Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Syndrome

Knee pain above and to the outside of my kneecap

Popcorn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:58:36 -0800

Knee pain concerns: I have a small pain that feels like it is coming from the upper outside of my left knee. I've had this issue on and off for a long time and it doesn't prevent me from doing anything, but it has me worried. I'm in my mid 20's and am a pretty hardcore mogul skiier and I do lots of mountaineering. I'm unable to see a doctor for a few months and I'd like some insight into what this might be.

The pain seems to happen when I am extending my leg under load, for example, when I'm climbing stairs. It also comes up when I'm riding a bike. I've never had any major knee injuries but this feels like it is gradually increasing over time. Sometimes, when I'm running up stairs I get a little twinge and I have to stop running up stairs for a day or two before it goes away. When this happens in the middle of a multi day climbing expedition I can still continue but I have to be a little gentler on the knee. So this is not debilitating pain, I just want to make sure I'm doing everything possible to preserve my knees.

Looking at this picture, It feels like the LCL but I'm not sure. If you are looking at my left knee from the front, the pain is at about 2 o'clock, about 1-2cm (radially) out from the edge of the kneecap.

So I'd like some attempts at diagnosis, is this a tendon problem? Cartilage? Muscle? (I know this is frowned upon here, but I'm not able to get proper medical attention for a few months and I'm going to be climbing a mountain soon) Also, some advice about what I can do to prevent further damage. Would a brace help? If so, what kind? Are there exercises or stretches that would help? Currently I try to stretch the affected area by pulling my heel up to my butt. Seems to help.

Also, for many years I think I was riding my bike with the seat too low and I get a feeling that this is related.

Thanks!

Lend a girl a hand, will ya?

spinifex23 — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:31:06 -0800

Ulnar Nerve Entrapment and Me: How to help the healing of my poor arm? A month ago, I was diagnosed with UNE, after a combination of using a bad table at home, a travel injury and bad crutch use over the months. So now, I want to do everything I can to heal my poor beleagured arm, because it's still acting up. I saw this thread, and it gave me some good ideas: Tell Ergonomic Consultant Needed. However, I have a unique situation in which I sometimes use a cane or crutch with the affected arm, which in turn acts up the nerve. (I also have Spastic Paraparesis, and while it's calmed down a lot, I use a cane or a forearm crutch every day, depending on how I'm doing.)

Here's what I've done:
* Got my work desk set up with foam mouse and keyboard pads, and I'm sitting at the right level.
* I do most of my walking with my cane/crutch in the good hand, though this is not preferred. My doc also retaught me how to hold it properly with the bad hand, but using it still hurts.
* I have a wrist splint I wear daily, and at night I wear an elbow splint to prevent my arm from bending overnight.
* This is my dominant hand/arm, so I've also put off doing hand heavy tasks, like drawing and painting watercolors. However, I really REALLY miss drawing and painting. (I do these on my bad desk at home; I don't have enough space for a separate drafting table.)
* My desk at home is horrid, so I'm heading to IKEA this week or next to get a more ergonomically friendly setup. I needed to get something larger anyways, this provides a great excuse to do so! In the meantime, I'm sitting on a blanket to raise myself to the right level, and trying to limit my computer work.
*I'm allergic to NSAIDs, so I can't use those to reduce the swelling.
* I use a cell phone, but I websurf more than I talk on it.

Despite all of this, it's still acting up. Is there anything else I can do to help the healing process along, or is it just a matter of time? Thanks.

Ultrasound Down Syndrome Testing - Any experience?

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:08:40 -0800

My Wife is pregnant. We just completed the ultrasound test for Down Syndrome. We had a normal result for Nuchal Translucency (2.5mm for 13 weeks pregnancy). However the ultrasound did not detect the presence of a nasal bone. We are going for the CVS. Should I freak out? Does anyone have similar experience and how did it turn out?

Help Me to Breathe Easier

Oriole Adams — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 10:59:52 -0800

Sinus Filter: I've had "nose" issues since I was a kid, but the situation is getting worse. (long story inside) As a child, I got nosebleeds often; had my nose cauterized twice, had one that was so bad and prolonged that I ended up in the ER and subsequently on bed rest (with a packed nose) for two days. (What really bugged me about that particular experience was the ER doctor telling me as he put gauze up my nose that he saw "fingernail marks," implying that it was because I'd been picking my nose that this had happened. Not true at all, but who listens to a third-grader at three in the morning?)

Anyway, as time went on I was progressively more "stuffy" and (to my mind) my voice became increasingly nasal due to nose stuffiness. I finally went to an ENT doctor in 1978, and he proceeded to put me in what looked like a dentist's chair and then tilted it so that my head was below the rest of me, and an assistant squirted water up each nostril continuously, while instructing me to repeat "K K K K" the entire time. Well, I can't tolerate water up my nose. I don't swim, I stand backwards in the shower. So I felt like I was drowning and they stopped the procedure midway through. The doctor seemed put off and told me I had a deviated septum and sinusitis and wrote me a prescription for Sudafed (it wasn't over the counter at the time) with 10 refills.

Fast forward many years, and I am dx'd with Lupus and several associated illnesses, including Sjogren's Syndrome, which causes dryness of the mucous membranes. Usually it mainly affects the eyes and mouth, but mine is strictly concentrated in the nose. In fact, I often seem to have too much saliva, as I'll drool in my sleep, even when I'm laying on my back (the outpour of saliva will actually wake me up). I'm still stuffed up most of the time, and I know I've got at least some congestion in my sinuses because I can feel the facial pressure move from side to side when I roll over in bed. I also occasionally have hours at a time when I experience "weird" smells - one is siimilar to burning plastic, the other smells like calomine lotion. Several spritzes of Ocean nasal spray seems to help a little, but that's about as far as I can go when it comes to water up the nose (so a Neti pot is out of the question). One other "symptom" I've noticed is that if I cry, 20 or so minutes later I will become so stuffed up that I have to breathe through my mouth, and it takes many hours for that effect to subside.

So...I know I need to see another doctor, but is he/she going to irrigate my nose again? Do you think there is any significance to the crying/nasal congestion thing? What about the excess saliva but nose so dry that it feels stiff on my face? And the strange smells....? Please reassure me that a visit to the ENT doesn't have to be traumatic, and guide me as to what questions I should ask/which symptoms of mine are significant.

Reiters of the Storm

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 20:05:06 -0800

So I just found out I might have Reiter's syndrome. Please tell me how big a deal this is, what your personal experiences might be and what I should do next. My back has been hurting, I've had some urethritis (but tested negative for all STDS) and then, when it couldn't get worse, my vision started getting cloudy. My doctor is currently beginning the long series of tests to see if it's Reiters.

My question is: if it IS Reiters, what's that gonna be like?

The reading I've done says you get it either through food poisoning or sexual activity. And it can be chronic or never come back. So does that mean I've got a lifetime STD now? Do I need to call my partners and tell them to go to the doctor and get tested (even though it's a tough syndrome to prove or check for).

This question will be anonymous so any followup questions aren't going to be answered. I hope I've been thorough because I need some help and advice and my doctor seems a little out of his depth. I'm setting appointments with a specialist but anything I could know now would help me with the stress.

Will Work for Cash.

lekvar — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:50:54 -0800

I've been "mentoring" a kid with Asperger's Syndrome for years. He's about to graduate from High School and he needs a Summer job. I need recommendations on how to make this as smooth as possible for him. I've known this kid since he was 11, I fixed his first computer and gave him his first PowerMac (his true obsession). He comes from a home that could politely be described as dysfunctional. If all goes according to plan he'll be moving out on his own after graduation, but he's going to need a job, but he's never held one before. Hell, today's the first day he's gotten to school and back without a ride from his mother. This is a very big step for him.

As stated above, his fixation is computers, specifically Macs, but I see little chance of him holding down a job as a "Genius" at the local Apple store, as he has a number of the typical Asperger's issues regarding social interaction. He's sharp as hell and eager to earn his own way, but he lacks polish.

What I need is advice on what sorts of work would fit his general situation, and what I can do to make the transition for dependence to independence as painless as possible for him. I can probably get him a job here at the printing company I work for, which would be a good long-term skill to get him through college, but I'd like to see what the Hive Mind has to say about what might be best for him first.

Is it RSI?

tmcw — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:28:08 -0800

Is it RSI? I have weird pains in my wrist, like a straight line of ache that goes and goes away for a few seconds. It doesn't happen constantly but often enough for me to be a bit concerned. I have some risk factors - using a computer a lot (I'm a college student and CS major, after all) and playing guitar a lot (just got back from the worst show of my career!)

I suspect it's not carpal tunnel because I don't have loss of feeling or strength (maybe a tiny bit of strength, but not enough to make a big difference), and it doesn't change with sleeping, at all. Any ideas? I'm also a male 20 year old, if that makes a difference. I would guess some people here have similar lifestyles and such.

And it's not a burning pain at all, and not in the wrist area as much as the tendons on the forearm.

AspieFilter

bad grammar — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:05:50 -0800

Is there any point to my seeking a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome (AS), and how can I avoid quacks? I know that Asperger Syndrome (AS) is the mental condition du jour, and that I'm not qualified to diagnose myself on the basis of news articles and forums. Do I have AS, and should I seek a diagnosis?

Briefly:

I have a severe hearing impairment and was brought up orally. I do not know ASL (sign language). I had great trouble with both speech therapy and a course in ASL that I attempted to take at Gallaudet University one summer. I speak fairly well, but strangers sometimes have trouble following me. I was born 3 months prematurely. Neurological damage is possible: slight stiffness on one side of the face.

I was a kid in the 1970s, when nobody had heard of AS.
•I hated being touched and would not hug or hug back
• I tried to climb into small spaces
• I was hyper-lexic (I would read anything and everything, including Winston Churchill's multi-volume history of WWII)
• I fixated on special objects (blankie, a TinkerToy stick)
• I had emotional meltdowns and tantrums
•I panicked whenever doctors had to give me injections or eyedrops. I fought them and at one point had to be given general anesthesia for a retinal examination.
• I did not (and still do not) get jokes and sarcasm
• I was ridiculed by my younger sisters and probably by schoolmates, but I do not remember suffering active bullying
• I can do without social interaction for long periods of time
• People whom I don't see in person tend to drop off my mental radar
• in high school I was often depressed and I had very few friends; I hung out on the fringes of a couple of groups.
• I attended a large university for the first two years of college, became dependent on a few friends, until they pulled away because they were tired of it. I became very depressed and had to withdraw for a year.
• I transferred to a smaller college.

I did very well in school (800 Verbal SAT, 760 Math) and majored in Classical Studies (Greek and Latin) in college and then pursued graduate studies in Ancient History, getting a Ph.D. I have done very good research and have published my dissertation as a book and written several articles; another book is in the works. I am happiest writing or working in a research library.

However, I am humiliated trying to explain to people why I am not a professor. I am not a good teacher. I can't lecture, I do not have a good speaking voice, I don't know what the students want to hear, I can't detect their boredom or interest.

As with AS types, I have a very poor "theory of mind" for what other people are thinking of me or what they expect. I prepared excessively detailed handouts and coursework for the students in the few courses that I have taught. As a T.A. and adjunct, I had unpleasant run-ins with students. One wanted her grades adjusted upwards. Another committed plagiarism on her term paper. I feel that if I had been a better teacher, this would not have happened. I don't know if intensive speech therapy would help me get a teaching job, since I feel that I have no theory of mind regarding the students.

I have also failed all of my academic interviews. I was in the academic job market for four years, applying for about 100 positions, with no results except one post-doctoral fellowship (in which I encountered the student who complained) and a small summer stipend. These were often one-year visiting professor or even single-course adjunct positions, not just tenure-track positions.

Classics has a large conference every year at which the universities and colleges host hiring interviews. I always ended up crying in my hotel room and sometimes in the lobby (inabiity to control emotional meltdowns is another AS trait).

Should I simply resign myself to not being cut out to be a professor? I am thinking of getting an M.L.S. or law degree, or trying to get a commercial book contract. God knows the field of Classical Studies produces far too many Ph.Ds relative to the number of positions, as with English but more so, since smaller colleges and non-Ivy universities often do not have Classics departments.

In short, what is the use of seeking a diagnosis of AS? I don't intend to use it to sue anyone. I have been living with family for the last several years and have no money for a lawsuit. I want to feel like what happened is not my fault. That it was not under my control.

Would a diagnosis, if made public in any way, only hurt my research and publications? Stupid and ill-informed people who think that AS people are retarded and confuse them with autistics might think that I didn't do my own research, or that if I did it, I didn't understand it (the "parrot" formula).

In seeking a diagnosis, I don't have much money (I might spend $300, but not $3,000), and I want to avoid quacks and scammers.

Does temporary acquired LQTS exist?

ForeverAKid — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 08:31:51 -0800

Has anyone else had acquired LQTS that is only temporary (and sometimes comes and goes)? Because I'm starting to wonder if that is the case with me. Yes, I know, the first thing people will say is SEE A DOCTOR. If I said how many doctors I saw last year, you'd understand why I don't want to bother asking them again since I can't seem to get a straight freakin' answer!

This was how it started - I ended up passed out on my kitchen floor last July, and was taken to the emergency room because I just couldn't seem to come out of it. Note - if you pass out, and don't know why, don't try to even SIT up, 'cause you'll just pass out again most likely. Anyway, everything seemed great, they said it was just vasovagal syncope (doctor talk for "fainting") because I'd not eaten all day. I was told I'd go home that night, everything would be swell.

All of a sudden, one of the ER docs RUSHED into the room, saying they were keeping me overnight, talking about me having a prolonged QT, "sudden death" (not talking hockey here), congenital crapola, and basically scared the crap out of my mother (thankfully, I was still too out of it to be scared, I was just pissed off that he did that to my mom).

After going through utter HELL trying to get out of the hospital the next day, they told me that it had just the prolonged QT had just been temporary due to a severe drop in my electrolytes (potassium in particular, but also magnesium). And that was why I fainted.

What I want to know is, has anyone else had similar problems? I have had moments of near-fainting several times, but frankly am tired of doctors. You have no idea. I also have been getting palpitations again lately, like I did then. If this is just a matter of me eating more bananas, then I'll do that again (even though I'm sick to death of them now).

Btw, prolong QT syndrome (LQTS) is an electrical disturbance in the heart, that is attributed to SADS as well as being looked into seriously as a cause of SIDS. There is congenital and acquired LQTS, the latter usually caused by taking certain medications (I have a whole shopping list of meds that I take for epilepsy, asthma, etc.). Oh yeah, it's often misdiagnosed as epilepsy, but I doubt that is the case with me.

Like I said, I know most people's first thought will be to see a doctor. My question is has anyone else experienced this. I've been to the doctors, and since I've been a medical eniqma my entire life, I don't always completely trust tests.

Oh, and btw, I'm 30 years old, weigh about 150 (about half what I was two years ago), and am 5'7".

How to work with my highly functional autistic co-worker

lostinsupermarket — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 07:34:25 -0800

I have a co-worker with Asperger's Syndrome and I'd like to learn more to better our working relationship. I have a co-worker who, quite honestly, annoyed me for the first few months that we worked together. When I found out she had Asperger's, it explained a lot of the 'annoy' factor; however, knowing it's Asperger's doesn't mitigate it entirely. I'd like to educate myself on highly functional autism to help me be ... well, a better person and co-worker. But when I look this up on the web, there is VERY little to read about. Most education materials are related to children.

This co-worker has inadvertently alienated and frustrated others (because they write her off as weird or annoying) and I'd like to 'lead by example' in how to work with and relate to her. She is extremely smart and has great ideas but has gaps in her social skills. (I should mention that I am not trying to cure her - but rather how to work with her.)

She has periods during the day when she's really wound up. Of course, the group of people we sit around like to throw things and that scares her. Again, I'm looking for how I can educate myself - and others - on things we can do to all peacefully - and respectfully - exist.

Chromosomal 18q abnormality

carmina — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 19:01:33 -0800

A friend's 6 month old daughter has been diagnosed with chromosomal 18q deletion syndrome. I am asking for help with resources and personal experiences. What are the available management and treatment options? Contact points? My friends' daughter has not exhibited any other symptoms but a slightly delayed development, physically (she is not able to sit by herself) and mentally (does not try to use any words). The child was diagnosed a couple of days ago and the parents are desperately looking for any information about it both online and with doctors (they live in Greece). They have family in the US and in Canada and we are trying to collect as much information for them so that they get the best possible assistance and if needed come here for treatment.

This seems to be one of the rarest chromosomal abnormalities which was not detected prenatally through amniocentesis because the mother is in the age bracket when such a procedure is not recommended. There is no history (family or personal) of miscarriages. From the information we have collected till now, there is no "cure" or even certainty of survival beyond the teens. The associated defects are debilitating --mental retardation, slow physical growth, lack of muscle control, facial and cranial deformities. However, there is discussion online that cases are known to improve given better care from the environment such as physical and speech therapy, daily injections of growth hormones etc. But again with little discussion about the effectiveness and the side effects of such procedures. How soon should such procedures start?

So I am wondering if anyone here has experience with such a situation. What is the survival rate, the life span? Where can one go here (in New York City or in Montreal but elsewhere too, anywhere really) for good care and treatment. Names and exact specialties of doctors or specialist physical therapists who we can contact, would be immensely appreciated. What are the effects and the side-effects of growth hormone treatment in this particular case?

First signs of carpal. HELP!

BillBishop — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 18:44:11 -0800

Has anyone been able to head off carpal tunnel shortly after the symptoms start appearing? How? I'm a 31 year old male in pretty good physical shape. I'm a video editor, so I spend about 8 hours a day at work with a mouse, and another hour or two at home with a trackball.
This wrist pain in my right hand just started within the past week...not too bad yet, but I don't see it going anywhere good.
Anyone been able to stave off carpal tunnel syndrome under semi-similar conditions?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Should we do an Asperger Syndrome class for 5th graders?

kopiedj — Fri, 03 Feb 2006 19:46:24 -0800

My 11 year old son has high functioning Asperger Syndrome and I have been approached by his Special Services teacher asking me and another mom to give a speech to the 5th grade class trying to explain AS to the 5th graders in his class. I'm on the fence because my son really wants me to do it but I'm afraid that he will become more of an outcast if I do do it. As anyone with AS knows the social aspect of this disease is disheartening and I really want to help my son in any way that I can but I'm just not sure about this. Please let me know your thoughts on the subject. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you, Joyce

"If it's been in the trash, it's trash." -- Jerry Seinfeld

grumblebee — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 07:38:59 -0800

Is there some sort of mental disorder, syndrome or condition that causes people to prefer eating off OTHER people's plates? My wife -- who knows I'm posting this (and is just as curious as I am) -- is obscessed with leavings. If she and I go out to eat and order EXACTLY THE SAME THING, she'll eye my plate enviously. Whenever I eat anything, I gradually become aware of her staring at my plate. If I just hand her my plate, she doesn't want it. She's waiting for me to be done so that she can grab anything I left behind. She gets upset if I completely clean my plate. She can't explain it, but she insists that other people's crumbs taste better than anything on her plate -- even crumbs on her own plate.

I'm a germaphobe, so this goes against every fiber of my being. To me, if food has been near another person, it's tainted.

Generally, we joke about this whole thing, but we've both noticed that it's slowly getting worse. At work, she'll sneak into conference rooms after lunch and pick at whatever is on the plates. (I've actually thought about having a big banquet for her next birthday and not inviting her until after the dinner is over.) In true George-Costanza style, she has started eyeing candy dropped on the sidewalk or half-eaten items in the trash. She doesn't give in to these desires, but just the fact that she'd CONSIDER eating something from the garbage makes me feel sick.

Do any of you (or does anyone you know) "suffer" from this? ("Suffer" is in quotes, because my wife isn't feeling any pain. She's enjoying herself. If anyone is suffering, it's me!) What causes it?

Aspergers Dilemma

gallois — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 09:39:25 -0800

Some dear friends of mine have an 11 year old son with Asperger's Syndrome, and I'm concerned because they are doing little if anything to aid in his socialization, allowing him to spend practically all of his time watching tv and/or playing video games. He has no friends at school and gives me the impression that he goes through his day there basically alone making minimal contact with any of his classmates. I'm very concerned about his developmental options at this crucial time in his growth, and not wanting to offend his parents, seek some way to give them a sense of some options for getting him out from in front of the TV. They seem ashamed of his having AS and will only discuss it reluctantly and defensively. I think he's very high functioning but they have stated that they believe that they may have to care for him for the rest of his life.

Is there anything I can offer in this delicate situation?

Need to get rid of squirrels

nj_subgenius — Wed, 29 Dec 2004 10:34:37 -0800

Any help and insight on the following:
Diogenes Syndrome. Geriatric self-neglect. My dad's house is inhabited by 8-12 squirrels (estimate), he won't let us in the house and I'm the last one of five sons to confront the immediate issue. He's lucid, 82. Help!