Ok so I was going to a clinic for six months they had me starting out on 100mg testosterone and 250iu hcg per week. We Increased the testosterone dose after bloodwork and at the latest I was up to 170mg testosterone and still 250iu hcg but due to some elevated estradiol levels was taking .5 anastrozle injection day and .25 3 day’s later. Overall I was pretty happy with treatment aside from some acne and having to be on ai. Well I went to urologist because clinic was expensive and got blood test the free testosterone was like 1100 and free was 100 roughly and he was not comfortable with that so he prescribed 120mg testosterone and wanted me to take clomid 25mg every other day. I was not comfortable with clomid based on what I read and watched so I asked him about enclomiphene instead to avoid the zuclomiphene in clomid and he said enclomiphiene was banned in 2016 in USA … but nonetheless agreed to continue hcg but said 250iu a week is pointless and a waste of money because of the 36 hour half life and said I would need 500iu every other day . Curious about y’all’s thoughts on all this thanks in advance. I’m 32 and my initial levels were low like 160s total testosterone.. not sure if the clinic tested my lh and fsh initially. I’ve learned a bit over the last 7 months so I’d probably ask more questions if I went back but is what it is no going back. I would like to pull my history to find out because I’m not sure if I’m experiencing primary or secondary hypogonadism … tell me your thoughts please.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159124004057 [Full read]

Highlights

• •Contraction frequency of the colon increases during LPS-induced systemic inflammation.
• •The gut-brain axis governs resting gut diameter during systemic inflammation.
• •Blocking the inhibitory enteric nervous system activity does not restore colonic motility.
• •Removing intestinal macrophages does not restore colonic motility.
• •Colonic motility during systemic interaction is regulated by systems additional to the enteric nervous system and intestinal macrophages.
• •Treatments for colonic dysmotility should consider gut-brain and gut immune cell interactions.

Abstract

The gastrointestinal tract is one of the main organs affected during systemic inflammation and disrupted gastrointestinal motility is a major clinical manifestation. Many studies have investigated the involvement of neuroimmune interactions in regulating colonic motility during localized colonic inflammation, i.e., colitis. However, little is known about how the enteric nervous system and intestinal macrophages contribute to dysregulated motility during systemic inflammation. Given that systemic inflammation commonly results from the innate immune response against bacterial infection, we mimicked bacterial infection by administering lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to rats and assessed colonic motility using ex vivo video imaging techniques. We utilized the Cx3cr1-Dtr rat model of transient depletion of macrophages to investigate the role of intestinal macrophages in regulating colonic motility during LPS infection. To investigate the role of inhibitory enteric neurotransmission on colonic motility following LPS, we applied the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, Nω-nitro-L-arginine (NOLA). Our results confirmed an increase in colonic contraction frequency during LPS-induced systemic inflammation. However, neither the depletion of intestinal macrophages, nor the suppression of inhibitory enteric nervous system activity impacted colonic motility disruption during inflammation. This implies that the interplay between the enteric nervous system and intestinal macrophages is nuanced, and complex, and further investigation is needed to clarify their joint roles in colonic motility.

Hi just looking some advice going forward. If anyone has any advice or been in a similar situation. First time TTC and ended up ectopic. Doctor told me I had a 3cm ectopic pregnancy on my right fallopian tube on Monday 15th April. I got another internal scan on Tuesday 30th April and told the ectopic was now 2.6cm
Luckily nothing has ruptured and I am going through expectant management. I have had no treatment at all, no surgery and no Methotrexate.
At the minute I have to go for weekly bloods. Below are my hcg so far- Hcg- 733 Thursday 11th April Hcg- 646 Saturday 13th April Hcg- 560 Monday 15th April Hcg- 402 Thursday 18th of April Hcg- 222 Thursday 25th April Bleeding- Tuesday 30th April- Saturday 4th May Hcg- 132 Thursday 2nd May Hcg- 81 Thursday 9th May HCG-60 Friday 17th May- passing thick mucus
I expected my HCG levels to drop more than from 81 to 60, I expected them to be below 50. I haven’t been well all week cold like symptoms, so I’m not sure if that contributed or whether they just take a bit longer the closer to get to 0.
The past couple of weeks I have had on and off pain, dizziness, nausea and extreme sweating. The midwife told me when my hcg is at 25 they are happy to discharge me. When your hcg level is 25 is that a safe zone? Also when could I expect my period to start and is it worth getting a HSG test done? Is there a reason for my levels dropping so slowly?

Hi guys
I’ve lurked on here for a while though my diagnosis is slightly different to most of you
I have immunotherapy induced colitis from cancer treatment. Currently on remicade and on a pred taper (failed several times, hoping this time I’ll finally come off though)
What I’m struggling with is that sometimes when I have a bowel movement I get this really DULL ache around my bottom, and even into my vagina if that makes sense? I’m struggling to explain it to my GI and he doesn’t really understand what the ache could be. It doesn’t hurt as such but I almost have to stand up to relieve the pressure
I surely can’t be the only one who gets this? I get nothing can be done about it but I sort of feel like I’m going a bit mad

Welcome back to this week's newsflash.

1. Janssen-Cilag submitted applications to EMA for Tremfya, a medication already approved for psoriasis, to treat ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Clinical trials have been conducted for Tremfya. Do you want to know more?
2. Struggling with ulcerative colitis? This article explores a traditional Chinese medicine called Banxia Xiexin decoction (BXD) that may improve gut health and alleviate symptoms. Do you want to know more?
3. The US FDA approves Boehringer Ingelheim's Cyltezo, a biosimilar to Humira, for chronic inflammatory diseases. This high-concentration formulation expands treatment access for patients. Do you want to know more?
4. Crohn's disease can cause severe pain and fatigue. But there's promising news! Researchers are exploring new treatments like stem cell therapy to improve outcomes for patients. Do you want to know more?
5. Struggling to tell Ulcerative Colitis from Crohn's Disease? New research suggests a simple CT scan might hold the key! Analysis of fat distribution in the abdomen showed promise in differentiating these two inflammatory bowel diseases. Do you want to know more?

That's it for this week. Stay healthy!

Hi, this is probably my last post here. I posted here a couples times during the last week because I am at a complete lost.
Here is my story. When I was first diagnosed with ulcerative colitis it was only at the very end of the colon and only 10cm long. I went on budesonide (for 3months) and then mesalamine. It worked well for around 2 years, I had no symptoms (apart from cramps and bloating from time to time but my doctor said it could be IBS symptoms) and could eat whatever I want.. Lately I had alot of stress and went into a bad flare, did a sigmoidoscopy and the doctor said it was definitely worst and progressing. He wants to put me on budesonide (for 3months) and mercaptopurine (forever). I started budesonide but I am really scared of mercaptopurine and I really want to stay on mesalamine…
I tried to make another appointment with the doctor but he was fully booked so I asked the secretary to ask him what were the risks of just staying on mesalamine after the budesonide course to see if it will work again. She called me back and said that the doctor said that budesonide and mercaptopurine was his recommendation and that I can do whatever I want but staying on mesalamine is going against his recommendation. He said that if I was not happy with his recommendation I could go get a second opinion. But where I live it takes 2years to see a specialist so that is really not an option. I talked to him during my last appointment about going on entyvio because its safer but in Canada he says we cant unless we try alot of other options before. I insisted but he says he really cant. I didn’t think of asking him for other options then mercaptopurine or entyvio.
Now I can’t see him again. Can’t see another doctor either. Deadly scared of starting mercaptopurine but also scared of what can happen if I try mesalamine again and it fails.. will I get much worse and have to have more aggresive treatment… my plan would be to just give mesalamine another chance (since it worked well for 2years, its already going better with budesonide and I was under alot of stress when I had a flare) and if it gets worse, or not better in a couple months, restart budesonide and get on mercaptopurine. But since he said it was against his medical advice (and I can’t talk to him to know exactly why and the risks) im scared.
I don’t know if some of you were in similar situation and has some advice.

Hi! My 7yo son was recently diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis - moderate to severe pancolitis.
He is currently on the highest dose of mesalamine which is changing his urine to a brown. Of course, when this hits the toilet seat, it dyes them. I have tried so many products trying to get the staining off my seats but it won't budge.

Does anyone with more experience have any suggestions? Different style seat? Special product? Or is this just something we have to live with?

Also - if anyone has any experiences with a child that was diagnosed so young, will you share your story? Good or bad - I just like being prepared. Nobody in our family or close community has UC that I can find to reach out to.
Also - If mesalamine hasn't worked for you, did Remicade? How are the side effects? What do you feel like after a treatment? That's what they're wanting to try next and I have a lot of fear that he will become immune and then what options are left?? Ugh. I'm so overwhelmed.
Thanks!!

BadChadR:
Feb 14, 2023
Actually I had dull, but not horrible, aches post vasectomy for years post intercourse. Makes sense from the fact that the sperm have nowhere to go. Years later I was diagnosed with low T and my primary care doc got my levels to 300-500 without any real improvement of low T symptoms except the post vasectomy pain resolved. Now I’m seeing a doc who’s keeping my T in the 900-1100 range and my libido, energy, mood and well being is amazing but he started me on HCG as well to prevent atrophy.
At first I noticed more sensitivity to my balls, which was not bad at all as it added a new level of foreplay for my wife and I. However I started getting very painful ejaculations with that blue ball feeling that aches for hours.
So I’ve stopped taking the HCG and symptoms resolved, but my nuts are a bit smaller. I will talk to my doc about this at our follow up tomorrow.
PVP isn’t taken seriously, and sadly. As I keep telling my wife, it doesn’t matter how small the tunnel off the island is…it’s the only damn tunnel. So sperm have to literally blow out the side, and get reabsorbed into the sac. More sperm = larger blow outs. Maybe it’s the vasectomy technique, and maybe it’s the individual. But it’s real and debilitating.
https://www.reddit.com/Testosterone/comments/njfs43/hcg_treatment_post_vasectomy/j8it7if/
Honestly testosterone therapy should be a first line treatment for PVP syndrome. Really pathetic that it’s easier for a 12 year old girl to get testosterone injections for untreated mental health issues than it is for a man to get a replacement therapy.
I love being at a T level >800. It’s a game changer and actually beneficial for well being and physical health compared to any drugs prescribed by a psychologist. But most PCP’s don’t know crap and they are happy if they get your 150 up to 350.
Maybe I should tell a therapist I identify as a hypermasculine disagreeable 18 year old male. I’ve been misgendered my whole life as a hypo-masculine / slightly feminine overweight male.
Pronouns are Beefcake / Spartacus / StudMuffin
https://www.reddit.com/Testosterone/comments/njfs43/hcg_treatment_post_vasectomy/j8iv9qv/
I know this is old, but what’s your follow up. I’ve noticed increase pain with ejaculation since starting HCG, enough so that I stopped it after 4 weeks. I’m about 10 years post vasectomy and finally found a doc to get my T levels to the >800 range and really he only wants my low energy / libido symptoms to improve and could care less if my T is 600 or 1200. But he added an aromatase inhibitor and HCG…Also finding that there’s negatives to the AI, but that’s a different thread.
https://www.reddit.com/Testosterone/comments/anlmnh/45_had_3_kids_and_a_vasectomy_starting_trt_do_i/j8iwkkc/
I’m 10 years post vasectomy and HCG created more pain with ejaculation for me. While testosterone reduced my ejaculation pain. Makes sense, less sperm, less dramatic blow outs from the severed & clipped tube. More sperm, more volume hitting a dead end. But that’s just me
https://www.reddit.com/Testosterone/comments/xqyq09/hcg_besides_fertility_and_testicle_size_is_there/j8j2weo/
I’ve commented a few times, but my experience is 10 years vasectomy. TRT reduced post vasectomy pain, HCG increased post vasectomy pain. I’d try switching to TRT and your sperm count will drop, potentially reducing that overbuilding of pressure in your nuts…that’s how I could explain it…like my nuts were too full and ready to burst. Less sperm is a good thing post vasectomy.
https://www.reddit.com/Testosterone/comments/v8h469/trt_with_hcg_post_vasectomy_pain/j8j41st/
Metadata:
ID: 058e83de
Name: BadChadR
Vasectomy Date: 2013
Source: reddit
Posted: 2023-02-14
Storycodes: PSX,LTT
Months: 120
Resolved: Partial

Hi all,
Just looking for some insight. As part of treatment I am getting for hypogonadism, I get blood work done every six months, usually including a full liver panel.
I just got my liver panel today and the results were pretty typical for the past couple of years - albumin, bilirubin, alk phos, total plasma protein, globulin, albumin/globulin ratio all normal (I can post the full numbers and ranges if needed) but my AST is 50 (normal is <= 39) and ALT is 95 (normal is <=52).
These numbers have fluctuated off and on for as long as I have records (going back to mid 2021).
Every six or so months, the AST has been:
12/2021: 49 4/2022: 52 10/2022: 47 4/2023: 54 11/2023: 39 5/2024: 50
And ALT has been:
12/2021: 112 4/2022: 99 10/2022: 67 4/2023: 86 11/2023: 81 5/2024: 95
About me: I am a 34 year old formerly VERY obese guy who has kept 80+lbs off for a decade, but could still stand to drop another 15-20lbs as I am right around 25% body fat. I am struggling to lose the last bit of weight even with pretty serious caloric restriction and a lot of exercise. My cholesterol is slightly elevated, though my blood pressure is good and the rest of my lipid panel was normal. No abnormalities on kidney panel. I am fairly active, lifting weights and/or doing yoga every day, and I know that resistance training can elevate AST and ALT. I drink very little alcohol (2 drinks a week, maximum, usually on weekends) and do not use recreational drugs. My diet is largely whole grains, lean meats and fish, and fresh vegetables (minimal soda, snacks, sweets). I do take supplements such as NAC and TUDCA. I have no symptoms of any liver issues that I am aware of. My primary care provider is "monitoring" my liver values, but since they have been fluctuating for so long and aren't getting dramatically worse he is not particularly alarmed. I am trying not to be, either, though NAFLD has come up as a possibility.
I will probably just keep trying to lose weight and see how it impacts the numbers.
That said, I have a check-in on today's blood work with my urologist on Friday, and I'm thinking about asking for a referral to a hepatologist since I finally have good insurance that will cover the visit. Does this seem prudent? Is there anything I need to be aware of going into the appointment? Anyone have any thoughts, etc? How nervous would you be if you were me?
Cheers!
EDIT: well, pubmed says that in rats, administration of HCG (which is what I take for hypogonadism) may increase hepatic inflammation, so maybe that's part of the issue, with the caveat that these were obese rats (not humans) taking huge doses.
EDIT 2: huh, higher numbers in the warmer months, lower numbers in the cooler months. That's interesting. Especially given that I tend to drink more alcohol (but not much more) and eat worse during the winter.

53M. My father-in-law died last week and my mother-in-law (who is great) was moved in with us permanently. That's itself is not an issue. We will have to build a new house or move soon to accommodate her though. My wife has severe autoimmune arthritis and ulcerative colitis and she is bedridden most of the time. Severe pain, random swelling in her joints. Her treatment team is running out of medications to try. My mother went into the hospital by ambulance on the morning of my father-in-law's funeral (Monday) and multiple blood clots were found in her leg and she had emergency surgery. My father has Alzheimer's disease and it is difficult to leave him by himself while my mom is in the hospital but I don't have any other options. I can check on his location by phone since he still drives (for now). He has left the stove on at times which is very worrying. My mother-in-law is grieving hard so she is not much help and she does not drive so in an emergency, she could not take my wife or son anywhere. I have my own issues which I won't even bother addressing because there isn't time (here or IRL). It's fucking overwhelming. That's it. Just needed to get it out somewhere. No need for replies

Hi all! I’m hoping for some insight as I manage a 24 hour wait to be seen at the Early Pregnancy Unit (EPU).
I have previously had 3 chemical pregnancies and one loss at 8 weeks.
This current pregnancy is an IVF one with a double embryo transfer. Bloods showed that my hCG was 60-something and 48 hours later it dropped to 18, so I assumed it was another early loss. That was two weeks ago.
Last night I developed shoulder pain and spotting, so I did a pregnancy test and it showed positive, which would indicate that my hCG has risen (maybe a slow rise).
I rang the EPU and they are going to do an internal scan tomorrow morning. I’m preparing myself that it will be a pregnancy of unknown location and maybe ectopic - and I’m trying to learn about the treatment options so that we can make an informed choice.
I don’t know what I’m looking for - empathy, encouragement, support and a healthy dose of reality! Thanks!

I've had stomach and intestinal issues since my teens. I'd have diarrhea every day at school, and my stomach would be constantly churning from stress. I thought it would get better after the college entrance exam, but it never did. It's still ongoing at 27. Eating out became my biggest fear. My anxiety got worse, and I'd pass gas every five minutes after meals. I had to quit my job because of this. I've been actively seeking treatment, visiting various hospitals, but it hasn't improved. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with SIBO and ulcerative colitis after a colonoscopy. Medication helped a bit, but it's driving me crazy. I feel like I've become a recluse, with severe depression and anxiety. Can I ever get better? I want to die

~Phosphatidylcholine market~ is anticipated to grow at a considerable CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period (2024-2031). Phosphatidylcholine is a chemical contained in eggs, soybeans, mustard, sunflower, and other foods. It is found naturally in the body in all cells. Phosphatidylcholine is also a source of choline in the body. It is utilized in many different applications due to its offered benefits.
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Phosphatidylcholine provide special benefits and are known to be safe for administering medications to the lungs since they are The biocompatible and biodegradable properties of Phosphatidylcholine made them apt for treatment of ulcerative colitis. Phospholipids have been successfully administered to the lungs for several decades in order to treat pathological disorders where there is a deficiency of phospholipids in lung tissue, specifically in the alveoli.
full report of Phosphatidylcholine Market available @ https://www.omrglobal.com/industry-reports/Phosphatidylcholine -market
· Market Coverage
· Market number available for – 2024-2031
· Base year- 2024
· Forecast period- 2024-2031
· Segment Covered- By Source, By Product Type, By Applications
· Competitive Landscape- Archer Daniels Midland Co., Ingredion Inc., Kerry Group Plc, Cargill
· Inc., and others
Market Segmentation
Global Phosphatidylcholine Market by Source
o Eggs
o Soybean
o Sunflower
o Mustard
o Others (Rapeseed and Canola)
Global Phosphatidylcholine Market by Grade
o Food Grade
o Pharmaceutical Grade
o Others (Personal Care and Animal Feed)
Global Phosphatidylcholine Market by Function
o Moisturizing
o Solubilizing
o Emulsifying
o Others
Global Phosphatidylcholine Market by End-use
o Pharmaceuticals
o Cosmetics
o Nutraceuticals
o Others (Food & Beverage and Industrial)
Regional Analysis
o North America
o United States
o Canada
o Europe
o UK
o Germany
o Italy
o Spain
o France
o Rest of Europe
o Asia-Pacific
o China
o India
o Japan
o South Korea
o Rest of Asia-Pacific
o Rest of the World
o Latin America
o Middle East & Africa
Company Profiles
o American Lecithin Company
o Archer Daniels Midland
o Avanti Polar Lipids, Inc.
o Avril Group
o Bunge Ltd.
o Cargill Pharmaceutical
o DuPont
o IMCD Group B.V.
o Kewpie Corp.
o Lipoid GmbH
o Natural Factors
o Nippon Fine Chemical.
o NOF America Corp.
o Stern-Wywiol Gruppe
o Vitamin Research Products
o Wilmar International Ltd.
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My 8 year old son has had IBD-type symptoms for about 6 weeks and we've been investigating the cause. Late last week, we finally got his fecal calprotectin levels back and they were 1200 so likely IBD (I think Crohn's based on what I've read). We've been referred for a colonoscopy but it looks like it will be a fairly long wait.
Meanwhile, we've been super careful about what we feed him and about 3/4 of his calories are from Pediasure at this point. And thank god, it seems like it's starting to work - today was his second day back at school and he's starting to be himself again. Such a relief! But now I have a few questions that I'm hoping you all might know the answer to based on your experience:
1) If his colonoscopy is in another month from now, will they still be able to diagnose Crohn's vs colitis if he's still in remission? And the severity?
2) Why can't he start treatment now to help prevent another flare in the meantime? It seems like several treatments are common to both Crohn's and colitis?
3) Do I keep him on this super restrictive diet until he finally gets his colonoscopy and starts medication? Or can I slowly introduce a more varied diet (e.g., fruits and vegetables)?
I'm sorry if my questions are super naive - I've been researching all this like crazy but still feel so lost. And I'm kicking myself for not asking the pediatrician when I had her on the phone. Thanks for any information you can provide!
Edit: Thanks everyone for all of this helpful information!!!

It has been a very long time since I posted here. Mostly because in the last years I’ve learned after 7 years of struggle that my UC is in fact Crohn’s disease.
In the past seven years I’ve failed all the treatments one by one until I started Stelara 3 years ago but at that point it was too late. There was pseudopolyps and scars in my colon and many specialists in my small city told me that I was the most severe UC case they had.
The thing is that I was so used to live with UC that it wasn’t bothering me at all even if I was bleeding and having diarrhea 10 times a day… I had accepted that it was how I was going to live the rest of my life.
One year ago I had a colonoscopy and they found 2 stenosis in my colon… in fact my doctor didn’t even finish the colonoscopy because my stenosis where blocking him. That’s where I started to understand that I needed surgery..
Even know I was feeling feeling relatively good. My doctor warned me that my colon was a ticking bomb… he referred me to one of the best GI in Canada Dre Carole Richard. At my first appointment with Dre Richard I made it very clear that having a colostomy bag at 25 was out of the question for me and that I was all in so she decided to do a Jpouch in one surgery.
The problem was that she was not very sure that I had Ulcerative colitis (we clarified the diagnosis with a biopsy during the surgery). So why do I have a Jpouch even if I have Crohn’s disease? Because for the last 7-8 years I only had inflammation in the region of my colon.
I knew the risk of having a Jpouch with Crohn’s but I went forward because I was confident that everything would go well.
The surgery was 8 hours long and I asked an Epidural before (thank god) for post surgery pain.
Everyone hear was telling the bad stories about how horrible this surgery was and about a many complications can commence with it… he was reading all the horror stories that you can read here so I was scared of the pain and scared of all the possible complications.
When I woke up I felt great. Not good.. great because of all the drugs. The worst day was day 2 where I had a little more pain because they where getting me off the IV drugs and day 4 I was sleeping home.
2 weeks later I was running 2K everyday. 1 month later so was running 30 mins a day.
The surgery was on October 31st and now I everything is normal, I run, I bike, I work, I eat everything I want and I go to bathroom about: 3-4 times a day.
I wanted to share the Final Chapiter (I hope) of my journey with UC/Crohns because it ended very well and we don’t hear the good story here because « No news = Good news »
I will answer the questions in comments
Like Aragorn said « There is always hope! »

So I've made a couple of posts on here but to recap. My t levels are very low and have been using the NHS to access treatment.
After doing MRI scans and more blood tests my Endo has prescribed TRT. This is, at least initially, Testogel 50mg daily. I'm due to meet with my Endo in a few weeks to evaluate progress.
When I first met with the endo I was in a relationship that would not have done well with children in it so when asked about my future and would it involve children the answer was simple. No.
Now I'm about to start treatment and I'm currently single. But now I question whether my simple "no" was the correct choice.
So I have some questions.
1) am I right in thinking that trt on its own can stop sperm production?
2) If the answer to q1 is correct how long (roughly) would it take for the t to affect the production?
3) depending on the answer to q1 and q2 should I hold off starting the trt to speak to my Endo about HCG or something?! Or would it be ok to start the trt then follow up with the Endo in a few weeks when I see him?
Thanks for any advice!

After five of the longest weeks of my life, my nurse called today and said my hCG levels are negative.
No more MTX treatments, no more weekly bloodwork, no more weekly worrying if I’ll need to go back to the ER (for the third time).
This is bittersweet? I don’t know the words for this feeling. I am heartbroken. My baby is “officially” out of my body. But relieved that I can start to heal from surgery and grieve…
The day after Mother’s Day. I just feel so many emotions right now and I don’t really know what to do with them, so I came here. I hope everyone is doing okay after Mother’s Day. I hope you found some peace.

Hi, I (28F) am 5'3 and weigh 212 pounds (fluctuating to 210 at times). I have a few conditions but the only relevant condition to what I need help with is GERD and my weight. I don't smoke, drink, or do any recreational drugs. I'm in the US. Sorry for making the background info so long, just wanted to give the full picture. The question is down below if you want to just jump to it.
In 2019 I ended up gaining a lot of weight. This was surprising to me because I was always 125 pounds. I ended up getting to over 230 pounds in 2 years. I thought it was my birth control because I had just gotten on a new one (Nexplanon) at that time. During this time I developed a bad case of GERD, and had to get on both Lansoprazole and Famotidine. As time passed, in early 2022, I would get bad stomach pain and ended up getting what ER doctors believed to be infections: colitis and on another occasion ileitis. My gastro at the time was confused because I wasn't showing signs of infection. He told me he didn't think I had any infections and set up an MRI Enterography in 2023. By 2023 I was down to 221 pounds.
In 2022, I had met with a Rheumatologist who has honestly been amazing. The Rheumatologist identified my Psoriatic Arthritis in my first visit, well before my first Psoriasis patch ever showed. Treatment has been going pretty well. During that first visit I told him about my infections earlier that year and he stated that he believed I have IBD. He says in all his time working (he is an older doctor), I'm presenting clear signs of it but they probably won't catch it any time soon as it's hard to catch. Fast forward to the MRI Enterography, they catch nothing. Everything is fine. Time passes, the pain comes back, and I get scheduled for a Colonoscopy and Endoscopy. Both came back fine, just evidence of mild chronic gastritis comes back. Eventually, that gastro decides I'm too complicated and drops me, passing me on to a nurse practitioner who is only there to refill my GERD meds.
In late 2023, the pain gets worse. Nothing touches it, and only opioids manage some of the pain until even they stop working. I get in a stat laparoscopy to see if I have endometriosis and they saw none so they send me home. Things are sort of okay until they weren't again and this time I see a new gastro. They schedule me for a Colonoscopy/Endoscopy for December. During the end of 2023 I lost 11 pounds. I went from 221 pounds to 210 pounds. I was so nauseous I couldn't eat anything. I was dizzy to the point that I couldn't drive or walk well. My stomach was in so much pain and felt "paralyzed". I just felt awful.
The colonoscopy/endoscopy showed, once again, nothing but mild chronic gastritis. On December 24th, I started Phentermine. With Phentermine, my issues went away. Everything from the nausea to the pain and paralyzed stomach went away. I stopped it for a week to see if the symptoms came back and they did. Once I started again the symptoms went away. It was like a miracle medicine. I went from taking 4 acid reflux pills to 1. My nausea went away and everything felt good. I'm just so confused...Actually, I have stopped taking Phentermine as often because I keep forgetting to take it. My nausea, dizziness, and stomach pain have all come back. I went to the ER a week ago for intense stomach and kidney pain. They did a CT scan and the kidney pain was due to a kidney stone, but they also told me that I had inflammation in my intestines that showed some kind of chronic inflammatory disease occurring. They just couldn't tell or see more details.
Here's the question: Why would Phentermine help with all of these issues? Is it the Phentermine? Just today I was eating lunch and suddenly got extremely nauseous. I remembered I hadn't taken Phentermine and took it. Within 30 minutes my nausea was completely resolved. Is it just me? Am I making it into some kind of placebo that I think cures me but doesn't actually? I'm unsure and I need someone to explain why it could or couldn't be it.
My primary and gastro are so confused by this but they're encouraging me to continue on the Phentermine as it's helping my symptoms. My primary is concerned because it isn't meant to be used long-term and wants this issue resolved. My Rheumatologist is still certain I have IBD and my gastro is still confused because nothing has come up on colonoscopies/endoscopies. Is IBD really that hard to catch? If so what other tests or bloodwork should I be doing to check for IBD?

Hello,
I found out I was pregnant at 4 weeks, went and took the abortion pill at 4.5 weeks.
They didn’t see anything in my uterus because of being so early, but they gave me the pills and talked about the risks of being ectopic
Everything went well, my hcg levels were 338 at the time of picking up the pill, then 114, 48 hours post abortion.
I go in for more blood work at 5.5 weeks to see if it’s continuing to drop and it went up to 128.
I’m 6 weeks now technically today when I found out the results.
They want me to go back in this Thursday so more blood work and if it continues to rise, I have to go for a high resolution ultrasound to check and get treatment for ectopic,
I’m very scared. I’ve seen a lot of horror stories on here about it rupturing, I’m just looking for support and if anyone thinks it could just be something else?
To add * I have extreme nausea and tiredness the whole first week of finding out, 48 hours after abortion pill, I had no nausea and my energy levels have been great, just sore boobs still and light bleeding

2 months now after treatment I have sodium defiency so Idk if it's post infectious IBS or if it's colitis still I don't have diarrhea but I learn it's possible to have colitis with normal stool, if it's colitis does it goes away on its own ? Or need another treatment ? Thank you

Good morning everyone. I had my first ectopic pregnancy this cycle. I’m still going through the injection treatment. I have my hcg levels test today & Thursday. Feeling pretty down that all of this has happened & I don’t know why. What are some test that you suggest I order from my obgyn ? I would like to try again this year but I really don’t want to go down this road again. Thank you so much I’m advance

Hi all! 🩷
I’m a 31F & have been ttc since Feb 2023. My insurance company (Tricare East) has approved and allowed everything I have needed so far with infertility testing and treatment. I essentially have the diagnosis of unexplained infertility (my husbands SA was great, my HSG showed my tubes are open and flowing, bloodwork was good minus my TSH being high and vitamin D being low - I take levothyroxine for hypothyroidism and a vitamin D supplement).
My provider at CNY Fertility prescribed me letrozole, progesterone suppositories and an HCG trigger shot in combination with timed sex. Once I get CD1, I just give them a call and they give me specific instructions on when to take the meds and when to get bloodwork and ultrasounds done.
My question is - how many ultrasounds and rounds of bloodwork do you do? I’m just a little confused on how things get billed/if tricare even covers the ultrasounds and bloodwork related to this type of infertility treatment. I know they do not cover IUI and IVF but I believe they cover most (if not all) of the cost of timed sex with help of meds and monitoring. I have a referral and all of that that needs to be done in order to be treated at CNY.
Thanks so much for any advice or help you can give me! 💓