Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Health and Wellness
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 10-30-2017, 03:09 PM
 
Location: Southern California
29,267 posts, read 16,606,435 times
Reputation: 18902

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah View Post
A single TSH level is next to useless if you have thyroid problems. You need a thyroid panel.
I've always gotten the thyroid panel...TSH is a bit of an indicator, the higher it is the more one is Hypo.

I was Hypo for 10 yrs and had low TSH.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 10-30-2017, 04:54 PM
 
5,644 posts, read 13,188,137 times
Reputation: 14170
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaminhealth View Post
On these range issues I guess I was thinking more about say potassium..I know low potassium levels can cause more fatigue and with another friend we've worked with this for a long time. The potassium range is 3.5-5.2 and I've always come in at the 4's. And I've had my share of lack of energy and think about potassium. In the last months I've been taking extra potassium and eating more avocados and last lab showed 5.2 and I like it there. It will be interesting to see what last labs show.

I know about toxicity and I don't want to hear that.

As I've said everyone's body is so unique and to give lab range rules for everyone is hard to fathom.

And our RDA's are so low..except suprising on the potassium RDA.
"Normal ranges" aren't "hard to fathom" for most people since a "normal range" is fairly self explanatory to anyone with say a 10th grade education and a basic understanding of Bell curves...

Seeing as "normal ranges" for say Potassium aren't plucked out of thin air and are, in fact, a representation of actual human "normal ranges" for a given population "uniqueness'' isn't exactly a concern...

There are outliers at both ends of that Bell shaped curve...as another poster already pointed out astutely...change over time is often more important than the actual number...

That being said....NO ONE should aim to live in the "5 point anything" for a Potassium level as that is hyperkalemic...

You say you "know about toxicity".....I highly doubt that....

By the way the first "symptom" of hyperkalemia is often also the last symptom....a fatal arrhythmia......
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-30-2017, 05:16 PM
 
17,379 posts, read 13,133,321 times
Reputation: 32719
Quote:
Originally Posted by reneeh63 View Post
Yup - I have all my lab results back 15 years in a spreadsheet with everything graphed over time and color-coded on whether it is in-range or not.
And, this helps you how??
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-30-2017, 07:55 PM
 
Location: Central IL
20,726 posts, read 16,234,163 times
Reputation: 50368
Quote:
Originally Posted by reneeh63 View Post
Yup - I have all my lab results back 15 years in a spreadsheet with everything graphed over time and color-coded on whether it is in-range or not.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mike1003 View Post
And, this helps you how??
Well...my life is numbers and I love visualizing them in ways that hopefully make them more meaningful.

If you have chronic health issues it is extremely helpful to note trends over time and see if there are relationships in how different measure change over time - that one is going up at the same time something else is going down.

You wouldn't be concerned to see your BP going up steadily over 5 years, even if you weren't yet quite "out of range"? Maybe that would tell you something not great is happening and you could do something about it before it went too far?

This is even more important as healthcare gets more fragmented and we see more specialists and there is more info for your PCP to keep track of...or if you are changing doctors over the years. I'm very involved in my healthcare as I have found PCPs are very focused on the NOW and what you present with at the moment - it seems they don't have as much time to be the detectives they used to be.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-30-2017, 08:04 PM
 
Location: Southern California
29,267 posts, read 16,606,435 times
Reputation: 18902
I had pages of BP readings when I was forever working to get BP under control.
I keep no records now and hardly take it at home anymore as I know it's ok. My meds keep it where it needs to be and I use to fight to get off the meds but now I just take them as part of my life.

While in the rehabs, the CNAs checked vitals 3-4 times daily. BP can go up and down some all day.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-31-2017, 04:39 AM
 
282 posts, read 230,937 times
Reputation: 639
Quote:
Originally Posted by reneeh63 View Post
Well...my life is numbers and I love visualizing them in ways that hopefully make them more meaningful.

If you have chronic health issues it is extremely helpful to note trends over time and see if there are relationships in how different measure change over time - that one is going up at the same time something else is going down.

You wouldn't be concerned to see your BP going up steadily over 5 years, even if you weren't yet quite "out of range"? Maybe that would tell you something not great is happening and you could do something about it before it went too far?

This is even more important as healthcare gets more fragmented and we see more specialists and there is more info for your PCP to keep track of...or if you are changing doctors over the years. I'm very involved in my healthcare as I have found PCPs are very focused on the NOW and what you present with at the moment - it seems they don't have as much time to be the detectives they used to be.
I can adjust my heart rate at will so no, keeping charts of these things is pretty useless, if you're not the doctor monitoring your entire overall head to toe health for a length of time. I also didn't need a spreadsheet when I was trying to get my heart rate less extreme, when I was working out at the gym. The machines gave a reasonable indicator of my pulse/heart rate. They're never 100% accurate but you don't really need accuracy when you're dealing with a +/- 20 point window. I was able to slow my heart rate down to 50 while standing, before walking the treadmill. I was able to get it under 90 when I was walking a brisk pace (3.6MPH for a short-legged 5'2") at a level 2 incline, and sustain it at 78 for over 10 minutes.

Now, I just have to concentrate hard and "look inward" and I can raise and lower my heart rate and pulse +/- 5 points just with mental control over it all. I can feel when it's too high or low for comfort. I have the same ability, to a lesser extent, over my blood pressure.

If the doctor takes it when I come in for my appointment and it's higher than what I want it to be, I ask her to do it again. I can get it to where I feel it should be, which is between 90/70 and 110/75. Always. Even when I was in the prep room for surgery.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-31-2017, 05:20 AM
 
Location: Central IL
20,726 posts, read 16,234,163 times
Reputation: 50368
Quote:
Originally Posted by ArmLizzie View Post
I can adjust my heart rate at will so no, keeping charts of these things is pretty useless, if you're not the doctor monitoring your entire overall head to toe health for a length of time. I also didn't need a spreadsheet when I was trying to get my heart rate less extreme, when I was working out at the gym. The machines gave a reasonable indicator of my pulse/heart rate. They're never 100% accurate but you don't really need accuracy when you're dealing with a +/- 20 point window. I was able to slow my heart rate down to 50 while standing, before walking the treadmill. I was able to get it under 90 when I was walking a brisk pace (3.6MPH for a short-legged 5'2") at a level 2 incline, and sustain it at 78 for over 10 minutes.

Now, I just have to concentrate hard and "look inward" and I can raise and lower my heart rate and pulse +/- 5 points just with mental control over it all. I can feel when it's too high or low for comfort. I have the same ability, to a lesser extent, over my blood pressure.

If the doctor takes it when I come in for my appointment and it's higher than what I want it to be, I ask her to do it again. I can get it to where I feel it should be, which is between 90/70 and 110/75. Always. Even when I was in the prep room for surgery.
Okay...bad example using BP...MY BP is fine but I figured more could relate - if you have control over your BP and heart rate and can concentrate 24 hours a day on keeping them in range then great - Ms. Swami.

I do it for my thyroid labs, cholesterol and CBC stats. If you don't like spreadsheets, I feel for ya but don't hate on me because I love them. And if you don't like to track stuff, fine, let your doctor.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-31-2017, 05:30 AM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,270,221 times
Reputation: 49247
Quote:
Originally Posted by reneeh63 View Post
Always insist on seeing your actual lab results. This is easier now since many offices have portals so you can get all the detail online rather than from a nurse over the phone who only says "normal". You're right that there can be low or high normal and that might be worth knowing about.
I think almost all doctors now will print out your numbers for you. The low or high normal is still normal. It simply might be something a doctor wants to keep an eye on and recheck a little sooner than the year. yes,we can check on our portal or just get the numbers from the doctor or nurse. Sometimes knowing how close you are to being a little low or a little high you can, on your own do something to get the numbers back to mid range. The fact still remains normal is normal.

Maybe it is just me, but I would never bother with keeping my results for years. I get a copy, one way or the other every year or whenever blood work is done, I compare it with the previous year and they throw out the old one. I have way to much to do and too many things to keep me busy to worry about numbers and what is and isn't normal or changed.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-31-2017, 10:37 AM
 
6,844 posts, read 3,923,530 times
Reputation: 15854
I don't understand the point of the post.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-31-2017, 01:17 PM
 
Location: Southern California
29,267 posts, read 16,606,435 times
Reputation: 18902
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobspez View Post
I don't understand the point of the post.
Maybe I'm also trying to say we are NOT numbers as medical world says we are.

We are symptoms and today's medicine says we are numbers.

The point I was saying is the normal can be low normal, mid normal or high normal when reading the numbers...but doctors tell us we are normal. It's been up to me to look at the ranges and decide if I want to bring numbers up some to make my body feel better.

For years I was normal with thyroid and suffered with horrid depression, then a good old doc DO put me on thyroid support, no labs no numbers and depression lifted. So the old school docs didn't live and help and prescribe by numbers....

Last edited by jaminhealth; 10-31-2017 at 01:26 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Health and Wellness

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top