling like I might be there again (in terms of stress and eating poorly I am for sure) because I'm constantly exhausted. Would it be a bad idea to start taking a supplement until I get into see her next week?

We're keeping you busy, huh, Cha?

I'm confused as hell about supplements right now. My potassium has been low, so the doctor gave me a potassium supplement. Then I went to the nutritionist, who gave me a hard time about taking the supplement. She insisted I eat more potassium rich foods, the majority of her suggestions were foods I hate. I think I've found enough things I like (plain yogurt, avocado, spinach, nectarines, brussels sprouts, melon, kiwis, potatoes, etc) that I can ease off the horse pills, but I don't know. I know that it's better for you to get the potassium from food than supplements, but a lot of the good stuff isn't available at my shite local market. I see the doctor again tomorrow, so I guess we shall see.

I'd have to say I'm in the same boat with you AP. I know I don't get the nutrients I need, so I 've been taking multivitamins and magnesium supplements, plus folic acid, evening primrose oil, and trying to eat better. BUT, I'm very limited in the fruits I can eat (that don't cause allergic reaction), and the veggies that I actually like are hard to come by around here without spending an arm and a leg. Which is also a pain because I'm unemployed right now.

Is there like an all in one type of vitamin that will keep me from having to take so many different supplements??? I really hate taking pills, but I know my diet is not up to par.

Also, don't know where this would fit - but has anybody ever tried either a Neti pot or a sinus rinse bottle for sinus and allergy problems??? I just bought one and it feels so weird. But my sinuses don't seem to be as congested as they were.

I am a dedicated neti pot user. The first time I used it, air was coursing through places that likely hadn't seen air in years. Being where I am (And where I used to live.), there is a lot of shit in the air, so unless I want to just live with sinus issues or be drugged out of my mind, the neti pot is a good choice. It feels weird at first, but it's worth it IMHO.

I take vitamin C, B12, potassium, & fish oil.

Supplements!

There are literally millions of kinds of them on the market; worse, there are all kinds of people with no idea about what they do selling them (the vast majority of these offenders are pharmacists and MDs: after that, the people who work in "health food" stores, especially the nation wide chain kinds). Some are very good and extremely necessary, in given cases; the vast, teeming majority are nothing but stearate impregnated globs (from which it would be chemically impossible for you to derive any benefit) and patent medicines which are only useful for generating profit. Worse than the proverbial "snake oil", because, as a homeopath, I can tell you that snakes make for some fantastically curative medicines, particularly for women, and especially so if they are used according to the homeopathic method of prescribing--i.e., because they are indicated by the individual patient's symptoms, and they fit the patient's entire case.

That being said, the reason I decided to become a homeopath and use homeopathic medicines almost exclusively is because any other form of alternative medicine usually revolves around the heavy handed use of many, many supplements. Having worked with a number of NDs when I was learning, I realized right away that they are an inefficient way of doing any kind of long term health care--for people like me. I want to seek out alternative care so I don't have to take a cupboard full of pills! And if you're only healthy when you're taking many supplements every day, in my opinion, you're not restoring your health you're just palliating it and not really getting better. Supplements are very expensive for patients, they demand a level of commitment and financial investment that a lot of people simply don't have, and they're often misused or just ineffective.

So can you tell I'm a bit biased about them?

That being said, in cases of severe deficiency there are a couple of things to keep in mind: supplements will get you out of the dire need situation, easing some of the presenting symptoms so they can "lighten the load" for you while you do the real heavy work of restoring your health. So they answer a big demand immediately--but the real problem (why does the need exist, what's happening in the body to create the need?) needs to be addressed so that the supplements don't become a crutch that will eventually just give out.

Konfusion, if you're suffering from allergies then supplements will only be helpful to a certain extent; however, allergies signal deficiency to me like almost nothing else. People get all heated up when I say this, but it's a simply truth: if you're having allergic reactions then your body is really depleted, your immune system is really using it's "last resorts" in creating the allergy symptoms. Nutritional deficiency is definitely involved in what causes allergies but addressing them doesn't always "fix" them for good. A big change in diet is needed to address the nutritional issues and supplementation helps.

Rather than taking pills, get your omega 3 fatty acids from the right kind of fish (mackerel, anchovies, sardines, arctic char, trout, mussels, clams, oysters, crabs, lobster, herring, small northern cold water shrimp. Avoid salmon because it's likely to have been farmed. Taras Grescoe
has a book out, Bottomfeeder, about the fish species that are safest and most ethical to eat (in order to keep fisheries sustainable worldwide). This article gives some good ideas about the best fish to eat for the omega 3 fatty acids.
Now, to gain from that omega 3, you also must include specific forms of omega 6 fatty acids in your diet as well: pumpkin oil, borage oil, or evening primrose oil (you can pick one or use a combo of all three) are the specific forms which allow your body to actually utilize the omega 3s to produce and stabilize prostaglandin and hormone balance. We don't include these foods in our diet, so I suggest you get these vital fats in a capsule form. I don't think of these as supplements, I think of them as food--fats, in particular. You need them or real trouble develops: sadly, most people pushing supplements on the public don't know about the nutrition reasons behind using them, so they never mention the omega 6 fatty acids (or they incorrectly believe any omega 6 oil will do, and it won't). So the vast majority of people buying these pills end up with extra fat in their diet (which is good) but they don't see benefits as they should.

Other supplements I suggest: the B vitamins, because our grain foods are just so inferior in terms of nutrition. So actually we're all deficient in lots of vital nutrients if we're relying on them alone for nourishment. Also: vitamins A and D, because we don't eat organ meats and we tend to stay out of the sun because we're convinced it's so bad for us (a load of hooey). You can get natural source vitamins A and D from cod liver oil and from sunbathing (note: not sunburning). You can't get these vitamins from supplements because most of the supplements for these nutrients on the market are of such poor quality or worse. Synthetic forms of these vitamins are actually deadly--so avoid whenever possible. This includes vitamins A and D formulations which are "enriching" tons of depleted foods--breads, pastas, dairy, pseudo-dairy like plastic "cheese".
Again, cod liver oil isn't something I see as a supplement so much as a necessary dietary fat--but hey, if you like liver and kidneys and other organ meats, I encourage you to add those to your diet because they are great sources of these vital nutrients.

There are some other options. There is one thing I take instead of a multivitamin, just because it's simple and fast and overwith quickly: it's cheap, it's got tons more nutrients in it than any multivitamin product I've seen anywhere. It comes from Europe and it's called Bio-Strath Original. It is, technically, an "herbal yeast plasmolysate fortifying food supplement" in a serum form. It costs about $20 CAD and it comes in serum, liquid, or tablet form. For me the serum's easiest. It's got all the alphabet of vitamins (all of the B's!), all the minerals I need including the trace minerals, all the co-enzyme nutrients, (not just co-Q-10, there are plenty more that are just as vital), as many fatty acids as I can get, all the amino acids, and more: all of it in a fermented yeast base, a very old idea that makes the nutrients super-bioavailable. A new American company called New Chapter has decided to make all its supplements this way--the process effectively makes the product into a food, not a supplement at all, and therefore way more effective than other supplements. Anyway, 250 ml of the Bio Strath lasts about a month for me, I take about a tablespoon a day. It's not bad tasting (it's 80% plasmolytes, 10% malt extract, and 5% each of honey and orange juice--but if you choose the tincture the juice and sugars are not in the mix) and I can see an immediate difference in my energy level and my digestion.

That's it, I take about a tablespoon each day, and get on with my life. If you're looking for another form of lactofermented food that's also great for boosting nutrient absorption of other foods, this same company makes a product called Molkosan, which is made from pure whey. You drink it on a daily basis, it tastes very pleasant, and it's extremely good for you. Both of these products help to boost nutrient absorption from other foods to make up for what you're lacking--a much better approach than ordinary supplements. All the source ingredients are certified organic (and they can prove it) and/or safely wildcrafted too.


For other "deficiencies" I'm sold on biochemical tissue salts. They're so easy to use, you can easily determine which ones you need based on the symptoms you're showing (which indicate specific deficiencies) and they act immediately. Not only do they address and immediate need--they can permanently get rid of that need, too. There is nothing like them.
Oh, yeah, I'm all for Neti pots too. Such an ancient and common sense solution. So much better than irrigation options, surgery, and other nonsense that just doesn't work.

*sigh*
cha charming,
i u!

The only reason I'm taking the fish oil is because I'm landlocked in a not very healthy place: beef country. I can get any beef I want, but fish I'm limited to tilapia, salmon, & catfish. Sometimes I can get reasonably fresh frozen shrimp, but not every time. They occasionally have bottled fresh oysters, but that's only happened twice in eight months. I do use anchovies in salads & sauces, but I can only get them in a can. They have most everything in a can & it's mostly nasty as hell. It sucks because I can't get a lot of the things I took for granted in a bustling metropolis. There's no lamb, no buffalo, no decent sea food, no real variety in veg, no nothing. I asked the lady at the fish counter if she ever got mussels & she looked at me like I was high.

I am going to eat myself stupid for the next few days.