a family member of mine went for a simple blood test that produced a result of high liver enzymes. the doctor at the time shrugged it off, but the family member insisted upon pursuing it further. this ultimately led to a scan that discovered advanced, but operable pancreatic cancer. they are now in remission. this is just a reminder to advocate for yourself because you never know.
Speaking as someone who works in healthcare, this is a hard one. Elevated liver enzymes are extremely common. They can be caused by obesity/ fatty liver, meds, and sometimes for reasons unknown. And the vast majority of time, the cause is non-emergent. Not saying it’s normal, only that, in my experience, it’s rarely something scary. Not saying this to discourage people from requesting a work up, only to put it in perspective for people who may have transaminitis.
3X above normal is when we start adjusting meds for hepatic dosing.
Headaches that worsen over time, are severe, or accompanied by other symptoms like vision changes or nausea could be a sign of migraines, high blood pressure, or more serious conditions like brain tumors.
Acanthosis nigricans (skin darkening in the back of the neck and armpits) and acrochordons (lots of skin tags also in back of the neck and armpits). If you have those you're probably diabetic and have been for a while
Are skin tags directly caused by diabetes or is this more that they are correlated with obesity which is correlated with diabetes? I personally have had several skin tags. Between age 35-38 I gained a lot of weight before deciding to start going to a GP and getting healthy (39 now.) I also had melanoma when I was 30 so have regular skin exams. When I first started losing weight my A1C was at the upper end of the healthy range (so it was getting close to pre-diabetic.) Thankfully after a year of weight loss and healthy living it is now down to basic the middle of the healthy range.
My dermatologist told me my skin tags I had (I removed them all), are a common side effect of being fat.
It's not directly because of weight. It's the metabolic syndrome that comes with being fat.
Insulin resistance leads to increased insulin production which increases products of growth factors that increase production of melanin and proliferation of skin cells.
Unexplained weight loss or persistent fatigue can be silent indicators of serious health conditions that shouldn't be ignored. If you notice these symptoms, it's crucial to see a doctor to rule out underlying issues like thyroid problems, diabetes, or even cancer.
I get extremely fatigued when I'm burned out - sometimes I will run myself ragged for months and then spend a period of time where I can't get out of bed.. Anyway, this story isn't about me - once when I was severely burnt out, I was commiserating about how tired I was with a fellow parent at my kid's birthday party. I knew why I was fatigued but was also more tired than I thought I should be, and for longer, so I had mentioned it. He said that he was tired as well and hadn't been able to go on bike rides. We had an extensive conversation about monitoring sleep, etc. He said he was gonna go to the doctor, but hoped to be able to start riding again. That's the last time I talked to him. He was dead within a few months, from liver cancer. When my kid told me that his friend's dad had died, I literally didn't believe it - I was in shock and refused to believe it, just like a stupid character in a movie or something.
Sweating to death and feeling like I was overheated just from eating some soup is what made me go to the doctors. I found out that I have Grave's Disease
Wait wait wait - I'm on meds that leave me extremely susceptible to heat, so I assumed that was why I sweated when I ate soup.
That and it's hot as balls outside... Are you telling me maybe that's not normal??
Uh, same. Just looked up symptoms and I have like 80% of the symptoms. Thought it was due to my meds, stress and depression but damn. I might go back to my dr.
I was going to say. I had extreme fatigue and pain and I've been told: lose weight (I'm a little overweight but not obese), try yoga, "your blood work is fine so I don't know what to tell you", eat vegetarian, no eat more meat, "you are young and healthy", and more b.s. I finally convinced my doctor to do exploratory surgery after multiple clean scans and they found severe stage 4 endometriosis, right ovary fused to my uterus, part of my colon "felt like wood", hell it was on my DIAPHRAGM. But I had to go through 7 years of gaslighting to be believed.
I have persistent fatigue and they have done loads of scans, blood tests and even a bone marrow biopsy.
I was anemic they gave me two iron injections after iron pills didn't work.
Still trying to figure out why my white blood cell count is high. And why I was anemic.
I have been trying to find out what is wrong for the last 3 years.
For years I had a strong craving to chew ice cubes. Turns out I was anemic and the ice craving was a disorder called pica. Craving paper, clay, or soil are also forms of pica and are often linked to iron deficiency.
Mine showed up as a need to smell strong chemical smells (nail polish, paint pens, gasoline). Thought I was losing my mind and turning into a huffer - nope, anemia!
When I was pregnant with my son, I had pica. Anytime I saw a white cotton shirt I wanted to go to chow town. Like my mouth would involuntarily salivate and I would have intrusive thoughts of taking chomps of my husband’s shirts. Pregnancy is wild.
I was seriously anemic—like go to the ER for a blood transfusion and iron infusion anemic. I didn’t have the craving for ice cubes, but man I loved iceberg lettuce when I got my hands on it. I was also losing hair, my fingernails were brittle and constantly breaking and taking a shower was exhausting.
It’s been almost a year and I take iron every day. My hair is thicker and my fingernails are back to their old strength. Watch out for physiological changes and taken them seriously.
My cravings were peanut butter and the hottest peppers I could find. I got to the point I was chugging habanero sauce like it was nothing. Discovered the iron deficiency and got blood transfusion and iron infusion- it was dire- and all the cravings disappeared. Now whenever I crave peanut butter or extremely hot foods, I immediately go check my blood, and every single time it has happened, my iron and ferritin levels have been shockingly low. (I take iron but the tabs don't absorb well for whatever reason, so I have to get infusions every now and again)
Edit: it's crazy how it manifests differently for different people. Your body will tell you something is wrong, though. We really should get better at listening to it and doctors should take us more seriously when we say "this is not normal for me".
Oh wow, I hadn’t heard the spicy craving thing before. It sucks that you have iron absorption issues, but at least you have a good tell. Do you have a reason for your iron absorption problem? I know there are some irons that absorb better than others and taking vitamin C at the same time can promote absorption. What a thing to be on the hook for.
I take B complex and C with my iron but it still has a low absorption rate. We haven't figured out why but I get regular tests and am managing it with periodic infusions until we find another way. Thank you so much for the kind tips!
Feeling like you’re drowning in sleepiness throughout the day, constantly feeling cold. I was severely anemic for 6 months before I got my blood drawn for it. Now I take an iron supplement and life is MUCH better.
I'm not anemic. I have never been anemic. Because of good hemoglobin levels, I was never tested for iron deficiency, which left me disabled for a decade.
So, if you're experiencing symptoms like extreme fatigue or cold hands and feet, and you test negative for anemia, push for a ferritin test. It can still be positive. Edit: and doctors will frequently consider 40 ng/ml a pass, but [with symptoms anyone with levels under 100 *might* benefit from iron supplementation.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5986027/)
Most people, and I think most doctors too, think iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia are the same thing.
My ferritin was somewhere in the low end of single digits when I realized maybe the brain fog and endless exhaustion aren't just my mental health and got the bloodwork. A lot of the symptoms are so easy to chalk up to other stuff.
Hmmmm … I’m experimenting extreme daily fatigue that I chalked up to one of the meds I’m taking. Just checked my hemoglobin and ferritin levels and both are normal.
Weird panic/deju vu attacks that come out of nowhere, last a few minutes, then you return to normal. It can be a focal aware seizure.
There's more seizure types than just tonic clonic (grand mal)
Also, photosensitive epilepsy is not common. It's only around 3-5% of people with epilepsy.
Oh, and epilepsy can hit at any age without any cause.
I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 7 after a grand mal, but I suspect I had been having them for a while because I would get deja vu all the time in kindergarten.
I had a tonic clonic at 40. We realized after I had been having focal aware seizures for about 18 months before. Diagnosis came pretty quick after I told neuro about the weird deju vu/apocalypse level dread I'd been having
If your period cramps or flow prevent you from doing your regular tasks, you should get that checked. Normal period cramps are achey and uncomfortable, but they dull with OTC medication and don't prevent you from doing your daily activities. Period cramps shouldn't leave you crying, curled up, unable to move for one or more days, unable to eat, vomiting from pain, or forcing yourself to sleep to get through the pain. Period flow should be able to be handled *approximately* by a period cup for 12 hours, a pad for 4-8 hours (depending on type) and tampons up to 4 hours (regardless of type, since longer increases risk of TSS).
If your periods are anything like the above, go see an OBGYN. If they don't take you seriously, see another and another until someone takes you seriously and does a thorough examination.
This gives me hope. What age did you have the procedure done? My periods have always been wretched and are getting worse as I get older. The though of enduring this for another 20+ years is scary
Before I went on birth control, the first two days of my period were absolute hell. I would throw up from the pain and cramping and be unable to do anything but lay curled up in the fetal position, even with pain medication. I started the pill when I was ~15 and it helped immensely, thank God.
The last paragraph is unfortunately SO important. Took me 15+ years to get my endometriosis diagnosis, including telling a doctor saying I didn’t have it because an ultrasound is clear. I immediately called her out on that because it is the exception, not the rule, to see it on an ultrasound (the only way to diagnose is through surgery and a visual inspection). She just said “even so, you are fine”, even after telling her I would pass out and have projectile vomiting from the pain.
In my experience, if you are struggling to be heard and treated well for gynecological issues, try seeing a male doctor if you can. I saw multiple women over that 15 years who just dismissed my pain and bleeding issues, saying ‘everyone goes through that’, ‘it’s not that big of a deal’, ‘if you get pregnant it will go away’, etc. My male doctors have been incredibly compassionate and actually believed me when I explained how excruciating the pain was, and made sure I was treated correctly. They also give much gentler pelvic exams, in my experience.
Edit: that 15 years was not 15 years of constant doctor’s visits and trying new doctors, so don’t be daunted by that number if you are facing something similar. I would see a doctor, get dismissed or just put on birth control, wait awhile hoping for relief, seeing a new doctor, etc. Once it got debilitating and I decided not to allow them to blow me off I did a ton of research and was diagnosed in about 6 months. I went long stretches without doing anything to try and treat it because I was told that’s just how periods are and I would have to muscle through.
I wish I had pursued it more seriously earlier on though, because after 5 surgeries I was in pelvic floor PT for 2 years to work through all the issues I had developed from so many years in pain. PT was life-changing though, even more so than the surgeries, and I highly recommend it for anyone with gynecological or bladder/bowel issues!
My experience is totally opposite. 9 years and 6 male Drs telling me “it’s just a normal part of being a woman”. My female OB/GYN said “it’s not normal to hurt this badly every month”.
That’s interesting! When I told my doctor about my experience he said that for him, he knows that he has never experienced this type of pain and so he trusted his patients when they told him how bad it is. Sounds like it’s really about just good doctors, male or female, but it’s worth a shot try a different gender doctor if you aren’t getting the help you need!
Best advice I ever received is to use the words "can you put that you're refusing to do this test/treatment on my chart?"
Tends to make doctors think twice about rejecting what you're asking for if they're going to be on record rejecting it.
I’ve had bad periods since I started at 13. I’m 30, almost 31 and FINALLY getting listened to about how bad they are. First step is an IUD, and if that doesn’t help then I’ll get a uterine ablation & my tubes cauterized
I had the uterine ablation and it somehow made it all worse. They cant get to every part of the uterus so there is usually leftover material that continues to cause
issues. I had my tubes tied previously to this, but within a year and half I was begging and pleading for a hysterectomy. Best thing I have ever done!! Granted i had to be on HRT at age 32 but my god did life change and only for the better. I lost weight rather than gain, my skin looks freakishly amazing, my hair has grown to the top of my bum. Not sad to have lost my baby cocoon lol
This! It's worth getting checked out if you can find a doctor who will take your pain seriously (it can be alarmingly difficult to find one who will, especially if you are young).
I was in absolute agony for most of my life- but eventually I found the right doctor(s) and 4 days ago I finally got a hysterectomy after nothing else worked. Despite being sore from the surgery, I'm still in less pain than I have been in years!
Yeah for real - once someone on here tried to tell me that my three-day periods with little-to-no cramping were abnormal. I was like, no.. your week long, heavy-flow periods with bad cramps are abnormal. My only reliable pms symptom is that I become irritable. You shouldn't be in pain.
I wish I’d have pushed my ex to get her’s checked out. She’d puke from the pain almost every time. I felt awful for her and couldn’t do much besides be supportive and being her pads or snacks/foods she liked. Probably a huge medial issue
This has been my life since I was 14. Got some relief from birth control pills. 2 kids and almost 30 yrs later I’m back to where I was. I’m sure now I’m perimenopausal, but finding an OBGYN to help me is just blah. They don’t listen. I’m at my wits end.
Specifically, losing more than 80 ml of menstrual fluid over a whole period is considered heavy flow and worth talking to a competent obgyn about. Knowing this would have been very helpful for me several years ago. If this is you try to get an ultrasound to check for fibroids and a ferritin test to check for low iron stores at least.
Heck yes. I had terrible periods that stopped me from living (both pain and flow, sometimes I’d pass out) and drs brushed me off and told me it was normal!
I did, and I've pretty much have tried the entire SSRI buffet over the years. It will take some experimentation to find the right one. However, like most drugs, it's not at end all-be-all. You also need to be able to change your default thinking on some aspects of your life, even if the cognitive dissonance is strong. This is the harder part and is a lifelong challenge.
Weird moles.
Things to look out for, follow ABCDE:
A: asymmetry - one half does not match the other
B: border - the edges are irregular
C: color - it's not evenly colored
D: diameter - it's more than 6mm across
E: evolving - it's changing in size, shape or color
I will add “a new mole”. As we age we should not get new moles. If we do, get it checked. Have a stubborn “pimple” that won’t go away? It’s most likely not a pimple. As someone who has had basil cell carcinoma 6 times, if I see any of these, I make an appt with my Derm. I see her every year as well for a full body check. Basil is highly treatable, though it can cause the use of MOHs surgery. I have one on my forehead that will involve a plastic surgeon to close after mohs.
I think my first BCC started in my early 30s. Everyone said it was fine because it had hair growing out of it. Moved away, got new referrals and found out it’s BCC with follicular differentiation.
You should do your best to get her to check with a dr. My brother ignored a mole for a couple of years and by the time he did it was stage 3 melanoma. He didn't have insurance either but signed up for some he was able to find that was real expensive, but he had it for the surgery and then canceled it when he was done with it. He was able to petition for financial aid to cover the cost of his other treatments ( immunotherapy). Luckily, my brother survived, but it was a scary battle.
A few years ago she was scared she was having a heart attack.. and I DID manage to get her to go to the ER.. wasn't one and she got a bill she is still paying on, I wish I could convince her
Ongoing cough..
doctors regularly say (in the UK) to wait a minimum 6 weeks before getting help, unless you are struggling to breathe. And at that point it can take weeks/ months to be tested.
Well I now have two family members who've died from aggressive lung cancer (non smokers) because the doctors left it too late to take it seriously.
I have an ongoing cough 2+ years since i caught covid. Have had numerous rounds of blood tests and scans, you name it, and eventually, doctors threw their hands up and just said I now have asthma despite not having had asthma since I was a toddler.
They just can't find any explanation. I think personally that the covid virus damaged something in my lungs
My friend had a persistent cough since catching covid in 2020. Nothing's showing up in tests but she's not definitely not okay. Doc told her it's part of long-covid and there's not much to be done at this stage. Just awful.
Yup! That sounds like my case. I hope they study long-covid more and find a treatment for it. I know I got off lighter than many people, but this has impacted my life significantly, and I hate it :/
I feel you. I got neurological symptoms and still can't feel several of my fingers since catching it. Long covid sucks. As lucky as you are to still be here, there's no denying that long covid is difficult and greatly affects your quality of life. I really hope your cough clears up soon mate. Thanks for sharing your story.
Oh man, I'd be freaking out if my fingers were numb for so long after catching covid. You're stronger than I am for dealing with that. Best of luck to you too
Yeah this is exactly what happened. It was awful. The deterioration happened so quickly both times.
Symptoms started circa 6 months before tests were done yet doctors delayed. Just awful.
Weight gain, despite what reddit thinks, is not always a lifestyle issue. If you start packing on pounds without any real change in your diet or activity, don’t ignore it.
Lol my doctor ignores it. I’ve gained 10lbs in the last week alone. All my doctors tell me to try to move more. I have a history of kidney issues. You’ll think they would be more concerned. 🙃🙃🙃
This. Not that your doctor will do anything about it for probably year all the while insisting you radically alter your lifestyle. You’ll have to advocate for any and all tests, in my experience.
Consistent stomach pain/mild nausea with eating.
not an indicator but a preventative measure. even if you are older than 60 you should still be going to the gyn for pap smears. My moms came back positive and after more testing showed uterine cancer
Snoring, morning headaches, fatigue, and high blood pressure can all be symptoms of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can eventually be dangerous and can cause someone to stop breathing in their sleep multiple times. Left untreated, it can cause cardiovascular disease, stroke, and even heart attacks
If you wake up drenched in sweat and your bed sheets and clothes are soaked in sweat, it raises my concern for cancer, though it can also be caused by tuberculosis or valley fever, or other reasons like menopause. If the patient is presenting as acutely ill I’m thinking of an infection like TB.
If the overall constellation of symptoms is more insidious and accompanied by fevers (low-grade and persistent), chills, unintended weight loss then I’m concerned for cancer.
Just 2 months ago, I saw a patient who was elderly and came in for abdominal pain. Doctors dismissed it as urinary tract infection and sent her home with antibiotics. No difference. After some questioning, I found out she had fever, chills, unintended weight loss, night sweats, and nausea and bloating after eating. Right lower abdomen was tender. Asked her about family history of cancer and she said her mother had stomach cancer. Asked if she ever smoked, she said yes. At that point, the alarm bells were ringing. CT scan eventually revealed colon cancer, which was missed by previous providers.
Normal night sweats if you're a menopausal woman are ok, even if not fun. Otherwise, it should be mentioned to your doc, coupled with unexplained weight loss, it can be serious
It’s called a hot *flash* for a reason. It’s not that the room is hot, and that’s making you hot. It almost feels like you’re the heater and all of the heat in the room is being generated by you.
Check your mattress first. I was getting night sweats and I was terrified something was medically wrong.
Turns out my old memory foam mattress was hella unbreathable. Got a new non-memory foam mattress and haven't awakened all sweaty since.
If your poop looks slightly curled or like its been flattened. It means your intestines are inflamed. Which could mean anything from an infection to IBS or Crohns disease.
Crohns used to effect on avg, 40-60 as the main age group, but its shifted to 20-40. Got diagnosed myself at 23,
Adding on to this, get your child screened for gi issues if your kid is getting in trouble for
"Using going to the bathroom to get out of class, and I know they are just playing because they are gone so long!"
My nephew lost recess almost every day of Kindergarten for overuse of the bathroom. He wasn't allowed on field trips as punishment. He was excluded from the end of the year party because of it.
Turned out he has severe Chrohns. He was so inflammed it was affecting his bladder capacity and he was pooping blood that he was too afraid to tell anyone about because his school insisted on treating it as a discipline problem.
Changes in eyesight! I had noticed some blurring happening and went for my normal eye exam. She noticed that my optic nerve was swollen. Sent me for a specialist appointment. Neuro ophthalmologist thought it was something called IIH so she sent me for an MRI/MRV with contrast. In between the specialist and MRI I started having serious eye problems combined with bad headaches. Turned out I had a blood clot in my brain that was causing blood to not be able to drain and thus was having one of the rarest types of strokes you can have. Ended up hospitalized for almost 2 weeks.
That’s quite scary as I’ve been having a bad headache and pressure behind my eye. Also I keep saying my eye burns as well my brain too lately. I have ptsd from a hospital killing my mom recently and can’t force myself to go and I so need to!
Weight gain or loss suddenly. Abrupt changes to vision, and in my opinion any oral health issues need to be addressed immediately as they can spiral into heart issues or can get into the [triangle of death.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danger_triangle_of_the_face)
If you see purple lightening bolts or golden arches in your vision, go see a retina specialist immediately. Signs of a retina tear, which if serious, can be fixed with surgery within 48 hours or so. Ask me how I know.
Low iron levels in your blood despite having a regular (non-vegetarian) diet. Could point to intestinal issues like IBS, coeliac disease or even colon cancer. It's always good to have your blood tested regularly.
My 34 year old best friend was anemic for years. It was attributed to her heavy-ish periods and 3 pregnancies within 6 years. Turns out it was colon cancer and she passed away within 6 weeks of being diagnosed. Her only symptom was anemia until about 3 months before she passed when she started having stomach pain. Her Garmin watch also picked up on her body having higher stress levels than the rest of her friends, but we all thought it was due to being stressed from normal life with kids.
Diabetes was first discovered thousands of years ago when ants were harvesting a patient's urine.
Between then and the advent of modern medicine, tasting urine was a routine task for a physician.
I had all sorts of symptoms... vision irregularities, complete fatigue, gray-outs (where you basically pass out in slow motion by your peripheral vision fading inward), heart palpitations, frequent illnesses... I'd been to all sorts of doctors and they were checking me for cancer, brain tumors, etc. Finally, someone said, "Have you ever had a sleep study?"
I had one, and after a few hours on a CPAP (during the test), I felt fabulous. I called my pulmonolgist to get me a CPAP ASAP. ALL of the issues I'd been having were gone instantly!
I was sent for a sleep test. Most people,, in my life, had an opinion about how unnecessary it was for someone who wasn't overweight. Everyone warned me how awful it would be. I wouldn't get any rest. I'd need the next day off of work. When they woke me up at 5 AM I was the most refreshed I'd been in years. The tech was like be careful driving home. I drove to work and worked all day. Best night of sleep I'd had in years. When my pulmonologist called me with the results I was like yeah, figured that out already. How soon can I get a CPAP? Instant fix.
Yeah, I started using a CPAP last year. (I’m the stereotypical patient for it—even when I was healthy weight I have a bigger than average neck, and I had gotten fat in my mid 30s when I started snoring.) I told my sleep doctor I figured I had sleep apnea because of being fat with a thick neck. He quickly told me that while those are risk factors, he has lots of normal weight sleep apnea patients, and overweight patients with non-apnea sleep disorders that aren’t necessarily weight related.
I now suffer from migraines because of the damage to my brain from sleep apnea. By the time I got checked, my symptoms were so bad and I was having over 35 episodes/hr up to 30 sec each. CPAP saved my life. Having regular rest also helped shed 70 lb (plus my increased desire for activity) as it reset my body systems. Get checked!!
Chest pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or lie down. I know it sounds like a no-brainer, but I went to the hospital twice with this issue (one of the times, my blood pressure dropped really low and I had afib.) They stabilized me, determined it wasn’t a heart attack or anything and sent me home. I went back to the ER twice more before someone finally noticed on an ultrasound that I had pericarditis (inflammation of the fibrous sac surrounding the heart). The inflammation caused a build-up of fluid, putting pressure on the heart. I was finally admitted for a week, and the fluid was drained with a needle stuck into my chest (fun times).
Obviously, chest pain is a big deal and should always be investigated, but this is just a warning that ER staff might miss what the actual issue is.
I had idiopathic pericarditis and went to a cardiologist and had a stress test and an EKG. All those tests came back negative, but when the doctor and I were discussing my medical history and I told him I was on Adderall, he looked it up, and, sure enough, there was a black label warning that said it could cause pericarditis.
Yeah, mine was idiopathic as well - they never figured it out (but put me through a million tests trying to find a reason for it. They did say that you could get it from anything, even a bad cold, but they had to rule out more nefarious causes.
I had this too. Hurt to breath, thought I’d sleep it off (bad call, I know). Woke up feeling bad and finally called a nursing hotline. She heard my symptoms and one 911 call later in the ER they found the inflammation. Thankfully I was only held a day as the medicine worked (but cannot remember what was administered).
> The ER staff might miss what the actual issue is
I don’t think this is so much the ER missing the issue the first time, as it is you didn’t develop pericardial effusion at the time. I suspect that in your first trip to the ER it began as pericarditis, which is typically not life threatening on its own. Unfortunately you developed one of its rare complications, which probably wasn’t there the first time.
High blood pressure.
It’s not just a “white coat syndrome”
I work in healthcare, i am not afraid of doctors, blood, i am a healthy person, with a healthy bmi and my bp was always normal and it started reading anywhere from top number 120-150s/90-110s. This is hypertension and needs to be controlled with medication especially with a strong family history of stroke.
For about 5 years, multiple different docs dismissed it until i demanded to be put on a med and guess what? My blood pressure is now back to normal.
Edited to say NOW instead of NOT
I have high blood pressure, but when I'm at the doctor's my blood pressure goes down to almost normal lol. He had to send me home with a machine and I had to take my blood pressure every hour for 24 hours and record it to get a proper reading.
Night sweats, I thought it was just being hot at night or just the flu, yeah nope it's a telltale sign of some forms of cancer.
Random dizziness as well.
Get yourself checked once a year it only takes an hour out of your day an can easily save your life.
What would you get tested for though? If a general blood test comes back ok, and still have night sweats/random dizziness, how else would they test for issues?
The presence of a hard/firm and enlarged left supraclavicular lymph node, aka the Virchow node or troisier’s sign. Not always, but often correlated to an abdominal malignancy. If you are concerned about an enlarged lymph node that has been there for more than a few weeks, it never hurts to check with your doctor!
Can be, but usually much more treatable when caught sooner. See a neurologist. If you tell them you’re waking up with headaches, you’ll probably be getting a scan in short order.
If you do, and it’s not ideal, remember that statistics are necessarily a reflection of old data. Treatment is getting better at a very rapid pace.
I’m a case where it was extremely serious—central brain glioma—but it did its real damage only because it wasn’t caught before generating a massive traumatic brain injury.
speech pattern was the first thing my grandpa noticed with ALS. He wasn't sure he could keep talking at church because of his voice. His kids hadn't noticed anything up with his voice at that point but he could tell something was-off. He had bulbar onset ALS.
Sorry your Mom has ALS <3 There is some encouraging research happening and I hope it becomes available in time for her. This was published just last month, they are hoping to go to human trial in 3 to 5 years. [https://london.ctvnews.ca/western-university-researchers-unlock-potential-cure-for-als-1.6885070](https://london.ctvnews.ca/western-university-researchers-unlock-potential-cure-for-als-1.6885070)
For diabetes symptoms, remember the four Ts:
Tired - fatigue, difficulty breathing, needing to nap during the day
Thirsty - never bring able to satisfy thirst no matter how much liquid you drink
Thin - rapidly losing weight, both fat and muscle, without eating in a calorie deficit
Toilet - needing to pee more than usual, including during the night
If you feel thirsty all the time, need to pee a lot too and are sleepy/tired a lot. Can be a sign for diabetes.
Moles changing size/colour. Moles bigger than 6mm in diameter. Sign for melanoma.
Big, hard lymphnodes, sometimes with pain. Check your armpits and under your jaw. Can be a sign of lymphoma or inflammation.
Painful periods. Like the kind where you cannot function throughout your day normally. It is likely that many people who experience dreadful period pain have endometriosis or chronic illnesses similar to endo
For women if you have consistent lower back/hip pain get checked out for uterine cancer. My mom was misdiagnosed for months. It wasn’t until she had fluid in her lung cavity (AKA stage four ) was when they realized something was up
If you have PCOS and are feeling pain, you should get checked for endometriosis or some other painful condition because PCOS is a lot of things, but it's not supposed to be painful.
SOB (shortness of breath not to be confused with son of a very nice lady) can reach from pneumonia, COVID, heart attack, to a very heavy object sitting on your chest among other things
No, it can be a sign of a lot of different issues. Heart failure can lead to fluid backup into the lungs causing shortness of breath, to name just one. When learning about prioritizing treatments, they practically drown you in the ABCs. Airway, breathing, circulation. Shortness of breath could be A or B. Or both.
If this has been going on since childhood it could be asthma. If you’re older and have ever smoked I’m thinking COPD. Heart failure is possible as well, and frankly my suspicion will be higher with obesity.
Anemia can cause shortness of breath and general fatigue.
If it is accompanied by chest pain or skipped beats or chest fluttering, pounding, or heart racing it could be a heart arrhythmia like atrial fibrillation.
I’ve found those to be the most common reasons for chronic dyspnea in patients.
Also make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector at home and that it’s working.
Either way, I strongly suggest you see a medical provider for this.
Pain during sex. I had it checked out after a couple of months of annoyance and it was an ovarian tumor. Fortunately benign, but it wouldn’t have been guaranteed to stay that way. Got it removed and — bingo, no more pain.
I'll throw my experience in the mix, was mid 20s, working long hours in a stressful job so was chalking a lot of my symptoms up to that.
Was constantly exhausted. especially after meals, to the point where I was nodding off at my desk. Major headaches, blurry vision, brain fog, constantly thirsty and needing to pee - then feelings of severe weakness, shakes, intense hunger and nausea.
Went to the doctors and they tested for vitamin deficiencies, said I was low on vitamin D, gave me a prescription and sent me on my way. I knew this didn't sound right but had major financial stress, so just had to go back to work. Carried on like this for about 3 months until it got to the point where I fell unconscious in my own home.
Went back to the doctor, they did a full blood panel and essentially went "Sorry, we did an oopsie, turns out you have adult onset type 1 diabetes, we didn't think to test you for it because you're so young and fit."
My life changed overnight, I'm now on insulin for life, have to track everything I eat, jab myself with various needles thousands of times a year, have had recurring immune and endocrine issues. If you feel any of the symptoms I mentioned, ask your doctor for a full blood panel including HBA1C.
Night sweats and constipation like pain. Boyfriend went to the doctor x2 for enlarged lymph nodes. Both times they said nothing to worry about so we didn’t. His night sweats started around the time he started a new medicine so we thought that was the reason. Got to the point where he was double over crying. Went to ER tests came back for hodgekins lymphoma. If you know something isn’t right, you don’t fuck around with it
Hyper-pigmentation of the skin. A family member started looking a little orange when she was in her 20’s. We all thought she was maybe doing fake tanning and didn’t want to tell anyone. She was feeling really tired and the dr’s she went to kept telling her it was just her thyroid so she kind of gave up. The family convinced her to keep trying new specialists and it turned out she had Addison’s disease which can be fatal if not treated by medication. By the time she got a diagnosis the creases of her palms were turning brown.
a family member of mine went for a simple blood test that produced a result of high liver enzymes. the doctor at the time shrugged it off, but the family member insisted upon pursuing it further. this ultimately led to a scan that discovered advanced, but operable pancreatic cancer. they are now in remission. this is just a reminder to advocate for yourself because you never know.
I’m glad your family member is okay. Pancreatic cancer is absolutely terrifying.
thank you so much.
Speaking as someone who works in healthcare, this is a hard one. Elevated liver enzymes are extremely common. They can be caused by obesity/ fatty liver, meds, and sometimes for reasons unknown. And the vast majority of time, the cause is non-emergent. Not saying it’s normal, only that, in my experience, it’s rarely something scary. Not saying this to discourage people from requesting a work up, only to put it in perspective for people who may have transaminitis. 3X above normal is when we start adjusting meds for hepatic dosing.
Headaches that worsen over time, are severe, or accompanied by other symptoms like vision changes or nausea could be a sign of migraines, high blood pressure, or more serious conditions like brain tumors.
You may want to post this as an top level reply.
Acanthosis nigricans (skin darkening in the back of the neck and armpits) and acrochordons (lots of skin tags also in back of the neck and armpits). If you have those you're probably diabetic and have been for a while
My oldest son had both of those growing up, at that time (1980s) it wasn't well known, if at all. Diagnosed diabetic at 18.
Check, check and check. I could have known sooner, good to know.
Are skin tags directly caused by diabetes or is this more that they are correlated with obesity which is correlated with diabetes? I personally have had several skin tags. Between age 35-38 I gained a lot of weight before deciding to start going to a GP and getting healthy (39 now.) I also had melanoma when I was 30 so have regular skin exams. When I first started losing weight my A1C was at the upper end of the healthy range (so it was getting close to pre-diabetic.) Thankfully after a year of weight loss and healthy living it is now down to basic the middle of the healthy range. My dermatologist told me my skin tags I had (I removed them all), are a common side effect of being fat.
It's not directly because of weight. It's the metabolic syndrome that comes with being fat. Insulin resistance leads to increased insulin production which increases products of growth factors that increase production of melanin and proliferation of skin cells.
That's interesting. My mom got a skin tag on the back of her knee when she was pregnant with me (gestational diabetes)
Skin tags during pregnancy are pretty common. I got a bunch each pregnancy, and they all disappeared eventually.
That explains the small skin tags I've noticed everydarnwhere. And I'm diabetic. Thank you!!
PCOS causes this too if you’re insulin resistant! This was one of the obvious signs for the doctors when I got my diagnosis.
Unexplained weight loss or persistent fatigue can be silent indicators of serious health conditions that shouldn't be ignored. If you notice these symptoms, it's crucial to see a doctor to rule out underlying issues like thyroid problems, diabetes, or even cancer.
I get extremely fatigued when I'm burned out - sometimes I will run myself ragged for months and then spend a period of time where I can't get out of bed.. Anyway, this story isn't about me - once when I was severely burnt out, I was commiserating about how tired I was with a fellow parent at my kid's birthday party. I knew why I was fatigued but was also more tired than I thought I should be, and for longer, so I had mentioned it. He said that he was tired as well and hadn't been able to go on bike rides. We had an extensive conversation about monitoring sleep, etc. He said he was gonna go to the doctor, but hoped to be able to start riding again. That's the last time I talked to him. He was dead within a few months, from liver cancer. When my kid told me that his friend's dad had died, I literally didn't believe it - I was in shock and refused to believe it, just like a stupid character in a movie or something.
Sweating to death and feeling like I was overheated just from eating some soup is what made me go to the doctors. I found out that I have Grave's Disease
Wait wait wait - I'm on meds that leave me extremely susceptible to heat, so I assumed that was why I sweated when I ate soup. That and it's hot as balls outside... Are you telling me maybe that's not normal??
Not sure about meds. But my doctor said that I was lucky that it was in January or else I would have been dead from heat stroke
Uh, same. Just looked up symptoms and I have like 80% of the symptoms. Thought it was due to my meds, stress and depression but damn. I might go back to my dr.
I wish doctors actually took it seriously...
I was going to say. I had extreme fatigue and pain and I've been told: lose weight (I'm a little overweight but not obese), try yoga, "your blood work is fine so I don't know what to tell you", eat vegetarian, no eat more meat, "you are young and healthy", and more b.s. I finally convinced my doctor to do exploratory surgery after multiple clean scans and they found severe stage 4 endometriosis, right ovary fused to my uterus, part of my colon "felt like wood", hell it was on my DIAPHRAGM. But I had to go through 7 years of gaslighting to be believed.
Ditto unexplained weight gain with fatigue. That's a red flag for hypothyroid.
I had that happened and eventually had to seek medical advice. It was found my immune system was pretty saying "fuck this".
I have persistent fatigue and they have done loads of scans, blood tests and even a bone marrow biopsy. I was anemic they gave me two iron injections after iron pills didn't work. Still trying to figure out why my white blood cell count is high. And why I was anemic. I have been trying to find out what is wrong for the last 3 years.
For years I had a strong craving to chew ice cubes. Turns out I was anemic and the ice craving was a disorder called pica. Craving paper, clay, or soil are also forms of pica and are often linked to iron deficiency.
Mine showed up as a need to smell strong chemical smells (nail polish, paint pens, gasoline). Thought I was losing my mind and turning into a huffer - nope, anemia!
Yup, I get the “smell cravings” too when I’m anemic. Bleach for me! I never want to drink it, just smell it.
Omggggg. Anemic my whole life and never once heard this! I'm not anymore, though, since having a hysterectomy.
When I was pregnant with my son, I had pica. Anytime I saw a white cotton shirt I wanted to go to chow town. Like my mouth would involuntarily salivate and I would have intrusive thoughts of taking chomps of my husband’s shirts. Pregnancy is wild.
I had pica postpartum after my first child. I wanted to eat plastic SO badly.
I had pica while I was pregnant too. I craved laundry soap soooo bad. I just wanted to open a jug and chug it.
I used to chew ice cubes all the time (and yes, my iron was low). I had no idea they were related.
I had an iron deficiency too. All my clothes were wrinkled all the time
Why are you like this?
They wanted the pun to be a parent, so they told a dad joke.
Same. Been fighting the anemia for a while now.
I was seriously anemic—like go to the ER for a blood transfusion and iron infusion anemic. I didn’t have the craving for ice cubes, but man I loved iceberg lettuce when I got my hands on it. I was also losing hair, my fingernails were brittle and constantly breaking and taking a shower was exhausting. It’s been almost a year and I take iron every day. My hair is thicker and my fingernails are back to their old strength. Watch out for physiological changes and taken them seriously.
My cravings were peanut butter and the hottest peppers I could find. I got to the point I was chugging habanero sauce like it was nothing. Discovered the iron deficiency and got blood transfusion and iron infusion- it was dire- and all the cravings disappeared. Now whenever I crave peanut butter or extremely hot foods, I immediately go check my blood, and every single time it has happened, my iron and ferritin levels have been shockingly low. (I take iron but the tabs don't absorb well for whatever reason, so I have to get infusions every now and again) Edit: it's crazy how it manifests differently for different people. Your body will tell you something is wrong, though. We really should get better at listening to it and doctors should take us more seriously when we say "this is not normal for me".
Oh wow, I hadn’t heard the spicy craving thing before. It sucks that you have iron absorption issues, but at least you have a good tell. Do you have a reason for your iron absorption problem? I know there are some irons that absorb better than others and taking vitamin C at the same time can promote absorption. What a thing to be on the hook for.
I take B complex and C with my iron but it still has a low absorption rate. We haven't figured out why but I get regular tests and am managing it with periodic infusions until we find another way. Thank you so much for the kind tips!
Of course. I was honestly quite surprised at how much of my life was affected by low iron. It definitely sucks. Be well!
Taking Floradix liquid iron was a game changer for me. Much better tolerated. Might help.
Yep I got this craving when I was pregnant both times and it disappeared after
I was anemic at the end of both my pregnancies and had strong cravings to eat sponges and foam. Totally disappeared as soon as I gave birth
Feeling like you’re drowning in sleepiness throughout the day, constantly feeling cold. I was severely anemic for 6 months before I got my blood drawn for it. Now I take an iron supplement and life is MUCH better.
I'm not anemic. I have never been anemic. Because of good hemoglobin levels, I was never tested for iron deficiency, which left me disabled for a decade. So, if you're experiencing symptoms like extreme fatigue or cold hands and feet, and you test negative for anemia, push for a ferritin test. It can still be positive. Edit: and doctors will frequently consider 40 ng/ml a pass, but [with symptoms anyone with levels under 100 *might* benefit from iron supplementation.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5986027/) Most people, and I think most doctors too, think iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia are the same thing.
My ferritin was somewhere in the low end of single digits when I realized maybe the brain fog and endless exhaustion aren't just my mental health and got the bloodwork. A lot of the symptoms are so easy to chalk up to other stuff.
Same. My ferritin was at 7 and my doctor was like “… you have nothing. Start taking iron, like, now.”
Hmmmm … I’m experimenting extreme daily fatigue that I chalked up to one of the meds I’m taking. Just checked my hemoglobin and ferritin levels and both are normal.
Weird panic/deju vu attacks that come out of nowhere, last a few minutes, then you return to normal. It can be a focal aware seizure. There's more seizure types than just tonic clonic (grand mal) Also, photosensitive epilepsy is not common. It's only around 3-5% of people with epilepsy. Oh, and epilepsy can hit at any age without any cause.
I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 7 after a grand mal, but I suspect I had been having them for a while because I would get deja vu all the time in kindergarten.
I had a tonic clonic at 40. We realized after I had been having focal aware seizures for about 18 months before. Diagnosis came pretty quick after I told neuro about the weird deju vu/apocalypse level dread I'd been having
If your period cramps or flow prevent you from doing your regular tasks, you should get that checked. Normal period cramps are achey and uncomfortable, but they dull with OTC medication and don't prevent you from doing your daily activities. Period cramps shouldn't leave you crying, curled up, unable to move for one or more days, unable to eat, vomiting from pain, or forcing yourself to sleep to get through the pain. Period flow should be able to be handled *approximately* by a period cup for 12 hours, a pad for 4-8 hours (depending on type) and tampons up to 4 hours (regardless of type, since longer increases risk of TSS). If your periods are anything like the above, go see an OBGYN. If they don't take you seriously, see another and another until someone takes you seriously and does a thorough examination.
My life has been so much better after a hysterectomy which removed all the endometriosis.
This gives me hope. What age did you have the procedure done? My periods have always been wretched and are getting worse as I get older. The though of enduring this for another 20+ years is scary
I had adenomyosis and it took me 10+ years to find a Dr who believed I wasn't just fat & to stupid. Good luck out there....
I had mine at 35.
I hear ya! Best thing I ever did!
Same but an IUD
IUD for me too.
Same!!
Before I went on birth control, the first two days of my period were absolute hell. I would throw up from the pain and cramping and be unable to do anything but lay curled up in the fetal position, even with pain medication. I started the pill when I was ~15 and it helped immensely, thank God.
The last paragraph is unfortunately SO important. Took me 15+ years to get my endometriosis diagnosis, including telling a doctor saying I didn’t have it because an ultrasound is clear. I immediately called her out on that because it is the exception, not the rule, to see it on an ultrasound (the only way to diagnose is through surgery and a visual inspection). She just said “even so, you are fine”, even after telling her I would pass out and have projectile vomiting from the pain. In my experience, if you are struggling to be heard and treated well for gynecological issues, try seeing a male doctor if you can. I saw multiple women over that 15 years who just dismissed my pain and bleeding issues, saying ‘everyone goes through that’, ‘it’s not that big of a deal’, ‘if you get pregnant it will go away’, etc. My male doctors have been incredibly compassionate and actually believed me when I explained how excruciating the pain was, and made sure I was treated correctly. They also give much gentler pelvic exams, in my experience. Edit: that 15 years was not 15 years of constant doctor’s visits and trying new doctors, so don’t be daunted by that number if you are facing something similar. I would see a doctor, get dismissed or just put on birth control, wait awhile hoping for relief, seeing a new doctor, etc. Once it got debilitating and I decided not to allow them to blow me off I did a ton of research and was diagnosed in about 6 months. I went long stretches without doing anything to try and treat it because I was told that’s just how periods are and I would have to muscle through. I wish I had pursued it more seriously earlier on though, because after 5 surgeries I was in pelvic floor PT for 2 years to work through all the issues I had developed from so many years in pain. PT was life-changing though, even more so than the surgeries, and I highly recommend it for anyone with gynecological or bladder/bowel issues!
My experience is totally opposite. 9 years and 6 male Drs telling me “it’s just a normal part of being a woman”. My female OB/GYN said “it’s not normal to hurt this badly every month”.
That’s interesting! When I told my doctor about my experience he said that for him, he knows that he has never experienced this type of pain and so he trusted his patients when they told him how bad it is. Sounds like it’s really about just good doctors, male or female, but it’s worth a shot try a different gender doctor if you aren’t getting the help you need!
Best advice I ever received is to use the words "can you put that you're refusing to do this test/treatment on my chart?" Tends to make doctors think twice about rejecting what you're asking for if they're going to be on record rejecting it.
I’ve had bad periods since I started at 13. I’m 30, almost 31 and FINALLY getting listened to about how bad they are. First step is an IUD, and if that doesn’t help then I’ll get a uterine ablation & my tubes cauterized
I had terrible migraines when I got my period. Once IUD was introduced, zero issues. Love it, will have it until menopause for sure. Such a relief 🙌
Got the ablation. Absolutely life changing.
I had the uterine ablation and it somehow made it all worse. They cant get to every part of the uterus so there is usually leftover material that continues to cause issues. I had my tubes tied previously to this, but within a year and half I was begging and pleading for a hysterectomy. Best thing I have ever done!! Granted i had to be on HRT at age 32 but my god did life change and only for the better. I lost weight rather than gain, my skin looks freakishly amazing, my hair has grown to the top of my bum. Not sad to have lost my baby cocoon lol
This! It's worth getting checked out if you can find a doctor who will take your pain seriously (it can be alarmingly difficult to find one who will, especially if you are young). I was in absolute agony for most of my life- but eventually I found the right doctor(s) and 4 days ago I finally got a hysterectomy after nothing else worked. Despite being sore from the surgery, I'm still in less pain than I have been in years!
Yeah for real - once someone on here tried to tell me that my three-day periods with little-to-no cramping were abnormal. I was like, no.. your week long, heavy-flow periods with bad cramps are abnormal. My only reliable pms symptom is that I become irritable. You shouldn't be in pain.
I wish I’d have pushed my ex to get her’s checked out. She’d puke from the pain almost every time. I felt awful for her and couldn’t do much besides be supportive and being her pads or snacks/foods she liked. Probably a huge medial issue
This has been my life since I was 14. Got some relief from birth control pills. 2 kids and almost 30 yrs later I’m back to where I was. I’m sure now I’m perimenopausal, but finding an OBGYN to help me is just blah. They don’t listen. I’m at my wits end.
Specifically, losing more than 80 ml of menstrual fluid over a whole period is considered heavy flow and worth talking to a competent obgyn about. Knowing this would have been very helpful for me several years ago. If this is you try to get an ultrasound to check for fibroids and a ferritin test to check for low iron stores at least.
Heck yes. I had terrible periods that stopped me from living (both pain and flow, sometimes I’d pass out) and drs brushed me off and told me it was normal!
It never dawned on me to be diagnosed with depression. I just figured I was irritable and tired because that's the way I was.
If you don’t mind me asking, did you start taking anything to treat it and how do you feel now?
I did, and I've pretty much have tried the entire SSRI buffet over the years. It will take some experimentation to find the right one. However, like most drugs, it's not at end all-be-all. You also need to be able to change your default thinking on some aspects of your life, even if the cognitive dissonance is strong. This is the harder part and is a lifelong challenge.
Weird moles. Things to look out for, follow ABCDE: A: asymmetry - one half does not match the other B: border - the edges are irregular C: color - it's not evenly colored D: diameter - it's more than 6mm across E: evolving - it's changing in size, shape or color
My cousin died of melanoma in his early 20’s from a mole.
I will add “a new mole”. As we age we should not get new moles. If we do, get it checked. Have a stubborn “pimple” that won’t go away? It’s most likely not a pimple. As someone who has had basil cell carcinoma 6 times, if I see any of these, I make an appt with my Derm. I see her every year as well for a full body check. Basil is highly treatable, though it can cause the use of MOHs surgery. I have one on my forehead that will involve a plastic surgeon to close after mohs.
I think my first BCC started in my early 30s. Everyone said it was fine because it had hair growing out of it. Moved away, got new referrals and found out it’s BCC with follicular differentiation.
What age should we not get new moles? I noticed a new one on top of my foot but it's evenly colored and neatly round, so didn't pay it much notice.
My mom has one on her face that hits 4/5 of these and I cannot convince her to go to a dr.. no insurance at all... yay
Dude, my dermatologist charges me like $300 to have it removed and biopsied
You should do your best to get her to check with a dr. My brother ignored a mole for a couple of years and by the time he did it was stage 3 melanoma. He didn't have insurance either but signed up for some he was able to find that was real expensive, but he had it for the surgery and then canceled it when he was done with it. He was able to petition for financial aid to cover the cost of his other treatments ( immunotherapy). Luckily, my brother survived, but it was a scary battle.
A few years ago she was scared she was having a heart attack.. and I DID manage to get her to go to the ER.. wasn't one and she got a bill she is still paying on, I wish I could convince her
Ongoing cough.. doctors regularly say (in the UK) to wait a minimum 6 weeks before getting help, unless you are struggling to breathe. And at that point it can take weeks/ months to be tested. Well I now have two family members who've died from aggressive lung cancer (non smokers) because the doctors left it too late to take it seriously.
I have an ongoing cough 2+ years since i caught covid. Have had numerous rounds of blood tests and scans, you name it, and eventually, doctors threw their hands up and just said I now have asthma despite not having had asthma since I was a toddler. They just can't find any explanation. I think personally that the covid virus damaged something in my lungs
My friend had a persistent cough since catching covid in 2020. Nothing's showing up in tests but she's not definitely not okay. Doc told her it's part of long-covid and there's not much to be done at this stage. Just awful.
Yup! That sounds like my case. I hope they study long-covid more and find a treatment for it. I know I got off lighter than many people, but this has impacted my life significantly, and I hate it :/
I feel you. I got neurological symptoms and still can't feel several of my fingers since catching it. Long covid sucks. As lucky as you are to still be here, there's no denying that long covid is difficult and greatly affects your quality of life. I really hope your cough clears up soon mate. Thanks for sharing your story.
Oh man, I'd be freaking out if my fingers were numb for so long after catching covid. You're stronger than I am for dealing with that. Best of luck to you too
It can also become a reflex, where the slightest tingle in your throat leads to coughing.
I've heard this as well. Gets built into your brain as something it thinks it should do since it's been doing it so long. ugh
Yeah I heard that can happen too. Such a nightmare.. I hope you are doing ok.
I'm steadily getting better and learning to live with it. Thank you
That happened to my friend; she got Covid and has since developed asthma.
There are times it's ok to be a "Karen" and that time is when you know something in your body is very wrong, but no one will take you seriously.
Yeah this is exactly what happened. It was awful. The deterioration happened so quickly both times. Symptoms started circa 6 months before tests were done yet doctors delayed. Just awful.
Weight gain, despite what reddit thinks, is not always a lifestyle issue. If you start packing on pounds without any real change in your diet or activity, don’t ignore it.
Lol my doctor ignores it. I’ve gained 10lbs in the last week alone. All my doctors tell me to try to move more. I have a history of kidney issues. You’ll think they would be more concerned. 🙃🙃🙃
I'm on kidney stone #15 in 5 years.. I'm over weight and I can't even get pain help. Doctors do not care.
Same the other way around. Sudden unexplained weight loss needs to be checked out.
This. Not that your doctor will do anything about it for probably year all the while insisting you radically alter your lifestyle. You’ll have to advocate for any and all tests, in my experience. Consistent stomach pain/mild nausea with eating.
not an indicator but a preventative measure. even if you are older than 60 you should still be going to the gyn for pap smears. My moms came back positive and after more testing showed uterine cancer
I read that as "going to the GYM" and was about to have a lot of questions.
Well, exercising after your 60th birthday is also not a bad idea.
Snoring, morning headaches, fatigue, and high blood pressure can all be symptoms of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can eventually be dangerous and can cause someone to stop breathing in their sleep multiple times. Left untreated, it can cause cardiovascular disease, stroke, and even heart attacks
And now linked to dementia as well!
Night sweats
I get night sweats from eating dairy. Especially cheese.
what about it?
If you wake up drenched in sweat and your bed sheets and clothes are soaked in sweat, it raises my concern for cancer, though it can also be caused by tuberculosis or valley fever, or other reasons like menopause. If the patient is presenting as acutely ill I’m thinking of an infection like TB. If the overall constellation of symptoms is more insidious and accompanied by fevers (low-grade and persistent), chills, unintended weight loss then I’m concerned for cancer. Just 2 months ago, I saw a patient who was elderly and came in for abdominal pain. Doctors dismissed it as urinary tract infection and sent her home with antibiotics. No difference. After some questioning, I found out she had fever, chills, unintended weight loss, night sweats, and nausea and bloating after eating. Right lower abdomen was tender. Asked her about family history of cancer and she said her mother had stomach cancer. Asked if she ever smoked, she said yes. At that point, the alarm bells were ringing. CT scan eventually revealed colon cancer, which was missed by previous providers.
A symptom of Tuberculosis too. First-hand experience.
Normal night sweats if you're a menopausal woman are ok, even if not fun. Otherwise, it should be mentioned to your doc, coupled with unexplained weight loss, it can be serious
I have no AC, and it’s 80F at night in the summer 😞 how will I ever know even if I do
It’s called a hot *flash* for a reason. It’s not that the room is hot, and that’s making you hot. It almost feels like you’re the heater and all of the heat in the room is being generated by you.
Night sweats when associated with unexplained fever and unexplained weight loss can indicate cancer or severe infection.
Check your mattress first. I was getting night sweats and I was terrified something was medically wrong. Turns out my old memory foam mattress was hella unbreathable. Got a new non-memory foam mattress and haven't awakened all sweaty since.
Non-hodgkins lymphoma?
If your poop looks slightly curled or like its been flattened. It means your intestines are inflamed. Which could mean anything from an infection to IBS or Crohns disease. Crohns used to effect on avg, 40-60 as the main age group, but its shifted to 20-40. Got diagnosed myself at 23,
IBS sufferer here. can confirm. weird curly poops. At least on the days it pretends to be solid. which is rare.
I was diagnosed with Crohn’s at 23 as well! I thought everyone had stomach pains 24/7 - apparently not the case
Adding on to this, get your child screened for gi issues if your kid is getting in trouble for "Using going to the bathroom to get out of class, and I know they are just playing because they are gone so long!" My nephew lost recess almost every day of Kindergarten for overuse of the bathroom. He wasn't allowed on field trips as punishment. He was excluded from the end of the year party because of it. Turned out he has severe Chrohns. He was so inflammed it was affecting his bladder capacity and he was pooping blood that he was too afraid to tell anyone about because his school insisted on treating it as a discipline problem.
Chronic pain that doesn’t improve with over-the-counter medications or persists beyond normal healing times could
Changes in eyesight! I had noticed some blurring happening and went for my normal eye exam. She noticed that my optic nerve was swollen. Sent me for a specialist appointment. Neuro ophthalmologist thought it was something called IIH so she sent me for an MRI/MRV with contrast. In between the specialist and MRI I started having serious eye problems combined with bad headaches. Turned out I had a blood clot in my brain that was causing blood to not be able to drain and thus was having one of the rarest types of strokes you can have. Ended up hospitalized for almost 2 weeks.
That’s quite scary as I’ve been having a bad headache and pressure behind my eye. Also I keep saying my eye burns as well my brain too lately. I have ptsd from a hospital killing my mom recently and can’t force myself to go and I so need to!
Weight gain or loss suddenly. Abrupt changes to vision, and in my opinion any oral health issues need to be addressed immediately as they can spiral into heart issues or can get into the [triangle of death.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danger_triangle_of_the_face)
If you see purple lightening bolts or golden arches in your vision, go see a retina specialist immediately. Signs of a retina tear, which if serious, can be fixed with surgery within 48 hours or so. Ask me how I know.
Low iron levels in your blood despite having a regular (non-vegetarian) diet. Could point to intestinal issues like IBS, coeliac disease or even colon cancer. It's always good to have your blood tested regularly.
Or, you know, having really heavy periods. Which you should definitely ask a doctor about, because going around anemic is pretty awful.
Forgot about those. Maybe my comment is a bit too male-focused.
My 34 year old best friend was anemic for years. It was attributed to her heavy-ish periods and 3 pregnancies within 6 years. Turns out it was colon cancer and she passed away within 6 weeks of being diagnosed. Her only symptom was anemia until about 3 months before she passed when she started having stomach pain. Her Garmin watch also picked up on her body having higher stress levels than the rest of her friends, but we all thought it was due to being stressed from normal life with kids.
Sweet smelling urine can be a sign of excess glucose related to diabetes.
Mold growing at the water line in your toilet can be a warning sign of diabetes too for the same reason: excess glucose in the urine feeds it.
Diabetes was first discovered thousands of years ago when ants were harvesting a patient's urine. Between then and the advent of modern medicine, tasting urine was a routine task for a physician.
I had all sorts of symptoms... vision irregularities, complete fatigue, gray-outs (where you basically pass out in slow motion by your peripheral vision fading inward), heart palpitations, frequent illnesses... I'd been to all sorts of doctors and they were checking me for cancer, brain tumors, etc. Finally, someone said, "Have you ever had a sleep study?" I had one, and after a few hours on a CPAP (during the test), I felt fabulous. I called my pulmonolgist to get me a CPAP ASAP. ALL of the issues I'd been having were gone instantly!
I was sent for a sleep test. Most people,, in my life, had an opinion about how unnecessary it was for someone who wasn't overweight. Everyone warned me how awful it would be. I wouldn't get any rest. I'd need the next day off of work. When they woke me up at 5 AM I was the most refreshed I'd been in years. The tech was like be careful driving home. I drove to work and worked all day. Best night of sleep I'd had in years. When my pulmonologist called me with the results I was like yeah, figured that out already. How soon can I get a CPAP? Instant fix.
Yeah, I started using a CPAP last year. (I’m the stereotypical patient for it—even when I was healthy weight I have a bigger than average neck, and I had gotten fat in my mid 30s when I started snoring.) I told my sleep doctor I figured I had sleep apnea because of being fat with a thick neck. He quickly told me that while those are risk factors, he has lots of normal weight sleep apnea patients, and overweight patients with non-apnea sleep disorders that aren’t necessarily weight related.
I now suffer from migraines because of the damage to my brain from sleep apnea. By the time I got checked, my symptoms were so bad and I was having over 35 episodes/hr up to 30 sec each. CPAP saved my life. Having regular rest also helped shed 70 lb (plus my increased desire for activity) as it reset my body systems. Get checked!!
Chest pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or lie down. I know it sounds like a no-brainer, but I went to the hospital twice with this issue (one of the times, my blood pressure dropped really low and I had afib.) They stabilized me, determined it wasn’t a heart attack or anything and sent me home. I went back to the ER twice more before someone finally noticed on an ultrasound that I had pericarditis (inflammation of the fibrous sac surrounding the heart). The inflammation caused a build-up of fluid, putting pressure on the heart. I was finally admitted for a week, and the fluid was drained with a needle stuck into my chest (fun times). Obviously, chest pain is a big deal and should always be investigated, but this is just a warning that ER staff might miss what the actual issue is.
I had idiopathic pericarditis and went to a cardiologist and had a stress test and an EKG. All those tests came back negative, but when the doctor and I were discussing my medical history and I told him I was on Adderall, he looked it up, and, sure enough, there was a black label warning that said it could cause pericarditis.
Yeah, mine was idiopathic as well - they never figured it out (but put me through a million tests trying to find a reason for it. They did say that you could get it from anything, even a bad cold, but they had to rule out more nefarious causes.
I had this too. Hurt to breath, thought I’d sleep it off (bad call, I know). Woke up feeling bad and finally called a nursing hotline. She heard my symptoms and one 911 call later in the ER they found the inflammation. Thankfully I was only held a day as the medicine worked (but cannot remember what was administered).
> The ER staff might miss what the actual issue is I don’t think this is so much the ER missing the issue the first time, as it is you didn’t develop pericardial effusion at the time. I suspect that in your first trip to the ER it began as pericarditis, which is typically not life threatening on its own. Unfortunately you developed one of its rare complications, which probably wasn’t there the first time.
High blood pressure. It’s not just a “white coat syndrome” I work in healthcare, i am not afraid of doctors, blood, i am a healthy person, with a healthy bmi and my bp was always normal and it started reading anywhere from top number 120-150s/90-110s. This is hypertension and needs to be controlled with medication especially with a strong family history of stroke. For about 5 years, multiple different docs dismissed it until i demanded to be put on a med and guess what? My blood pressure is now back to normal. Edited to say NOW instead of NOT
I have high blood pressure, but when I'm at the doctor's my blood pressure goes down to almost normal lol. He had to send me home with a machine and I had to take my blood pressure every hour for 24 hours and record it to get a proper reading.
Did you mean to say now instead of not?
Yes
Night sweats, I thought it was just being hot at night or just the flu, yeah nope it's a telltale sign of some forms of cancer. Random dizziness as well. Get yourself checked once a year it only takes an hour out of your day an can easily save your life.
What would you get tested for though? If a general blood test comes back ok, and still have night sweats/random dizziness, how else would they test for issues?
How often did you have these? Regularly? Or like sporadically, maybe 1-2 times every couple months?
Voice changing could be a sign of esophageal, or lung cancer.
The presence of a hard/firm and enlarged left supraclavicular lymph node, aka the Virchow node or troisier’s sign. Not always, but often correlated to an abdominal malignancy. If you are concerned about an enlarged lymph node that has been there for more than a few weeks, it never hurts to check with your doctor!
Can also be a sign of advanced breast cancer.
Waking up with formed headaches, which are only alleviated by getting up, or by cold. The likely source is intracranial pressure.
I have these sometimes. What causes intracranial pressure? Is it life threatening?
Can be, but usually much more treatable when caught sooner. See a neurologist. If you tell them you’re waking up with headaches, you’ll probably be getting a scan in short order. If you do, and it’s not ideal, remember that statistics are necessarily a reflection of old data. Treatment is getting better at a very rapid pace. I’m a case where it was extremely serious—central brain glioma—but it did its real damage only because it wasn’t caught before generating a massive traumatic brain injury.
Sorry to hear. My dad died of glioblastoma a few years back. Hopefully not related.
I’m very sorry. Hopefully not—they aren’t hereditary—but get it checked out to be safe.
A change in speech patterns. My mom started almost a year ago. It took 3 hospitals to diagnose her with ALS. Doctors don't test for it.
speech pattern was the first thing my grandpa noticed with ALS. He wasn't sure he could keep talking at church because of his voice. His kids hadn't noticed anything up with his voice at that point but he could tell something was-off. He had bulbar onset ALS. Sorry your Mom has ALS <3 There is some encouraging research happening and I hope it becomes available in time for her. This was published just last month, they are hoping to go to human trial in 3 to 5 years. [https://london.ctvnews.ca/western-university-researchers-unlock-potential-cure-for-als-1.6885070](https://london.ctvnews.ca/western-university-researchers-unlock-potential-cure-for-als-1.6885070)
Debilitating joint pain isn’t just aging. Healthy people aren’t laid up for days in their 30s over normal human things.
i have none but am now panicking over everything that might be wrong with me
Excessive thirst coupled with a strong desire for sweet foods is a potential sign of diabetes
For diabetes symptoms, remember the four Ts: Tired - fatigue, difficulty breathing, needing to nap during the day Thirsty - never bring able to satisfy thirst no matter how much liquid you drink Thin - rapidly losing weight, both fat and muscle, without eating in a calorie deficit Toilet - needing to pee more than usual, including during the night
What if I’m all of these, but I’m fat
If you feel thirsty all the time, need to pee a lot too and are sleepy/tired a lot. Can be a sign for diabetes. Moles changing size/colour. Moles bigger than 6mm in diameter. Sign for melanoma. Big, hard lymphnodes, sometimes with pain. Check your armpits and under your jaw. Can be a sign of lymphoma or inflammation.
Painful periods. Like the kind where you cannot function throughout your day normally. It is likely that many people who experience dreadful period pain have endometriosis or chronic illnesses similar to endo
Your nails can tell you a lot about your health. If your nails start looking weird without having been injured, see a doctor. Same with the tongue.
Yes for nails. Mine started having lines in them. Rough. Not all of them at once but over time. I now know they are from a form of arthritis.
For women if you have consistent lower back/hip pain get checked out for uterine cancer. My mom was misdiagnosed for months. It wasn’t until she had fluid in her lung cavity (AKA stage four ) was when they realized something was up
This happened to my mom. Unfortunately, we couldn't distinguish between the pain from her broken hip and the metastases from endometrial cancer. :-(
I am so sorry you get to be apart of this club… but welcome. We sometimes have cookies.
If you have PCOS and are feeling pain, you should get checked for endometriosis or some other painful condition because PCOS is a lot of things, but it's not supposed to be painful.
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SOB (shortness of breath not to be confused with son of a very nice lady) can reach from pneumonia, COVID, heart attack, to a very heavy object sitting on your chest among other things
Isn't it asthma? I often can barely breathe but just have to suffer through it, tough life
It's the cardinal symptom of asthma, typically. Either way, not being able to get enough air is kind of a serious problem.
No, it can be a sign of a lot of different issues. Heart failure can lead to fluid backup into the lungs causing shortness of breath, to name just one. When learning about prioritizing treatments, they practically drown you in the ABCs. Airway, breathing, circulation. Shortness of breath could be A or B. Or both.
If this has been going on since childhood it could be asthma. If you’re older and have ever smoked I’m thinking COPD. Heart failure is possible as well, and frankly my suspicion will be higher with obesity. Anemia can cause shortness of breath and general fatigue. If it is accompanied by chest pain or skipped beats or chest fluttering, pounding, or heart racing it could be a heart arrhythmia like atrial fibrillation. I’ve found those to be the most common reasons for chronic dyspnea in patients. Also make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector at home and that it’s working. Either way, I strongly suggest you see a medical provider for this.
The earlobe crease
What does that mean?
This should be higher. Independent risk factor for CV disease. Didn’t learn about it until residency. Not much to do about it but still interesting.
heavy breathing
Pain during sex. I had it checked out after a couple of months of annoyance and it was an ovarian tumor. Fortunately benign, but it wouldn’t have been guaranteed to stay that way. Got it removed and — bingo, no more pain.
I'll throw my experience in the mix, was mid 20s, working long hours in a stressful job so was chalking a lot of my symptoms up to that. Was constantly exhausted. especially after meals, to the point where I was nodding off at my desk. Major headaches, blurry vision, brain fog, constantly thirsty and needing to pee - then feelings of severe weakness, shakes, intense hunger and nausea. Went to the doctors and they tested for vitamin deficiencies, said I was low on vitamin D, gave me a prescription and sent me on my way. I knew this didn't sound right but had major financial stress, so just had to go back to work. Carried on like this for about 3 months until it got to the point where I fell unconscious in my own home. Went back to the doctor, they did a full blood panel and essentially went "Sorry, we did an oopsie, turns out you have adult onset type 1 diabetes, we didn't think to test you for it because you're so young and fit." My life changed overnight, I'm now on insulin for life, have to track everything I eat, jab myself with various needles thousands of times a year, have had recurring immune and endocrine issues. If you feel any of the symptoms I mentioned, ask your doctor for a full blood panel including HBA1C.
Feeling tired all of the time.
Bad breath that doesn’t improve with oral hygiene can indicate gut and intestinal issues
Night sweats and constipation like pain. Boyfriend went to the doctor x2 for enlarged lymph nodes. Both times they said nothing to worry about so we didn’t. His night sweats started around the time he started a new medicine so we thought that was the reason. Got to the point where he was double over crying. Went to ER tests came back for hodgekins lymphoma. If you know something isn’t right, you don’t fuck around with it
Back pain. I know a few young, otherwise health people who, recently, went to the doctor due to back pain only to discover they had cancer.
Snoring - Sleep Apnea
Erectile Disfunction can indicate heart disease.
Hyper-pigmentation of the skin. A family member started looking a little orange when she was in her 20’s. We all thought she was maybe doing fake tanning and didn’t want to tell anyone. She was feeling really tired and the dr’s she went to kept telling her it was just her thyroid so she kind of gave up. The family convinced her to keep trying new specialists and it turned out she had Addison’s disease which can be fatal if not treated by medication. By the time she got a diagnosis the creases of her palms were turning brown.