Sorry for the long text. I don't have an official diagnosis, but it's very likely that I have cfs, specially because of PEM (it could be something extremely similar to PEM but it's unlikely) I have gone to uncountable doctors and done even more exams, nothing abnormal, at least that could explain what I feel and felt. I just lost hope that I can actually feel better in the future, not in life itself, but in its quality. Some years ago I was bed-bound, depression and tiredness came together so I couldn't get up and didn't want to. I found a treatment for depression that worked, even if just a little. Some time later I found out I might have asthma, never had any "attack" but lately I had some breathlessness all the time. With medication my exhaustion got better and I was no more bed-bound, but still tired all the time, just able to do things. Now I'm actually working and going to college, that's actually incredible for me because I remember well when I couldn't get out off bed. I know I'm extremely privileged. But everyday I feel my body degrading, my tiredness and breathlessness increasing slightly. I tried just sucking it up, not saying how tired I was or complaining about it very much, but I just can't anymore. I feel like my body is shutting down little by little, muscles getting weaker, breathing getting even harder, almost constant nausea. And I now feel line I have nobody to even vent, I tried to do it with my best friend and that I need an specialist in CFS so I could at least know if it was this because I can't deal with not even knowing for sure he suggested I try other things, including exercise. I've tried to exercise but it didnt do anything good, he and some doctors said it wasnt for enough time. Then I've tried saying that I don't believe I can get better and he just said for me to not talk about is anymore unless I have a development with a doctor or something. Can't talk with my mom because she would worry too much, other friends also don't get it. So I came here, just to complain somewhere, even if no one see or say anything.

Hello! Please, whoever has the patience to read would help me enormously, as I have been suffering for 7 months. Sorry for bad english!!! I'm only 18 years old, I don't want my life to end or be like this. I had my first panic attacks around October 2023. I didn't know how they felt, I had them from calcium drops but they manifested differently. I went to the psychiatrist where I received Serlift 0.5 mg per day, but after 5 weeks I abandoned them because I could hardly tolerate them, I had nausea, constantly dilated pupils, imbalance, etc. On top of that, I also had swallowing difficulties which were quite rare but became more and more frequent. In December, I had already reached the point where I could no longer swallow solid food, and in January (2024) I started not being able to feed myself even with mashed things, purees, etc. I was eating somewhere around 2-3 teaspoons of soup per hour, somewhere around 2 bowls of clear soup. I went to a gastroenterologist where they did a digestive endoscopy, without a biopsy, and there was a wound caused by acid on the esophagus at the bottom, so their diagnosis was reflux + a hiatal hernia. I received treatment with Nexium (one pill in the morning) but I did not feel any improvement. At the same time, I went to the ENT because I felt like I couldn't breathe and they said that I have hypertrophic chronic rhinitis, which doesn't go away, so if it continues like this I will have to have laser surgery, it's quite an easy operation and minimally invasive, but they are worried back the nasal turbinates. The difficulty in swallowing decreased for a while, but it appeared again, stronger that I could not even swallow saliva and water without drowning. I then went to the doctor in Cluj where they redid my endoscopy and manometry. The manometry came out normal, but at the endoscopy, this time with a biopsy, I had reflux esophagitis. I received nexium treatment in the morning and in the evening and in addition to that I also did acupuncture and everything is almost back to normal, I still have a difficulty with bakery products and with seeds, meat. Rather, the problem remained that I feel how it slowly flows down my throat, but it's ok. During the investigations I went to the lungs and the heart. They discovered adult asthma in my lungs (I didn't have asthma as a child but I had many pneumonias) and since then I received treatment with foster and an antihistamine in the evening (Aerius). I felt that I was breathing hard (that I was inhaling hard), but I quickly understood that this is also anxiety, because many times my oxygenation was good. I haven't given up smoking since I have asthma, I've reduced it but now I want to quit because I feel that it's hard to EXPIRE the air outside, or I feel that when I want to inhale, I exhale. Or when I exhale deeply forcefully (because I have to force myself) I feel a pressing pain like a punch between the chest and the neck but rather towards the neck. The therapist said that these are NOT signs of anxiety, but the doctor I go to knows my problems with anxiety and often leaves it to her. I went to the heart because I had low blood pressure, but I also had anemia and that was also a cause (I have a very white face and palms). He said it could be a sinus tachycardia. But more recently, I feel as if my left breast is trembling or aching. The problem with breathing worries me the most, I'm afraid that there might be some hidden pneumonia. I had lung x-rays almost 2 months ago, but then I did NOT have those symptoms. I'm not saying that it's not possible for something to have appeared in such a short time? I keep thinking why do I have these moods? The therapist says that she does NOT think it's anxiety because even in the neurofeedbeek device (the one that measures the stress delta wave) I have low waves after the therapy. I don't want to feel like this anymore, I want to live my life because I don't have any worries or stress. If this time too everything looks good on x-rays and ultrasounds, what tests should I do? What lack of minerals/vitamins or what deficiency can cause such ugly conditions? Note: I think I know how to explain batter. I feel like i keep the CO2 in my lung instead of letting it go out.

Maybe about two years before covid hit (either 2018 or 2017), I started experiecing a chronic cough. It was pretty bad at the time,

• It happened every day, some days worse than others, always dry
  
• It didn't show up at any particular time, usually throughout the entire day however for the first time ever last week it stopped me from sleeping- I kept coughing while sleeping which kept waking me up. This has never happened before until then, and hasn't happened since then.
  

I went to the doctor back in 2018 to figure out what was wrong, at the time they just concluded that it was allergies, which was strange. I knew I have bad seasonal allergies, but a cough has never been a symptom of mine. It's usually always sneezing and a runny nose, or itching. Why would a cough suddenly appear?
For years I pushed this off as just allergies until around 2021. I still felt like it wasn't allergies and the current medicine I was using wasn't helping. I went through extensive testing at the time from some of the top specialists in NYC. I got a chest x-ray which came back negative, there were no issues. I also had a pulmonary function test then at the time which actually came up strange to the doctors. I was told my breathing was irregular and that was it. I also had a blood test which didn't show anything at the time other than I had anemia (which was also unexplained. I used to always think it was an iron defeciency, but my doctor told me my iron levels seemed to be normal but I still was anemic)
We tried a bunch of different inhalers, none of which worked including:

• The famous blue asthma inhaler (did nothing for me)
  
• Ellipta (the inhaler with the top that flips up, didn't really do anything)
  
• Symbicort (didn't fix the cough, but I remember at the time it helped me breath a lot better)
  

We ended up running into a dead end again and they sent me to an allergy specialist who concluded the obvious, that I had allergies. Again my cough was just written off as allergies. and I was given a perscription allergy pill (cetrizine) which of course helped my allergies but the cough was still there. I trusted this judgement for years even though the cough never disappeared.
Which brings us to last month-
My cough only rarely appears these days, I don't take allergy medicine, and surprisingly even though it is still a reoccuring symptom, it's not the main symptom anymore. Now as of last week I've been expericing really bad moments where I can't breathe. I used to have these moments last year and I just thought I was having a panic attack without panicking (no my life isn't stressful at all), now suddenly they've become a LOT more frequent and noticeable which ended up worrying me. Now my breath feels like it's only at 70-80% what it used to be, my chest started hurting a lot more (stinging feeling in the center and the heart area, and occasionally burns. This has happened every day almost since around this time last month.
This prompted me to go to a local doctor who ran a chest xray, which showed up normal, no dark spots etc, and a simple lung function test. The doctor noticed from the PFT that my breathing was off and there were slight signs of inflamation. The doctor concluded that it was bronchitis, which also made sense. I was perscribed Serentide which really helped a lot with my breathing although it didn't stop random flare ups where I couldn't breathe which happened after I ate and laid down.
My breathing was fixed but the random flare ups worried me still so I wanted to go to a doctor to see how I could manage them. Since I'm in a new country now, I went to another doctor, showed them my results from the previous tests, and for some reason, had another chest x-ray. They told me that it didn't really look like bronchitis and everything was relatively normal. At first they thought it could have been asthma, but I told them asthma treatment didn't really work for me so they also decided to test out allergy treatment. It has been about a few days since they've perscribed Singulair and they told me to stop using the inhaler I was given.
Currently I feel like my breathing has slightly gotten slightly worse since dropping the inhaler and the flare ups haven't stopped, but maybe the effects haven't set in yet.
What are my next steps? What tests should I get? Does anyone have any idea what possibly could be wrong? I don't want to push this off as just allergies again and then have an even worse symtpom years ago because the allergy diagnosis was wrong.
Tl;dr symptoms:

• Chronic cough that has gotten a little bit better
  
• breathlessness/shortness of breath at usually after eating and laying down when I feel bloated, but also appears at random times (not really the same as being out of breath from exercising, and I also don't experience it after doing physical tasks such as walking up a large flight of stairs)
  
• Chest pains (sharp stinging in the center and heart area, and slight burning)
  

Additional symptoms that may or may not have anything to do with my condition:

• When I woke up, I felt like there was something stuck in my throat and I had to burp a lot. Also my throat hurts every time I yawn currently. (I put my symptoms into ChatGPT and it told me these were symptoms of either GERD or Throat Cancer? I don't know much about GERD but it also sounds believable)
  
• For the last two weeks my voice was hoarse, but that could have been due to the inhaler. Now that I'm not taking the inhaler this symptom is gone
  

Notes:

• I do not smoke, but I used to hang out around smokers (not anymore)
  
• Age 27M
  
• I have sleep apnea which could be genetic since it's in the family
  
• I used to be an unhealthy eater until recently, however I am not extremely overweight, and I have been eating healthy for the past two months
  
• Height: 178 cm
  
• Weight: 73 kg
  
• Currently in Bangkok but I'm American for resources if you have any.
  

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/apt.18031 [Full read]
We appreciate the interest of Leong and colleagues in our review on persistent gastrointestinal symptoms in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in remission and for their insightful comments.
They pointed towards increased intestinal permeability assessed in vivo by endoscopic confocal laser endomicroscopy (eCLE) as a driving factor of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with IBD in remission. Disrupted gut barrier function—expressed by, among others, increased intestinal paracellular permeability, is considered a key pathophysiological mechanism in IBD and other disorders including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Accordingly, ‘intestinal barrier healing’, as assessed by eCLE, has been proposed as a preferable treatment target in IBD. It has been associated with decreased risk of disease progression, with superior performance to endoscopic and histological remission. This may shift the scope of IBD treatment from controlling inflammation to restoring intestinal barrier function. The association between gastrointestinal symptoms and intestinal permeability in IBD in remission underscores this potential paradigm shift for the future.
Several pharmacological, dietary and psychotherapeutic approaches may improve gut barrier function. However, there is no current, standardised therapy that directly and efficaciously targets intestinal barrier dysfunction in clinical practice. Therefore, we did not take this approach into account in our review that was written to guide the diagnostics and therapy of treatable causes and triggers of persistent gastrointestinal symptoms in IBD in remission in routine practice. Furthermore, whether gut barrier dysfunction is the chicken or the egg in IBD, IBS and persistent GI symptoms in IBD in remission, still needs to be established. Factors such as inflammation, gut microbiota composition and activity, dietary factors and altered gut–brain interaction all play a role in the pathophysiology of these disorders and are associated with altered intestinal barrier function. IBS-like symptoms in IBD in remission are associated with psychological comorbidity, such as increased stress sensitivity, anxiety and depression. In healthy individuals, psychological stress induces increased intestinal permeability, mediated via the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis.⁷ In IBD, that same axis links psychological stress and intestinal inflammation. Furthermore, in healthy individuals, serotonin—a key neurotransmitter along the gut–brain axis—reinforces intestinal barrier. This mechanism was assumed to be dysfunctional in patients with IBS. To add to the complexity, various gut microbial metabolites affect the intestinal barrier.
Taken together, we agree that intestinal barrier dysfunction may be an important regulatory factor in IBD, IBS and also in patients with IBD in remission who experience persistent gastrointestinal symptoms. However, it is still to be determined whether this is the primary pathophysiological mechanism or an epiphenomenon in a cascade of changes including gut barrier function, inflammation, gut microbial activity and the gut–brain interaction. A better understanding of these processes is essential to develop novel treatments for persistent gastrointestinal symptoms in IBD in remission.

Today is my C&P for GERD. I submitted it as a Secondary to Asthma (60%).
The funny thing is that after I submitted it, I found a reference to GERD in my in-service medical records (1996). I decided not to muddy the waters and wait for a denial to present new evidence of direct service connection if needed.
I think I have it covered, but I would appreciate your experiences with claims for conditions mainly controlled (kept at bay) by medication.
I was diagnosed by the VA in 2003. Since then, I have lived with it mostly under control thanks to 20mg of Omeprazole.
Before it was diagnosed, I had all the classic symptoms:

• Extreme Heartburn
• Chest Pain (but no arm pain)
• Trouble Swallowing (like a tight grip around my esophagus)
• Vomited in Mouth While Asleep (leading to an asthma attack most times)
• Bloating - It is almost comical watching my stomach grow
• Nausea
• Bad Breath and Bad Taste in Mouth

It got so bad that they put me under and did a biopsy of tissues in my esophagus, stomach and small intestine.
During that procedure, they wrote the following (I don't know if it is good or bad):

1. Detailed distortion of the superficial gastric mucosa
2. Foveolar hyperplasia
3. Oxyntic mucosa with PPI effect
4. Squamous mucosa with congestion
5. Focal basal cell hyperplasia and
6. Many eosinophils suggestive of reflux esophagitis

I guess my question is:
When you have had a condition this long that is primarily controlled by medication, how do I approach my answers to the C&P examiner?
Should I refer to everything as what happens if I don't have the medication? The conditions quickly return if I forget my medication or I am separated from the meds (such as on a cruise).
With Prilosec now being OTC, it isn't quite as scary as it once was because I can run to most stores and buy it.
P.S. This is the claim for which I paid for a Nexus letter and a DBQ from a "known and mostly respected" medical company in Central Texas. I know we aren't supposed to mention names if not questioned first.
Meaning I am going to have 2 competing DBQs. One was paid for after researching my Blue Dot Records, and the other DBQ, for which I have no idea of her due diligence regarding a records search.
I'm bringing:
(1) Form with questions, but I filled in the answers on separate paper, giving me more room to answer. She asks for comments on the following:

• Symptoms when Began
• Treatments, Medications and Surgeries
• Current Symptoms without medication
• How does GERD affect your life

(2) Medical Record Highlights about GERD at the VA
(3) A mini personal statement describing how GERD affects my life without medication.

Hi, my name is Jeannie and I work for Meditalk.
We're conducting a research study in the US to understand the experiences of adults living with Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) / Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) / Breast Cancer
If you're 18+, reside in the US, diagnosed with CLL/NSCLC or Breast Cancer, and currently undergoing pharmacological treatment, you're eligible.
The study, conducted by Modus Outcomes, involves a 60-minute online interview.
Participants will be compensated $165.
Interested? Please contact us at: [J.matthews@meditalk.world](mailto:J.matthews@meditalk.world)

tldr; hyperacusis and tinnitus getting worse from sounds every day, doctors couldn’t help, products can’t protect ears enough from getting worse, hearing anything on the computer or phone, like calls, are too loud, can’t adjust or manage at all.
Link provided has the list of products I've tried for ear protection with the ones at the bottom being what I currently use now.

Hi. I am 31 years old, and for a year and a half now, I have been dealing with painfully sensitive hearing (which is a feeling of pressure against my eardrums while louder sounds give sharp pains) and loudly ringing and static ears, which both get worse from loud noises. Until a few years ago, I had been listening to loud music for most of my life, which I know is the main cause for this, along with not protecting my ears enough. It started from a car ride of an hour and a half where my dad turned the volume for music up, which I didn’t turn back down despite being a little too uncomfortably loud. The next day, I noticed a soft, feint ringing, which eventually kept getting louder until I realized that my hearing was getting more and more sensitive, and that loud noises were making it worse, which also means that not only can my brain not adjust to it, but the noises and volumes needed to make it worse is also getting lower and lower. In other words, the more sensitive my hearing gets, the easier it is to make it worse. Now it’s to the point where it’s getting worse almost every day from things like doing the dishes, walking the dog with cars and motorcycles passing by, taking showers, listening to people talk, and any other kind of noises. Even from riding or driving in a car because of the road noise and vibrations, meaning I can’t go anywhere anymore, and was forced to quit my last job because of it.

I’ve seen three different otolaryngologists, or ENTs (ear, nose, and throat doctors) and none of them could help me because of my ear condition not being bad enough to show results for the tests done at the time. I also recently tried calling every hearing aid store, and there were only two that program them for hyperacusis, however, the doctors I talked to from both said that my condition was too bad for them to help me. There was one doctor from a different place that told me about an otologist, which is a subdivision of an ENT that specializes in the ears, who knows everything there is to know about the inner ear conditions. The problem is that it’s an hour and a half away, which is impossible to get to with my condition right now. I also found out about round and oval surgery, but the only place I could find is 3 hours away, and didn’t accept my insurance at the time, which costs 10k without it. I also know it has nothing to do with something physical like ear wax because I constantly keep the insides of my ears clean with q-tips, while making sure to never go in too deep.

I have tried around 36 different products between earmuffs and earplugs, and nothing has been good enough to help keep my ears from getting worse, with how my perception of sound is and how it still penetrates through. The earmuffs and earplugs that I use, which are the highest rated NRR I could find, still aren’t enough. When I try to talk to people, I have to either protect my ears enough from loud noises, which makes it harder to hear, or be able to hear them while exposing my ears, and risk them getting worse. During phone calls, I have to completely leave my ears unprotected so that I can hear the speaker properly. I used to be able to use my earphones, but I can’t adjust my volume to be specific or low enough, and sometimes other people’s phones comes through too loud anyways. Another problem is I use in-ear earphones, and when I try to put my earmuffs over, it pushes them in too much and eventually causes too much discomfort and pressure. With using my computer, the “loudness equalization” doesn’t work for me because I can’t set what volume it equalizes to. I can’t watch videos, listen to music, or hear anything that’s above a certain decibel.

The struggle from this has been absolute hell and has caused depression, stress, anxiety, and led to letting airborne mold develop in my room twice, making my asthma get worse and leading it to affecting my work enough for me to get terminated. My goal right now is to possibly get disability, and/or somehow get a job working from home, that offers health insurance, and try again to get proper, professional help. Although a major problem is not being able to go and get any testing or treatment done in person, and I don’t know if it can be brought and done to where I live. In the meantime, what I need the most help with right now is finding a way to protect my ears enough, so they don’t get worse, while also being able to hear people talk to me. As well as finding a way to keep volumes on my computer and phone from going over a certain decibel, while also still protecting my ears from outside noise. I don’t know how I’ll be able to deal with not being able to get around at all, unless I can get a car designed to be quiet, but that still might not be enough. The last thing I wanted to know is if anyone else happens to have this same condition, how do you deal with it? Thank you.

26 F, about 89kg (198 lbs).
I don't check too often to avoid triggering myself, sometimes I drop to 180 lbs and sometimes I get near the 200's.
I fluctuate a lot, I'm always a little tired, my asthma is the worst it's ever been, point is...it's time for a change. Not just in my activity levels, but my diet and overall lifestyle as well.
That's the mindset, anyway.
I'm going to dive into getting healthy alternative groceries next week. I'm also testing my personal physical limits. I can't afford Healthcare so I'm not able to speak with a doctor or get proper treatment for my asthma, which has been moderate for most of my life and is heavily activity based.
Today, I got on the treadmill at work (I'm Security at a hotel) since I was wrapping up a patrol and I had 15 minutes to kill. I just chose the quick start option and increased the incline to 6, and upped the speed to 6.5 (iirc). After about 13 minutes I raised the incline to 10 and the speed to 7. 15 minutes in and I was wheezing bad, but still able to keep going. The results said I burned about 118 calories with an average heart rate near 185 (0.81 miles distance). I noticed my pace faltered a little but otherwise I wasn't necessarily bothered.
When I got off the treadmill I was really dizzy and sweating a bit more than I thought. I also got stats from it, but I can't tell it they're "good" for where I'm starting out, or if I should aim for some other more sustainable combination.
Is there a speed and incline that's considered a good base?
Admittedly I did jump into this without stretching and definitely dehydrated so that could've been a big part of it too.
What do you think? Is this heart rate even healthy? Should I stop? I don't know much about any of this so I'm trying not to keel over the moment I get serious lol

Hello everyone so Ive been on and off Prednisone for the past year because of asthma flare ups and that's the only medication that seems to help me when my emergency inhalers don't work anymore for my symptoms. But I got this bad asthma flare up 4 weeks ago and I got a methylprednisolone injection at the emergency room and got sent home with Prednisone 20mg for take for 5 days as usual. Nothing happened no side effects other than fast heart rate when I take it and constantly being hungry and eating a lot. Then 2 weeks ago I had another asthma flare up and nothing helped so I had to go to the ER again. Got injected with steroids once again and got sent home with methylprednisolone 4mg. I usually always get Prednisone 20mg tablets but this time I got methylprednisolone 4mg packet for 6 day treatment. On the 4th day I started to freak out because my vision changed. I was so scared luckily it went away so I kept taking them not knowing it was the steroids.when I took my other dose the blurry vision came back and also eye pain, now it's been 5 days with no pred at all and I'm still seeing blurry especially in the morning I wake up with eye pain and my vision is totally fucked now. Will this go away? I stopped the steroids completely.. I hope it's temporary.

Gum disease epitomizes a bacterial contagion affecting the oral tissues encasing the teeth, encompassing the gums, ligaments, and osseous structures. Its inception typically traces back to plaque accumulation, a tacky bacterial film coating the teeth. If left unscathed by regular brushing and flossing, plaque transmutes into tartar, preventing this through check ups. Over time, the bacterial entities within plaque and tartar spur gum inflammation and infection, thereby fostering gum disease.

Roots of Gum Disease

Numerous elements contribute to gum disease emergence. Principal among these is inadequate oral hygiene, permitting plaque accrual and tartar solidification. Additional risk factors entail:

• Tobacco usage: A significant catalyst for gum disease, impeding therapeutic endeavors.
• Diabetes: Individuals with diabetes harbor heightened susceptibility to gum disease due to immunocompromised states.
• Endocrine fluctuations: Hormonal variances during gestation and menopause exacerbate gum disease susceptibility.
• Hereditary influences: Certain individuals may inherit a genetic predisposition to gum disease.
• Stress: Prolonged stress compromises immune functions, rendering gums more susceptible to infection.
• Dental misalignment: Malposed teeth facilitate bacterial reservoirs, nurturing gum disease.
• Pharmacological agents: Specific medications provoke xerostomia, diminishing saliva flow and augmenting gum disease risk.
• Immunocompromised status: Ailments undermining immune functions, such as HIV/AIDS, amplify gum disease vulnerability.

Gum Disease Indications

Discerning gum disease manifestations proves pivotal for timely intervention and resolution. Prominent indicators encompass:

• Crimson, inflamed, or sensitive gums
• Hemorrhagic gums, particularly during dental hygiene rituals
• Gingival recession, elongating tooth appearance
• Persistent halitosis or disagreeable oral taste
• Lax or mobile teeth
• Occlusal alterations upon mandibular closure
• Interdental pus formation
• Dental prosthetic misfit

Encountering any of these signs mandates prompt dental scrutiny for accurate diagnosis and intervention.

Therapeutic Approaches for Gum Disease

Therapeutic modalities for gum disease hinge upon condition severity. In its incipient stages, termed gingivitis, professional dental cleanings and enhanced oral hygiene suffice for malady reversal. However, advanced periodontitis necessitates more aggressive interventions. Common therapeutic avenues include:

• Subgingival scaling and root planning: A profound cleansing procedure targeting subgingival plaque and tartar, alongside root surface smoothening to impede bacterial adherence.
• Antibacterial agents: In select cases, antimicrobials combat bacterial proliferation and inflammation attenuation.
• Periodontal surgery: Advanced gum disease may mandate surgical debridement, gingival contouring, or osseous regeneration.
• Dental implantation: Instances of tooth forfeiture due to gum disease may be redressed via dental prosthetic integration.

It's imperative to acknowledge gum disease as a chronic entity mandating sustained vigilance and periodic dental visits to forestall relapse.

When to Consult a Dentist?

If you suspect you have gum disease or experience any of the symptoms mentioned earlier, it is crucial to seek professional dental care. A dentist will evaluate your oral health, diagnose the condition, and recommend appropriate treatment options. Early intervention is key to preventing further damage and preserving your oral health.
At Madison Dentistry & Implant Center, our experienced team of dentists specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of gum disease. We offer personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient's unique needs. Don't let gum disease compromise your oral health. Schedule a consultation with our experts today.

just discovered this! Vitamin K2 can cause h pylori overgrowths. Most people have h pylori in their system. Most of the time it does not cause symptoms. But h pylori need vitamin K2 for energy synthesis. In other words, vitamin K2 feeds them, and you get a population explosion. They become healthy and strong, and start to wreck havoc on your system. At least they did to mine.
I came to the subreddit to warn anyone who starts K2 and develops symptoms. I took 300 micrograms of K2 for 10 days. Then I started to develop shortness of breath. Out of nowhere. I woke up to heart palpitations, and severe shortness of breath. I had to go to the ER. I thought I had a magnesium deficiency because I was also taking D3.
A random comment on YouTube got me researching the connection between K2 and h pylori. The commenter had the same symptoms I did. I talked to several more people who had similar symptoms to me. It started off with just shortness of breath and heart palpitations. Two weeks later, the other symptoms started. All gastrointestinal. Severe bloating, belching, stomach burning, nausea, chronic cough, sore throat, heat rising up the back of the throat, strange hollow/hunger feeling, dark stool, and about five or six others.
I've done weeks of research... I would get heart palpitations in the morning, because I was breathing in acid and pepsin all night. The shortness of breath comes from lung irritation from breathing in the contents of the stomach. The h pylori lower the acid content of the stomach, so the lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly. The acid and pepsin that rises up causes coughing, and a chronic sore throat. Essentially, it gave me silent acid reflux. No heartburn. But instant asthma.
The dark stool came from stomach bleeding, the bloating, belching, nausea, stomach burning came from the bacteria itself.
It has been 2 months, and I have been fighting it like hell.
But please please be careful if you are taking vitamin K2 MK7. Or maybe any K2. Other people are developing similar symptoms. This has been extremely scary. I got very very lucky that I read a comment that tipped me off. I think most people are in the dark as to what is happening to them, and what is causing it.
EDIT: I have not been tested. This is my theory based on my research. The natural treatments that I have been using for h pylori have been working to resolve my symptoms. My post may be premature, but I wanted to give people experiencing these types of symptoms after taking vitamin k2 a warning as quickly as possible. The faster they research this theory, the faster they can either rule it out, or begin treatment. I would rather they not spend extra weeks suffering these horrible symptoms if they don't have to.

I Just discovered this! Vitamin K2 causes h pylori overgrowths. Most people have h pylori in their system. Most of the time it does not cause symptoms. But h pylori need vitamin K2 for energy synthesis. In other words, vitamin K2 feeds them, and you get a population explosion. They become healthy and strong, and start to wreck havoc on your system. At least they did to mine.
I came to the subreddit to warn anyone who starts K2 and develops symptoms. I took 300 micrograms of K2 for 10 days. Then I started to develop shortness of breath. Out of nowhere. I woke up to heart palpitations, and severe shortness of breath. I had to go to the ER. I thought I had a magnesium deficiency because I was also taking D3.
A random comment on YouTube got me researching the connection between K2 and h pylori. The commenter had the same symptoms I did. I talked to several more people who had similar symptoms to me. It started off with just shortness of breath and heart palpitations. Two weeks later, the other symptoms started. All gastrointestinal. Severe bloating, belching, stomach burning, nausea, chronic cough, sore throat, heat rising up the back of the throat, strange hollow/hunger feeling, dark stool, and about five or six others.
I've done weeks of research... I would get heart palpitations in the morning, because I was breathing in acid and pepsin all night. The shortness of breath comes from lung irritation from breathing in the contents of the stomach. The h pylori lower the acid content of the stomach, so the lower esophageal sphincter does not close properly. The acid and pepsin that rises up causes coughing, and a chronic sore throat. Essentially, it gave me silent acid reflux. No heartburn. But instant asthma.
The dark stool came from stomach bleeding, the bloating, belching, nausea, stomach burning came from the bacteria itself.
It has been 2 months, and I have been fighting it like hell.
But please please be careful if you are taking vitamin K2 MK7. Or maybe any K2. Other people are developing similar symptoms. This has been extremely scary. I got very very lucky that I read a comment that tipped me off. I think most people are in the dark as to what is happening to them, and what is causing it.
EDIT: I have not been tested. This is my theory based on my research. The natural treatments that I have been using for h pylori have been working to resolve my symptoms. My post may be premature, but I wanted to give people experiencing these types of symptoms after taking vitamin k2 a warning as quickly as possible. The faster they research this theory, the faster they can either rule it out, or begin treatment. I would rather they not spend extra weeks suffering these horrible symptoms if they don't have to.

I’ve had asthma my whole life. About 17 years ago, my insurance company at the time assigned me an RN who specialized in asthma. She would call me every day to see how I was doing, and would advise me on treatment if she heard me clearing my throat a lot, coughing, or wheezing. If my allergies were acting up and I was sneezing a lot, she would advise for that as well. Lots of times she would call 2 or 3 more times during the day to see how I was doing. If it didn’t seem that my breathing was getting better, she’d instruct me to go to my doctor or the ER.
Essentially she trained me on how to recognize different things and to head off major asthma attacks and to control my asthma better than I had been, which was good for my health and saved the insurance company money as I used to be in the ER multiple times a week. She also advised certain Rx’s and that there shouldn’t be a generic substitute, as the generic would get sticky and clog the inhaler, which also meant it was sticky in the lungs.
My asthma has been under great control and the only time I really need to ever use my nebulizer anymore is during Spring and Fall, when my immune system goes to war against the enemy: pollen.
I noticed that shortly after doing my nebulizer treatments I get extremely painful cramps in my feet, legs, hands, and/or arms. I used to have these cramps all the time years ago, and never knew what they were from. But now that I hardly get to the point of needing the nebulizer much, it’s very apparent it’s what’s causing the cramps.
I use Abuterol Sulfate Inhalation Solution 2.5 mg*/3 mL. Does anyone else use this and do you get cramps?
If you don’t use that, what are you using and do you get any adverse effects from it?

Most of what I eat nowadays will give me a tight throat and itchy mouth and face. I have HEDS and my doctors think I have MCAS. But I’m not getting treatment for it the soonest allergist is in a year. I keep eating these foods.. but is it likely it’s going to become anaphylaxis if I don’t stop? It’s like half the foods I eat do this and then I get all panicked which makes the throat tightening worse. For the longest time I’ve been gaslit into thinking this was anxiety until a Dr diagnosed me and I also sometimes would get rashes. I’m really scared of having a major allergic reaction. but I don’t know what to avoid besides peanut butter - which I just ate and now my throat is tight. I just take a Benadryl and lay on the floor sad and anxious when this happens and wait it out. I can breathe fine (except for asthma but no throat closing) I’m just scared.
If you get on MCAS meds can it help lessen the reaction? I’m scared about dieting I have an eating disorder that I just started to get under control and restricting foods was a huge trigger for me and I’d have to do that if I can’t eat my certain ED “safe foods” which are now what are giving me reactions as well.

Disclaimer: This post may have some controversial stuff in it. I'm only talking about my experience, I'm not trying to convince anyone that pharmacological treatment is always bad and that everything related to psychiatry is bad, and I don't feel I have studied this topic enough to make any strong judgement.

Over a year ago I had a period when I spent a lot of time doing self-reflection, basically the staring at a wall practice that Dr.K suggested as something to try out. This meant I spent a lot of time in my room just sitting and not doing anything in particular (and often sitting in darkness). This got my parents a bit concerned about me. One time, my mom went into my room as I was crying hard, and that made her extra worried. My parents started insisting that I should start taking sertraline again (an SSRI). I didn't want to, because I didn't think it was necessary, I didn't think it has ever been effective for me, and I didn't see a reason to resort to a drug when I think this crying was actually healthy and a form of catharsis (I was and still am worried about the effects of long term use, and potential side effects, even though I think that I didn't experience anything serious as a result of taking the medication). (I used to take sertraline for a while before that. It was prescribed for me by a child and adolescent psychiatrist for OCD. I was also forced back then, I was super scared of the psychiatrist and the medication and in hysteria, I was like 12 at the time, now I'm 18 FYI.) The day after, my mom went into my room grabbed me by my clothes, started throwing me around and saying I have to take the medication. I agreed to take it. After a few months I started getting off of it without telling my parents, and when mom realized I had been tapering and throwing out the pills, she got angry, but in the end she said I can do it if I want to.
Fast-forward to now. I had a week free from school, my parents went on a trip and I stayed at home. During this time I spent some time watching Dr. K's videos (mostly related to emotional awareness, alexithymia etc.) and trying to implement his advice (recognizing and naming emotions etc.) . I have also been doing some meditation (the navel chakra one for emotional processing) and spending some time doing the staring at a wall practice and taking time for reflection (this last one I started doing earlier than the other ones, a few weeks ago).
I started doing this stuff mainly because I wanted to fix my porn addiction which I have been struggling with for a few years now. I think these things have had a profound impact on me, and together with Dr.K's advice on how to deal with this addiction have been extremely helpful.
As I started doing this deep emotional work, some stuff from the past has been coming up to the surface. I have been experiencing both feelings of hope, that I can get better but also fear that this is a lot too handle.
In the last few days I realized that I don’t feel safe crying at home because I’m scared that this awful thing will repeat (parents were not at home at this time, but my grandma came over for a few days, and I was worried she would see me cry). They came back home today.
I don’t think my parents are bad people, but I think they really screwed up here.I’ve been thinking about talking about this with them since I realized this stuff had such an impact on me and because I think I want to feel safer while I’m working on myself and not be afraid of crying in my own house. I think that they would understand my point but I’m still afraid. I’m scared that they will think that because I’m trying to hold them accountable they will think that I need to do something as well and “the rules will change” and that they will burden me with something. Idk.I don’t know exactly what to do. I want to get someone’s perspective on that and help on how to approach this situation.
(I predict that somebody might suggest family therapy as an option, or just therapy in general. Idk how I feel about this, I’ve seen quite a few therapists and they haven’t been helpful, I think I got the most out of figuring stuff out by myself and with help from Dr.K’s videos and other online stuff and communities. There is also a problem with accessibility of therapy where I’m from)
Sorry for any mistakes in the text.

Hey everyone,
I wanted to share my experience with these hellish creatures because I couldn't find a really good comprehensive list specifically for the UK.
I live in London and I believe I picked up a rogue bed bug while out at a club (3 weeks ago at this point). I'm super super lucky that it seems I react badly to the bites, showing up as huuuuuge red welts within hours of being bitten. This meant that I was able to identify that I potentially had bed bugs because of the bite pattern after ruling out laundry detergent allergies.
Initially I took all my bedding off, bought a heavy duty plastic mattress storage sheet and some duct tape. This was during the point where I was unsure whether it was actually bed bugs but thought it would be harmless and cheap to do. Think it cost max £30 off amazon to close the mattress off. I then continued sleeping in my bed until a few nights later when I found a huge live bed bug crawling on my arm (I still shudder thinking about it!) which meant I was able to be certain bugs were the cause.
I checked whether the bug was female or male. Unfortunately for me it was a female so I knew it had to have laid eggs somewhere. Now, I'm balling on a budget because I live in London so I was very hesitant to call an exterminator. There are a few reasons I didn't - the main two were cost and that after reading many many reddit posts I realised the success rate wasn't as high as I needed it to be to justify the cost. You may decide differently and that's ok, I just couldn't risk a reinfestation after shilling out loads of cash.
So knowing this, I researched the best way to not only track but also contain and kill the bugs. From what I read (some of it on this thread) CimeXa was the best option for me. I have a pet cat so that also factored into what route I went down. CimeXa cost me around £25 from Amazon, the dust blower was around £15 from Amazon too. The traps were maybe £10, from Amazon again. If anyone would like any links to the products I used, please let me know and I can pop them below in a comment!
I sectioned off all of my clothes and bedding, bagged them and sealed them up. I hoovered everywhere that I could to get up as much of anything as possible. Then I started in tandem to work my way through 60 degree wash and tumble dry on the fabrics as well as ripping the fabric coating off of my duvan bed frame to only leave the wooden structure. I found two nymphs within that bed frame fabric but no eggs nor shells from the bugs so then worked on the basis that the adult hadn't laid very many eggs before she got too cocky and I squished her. I also feel like I have quite a weird situation where there literally was no evidence of bed bugs whatsoever. I investigated the mattress and bed frame without finding anything other than some very very small marks which I believe could be their droppings.
All of the fabrics that I didn't require (old clothes, duvan bed frame covering, etc) went into the bin instantly and I used chlorine bleach as a mid way point in every crevice of the bed frame. I continued to sleep on my mattress (encased in plastic) on the bed frame and would both 60 degree wash and tumble dry my clothes for the next day and the bedding each night. I still found bites each morning, sometimes more than the last few nights, this was really stressful and made me feel like the infestation was huge.
Once the CimeXa arrived with a dust blower I used this again in every crevice of the bed possible as well as crevices between the wooden flooring and the walls, my wooden headboard etc. I read that it's important not to move stuff from it's existing place and so I did not. I also used it lightly as a barrier around the bed frame and at my bedroom door. I placed traps around my room on the floor in order to track where the bugs might be coming from and to figure out if any were alive still. So far the traps have not shown any bugs at all and have been down for around a week.
I then went through all of my belongings, clearing out each container whether that's a drawer or shelf and cleaning/throwing away anything unneeded. The first night after distributing the CimeXa I slept purely on the plastic coated mattress with no fabrics other than my pillows. This was partly due to the night being warm here but I also wanted to properly heat the bedding post CimeXa. That morning I had zero bites and it was the first morning since the infestation began that I was bite free.
Now I didn't want to celebrate too soon so I then warmed my bedding up to the adequate temp, 60 degrees+, and placed it back on my bed. Plastic remained as I can't be sure there aren't bugs in the mattress and won't remove it until it's been over a year but to speed that process up I cut a slit in the plastic and sprayed some CimeXa in. I then sealed it back up. After replacing the bedding I've now gone 3 nights with no bites.
I'm assuming now that the bugs that remained were nymphs/eggs and have been/will be decimated by the CimeXa each time they try to make it to me to feed. I'll monitor the situation and update this post once I know for sure (14-30 days) that the bugs are dead.
I hope that this helps someone, I truly believe the earlier you catch on to the infestation the easier it is to get rid of them and I'm just very lucky in my case that I'm a bad reactor to the bites. I would encourage anyone in bug hotspots like London to buy CimeXa as a preventative measure. Dust it around your bed frame lightly (it should basically be invisible unless on a dark surface) and to make sure you have a laundry bin that seals for your clothes whenever you come home. I know it seems like a lot but honestly I don't leave the house a lot and have still managed to pick them up.
I also noted some others in this forum were talking about how CimeXa gave them negative reactions and while I can't confirm that they haven't had bad reactions, I did not react at all to its application. I didn't wear a mask or goggles when applying and have been sleeping around it for the last 4 days with no issues other than my skin being a bit dry. I also have asthma so imagine that's a good barometer for it. My cat also seems to have zero issues with it which is great. I also want to note that I treated my cat with Itch flea treatment, I believe it's similar to another brand some on here recommend as it contains a chemical that kills bed bugs.
Disclaimer: I don't work for nor am affiliated with CimeXa in any way. I'm just stunned by how quickly it seems to have worked and the difference it's made.

Hi there fellow diabetics and pre-diabetics. After some years of progressive neuropathy in my feet and other reaction to sugars and troubling symptoms such as chronic fatigue and frequent urination, I began to see a nurse practitioner here in my small town who ordered an array of tests including fasting blood sugar which registered 102, “pre-diabetic” according to her. Feeling that the problem warranted more attention I asked her about proceeding with treatment and she initially suggested an A1C test, but then later said it wasn't justified due to my only marginally high sugar test, and suggested my taking Saw Palmetto for the frequent urination.
After ultrasound, stress tests and nuclear imaging on my heart, it was determined I have mild mitral regurgitation and aortic insufficiency, which are not considered serious enough for further investigation by my Medicare, but which I believe could be related to my fatigue, occasional chest pain and the urination frequency, although my NP disagrees, believing most of these problems being more due to my GERD and asthma/possible COPD.
This NP, although very personable, generous with her time and ordering most tests I request, has lost some of my trust due to initially frightening me after dire but apparently unfounded warnings after looking at my EKG before the cardiac tests, switching her attitude about the A1C, and dismissing the possibility of my having a hernia after an ultrasound failed to detect one in a groin lump. Fortunately I saw a surgeon and he confirmed I do have a hernia and require surgery, so I'm not really confident this NP is on top of things, including the potential need for further investigation of whatever stage of diabetic I am.
Lately the urination frequency seems to have increased to every hour or two all day and through the night. My fatigue is quite severe at times and my feet can become quite painful if I eat any fruit more than about twice a week. I don't consume any other sugar of any kind and eat a very limited, almost non-fat diet of beans, whole grains and vegetables.
So does this sound like my NP is missing giving more attention to my blood sugar problems? I don't know if Medicare would allow me to seek other opinions, and I'm reluctant to end my relationship with her because she has been helpful in some ways, and in my experience, medical practitioners are always a crapshoot.

I (26F) was adopted at an early age along with a handful of my other siblings. My parents only had two biological sons and adopted the rest of us. Even early on, my sisters and I could tell the huge difference between our treatment from our mother and the treatment she gave her sons (biological and non biological). Because of this treatment I have always been closer to my dad. He didn’t just yell and tear us down. He showed us love and not bitterness.
Over the years, my dad grew ill. And my mother would always make these comments like, “God forbid something happens to him, I’m not getting remarried I’ve never just had my life to myself.” “I married too young” Pretty much the source of the bitterness would come out when she would talk like that. When my dad was diagnosed with congested heart failure in 2018 I knew I only had a number of years with him. Although I’m one of the youngest and I stayed the furthest away (between 4-8 hours), I made it a point to focus on positive memories with him and my mother. Coming home on the weekends, talking time off work to plan trips for us to take. Getting us all tickets to ballgames. Just us having fun. There were times I would disagree with my dad because he was an older male with boomer tendencies but at the end of day, petty disagreements wouldn’t matter to me.
Whenever my husband and I would come home and take my parents to top golf or to dinner, it was always my mother saying I shouldn’t be doing this and would say because I shouldn’t strain myself or put ourselves in a difficult financial situation. My husband and I never did. And to us, family is super important and it was always easy to take the family to The aquarium because we knew they’d have fun. But she would always push back on me spending money on them and it would seem she would have to force herself to enjoy it. (However if one of her sons were possessed enough to come home and do something for them, she’d have to brag to the whole town how great her kids were.
In Oct of 2023, I told Dad I was going to get us (me and hubby, dad and mom) tickets for the GA/FL game for his 60th bday. The largest cocktail party of the year I think it is called. He got soooo excited. Major GA fan. He literally screamed with joy. It was a great site to see. Then my mother sunk her teeth into him when we were around and somehow took all the fun out of it. Telling him it would be too much of a financial burden on me and my husband. (This was false). And then my dad calls a day or two later and I can hear the sadness in his voice saying we should not buy the tickets and please don’t buy the tickets and he would just prefer to watch on tv. And I told him it was genuinely no problem. Then he told me that my mother had talked to him and she was making sense that it’s too much to spend on tickets. I was devastated that she did that. Not speaking with me and just took experience I wanted my dad to have.
Two months later he passed away. I went to the house to help out my mother for the next couple weeks. The treatment of the daughters were the same. We could tell we were not wanted around. And because she has always treated the boys with tender love and care, they’d never understand why our relationship with mother is much different from there.
Shortly after the funeral, she stopped talking to me. Even told the other siblings that I was angry with her and not talking to her. (Lies). Although our relationship was me always seeking validation from her and only getting disappointment from her, I still valued family and tried to keep it close. I had been messaging her for over a month and a half to no response from her. I had been planning a vow renewal with my husband and because she has not been responding to me, I sent her a message not expecting one back asking if she would like to be put on the guest list. She replied back saying she didn’t need to be on the guest list. I replied saying if she changes her mind she will have a spot on the list.
She goes to tell her sons that I didn’t want to invite her and she only said no to me for me. (Whole load of BS).
The distress of that situation contributed to one of the worse asthma attacks I’ve had in my life just a couple days later. My lungs collapsed and I had to be put on ventilator for a week. I didn’t received not a single call or text from her. April 9 2024 was the day I was suppose to die according to the doctor. The entire family (extended included) knew of my situation and my husband got calls and text from cousins, aunts, etc. My eldest brother. Or mother didn’t bother. I couldn’t believe even on my death bed I did not matter enough to her.
I usually keep to myself and never voice my opinion to family to avoid friction. But I had just survived something I wasn’t suppose to. My eldest brother (31M) said I hurt his feelings for calling him out like that and he was upset because it took my husband two days to tell them about my condition and he knew I was going to be ok and that is why he didn’t call or text and I need to get over myself and stop ignoring mom. I was baffled. I really just want to say eff it to the whole lot of them. I text my mom the day I was discharged and it’s been a month and still no response. I suppose I should get out of denial and understand she doesn’t want me in her life.