munchkinette

My cholesterol is higher, but only because of my HDL. My regular doctor (not the sub) said it was excellent, even though it was higher. Last time I saw her was this summer though, which is about a month before my symptoms started. My main concern is to fix the hair loss ASAP. I can't afford to lose much more! I've also been getting panic attacks. I had no...

(Follow up to my earlier thread, "Hair Loss") I got my test results back. My TSH is 2.81. I know that's borderline using the new "normal" ranges. My TSH a year ago was 1.46, so it has doubled since the last test. Is this a normal amount of fluctuation? What tests should I get next? So many of my symptoms fit with a thyroid issue, and multiple family members...

I picked 20-30. I had lots of ear infections when I was little, up to the age of about 15. I don't think I've taken antibiotics once since high school. I've been taking probiotics for at least 4 years though. I think it helps a lot since I rarely get colds.

I've had my thyroid tested over the years, but it's always been pretty normal. I think it was 1.4 last time. Still, something new is happening. I have read that the new range should be 2.5 or 3.0 though, so if he doesn't get it right I'll go see an endocrinologist. I probably should anyway.

That's what the doctor has ordered to begin with. Plus some kind of thyroid test. I'll find out when I get there since I set up the first round of testing over email. I already take a multivitamin with iron, plus 5000 IU of vitamin d3 every day, and probiotics. I shouldn't have deficiencies, but who knows. Last time I wasn't absorbing anything even though...

I've had some blood tests for Celiac, but I can't get the biopsy. I was a mess after getting glutened right before Thanksgiving. I've only been feeling better for about 3 days now. I can't handle eating enough for the biopsy. I do have several other autoimmune diseases in my family, that's why I'm not ruling it out. But some of the symptoms I've been having...

A little background: I did my first triathlon in mid-September, so I was training hard for most of the summer. At the beginning of August my training peaked: instead of getting better, I just got slower. My hair started falling out. By the time the race happened, I was pretty sure that I was experiencing symptoms of overtraining. At the same time, school...

I am not great at making up recipes and substituting, but I have the ingredients for brownies. Does anyone have a recipe that uses cocoa powder and coconut milk? I DO NOT have actual chocolate in the house. I have the standard staples for gluten-free baking, like gluten-free flour and xanthan gum.

I posted this already in the weight loss section, but it might fit better here. I've noticed my belly is huge since I've lost weight, and I'm trying to figure out why. I'm mostly eating meat and produce. I limit the fruit, but I've been eating TONS of vegies. What vegies give people problems? I know some people have issues with nightshades, but what else...

I've been on a diet recently to lose a few pounds, and I've done OK so far. I've lost some fat everywhere, and now it seems like my belly looks really big in comparison. It's still the "problem area" on my body, even though it's not all from extra fat. I'm currently gluten, dairy, and soy free. I eat somewhat Paleo style- I have a serving of black beans...

Thanks for the responses. It's interesting. The one girl I talked to at the meetings said she went into remission on a Gluten-free Casein-free low sugar diet, and some doctors supported her while others didn't. It sounded very similar to my own experience with negative tests, a variety of responses from doctors, but major health improvements on a different...

I'm currently training for my first triathlon in order to raise money for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. I picked this one because I know that some of their research does overlap other GI immune conditions. I'm not totally sure how though. I've found some research about shared genes. I want to make sure I'm telling people the right things...

I've been kind of conflicted about this lately. I've been trying to do more things to live more sustainably. A lot of people go vegetarian. I don't feel like this is an option for me, considering all the things I can't eat. I definitely can't eat gluten, and I really have trouble with dairy and soy. I have a long history with anemia, so I really hesitate...

I'm planning on using real time pcr to quantify. I asked my professor about trying an ELISA test. He said this was way more sensitive because you can get down to the number of dna molecules, but that he didn't need ELISA for the purpose of the class project. I'm just learning these techniques, but his background is with plant genomics, including a few decades...

Cooking for myself has been the easiest way for me. I'm a student on the diet, but I like exotic foods, so I basically have to cook anything interesting. I usually set aside one or two days per month to cook and freeze a ton. Then I just grab one of the frozen meals in the morning, and it thaws in my back pack by the time lunch rolls around. It's a good way...