Ask the Shaman

Discussion in 'Everything Else' started by bfun, Feb 10, 2011.

  1. So whenever I bend down with any weight on my left knee I get sharp pains that usually runs to the left of my knee cap. Sometime it runs to the right. It's a distinct pain that feels like something bad has happened. Did I tear something? I've had torn cartilage in that knee before but this feels different.
     
  2. Do you remember injuring the knee? Did you hear a pop? Any swelling or bruising? Any athletic activities that put stress on your knees? Is the pain just to the left or the right of the knee cap, or do you also feel it behind the knee cap, or above or below the knee cap? Do you have trouble straightening the knee?
     
  3. It mostly seems to be the left but it might also be the right. It feels like it's at the front of the knee and not below anything. It only hurts when I bend it under weight and then hurts for a while after that. Walking is fine. I didn't do anything to the knee that I know of. I had surgery on it a few years ago to remove damaged cartilage.
     
  4. From the way you describe it, with no acute injury, no swelling, prior surgery, and only occurring on exertion, it sounds like patellofemoral pain syndrome. I would still go see your family doctor and maybe get a referral to orthopedics if it continues to bother you, but that's what it sounds like to me. You can do quadriceps strengthening exercises to stabilize the patella, and ice and elevate the knee when it bothers you.
     
  5. Why do I get all coughy and hack up mucus crap when ever I eat greasy food?
     
  6. Could be acid reflux.
     
  7. Sounds like food bronchitis. Watch out, it killed the Bronte sisters.

    Dairy stuff can cause phlegm and mucus in some people I heard. I found I needed to avoid dairy when I had a chest infection last year.
     
  8. I have acid reflux and that's not it. The greaser the food the worse it gets. A burger might cause me to have one or two bad coughs after I'm done eating. Indian food will get me choking before the dinner is over. It's like a deep yakking cough you might get with a chest cold.
     
  9. You do realize that some people get a cough with acid reflux? It's not always just acid churning up your throat, chest discomfort, or a bad taste in your mouth. What are you taking for the reflux?
     
  10. I took Prilosec for about a year strait. Got better so I've been off it for about 4 months. Didn't want it to weaken my bones and what not. The reflux is starting to come back a little so I might get on it again. I just need to loose 10 pounds and it will go away.
     
  11. You can take a B12 supplement with the prilosec if you're concerned. The study that showed bone fragility and increased hip fractures was in elderly people who had been taking them for long periods of time, so you likely don't have anything to worry about. Proton pump inhibitors are still the best drugs for acid reflux.

    But the best thing in general for reflux is weight loss and changing your diet.
     
  12. Yes yes thank you mom. I'll stop eating the peperoni onion burgers. I also have low cholesterol so I need to be working out everyday if I want to live.
     
  13. Edit: eh nevermind

    He was talking about HDL, not LDL or total, and yeah exercise is the best thing for that.
     
  14. No no. I did the test. I worked out almost every day for a month and my cholesterol rose up to acceptable levels. When I don't work out it drops down into the danger zone. The doc gave me meds but then I woke up one night with my head on fire and never took them again. Freaked my az out.
     
  15. Is it low or high cholesterol? Low is pretty unusual.

    What you described happens sometimes with Niacin. I wonder if that's what he gave you.
     
  16. Isn't low cholesterol good?
     
  17. Yes. It's rare that the the total or LDL would be too low. He's probably talking about his HDL being low.

    HDL = good, should be above 60 mg/dl, under 40 is bad
    LDL - bad, should be under 100
    Total - should be under 200, 150+ is borderline

    Which would make sense that he was given Niacin. Although a lot of people have that facial flushing reaction with it.
     
  18. Yes it was Niacin. Almost went to the hospital but then I remembered the doc saying something about my head might burst into flames.

    My Dad has low HDL as well.
     
  19. Some of the energy drinks contain Niacin, so be careful.

    That 5 hour energy shit is loaded with it.

    Whatever happened to the shaman anyway? I thought the original thread was about asking Arande questions about herbal supplements. That would probably be more interesting than asking me medical questions.
     
  20. The question wasn't really directed at you but I suppose your'e the closest thing we have to a doctor. Smoke a little peyote and you're a shaman.