Hello, im hoping someone can give me some direction with this. I have struggled with vaginal issues since last spring. There was a triggering event. I used clindamycin gel in my bikini line area for cystic ingrowns that wouldn’t go away. I believe this caused all my issues and wiped out all bacteria good and bad. I started to get yeast infections and to symptoms . I found out it was ureaplasma u from Reddit.
Luckily, once I found out it was ureaplasma and not just recurrent BV UTI and yeast, I treated that and it cleared up. I’m still having one main symptom which is external itching. It’s random and mostly mild now, but still there. I understand it will take a bit of time to recover from so Much antibiotics (7 rounds total) but I did and evvy test to see where things are now since I’ve had so much disruption to my system
My evvy results Lactobacillus inners 89.26% Gardnerella swidskinskii 3.38% Gardnerella vaginalis 3.24% Crispatus 2.28% Garnerella piotii 1.83%
I have mainly lactobacillus inners so I’m wondering if this is cv and what I should do to treat this, if I should even treat this? Again, my only lingering symptom is the itching. I also had a ph of 4 the last time I checked.
I appreciate anyone who’s read and if anyone can comment with some help. I feel terrible so many of us suffer and these types of things go so long without being diagnosed or properly treated. I truly feel for anyone suffering from this or other reproductive issues with little to no answers or support. Women’s health should really be more studied and taken more seriously!

My brother married an actual psychopath. My brother (40) married the scummiest scum of the earth. Who can only be described as a whore, a psycho, sociopath and an all around terrible human being. It was against the wishes of EVERYONE. For back story…She had a child by another man… and only had him (in november) to live off the government. he met the stray hoe took care of her and her unborn child. they started dating in september and by christmas she had drained his bank account. He moved in with her days after christmas. Proposed. And got married sometime between march and june i honestly can not be bothered to know exactly when. The night before brother was admitted to the er for staph infection in his berries. After the “wedding” that was in the back yard of some pastor . they had a “reception”. Where i photographed/observed the following. A used tampon on washing machine. Shit filled diapers littering the nursery. A surreal amount of clothing on the bed. I said nah im good. And went home. The wedding was in may and she got my brother to legally adopt her child. Im forever convinced if not for my brother she would casey anthony her child. She Munchausened her kid and my brother. Self diagnosing the kid with autism. Pushed or made my brother fall and get multiple concussions. Drugged him with date rape drugs to keep control of him. She was a frequent flier to the ER going to the emergency room for unnecessary reasons. She refused to parent her child insisting that its the worlds job to teach him the bare minimum. She refused to clean as well. Her cockroaches had cockroaches. Cleanliness was mental illness for her. She kicked my brother out asking for divorce. But realized she had to leave bc he paid the bills. She stayed with whoever the hell would take her. Was forced to walk wherever she needed to go. And uttered the words “well i had to walk in the rain so theres my bath for the week” after growing tired of not having his card and money she came crawling back. She avoided parenting like the plague. Every excuse. Uti. Migraine. Yeast infection. Its a tuesday. When her son was 2 she left to go to another state and go to school for being a truck driver. Had no qualms of leaving her kid behind for weeks. Then she dropped out of 18 wheeler school. It seems the wheels on her bus fell off. For someone who doesnt believe proper hygiene was important she didnt believe bathing him and basic care was important. Feet encrusted in dirt and dirt under overgrown nails. It was so noticeable that when i cut his nails his teacher made comment about it. Her family was just as absent as you would expect. Her mother only went to the first birthday party when the child was 6. And didnt even know her own grandchild. Asked another child at the party if he had the best birthday! My mom looked at her and said “yeaaa thats the wrong kid…” Fast forward when the first born was 6 and she birthed her second. This had no change and her parenting never improved. Another child encrusted in dirt. After the youngest turned a year and a half my brother had knee surgery and stayed with us (me mom dad) to recover because she would have made him cook clean and parent. While he was healing for the week he was there she moved in her boyfriend AND girlfriend. By the way she not only a hoe she is a promiscuous hoe with no moral compass. I promised my mom id never call CPS however when the second was 2 i had a friend call cps. Like a special ops team cops went in at 2 am and gathered the children and brought them to me and my parents. We had the 2 year old and a friend of the hoe had the 8 year old. For 2 weeks my brother agonized over his kids being taken. And she had a vacation. She treated it as if having your kids repo’ed as a right of passage. Told the world. Told the teacher. And had the time of her stupid life. In the 2 weeks i had them i had minions collecting screenshots of statuses of her being a bad mother. Which was super easy bc every thought made it to facebook. Such as. “My dentist suggested i brush my teeth at least once a day” “i guess i was doing (brother) with the wrong meds and made him sick” “why dont grandparents raise our children” i gathered these gems and photographic evidence of the state of the house and cleanliness of children to cps, police and eventually divorce lawyer. During their time together the hoe broke my brother mentally spiritually emotionally physically financially. The food stamps ran out in the first week of every month spent on junk soda and unnecessary nonsense. They had to ask my mother for money that accumulated to the tune of $10,000 over 10 years. She is also a gofundme whore. She would start a gofundme 10-12 times a year for any and everything. She decided at one point to go back to school and did an amazon wishlist for school supplies and a gofundme for “gas food and other expenses”. Being the trash human she is she is friends with people of unsavory character. An actual crack head bought her entire amazon wishlist. Which she put on facebook. Yikes. At one point she found a dog and instead of finding the owner she finders keepers that poor pup. Making yet another gofundme for dog expenses. I told my friends i would paaaay them to claim the dog as theirs so my mother didnt pay for yet another mouth to feed. If youre curious about the gofundmes and if they were ever fruitful… when a bull milks a calf will her gofundme work. The final year of their marriage was no less chaotic. The christmas of 2019 she posted on facebook that its so wonderful that her husband is out working and her boyfriend is sleeping next to her and her girlfriend is cooking. Tagging the aforementioned on facebook. My brother was humiliated because infront of church members family and friends his marriage and all the stupidity that came with it was out in the open for all to judge. My brother was at the time a corrections officers and let his kind nature and naivety get him in trouble. A person asked him to take some taco bell to an inmate and in what could only be called a moment of stupidity (sorry mom) he did so. what he didnt know is they put drugs in it and when it was scanned he was arrested. My mom and dad had to bail him out too him home and around 3 am he called me “they voted me out” beyond confused i asked what the hell does that mean? As it turned out. Hoe boyfriend and girlfriend unanimously voted him out of the house. Mind you. Single wide trailer housing 4 adults 2 kids a dog and cats. June of 2020 he moved back in a month later if the children followed. after the actual breadwinner left the house the unemployed baboons could not pay the rent and were kicked out. The three went down to two with the girlfriend being let go. Hoe and boyfriend moved in with her mother. And boyfriend wrecked the car in my brothers name. Dui and head on collision. Car gone! The children stayed with us. The youngest was 2 at the time and began calling my mom “mommy” which pissed off the hoe. And she never contacted them. At the hearing for the divorce she stated all she wanted out of the relationship was not money or visitation. But her maiden name back. TAKE IT. AND LEAVE US THE HELL ALONE. She also used a photo of her kids on a gofundme to get sympathy and posted that to a fetish website. Seeing as the photo was them shirtless i believe that was on purpose. She dumped boyfriend and found a new love in new hampshire. She was in NH for 8 months with her new boyfriend and he lost his job so they moved back down. After a summer of no contact she called and told the children “when i get home we are going to….” And listed about 10 events places and activities to look forward to. None of which she delivered on. After not spending time with them again and choosing to give up her weekend with them to play video games for 30 HOURS STRAIGHT. She eventually in 2024 decided that her and her boyfriend were moving to Massachusetts. Seeing how she is a practicing witch my only hope is the salem witch trials reconvene. She married the dude she abandoned her kids for. On mothers day the children who no longer give a damn she exists were forced to call and tell her happy mothers day. Where the 6 year old proceeded to tell her the older brother got a phone and didnt wanna give her his number. She assured him that as his mother its quite alright to give mommy dearest the number to which the youngest said yea no he doesnt want to. The mouths of babes. She cried and posted on facebook not only do her children hate her but she had to give up her cats too. And wished the “real mom’s of the world a happy mothers day” shes a shit cat mom too! A week after we had spaghetti for dinner and the 6 year old said “i never used to like spaghetti. I only tried it at… whats her names house? Jordan? Yea her house” With their father engaged to a good Godly woman with morals and standards the worst mother to ever mother has been replaced and so far we are all living happily ever after. The moral of the story is if you lay down with dogs you get up with fleas what if you lay down with whores end up with bedbugs and that was a very costly moral

DAY: MAY 20 2024
5-20-2024

Why nightmares and ‘daymares’ could be early warning signs of autoimmune disease

An increase in nightmares and hallucinations—or ‘daymares’—could herald the onset of autoimmune diseases such as lupus, say an international team led by researchers at the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. The researchers argue that there must be greater recognition that these types of mental health and neurological symptoms can act as an early warning sign that an individual is approaching a “flare,” where their disease worsens for a period.
5-20-2024 Yoga and meditation-induced altered states of consciousness are common in the general population, study says
Yoga, mindfulness, meditation, breathwork, and other practices are gaining in popularity due to their potential to improve health and well-being. The effects of these practices are mostly positive and occasionally transformational, yet they are known to sometimes be associated with challenging altered states of consciousness. New research by a team including investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital reveals that altered states of consciousness associated with meditation practice are far more common than expected. Although many people reported positive outcomes, that were sometimes even considered transformational, from these experiences, for a substantial
5-20-2024 Examining the benefits of out-of-network care for pediatric moyamoya
Total in-episode expenses and resource use before the index surgery (preop) and including/after the surgery (postop). The comparisons are separated for analysis into (A) single institution cohorts (1 and 2) and (B) multi?institution cohorts (3 and 4). Moyamoya disease is a rare condition that affects the blood vessels in the brain, especially in children. Narrowing and blockage of vessels significantly increases the risk of stroke and requires surgical revascularization for treatment. Although research shows that outcomes of revascularization are better
5-20-2024 Study explores links between social media use, mental health and sleep quality
The more time you spend on social media, the greater the likelihood of having unpleasant social-media related dreams that cause distress, sleep disruption and impact our peace of mind. Flinders University’s Reza Shabahang says that the vast and rapid adoption of social media has the potential to influence various aspects of life, including the realm of dreaming. “As social media becomes increasingly intertwined with our lives, its impact extends beyond waking hours, and may influence our dreams,”
5-20-2024 How are asthma and heart health linked?
Although the heart and lungs are neighbors in your chest, people may think of them as separate entities with unrelated problems. But a growing body of evidence suggests that asthma—one of the most common lung disorders—is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Asthma is a serious chronic disease in which airways are inflamed, often in response to specific triggers. It affects about 25 million people in the U.S., including nearly 5 million children, causing millions of annual visits to doctors’ offices and emergency rooms. “We call these major changes
5-20-2024 STUDY EXPLORES PATIENT TRUST IN PHYSICIANS
Trust in one’s physician drives positive health practices. In a scoping review, SUNY Poly Professor of Sociology Dr. Linda R. Weber discovered new developments in the measurement of trust, identified those measures of trust that have known reliability and validity, and compared those instruments’ conceptualizations, dimensions, and indicators. The paper is published in the journal PLOS ONE. Weber explains that 10 dimensions emerged from the study: fidelity, technical competence, communicative competence, interpersonal competence (i.e., caring), honesty, confidentiality, global, behavioral, fairness, and system trust/accountability. In addition, these findings provide the foundation
5-20-2024 TIMESAVING TIPS FOR COOKING HEALTHY MEALS
Living a busy, fast-paced life can make it hard to find the motivation to cook a healthy meal at home. However, learning some shortcuts in the kitchen can keep your healthy eating goals on track and help you avoid grazing on unhealthy snacks, grabbing the first thing you see in the fridge or going out for fast food. Why cook at home? Research shows that maintaining a healthy weight is challenging when you eat out too frequently. Restaurant portions often are super-sized
5-20-2024 UNDERSTANDING PERIMENOPAUSE VS. MENOPAUSE
Menopause marks a significant transition for women, yet understanding its precursor, perimenopause, and its symptoms can be complex. Dr. Stephanie Faubion, director of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health and medical director of The Menopause Society, says experiencing perimenopause and menopause can be confusing for some. She says it is not only patients who may find it confusing, but medical providers as well, due to lack of training in menopause management. “Menopause is defined by no menstrual cycle for a year,” says Dr. Faubion.
5-20-2024 LOW-DOSE IRON SUPPLEMENTATION HAS NO BENEFIT FOR BREASTFED INFANTS, SHOWS STUDY
The American Pediatric Association recommends iron supplements to all healthy infants who breastfeed longer than four months, while its European counterpart, Society of Gastroenterology, Hepataology and Nutrition, does not recommend it. These deviating guidelines stimulated researchers to design a new study. Breastfeeding is strongly recommended, and the proportion of children are breastfed during the first half of life is high. The researchers wanted to determine whether breastfeeding babies could benefit from extra iron.
5-20-2024 ALLERGY MEDICATIONS COME WITH HAZARDS: BE AWARE
People with seasonal allergies often turn to over-the-counter and prescription medicines to relieve symptoms like coughing, sneezing, runny nose, congestion and itchy eyes, nose or throat. But they often aren’t aware that these meds—including antihistamines—have as much risk for potential side effects, drug interactions and overdose as other drugs. “All medicines have side effects associated with them even when they are taken appropriately and according to dosing directions on the label,”
5-20-2024 I CAN’T AFFORD OLIVE OIL—WHAT ELSE CAN I USE?
If you buy your olive oil in bulk, you’ve likely been in for a shock in recent weeks. Major supermarkets have been selling olive oil for up to A$65 for a four-liter tin, and up to $26 for a 750 milliliter bottle. We’ve been hearing about the health benefits of olive oil for years. And many of us are adding it to salads, or baking and frying with it. But during a cost-of-living crisis, these high prices can put olive oil out of reach. Let’s take a look at why
5-20-2024 Researchers uncover biological trigger of early puberty
Heather Brenhouse, associate professor of psychology, says disrupting the caretaker relationship can really traumatize a child or a developing rodent. Credit: Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University New research conducted by the Brenhouse Lab reveals how early life adversity triggers early puberty and late-life anxiety, paving the way for potential interventions. The onset of puberty has been creeping downward for decades. In the United States, the average age of girls reaching puberty ranges from 8.8 to 10.3 years old. The early start of puberty, which is associated with many health risks, can be
5-20-2024 Bioluminescence and 3D-printed implants shed light on brain–spinal interactions
Brain-spinal cord duet’s neurodynamic symphony is now accessible to scientists via novel multi-organ implants. Credit: Dmitrijs Celinskis A sensory process such as pain is no ordinary phenomenon—it’s a symphony of neural and vascular interactions orchestrated by the brain and spinal cord. Attempting to dissect this symphony by focusing on a single region is like trying to understand a complex melody by listening to just one instrument. It’s incomplete, potentially misleading, and may result in erroneous conclusions. Enter the Carney Institute’s team of visionaries. Their mission? To develop tools that allow
5-20-2024 New thesis explores cancer treatment that can prevent relapse
. What is the main focus of your thesis? Relapse following initial treatment efficacy remains a major clinical challenge for many cancers. The focus of my thesis has been to explore the therapeutic impact of immune cells in patients with blood cancer (leukemia), by first investigating which cells
5-20-2024 New study reveals health and social benefits of car-free living
Participating in a three-week car-free challenge has enhanced the health and well-being of Oxford residents, according to research conducted by The University of Bath’s Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), in partnership with climate charity Possible and Low Carbon Oxford North (LCON), conducted this research project. After ditching their cars for three weeks, 10 out of the 12 drivers across Oxford who participated said they plan to continue with reduced car use beyond the project. The findings of this research project show that: Day-to-day transport emissions were slashed
5-20-2024 Research shows linked biological pathways driving skin inflammation
A certain biological pathway—a set of linked reactions in the body—drives the inflammation seen in the skin disease psoriasis, a new study finds. The work could lead to improved therapies for all inflammatory skin diseases, including atopic and allergic dermatitis and a type of boil called hidradenitis suppurativa, say the study authors. The findings are published in the journal Immunity. Inflammation is the body’s natural response to irritation and infection, but when out of control, it can lead to the reddish, flaky, itchy lesions that
5-20-2024 Prescription co-payments linked to more hospital admissions in New Zealand, study finds
A new study from researchers cautions that bringing back the $5 co-payment for prescription medicines could see a jump in hospital admissions. The study analyzed health data for 71,502 people and found those who didn’t pick up a prescription because they couldn’t afford the $5 fee had a 34% higher rate of being admitted to hospital.
5-20-2024 How a simulation is informing COVID-19 vaccine policy after our ‘return to normal’
As the saying goes “There is no such thing as normal” and this has been especially true after the pandemic. Before the emergence of the omicron COVID-19 variant, countries like the U.K. had high vaccination coverage along with widespread exposure to COVID-19 in the population. This combination of vaccine and infection-derived immunity is termed hybrid immunity and is different to vaccine immunity or infection immunity alone. In contrast, other countries, including Australia, New Zealand and those in the Western Pacific, had a very different pandemic experience.
5-20-2024 Researchers find intriguing connections between Alzheimer’s disease and other common conditions
A study has found that while some medical conditions appear to increase our likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease, others appear to decrease the odds. The study, led by Dr. Yijun (Nicholas) Pan and Dr. Liang Jin, analyzed data from 2,443 older Australians living in Melbourne or Perth who are part of the Australian Imaging, Biomarker and Lifestyle (AIBL) study, an internationally recognized cohort for dementia research. “We found anxiety and other neurological disorders are associated with increased likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Pan said.
5-20-2024 Prepping autistic or sound-sensitive kids for cicada noise
As Chicagoans await the emergence of the cicadas, parents of children on the autism spectrum and/or who have sensitivities to sound can take a few steps to prepare for what is expected to be a loud summer. “Some children on the spectrum can struggle with loud or unexpected noises, such as toilets that automatically flush, fireworks around the Fourth of July or the emergence of a large number of cicadas,”
5-20-2024 Study highlights importance of screening for rare inherited iron metabolism defects
Over 40% of cases curated based on stringent clinical and laboratory criteria from the Indian subcontinent have an inherited iron metabolism defect on comprehensive genomic evaluation, report investigators in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. Although iron deficiency anemia is the most prevalent form of anemia globally,
5-20-2024 Study finds tyrosine kinase Csk promotes germinal center B cell survival and affinity maturation
The authors found that Csk (a tyrosine kinase that attenuates B cell receptor signaling) is required for germinal center maintenance and efficient antibody maturation. The immune system strikes a fine balance by identifying and neutralizing disease-causing agents while carefully avoiding destruction of healthy tissues and cells. Now, researchers from Japan have shed new light on one of the processes that helps train immune cells to act only against genuine threats.
5-20-2024 Significant gaps between science of obesity and the care patients receive, say experts
As research continues to produce evidence about the underlying causes of obesity and optimal strategies to treat and manage obesity have evolved, there are disparities in application of the latest scientific advances in the clinical care that people with obesity receive. Widespread adoption of current findings, consistency of care and expertise in obesity care varies by health care professional and institution.
5-20-2024 Improving online depression treatment
Symptom course of depression for individuals who dropped out of treatment and those who completed treatment. In the dropout group, there is an initial decrease in symptoms while the patients were still in treatment, which tapers off as they drop out. For completers, there is close to a linear change over time. This suggests there is a relation between the more that an individual continues to participate in ICBT and their depressive symptom improvement.
5-20-2024 Women face worse chronic kidney disease management in primary care
Women receive worse primary care-based chronic kidney disease (CKD) management than men, according to a research letter adult patients with CKD receiving primary care at 15 practices using electronic health record data to examine sex disparities in guideline-based CKD management
5-20-2024 Bisoprolol does not reduce exacerbations in at-risk COPD patients
For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bisoprolol does not reduce the number of self-reported exacerbations treated with oral corticosteroids, antibiotics, or both, according to a study
5-20-2024 Anticancer potential of CLK kinase inhibitors 1C8 and GPS167 via EMT and antiviral immune response
The diheteroarylamide-based compound 1C8 and the aminothiazole carboxamide-related compound GPS167 inhibit the CLK kinases, and affect the proliferation of a broad range of cancer cell lines. A chemogenomic screen previously performed with GPS167 revealed that the depletion of components associated with mitotic spindle assembly altered
5-20-2024 Study sheds light on bacteria associated with pre-term birth
Researchers from North Carolina State University have found that multiple species of Gardnerella, bacteria sometimes associated with bacterial vaginosis (BV) and pre-term birth, can coexist in the same vaginal microbiome. The findings, published in mSystems, add to the emerging picture of Gardnerella’s effects on human health. Gardnerella is a group of anaerobic bacteria that are commonly found in the vaginal microbiome. Higher levels of the bacteria are a signature of BV and associated with higher risk of pre-term birth, but it is also found in women who have no sign
5-20-2024 New AI model uses federated learning for multi-organ segmentation based on medical image data
Researchers have successfully developed the technology that can accurately segment different body organs by effectively learning medical image data used for different purposes in different hospitals, which is expected to greatly contribute to the development of large-scale medical AI models in the future.
5-20-2024 Second Phase 3 clinical trial again shows dupilumab lessens disease in COPD patients with type 2 inflammation
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with type 2 inflammation may soon gain access to a new drug—dupilumab—that showed rapid and sustained improvements in patients in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial, researchers report in the New England Journal of Medicine. This monoclonal antibody is the first biologic shown to improve clinical outcomes in COPD. The data supporting the use of dupilumab in COPD will be reviewed by the United States Food and Drug Administration in June. The disease improvements—as measured by a significantly lower annualized rate of acute exacerbations
5-20-2024 New AI model uses federated learning for multi-organ segmentation based on medical image data
Researchers have successfully developed the technology that can accurately segment different body organs by effectively learning medical image data used for different purposes in different hospitals, which is expected to greatly contribute to the development of large-scale medical AI models in the future.
5-20-2024 Second Phase 3 clinical trial again shows dupilumab lessens disease in COPD patients with type 2 inflammation
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with type 2 inflammation may soon gain access to a new drug—dupilumab—that showed rapid and sustained improvements in patients in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial, researchers report in the New England Journal of Medicine. This monoclonal antibody is the first biologic shown to improve clinical outcomes in COPD. The data supporting the use of dupilumab in COPD will be reviewed by the United States Food and Drug Administration in June. The disease improvements—as measured by a significantly lower annualized rate of acute exacerbations

• 5-20-2024GALLBLADDER CANCER RISES AMONG BLACK AMERICANS AS CASES DECLINE IN OTHER GROUPS
• 5-20-2024US PEDIATRICIANS REVERSE DECADES-OLD ADVICE AGAINST HIV-POSITIVE MOTHERS BREASTFEEDING
• 5-20-2024UK REPORT FINDS COVER-UP OF DECADES-LONG INFECTED BLOOD SCANDAL
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• 5-20-2024NEW MECHANISMS UNDERLYING TUMOR VARIETY IN BRAIN CANCERS DISCOVERED
• 5-20-2024STUDY EXPLORES PATIENT TRUST IN PHYSICIANS
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• 5-20-2024MEDICAID ‘UNWINDING’ DECRIED AS BIASED AGAINST DISABLED PEOPLE
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• 5-20-2024LOW-DOSE IRON SUPPLEMENTATION HAS NO BENEFIT FOR BREASTFED INFANTS, SHOWS STUDY
• 5-20-2024IS IT BIRD FLU JUST AN ANIMAL THING, OR CAN PEOPLE CATCH IT?
• 5-20-2024SCIENTISTS USE NEW APPROACH TO DISABLE BRAIN CANCER CELLS’ ABILITY TO SURVIVE
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• 5-20-2024GENETICALLY ENGINEERED PIG HEARTS TRANSPLANTED IN TWO BRAIN-DEAD PATIENTS REVEAL MORE ABOUT IMMUNE RESPONSE
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• 5-20-2024HOW NEWBORN CHICKS ARE HELPING TO SETTLE A CENTURIES-OLD DEBATE ABOUT COGNITION AND OUR SENSES
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• 5-20-2024ANDEXANET YIELDS BETTER CONTROL OF HEMATOMA EXPANSION THAN USUAL CARE, FINDS STUDY
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My daughter has had a fishy/ unusual odor the past couple weeks. She saw pediatrician last week- they prescribed Fluconazole and Nystatin ointment, which we’ve been using for suspected yeast infection. They tested her urine and said no UTI. She has NO discharge, no fever, but has been very unlike herself and not sleeping well (although it could be teething causing this). No improvements after taking those meds, we use fragrance free everything and she’s been using the same type of diapers since newborn. Went back to pediatrician today and they took another urine sample to send out for culturing. The NP seems to think the smell is just a result of her pH balance being thrown off from going to the chlorinated pool at our gym. I’m not buying it… 8 days went by where my daughter didn’t go in a pool and there was absolutely NO improvement in odor. NP also thinks it’s not BV since there’s no discharge. Getting very frustrated and feeling like I should’ve demanded a blood test because this has been an ongoing issue for 3 weeks and the thought my child could be in serious discomfort and just suffering through it, makes me feel horrible. Any ideas as to what to do? Google says it could be a metabolic disorder, diabetes, etc…. Not jumping to conclusions, but just concerned that this isn’t being handled as swiftly as I’d like to get to the bottom of this. It is NOT normal to have this odor and I’m not believing it’s just pH unbalanced due to the potency of the odor. Side note⚠️ my daughter is only with me, her mother 100% of the time, so no possibility of SA.

My daughter has had a fishy/ unusual odor the past few weeks. She saw pediatrician last week- they prescribed Fluconazole and Nystatin ointment, which we’ve been using for suspected yeast infection. They tested her urine and said no UTI. She has NO discharge, no fever, but has been very unlike herself and not sleeping well (although it could be teething causing this). No improvements after taking those meds, we use fragrance free everything and she’s been using the same type of diapers since newborn. Went back to pediatrician today and they took another urine sample to send out for culturing. The NP seems to think the smell is just a result of her pH balance being thrown off from going to the chlorinated pool at our gym. I’m not buying it… 8 days went by where my daughter didn’t go in a pool and there was absolutely NO improvement in odor. NP also thinks it’s not BV since there’s no discharge. Getting very frustrated and feeling like I should’ve demanded a blood test of vaginal swab because this has been an ongoing issue for 3 weeks and the thought my child could be in serious discomfort and just suffering through it, makes me feel horrible. Any ideas as to what this could be? Google says it could be a metabolic disorder, diabetes, etc…. Not jumping to conclusions, but just concerned that this isn’t being handled as swiftly as I’d like to get to the bottom of this. It is NOT normal to have this odor and I’m not believing it’s just pH unbalanced due to the potency of the odor. Side note⚠️ my child is only with me, her mother 100% of the time, so no chance of SA

I was experiencing recurring yeast infections after sexual activity with my partner Feb-April. This happened all 3 times we were intimate. I treated all 3 of these with Canesten. This helped the first 2 times, but the third time the yeast infection was persistent. I stopped seeing him.
April 27 I got a UTI that added to the complications. Started drinking lots of water and this eventually cleared up.
I saw my doc May 7th - tested for STDs, BV, UTI, yeast. Everything came out negative. At this point I only had the white discharge and itching but all other symptoms cleared up.
I got my period. May 8-11. After sexual activity May 10, I had UTI symptoms again.

• frequency peeing/urge to pee
• cloudy urine
• lower abdominal pain/pelvic cramping
• fatigue
• back pain

Started drinking lots of water which mostly cleared everything up. Had basically non-existent back pain on May 17. Thought I was better so I had an alcoholic drink. immediately brought back the UTI symptoms.
It's now May 21. All my UTI symptoms have cleared except my lower back pain and I now have occasional pain under my ribs on the right side. I had this on the left side but it cleared up. And I have a dull achy pain in my right side back under my shoulder blade and below leading to my back. It's worse at night. I can't get an appt with my doctor until Friday and even then it's a phone appointment so I'm panicking because I read about kidney infections.
tldr; upper and lower back pain after UTI and I am panicking. Can't see my dr. until friday and even then it's a phone appt. Should I be worried

As for my frog (William) I still don't notice any drastic physical changes like weight loss. Still brownish/green, no sign of red leg or infections and he's somewhat active at night, taking baths but not as much as he used to do, and almost doesnt move during the day. He's still kinda fat, but he doesnt touch the food I give to him, mostly crickets and mealworms since here in Spain is very difficult to get any other variation.
When I try to feed him directly he gets annoyed and squeaks, or rejects entirely the food, so I let the crickets roam the enclosure in case he wants to hunt them later. Only to find them dead days later or drowned in the pool. I tried to give him a warm bath with honey yesterday in case he had eaten some of the substrate accidentally and could't let it out, but after letting him there he almost inmediately started shedding (as you can see in the first pic) and stretching his legs in a silly way... No poop either... He already shedded not so long ago so it looked very strange to me. Could it be that he didnt finish the last time and that caused him to be stressed and lacking appetite? The mating season? Or maybe he's just getting old (i don't think so since he's been only 3 years with me)?
I really dont know what to do and as for getting an appointment... there literally aren't any vets available here for amphibians or fish, and all of them are sending me to eachother so I entered a clinic loop now. My last resource is two hours and a half away driving (I have no car so I would have to take a bus and no idea how to do that with a frog) and it has horrible reviews as for treating the animals like merch, putting aside the health and talking about budgets first. I dont want my little guy to be treated like that specially after that kind of journey and i dont want him to die for being neglectful when i know something is wrong... Please help or any advice in how I can get him to eat again? Thanks

Hey I made a post a few months ago if you want a little more context check that one out too please.
Since the last post my girlfriend has improved however she’s had some lingering issues. These have been on and off for almost the past year now, this is taking its toll on her mental health and confidence and our intimacy. We are not sure what to do, doctors just keep prescribing antibiotics or yeast infection meds but nothing is changing.
She says whenever she pees she feels a burning/itching/inflamed feeling. This is only when she is urinating and for a short time after and nothing else. As well the feeling is only from the urethra not the vaginal canal. She has been experiencing pain and cramps sometimes as well. These symptoms worsen when she is on her period.
The past few weeks we have really noticed she has been having a lot of milky white discharge. So much to the point where her underwear has to be changed.
It had slowly been improving since December. However when we have sex it can lead to irritation for about a day after then it returns to what it’s been like. Over this past weekend we were being intimate in the shower and when I reached my hand down to finger her she had this sudden and sharp paint where we had to stop. This pain last till Sunday. We were really happy yesterday since the burning sensation when peeing was all gone.
I’ve been trying really hard to make a list of her symptoms and what might trigger them. Unfortunately she woke up today and after going to the bathroom she had the same irritation she’s been having when peeing but it took about hour to go down but it hasn’t gone away.
I have a theory that it might be ureaplasma? She seems to have a lot of the symptoms for it. I know they don’t test for it in the US. She did get a test from her gyno last November and it came back positive for something but we never got the name of it. Whatever it was wasn’t in the basic test they ran for her. I suspect I could have it as well but I have no symptoms which can happen. We started dating in 2022 and she had some issues with BV but nothing prolonged like this and the treatments dealt with whatever she had. These problems started around August 2023. So this would be the only evidence against it not being that.
Does anyone think I might be right or have any other suggestions? Thank you for your time

Okay I was told by my doctor almost 2 weeks ago I have hsv2 she said based on results it’s not a brand new infection. So back log: I was married until dec 2020, tested post divorce for everything under the Sun including Hsv, was negative. I was then confident to start dating a few months later I met this guy we dated and slept together pretty regular in 2021 on and off 2022 and non at all on 2023. He is my only partner post divorce. In 2022 I would get yeast infection so I went to doctor and tested for std and was negative. Well 2 weeks ago I went in for routine and requested to be tested again for every since the sexual relationship with the guy ended at that time my doctor said results came back positive for hsv2 . I tried to reach out to the guy and saw I was blocked so I used another phone he answered and before I could say anything he cursed me out and said to not call him anymore. I then texted from the other phone my results and he said he was clean and didn’t get this from him. My thing is in almost 3 years he has been the only one I slept with and post divorce I tested for everything. I am so hurt because his reaction made me feel like he knew and infected me on purpose. The reason I stopped sleeping with him in 2022 is because I found out he was very very promiscuous. What can I do to get over this I’m 42f and went my whole life without std now I feel like my life is over. I do not believe I have any ob but I have been getting strange break outs on my face for the past year,nothing I’ve noticed down there. Could I only have breakouts on the face if I’m hsv2?. It all bothers me so much because I know he sleeps around and probably spreading this disease to many women. What should I do?

Reallllly struggling with recurrent yeast infection after antibiotics and need to restore the good bacteria in my body. Diflucan isn’t doing enough.
Any recs for oral and suppository probiotics would be much appreciated!!!
Any thoughts on flora power suppository? Vitamin C sounds like an irritant and I’m super sensitive so I don’t want to risk it

I’ve had candida for two years (was overprescribed antibiotics after getting strep throat, then got a yeast infection afterwards which I took OTC suppositories for, a couple months later is when my symtoms started) and was just finally diagnosed this February after thorough testing by a naturopathic doctor. She had me start taking supplements and I’ve changed my diet but it’s been such a struggle that I feel like I’m doing something wrong and making it worse for myself.
The supplements my doctor has me on are grapefruit seed extract, ADP oregano oil, mastica gum, iodine, vitamin C, vitamin D and a B12 spray. First she told me to take the grapefruit extract, oregano oil and mastica with each meal 3 times per day which initially caused severe die-off and made me feel so awful I was bedridden for two months except for when I had to go to work. When I explained this to her she told me to reduce to one time per day and use a castor oil pack, sauna, and epsom salt baths to support my liver and sweat things out. I mostly used castor oil since my bathtub is uncomfortable and I don’t have access to a sauna.
I’ve only been doing the 3 supplements one time per day for a month and a half now and I have had good and bad days. I’m also just unsure of what to eat anymore at this point. I haven’t had dairy, gluten or sugar in months. I’m scared to eat othet grains like quinoa/teff/millet that are considered “safe” because I don’t know how my body will react or if it will feed the candida at all. Most of what I eat consists of organic chicken, free range organic eggs, salmon (when I can find it), sometimes I would have grass-fed ground beef but haven’t had any for a while out of fear that it may cause issues for me, veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale, collared greens, avocado, cucumber, zucchini, brussel sprouts and asparagus. Sometimes I will roast my own pumpkin seeds or almonds with olive oil and salt but I developed a bad habit of snacking on them too much so I try to avoid them now.
I have a fast metabolism but I’ve gotten so thin and I haven’t had my period for two months. It’s freaking me out and I am terrified. I’m going in for follow-up tests tomorrow and then a follow-up appt in a couple weeks so my doctor can see where I’m at. I just wish I had a proper guide for all of this… I don’t want to give up but I feel so defeated every day. Stress has not been helping either and I’m extremely aware of that, but it’s such a struggle to manage it when this has consumed my life.
If anyone has any thoughts or advice I would greatly appreciate it. Maybe I need something for liver support? Or something else to break the biofilms and move things out of my body more smoothly? Please let me know. I want to heal like everyone else.

I’ve taken multiple antibiotics and Fluconazole/Diflucan but my symptoms would come back in just a matter of a few days. When I first sought out treatment, I was unaware of how important it is to take probiotics and didn't know that we need Lactobacillus bacteria in the vagina. However, once I learned the importance of probiotics, I started out with the Nature's Bounty probiotic tablets that have 100 million CFU. They helped my gut health a bit but weren’t enough to combat the infections, also they only have one strain and for vaginal health we need multiple strains to obtain optimal health.
-Probiotics I recommend are: Renew Life Womens Probiotics, Double Wood Vaginal Probiotics (oral supplement and contains L. Crispatus).
Next helpful thing was the Candida diet which tells you to refrain from all forms of sugar including fruits and carbohydrates. Carbs were something I didn’t expect to be a contributor with an active yeast infection but they convert into sugar during digestion. Candida feeds on sugar. I cut out white bread completely and minimized consuming flour-based foods and started to consume antifungal foods like garlic, onion, cinnamon, and coconut oil to name a few on a daily basis.
Lastly, I looked into treatments to combat the infections directly. Intravaginal prescribed medications were effective when I used them, but the infections came back a few days after use. Then I learned that I shouldn’t use medications that much because I can develop an antibiotic resistance which isn’t good. I then looked into alternative treatments and saw that many women found boric acid to be very effective. I have found boric acid to be effective and gives me a “fully cleaned out” feeling due to its antiseptic capabilities.
-Boric Acid suppositories I recommend: NewLife Naturals 60 Capsules, Double Wood Boric Acid 60 Capsules, My Frenemy Flora 40 Capsules (Also contains PROBIOTICS).
Lastly, I used a supplement called Monolaurin which is a coconut derived antimicrobial and helps reduce pathogens in the body. It also combats Candida due to its antifungal properties.
For anyone dealing with a stubborn infection or recurring infections please note that you should work on a treatment plan to follow for at least 3 months. You don’t have to do so, but you want to make sure that you have successfully treated the issue and helped your body get back on track. I hope some of the things I mentioned help you guys the way they’ve helped me.

Hello, I am 21F and I have had weird symptoms for a little over a week. I have had frequent urination on and off, this feeling like there’s always pressure on my bladder. I used to have this sometimes for the past maybe 5 years after i have a big meal and i feel pressure on my bladder, but it was rare and certainly not enough to cause concern. But for the past week, when I completely empty my bladder, there is this weird pulsing pain/discomfort. It’s not crazy painful just seriously uncomfortable, and it feels like there is never a way to fully empty my bladder. I got a dipstick test the day after my symptoms started, but the day I got the test the symptoms weren’t present, the test was all clear. My gyno prescribed phenazopyridine and I took it, it helped completely. 2 days after I took the last pill, the symptoms came back, I called the gyno and went in for another checkup. This time they said my dipstick had nitrites in it, and they prescribed me UTI antibiotics, but put my urine in for a culture. I believe the nitrites could be a result of the AZO? My last period was slightly early, only by less than a week, and I had slight cramps on one side of my ovaries for one day during the symptoms. It seems to get worse when I stress, and about one day after I stopped AZO I had drank and also had sex with my boyfriend. I started dating him about a month ago and I had gone about 6 months without sex before then. We both were clean when we met. We also used lube for the first time in my life about 3 weeks ago and it was silicon based lube, which I know may trap bacteria. I had a slight yeast infection after this and I haven’t used it since, it seemed like the infection went away but could this be a result of bacteria moving up to my bladder? I am still waiting for the culture but I have the feeling there will be no bacteria present. I am so worried that this is a chronic bladder disorder, please your thoughts! UPDATE: I checked my QuestDiagnostics and apparently the first swab says “shift in vaginal flora indicative of bacterial vaginosis” but the doctor didn’t mention this???

So I have posted in here before about a certain situation involving my wife and a close friend.
For back story about 2 months ago I was diagnosed with stage 4 testicular cancer. Had to have surgery to remove the infected testicle. Recovery is going well, least I think it is.
Anyway, wife and this “friend” seemed to be flirting shortly after my diagnosis. Planning meet ups and such, most of which are at our house. I have tried being subtle to let his wife know to check his phone and such, but she isn’t reading into what I’m saying.
I apparently pissed them both off by not being out of the house just a few days after surgery. They were planning to as the messages put it, finally see what chemistry they have. And I apparently spoiled their moment.
Now neither of them knows that I know about this. This is tearing me apart. Because on the one hand I know she likes him, on the other she’s my fucking wife and mother to 2 of my children.
Should I just let them sleep together and hope it gets it out of their system, or confront them?

I spend a lot of time researching how our nervous system works and what may contribute to the development of Visual Snow and other symptoms. Remember that there is a lot of vital information that I do not know, and may greatly benefit our understanding of this condition. Visual snow is described as an "epileptic" firing in the visual system in the brain. (Tinnitus behaves very similarly but it is occurring in the auditory nerves) NMDA glutamate receptors, which are overexpressed after excitotoxic injury may well be the trigger of an increased spontaneous firing in the nerves. In turn, the brain would decode this increased firing as "visual snow" The idea is that remaining nerve endings have been damaged enough to overexpress NMDA Glutamate receptors, thus increasing their spontaneous firing.There are various factors that contribute to the development of this condition. Everybody first had an initial trigger, and this varies from person to person. Common causes include stress, trauma, recreational and prescription drugs, Lyme, mold, heavy metals, and other toxic exposures. But what they all result in is brain injury and neuronal damage. The severity varies from person to person. The consequences of such injury doesn't just cause break in communication between healthy neurons, but a cascade of events that can lead to further neuronal degeneration and cell death. That is where visual snow comes in. Think of a broken radio or a TV where it isn't able to receive and process incoming signals so the outcome is a lot of visual/auditory noise. Our brains behave in a similar manner when there is an interference with proper neuron function and communication.Another good example is a type of neuropathic pain called paresthesia where you experience tingling and pricking sensations in various parts of your body. When nerves are damaged, they can't communicate properly and that miscommunication causes symptoms such as pain, tingling or numbness.Medical researchers searching for new medications for visual snow often look to the connection between the nerve cells in the brain and the various agents that act as neurotransmitters, such as the central nervous system's primary excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Visual snow can be caused when damaged brain cells emit an excess of glutamate. Many treatments use ingredients that work as glutamate antagonists, or inhibitors. Communication between nerve cells in the brain is accomplished through the use of neurotransmitters. There are many compounds that act as neurotransmitters including acetylcholine, serotonin, GABA, glutamate, aspartate, epinephrine, norpinephrine and dopamine. These chemicals attach to nerve cells at specific receptors that allow for only one type of neurotransmitter to attach.Some of the neurotransmitters are excitatory; leading to increased electrical transmission between nerve cells. Others are inhibitory and reduce electrical activity. The most common excitatory neurotransmitters are glutamate and aspartate while the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter is GABA. It is necessary for excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters to be in balance for proper brain function to occur.Communication over synapses between neurons are controlled by glutamate. When brain cells are damaged, excessive glutamate is released. Glutamate is well known to have neurotoxic properties when excessively released or incompletely recycled. This is known as excitotoxicity and leads to neuronal death.Excess glutamate opens the sodium channel in the neuron and causes it to fire. Sodium continues to flow into the neuron causing it to continue firing. This continuous firing of the neuron results in a rapid buildup of free radicals and inflammatory compounds. These compounds attack the mitochondria, the energy producing elements in the core of the neuron cell. The mitochondria become depleted and the neuron withers and dies.Excitotoxicity has been involved in a number of acute and/or degenerative forms of neuropathology such as epilepsy, autism, ALS, Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, migraines, restless leg syndrome, tourettes, pandas, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, Huntington's, seizures, insomnia, hyperactivity, OCD, bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders.(Doctors use two basic ways to correct this imbalance. The first is to activate GABA receptors that will inhibit the continuous firing caused by glutamate. The second way to correct the imbalance is use antogonists to glutamate and its receptor N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA). These are termed glutamate or NMDA antagonists. By binding with these receptors, the antagonist medication reduces glutamate-induced continuous firing of the neuron. This explains why some drugs like clonazepam and lamictal are able to help relieve symptoms in some patients. They help reduce excitatory action in the brain temporarily)Anxiety, depression, brain fog, depersonalization, visual disturbances (including visual snow, palinopsia, blue field entoptic phenomenon, photophobia, photopsia) headaches, tinnitus, are all common symptoms associated with increased excitatory activity in the brain. Excessive glutamate is the primary villain in visual snow.I strongly believe there are some genetic components that play a huge role in the development of Visual Snow and makes some individuals more susceptible to developing it. Normally, glutamate concentration is tightly controlled in the brain by various mechanisms at the synapse. There are at least 30 proteins that are membrane-bound receptor or transporter proteins at, or near, the glutamate synapse that control or modulate neuronal excitability. But in Visual Snow sufferers, my hypothesis is that we carry a faulty gene that results in dysregulation of the proteins that control and regulate glutamate excitability. They are unknown as more research will be needed.We live in a society where we are stressed emotionally, financially, physically and exposed to a range of toxins in our environment. Combining underlying genetic susceptibility with these other factors creates all the ingredients for a perfect storm.Stress + Infectious Agents (if any) + Toxins + Genetic Susceptibility = Health ConditionIncluded below is a list of things that can lead to excitotoxicity. The list includes trauma, drugs, environmental, chemicals and miscellaneous causes of brain cell damage. (Keep in mind everybody's bodies behave and react differently to various substances)-Severe Stress (Most people that are stressed out don’t realize that once the fight-or-flight response gets activated it can release things like cortisol and epinephrine into the body. Although these boost alertness, in major concentrations, the elevated levels of cortisol over an extended period of time can damage brain functioning and kill brain cells)-Free Radicals – Free radicals are highly-reactive forms of oxygen that can kill brain cells and cause brain damage. If the free radicals in your brain run rampant, your neurons will be damaged at a quicker rate than they can be repaired. This leads to brain cell death as well as cognitive decline if not corrected. (Common causes are unhealthy diet, lifestyle and toxic exposure)-Head Trauma (like concussion or contusion) MRI can detect damaged brain tissue BUT not damaged neurons. -Dehydration (severe)-Cerebal Hypoxia-Lyme disease-Narcolepsy-Sleep Apnea-Stroke-Drugs (recreational or prescription) -Amphetamine abuse-Methamphetamines-Antipsychotics-Benzodiazepine abuse-Cocaine-Esctasy -LSD-Cannabis-Tobacco-Inhalants-Nitrous Oxide-PCP-Steroids-Air Pollution-Carbon Monoxide-Heavy Metal Exposure (such as lead, copper and mercury)-Mold Exposure-Welding fumes-Formaldehyde-Solvents-Pesticides-Anesthesia-Aspartame-MSG (Monosodium Glutamate is found in most processed foods and is hidden under many various names)-Solvents-Chemotherapy-Radiation-Other toxic exposuresInside the Glutamate StormBy: Vivian Teichberg, and Luba Vikhanski"The amino acid glutamate is the major signaling chemical in nature. All invertebrates (worms, insects, and the like) use glutamate for conveying messages from nerve to muscle. In mammals, glutamate is mainly present in the central nervous system, brain, and spinal cord, where it plays the role of a neuronal messenger, or neurotransmitter. In fact, almost all brain cells use glutamate to exchange messages. Moreover, glutamate can serve as a source of energy for the brain cells when their regular energy supplier, glucose, is lacking. However, when its levels rise too high in the spaces between cells—known as extracellular spaces—glutamate turns its coat to become a toxin that kills neurons.As befits a potentially hazardous substance, glutamate is kept safely sealed within the brain cells. A healthy neuron releases glutamate only when it needs to convey a message, then immediately sucks the messenger back inside. Glutamate concentration inside the cells is 10,000 times greater than outside them. If we follow the dam analogy, that would be equivalent to holding 10,000 cubic feet of glutamate behind the dam and letting only a trickle of one cubic foot flow freely outside. A clever pumping mechanism makes sure this trickle never gets out of hand: When a neuron senses the presence of too much glutamate in the vicinity—the extracellular space—it switches on special pumps on its membrane and siphons the maverick glutamate back in.This protective pumping process works beautifully as long as glutamate levels stay within the normal range. But the levels can rise sharply if a damaged cell spills out its glutamate. In such a case, the pumps on the cellular membranes can no longer cope with the situation, and glutamate reveals its destructive powers. It doesn’t kill the neuron directly. Rather, it overly excites the cell, causing it to open its pores excessively and let in large quantities of substances that are normally allowed to enter only in limited amounts.One of these substances is sodium, which leads to cell swelling because its entry is accompanied by an inrush of water, needed to dilute the surplus sodium. The swelling squeezes the neighboring blood vessels, preventing normal blood flow and interrupting the supply of oxygen and glucose, which ultimately leads to cell death. Cell swelling, however, is reversible; the cells will shrink back once glutamate is removed from brain fluids. More dangerous than sodium is calcium, which is harmless under normal conditions but not when it rushes inside through excessively opened pores. An overload of calcium destroys the neuron’s vital structures and eventually kills it.Regardless of what killed it, the dead cell spills out its glutamate, all the vast quantities of it that were supposed to be held back by the dam. The spill overly excites more cells, and these die in turn, spilling yet more glutamate. The destructive process repeats itself over and over, engulfing brain areas until the protective pumping mechanism finally manages to stop the spread of glutamate."Recent research has confirmed that hypermetabolism has been primarily found in the right lingual gyrus and left cerebellar anterior lobe of the brain in individuals suffering from visual snow. The definition of hypermetabolism is described as "the physiological state of increased rate of metabolic activity and is characterized by an abnormal increase in metabolic rate." Hypermetabolism typically occurs after significant injury to the body. It serves as one of the body's strongest defence against illness and injury. This means that the brain is trying to compensate for the injured areas in the brain by increasing metabolism to meet it's high energy demands. It is trying to function to the best of it's ability under the circumstances. Normally the body can heal itself and regenerate under the right circumstances. But it is extremely difficult for the central nervous system - which includes the spinal cord and brain to be able to do so, due to it's inhibitory environment which prevents new neurons from forming. That is where stem cells come in. Stem cells are an exciting new discovery, because they can become literally any cell in the body including neurons. This is an amazing scientific breakthrough and has the potential to treat a whole host of conditions. Scientists are currently doing research and conducting trials.Excitotoxicity can trigger your "fight or flight" response, as this is the body's primary response to illness, injury or infection. If the brain and the body remain in the sympathetic fight or flight state for too long and too often, it is degenerative; it breaks us down. If this cycle continues, then eventually the system burns out. It is this cycle that results in autonomic nervous system dysfunction. The results are disastrous, digestion is shut down, metabolism, immune function and the detoxification system is impaired, blood pressure and heart rate are increased, circulation is impaired, sleep is disrupted, memory and cognitive function may be impaired, neurotransmitters are drained, our sense of smell, taste and sound are amplified, high levels of norepinephrine are released in the brain and the adrenal glands release a variety of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.I believe in order to find a treatment or cure for VS and it's accompanying symptoms, we need to address the underlying cause, reduce the excess excitatory activity in the brain, repair the damaged neurons, regain proper communication between neurons, rebalance the autonomic nervous system and prevent further cellular damage. We also need to figure out what genes, if any come into play. There is still a lot we don't know about the brain because it is such an remarkably complex organ.FAQsWon't lowering the levels of glutamate solve the problem? Well, not necessarily. That is just one piece of the puzzle. You have to remember that Visual Snow is a multifactorial and complex condition in which it stems from a number of different causes and influences. Based on my knowledge and the information I have gathered, I can conclude that the overstimulation of glutamate plays a huge role in VS and some other symptoms we experience. But there is still so much we don't know. That's why more research will be needed.Why is my condition worsening over time?That is a very good question. It is because the physiology, biology and chemistry of your brain and nervous system has been altered and has become dysfunctional since the initial trigger set off a domino of effects that leads to further degradation in the body. This puts a huge strain on your body and is constantly activating your stress response system. This will wreak havoc on your entire body. The stress response system was designed to deal with brief emergencies that threaten survival. It isn't supposed to last very long because the body cannot sustain itself for very long in this state. When you remain in "fight or flight" sympathetic state for too long, it becomes degenerative and breaks our bodies down. This affects every system in the body. When you are constantly under stress, the stress response system never turns off resulting in an ongoing destructive cycle. Stress can also exacerbate all your symptoms and makes you susceptible to developing other chronic health conditions. How is the gut related to VS?Having increased intestinal permeability is very common in this modern world because we are constantly being bombarded by toxins and stress. Our bodies weren't designed to handle such a huge burden. So we end up getting sick and become susceptible to kinds of diseases. Common causes include:-Poor diet (from excessive consumption of foods such as grains, legumes, sugars, alcohol)-Chronic stress-Toxin overload-Gut dysbiosis (It means you have a lack of beneficial bacteria in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. They are overpowered and outnumbered by pathogens such as pathogenic bacteria, yeast, viruses, parasites)-Overuse of antibiotics When you have increased intestinal permeability, the epithelium on the villi of the small intestine becomes inflamed and irritated, which allows metabolic, microbial and environmental toxins and undigested food particles to flood into the blood stream. This event compromises the liver, the lymphatic system, and the immune response including the endocrine system. It is often the primary cause of the following common conditions: asthma, food allergies, chronic sinusitis, eczema, urticaria, migraine, irritable bowel, fungal disorders, fibromyalgia, and inflammatory joint disorders including rheumatoid arthritis are just a few of the diseases that can originate from having poor gut health.This sets the stage for chronic systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired detoxification, gastrointestinal dysfunction and immune system dysregulation.Some toxins have the ability to damage and destroy neurons, myelin sheaths, synapses and even DNA. An overload of toxins that the immune system is not able to get rid of disrupts normal brain function. This eventually initiates an autoimmune response where the immune system attacks the brain and nerve cells as it tries it’s best to eliminate the toxins.The mitochondria are the energy producing section of your cells. When they are damaged by the toxic overload in the brain cells and are not able to produce energy to fuel the cell, the cell dies.In order to stop this vicious cycle, the underlying biological mechanisms of VS needs to be understood. That is the first step that needs to be taken. Any other stressors also needs to be addressed in order to reduce the overall stress load.It is important to know that VS is just a symptom of underlying physiological stress in the brain. Symptoms are your body's way of communicating with you, letting you know something is wrong in the body.I've come across some research indicating that microglial activation and elevated nitric oxide is involved in some neurological conditions. Basically the microglial cells are our brain's immune cells and when something triggers an inflammatory response, they activate and release harmful neurotoxic compounds (such as nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines) which results in neuronal injury/death. Microglial activation can also result in a loss of synaptic connections in different regions of the brain. It's basically an autoimmune response in the brain. The neuroinflammatory process appears to be an ongoing and chronic cycle of central nervous system dysfunction. This can deplete glutathione levels in the body. Glutathione is the body’s most important antioxidant which is capable of preventing oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species such as free radicals, peroxides, lipid peroxides, and heavy metals. This only further exaggerates the problem, which only leads to a cascade of increased inflammation.Nitric oxide plays a vital role in this process. Elevated nitric oxide levels reduces and impair natural killer cells which leads to a vulnerable immune system that is susceptible to a variety of systemic infections. -Phobe Zhang

Hi guys! I’m a 28F and got the Nexplanon in Oct 2023. Prior to that I was on birth control patches (which worked great but gave me rashes over time) and due to heavy bleeding and cramps I was introduced Nexplanon.
Mood swings are a minor issue for me, it’s just the reoccurring yeast and bacterial infections along with UTIs that started around this year February. I’ll get diagnosed with BV and UTI, take meds, and yeast infection follows up. This has been a cycle and I’m tired of constantly taking medications over and over again. And yes, after getting repeated infections, sex became painful and this weird, swollen feeling in my vaginal area won’t go away.
My libido dropped right after the Nexplanon insert. My bf 28M came out clean for his tests while my doctors are suspecting him for cheating. We know for a fact we both aren’t not cheating and we would get different feelings everytime I get the diagnosis.
I did my research and noticed a lot of people suffer with this, should I get the Nexplanon removed if this is being the cause of everything? If so, has anyone got the Nexplanon removed and saw improvement of these symptoms?
I never got BV or yeast infections in my life so I’m quite confused about my body now..
Thank you in advance!

Hi, I have been reading a lot of old posts about similar reactions to bug bites but I'm back at the hospital now waiting for a third time.. maybe you guys have some input.
So 11 days ago I got bit/stung by something, I just noticed a bump when I came home and thought nothing of it. The next day it started to itch like crazy and the affected area grew, like 10cm wide, red.. and a red streak appeared. I thought I scratched too hard and left it alone. I know now it could be worse than that.
Two days later I came down with a cold, or so I thought. I had a fever for 2 days and was feeling pretty bad but thought it was a common cold, just bad timing. I finally went to the health center and the lazy doctor said it looked like an allergic reaction.. Fine, I took some antihistamine but I didn't trust him so I went to the emergency room the next day and they did a couple of blood tests (I'm still waiting for the results). This doctor suspected an infection, perhaps from a tic.
I got started on antibiotics and I'm on day 4/5 now and the redness is slowly fading. I still have a stuffy nose. But I guess it's working.
Today when I woke up I felt a little weird in my other arm, like burning and a little stiff when I bend it. The area has grown and now it's going from the elbow towards my hand. I can't see any redness, only a burning sensation and I'm worried it's from the infection, or if they damaged a nerve when they drew my blood. But can that show up 5 days later?
Anyway.. Posting a pic for you to see how bad it was last week.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hello! For maybe about 3 weeks now I’ve been experiencing a really itchy labia…
I don’t think it’s thrush, possible BV or a yeast infection? But I’m not entirely sure. I’ve had thrust and a yeast infection once or twice before and my symptoms are different this time. My labia skin had been very itchy, quite red, slightly swollen when the itchiness feeling starts. I don’t have any pain in the region at all. I’ve ensured to wear clean, breathable underwear and loose fitted clothing, making sure I wash myself properly, I haves used any new soaps or scented lotion. So I don’t believe it’s irritation from a product. Also can’t be an STI as I have a longterm LOYAL partner, I know that possibility is ruled out. Hahaha
My discharge has been a milky white, with a slight yellow tinge (but this is normal after I get my period) I’ve also noticed a change in smell… it’s not a a bad or pungent smell, but it is a strong, noticeable smell... only to me.
I’ve gone to my pharmacy and got an antifungal clotrimazole cream and have been applying for 2 days so far. I will see how this goes and if this doesn’t work I’ll go see my GP.
Has anyone else had this issue or have any advice for me?

It's a lot. And it's nearly 2 years worth. I think given what's happened tonight, I want to get it off my chest. This is a throwaway for obvious reasons....
Partner was in some weird niche group on fb. The admin is a very good friend of his. He made friends with some of the people in the group and chats moved to DMs etc. The admin passed on the number of a woman in the group and they chatted (it later transpired the behaviour youre about to read about happened with multiple men in cluding admin friend). The woman is in a whole different country very far away. They exchanged gifts, talked/video called every day and pretty soon, he was relying on her heavily for emotional support. This happened behind my back. He pulled the old "you would never let me have female friends" chestnut.
Jan 2023, I got covid and a close family relatives health went downhill. My covid resulted in secondary chest infections, chest xrays, multiple tests for all sorts of things and a lot of time off work not being fit for much at all. It was a long recovery and it was all I could do to work and then collapse in a heap at the end of the day. My partner felt like he had the brunt of everything to do around the house (I was still doing a lot but appreciated him sorting food in the evening and never complained). I didnt realise it but he also felt incredibly lonely- he works a solitary job by choice and his work hours meant he was coming home as I was going to bed and I could hardly keep myself awake with the post viral fatigue to spend time with him. I did try, napping when I got back from work to try and be able to stay up later, but it probably wasn't enough and I dropped the ball I guess.
My sick relatives health declined further and they ended up in palliative care before passing in April. I was devastated and he supported me through it but things felt off, I could never quite put my finger on it but definitely off. I mean the fact he called me the other woman's name in bed twice should have been a big red flag but he played it down- jokimg that it was one of his many many girlfriends and he can't help what he does when he's asleep.
What happened shortly after the funeral (2 weeks maybe) was that I came home from an errand and found partner on a video call with this woman. It was awkward AF. He asked me what I was doing home, tried introducing us, she didn't speak and then later complained I was very rude. She's a year younger than my mum and he tried to make out she's a mother figure and a good friend.
The following few days were strange, I was feeling jangled but still trying to get on with everything. We are in June now. He started bringing his work phone in with him and low and behold a message pings up from her- love hearts and all this bull. So it all comes out. They fucking love each other, she persued him and made it sexual. He loves it. I have yet another health issue resulting in small outpaitent surgury, its ok but im dealing with everything and it's a lot. Listening to him talk about her and how angry he feels towards me.
We hash it out. Nothing physical has ever happened obviously, gotta be in at least the same country for that blah blah blah. A lot of hurtful things were said (by him) but ultimately we decided to move on together and part of it was that they had to be NC. In the interests of open clarity and fairness, I emailed info to her husband. I'd have wanted to know. I apparently put her in danger from this which resulted in more anger.
I sought therapy and my health improved and I thought everything was going ok. Booked a holiday together for spring 2024 and, even though I had some blips in response to triggering behaviour, I thought we were doing ok. By Christmas I felt safe about opening up and felt more comfortable like we were back to our old selves. We had a festive blip- he tells me there's no longevity becuase I lost it over shit hidden in a cupboard that she'd gifted him. I need to get over it. He apologises for overreacting. We move on.
Jan 2024, I'm ill again. And it's wiped me out. I'm a mess. March 2024 roles around. Im still not right, struggling with my health and managing everything. Lo and behold, there's an email from her husband in my inbox with a LOAD of incriminating sexual screenshots and videos in a chat between my partner and his wife. Transpires NC never happened, or a least did only for a couple of weeks. He missed her too much. It's been going on again. Behind my back. Interestingly, I could not see him in any of what i was emailed, only her and he is very clear she is a friend and he never did anything inappropriate and had asked her to stop. Most of the time it wasn't like that but when she wanted to be naughty she would. I still stand by the fact friends wouldn't behave like that with boundaries and risking relationships, and if he really didn't want it he'd have put a stop to it.
It has been AWFUL. I insist on NC. He's very worried about whats going to happen to her, husband is allegedly not too nice. Partner is also suggesting that he'd just go behind my back because she's his safe space and he loves her, not in a romantic way mind.... Husband messages me to say they are getting a divorce (there have been several men, from our country- my partner was not as special as he thought). I worry having had it made clear that husband isn't so nice, I figure the news is better off coming from me. I tell him and he asks to be in contact with her.
Now here is where I might have gone wrong. I say to the pair of them to behave like long distance friends, set parameters- no pics, videos, love yous love hearts, whatever. She accepted full responsibility for everything and apologised. He says contact will dwindle over time and it will be ok. He wouldn't hurt me again. I felt like this was the right thing to do and that I could manage it. If they were genuinely just friends and it was her being broken and sad making it weirdly sexual maybe it would be ok, especially as I felt I'd said my piece and gotten some understanding.
I lasted 3 weeks. The contact level was insane. She was the 3rd wheel on our holiday. Honestly, it fucking killed me. I have never been so sad. And I was aware that pretty quickly my conditions of contact had been ignored. I broke down about 3 weeks later and said I couldn't do it anymore. Even with him saying that with the divorce the contact would decrease becuase she'd meet someone else etc. He said he'd cut contact and all he needed to know was that she'd be ok. He gets it done and I am surprised given everything I didnt think it would be an option. He said he knew it was hurting me but didn't do anything about it.
We've been going ok, probably about 3 weeks of realtive peace. Until today. I take a work call and he scuttles into another room and I can fucking hear them in a video call together. Apparently its only very recent- I mean its only been 3 weeks🤦🏻‍♀️. Apparently he's very lonely and doesn't want a miserable life of being monitored all the time. The trust is broken and its me thats dragging it out. Seems me saying I couldn't cope with them being in constant contact makes this my fault becuase he just misses her all the time.
So yeah. Hes downstairs on the sofa, messaging her. And I'm upstairs venting to you guys becuase WTF.
I'd do a TLDR but honestly, how?! It's cross posted though!!