Author Topic: The health and fitness thread about random things (Read 469257 times)

quixoticgeek · « **Reply #2600 on:** 17 February, 2019, 08:45:33 pm »

Quote from: ElyDave on 17 February, 2019, 08:44:12 pm

Same habit here, ever since I thought I might have thyroid issues, similar symptoms, turned out to be T1D in my case. Poo colour and changes in consistency can say a lot about ones health

Ah that Bristol stool chart...

J

hellymedic · « **Reply #2601 on:** 17 February, 2019, 08:57:36 pm »

If you're having regular liver function blood tests, it is unlikely you you will have develop a hidden issue.
Minimal changes in enzyme levels will occur long before symptoms emerge.

I have a friend elsewhere with a liver issue that was incidentally detected. There were NO symptoms.

The issue is being addressed by avoiding all alcohol and weight reduction by a combination of moderate diet and lots of low-impact exertion. Friend is well and trim, having lost a mound of lard.

I don't know how the liver is faring in this but will find out in due course.

Some people get itchy. Some feel off-colour but most have NO symptoms.

quixoticgeek · « **Reply #2602 on:** 17 February, 2019, 09:19:30 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic on 17 February, 2019, 08:57:36 pm

If you're having regular liver function blood tests, it is unlikely you you will have develop a hidden issue.
Minimal changes in enzyme levels will occur long before symptoms emerge.

Which blood tests would you do for liver function?

J

Kim · « **Reply #2603 on:** 17 February, 2019, 10:10:45 pm »

Quote from: Auntie Helen on 17 February, 2019, 08:19:35 pm

Funny coloured poop (very light colour).

While we're on the subject, I'll add fluorescent orange urine as a symptom of jaundice that nobody tells you about. (DAHIKT)

barakta · « **Reply #2604 on:** 17 February, 2019, 11:17:01 pm »

Kim: Half your problem was that you couldn't see the problematic colour till it was really bad cos of your colour blindness. People aren't normally in the habit of asking someone else for toilet content inspections although you can and occasionally have asked for a sanity check from me with my colour vision which is just sensible....

hellymedic · « **Reply #2605 on:** 18 February, 2019, 12:32:36 am »

Quote from: quixoticgeek on 17 February, 2019, 09:19:30 pm

Quote from: hellymedic on 17 February, 2019, 08:57:36 pm
If you're having regular liver function blood tests, it is unlikely you you will have develop a hidden issue.
Minimal changes in enzyme levels will occur long before symptoms emerge.

Which blood tests would you do for liver function?

J

Seems I was wrong about this, apologies!

Liver enzymes are not always deranged in some cases, which makes this business something of a minefield!
Standard 'liver function tests' are for enzymes which are not all exclusively hepatic but which might point in the direction of trouble.

ALP = Alkaline phosphatase. This is also produce in bones and is elevated in biliary obstruction and pregnancy/childhood.
AST = Aspartate transaminase - also present in the heart
ALT = Alanine transferrase
GGT = Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase: probably the best indicator of alcoholic liver trouble

Prothrombin time and serum albumin can be indicators of liver function/malfunction but are not part of the routine 'LFTs' which measure some liver enzymes.

The issue is very complicated but someone of normal weight and low alcohol intake, with little risk of liver infection is unlikely to run into trouble. Things are different if you're not quite well, in which case you'll need a doctor.

T42 · « **Reply #2606 on:** 18 February, 2019, 08:37:31 am »

Mine's been lightish since I started taking metformin ~20 years ago, but then metformin plays around quite a bit with liver function.

Meanwhile, a colleague of El Prez's son lost his 2-year-old son to flu last week. This year's dose is vicious.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #2607 on:** 18 February, 2019, 10:31:43 am »

That's horrible. Very sad.

T42 · « **Reply #2608 on:** 19 February, 2019, 01:31:40 pm »

How long does it take a strained sternum to recover? Mine's been aching - rib insertions on sternum, with a bit of radiation to both sides - since I hit that insolent bloody bump last Friday. Thought it was more or less OK to go for a ride this morning until I pumped up a tyre from flat with the track pump and ribs shrieked stop from about 5 bar on. One is sore.

ElyDave · « **Reply #2609 on:** 19 February, 2019, 08:04:38 pm »

I've done that before, different circumstances, I seem to remember being OK within the week, or I at least moderated activity to avoid the pain

hellymedic · « **Reply #2610 on:** 20 February, 2019, 12:50:40 am »

Reading some medical website, I found another condition abbreviated as OCD - Osteochondritis Dissecans. (I got the quiz question correct and had a little knowledge of the entity.)

ALWAYS define your abbreviations when you use them please!

T42 · « **Reply #2611 on:** 20 February, 2019, 08:20:03 am »

Quote from: ElyDave on 19 February, 2019, 08:04:38 pm

I've done that before, different circumstances, I seem to remember being OK within the week, or I at least moderated activity to avoid the pain

I certainly intend to avoid 45 kph bumps.

Going out today once the temperature passes 5°C.

T42 · « **Reply #2612 on:** 20 February, 2019, 04:24:18 pm »

Back again after 86k, thorax a bit achy but nothing dire. We'll see how it goes once it's had time to stiffen.

Kev Sp8 · « **Reply #2613 on:** 20 February, 2019, 09:02:59 pm »

Evening all. I had a horrid, snotty cold about 5-6 weeks ago. Lasted a week, then cleared up, except for a very vague 'not right' feeling in my sinuses, dry, tickly cough at night and coughing up a load of green gunk every morning. The symptoms are really minor, but very persistent and annoying. Lack of sleep is starting to be an issue. I feel a bit daft about asking a GP, bearing in mind how mild the symptoms are, but I've never had a cold drag out this long. Guessing I should just continue the waiting game?

hellymedic · « **Reply #2614 on:** 20 February, 2019, 09:45:05 pm »

6 weeks seems OTT for a cold. I would suspect a pocket of lingering infection, either in the sinuses or chest.

I don't think it's unreasonable to seek advice if you've battled this long.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #2615 on:** 20 February, 2019, 11:53:44 pm »

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=80971.msg2360333#msg2360333 refers.

I had the biopsy last Wednesday and a load of doctor's surgery-related faff today.

I had an appointment at 9.20am for what I am certain is a herpetic whitlow on my left index finger. It's been hanging around a while and is quite painful. The Dr. I saw was the same guy who prescribed three sets of consecutively stronger steroids for me in the autumn. I tried to persuade him it was viral (google "herpetic whitlow". The photo is exactly like mine) but he gave me antibiotics. I took them home, had my porridge and was about to take one of these tablets (1 4 times a day for 7 days) when I decided to read the label. "Take on an empty stomach. Either 1 hour before food or 2 hours after food". That actually makes it pretty hard for me to find 4 opportunities to take a tablet during a day, but there we are.

I then had a think and decided that it would be wise to go for a second opinion. The NHS website says of herpetic whitlows firstly that they are infections and can spread, and secondly that they are best treated with anti-virals and the sooner you start the better. I phoned firstly the dermatology centre (based in Blackburn) and they advised me to go for the second opinion. I then phoned the surgery to ask for another appointment with a different doc. "Phone at 2pm to see if we have any available slots." I went at 2pm but in the meantime had googled herpetic scalp excrescences and found some really tasty-looking photos of scalps looking just like mine. I got an appointment for 4.50pm with a different doctor.

I took my Ipad, loaded with the relevant photos, and argued my case. This guy gave me anti-virals. Result! 1 tablet 5 times a day for 7 days. No need to worry about food intake, so that's pretty much 7 & 11am, 3, 7 & 11pm. I got home, read the leaflet and had just taken my first tablet when the phone rang. It was the woman from Blackburn telling me that my biopsy result was through but because they weren't medically qualified they couldn't give it to me. They emailed it to my doc and told me to phone him in 10 minutes' time. I did, and then awaited a return call. It took a couple of hours to arrive, but the upshot is that I don't have cancer and the lesions on my head are indeed viral. It was something other than herpes by the sound of it, but nevertheless that's generally pretty pleasing news.

Bed now. I'm getting up early tomorrow to go for a 12 mile walk.

T42 · « **Reply #2616 on:** 21 February, 2019, 08:30:35 am »

andrewc · « **Reply #2617 on:** 21 February, 2019, 05:45:16 pm »

Good news Wow, hope it clears up quickly.

ElyDave · « **Reply #2618 on:** 22 February, 2019, 07:41:24 am »

Good to hear it's treatable Wow

in my caswe, first yoga class since last October, had deliberately left this till last in line. As predicted, RHS very tight from overcompensating the left, LHS weak in comparison. No major reaction thsi morning, left hip flexor a bit painful and right hand side of back is tight, but that's it.

hellymedic · « **Reply #2619 on:** 22 February, 2019, 01:11:03 pm »

Got the results yesterday of brain and spinal cord MRI I had in mid-December.

Brain unchanged.
Spinal cord has patchy signs of MS but this is first cord MRI.
Bones are showing my/their age.

This is the not news BONG!

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #2620 on:** 22 February, 2019, 02:08:05 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic on 22 February, 2019, 01:11:03 pm

Got the results yesterday of brain and spinal cord MRI I had in mid-December.

Brain unchanged.
Spinal cord has patchy signs of MS but this is first cord MRI.
Bones are showing my/their age.

This is the not news BONG!

That sounds like very good news (of sorts).

hellymedic · « **Reply #2621 on:** 22 February, 2019, 02:10:04 pm »

Seems fine to me!

rafletcher · « **Reply #2622 on:** 23 February, 2019, 12:50:10 pm »

I checked my blood pressure Friday. It was 121 / 78. I was inordinately pleased.

barakta · « **Reply #2623 on:** 23 February, 2019, 02:34:42 pm »

I know that some people's MS scans show up worse than their symptoms and vice a versa. Interesting that they've started doing cord MRIs, I wonder if that's cos they can now get enough resolution or have learned something from this.

Glad it's reasonable news Helly!

hellymedic · « **Reply #2624 on:** 23 February, 2019, 03:51:48 pm »

My Poole 1997 scan was not available.

I recall it looking like a bomb site even though I was largely asymptomatic, aside from a totally blind left eye at the time.

There were prominent brainstem changes then but I didn't get symptoms that fitted with those plaques till 1999.

FWIW I've had cord symptoms since 1990.

Anyway, I'm happy with the status quo.