Chiro tea

TLDR; After trying EVERYTHING I reduced stimulants to promote rest and digest and reduced sugar to limit bacterial infections Would like honorary phd for this ten year $100k research project “Fine” now 🥹 ?
Full story: I have had eczema since 8 months old. Cats and dust allergy and sweat/heat induced. It was no biggie. An antihistamine and the occasional topical OTC steroid cream - easy peasy.
Fast forward, I’m 24. I started getting really hot and red in my face. Can’t tolerate heat at all. My eczema was flaring non stop like crazy. Had it in places I never had before, eye lids, neck. Couldn’t sleep I was so itchy. Had restless leg wtf could only sleep every second day
Saved up for an allergist and started doing desensitisation treatments, bactroban in the nose, and the nurse secretly told me I could take up to 6 antihistamine pd and switch between a few brands
My skin got so bad the doctor wouldn’t let me have the injections anymore Doctor offered me lyrica and prednisone. I was so far gone the prednisone did NOTHING . They literally told me “I can’t help you anymore please don’t come back”
My skin was now flaking bad, like I was turning into sand. Scratch , weep, scab, flake, repeat. Folliculitis all over my legs. I was itchy every waking hour. I slept in a bathtub for 6 weeks getting 1 hour sleep while working full time wearing cream and barrier cream under full body bandages. Found out about TSW and related
Ended up in hospital with a golf ball sized boil in my eyebrow. IV antibiotics cleared up the infection but still itchy. Was told it was the type of antibiotic they don’t give out unless you’re about to die .
Finally saved up and waited 3 months to see a dermatologist. She said option 1. Cancer drugs (assuming an immunosuppressant?) 2. Light therapy
I chose 2. Not sure what it did but I got a nice tan I also tried EVERYTHING short of sacrificing small animals and children during an eclipse . Spent $$$$ laser hair removal, chiro, naturopath , special elixirs, creamssss , dottera, hcl tablet, bleach then peroxide baths, condys crystals, iron, avene, acupuncture, fungicide, silk sheets, plain tooth paste, shower water filter , digestive enzymes, magnesium, tar, charcoal poultice, drink clay powder, activated grains, keffir , blood type diet, psychology, relaxation , Chinese herbs, vitamins, shaman ritual with eagle feather (not joking). Taking showers scared me because of the excruciating pain of open wounds everywhere. Tried swimming in the ocean. Felt like being set of fire but I was wrong. Had a bath with a bit of tea tree oil. Ah, NOW I know what it feels like to be set on fire (creepily got itching relief from the pain Ala black mirror).
Nothing working So I quit literally everything I ate except 30 INGREDIENTS (1 water, 2 salt , etc) on the combined advice of three eczema books Eczema slowly improving Reduced it further to having nothing but one fruit smoothie per day for SIX MONTHS “because fruit is healthy” (and eating one celery stick was too depressing ). Somehow lost no weight . Was getting better but still red and hands still looked like dinosaur skin. I
An energy healer told me it was fruit. lol. Stopped eating the smoothies and skin was better in 1 week. Redness/heat tolerance didn’t improve. Still have restless leg
Flakes and infections came back every year. Back in hospital with another golf ball boil when I’m 30. Goes away Flares again a year later
Had emotional crisis and got Valium from doctor . Magically healed! Stop Valium (not a fan) Heat intolerance recurs. Frequent flare up Try medical cannabis . Fine for a while then I adapted again like the Borg
This year (I’m 34, with 1 year of a biomed degree under my belt) I hear about anticholinergic syndrome and relate. I quit drinking tea and coffee (rip ☠️ switched to chicory root) or taking antihistamines.
Redness going away Heat tolerance improving Eczema disappeared Been healthy??? for 6 weeks Wish me luck 🍀
Sorry this post is so long , tried to condense a 10 year journey of misery as short as possible. hope this helps someone

Just wanted to share that I have lean pcos with symptoms of severe hair loss, severe anxiety and depression, hirsutism, poor sleep, dry skin, no libido, dry sore vagina, daily diarrhoea, frequent urination, no periods/1 day periods, loss of fat all over body, feeling cold, wind, excessive belching, bloated stomach, fatigue, overwhelm. Lab tests normal except for slightly higher testosterone and cystic ovaries. I have tried metformin, spiro, spearmint tea, progesterone cream, myo inositol +chiro, saw palmetto, vitex, dim, diet changes, exercise and variety of supplements for extended periods of time with varying degrees of success. I was also on most antidepressants to treat anxiety/depression but could not continue taking it due to side effects (in my case hairloss). The last medication I took, Amitriptyline however, was very effective in treating my mental health issues and about 3 weeks into taking it I noticed that all my facial hair had disappeared. I know this was caused by Amitriptyline as it was the only new thing I took. And it was absolutely a pleasant and unexpected surprise. Unfortunately side effects of hairloss from head quickly kicked in and I had to stop taking it also. I looked this up online and there are actually two studies on this effect of Amitriptyline for hirsutism. I later had an appointment with my endocrinologist and mentioned the effects of Amitriptyline that I had, he was aware of it! So, for anyone out there with hirsutism issue, perhaps it’s something you could give it a try. I know not all people have hairloss as side effect of taking antidepressants so perhaps this could be a solution for someone. Just wanted to share. My hairloss is now severe and my scalp is now visible all over so perhaps, once I make decision to shave my head/wear prosthetic hair, perhaps I will take it again but I’m still hoping that somehow I could stop the hairloss one day which really intensifies my anxiety even more.

Just wanted to share that I have lean pcos with symptoms of severe hair loss, severe anxiety and depression, hirsutism, poor sleep, dry skin, no libido, dry sore vagina, daily diarrhoea, frequent urination, no periods/1 day periods, loss of fat all over body, feeling cold, wind, excessive belching, bloated stomach, fatigue, overwhelm. Lab tests normal except for slightly higher testosterone and cystic ovaries. I have tried metformin, spiro, spearmint tea, progesterone cream, myo inositol +chiro, saw palmetto, vitex, dim, diet changes, exercise and variety of supplements for extended periods of time with varying degrees of success. I was also on most antidepressants to treat anxiety/depression but could not continue taking it due to side effects (in my case hairloss). The last medication I took, Amitriptyline however, was very effective in treating my mental health issues and about 3 weeks into taking it I noticed that all my facial hair had disappeared. I know this was caused by Amitriptyline as it was the only new thing I took. And it was absolutely a pleasant and unexpected surprise. Unfortunately side effects of hairloss from head quickly kicked in and I had to stop taking it also. I looked this up online and there are actually two studies on this effect of Amitriptyline for hirsutism. I later had an appointment with my endocrinologist and mentioned the effects of Amitriptyline that I had, he was aware of it! So, for anyone out there with hirsutism issue, perhaps it’s something you could give it a try. I know not all people have hairloss as side effect of taking antidepressants so perhaps this could be a solution for someone. Just wanted to share. My hairloss is now severe and my scalp is now visible all over so perhaps, once I make decision to shave my head/wear prosthetic hair, perhaps I will take it again but I’m still hoping that somehow I could stop the hairloss one day which really intensifies my anxiety even more.

I am removing my IUD on Friday and I’m quite nervous about it. I have a chronic kidney stone condition and the trauma I experienced during the insertion, is more severe than what I feel when I pass a stone.
Anyways, I’ve been on bc for 10 years now and I’m ready to be off it officially! Excited to get to know myself and my cycles and be “regular.” This will take some adjusting to but I’m hoping to do so the natural way! I have PMDD and some other pretty severe cycle symptoms, especially physical ones. Not diagnosed with endo or pcos, that I know of. I do have a thyroid condition, but I’m unsure of the exact diagnosis.
Any recommendations for supplements or herbs to take or just way to help regulate your cycle, moods or ease pain? Or any exercises, movements, etc to make the discomfort easier? Any other random tips or tricks you ladies have done over the years?
I currently take a low dose of venlafaxine, that I’m thinking of upping due to my current life circumstances. I also take vitex berry(I swear by this!!), ashwagandha, vitamin c,d,e, b-complex, omegas, magnesium, calcium and various other supplements.
I’d like to take turmeric but I read it can make kidney stones worse so I’m hesitant to take that. I’m also about to take myo & d-chiro inositol+, which can help to regulate.
Lastly, I avoid NSAIDS and ibuprofen if I can! I’ll take willow bark, nettle leaf and ginger or raspberry leaf tea to help with the pain.
I hope this information can be shared to help other women as well!! Thank you in advance!

I am removing my IUD on Friday and I’m quite nervous about it. I have a chronic kidney stone condition and the trauma I experienced during the insertion, is more severe than what I feel when I pass a stone.
Anyways, I’ve been on bc for 10 years now and I’m ready to be off it officially! Excited to get to know myself and my cycles and be “regular.” This will take some adjusting to but I’m hoping to do so the natural way! I have PMDD and some other pretty severe cycle symptoms, especially physical ones. Not diagnosed with endo or pcos, that I know of. I do have a thyroid condition, but I’m unsure of the exact diagnosis.
Any recommendations for supplements or herbs to take or just way to help regulate your cycle, moods or ease pain? Or any exercises, movements, etc to make the discomfort easier? Any other random tips or tricks you ladies have done over the years?
I currently take a low dose of venlafaxine, that I’m thinking of upping due to my current life circumstances. I also take vitex berry(I swear by this!!), ashwagandha, vitamin c,d,e, b-complex, omegas, magnesium, calcium and various other supplements.
I’d like to take turmeric but I read it can make kidney stones worse so I’m hesitant to take that. I’m also about to take myo & d-chiro inositol+, which can help to regulate.
Lastly, I avoid NSAIDS and ibuprofen if I can! I’ll take willow bark, nettle leaf and ginger or raspberry leaf tea to help with the pain.
I hope this information can be shared to help other women as well!! Thank you in advance!

Hi guys, I’m at a point where my hormones are a whack so I’m going to try somethings for 30 days and write what has changed (if it has changed) for me. The changes I’ll be doing are
—> starting using myoinositol every morning (couldn’t find 40:1 ratio so no d-chiro unfortunately, I’ll see what works for me) —> spearmint tea every evening (so excited for this one 😁) —> no alcohol for a month ( I a have high tolerance so for alcohol to be effective I need to consume a lot of calories which is really stagnating the progress) —> starting the day with protein (eggs since they’re the easiest) —> minimal junk food (hopefully)
So currently I’m having a lot of hair loss, and I also ordered a new shampoo. I have a bit of an acne. My periods aren’t regular. And also to noone’s surprise I’m close to being prediabetic. (That diabetes will never catch up with me tho, I’m faster 😈) That sums up the situation right now.
I’m very hopeful because I heard tons of positive stuff about spearmint tea besides I love new teas and mint so that should be nice.
Other than that I’m going to include 20 mins of cardio after strength training.
Well if these doesn’t work, I’m gonna surprise everyone with a buzz cut bcs my hair has given up on my scalp ☺️ which I don’t mind that much actually.
Well I’m very determined, unwavering and ulfaltering in fact. Pcos ain’t got nothin on me GRRR 🐺🐺
I’ll update this every few days and see how it goes.
Edit: Day 1: Myoinositol tastes so good?!?! It’s like a liquid sour patch or those toxic waste candies at the last sip. Challenge is on 👊
Day2: The spearmint tea I ordered didn’t arrive so just myo inositol today as well. I had to resist the pudding my mom made and it was hard. I had to journal my hate for the fact that my consciousness knew that there were puddings in the next room and that it didn’t align with my goals 😔. (I didn’t give in tho 💪). Other than that I feel less bloated maybe idk??
Day3: spearmint tea arrived and I liked it. Also took the myoinositol
Day4: Did weight training and 30 min cardio today. I’m so glad sports is back (I was sick for a few days)
Day 6: I continue to take inositol. The taste is really nice. Also made myself spearmint tea yesterday. Although I’ve been making sure I’m not over the calorie intake I need which is 1600 calories according to a tracking app, I gained some weight I think. I’m going to aim for 1400 calories and also I read that walking after meals helps with insulin resistance. I walked 30 mins today after my meal. Also went to the gym. As a side note, this week has been a huge accomplishment for me because I have a very important exam tomorrow which I’ve been studying for a week and I’ve managed to break my habit of eating while studying and THAT IS HUGE!!! Now I’m going to journal and plan my week.
Day7: I got my period with a delay of one week. Ok so I’m clearly doing something wrong because even tho my calorie intake is less than 1600 calories, my belly fat is growing like an invasive species. Well I’m feeling a bit down, but I also got mad at my pen for not working so I’m not going to take my hormonal self seriously. I’m going to find a way I know.
Day8: second day of my period and I feel alive! I think I’m fixing my hormones. Continuing with myoinositol, spearmint tea. also tried going for 1400 calories today and succeded. I didn’t feel like gym today but still went and afterwards I felt great. I’m so proud of my yesterday self, it’s hard sometimes but it’s decided that only my motivated self gives decisions for me.
Day9: I didn’t limit myself today bcs period cravings. Spearmint tea and myoinositol continued.
Day11 (I think??): I think myoinositol is making me more tired than usual. Anyways continuing with the tea and myoinositol as usual. Also for the past two days, I’ve been more active 10.000+ steps. But my period only lasted 4 days which is unusual. Well. I’m just gonna be happy it ended, I refuse to think further.
Day12: I’m quitting myoinositol bcs of the fatigue.
Day13: No more myoinositol but I love spearmint tea. I did 17.000 steps today with an app called pixsteps. It’s a lovely app, you grow plants by walking. I made myself a cute garden. And it’s a pixel game! Like disco zoo!! So pretty.
Drink 14: I was very active today. 10.000+ steps again along with kickbox. Fun day

EDIT BELOW! Also for those asking this is the oneI’ve been using
Y’all. I do want to preface this with correlation doesn’t equal causation but myo & d-chiro inositol may really be that girl. For context I’ve really only developed the major PCOS symptoms in the last year (uncontrollable weight gain, chin hair, etc) despite having polycystic ovaries for a long while now. I tried metformin (jfc that was horrible) and decided to try the inosital that y’all talk so much about. Bruh.
I’ve been able to maintain my weight for the first time in like 9 months even though my workouts are down because of an injury. Albeit it’s only been two weeks but still that wouldn’t have happened before. Before I was fighting for my life (5x workouts/wk, walking 3 miles a day) trying to not gain weight and I lost weight for the first time while working out and have been able to maintain now that I’m rehabbing. Like WHAT?!
Also now I wake up naturally (?!) at like 9 and stay awake?!! Previously I’ve been so exhausted and fatigued and never felt rested and even my adhd meds wouldn’t help. (Usually I wake up at around 6/7 to take my adhd meds. They’re supposed to kick in and wake me up around 45 mins later but lately I still wouldn’t wake up til 10 or later. That’s like, really not good) but now I just wake up, no alarm and can even make breakfast before my meds? I realize that this could’ve been seasonal depression lifting but I checked and this supplement helps with depression symptoms too.
I’m also way less hungry. My adhd meds are supposed to act as a mild appetite suppressant but haven’t been lately but now my meds are behaving as they should.
Again i can’t say this is all the inosital but that’s the only thing that changed so i needed to say thank you because i never would’ve even heard of it if not for yall.
ETA: I suspected that the waking up thing could’ve been because i was just sleeping more (aka waking up naturally rather than earlier than comfortable with an alarm) but nope, went to sleep at 2 and woke up AND STAYED UP long enough to have breakfast, tea, my meds, and a 30 minute lay while i wait for my meds to kick in. This is a whole new world for me 😭

I am so shocked. After 8 years of an irregular period (getting it 3x a year, approx. every 4 months) and never being able to nail down a date of when it would come, never ovulating, etc. I have finally regulated it - I HOPE!!! I’ve now gotten it 2 months in a row like clockwork exactly 35 days later. No one IRL understands my excitement at this. I really hope it keeps going - I’ve been trying endless things for 8 years but I think my new routine is working (I feel changes in my energy levels the most)! Here is what I have done the past two months:
have begun * supplements (myo d-chiro, NAC, probiotic/prebiotic, melatonin & magnesium) * 5 minute journal each day (long one 1x a week) * exercise! (2 walks, 2 strength training sessions, 2 cycle, 1 yoga/stretch day/wk) * gluten limitation * therapy each month * more matcha —> less coffee (only allowed max of 3 coffees a week) * eating healthier & in moderation * tea each night, sometimes collagen & tart cherry juice * 5 min meditation each morning * 10 minute acupuncture/healing Hz/red light therapy each evening * 5 min guasha each evening * 30 minute sauna 2x a week

I thought I would make a post here as it's a great resource for motivation and optimism as well as ideas for things to try to help. I really freaked myself out when long covid hit me and my symptoms were at their worst on my reddit/internet deep dives.
I got sick in July '23 (my first time ever testing positive and I had let my vaccination lapse because I guess I thought I might be immune lol). I took paxlovid and started testing negative after about 6 days and I had a trip planned so I went.... for a day of tubing and drinking. I ended up basically getting sick again for another week.
I tried to get back into my activities and workout routine but couldn't get even close and was feeling really worn down. I had a lot of stuff going on and some stressful work events and I kind of crashed for a few days. Got back out there, then crashed again after an hour bike ride and cleaning my bathroom and a stressful family event. I was in the push crash cycle for August/SeptembeOctober. Also daily headache, increased migraines, some autonomic stuff like high heart rate and blood pooling, dizziness. Doing less each time and triggering worse PEM. Also a TON of grief and anxiety and frustration.
In mid October I gave up on all activity except work and taking care of myself. I gave myself permission to REST aggressively/radically. I was very lucky to have a supportive boyfriend who helped me with things like changing sheets, doing dishes, bringing me some meal prepped food. I didn't clean my apartment for 3 months, I started doing grocery pickup. I also sprained my neck doing a stretch which was a whole additional layer- after a basic blood work and being told by my doc there was nothing they could really do except wait and see, I focused further medical efforts on dealing with my neck injury/coathanger pain/constant headaches. I was also diagnosed with occipital neuralgia.
I have been on an upward trajectory SO SLOWLY since December. I thought I'd list out all the things I did that I feel helped. I have a general theory that our bodies/nervous systems are both physically inflamed and also in fight/flight/freeze from the physical and mental stress. Anything you can do to support the body and mind's natural healthy processes to heal/detox/relax is going to help, even if it only moves the needle .0000001%. Then it's up to time and of course your own unique health situation.
I'm able to walk for like half an hour right now, more if I can take breaks/go slow. I'm doing PT/light body weight exercises a couple times a week, hitting the pool sometimes and swimming about 12 minutes right now. I can easily grocery shop most of the time, I can socialize and drink (though hangovers are worse haha). It feels like huge relief to be back in the world and not SCARED of what will happen. I may have new limits or needs moving forward and that feels ok to me- I've always had anxiety, ADHD, fatigue, burnout issues. I'm optimistic that I'll continue to improve and that life is a journey. There will be low time and high times forever. My challenge now is continuing to stay motivated to support myself so I don't start picking up bad patterns again!
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#1 MOVEMENT/PACING- After letting myself rest hard for about 6 weeks (still working hybrid model but did have some vacation and sick time) I started by just walking down the block and back. After a week, add another block. Get up to 5 min, then 10 min, then 2x 10 min. I found that frequent rests are key. As someone with ADHD I always want to finish a task completely because I believe I will get distracted if I stop. But you can wash half the dishes and sit down. If you can't walk 12 min at once, maybe you can walk 6 in the morning and 6 in the evening. And you really have to understand your body's cues- it's ok for example to make your symptoms 2 points worse on a 10 point scale but any further and you need to stop immediately. This is not graded exercise therapy. And 2 points worked for me it might be 1 or 3 for you. You don't want to trigger a massive crash but if you're tired, or need to lie down, that's ok. Expanding capacity happens so slowly.
1b. Lymphatic drainage via movement- I did several lymphatic drainage techniques from youtube including Perrin technique and all triggered PEM/crash. I think getting your lymph moving is key but doing it yourself is risky and your body is in a weak sensitive state. This is where the importance of movement comes in again- to get your lymph/fascia/blood/digestion all moving. Yin or gentle yoga, physical therapy, "floor time" as I called it just to get out of the laying down position. Going on a walk, doing a little self massage. A gentle scrub in the shower with a washcloth (I'm sorry if you can't shower- my daily shower is the main thing keeping me going lol).
#2 Zoloft- Yes another one on the antidepressants. Initially it was because I was struggling with my mental health in the face of all these issues, but it does help with anxiety and may be good for inflammation too.
#3 ELECTROLYTES (and to an extent, minerals generally)- I do not crave plain water but even a pinch of sea salt will make it gulpable for me. I used to think they were too expensive to use regularly- but health is wealth. I drink electrolyte mixes daily and it does wonders for my energy and well being. I like Redmond Relyte the best and it's cheap if you go per serving. Also love gatorlyte, nuun is good. Lots of magnesium!!!
#4 Mindset/Relaxation- Tried some meditations, some yoga nidras, really allowing myself to acknowledge and feel rather than avoid or suppress. I used exercise for this previously so I really had to carve out quiet brain time deliberately. Honorable mention here to reducing screens, circadian rhythm, sunlight, good sleep hygiene type stuff. My partner helped me a lot with realizing that my worth is not tied to my productivity or what I can do for others. It was a real breakthrough that allowed me to rest and take care of myself and be NICER to myself. Also, I kept any entertainment I consumed light and familiar, and felt very supported by listening to all the Harry Potters and rereading all the Anne of Green Gables books. Young adult content is great for fighting the good fight, dealing with grief and loss, finding your identity, and learning right/wrong. There are so many options for brain retraining/support- I just did whatever I felt called to.
#5 Other vitamins- Fish oil, b complex (this is helping nerve damage from 3 years ago so I think I must have been really lacking), D, lysine (taking for cold sores but also antiviral effects and it's cheap), Vit C, probiotics, occasional melatonin. Nothing too groundbreaking here. Just added a multi, and I don't take all these every day. I still have quercetin and monolaurin on the shelf untried- I've taken a very slow pace to trying new supplements.
#6 Diet/Whole Foods- Focus on eating a shit ton of protein and eat until full. I was eating a lot of diet foods and tracking calories and I dropped all that- not worth it. Why stress your body further. I increased my veggies, full fat dairy, whole grains, legumes, spices, teas. As much color and variety as possible. Food is medicine- big shout out to coconut oil. cooking with coconut oil always makes me feel better (antiviral/antimicrobial) but I had stopped due to high cholesterol. Also bought myself a juicer so I can get big doses on things I don't eat as much (beets, ginger, citrus, pineapple, fruits in general). Plus fermented food (booch, yogurt, kraut)
#7 Physical therapy and Blair Technique Chiro - PT is usually great but I was not improving on my neck issues after a month so they recommended adding Blair Chiro- specifically a neck focused "no crack" technique. Those adjustments made a HUGE difference in my headaches/neck pain healing progression. I legit could not hold my own head up all day starting out. I include these because I think neck/spine/body dysfunction can be part of the package, and my PT also does a lot of training on breathing properly- another big issue people have these days. And they got me moving too!
Honorable mentions to compression socks, my neck heating pad, my theracane and foam roller, hot showers with lavender essential oil, decaf green tea, advil, aleve, biofreeze, dr bronners magic balm, hugs, grocery pickup, sex (eyoooh), and countless other little things that improve general quality of life and probably actually target whatever is going on with long covid.
Some things that didn't do much or were bad-
Vestibular PT - had a work up and they couldn't diagnose me with much other than general vertigo. Not BPPD or neuritis or anything. I have a sneaky suspicion a number of things were contributing to my dizziness that are all wearing off- neuroinflammation, neck dysfunction, anxiety, cold/hats triggering my occipital neuralgia (winter is over!) and possibly CBD
CBD- I love CBD and I started taking it more during all this. Recently stopped as I've been doing better and I feel my dizziness has improved a lot so maybe there's a connection there. Still think it's helpful though!
Antihistamines- I went on zyrtec (normally was just taking the occasional claritin) and turns out it gave me INSANE sinus pain after awhile which also triggered migraines (and a lot of tears). Took me a month or so to figure that out.
Flonase- doctor told me to take this for my extreme sinus pain and it roided me out. I barely slept for like 2 nights after taking one double dose. I felt great like a week later, so much extra energy. But not worth it and not what it's for anyway. I switched to a hypertonic saline solution spray and it works great.
Ubiquinol gave me heart palpitations so bad.
Olly stress gummies- these worked so good but I'm so nervous about messing with GABA
FL-41 glasses - I think the tint helps a lot with light sensitivity/migraine but maybe the frames I got sucked because these make me so much worse if I wear them for more than an hour.
Red light therapy- I got this off amazon it's the one that's like a flashlight for cold sores but I used it on my neck/head/sinuses. No idea if it helped long term but it felt nice in the moment. Maybe a panel would be better.
Accupressure mat. IDK I prefer a foam rolleexercises or just relaxing. It didn't really do anything for me except if I'm having a migraine it can be nice to distract from the pain and boost pain fighting endorphins.
I would really like to try somatic exercises, massage therapy, craniosacral therapy, sound baths, infrared sauna, see a functional medicine doctor (but am mistrustful of "trends" here). I'm curious about grounding mats and some other kind of wackadoodle stuff too so feel free to send me feedback on this kind of stuff.
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TLDR- pacing, time, healthy habits and mindset. Nothing new under the sun. I deeply apologize for going on for so long.
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Hi, just wanted to share my results/ experience after 2 weeks on phentermine 37.5. The first few days I could feel when the pill was working (tingles and cold chills and an energy spike) and that lessened slightly everyday. I can still tell when it's starting to work in my system but not nearly as much as in the beginning. I started 5'10" 267 and weighed myself on Saturday at 259 with approximately 8lbs lost in 2 weeks.
On top of taking the medication, I also am taking supplements/medication to help with PCOS. I've been on birth control, metformin, and spiro for years with no real change and started taking a vit B supplement and a multivitamin with Myo-Inositol, D-Chiro, Omega 3, Magnesium, Zinc, and Vit d around the same time as starting phentermine.
I'm averaging between 1600-1800 calories a day. I've had days where I have eaten 2000 and others where it's been a struggle to eat 1000. I've got a better routine now with my eating schedule and am learning that protein actually is an important part of my diet. I still struggle to get enough protein in a day (I eat protein yogurt, protein granola, flax seeds, protein shakes, eggs, and protein at lunch and dinner) but I'm still falling a little short. My carb intake is still high, but I'm not craving heavy carbs like bread and pasta like before which is a part of my PCOS. Most of my carbs are coming from vegetables and fruits.
The first week I had no cravings for food and only knew I was hungry because I could feel my blood sugar was low or my stomach growling. I realized how much I had been grazing on food throughout the day once I no longer wanted it and that my brain was obsessing over certain snacks and foods. Once the 'noise' was gone, I was able to stop snacking and have stayed away from foods high in sugar and carbs. This week I've started to feel my hunger cues again and have had a few days where I felt those temptations again, but I was able to stay in my calorie deficit. This has really shown me that my relationship with food isn't nearly as 'okay' as I had thought it was. I'm keeping track of my calorie intake and output with my fitbit and just got a food scale so I can be even more accurate with my measurements.
I'm going to start trying to exercise in the next week. Even with the energy kick in the morning until midday, I am still tired in the afternoons after work and I'm hoping adding some exercise during that time will help my energy levels and sleep habits. I'm looking into getting a walking pad since I don't have a great neighborhood to walk in normally and a yoga matt for stretching exercises. I truly feel great overall and am really only struggling with keeping my blood sugar up and actually paying attention to nutrition facts. I have my follow-up appointment with my doctor at the end of the month and I'm hoping for at least 10 lbs lost overall.
Edit: Forgot to add that I also experienced some of the mood issues the first week. It didn't happen everyday, but I did have a minor anxiety flare up one day at work. I think that was my own fault because I had eaten my breakfast later than usual and consumed my one cup of morning tea before eating. I' m already sensitive to caffeine and that along with the heart rate increase from the phent sent my system into fight or flight for about an hour. There were two more instances where I felt either overly emotional or irrationally angry, but I was able to fix these with breathing techniques. The final symptom I 've had is the sweating. On days where I'm extra active after taking my pill I pour the sweat and struggle to get it to stop.

Just wanted to come on here and share the drink recipe that I’ve been making since I don’t drink soda anymore and I try to not consume most sugary drinks. I’m 27 and I’ve been suffering from a lot of PCOS symptoms but I feel like this drink has helped me a ton!
4 tsps (or whatever you prefer) Calm magnesium powder (Unflavored)
20:50 Myo & D-Chiro inositol powder
1 packet of Cure ‘Watermelon’ Hydration electrolyte mix
Tart cherry juice or Diet Cranberry juice (No sugar added or 1g sugar added)
Brew 3 teabags of spearmint tea & 2 teabags ‘Health cycle’ Raspberry leaf tea (Or just raspberry leaf if I’m not on my cycle)
Mix all together in a large pitcher and keep in your fridge!
I’ll go through a whole pitcher in about a day though because I’m a big cold drink-drinker (lol) and it was difficult for me to drink 3 HOT cups of spearmint tea everyday so I came up with this recipe to help me because I do see and know the benefits of drinking it.
I’ve noticed a mild difference in my skin and facial hair! I also got my period this week of drinking it everyday but that might also have to do with my diet changes and also stress levels going down drastically. I’ll probably add more powder supplements little by little but right now this works for me!

SUMMARY

• 34F, 5'1'', 115lbs, Caucasian with chest pain, tightness, dyspnea, heart palpitations for 3 months. Excellent health, clean diet, moderate exercise, 2 years postpartum, still breastfeeding.
• H/O vaso vagal syncope (diagnosed at age 4), anxiety, IBS/SIBO, seborrheic dermatitis
• No prescription medications; some herbal medications, including a probiotic, humic extract, trace minerals, magnesium glycinate. In January, I did start to take a food-based B Complex and beef liver. In February, chiro recommended NAC or glutathione. I alternate between the two.
• Do not smoke, drink, or use drugs.

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DETAILS
After a virus that swept through my whole family in December, I started to get chest tightness and dyspnea. This has persisted for 3 months with progressive symptoms including feeling waterlogged, constantly yawning, chest pain/burning/tightness, pre-syncope symptoms even when sitting, difficulty taking a full deep breath, heart palpitations/fluttering, and sometimes I get really shaky. When this seems to really "flare up", I feel like I need to clear my chest and throat from phlegm that comes up (clear). All pain and discomfort come directly from my heart area. Nothing radiates or is felt in other areas of my ribcage.
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In late January, I couldn't breathe, and I went to the ER and got a bunch of labs and tests, including an EKG and a chest x-ray:
EKG Impression
SINUS TACHYCARDIA
POSSIBLE LEFT ATRIAL ENLARGEMENT
NONSPECIFIC ST AND T WAVE ABNORMALITY
ABNORMAL ECG
; everything on x-ray looked normal, labs looked normal (TNT High Sensitivity, D-Dimer, BMP, no flu or covid, etc.)
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I was told this was anxiety and given a prescription for hydroxyzine (did not take). My chiropractor, who I see 2x a week, told me it's dysautonomia and has been focused on fixing my ribs. I also started using a device called the Apollo Neuro 3x a day for nervous system regulation in case that plays a role. HRV is checked monthly, and it looks good as well. No improvement in symptoms with chiropractic care or Apollo device.
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I also just got a 12-year-old infected root canal tooth removed about 4 weeks ago. I took 2 weeks off from exercise to rest and recover and started back at the gym slowly. The rest seemed to alleviate symptoms slightly, but they've returned within the last week or so.
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In terms of lifestyle, I work out about 3-4x a week in the morning (cardio and strength), have a clean diet, use my home infrared sauna 1-2x a week, don't drink coffee or caffeinated tea, drink lots of filtered water with added minerals, practice meditation, and mindfulness, and see an excellent therapist. Nutrition is very important to me; minimally processed foods and most meals are made at home. I don't have a particularly stressful job and I work from home.

Hi guys!
I needed some tips on how to manage the sudden hairloss I’m getting with my hormonal pcos. I can’t afford to go to a doctor at the moment and am really stressing out because my hair has thinned out SO much these last two months alone. Every time I brush my hair i get a huge bunch on hair on it. It’s the same when I shower, so much hair falls out at once.
For reference, I’ve had PCOS since I was 16 (I’m 26 now). My periods have been regular since the last four years but I do still get some other PCOS symptoms like excessive hair everywhere (been getting laser hair removal for most of it and it’s much better now), difficulty in losing weight, dark skin patches underarms, any joints and pubic area etc. Hairfall hasn’t really been a concern for me all this time so I’m surprised with how much my hair has thinned out recently.
I haven’t made any massive changes to my diet and I’m trying to cut back on sugar. I got a blood test done a few months back and everything seemed fine except my iron levels were extremely low so I’ve been taking iron supplements regularly and eating iron rich foods. Some other supplements I take are magnesium, zinc, spearmint tea, myo inositol+ d chiro but I’m not very regular with them. I’ve also been applying rosemary oil with a carrier oil on my scalp once a week but it’s hard to tell if it’s doing anything.
I was wondering if anyone has any other remedies that I can try for the time being until I’m able to go to a doctor? I know stress plays a major role in hair loss but I can’t help but be stressed with how less hair I have left now😭 I can work on growing my hair out but meanwhile I need something to stop the current hair from falling out before I start balding🥹
Any help would be greatly appreciated💙

Hi there, hope you all are doing good! Wanted your advice on my situation, if anyone has faced the same.I am sorry for the long message.
I was diagnosed with PCOS back in 2017, was prescribed OBC, but I did not take it as I was in two minds of knowing a person's experience + it was not available when I moved abroad. I was still somehow losing weight due to university and active lifestyle + not so much irregular periods + absolutely clean face with no acne. Due to the pandemic, I developed a very sedentary lifestyle, fell into depression and anxiety. Started working in 2021 till 2023, but I started gaining tremendous weight; skipped lunch, only over-ate when I came back from work for dinner and after meal cravings, no water drinking in office, horrible painful acne, developed a lot more facial and chest hair - started laser (is not helping so much, increased my hair further), was having irregular periods, sometimes too painful cramps in my abdomen and stomach.
Left my job to focus on my health, got prescribed this medication in December- OOSURE M (which includes Composition D-Chiro Inositol 13.8mg, L Methylfolate calcium 0.5mg, Myo-Inositol 550mg, Mecobalamin 750mcg, Metformin Hydrochloride 500mg).
My gynaec told me to start having it once a week and then twice a week. I did so, could not follow through initially but I have managed to become a bit active now. I walk 8kms on avg.(cross 10K steps), have startedbbasic exercise for 15 minutes even since I cannot afford gym. I have lost about 3-4 kgs since I had this, now I am stuck at the same weight, gaining it when I eat. I have stopped eating sugar since 2 weeks as well, controlling my meal portions slowly, drinking 3l water, having spearmint and green tea.
I missed my period in December, did get it in January, and missed it this month again - been super active this month. I did get painful cheek acne again.
What do I do? I do not understand what is happening and this is making me cry - just when I am doing what I was told would help.

My period has been skipped for about 3 months now, I'm taking spearmint tea and occasionaly saw palmetto but I want to target the root cause which is why i'm taking inositol, it's the wholesome foods brand pills 4 (myo inositol and d-chiro inositol) a day.

I used ChatGPT to make my writing better. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this.
Hello. I am currently suffering from side effects that began after I took two doses of three medications: Abilify, agotine, and topiramate. I took them for approximately a month and a half and abruptly stopped without tapering off.
Around two hours after the first doses, I felt an intense high, accompanied by agitation and hallucinations. I had never experienced such sensations before. People passing by also commented that I appeared as though I were under the influence of drugs.
From the second day onwards, I started bexperiencing severe issues. Firstly, I noticed a complete change in my mental state. It's difficult to explain, but it felt as though my mind had become flat. Previously, I was a musician and possibly an artist, but now I feel significantly worse, lacking any dynamism or character.
After that day, I began losing many things, including my memories, thoughts, feelings, and musical abilities (which used to be my greatest strength). I was an exceptional guitarist before, but now I can hardly play at all because the connection to sound and music has disappeared from within me. I felt my life was lost, I was completely lost, and I still have that feeling.
I have also developed tardive dyskinesia, which causes abnormal movements when I'm stressed (particularly in social situations). Additionally, I've experienced akathisia, short-term memory loss (to the extent that I can't remember what I saw just two seconds ago), and constant feelings of suicidal ideation. I also feel as though I've aged significantly and that life no longer holds any colors or impressions for me. Furthermore, I perceive that my facial appearance has changed in a negative manner.
In an attempt to find relief, I started purchasing numerous supplements based on information I gathered from various websites, mostly through anecdotal accounts.
These are the supplements that I currently have : Thorne - Niacinimide, 5htp, Iso-phos Nootropics depot - Ashwaganda, uridine, vitamin E Now - Ginkgo, NAC, L-tryptophan, Beta alanine Life extention - PQQ, cistsanche Others - St.John's Wort(Nature's way) Mucuna pririens(Nusapure) CBD capsules(Body and mind Botanicals) Aniracetam(Paradigm) Lutein(Doctor's best) EPA-DHA balance(Jarrow) Bromantane(Swisschem) B complex(Doctor's best, Nutricost, Bronson - 'with C' and 'Super b', Deal supplement, Nature made, Nature's bounty,
Currently on delivery
From cosmicnootropics : Oxytoxin Thymalin Afobazol Tofisopam Memantine Mexidol Picamilon Meldonium Actovegin Mebicar Hopantenic acid Cytomaxes Vinpotropile Hypoxen Cerebrolysin Semax Piracetam Phenylpiracetam Noopept Selank Anxiolytics bundle
From amazon : Lithium orotate D L-phenylalanine Melatonin Grass fed beef organ Acai berry SAME Dopamind Myo & D-chiro Inositol Albizia Gaba oolong tea Yerbamate tea Pasiflora tea Saw Palmetto Grean tea Spearment tea Nsi-189 Fasoracetam Sunifiram Kanna Butyrate Gamma E Phosphatidyl choline
From nootropicsdepot : Huperzine A Lemon Balm Panamax InfiniB L-phenylalanine CoQ10 Resveratol Micromag ALCAR Optim-ALA Rhodiola Rosea Longvida Curcumin Tart cherry NALT D3+K2 with Vit C Boron Glycinate Omega 3 3x NAC Alpha GPC Pregnenolone Agmatine Theanine Creatine Polygala Cognance enhanced Bacopa Quercetin
How should I take these supplements? Which ones should I take, at what dosages, and in which combinations and timings?
I also have some supplements on the way, but I can't recall all of them anymore.
I am willing to do whatever it takes to heal. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

I started taking myo and d-chiro inositol in a 40:1 ratio back in March (2g a day) and I saw immediate improvement with my PCOS. Sugar cravings and overall appetite decreased, I lost a few lbs (I’m lean PCOS but struggled with maintaining weight), cystic acne mostly cleared up, and best of all my periods started to become regular! Almost every 4 weeks on the dot, which I’ve never experienced in my life (about to turn 27).
But my symptoms have all returned. My cystic acne is particularly bad - I’m dealing with a ton of deep pimples right now that are so painful. My period is out of sync and my appetite is through the roof. Has anyone experienced this before or know why this might have happened? I’ve been so consistent with taking the supplements - same time everyday, twice a day. I feel so disheartened, I really thought I’d cracked the solution :(
I also drink spearmint tea 2-3x a day as well. Feeling so sad.

So my symptoms are thin scalp hair around my temples, excess hair in arms and that weird spiky chin hair, bad skin on my back, face, and arms, and not overweight, but a difficulty to lose weight. I am currently taking nothing. I have googled and opened pretty much every link that exists and made a list of every supplement mentioned to help any and every aspect of PCOS. Obviously it is too much to take all of them. Which ones do you reccommend?
It is:
*Inositol ( Myo & d-Chiro) *Fish Oil / Cod Liver Oil *Vitamin D3 & calcium > need vitamin d to absorb calcium *N-Acetyl L-Carnitine (NAC) > Acne & Hair *Acetyl L-Carnitine (ALC) > Fat *Magnesium (Glycinate/Threonate) *Priobiotics (9) *Zinc > acne, fat, hair growth & loss *B-complex - 12 & 9 *Coenzyme Q10 (Co-Q10) *Berberine *Spearmint Tea & Green Tea *Resveratrol *Iron *Chromium *Cinnamon *Turmeric *Maca Root *Ashwaganda/Indian ginseng *Reishi Mushroom *Holy Basil/Tulsi *Spironolactone

Cross posted on u/LeanPCOS
Currently, my cycles are 31-33 days apart. I’ve been taking:
•spearmint capsules + spearmint tea for over a year •Myo-inositol for about 6 months (not d-chiro because no evidence of insulin resistance) • omega—3 supplement for at least 6 months • saw palmetto for last two months.
My acne has cleared up recently( and periods are no longer super far apart (like 45-59 days), but I’m still growing new hairs here and there (2-4 on chin/jawline) despite having a few rounds of laser. My voice is still lower than it used to be, taking my once wide vocal range down (singer). I am about to retest androgens, LH, FSH, and estrogen when my period starts, but the only lab abnormalities I have had have been high free and total testosterone And DHEAS. LH to FSH ratio was perfect. (Still no clue what is driving up the T if it’s not too high LH or hyperinsulinemia…).
That brings me to trying spironolactone. I’m nervous it’s going to wreck the regularity of my periods. What have been your experiences?

Currently, my cycles are 31-33 days apart. I’ve been taking:
•spearmint capsules + spearmint tea for over a year
•Myo-inositol for about 6 months (not d-chiro because no evidence of insulin resistance)
• omega—3 supplement for at least 6 months
• saw palmetto for last two months.
My acne has cleared up recently( and periods are no longer super far apart (like 45-59 days), but I’m still growing new hairs here and there (2-4 on chin/jawline) despite having a few rounds of laser. My voice is still lower than it used to be, taking my once wide vocal range down (singer). I am about to retest androgens, LH, FSH, and estrogen when my period starts, but the only abnormalities I have had have been high free and total testosterone And DHEAS. LH to FSH ratio was perfect. (Still no clue what is driving up the T if it’s not too high LH or hyperinsulinemia…).
That brings me to trying spironolactone. I’m nervous it’s going to wreck the regularity of my periods. What have been your experiences?

Hello all! Long post ahead, so deep breaths, grab a blankey, and have a sip of tea.
Posting here seeking guidance and help for my wife (34f, me a 32m). All posted with her consent to share her medical and personal deats.
We were wed in '21 after a Covid induced delay, and are ready to start our own little family. Except, like so many of you here judging by some thread surfing, we are having some difficulties.
Story time.
She has been on BC since the age of 17. The same brand and dosage since prescribed: Yaz. On 9/27 she ran out of Yaz, and had small breakthrough bleeding until 10/5. Thus, CD1 was created on 10/1. She immediately started BBT and CM tracking. On 10/9 we started tracking TC ratio using the Easy@Home testing strips. We knew going in it was super early after coming off BC, but we wanted the early tracking data. (We LOVE a good spreadsheet and accompanying graph). These initial test strips were bonkers low, we are talking under 0.1, so low the Pre-Mom charts show these data points even with 0:0 of the X-axis. And, as we weren't surprised by, on 10/25 Aunt Flow had not come knocking as she would've in the past. Nor has she up to the time of this posting.
When discussing things with her mom, we came to learn that when she was 17, she had not started a period naturally. Her OBGYN put her on the aforementioned BC with no supplemental testing. This obviously rang a few alarm bells, and my wife dove headfirst into the rabbit hole that is Dr. Google.
On 10/29, she added Myo (non d-chiro) and various other supplements such as a prenatal, (Oly brand), folic acid, and some B and D vitamins. On/near 11/5 she added 2Tbs of chia seeds to daily intake. On 11/19, she added spearmint tee to her daily intake.
On 11/29, CD60, we finally got an appointment with her OB. We brought her book of test strips, a print out of the graph from PreMom, and a host of questions.
Now my wife is on the small size (I call it fun sized, as im 6'1" and average 190lbs) at 5'4" and 103lbs. One of the first things Dr. OB asked was about workout routines and food intake etc etc given her small frame. We knew she would lean in this direction as is common. When my wife was 15/16 she was no where remotely as active as she currently is, and was roughly 20-30lbs heavier than current, but still had no naturally occurring cycle. We passed this along to doc, as well as the lack of previous testing. This OB is the successor to my wife's long time OB as he retired roughly a year prior to this. She had only seen this new OB once earlier in the year for her annual. She also inquired about the other natural growth/development associated with puberty, which occurred with no issues on time.
Dr. OB ran a whole slew of blood work, some 14 different tests. All came back within the normal range minus testosterone, which came back slightly low. No indicators of PCOS or a Thyroid issue. Dr. OBs only comment when all tests had finally returned was "All normal here!"
Since, she has halved her daily treadmill time (brisk walking, no running or jogging) from 1 hour to roughly 30 minutes, and cu5 it out completely on the weekends. Increased her daily caloric intake. Cut down on her step count for the day (some people's lives are absolutely ruled by those little FitBits, my wife included). And some other small lifestyle changes that I won't bore those that have stuck around long enough to read.
So, if you've made it through my rambling up to now, we hope to hear similar experiences from anyone coming off BC and having difficulties starting a natural cycle, or from those who never experienced a regular cycle on their own without BC/Hormone assistance but are TTC. And success stories! Regularly I catch a hint of defeat in her eye when she's looking over her tests and PreMom app. Just staring at the pixels willing something to happen. Some tears have been shed in helplessness. I'm here for her, and certainly no doctor.
Looking forward to insight, success stories, words of encouragement, hints, body hacks, anything anyone can provide.
Please help my wife.