I have been going to my family doctor for over 15 plus years for various symptoms. Most recently i got blood work that ruled out rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation, thyroid disease, etc. He casually mentioned in the absence of other diagnoses it could be Fibro.
Since that visit i have been looking up fibro and i feel it could be possible and some of my issues make sense, except for the extreme sensitivity to touch, which I don't have. Although my thighs have always been slightly sensitive. Here's my list of ailments...what do you think?
Generalized deep dull aching of my lower back, leg muscles, and knees. Not all the time. Archillies Tendonitis in both feet, nothing has helped... Stiff and sore joint pain in my hands and elbows. Morning stiffness and also from sitting. Pulsatile tinnitus Crunchy neck Migraines Constipation most days Brain fog if im not careful what i eat in the mornings. Mental confusion in mornings some days, other days I'm spot on. Occasionally dizziness Some trigger points are sensitive but not extreme. Tiredness. Some days no amount of coffee can wake me up. Painful periods (pre menopause) Blood pressure on the low end, always.
Im 49 and I often say to my hubby, should i be having these issues, im still youngish? If i dont walk or do yoga, The muscle stiffness is rediculous.
What do you think? Up until now i haven't put all these symptoms together as possibly one disease.

My boy's going to be okay! Pic for dog tax
15 months ago, he (3) got a soft lump on the outside of his foot. It's now been seen by 3 vets and imaged twice and they all said it's nothing and doesn't hurt him. I keep going back because when he gets up after rest, that leg looks sore.
Later that year, he refused to jump in the car and wouldn't eat. Diagnosis was back pain, and we took 6 weeks of just walking.
This spring I took him back and said "something isn't right." Diagnosis was again back pain. Hrmmm.. We did another 6 weeks off exercise.
I kept wondering if I was imagining it, but something STILL wasn't right in spite of the tedious amount of rest and slow walking. He's only just turned 3 -- that's a lot of time to be off in pain. I started worrying about ACLs and joint longevity and it was ruining the fun in every activity we tried to do.
I found a clinic that does doggy physio and offers a gait and stance analysis. First they had him stand on a pad that measured the weight going to each foot. It was SO OBVIOUS -- hardly anything going to a back foot, little less on the opposite front. Sure, he stands and sits "like a heeler" all wonky, but with their guidance I was able to actually SEE what's bothering him.
The vet sat on a mat and gently manipulated all of his joints, measured the muscle mass, and the angles they reached. It was very cool to watch!
Diagnosis is that a number of his joints are hyper-mobile (fairly common in working breeds), which means he can do extra cool athletic things (yup, that's for sure!) but also leaves him more prone to injury. His groin on one side is pulled from jumping-type movements. His psoas muscle (runs from scapula to pelvis) is sore and he's walking a little hunch-backed. Those two are probably connected. After an adjustment he actually stretched and looked relieved.
The foot -- the lump is actually not sore, but two toes over is quite sore. We're waiting on another image of the foot, but the tiny sesamoid bones are the likely culprit, which are often injured in active, working-type dogs.
Prognosis is daily stretching, massage, and physio. Then we'll get a programme in place for strength so his hypermobile joints can actually support themselves. I have a list of can and can not activities and now I understand exactly why.
It's been a bit of a pricey journey but something I had to sort out for his longevity. That was a transformative three hours sitting on that mat, and I am just SO RELIEVED to have answers and solutions.
Moral of the story: when in doubt, get a better second or even third opinion.

49 male 5’11” 190 former smoker (smoked approx 20 years, have not smoked last 17) New England served 6 years in the military, 15 years Volunteer Firefighter, 20 years Career Firefighter, 9/11 responder (2 days 9/11&9/12)
Quit drinking almost 10 years ago. Approx 8 months after became fairly ill at home. I could not keep anything down and was sleeping over 20 hours a day and exhausted. Went through several tests with my GP with nothing found. Last test was Western Blot, + for Lyme. Put on Doxy for 60 days sent on my way and told no reason to retest. Felt better and went on with life.
A few months passed and I was run down all the time, wasn’t eating, nauseous, achy and went to an LLMD who ran bloodwork, told me the Lyme had advanced and treated me with supplements and oral antibiotics (heavy duty) I lost approx 60lbs over the next 5 months and not improving so switched to IV antibiotics. I lost another 20lbs in 6 weeks and decided to see another Dr in the area who had experience with Lyme.
This Dr used both traditional medicine and a Naturopathic approach and explained how bad all the antibiotics were and what they had done to my system. Her approach was to boost my immune system and during testing determined I had high levels of 7 heavy metals with Lead, Mercury and Cadmium being the worst. These were treated with Chelation IVs while the Lyme was treated with Vit C and Peroxide IVs, vitamins, and supplements. It was also determined I had the MHFTR gene,hypothyroidism and low T. Put on Methyfolate, Test and prescription thyroid. I completely removed dairy and gluten from my diet. I began working out and gained 50lbs back with much of it being muscle and was feeling great.
I was previously diagnosed with PTSD, Dep, Anx but was managing well and then things went south all of a sudden after almost two years of doing pretty well. I went to a treatment facility and was supposed to enter a first responder program but they determined I was too much of a danger to myself and kept me in a lockdown unit. My Dr convinced me that ECT was the next best step so I endured 18 treatments. I was a zombie for approx 24 hours after each treatment but was doing multiple sessions a week. After drooling on myself for a few weeks I decided this was not the best course of treatment and went to another facility with a Vet/First Resp program and very high end. They treated me medically and for mental health ensuring both were as good as they could be. Adjusted pharma some more and explained how the ECT was not the right treatment and had me do eMDR.
I left the facility and returned home only to have my Lyme symptoms flair again. After several months of treating my immune system again, I was back to work. After 6 weeks I had a mental breakdown, later determined to be from a miscalculated dose from a recall of the Armour Thyroid I was on. It was also determined that my Cortisol levels were high through saliva testing and I was placed on Cortisol Manager 2x dose to lower my Cortisol.
I again returned to work but things were still not right. After a while of this we tested my blood level for Cortisol and I was told I had none. They then tested for Aldosterone and that was very low. I was told I had Addison’s Disease and put on Hydrocortisone and Fludrocortisone. Sent to an Endo, wait 9 months for appt, told there is nothing else they could do and to continue steroids. After another year of telling everyone something was not right I had a cardiac episode with a BP is 192/102 (typically 110/60 and 40-50HR) Saw a cardiologist and out on Olmesartan max dose and Amolodipine(sp?) BP still regularly 160/90. Cardiologist sees Thyroid and Addison testing. Sends me to another Endo. This Drs tests show no issues with Cortisol or Aldosterone and tells me to stop them.
Last week has been miserable. Achy, sore joints and muscles, muscle tension has reduced but posture has changed. Nauseous, no appetite and having a lot of trouble sleeping. My mental health initially improved but has now gone down hill pretty quickly.
Current Meds Luvox 300mg Ativan 1mg 2x day Olmesartan Amolodipine Multi Vit Methylfolate Testosterone
Treatments ECT TMS Ketamine High Dose Ketamine EMDR CBT/CBT Trauma Groups Somatic Multiple therapists with multiple styles
I’ve been on al ot of mental health meds, done DNA testing for meds and this history covers mostly the medical side of things.
Can provide more info or answer questions if needed.

Hi everyone,
I was recently diagnosed with lupus after undergoing multiple different blood panels to narrow down exactly what was going on with me. I go on the 30th to meet my rheumatologist to discuss medications and lifestyle changes.
I wanted to get some insight and help from people who have experienced heavy fatigue and muscle/joint pain due to lupus and might be able to help me out on things they have tried or done to help with their symptoms.
My symptoms have been very intense and almost incapacitating for over a month and I can't seem to shake it or make my symptoms calm down. Mainly I have been completely drained of energy, my joints and muscles (fingers, wrists, shoulders, knees, feet and neck) have been extremely sore and weak, and I have been having trouble falling asleep. Every other week it feels like I'm getting sick. It seems like my soreness symptoms will reduce for a day or two, but they will come back twice as strong.
A little information on me: I'm a 27 year old male, active work life in the agriculture industry, before lupus I had an active out of work life, over weight at 6'0" and 230 lbs, and I do not drink or smoke.
I know this is a lot of information and I hope I didn't break any community guidelines, as this is my first post and I just discovered the subreddit, but I was hoping to hear some information or personal experiences that I might be able to try or to consider to help out with my symptoms.
Thank you!

I’ve always been skinny and my friend is trying to get me into working out. I did like 3-4 sets of bench press. 3 sets of lat pull downs. I barely did 3 sets on some machine chest press. And like 3 sets of cable lat pull downs, one arm at a time (3 sets for each arm).
I felt fine doing it, it was a pretty light workout to me and I did not feel like I overexerted myself. But today (2 days later) I literally cannot extend my arms. I’m like locked in Lego man position. My back and chest are reasonably sore but my elbows are killing me. I feel it a like where the brachialis and brachiradialis are but I’m worried the elbow joint is hurt. It feels good to stretch it so I’ve been doing that.

I got a retail job to move more 3 weeks ago. I have the tendency to rot on the couch when no one is counting on me for anything. It’s anywhere from 5-8 hours a shift constantly moving, bending, and lifting/holding boxes of shoes. It’s not that physically taxing from a workout standpoint, but I’m getting about 10-15k steps each shift. For me, it’s like being paid to go to the gym. Everything hurts by the end of the shift and for hours after. I’m so jealous of my friend who can do several hours of actual workouts each day in her OGH efforts and still have energy to have a social life. And I’m over here exhausted and sore just from walking/squatting, bending. I use lidocaine spray on my feet during the shift which helps them, but I’m still muscle/joint sore afterwards. It’s not fair.

Basically, the title. I was diagnosed in 2018 with an autoimmune disease based on blood markers but my rheumatologist couldn’t tell me exactly which one I had. He said there were some markers for Lupus but not enough to diagnose me.
I can always tell when I’m having a flare because I get these sores in my mouth. They’re ulcers. They’re so insanely painful. When my stress was at its worst in my life, I was also getting these ulcers in my nose and I got one in my eye right under my eyelid. It was unimaginably painful and I went to my primary care physician to have it looked at when it happened. But she said she couldn’t see anything and basically seemed to imply I was over exaggerating, which honestly deterred me from continuing to see a doctor about these issues. I figured I had HSV 1 and it was particularly bad because I was so stressed.
I have had a myriad of other symptoms. Swollen joints, osteoarthritis, constant headaches, bleeding from random organs (ie. coughing up blood clots, constantly having blood in urine tests despite no infection, bleeding a lot when I pass stool). I have a lot of skin problem. I get those pimple blister things and am super sensitive to sunlight.
I’ve been having a flare recently, likely due to poor sleep and stress and I have gotten these terrible sores in my mouth again. So freaking painful. They were healing up after I slept a lot and then a few days later some new ones started popping. It was bothering me so much I googled mouth sores related to autoimmune diseases and found a description of Behçets. This is the first time I’ve ever found out about an autoimmune disease that seems to describe what I’ve been experiencing for so many years.
I found this sub and have been exploring it to see what the experiences of others are. And I feel like I have read some horror stories on here already. I know this place is not to be used for a diagnosis, and I already plan to have this conversation with my rheumatologist. I was just wondering if some people are just constantly uncomfortable and not always in searing pain?
I say this as I’m laying here with swollen muscles I am literally trying to tenderize like a steak because they’re so tense and painful and causing me the worst headache ever.
Basically just looking for stories about peoples’ personal experiences to see what Behçets is really like on an average day.

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Each capsule of Flexafen contains a combination of active substances. However, the peacemaker protein, a form of collagen linked to joint health, is the most significant active component of Flexafen.

The most prevalent connective protein in the human body is collagen. It helps to support the region around your joints. It provides your skin with organic elasticity and support.
However, as you age, your collagen levels fall, which causes joint pain. Some individuals use collagen supplements as a defence. As a result, the immune system in your body is continually attacking your joints.
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2. Boswellia Serrata Extract: A patented synergistic blend of proprietary extracts that come from the sacred Boswellia plant, AprèsFlex has been shown in THREE separate, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies. To reduce pain, stiffness, and inflammation and provide life-altering results in as quickly as 5 days.
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4. Sodium Hyaluronate: Sodium Hyaluronate is one of the most common ingredients to find in anti-aging remedies because of the profound moisture support that it provides. When the body loses its ability to effectively maintain collagen in the joints, it is almost certain that it is also seen in the skin at the same time. Collagen makes it possible for the skin to hold onto moisture as well, so introducing an ingredient that can restore what it has lost instantly improves the youthful appearance of users.
5. White Willow Bark Extract 4:1: The white willow is a type of European willow that is also found in many parts of Asia. The name comes from the underside of the leaves, which are a stark white contrast to the vibrant green topside. In Flexafen, consumers get the support of an extract that is sourced from the bark, which contains salicin.
6. Boron: Boron is the last ingredient of this compilation, but it is quite important to healing the joints. This chemical is only needed in small amounts, helping users to reduce their risk of joint pain and bone injuries. However, when the body doesnt get enough of it, the growth and regeneration of bone tissue can be detrimentally impacted.

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• General leak prevention: Flexafen treats bone problems and increases collagen production to help prevent joint leaks. One of the most common issues that the elderly face is leaky joints, which cause friction between bones and create clicking noises during movement. It happens when the cartilage is deformed for some reason or when the bone has less synovial fluid. A variety of diseases and medical conditions can cause synovial fluid loss. Inflammation caused by a chronic bacterial infection can deplete synovial fluid. It protects the body from viral or bacterial infections.
• Improve immune cells: The formula contains a powerful soothing protein that aids in the maintenance of a healthy and disease-free body. An autoimmune disease is a type of medical condition that affects the body. When this happens, the bone cells in the joint become targeted and destroyed by the body's own cells. Immune cells and defence mechanisms must protect the body from any foreign invaders or infections. In this case, the immune system begins to attack and target the body's cells rather than protecting them, resulting in rapid bone cell loss.
• Promote joint health: Flexafen's natural vitamins and minerals aid in the production of synovial fluid, which is necessary for joint mobility and lubrication. Synovial fluid, in addition to maintaining a healthy environment, protects joints from infection. The joint becomes painful and uncomfortable as a result of the irritation and friction caused by the loss of synovial fluid. When two bones come together during movement, the synovial fluid between them maintains energy and protects against friction. Thus, this supplement keeps enough fluid between the bones to keep them from rubbing against each other as they move.
• Control inflammation: This blend contains potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, both of which are necessary for successfully controlling the body's inflammatory response. As a result, it aids in the reduction of discomfort and pain that is frequently caused by inflammation caused by movement. Furthermore, this wonderful treatment significantly reduces stiffness and edoema, effectively solving problems associated with limited flexibility.
• Reduce stiffness and joint pain: Numerous clinical studies have shown that Flexafen ingredients such as glucosamine, chondroitin, turmeric, and Boswellia are effective at reducing pain and stiffness. In a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials, for example, glucosamine sulphate reduced pain and stiffness by 28% and 21%, respectively, when compared to placebo (23). Similar reductions in other important components were observed.
• Improves joint mobility and performance: Flexafen also aims to improve range of motion and flexibility while reducing pain. Lubricants such as glucosamine and chondroitin aid in the movement of joints. This benefit is supported by clinical evidence. After three years of research, researchers discovered that taking 1500 mg of glucosamine sulphate per day improved joint function and walking distance significantly.

Still no official answers
In 2017 I saw a rheumatologist about my Raynaud’s disease. Did some bloodwork and they basically said “you have an autoimmune disease but we don’t know which one! Stay healthy :D” and never followed up.
Fast forward to seven years later my Raynaud’s has gotten worse, happens in my lips and tongue to where it causes pain in my throat and it’s difficult to talk, and it goes up to my elbows and knees now too and it’s difficult to walk until blood flow comes back instead of only in my hands and feet, thinning hair, extreme chronic fatigue, dry eyes and mouth, sore inflamed joints and slight muscle weakness despite cutting my weight lifting down from 6 days to 4 days and being on a meal plan that helps my digestion and inflammation, but none of these symptoms happen enough where it’s physically debilitating for an extended amount of time, they usually resolve in about 10-20 minutes, but just enough to put strain on my daily life and feel held back. The walking and talking part is especially difficult and sometimes I can’t even start driving when I get in my car until my feeling comes back in my hands and feet. And of course how all of that takes a toll on my mental and emotional health.
She basically said my bloodwork is now showing signs of Lupus (it didn’t show that in 2017) but since my physical symptoms aren’t severe enough (no mouth or finger sores, my muscle weakness isn’t to the point of where I can’t get up off the toilet, my lungs seem fine and no chest pains) she can’t officially diagnose me.
All the rest of my bloodwork is RIGHT on the edge of either too low or too high but still within the normal range.
Do I need to see a holistic doctor instead? It seems like they’re just waiting for my health to completely tank before doing anything about it and it feels so frustrating watching my health slowly decline and paying $100 each time for them just to tell me they can’t do anything.

Hey all!
After ~3 years of no progress, I fully recovered in about eight weeks. 97% of the symptoms are gone, including PEM, fatigue, MCAS reactions, and feeling sick most of the time. I’m back to working 9-10h a day with superb cognitive output, training as hard as I can (i.e., 30min peloton 168 bpm, >10k steps a day, lots of bodyweight work during the day), and being truly myself. Gosh, I’m feeling fucking blessed. Like I was asleep for 3y and finally woke up. I have SO MUCH energy. Started a new project, got back to writing essays, hanging out with friends, etc. I’m fucking alive again!
Case summary:
Got a very mild Covid in the beginning of July 2021; didn’t even have fever but felt exhausted (i.e., struggled getting out of bed in the morning) and lost smell and taste; recovered in ~10 days; senses returned in ~2-3 weeks.
Developed neuro issues (cognitive PEM, difficulty thinking) and fatigue during acute covid, literally next day after exposure, and they never went away; this was my first long covid symptom.
Then kept developing more & more symptoms:

• food sensitivities in Aug-Sep 2021
• chronic recurrent sinusitis in Sep 2021
• dysautonomia and POTS in 2022
• stomach (H Pylori), gut, and joints issues in summer 2023
• more sensitivities (cold, heat, pill coating) in summer 2023
• neuropathies, more severe joints issues in late 2023/2024
• recurring viral infections (reactivation?) in May, Sep, Dec 2023, Mar 2024

My major sX on March 2024 were:

1. feeling and being sick most days (fatigue/ugh state, brain fog, reddish cheeks, sinus and ear Sx, sometimes cold sores)
   1. frequent (every month) sinus infections (very thick yellow mucus, severe cognitive dysfunction, sinus and ear Sx: pressure, congestion, postnasal drip, hot ears in the evening)
   2. persistent brain fog/cognitive dysfunction: working and long-term memory issues, slow info processing, word recall troubles, not feeling like myself/depersonalization, etc.
2. mental and physical PEM
3. MCAS: allergy-like reactions to foods (esp high-histamine), cold, pressure, exercise, certain antibiotics (augmentin), tablet coating, etc.
   
4. dysautonomia and POTS
   
5. gut issues: bloating, upset, abdominal pain (esp right lower quadrant; even tested for appendicitis via bloods + CT + ultrasound)
   
6. joints issues: pain and swelling in both feet metatarsals (bursitis)
   
7. misc:
   
   1. pain, weakness, and discomfort in 4th and 5th left hand fingers
   2. right eye issues: sometimes enlarged pupil (only in right eye), pain above right eye if I roll my eyes up, looking at bright objects leaves a lasting mark in the visual field (but does not in the left eye)

Summary of what I believe healed me:

1. lots of sunlight: sunrise, midday, sunset; as much time as possible under the sun (see below for the pic how I’m typing these words!) >> this cleared up sinus, ear, and GI infections + improved energy and mood
2. cold exposure: 3 min cold showers + morning and evening ~20min naked torso outside at ~5-9 degrees celsius; plus temp variability: hanging out naked torso outside as much as possible to retrain that vasculature and aerate the body >> this reduced stress, removed fatigue, and brought my energy back
3. spending most of my time outdoors, in nature (parks, forest, meadows, lakes, etc.): hanging out amongst animals, birds, etc. >> this further reduced stress to basically zero and brought back a sense of joy and serenity
4. nervous system retraining via specific types of movement and aromatherapy: balance, dancing, climbing, boxing moves, fencing, crawling + smelling flowers, trees, essential oils, herbs >> this brought back trust in my body and a sense of balance & peace
5. very clean, vegan, autophagy-optimized diet + eggs (i.e., no sugar, UPFs of any kind, all organic, mostly fresh/little cooked; lots of spermidine via sprouted rye, wheat; other autophagy boosting foods), with ~3 small meals a day and 20-40% caloric restriction >> this took away gut issues, reduced joint inflammation, and opened up my sinuses after years of congestion
6. lots of movement throughout the day and gradual return to more intense exercise: started from short and very light and low intensity bodyweight workout (10 mins; one set of squats, pushups, abs, etc.) and built up from that; z1 cardio 105 bpm walking with ~5kg backpack; then z2 peloton 15>20>30 mins; then more intense strength workouts with dumbbells + LOTS of movement throughout the day, every 20-30 mins, never still >> this also greatly improved energy, although I did get PEM first (in March-April) after more-or-less intense 40 min strength training with dumbbells, but then it went away; that lady from huberman pod (see below) had a brilliant point of how each type of exercise (walking, strength, endurance, HIIT, zone 2) positively affects mitochondria in different ways, “muscle contraction is medicine”
7. weirdly, 100% dark chocolate, 20-50g daily. It’s a strong autophagy inducer and boasts with antioxidants + boosts brain function and mood. >> I felt substantially better right after I started eating it, and never stopped.

Supplements and drugs I took: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_oA0CONWDlPg7eEABA6tIo9Np5sfVy_iC497JrZDeoY/edit#gid=0
All they did was reduce brain fog + reactions to foods, but those sx immediately returned when I tried stopping the supps in Feb.
I think the main problem was mitochondrial dysfunction because all those things I did address it in various ways. Huberman released a great pod on it last week (https://youtu.be/8qaBpM73NSk?si=cDdTBiOzKk86wkQn) + check out Jack Kruse stuff for more info
Sending you all good energy. Stay strong. You can beat it.
VS

TLDR at the bottom!
really feeling like i need some help! brief context before i get into my problem: i’m 18yo going on 19 and only recently started pointe late due to a nearly 4 year break from dancing during my early vocational training at 14yo. i’ve been doing pointe for i would say about a month? 30 mins of a solely pointe class a week, another 15 or so mins here and there in my syllabus classes on occasion, and i try to accumulate an hour or so (more if i can) of practicing at home throughout the week, although since my partner and i live in different towns so im away from home more often than not, so my opportunity for home practice is inconsistent/limited, and ultimately being a beginner i we don’t get a lot of time spent working en pointe. something that also may be relevant information is that i have chronic pain conditions, fibromyalgia and hyper mobile ehlers danlos syndrome / hypermobile spectrum disorder (im still in the process of seeing professionals to determine which).
here’s my problem, when i was fitted, i was given toe separators for between my big and second toe to correct my big toes slight inwards alignment to prevent bunions / irritation of the bunion joint which i understand is pretty standard. i think the ones i was given were the tendu large toe spreaders which are quite thick and rounded, my fitter seemed to think the slimmer bloch ones which are more flat were going to be too small. i’ve been having some quite bad pains in my middle and outside toes (not the big toes, and mainly on one foot), the pain itself wasn’t totally excruciating when resting but persistently sore, dull and yet relatively strong and mainly just didn’t go away for about a week, it was in my toes mainly my 3rd and 4th, and felt like it extended down them into my foot, i almost thought my 3rd toe may have been fractured or injured, since it wasn’t like regular soreness or pressure from pointe work, but an actual pain.
it came on at the end of the first few weeks of my classes, it lasted about a week ish despite having a quiet week following that where i had no strain on my foot, so i really thought i might have done something bad to it, until the next time i put on my pointe shoes to practice and i realised as i put my toe separator in that the pain was because the separator between my big and second toe meant that my second toe and subsequently my third and fourth are forced into an unnatural and uncomfortable/awkward alignment by the separator taking up space where my second toe would want to sit straight, meaning my other toes get sort of pushed diagonally to the side if that makes any sense? has anybody else experienced this? is this normal? it’s hard to explain but as soon as i put it in place that feeling in my toes started to worsen again and it makes dancing en pointe really quite painful and uncomfortable, almost impossible, i was really struggling in my last pointe class especially in the centre because it was so uncomfortable i could barely get onto pointe during echapes and releves etc, having never struggled with pointe before recently.
i tried practicing without them to see if it made a difference after noticing this and it’s so much more comfortable and the pain in my toes has since gone away. the problem is that i don’t think i can permanently ditch the toe separators because my big toe goes slightly more inwards from my bunion joint, a little more so on one foot, the other is a bit straighter, but obviously my fitter gave me those separators because she thought they would be necessary to prevent bunions, and that the smaller ones wouldn’t do, so im not sure what to do. i don’t think my big toes are dramatically inwards anyway, but on that one side i definitely think my toe just pushes the separator into the rest of my toes instead of being straightened which puts pressure on the other toes and becomes really painful over time, so im unsure how to fix this problem. its so much more comfortable and painless to not wear them but over time this will probably cause other problems in the form of bunions, but its too painful i think to keep wearing them, and im not sure if thinner separators although possibly more comfortable would be an okay alternative if my fitter tried them and then gave me these instead.
do i need to be refit? is it okay for me to just use the smaller ones anyway or will that give me bunions? does anyone have any recommendations for a better product that would solve my problem? for reference i wear bloch etus, with some gel tubes on a few toes, a tendu gel insert in the box and no toe pad, we tried with and without toe pads in addition to these things in the fitting so i know i have the option but i prefer either the gel pad or the toe pad and i liked this better, though i still have the toe pads if i feel like it. so sorry for the length of this post, i hoped maybe the more information i can provide about my situation the better the chances are that someone could help me, thank you!!! in a rush right now but will probably come back and edit to attempt to make this more readable/less long :)
TLDR; my toe separators to straighten my big toe are actually just forcing my other toes into an unnatural alignment which over time has caused me quite bad pain. i was told i need them to prevent bunions, but wearing them is so painful due to how much it forces my other toes to the wrong alignment that dancing en pointe especially in the centre has become near impossible, not wearing them has made the pain go away but runs the risk of bunion trouble and the misalignment of my big toes, although i think the problem came from the separator not aligning my big toe but rather my toe just pushing it into the others. i’m not sure what to do!

Hi all, I'm (25F) looking for any advice. Any shared experience is appreciated as well.
Basically, I'm not sure what to do. I've been attempting to get confirmation/help on my symptoms for years, but more so recently in the past month.
I currently suffer from what looks like hypothyroidism.
My symptoms include: 1. Heavy periods (though I've also been diagnosed with endometriosis) that are so bad they happen more than twice a month and I was forced to go on iron and continuous birth control for blood loss back when I was young. (I still take BC) 2. Extreme hot flashes and night sweats 3. Rashes that appear in my body creases 4. Most importantly, I have body aches and joint pain just every day that range in severity. (some days require pain medication and braces) 5. Depression, anxiety, brain fog, mood swings 6. General itchiness 7. Back in 2021, I became completely covered in an extremely painful and sore rash for about 2 weeks. After an ER visit, PCP, and Allergist, none could figure out what caused it. I was diagnosed with just general Urticaria, but I have a feeling it was a thyroid flare up. 8. Blood tests that exhibit low blood platelets, despite optimal iron, b12, and folate levels. 9. Extreme fatigue
I also have 3 family members with thyroid problems both on my mom and dad's side.
I've been to my PCP, they said it's very likely I have thyroid problems (hypo to be specific).
However after testing my TSH and autoimmune risk, it was found to be normal and they dismissed it.
In the past I've gotten these tests as my TSH results: 1. 2019 - 1.4 2. 2020 - 1.4 3. 2021 - 4.1 4. 2024 (recent) - 1.4
Why they dismissed the rise in 2021? I don't know. This was around the same time as my urticaria rash.
If anyone could point me in the right direction and help me understand what might be happening, that would be wonderful. It feels like a thyroid problem but my results are normal, so I'm not sure where else to turn for a possibility. Thank you for reading! ❤️

I wanted to detail my experience and hopefully bring a bit of positivity to future people obsessively hitting this sub because I feel like the majority of what i see here is very negative.
TLDR; seriously, the most important thing is to KEEP YOUR HEAD UP. do not let bad thoughts infect your mind.
im a 29M and on 4.4.2024 i tore my meniscus skiing in canada on vacation. I almost immediately couldnt bear weight on it and got crutches the next day (off doordash lol). Since im insured in Germany, knew i needed an MRI, and still had about 10 days till my flight back I decided to ride out the rest of my vacation disabled. (makes the airport incredibly pleasant). Some maybe important context is, 8 years ago i tore my acl with a grade 2 tear. I chose not to go for the surgery because i wanted to avoid the trauma, and did PT + PRP shot. Luckily my ACL had completely healed.
As soon as i arrived in Germany i got my MRI and confirmed it was a medial meniscus bucket handle tear. 7 days later i had my partial meniscectomy where the doc removed about 20% of my meniscus. The surgeon told me he does about 300 operations per year and arthroscopy to me seemed WAY less barbaric in comparison to an ACL surgery hence why I had a cooler head going into it. The consistent pain my leg was causing, i couldn't see a way around it. he said there is an option to do either repair or removal but he cannot say until hes inside me (lol) if a repair would make sense, because it heavily depends on if the tear is in an area where blood can flow.
Day 1 - they stuck this fluid bag in my leg that was so incredibly uncomfortable that i had to down myself in ibuprofen. Im a little freaked out by pain meds so this was the only day i took them. this was by far the worst thing about this experience but in the end it was probably better than having my leg blow up from swelling. The nurse yanking the tube out of my leg the next day however, haunts me to this day.
Day 2-3 - between pain from the scars, weakness of muscles, and general trauma of hurting my delicate leg i toyed with putting pressure on my leg with crutches while hobbling around at home. I was instructed that i really should start working my leg back into normalcy ASAP because it is part of the general healing process for a meniscectomy. I was also icing 2-3 times a day to bring down the swelling.
days 3-9 - with an ace bandage on, i started some mild PT at home. heel slides and leg raises mostly, to start building up my atrophied muscles. around day 5 or 6 i abandoned my crutches entirely, which felt empowering. I live on the first (second in US) floor and stairs were a bit of an obstacle as i had to strategically place one leg at a time and keep my balance. small activities would still wear me out so i limited myself to my small exercises, going to the kitchen, playing MTG Arena and on TTS, and rewatching scrubs. still icing 1-2 times a day.
days 10-17 - got my stitches out, had my first shower since the surgery(!!!), started PT and was given a few exercises and a thera-band to do at home, which i did religiously daily. started talking a bit longer adventures walking for a coffee etc. still having a bit of a limp and my calf and ankle would get hella sore after a long stretch of walking. i also always wear my stabilising knee band when i go out. but still a noticeable amount of progress and freedom. icing maybe once a day.
days 18-22 (now) - im feeling a lot more confident in my ability and stamina to walk. stairs are starting to feel almost completely natural and am working it out in PT. I rode my bike and drove my car out of the city to catch the northern lights. im really focusing on bringing up my surrounding muscles to support my knee and i can see the progress in how much i can straighten my leg. The area where the arthrocopes went in (specifically the medial side) still has a noticeable bump, and im told that scar tissue is whats causing the occasional pain in joints when i straighten my leg. but each day the gets less and less. I really do feel like I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. my leg looks basically normal in size and im still wearing my knee band when i go out. I still cant think about jumping or running but with time im positive it will get there.
There is hope, just be patient and don't let negative thoughts get to you. happy to answer anything i can.

Just unloading my story here as I'm about to reach out to my orthodontist as I've been unhappy with my current results, both for aesthetic and physical reasons. I really appreciate anyone who can relate or give advice, but otherwise, just want to document my experience. I've had a long struggle with not only my teeth but also my TMJ.
Currently: It's been 2 years since I finished my Invisalign and I wasn't happy with the results even once my treatment finished, but I thought it was just because my teeth themself were small and not great looking and that I should just live with it, but now am realizing I liked my teeth more before so maybe it wasn't the best Invisalign job.
My current concerns with my teeth are

1. They're not very straight. One mark of this for me is that when I look at the bite mark of my top teeth, there's a wide angle between my front two teeth. Also my bite is not centered--the center of my top front two teeth doesn't match up with the bottom.
2. I had a problem that I didn't before this round of Invisalign, which is having a lot of saliva and getting caught on my tongue when saying words with the letter S. I don't know how exactly to describe it, but for words like "scared" or "skate", my tongue sometimes gets kinda caught and you'll hear the saliva bubbling up, gross lol!
3. My teeth are very short from being ground down due to bruxism and I think my Invisalign pulled them back even more--I can feel that when I bite, my jaw closes more than before
4. I've had TMJ problems for most of my life which I hoped the Invisalign would help with. I thought they might have helped a bit but ultimately I think they've made it worse--for all my life it's just been my left jaw joint that clicks and gets sore, but after this round of Invisalign I sometimes have clicking and pain in my right jaw joint :(

Background: I've had a clicking left jaw as far as I can remember, maybe since I was in elementary school, but it didn't really start bothering me until high school. I had braces when I was 13, didn't wear my retainer because I was a dumb kid. A few years after that, high school time, I also started having severe jaw muscle soreness, probably partially because I would wear my retainer that didn't fit and start chewing on it unconsciously in my sleep. My teeth ended up shifting a ton anyways, my back teeth hardly touched--I definitely needed braces again.
I got my first round of Invisalign when I was 18, which I also hoped would address my TMJ problems. When it was done I was super happy with the results aesthetically, I loved to smile! But I was still having major TMJ and jaw muscle pain. After a few months I went to get an opinion from a dentist who said they specialize in TMD, and they pointed out that even though I'd had Invisalign, my back teeth weren't touching. It was true, my teeth only actually touched in like one place on each side lol. They referred me to a different orthodontist. I trusted their opinion a lot, so I thought, sure I'll go to a new orthodontist, my old one must have been an idiot to finish my Invisalign treatment when my teeth didn't even touch!
So I started my second round of Invisalign with a new orthodontist. Things seemed fine and dandy--unfortunately my treatment got interrupted my COVID which might have caused some complications, but ultimately I finished the round of Invisalign after two years. During treatment I had an issue where my jaw got really sore only when I wore the bottom retainer, but I just wore it at night and I think it was fine. But by the end of the treatment, I thought my teeth looked worse. I wasn't happy like I was after my first round of Invisalign. However, I initially thought this was because my teeth were just decaying (I'd had issues with a sensitivity and exposed dentin during that time) and they were smaller now and would never look as good. Hopefully that's not the case! I also have the issues mentioned above which I think are actually concerning beyond aesthetics.
I will see my orthodontist again and hopefully we'll be able to do something so I feel more comfortable with my teeth--I'm hoping my plan covers stuff like this for an extended amount of time so that I don't have to pay all over again. For my TMJ, I also just had a sleep study done since I do clench my teeth at night, and will see about those results in a few weeks. I also just started physically therapy. Hopefully things will look up for me--my TMJ and teeth problems are so disruptive to my life. They prevent me from focusing, and my jaw gets so sore sometimes that I don't even want to talk, and if I do my jaw spazzes and clicks and looks gross. Hoping for the best for myself!!
Thank you very much for reading if you got to the end.
TL;DR going back to my orthodontist after 2 years because unhappy with Invisalign results, also starting different treatment options for TMJ. hoping to see an upward climb from here in my TMJ/teeth journey!!

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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), often known as ME/CFS, has a broad spectrum of symptoms that persist a long period. It is determined by basic signs and criteria. Post-exertional malaise (PEM), substantial impairment in capacity to accomplish tasks that were typical before the illness, and sleep issues are some of the key symptoms of Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) .
Orthostatic intolerance (difficulty sitting and standing) and cognitive issues. Long-lasting discomfort and a broad spectrum of body systems are also frequent symptoms.
The reason is unknown, however it might be due to metabolic, genetic, viral, or physical or psychological stress. For lack of a universal diagnostic test, the diagnosis is figured by symptoms.
A person with CFS becomes weary from working hard, and it doesn't get better when they rest. Many conditions cause fatigue, but none cause the amount of tiredness and functioning issues found in CFS.
Many individuals with CFS may improve with time, but many will remain unwell and incapacitated for a long period. No authorised therapies or medications for the underlying cause. Instead, treatment aims to alleviate distressing symptoms.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends pacing (personal activity management) to prevent symptoms from worsening. Some patients may benefit with Rinatolimod (a medication intended for treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome ), psychotherapy, and tailored activity management, however research is limited.
It affects 1% of persons who see their doctor regularly, although the figure fluctuates since epidemiological studies define the disorder differently. According to official estimates, CFS affects 836,000-2.5 million Americans and 250,000-1,250,000 Britons.
Women have CFS at a rate of 1-2% higher than males. Most individuals acquire it between 40 and 60. Even youngsters may be affected. The prevalence of CFS in children is unknown, however it is thought to be about 0.5 percent. One of the most prevalent reasons students miss class is chronic fatigue syndrome.
CFS affects one's health, happiness, and productivity, as well as loneliness and alienation. However, several aspects of the illness remain unclear. Disability is diagnosed and treated by doctors, researchers, and others. The evidence for the causes and therapies isn't always consistent.

Common Symptoms

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) proposes the following diagnostic criteria for unwell people:

• Ability to perform things before the sickness. Weariness follows a decline in activity. It must last six months.
• Symptoms worsen if you do anything little before the condition. Exercise may make you sick, and the symptoms generally appear 12 to 48 hours later. Some term it a "crash," although it might last a long time. Also known as Post-exercise malaise (PEM).
• Sleep problems make it difficult to remain awake, fall asleep, or stay asleep.
• Memory and reasoning are poor (cognitive dysfunction, sometimes described as "brain fog")
• Standing or sitting upright may cause dizziness, weakness, fainting, or visual issues (orthostatic intolerance)

While other common symptoms may occur that not all ME/CFS people report
People who have a cold or the flu can have pain in their muscles, joints, and neck or armpits.
People who have a sore throat, irritable bowel syndrome, a cold, or night sweats, as well as people who have allergies and sensitivities to food and other things, can have a hard time breathing.

Functional Capacity of a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosed Patient

People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can accomplish many things. Many individuals with CFS live regular lives, while others are bedridden and unable of self-care. Most CFS patients must miss job, school, and family time for a lengthy period.
Men and women have the same symptoms and limitations, and many suffer from severe chronic pain. Inactivity is blamed for this. The complexity of things has also changed.
AIDS causes as much agony and anguish as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, COPD, and end-stage renal failure. Even while major conditions like multiple sclerosis, congestive heart failure, or type 2 diabetes exist, CFS has a greater effect on a person's capacity to function and well-being.
Symptoms go in and out of remission, making treatment difficult. People who feel better may overexert themselves, causing worsening symptoms and relapse of their disease. A percent of persons with CFS are permanently housebound or bedridden for years. An illness that prevents around 75% of them from working.
More over half of them were on disability or sick leave, and just a fifth worked full-time. Children with CFS are the major cause for absenteeism.
The quality-of-life questionnaire found that patients with CFS had reduced "vitality," "physical functioning," "general health," "physical role," and "social functioning." However, CFS patients' "role emotional" and "mental health" subscales were identical to or slightly lower than healthy people's. Every year, the US spends a lot of money on healthcare.

Cognitive Dysfunction of a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosed Patient

Cognitive Dysfunction is one of the most devastating aspects of CFS, affecting people's ability to work and interact. It's estimated that 50-80% of CFS sufferers experience cognitive issues. Problems with attention, memory, and reaction time are typical cognitive symptoms.
Measured cognitive abilities are lacking, which may impair everyday living. For example, they make more errors, forget things, and have problems responding when spoken to.
In addition, activities requiring long-term working memory are slower. These defects generally support up the patient's views. As far as I can see, your ability to move swiftly, think clearly, and talk clearly hasn't altered.
People with poor health were more likely to report cognitive issues. People with CFS who could accomplish more physically had less visual perception and language processing issues.
Several reasons may be at play when it comes to disparities between what individuals claim they are and what they really are. It's difficult to compare participants' cognitive capacities before and after illness since there aren't any measures that accurately evaluate CFS's distinctive cognitive impairments.
CFS patients have higher neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms than non-CFS patients. The cause is unclear. Many theories exist to explain why cognitive symptoms and illness coexist.
Some experts believe psychological factors contribute to or cause the disease. Others believe the sickness generates physiological and social changes that manifest as symptoms.

Therapies Known to Have Worked with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The CDC says talking to a therapist may help patients cope with their conditions. Counseling and behavioural treatments may benefit some patients, but they may not enhance their quality of life, according to a 2015 NIH analysis.
This means that these treatments should not be utilised alone, but rather as part of a larger strategy. The same article claims that therapy may help with weariness, function, and overall improvement. However, these methods have been understudied in several CFS patient subgroups. Those who had psychotherapy or behavioral treatment reported few unpleasant side effects.
IOM 2015 study indicates it's unclear whether Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) assists persons with cognitive disorders. It's unclear why CBT is used to help patients feel better about their illness. A 2014 research found little indication that CBT participants were more active.
The authors claim that those who received CBT were adjusting to the condition rather than improving.
Patient organisations have long opposed CBT as a CFS treatment. Also questioned is the model's explanation The MEA studied 493 CBT patients in the UK in 2012.
Due to the findings of this research, the MEA concluded in 2015 that CBT should not be the principal therapy for CFS. There's a "false model of causality," says Dr. Charles Shepherd, a MEA medical adviser. This paradigm ignores the wide range of clinical manifestations and illness processes that fall within the ME/CFS umbrella.
A 2019 research of ME/CFS patients in the UK revealed that CBT didn't help for over half of them, and that Graded Exercise Therapy made most individuals worse.

I'm 45 and been having joint pain, mostly in my hips and one shoulder. After x-rays and doctor exam, I was told I have signs of arthritis.
I've been a burn member since last September. I typically do 3 workouts a week. I would like to do more, but I am starting to have more and more pain.
I try to mod down, but my hips still get so sore after certain moves. I'm becoming increasingly more discouraged that I can't do more.
Any encouragement or tips that have weekday for you to help?

Hi All-
When looking for testosterone pellet information, I found very little documentation in the form of journals and regular cadence check-ins. The one I found was immensely helpful to me, and I wanted to return the favor. I am six weeks into my first pellet therapy and very happy with the decision to do it.
Prior to the pellet, I was really suffering from massive amounts of brain fog, and I could hardly focus. I had very low energy, no libido (no desire at all), I was unhappy, cranky, and cried easily.
My biggest fear going into this was having a ravenous libido (as some have experienced). I let my doctor know this and we started with a healthy but moderate dose.
I've tried to provide as much detail as possible, but happy to answer any questions.
46 yo
158 lbs, Current T level of 18 (prior test was 11), estrogen is in the normal range
Biote 125mg on 3/29/24
3/29/24 - Day one
The procedure was quick and easy, I was nervous and tense, but it was painless.
No shower for 24 hrs, no soaking for 3 days.
Also taking DIM 150mg once per day (also prescribed a supplement for ADK and B12 but these are unrelated to the T pellet)
Was tendesore at insertion point for a few days but nothing major.
4/5 - 1 week update
Sick for a few days this week (unrelated), so this may impact my overall experience. I haven’t felt any different for the most part.
I rubbed my eyes (thanks to allergies) and lost some eyelashes and brow hairs. it seemed to be more than normal, which could be a tiny side effect, but maybe not. I did notice a few small pimples over the week, but I’m also in my week of menstruation.
I haven’t gained or lost weight, no mood changes.
Still a tiny bit of tenderness at the insertion spot, but it’s very minimal. The incision is completely healed from the outside.
I haven’t been consistent with the DIM supplement due to illness, but have restarted after a few days off.
My doctor did tell me that it may take a few weeks to start to feel the effects of the testosterone.
4/12 - 2 week update
Allergies took over and I had a bad couple of days with extremely low energy. Went to bed at 9pm one night, and the next day had the worst hot flash of my life (beet red from chest to face for a solid 45 minutes.
My weight gain has been minimal but a bummer. I have gained 3 lbs and currently weigh 160.
No change in sexual desire, or energy that I’ve noticed yet.
I met briefly with my doctor, who said I should be feeling it by now, but I’m not. Maybe it's due to a couple of weeks of not-so-great health.
4/19 - 3 week update
I’m starting to notice some changes. In general, my energy seems to be slightly increased. I seem to wake up a bit easier in the mornings. I feel more motivated in general, and more capable of letting go when bad things happen.
I noticed that the mild vaginal dryness I was experiencing is gone. There is no real noticeable change in desire (yet), but I will say that even the slight increase in energy and ability to once again self-lubricate makes me feel more open to the idea of sex.
My weight has leveled off and I have dropped half a lb since the week prior.
5/5 - 5 weeks update
No changes from week 3. Feeling a bit of motivation and more energy to keep going during the day. The biggest change so far has been a decrease in my brain fog. I have clearer thoughts in general and fewer days spent lost to brain fog. I have noticed that the severe breast swelling and tenderness I typically experience ~2 weeks before my period has not happened since being on testosterone. It’s only been 5 weeks, which means I’ve only moved through one cycle, so this may change, but an observation for now. There are no other changes in my cycle to note, but because of the Mirena IUD, I do not typically have periods where I bleed (but I have had a handful of breakthrough bleeding in the last year).
I’ll be going in this week for my 5 week (midpoint) bloodwork and I’m very curious to see what my T levels have balanced out to and talk through what my next dose may be.
5/13 Check-up
160.5 lbs, Testosterone 195!!
Great check-in with my doctor. My testosterone is in a great range at 195. I feel good. Not bad. Thats something worth celebrating! Nothing earth-shattering, but I feel so much better in general. Most days I wake up feeling ready for the day (and waking up is a bit easier), there are fewer brain fog days, my libido has come back (YES!), and I feel much more able to focus and get things done. No breast swelling pre-cycle as I had before, and much less dense fibrous tissue as well (from what I can tell). I think I may have noticed a decrease in inflammation in my joints, but I can’t be sure just yet.
My emotions feel much more in check. In the last few years, I was referred to as a "crier," which made me very self-conscious. Now, when there is conflict or some sort of upset, it's much easier to keep this in check. I still get weepy occasionally; it's just easier to manage. Crying is healthy. I don't not want to cry; I just want the ability to have a bit more control over it.
No side effects other than a few lbs of weight gain (which I’ve read could be water weight and may go away), but I’m fine with this given the other results.
Overall thoughts: I’m really happy with the results. The energy boost is subtle but noticeable after a few weeks. Keeping a journal has definitely helped me check in with myself and take note. I would say this option is worth exploring. Prior to the pellet i tried the gel, but was not happy at all with the results. This is clearly a very personal choice. Gel or injections may be right for others, but pellets work for me.
Honestly, I feel like I'm back to the me I used to be. It's really nice!
I scheduled my next pellet insertion for another 6 weeks out. We’ll continue to monitor levels throughout the year.
I hope this helps others make a more informed decision!

34f in Canada. Weight: 140lbs Height: 5’7” Medication: dexedrine 25mg a day (15mg AM, 10mg PM for ADHD) Substances: occasional drinker, nicotine use goes up & down, and I use a THC vape pen once a day.
When I was a kid, my dad showed me this weird thing he does with his middle finger top joint by bending it weirdly. I don’t remember if I had to train myself to do it or if I did it easily it either affected my finger or I was just destined for this because my father has the same issue and he was younger than I am now when he showed me, so it’s entirely possible it didn’t bother him at the time.
As I get older, I’m developing issues. My middle finger locks, can be difficult to bend, sore, and is literally never straight anymore when it used to … be normal. It has been such a gradual process that I didn’t notice he issues until one day it clicked that it can be fine throughout the day but there’s always a point in which I notice I’m having problems. Rainy/humid days can bring trouble.
I’m waiting on a referral but I want to know if there are any exercises that may help in the meantime.
I’ll post a few pictures in the comments.

I have been seeing a rheumatologist for a few years for rheumatoid arthritis. I recently had to change rheumatologists (my old one moved overseas) and I saw the new one during a flare up. During this flare I had a synovial fluid sample taken from my ankle and the lab found uric acid crystals in the fluid. My rheumatologist immediately stopped my RA medication and said that I had gout.
I was very confused by the diagnosis as whilst the pain was bad it was no where near the level I have heard gout described as and there was no redness and swelling and the ankle was not sore to touch.
When my next flare occurred they took further samples, this time from the knee and the synovial fluid sample found no crystals.
My UA levels in the blood test were 6.1. Which my rheumatologist has said is sufficient to cause gout symptoms.
My symptoms tend to be whole body as well rather than isolated to specific joints.
Has anyone else had a similar experience to this? I am worried that I may need to change doctors as even though there may have been some UA crystals this feels like mild gout as a second order effect. If I had gout in my knees I cannot believe I would be able to function and walk based on talks I have had with people.
I there any such thing as mild gout that causes inflammation and stiffness?
Don’t get me wrong RA is bad but it tends to be systemic inflammation with pain flare ups rather than localised severe pain. I am worried my rheumatologist has just seen the one result for a middle aged man and then ignored everything else.
Thoughts and experiences would be welcome.

Hi! What other diagnostic testing should be requested? I’m having a very hard time being taken seriously by my last few PCPs and am trying to push for further specialist referrals and tests. I have been very dismissed and feeling crazy. I even sought a psychiatrist thinking maybe all this was in my head after all and they have supported me in continuing to push for answers because I am in fact not crazy lol.
I’ve had the following done and come back normal, but wondering if there is anything else my PCP should check before ruling out lupus definitively.
Came back normal-
CBC, metabolic panels repeated 2021-2024
2022- ANA
2024- rheumatoid factor Cyclic certificates peptide DNA DS antibody Chromatin neucleosomal antibody Complement components c3c and c4c Sed rate by modified westergren Complete abdomenal ultrasound Vitamin D, B12, Iron, Ferritin
Came back abnormal- 2022-2024 antiphospholipid antibodies B2 glycoprotein IGM high
2024- head mri with/ without contrast- few white matter lesions and scarring
2023- HLA- DQ8 genetic variant confirmed
I’ve got a whole host of symptoms that are both lupus and other auto immune specific. These include: Brain fog Extreme fatigue Memory issues Intermittent Butterfly and raised skin rash Feeling like I’m sunburnt even after only a few minutes outside Intermittent hearing issues Intermittent balance/ coordination issues Severe skin breakouts, digestive issues Constant illness Joint pain Swollen sore hands Numbness and tingling hands and feet Bladder retention and emptying issues Choking/ swallowing issues, chronic cough Pinpoint burning or itching sensation Since I was young, but now increasing again: “aura” like migraine or seizure aura without any headache or obvious seizure activity. Only other way I can explain this is “Alice in wonderland syndrome” (see fastfeeling)
My doctor has questioned SLE, MS but not really super conclusively. I also have wondered if celiac could be a factor but was informed after ANA testing that I may not have been eating gluten in my diet long enough for it to show other than the genetic test (usually avoid gluten by chance). I also have not yet heard back from my PCP on the results of the MRI- these findings were taken directly from the report uploaded in my patient portal. My family history is questionable as my mom was adopted, no one in my family really goes to the dr. Only Cancers and brain tumors have been confirmed. The most troublesome issues as of late are the cognitive issues and my hearing going out. It’s a few minutes or a few hours one ear at a time, pressure and muffled hearing. Any thoughts are appreciated, as I am exhausted