Fluoxetine anemia

I’ve (21F) been experiencing an extreme lack of energy amongst a few other symptoms. I went to my family doctor and she had me get some labs. They came back with everything normal as far as vitamins go but for the CBC with auto differential a few things were low:
hemoglobin levels were 11.8 MCH was 27.2 MCHC was 31.4 Lymphocytes were 17.54 and then my Monocytes were high at 9.803 and my RBC was .12 away from being out of the normal range
She said it looked like mild anemia and to get some more labs for iron. I got an iron profile and ferritin labs, all came back normal. It has been over a month since and I have not heard from my doctor and any attempts to reach out have been unsuccessful. Symptoms have not improved and I’m very confused at the sudden ghosting and as to what these results could indicate. Any advice is appreciated.
Also some added information that may be helpful, I am 5’2 and around 125lbs
I’m on Fluoxetine (Prozac) 40mg
I get REALLY sick after labs and usually pass out. Even things like getting a paper cut that bleeds pretty badly will cause me to feel sick and even pass out. I just do not do well with losing blood so I’m unsure if that has anything to do with the CBC results.

• Species: dog
• Age: ~8 (shelter for 2 ys, adopted for 4 ys)
• Sex/Neuter status: Male, neutered
• Breed: 80% American pit bull terrier, 20% Rottweiler
• Body weight: 63 lbs
• History: Anxiety - Fluoxetine 40mg, overall healthy dog with no significant health issues
• Clinical signs: Only polydipsia/polyuria, now we’ve been limiting water intake, so it’s been hard to tell if/how it’s progressed. No weight loss, anorexia, anemia, behavioral changes, etc.
• Duration: 3-4 months
• Your general location: St Louis
• Links to test results, vet reports, X-rays etc:

He’s had a very unrevealing work up so far (normal CBC/CMP, glucose, dexamethasone suppression test, UA - mildly dilute). I’m a 3rd year medical student so I’ve been thinking I was projecting and in my head about it all. I was thinking it was psychogenic polydipsia, but we decided to do an ultrasound with a specialist just to be comprehensive.
Ultrasound Findings:
LiveGallbladder: The liver appears to be a normal size with normal echogenicity. No nodules or masses seen. The gallbladder appears to be normal size and contains a small amount of movable echogenic material.
Spleen: The spleen appears to be a normal size with normal echogenicity. A hypoechoic nodule is present in the body of the spleen measuring 1.0 x 1.5 cm.
Kidneys/Adrenal Glands: The left kidney is unremarkable and measures 7.2 cm in length. The left adrenal gland appears to be a normal shape and the diameter of the caudal pole measures 0.50 cm. The right kidney is unremarkable and measures 6.4 cm in length. The right adrenal gland appears to be a normal shape and the diameter of the caudal pole measures 0.48 cm.
Urinary BladdeUrethra: Unremarkable. No calculi or masses seen. Prostate or Uterus: The prostate is unremarkable.
Gastrointestinal Tract/Pancreas: The gastric wall appears to be a normal thickness with no loss of layering. The pancreas was not definitively seen however no abnormality was seen in the area of the pancreas. The small intestinal and colonic walls appear to be a normal thickness with no loss of layering.
Lymph nodes: No lymphadenopathy seen. Other: No free fluid seen.
Impression: The splenic nodules most likely benign, such as due to extra medullary paraparesis or lymphoid hyperplasia, however early malignancy cannot be ruled out.
I was not able to attend this vet visit, so didn't get to ask questions, but my partner said:
“Ultrasound didn’t show anything *significant*. They said there was a small nodule on his spleen and that they wouldn’t be able to tell with 100% certainty if it was insignificant or not without a biopsy but that everything they saw in the ultrasound leads them to believe it’s probably not significant and probably not worth biopsying.”
They then recommended an expensive allergy diet that we will trial for a month. But I am not convinced that this is the etiology. The vet was under the impression our dog licks his paws a lot, but he actually just loves chewing on his benne bones and mad his paws look red during the visit. I feel like the nodule was brushed over a bit and so I really divided into the research and was left with a lot of questions. I still lean taking a conservative route, but would love more insight.

• What are the standards of practice moving forward for an incidental small nodule?
• Should we consider serial ultrasounds to monitor it? If so, how often?
• What’s the risk of malignancy? Hemangiosarcoma? I’ve seen studies for incidental nodules that are anywhere from 20-70% and that feels like such a wide margin of error (obviously limited by most research focused on symptomatic hemorrhage patients).
• What’s the risk of hemorrhage? Should we have a plan in place if this were to occur? Are there any activities we should be careful with to avoid hemorrhage, such as picking him up or him jumping over our couch? What are the mortality/life expectancies of splenectomy if hemorrhage occurs vs beforehand?
• What ultrasound characteristics make it appear benign vs malignant? From the studies I’ve read it seems it’s fairly inaccurate with many conflicting trends from study to study. ie. one study says smaller is usually benign whereas another it says smaller is usually malignant same goes for the echogeniciy - his is smaller and hypoechoic)
• What’s utility/specificity/sensitivity of FNA? Given the significant RBCs w/in hemangiosarcomas, how often can it be diagnosed? How would biopsy results change the care plan, especially if it were benign?
• Is splenectomy even for a benign nodule that’s relatively asymptomatic something we should be considering? Would doing a splenectomy outright be wise? Does splenectomy (aside from general surgical complications) have a significant effect on life expectancy or quality of life? Does splenectomy have best diagnostic utility given the ability to biopsy surrounding organs and is that worth the risks?
• How does a splenic nodule effect life expectancy?

Age: 21
Sex: Female
Height: 165cm
Weight: 65kg
Race: Chinese
Existing relevant medical issues: Anemia, depression
Current medications: Fluoxetine, iron supplements
I have been experiencing fatigue ever since I was a teenager, and I've always attributed it to my iron deficiency anemia. Lately, I've been taking iron supplements for the past 3 months and I got another blood test today. My iron levels have improved and are now at a normal level, but I still feel the fatigue.
My symptoms include: feeling tired despite sleeping for 10 hours or more, having frequent bouts of fatigue resulting in excessive sweating and neck aches, experiencing brain fog and feeling dizzy when I stand up. My eyesight also gets affected when these bouts of fatigue occur, resulting in poorer vision than usual. These bouts of fatigue happen about 5-6 times a day and typically last for about 20 minutes.
Although my lab work reported normal iron levels, it did report other abnormalities: - Red Blood Cell Count: 4.08 mcL - Monocyte Count: 13.1% - Basophil Count: 1.3% - Neut Absolute: 1.89%
Are these abnormalities significant enough that I should consult a doctor? What are some possible causes of my fatigue? I know it's not the depression as I've felt this fatigue even before I had depression.
Thank you in advance for your help!

Age : 20 Height : 5’3 Mental health diagnosis : Anxiety, Depression, BPD, Autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. Medicines she takes : Seroquel and Fluoxetine. Diagnosed health conditions : Anemia. Non- drinker No marijuana Vaping since age 15 Country : Canada Province : Ontario Ethnicity : Caucasian
I’m posting here for my girlfriend as she has had chronic stomach and abdominal pain since she was 11 years old. The pains are usually in her lower stomach, both left and right, and are accompanied by nausea and constipation almost all of the time. They also get worse when she eats. They also are triggered when she doesn’t eat.
It has gotten to the point where she is beginning to feel depressed because she isn’t able to live the life that she wants to live and feels bedridden 5 out of 7 days of the week. She does not drink alcohol or smoke weed. She has been vaping since age 15. Being her boyfriend I have noticed myself that her stomach is constantly making loud noises and she is obviously in a lot of pain a lot of the time.
She’s had multiple tests done, dozens of hospital visits and a plethora of examinations. She feels as if due to her mental health diagnosis’s that she gets ignored and that the doctors deem it to be anxiety which just cannot be true due to the length of these issues.
The doctors have told her that it’s “chronic pain” without any further explanation, treatment or attempt at diagnosing her. They’ve just ruled out a ton of stuff and labelled her as having chronic pains. She just gets told she has “chronic abdominal pain” as her diagnosis, has nothing prescribed for it and just is basically told to live with this.
From waking up to going to bed she is in this constant cycle of discomfort, pain and severe pain. It doesn’t seem to change depending on what she eats during the day as it is always present even if she eats well for a few days.
Here is a quick list of things I thought could be useful:
*Stomach pains began at 11 and were just as frequent as previously mentioned *Her first period was at age 13. *Though the frequency of the pains have been the same, she has noticed that they have gotten worse overtime and with age. *Shes been throwing up more recently than ever. *Lower abdomen is where the pains are felt, just below the belly button. *Ultrasounds have been done all throughout her teen years and results show back fine. *Bloodtests have been done all throughout her teen years and results come back fine other than her being Anemic. * X-ray was done and results came back fine. She doesn’t remember her age she had the X-Ray done. *She had an ED at 13 and was put into an Eating Disorders ward for it. She was 70-80lbs fluctuating at this time and was considered medically Anemic and still is. She is now 100-110lbs fluctuating. *She had a colonoscopy at 19 and results came back fine. * Was tested for crohns, came back negative * Was tested for celiac disease, came back negative. * Was tested for being gluten free, came back negative. * Was tested for being lactose intolerance , came back negative. * She admits that her eating habits have worsened over the years but feels this is due to the pains she is having. She doesn’t feel motivated to eat well and usually eats poorly. * She craves sugar in the mornings. * Has had her uterus checked but nothing seemed wrong. * Appendix has been checked, nothing seemed wrong. * No liver tests *No pancreas tests * No bladder or gallbladder tests
It is becoming very depressing to her as she does not feel like she can enjoy life. She’s been sleeping upwards of 16 hours daily recently and she feels like she will never be able to work due to these pains. She fears she will have to give up on her hopes and dreams and just apply for disability.

30M. History of Type 2 diabetes, Sarcoidosis, Iron Deficiency Anemia, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Fatty Liver Disease, Gender Dysphoria. Medications taken are Prednisone, Metformin, Estradiol Transdermal, Januvia, Fluoxetine, Lamictal.
I had an MRI of my heart and it was found that I have an LVEF function of 48%. I dug up paperwork from an ultrasound I had at 18 that showed it at 60%. There was also a finding of left ventricle dilation, but no findings of damage from Sarcoidosis or signs of heart disease. Regardless, I am very concerned as my mother died at 50 from heart and lung disease. I am obese and live a mostly sedentary lifestyle, could those risk factors alone cause this loss of function? Could it be the anemia or one of my medications? If I implement regular exercise, or other possible lifestyle changes could I see improved function, and is the dilation at all reversible? Thanks.

Hello, for the past month i've been throwing up every single day. Its after I eat, when i go out in the cold, when i wake up, when i drink, everything is a trigger. It's exhausting, im so tired 24/7 cause only 30% of my food stays down. My dad died from stomach cancer 5 years ago so im extremely worried about my health. Im going to get bloodwork and stool samples today but while waiting for them should I be doing anything? Contacting a doctor? Going to urgent care? Age 24 Sex Female Height 4'11 Weight 120 Race white Duration of complaint a month Location canada Any existing relevant medical issues anemia, allergies and depression Current medications fluoxetine and birth control and daily all

20 y/o F, approx 165 lbs 5’2, I take fluoxetine 40mg and Vienva 10mg, no health conditions besides asthma and slight anemia.
Hi, I’ve been on Vienva (10 mg) for the last year and a half ish. For the last 3 1/2 months I’ve had brown spotting and light bleeding. Everyday. It won’t stop and idk why?

Hello, I'm a veterinary technician that does annual labwork on my cats. Apologies for formatting, I'm on mobile.
The cat in question -
8 yo MN DSH
Hx of redirected aggression, for which he takes 4mg of Fluoxetine Reconcile SID
No other medications
Northern California
Over the past 3-4 months I have noticed slow gradual weight loss. He has lost 1 pound since I last weighed him last April. No other symptoms or changes in behavior.
Normal energy and appetite - usually a very voracious eater, which combined with the weight loss had me and the vet I work for suspicious of hyperthyroidism, but his T4 is normal. My vet also noted elevated heart rate on his exam yesterday. He was on 200mg of Gabapentin, but he gets stressed while in the hospital. His hr yesterday was 204, but I think it's normally around 160 while in the hospital.
I know there are a couple things off here, but I'm concerned about the reticulocyte count since the rest of his CBC is normal. All I've read about reticulocytes have to do with anemia, but he doesn't appear to be anemic. I'm wondering what this could indicate, or if further testing would be warranted and if so, what should I be looking for.
Thank you in advance. I will try to post his labwork in the comments since it doesn't appear I can attach them to the post itself.

I have been experiencing some health issues that are (according to my rheumatologist) entirely unrelated to my diagnosed conditions, and I am being passed around to doctor after doctor to try and determine what is happening to me. I am mainly here looking for some insight, and maybe some advice on what kind of doctor may be able to help me.
Background Info:
- 24F, 5'7, 135lbs.
- Diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis at 19, which I am being successfully treated for by a rheumatologist and a pain management doctor. I am also being treated and taking medications for depression, anxiety, ADHD, and sciatica.
-I do drink and smoke (thc from smoke shops), but I use very little of these substances and my doctors say that it is not a concern.
Medications:
- Adderall, naproxen, gabapentin, fluoxetine (prozac), and rinvoq. (I am on the lowest dose for all of these prescriptions, and I do not even take them all every single day- adderall, gabapentin, and naproxen are as-needed medications. I have been on all of these medications for a longer period of time than my recent symptoms, so I feel relatively confident that they are not direct side effects of the medications and my current doctors insist that they are not the problem.)
Symptoms I need help/advice for (most of these began around September of 2023, some a little earlier or later):
-EXTREME(!!!) brain fog, dizziness, temperature regulation issues (either freezing cold and shivering or literally dripping sweat, with basically no in-between), unbearable fatigue (I often fall asleep sitting up at my desk at work), heart palpitations, general malaise almost constantly, elevated heart rate, shakiness, difficulty standing for more than a couple minutes at a time, and occasional pre-syncope. Recent urine tests ordered by my doctor to check for signs of bleeding have shown dehydration even though I drink a TON of water, and ketones even though I eat plenty of carbs. No bleeding, though.
-I went to my PCP in regard to these symptoms, and she has referred me to a hematologist and a cardiologist, who I will be seeing within the next month. We discussed the possibility of me having POTs since so many symptoms line up, but after completing literally 5 blood tests with strange (?) results, it is beginning to seem less likely (apparently, I don't really understand any of this). I have also done a 48 hour Holter monitor test, which came back completely normal.
-Blood tests are showing the following: Low WBC (3.4), low RBC (3.4), high MCV (103.6), high MCH (35.9), low lymphs ABS (1.0). I was told I definitely have some form of anemia, but they do not know what kind.
Long story short, I am really confused and honestly kinda freaking out about all of this. I cannot function normally, my performance at my job is suffering, and the fact that my doctors have been unable to give me clear answers yet is really taking a toll on my mental health. If there is anyone who can provide any insight or advice or literally ANYTHING I would be so grateful, because my cardiologist and hematologist appointments aren't for a while and I can't stand the anxiety of not having any information.
Thank you in advance for anything you can give me!
​

Hello! F27
Crying exhausts me. Both physically and mentally. It’s the same as when I get even a tad sunburnt. I just feel extremely tired. Almost instantly.
I’ve realised now because of this I avoid crying as much as I can. This doesn’t help as I’m extremely sensitive with ADHD and rejection sensitivity. I have always had an issue with feeling tired. I have taken many tests and am on the low side but don’t have anemia. I don’t party much as well due to me tiredness.
Is there any advice as to how to allow myself to cry but make it less taxing? I feel like I can’t get anything productive done afterwards but I’m also aware it’s a healthy release the body needs.
A good example, I was having an amazing day, got so many jobs done, was enjoying life, got onto meal prep and all of a sudden I was tired. The reason? CHOPPING ONIONS!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Female, 27, Nz European, 63kg, 157cm.
Medication- methylphenidate, Mirtazapine, fluoxetine.
Not a smoker, occasional 420, occasional drink. Not heavy at all.

History: 22 AFAB (20 at the time of the original injury) Diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia in 2021 and took iron supplements on and off for a while On antidepressants - currently mirtazapine but I was on a different antidepressant at the time of the original injury, not 100% sure but I think it was fluoxetine On the birth control patch (Evra) Frequently smoked 🍃 (not sure if I'm allowed to say it) at the time of the original injury, but quit in December 2022. Never smoked cigarettes No other medical history I can think of
In June 2022 I sustained a black eye on one side. The blow that caused it happened around the late afternoon and I could immediately tell that it felt sore/bruised, and when I woke up the following morning the area had turned black/purple. At first (the morning after the blow) just the area above my eye (upper eyelid) turned black/purple, but then the following day (2 mornings after the blow) it spread to the area below my eye. In addition to this, the tissue in the area of my eyebrow felt very swollen. It basically feels like a lump under my eyebrow, but it isn't mobile like certain kinds of cysts that are encased and can be moved around, it's completely immobile like the tissue itself is swollen. I'm pretty sure I felt this lump under my eyebrow before the visual bruising developed.
The issue is that this swelling/lump lasted long after the visual bruising went away, and is still there to this day. At first it was shrinking, although extremely slowly - it stayed decently sized for several months. But I was patient and I thought it would go away eventually, just slowly. However, at some point it stopped shrinking at all and now it's just... there, and I don't think it's shrunk in about a year now. You can't visually see it (and I don't think you ever could, even when it was at its largest), but if you massage my affected eyebrow you can very much feel it. It isn't at all painful, but I absolutely hate it because I hate the thought that I'm permanently disfigured (albeit mildly). I don't want to get into the story of how the injury happened because it's too personal and sensitive, but it was a traumatic event and having this permanent lump is like a permanent, emotionally painful reminder of it. Plus I just find it annoying because I can feel it when I make certain facial expressions. I've tried to speak to my GP about it but they were very unhelpful, they didn't really understand at all.
Photos of everything here
Can anyone tell me what is causing this? And is there anything I can do to completely make it go away? I'm desperate to get rid of it.

This concerns an elderly individual, 83 years old, hospitalized for anemia secondary to upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The medication he was receiving before hospitalization was Fluoxetine 20mg in the morning, and at night Mirtazapine 7.5mg, Zopiclone 7.5mg for 1 year. The Psychiatrist considered discontinuing Mirtazapine and Zopiclone (due to risk of dependence) and replacing them with Quetiapine 25mg and Risperidone 0.5mg every 12 hours. The issue is that with the new treatment, he began to become disoriented, especially at night, confuses people, has visual and auditory hallucinations, speaks incoherently, and this worries me. The psychiatrist said that the symptoms were expected due to hospitalization and the discontinuation of Zopiclone. However, I see that Risperidone is not having its effect; on the contrary, it is agitating him more. My question is, is this actually a case of delirium in dementia due to age F05.1 or a withdrawal syndrome F13.4?

35F 130lbs 5’3”
Current meds: Bupropion XL 300mg tablet once daily, Fluoxetine 20mg capsule once daily, Oxcarbazepine 300mg tablet once daily, Womens one a day multivitamin, Calcium and vitamin D supplement.
The above meds are for psychiatric illness, I’ve been stable on this combination for several years. No drugs or alcohol consumption in 12 years. Had lower back surgery 5/18/23 (I took oxycodone for a couple days following surgery).
I went to the doctor for fatigue symptoms, which aren’t new but still affect my day to day life. My PCP ruled out hypothyroidism and anemia in Feb 2023 (and in prior tests). Same with the recent tests.
Recent blood test shows abnormal RBC morphology, but no anemia. See results here.. Sorry in advance for the pop up ads on the hosting site, can’t upload to Imgur without app.
I was referred to hematology but they haven’t scheduled me for an appointment yet and I don’t know what the wait time will be. I know that google is not my friend but it’s hard not knowing anything and not being able to ask anyone. Thanks in advance for any input!

I would like to preface this with the fact that I am a physician and have consulted numerous specialist physicians about this, so I am looking for personal results/advice from other long haulers rather than "go ask your doctor" advice.
I have developed anxiety (resolved), depression, and chronic fatigue, in addition to iron-deficiency anemia (also resolved) after COVID. I did not have classic long COVID symptoms such as palpitations and shortness of breath. I do have a past history of depression but the two previous times, I responded immediately to the starting dose of the medication I tried and was doing great for years after. This time, I have struggled with minimal improvement from almost a dozen different medications. The situation is complicated by the fact that I had gone through a period of extreme stress a year after my COVID diagnosis, which would be enough to take anyone out of commission for a while. The only effective treatment I've had for depression was TMS - transcranial magnetic stimulation. I had very marginal improvement from fluoxetine (Prozac), which had worked amazingly for me when I had my first depressive episode 18 years ago. While TMS is helpful - it has allowed me to return to work at about 70% capacity and I am now able to engage in some fun activities - I am nowhere near where I used to be. It is also out of pocket and has me tied down to this geographical area. I am also quite worried about eventually becoming resistant to it.
My persistent symptoms are fatigue, lack of motivation, mild anhedonia, insomnia, and lack of sex drive. I am nowhere NEAR as fatigued as I used to be - at one point last year, it took me THREE HOURS to get dressed - but I notice myself skirting avoidable physical tasks e.g. making even simple meals, taking the stairs instead of the escalator. It's very difficult for me to do tasks I don't HAVE to do.
We have tried numerous antidepressants (fluoxetine, bupropion, escitalopram, vilazodone, moclobemide, mirtazapine) as well as other medications (for ADHD - methylphenidate IR and SR as well as dextroamphetamine). I also tried progesterone supplementation as I am a female in my late 30s so perimenopause would also explain some of the symptoms - no effect. I also did ketamine-assisted psychotherapy which did not do anything for me - I also responded very differently from every other person in my program, which suggests there is something off about my brain chemistry. Fluoxetine (Prozac) has given me very modest improvement and Quetiapine 12.5 mg helps me stay asleep through the night - if I forget to take it, I am guaranteed to be up 3-4 hours after I fall asleep and be wide awake.
I have obviously been worked up to and fro medically and there is no other condition lurking, e.g. my CRP (inflammatory marker) is completely normal, weird deficiencies e.g. copper have been ruled out, and so have various other zebras like Cushing's syndrome.
The next medication I am trialing is Modafinil (Provigil), it was suggested to me by an Internal Medicine specialist with an interest in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and I also have a patient who has CFS who had a good response to it, so I am hopeful.
Has anyone had any improvement with similar symptoms? What has helped you?

I (27F) in the last year seem to have developed an allergy to cinnamon. Whenever I eat something with cinnamon my mouth gets tingly and my tongue goes numb. I’ve eaten cinnamon my whole life and never had this sort of reaction before but I’ve learned that adults can suddenly develop allergies so that seems to be what this is. The thing is, I really love cinnamon and although mildly uncomfortable, the reaction I’ve been having isn’t really that big of a deterrent from eating cinnamon-y treats. So my question is: is there a risk of the allergy getting more severe over time? I’ve eaten cinnamon maybe 3 times since I first noticed the allergy and the reaction seems to be the same every time. I just have never had any serious allergies before so I don’t know what determines if you go into anaphylaxis or how adult-onset allergies work in general. Can I keep eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch and cinnamon rolls or am I rolling the dice with my life? Fyi, I also have a similar oral reaction to kiwi but have had this my whole life. I’ve never experienced anaphylaxis from kiwi but I also have only eaten kiwi maybe twice in my life. Thanks!
Extra info: on Metformin, fluoxetine, alprazolam, altavera, iron supplement, vitamin d supplement, and daily multivitamin. Diagnosed with PCOS, depression, anxiety, and anemia.

Hi! I’m 19(F) I’m on multiple meds. I take Vienva birth control for about 6 months now. Fluoxetine 40mg for over a year. Recently after getting fasting labs done, we found out I have high cholesterol and anemia. I bought iron to help with the anemia and she put me on a low dose (5mg) of Atorvastatin. Which I started about 3-4 days ago. Well this morning after resting because I puked last night, I woke up out of a dead sleep rocking my body back and forth ( which is a common occurrence with me ) and a heavy, guilty, anxious feeling in my chest. Much like I just lost a loved one mixed with a panic attack of a sort. Could this be a side effect of the new meds? Or what is it

F28. 5'3", 220 lbs (I know, I'm working on it).
Conditions: hypothyroidism, type 1 diabetes, migraines, anemia, anxiety, hypertension.
Medications: perindopril 2mg, eltroxin 0.1mg, fluoxetine 20mg, iron supplements, humalog insulin 70-80 units/day administered via insulin pump. I was taking isotretinoin up until June of last year. I was taking lantus insulin (45 units/day) until Friday the 27th of this month.
The problem: my extremities (including hands and feet), eyeballs, and mouth/lips are inexplicably dry. I moisturize my hands 30+ times per day to little relief. When I rub them together, they feel and sound like paper. I apply lip balm and overnight lip gel constantly. I require those mouth sprays on occasion to hydrate my mouth at night as I can't sleep from how dry it is. I itch everywhere at night. I apply lotion and hope I fall asleep within the 5-10 minutes it takes for my hands, feet and legs to soak up the moisturizer otherwise I have to reapply again and again.
Given the amount of moisturizer I use, my hands and feet should be extremely moisturized. I know that it's winter right now and the extremely cold temperatures (-25°C daily) aren't helping but this problem isn't alleviated in the summer months.
I have blood work done regularly and nothing is abnormal, but if you need a specific value for diagnostic purposes I can obtain it for you easily as my health records are available to me online.

I (20F), unsure of weight but I am overweight, 5”10’. Never smoked, I do not drink or take any other recreational drugs. I am on Fluoxetine, Co-Codamol, Metformin, Iron tablets, Lansoprozol to treat mental health, chronic pain, anemia (due to blood loss mentioned later in my post), PCOS and a stomach ulcer.
I am having a very slow moving process with my doctor and wanted some clarification.
I’ve had gastro issues for as long as I remember, and there is close family history of Chron’s Disease.
The most pressing issue I’m dealing with is leaking blood from my back passage and extreme stomach pain.
My past test results indicate inflammation markers (serum c) in my blood and high calprotectin in my stool, but nothing was found during my colonoscopy and seemingly my biopsy was clear.
Does this definitively rule out IBD, despite my symptoms and other test results?

I (F20) recently started taking antidepressants (fluoxetine) a week and a half ago, I started at 10mg and since yesterday my psych had me increase to 20mg. I initially (10mg) didn't have many severe side effects, just spaciness, some lightheadedness, tiredness and slight nausea when I took the medicine, and yesterday starting 20mg it was pretty much the same. However today (also on 20mg) I have been much more tired and nauseous (even threw up, which I haven't done in YEARS) and had very watery black diarrhea. I googled it and it says black diarrhea (especially on SSRIs) is usually indicative of intestinal bleeding. All the other symptoms I mentioned are expected from the medication, but its the black diarrhea that's concerning me, especially since I saw that some of the intestinal bleeding symptoms are also my medication symptoms. I'm not having any pain.
I am 5'2, unsure of my weight but somewhere around 110 possibly?, Indian descent, currently also taking birth control (lo loestrin fe) and occasional iron supplements (used to take regularly but not needed anymore, now just on occasion. I took one today because I thought some of today's lightheadedness might be my anemia coming back or something but I'm not sure it's the case). I do not drink/smoke/do drugs (I did have a small bit of champagne yesterday for new years but not any significant amount).
Please let me know if any other information is needed!

Height: 5’4” Weight: 49kg
Current medical treatments: Elvanse 60mg/day, Fluoxetine 20mg/day, Ensure Plus Juice 1 bottle/day as prescribed by RD for malnutrition; on waitlist for GI specialist
Brief medical overview: -History of GAD and depression since childhood, both well-managed -ADHD diagnosed March 2021 -gallbladder removed for gallstones Jan 2016 -digestive issues and other assorted symptoms (see below); currently diagnosed as IBS but pending further investigation
Hi there,
I’ll try to keep this brief. I’ve been having noticeable, variable-but-worsening health issues since early 2021. The issues started as pain in my lower right abdominal/pelvic area and severe diarrhea (even compared to usual diarrhea post-cholecystectomy), but I’ve had a fair bit of pain in my back and hips as well.
I’m in the midst of a flare of whatever I have at the moment, and one symptom that has re-emerged (that I fortunately haven’t had since about this time past year) is pain in my back and chest along with it being harder to breathe. It’s been pretty constant for the past few days, but it’s not super severe. It’s a very particular kind of sensation that feels mechanical and musculoskeletal rather than deeply internal or organ-based, if that makes sense. For example, it’s not the ‘I could get enough air if I had more time to fill my lungs’ that you might get after intense exercise, and it’s not the ‘starting with a low battery’ shortness of breath I get with anemia. It’s like my back and ribs and the muscles around them are getting in the way of how my lungs would usually fill up by giving them less room between the front and the back. The area is also stiff (at the back) and tender (at the front, like the muscles between the ribs). I’ve found that even mild exertion worsens the shortness of breath, but lying down, curving my spine, or finding another positions that makes more room between my back and my ribs instantly makes it easier to breathe. For the pain and stiffness, a heating pad helps and it feels like massage would, too.
Should I seek help from my GP or someone else on this, or should I continue to self-treat at home? My GP made it pretty clear previously that there’s not much more they can do until I see a specialist unless something vastly alarming comes up on a CBC (which have been normal save for low iron) or CRP test (which has always tested normal. A friend has suggested I seek a referral to a rheumatologist based on my non-digestive symptoms (flushing, night sweats, easy bruising, mouth sores, itchy skin, joint pain/stiffness, fatigue), but based on some very negative experiences I’ve had with healthcare providers throughout the investigative process so far, I’d really like to avoid putting myself through that again if it’s something I can handle on my own.
Thank you!

Age & Sex: 18M
Height & Weight: 171 cm & 43 kg
Existing Medical Issues: Orthostatic Hypotension and Migraine
Drug Abuse & Addiction: None
Race: Indian
Region: India
Current Medications: Fluoxetine 10 mg and Prucalopride 1 mg
In January 2021, my household members (who abuse and torture me regularly, about which you can read in my post history) forcefully admitted me to a psychiatric institution for 31 days where I was manhandled and abused (both physically and verbally) on a daily basis. Please read my post history to know more details. There, I was given the following drugs (which nearly killed me):

1. Fluoxetine 80 mg
2. Clomipramine 75 mg
3. Olanzapine 5 mg
4. Clonazepam 0.5 mg - 2 mg
5. Propranolol 60 mg
6. Cyproheptadine 4 mg
7. Memantine 5 mg or 10 mg (I Forgot)
8. Trihexyphenidyl 2 mg

At that time, I developed multiple severe symptoms which are as follows:
Somnolence, Akathisia, Severe Constipation (I Did Not Poop for 14 Days in a Row While Being There), Severe Tremors Due to Which I Was Unable to Speak or Walk and Was Completely Bedridden for a Couple of Months, Delirium, Myoclonus, Diplopia, Orthostatic Hypotension, Feverish Feeling, Severe Hypotension, Seizures (Twice), Panic Attacks, Severe Headaches, Fluctuating Pulse Rate and Vertigo.
After being discharged, I stopped all the drugs (except Fluoxetine, Clonazepam and Propranolol which were reduced to 40 mg, 0.5 mg and 20 mg timed release, respectively, on the advice of a doctor). I took the Clonazepam for 7 months in total but then tapered and stopped it completely over 1 month due to severe side effects. Then I stopped the propranolol in March 2022. Also, the dosage of the Fluoxetine was changed multiple times in the last 1.5 years by the doctor (ranging from 20 mg to 60 mg), which all caused numerous unbearable side effects. I finally tappered it down (gradually over several months) to 10 mg and have planned to half it every 5 months and then finally stop it altogether.
Currently, I still have several unbearable symptoms, which are as follows:
Somnolence, Severe Cognitive Impairment (I Am in a State of Confusion All Throughout the Day, Can't Concentrate on Anything at All and Can't Recall Most Things at Any Point of Time, Like Dementia or Delirium), Binocular Diplopia, Intention Tremor (Which Reduced in Severity After Reducing the Fluoxetine), Severe Constipation, Dysarthria, Orthostatic Hypotension (I Had This Since Childhood Due to Unknown Causes But It Aggravated Tremendously After Being Given Those Drugs), Bradykinesia, Muscular Weakness and Rigidity, Tachycardia, Extreme Fatigue, Panic Attacks (Which Significantly Reduced in Frequency After Reducing the Fluoxetine), Insomnia, Drooling (This Also Reduced in Frequency After Reducing the Fluoxetine), Chronic Hypotension and Severe Weight Loss (I Lost Around 5 kg in the Last 4 Months Despite Getting Adequate and Nutritious Food).
I would like to mention that I had also caught COVID-19 in January 2022. I have done some basic blood tests (like Haemogram, LFT, Electrolyte Panel, Lipid Profile, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Thyroid Profile, etc.), all of which were normal except the Haemogram, which showed that I have microcytic and hypochromic anemia (my Hemoglobin is 12.7 g/dl) for which I'll start an Iron supplement soon.
I have visited several doctors in the last 1.5 years but not a single one of them could tell me why all of this is happening to me. I personally suspect that those psychiatric drugs have caused all these problems. Is there anything else that could be causing these things (like Multiple Sclerosis or Addison's Disease)? I am lost. What should I do? Please help me.

33F, 170cm, 100kg, Caucasian
Primary complaint: chronic/recurrent Diverticulitis
Duration: 5months
Existing medical issues: PTSD, Psychotic Depression, PCOS, glomerulonephritis
Current repeat medications: 15mg Olanzapine, 40mg Fluoxetine and 30mg Mirtazipine all 1x daily
Current acute medications: 500mg Cefalexin and 400mg Metronidazole - both 3x daily
No alcohol, 3 cigarettes per day
I was diagnosed with diverticular disease 2months post partum in June 2020 after being unwell with diverticulitis (lower left abdominal pain, fever, diarrhoea - confirmed by CT).
I didn't have another attack until I started feeling unwell in May this year (2022) and blood tests which were taken for another reason showed my CRP was 57. I tried to ignore it for 2 months as my mental health issues stem from healthcare so I avoid (traumatic birth experience) and eventually needed to be hospitalised with CRP of 133, uncontrolled pain and raised WBC.
I've since had 2 further admissions and am currently on my 5th round of oral antibiotics (previously coamoxiclav, this time cefalexin and metronidazole) in the last 2 months.
I've been on either liquid or low residue diet throughout, and my latest blood tests have shown folate deficiency and potentially anemia (can't interpret due to raised CRP) likely as a result of poor diet.
I've had 2 CT scans as part of the 3 admissions. The first showed "marked thickening", free fluid and locume of gas "likely from tiny perforation". The second just showed uncomplicated diverticulitis.
I was meant to have had a colonoscopy by now, but I haven't been well for long enough for the procedure to be safe so it just keeps getting pushed back with each confirmed infection.
I have a follow up outpatient appointment on Thursday (20th October) and I really don't know what to hope for from it. Feeling unwell both physically and mentally from all of this.
Please could someone help set my expectations for what they might say, and help me prepare some meaningful questions to ask?
I am equally frightened at the prospect of just being told to carry on in this current cycle of taking antibiotics, stopping, infection and inflammation coming straight back...repeat seemingly indefinitely. Or surgery, which they said in my last admission is "life changing" and they wouldn't be rushing into it.