the CT is done. on the way back i got winded but nothing major and still have not had as bad episodes today. i do have very slight tightness in the chest almost all the time but is only barely perceptible and not a great discomfort like before. the breathing is a little better.

i had to go see mdoc again tonight because i needed him to read something on the script for the xray. so i told him the past couple of days have been having these things without cough and asked if i should go to the hospital and get heart checked. he said i could if i wanted but that he thought it was the same respiratory "syndrome" presenting a little differently. and that he didn't "see heart problems, fortunately, in [my] case."

for all he knows ... considering that he
- did not ask any questions
- does not have clinical history on me
- has never listened to my heart
- did not even take my pulse or ask me if i had!!!

Oh, Mari... about vit D deficiency ... i don't see it causing these symptoms directly. it could, indirectly, in the sense of contributing to the development of a detectable pathology, like heart disease, for instance.

i still haven't decided about the Zoloft tomorrow. after skipping today, my blood level is about what it would be with repeated dosing of 25mg. i am thinking of continuing it at 25mg just for the 3 days until i can talk to pdoc about it. i don't think just 25mg can hurt much, and from there i can

- suspend symptom free
- increase to 50mg again at any time
- stay put and hope it helps maybe even a little(?)

~ waves ~

Dear Waves,
This doc should send you to a better doc OR something.

Yes, I understand your logic about the 25 mgs Zoloft. Your plan makes sense to me.

In the meantime, your mdoc did give you the go ahead to go to the hospital if you need.


M.

Right, the scans will reveal us the truth, but in the mean time...

Now that I think about it..., the last time I felt I was having a heart attack was, when I couldnt breath and my arm hurt horribly... Guess what it was ? My gastric ulcer !!! It was that bad that all my body was sore and, some nerves were being "pushed" by organs and viceversa...

Do you suffer of any gastric ulcer/gasthitis dear waves ??

Okay I have one thought on the anemia.

If we are thinking about the same one. If it were this you would be
prescribed Iron. I hate to even say this, But I don't know that taking
a little Iron could hurt you.

So if you can get some try that.


I also have to admit the many times I had mine checked by my primary.
They didn't catch it was low. It was the specialist that said it was.
They used two different levels.

And I have to admit I've been feeling a lot better. And I've also been
having a lot more energy.

So I take the iron on a permant bases.

Donna

Dear Blue

actually the CT scan is for sinuses - i have other problems there, but they include post nasal drip which could aggravate a respiratory problem. the xray and spirometry are on the 25 of august and i don't think i can get them any sooner than that.

ulcer... i don't have any symptoms of one if i have one. no GI trouble at all. no indigestion, no heartburn, no burping, no nothing. but sometimes they are asymptomatic. my dad had one and the first sign of it was .......... drum roll please....

........... anemia!

which they weren't able to correct, and only resolved much later once the ulcer was found/corrected.

Dear Donna

what they give for anemia depends on the cause. for pernicious anemia, B12 is needed because the problem is difficulty absorbing B12. for anemia due to bleeding (as in ulcer), only correcting the bleeding will resolve the anemia.

several years ago i used to take several kinds of supplements, rotating them. only one had iron in it and i only took it every 2-3 days. i stopped ALL supplements 10 days before having baseline bloodtests for meds. even so, the electrolyte profile showed me to be HIGH in iron. so....

i have since avoided iron supplementation. and now living with my parents i eat meat more frequently, so i'm even less likely to be iron-deficient.

too much iron actually will hurt you - it is toxic, producing fatigue and other symptoms similar to deficiency.

what you say about only the specialist finding the anemia is interesting though. but it would be a start if i even had a blood count. i mentioned to the mdoc that it was missing... he said next round of labs. i might see if pdoc "wants" to request a round of labs. maybe we can say it's for the zoloft. hehe.

thanks you guys

~ waves ~

Yes Waves

I would have pdoc request for zoloft. Because it is also necessary
for that. I do realize there are other kinds of anemia. But i didn't
know the way it worked.


My olest son has the same kind of Anemia has I do but his is worst.

So we are keeping him high on iron. Its working very well for him too.

I am glad you are patient with me. Thank you

Donna

Dear Donna

lol no... thank YOU. you are a dear.

they never do labs here for Zoloft. i don't think it's really standard even in the US, just for an AD.

but here they don't even do labs for meds on a regular basis even where they technically should be done. the only time they have even done labs without my asking for them was when i was inpatient.

the way it works is:

1. my assigned GP (mdoc) is the only one who can issue lab scripts.
2. the GP will generally oblige if i say pdoc requested them.
3. if i get a written request from pdoc (or any specialist), then the GP has to issue the scripts.
4. my pdoc will oblige if i make a reasonable request. also my pdoc doesn't blow me off.

i could have lied to my mdoc and got the bloodcount saying pdoc requested it, and probably could have gone to the lab today. but i want to talk to pdoc about all this stuff - maybe even wait till i see him wednesday, show him the labs that did get done, and see if he thinks there are any other tests, in addition to the bloodcount that would be useful or prudent.

when this is over i might see if pdoc will help me with the Vitamin D.


~ waves ~

I personally think you have a good idea.

Donna

i am feeling impatient about all this.

i am also feeling sorta better.

i'm thinking of trying 50mg Zoloft again as of tomorrow. that is still a low dose so i'm thinking it won't hurt much either, regardless what the issue is.

if perchance the Zoloft was causing these problems, they should show up again with about the same timing. if was the Zoloft, they're likely to go away if just keep taking it, but also, i can probably dampen them a little with a benzo. i had been reluctant to try lorazepam if it was a primary respiratory problem. but if it's due to the Zoloft that will be fine.

as for the respiratory tests ... those needed to happen anyway... i had been meaning to go to the doctor since spring when i started having the pain/shortness of breath with the cough. (i had been putting that off. sigh. )

~ waves ~

Dear Waves,
I can see going back to 50 mg Zoloft.

Are you impatient about getting the Zoloft up to a therapeutic level and then for it to kick in?

I'm glad you are better.

M.