General Medical issues thread

[Pushka]

Asking for a friend (yes really) - does it seem at all likely to be covid if there is the faintest of sore throats, a hardly-at-all dripping nose and the main symptom is spasms in the gut? Triple vaxxed person.

Night 1 - 2 episodes of spontaneous dry retching without vomiting (no alcohol had been consumed), night 2 - woken twice by pain from spasm in the bowel (pain only, no diarrhoea). Dr Google doesn't rule out digestive covid symptoms but doesn't seem to think they are very common?

Well you know what they should do, don't you.

 

[Anna]

Well you know what they should do, don't you.

Yes but you know what men are like

 

[rogerkambah]

This for the mets in the lung? Or sprung up elsewhere?

Not the lung - haven't had any mets there since the last one was zapped in May 2020.
If the onco and the surgeon agree, this will be to excise a tumour, recently measured at 55x28mm which has grown near my right adrenal gland.
It is creating similar symptoms to those that I suffered prior to the original renal tumour being diagnosed in 2016.

When I last saw the onco in November 2021 he congratulated me on being one of the 10% to survive 5 years.

 

[love_the_life]

Not the lung - haven't had any mets there since the last one was zapped in May 2020.
If the onco and the surgeon agree, this will be to excise a tumour, recently measured at 55x28mm which has grown near my right adrenal gland.
It is creating similar symptoms to those that I suffered prior to the original renal tumour being diagnosed in 2016.

When I last saw the onco in November 2021 he congratulated me on being one of the 10% to survive 5 years.

And you can have another x number of years as well RK. Confound the medicos! All the best for the possible/probable surgery. Pity the world as like it is at the moment as in other times us Canberra mob could have caught up for a coffee. Too risky for you at the moment though.

 

[Myrna]

I never go to NL as he is expensive. I find CW the cheapest!

Went to NL yesterday to re-fill the drug prescribed by the oncologist. I asked why there was a huge increase / difference in a statin drug prescribed by GP - $16.90 for 20mg in Aug 2021 and $21.49 for 10mg in January 2022 - both same brand. They said the costs depending on whether it was a 'private' prescription or a PBS prescription (for safety annual limit?). They said sometimes 'private' prescriptions are cheaper than PBS prescriptions (but not always!). PBS works for people who are on very expensive drug (cost $$$$). I said I would clarify with GP on this next time.
I then asked about the drug prescribed by the oncologist, cost over $42 for 30 tabs (which apparently was ticked PBS) - what would be the cheaper option. They said they could give the tabs to me as 'private' prescription for $37.70. I guess next time, I will go to CW to ask them for the cost before re-filling the prescriptions.

 

[Myrna]

I have two medications that cost the same whether it is a 10 or a 20 so the specialist prescribes the bigger tablet and I cut it in half with a pill cutter.
Just received my blood test results and almost no red numbers so I was pleased. I got the lab to email me the results and they came in just over 24 hours.

I tried to cut the 20mg statin tablets, but they were hard to do as they are small.
Good news about your blood tests

Post automatically merged: Feb 15, 2022

Why does cholesterol medication impact so much on muscular areas?

I had this side effect. Took 20mg of statins and got restless leg and muscle aches at night. So, GP decided to half the dose to 10mg.

 

[Myrna]

Have had a long term discussion with several GPs on cholesterol levels. Now take 2g fish oil/day in addition to what is in the following discussion. There was a period of 3-4 years where only a higher level of fish oil was taken as the original lipitor/atorvastatin script at 10mg encouraged leg muscle pain.
Put on ezetrol without great success until an observant GP noticed it is supposed to have 10mg atorvastatin as well. That lasted 6 months (albeit with stellar cholesterol levels) and after much friendly discussion I started cutting the 10mg tablets in half. Most of the muscle aggravation went away and while the cholesterol levels increased - it was to a still acceptable level. Which is where I am at the moment.
Muscles still get seriously aggravated at times, but there is a good correlation between "abusive" activity and the pain levels.
Maybe this will help someone with their medical wandering
Fred

I have always known that I have high cholesterol - had a private/paid complete medical exam (at St Vincents in Sydney 20 years ago). Six months ago GP said I would need to be on statins - cholesterol level was around 7. A few weeks ago asked GP for another cholesterol blood test - as one of the side effects of the drug prescribed by the oncologist would be high cholesterol. GP phoned and asked "Have you been taking the statins?" Truth was I had not been taking them regularly. He said "Your cholesterol has come down to 5.3! What have you done?" I said "well, hubby has been making me a big bowl of porridge with ground flax seeds every morning without fail. Not sure if that helped." He said "good, continue with it, and take the statins also."

 

[RooFlyer]

I tried to cut the 20mg statin tablets, but they were hard to do as they are small.

Do you use a proper pill cutter? ( As opposed to a knife.)

 

[kpc]

I tried to cut the 20mg statin tablets, but they were hard to do as they are small.

Buy a pill cutter from CW!

 

[Major]

I use one of these

 

[Pushka]

I have always known that I have high cholesterol - had a private/paid complete medical exam (at St Vincents in Sydney 20 years ago). Six months ago GP said I would need to be on statins - cholesterol level was around 7. A few weeks ago asked GP for another cholesterol blood test - as one of the side effects of the drug prescribed by the oncologist would be high cholesterol. GP phoned and asked "Have you been taking the statins?" Truth was I had not been taking them regularly. He said "Your cholesterol has come down to 5.3! What have you done?" I said "well, hubby has been making me a big bowl of porridge with ground flax seeds every morning without fail. Not sure if that helped." He said "good, continue with it, and take the statins also."

Porridge is well known for this. And fixing constipation

 

[wandering_fred]

Porridge is well known for this. And fixing constipation

In this case I would rather suspect the flax seeds as they are an alternative to fish oil etc
In cases of wandering
Fred

 

[Pushka]

In this case I would rather suspect the flax seeds as they are an alternative to fish oil etc
In cases of wandering
Fred

Maybe the flax seeds assist as well but porridge (oatmeal) is a recommended food for cholesterol

Oatmeal: How Much You Need to Lower Cholesterol

To lower your cholesterol, here’s how much oatmeal you need to eat.

health.clevelandclinic.org

 

[Myrna]

Do you use a proper pill cutter? ( As opposed to a knife.)

Hubby tried to break the tablet in half
Will buy a pill cutter from CW as suggested by @kpc

 

[cove]

Yes my pill cutter is a good one and regularly saves me from the various drug companies who can price a 10mg tablet at the same price as a 20mg tablet. Trying to use a knife or fingernails will result in way too many crumbs.
i would not cut a coated mini Aspirin in half as it is designed to dissolve in my stomach.
@Major has pictured the one I use…..just a different colour.
My cholesterol was in the 6.8 and 8.4 range about 28 years ago. Now it is between 2.8 and 3.2 ratio with a statin.
i take one additional tablet to help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes which is Colchicine as the Genesis heart trial revealed a 30% reduction in the study group that I participated in. It is a strong gout removing prescription drug that some folks stomachs cannot handle.

 

[Katie]

Well, my gastro poking around was yesterday and was uneventful. I was a very cheap date for V Day dinner - Mr Katie and the Teen had chicken meatball soup ... and I had the strained broth, followed up with loving made yellow jelly. Parts of the prep didn't agree with me in a not normal way, but when I rang the after hours number, the specialist didn't ever call back, and didn't mention it the next day. So I guess the rest of the prep worked well enough.
The gastroenterologist saw nothing physically wrong related to reflux symptoms, and nothing to have caused sudden iron loss. I guess that's a yay. :/ He took a biopsy for coeliac disease, but didn't think it's likely to come back positive.
I asked for an iron injection while I was there, and got one during the first stage of recovery. Yay! Iron Woman!

I guess I'd better start an elimination diet to see what foods/drinks seem to trigger reflux in me. Just like my rosacea a few years ago, it seems most of the fun stuff is on the list of triggers.

Off to the endocrinologist in a few weeks time, though I'm less worried about the Hyperparathyroidism. Maybe soon I can go back to just being a regular stressed out parent of a neurodiverse teenager!

 

[Katie]

Oh, and got a text message from the hospital on Monday saying I needed to have a RAT before my procedure. A staff member was sitting outside the gastro/endoscopy unit waiting for any patient to arrive, then escorting them along the corridor and back downstairs (behind reception where you had to show your green vax tick to enter the building!!!!) to be tested. A nurse administers the test, then you wait 15 mins for your result.
The nurse then escorted me back to the gastro day unit.

I had a disposable mask on the whole time (excluding when the RAT was shoved up my schnoz), until I was in theatre and the anaesthetist put the oxygen tubes in my schnoz. Much nicer feeling than the RAT.
Then I guess I put one back on after the oxygen tube was taken out in recovery part 1.

 

[Flashback]

Well, my gastro poking around was yesterday and was uneventful. I was a very cheap date for V Day dinner - Mr Katie and the Teen had chicken meatball soup ... and I had the strained broth, followed up with loving made yellow jelly. Parts of the prep didn't agree with me in a not normal way, but when I rang the after hours number, the specialist didn't ever call back, and didn't mention it the next day. So I guess the rest of the prep worked well enough.
The gastroenterologist saw nothing physically wrong related to reflux symptoms, and nothing to have caused sudden iron loss. I guess that's a yay. :/ He took a biopsy for coeliac disease, but didn't think it's likely to come back positive.
I asked for an iron injection while I was there, and got one during the first stage of recovery. Yay! Iron Woman!

I guess I'd better start an elimination diet to see what foods/drinks seem to trigger reflux in me. Just like my rosacea a few years ago, it seems most of the fun stuff is on the list of triggers.

Off to the endocrinologist in a few weeks time, though I'm less worried about the Hyperparathyroidism. Maybe soon I can go back to just being a regular stressed out parent of a neurodiverse teenager!

Watch out for spicy foods, citrus, etc. Definitely alcohol as well. All the good things basically.

If Omeprazole / Lansoprazole etc. isn't working, that's rather strange too. I am on them every day and if I skip a day, I very quickly know about it. But for me getting on that was a (quality of) life changer.

 

[andye]

Watch out for spicy foods, citrus, etc. Definitely alcohol as well. All the good things basically.

If Omeprazole / Lansoprazole etc. isn't working, that's rather strange too. I am on them every day and if I skip a day, I very quickly know about it. But for me getting on that was a (quality of) life changer.

Until statins came along, H2 receptor antagonists (ranitidine etc) then proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole etc) were the best-selling worldwide drugs
Upper gastrointestinal symptoms are very common and medicines effective at making people feel better. However they are probably overpresribed as some people improve and never stop taking them to see.
There is of course the bacterial component to ulcers.
Together these advances forced many upper gastrointestinal surgeons to restructure their business

 

[love_the_life]

Not sure if the iron injection is different from an infusion but daughter had an infusion a few months back and it took weeks for the side effects to disappear.