Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with health and illness

Strange malady - please help me identify this

dmbfan93 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:24:34 -0800

Please help me identify this illness I have. WebMD and other medical web sites don't quite address the symptoms that I have. Please help. I get this illness each fall/winter: I feel weak, sluggish, headache. I wake up at night in a cold sweat. And yet its not so bad that I can't go to work. To others I seem perfectly fine because I have no tell-tale signs of an illness. It doesn't manifest in upper respiratory issues: I don't get congested, although I feel some sinus pressure. The feeling of weakness and sluggishness feel particularly worse when I slow down - when I'm sitting still working in my cube at work, or when I'm lying in bed - I zonk out right away - I feel so wiped out. Last year when I had this the only thing I could find when inputting my symptoms on medical websites was mono but its not mono because it tends to go away after about two weeks. I want to know how to treat this - to make it go away more quickly - or treat the symptoms. Have you suffered from this malady? If so, how long does it last? Is this just a virus? Appreciate your advice, thanks.

What's Going Around?

jragon — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:43:06 -0800

I thought I had heard of a website that tracks current viruses, called What's Going Around or something similar. I'm finding tons of local tv stations with special pages for their community, but nothing that ties them all together into one website. Anyone know of a site like this?

I say he's crazy; therefore, he must go through an evaluation.

metalheart — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 09:37:51 -0800

Australian (and U.S.) Mental Health/Legal Filter. Can you just go and talk your GP into having someone put through a psychiatric evaluation? One of my close friends is studying medicine here in Melbourne, Australia, and in one of his various internships, a psychiatrist told him that anyone can recommend someone get a psychiatric evaluation, through their GP. In other words, if you wanted to, you could go through the process against another person, like so:

Go to your local GP. Talk to him about the person you consider to be mentally ill, and, if the GP agrees with you that this sounds like a mental illness that could cause harm to that person or those around him, that person must, by law, go through a psychiatric evaluation.

Psychiatrist telling him this or not, I call bullshit on it--at least some of it. It seems like, surely, there must be some evidence (other than words/hearsay) that a random individual has to provide for a GP to sign this off. Moreover, it would seem the GP would actually have to see said mentally ill individual, not just hear what some other person has to say about him.

If not, I can very easily imagine people doing this just to disturb someone they don't like/broke up with/fired, etc. It seems too easy: pick a mental illness, go speak with a GP, get him to agree with you, and in no time at all, the person you're saying is mentally ill has to go in for an evaluation. Talk about stressing someone out, if you're lying!

Is this true? If so, under what law? I've not been able to find it through searching. I'm looking for laws and policies, if possible, though anecdotal evidence is okay, too.

Extra Question: I know a bit about involuntary commitment and the like under U.S. law, and I know that a doctor himself can recommend involuntary commitment for one of his own patients that he deems a danger to himself or others, but is there anything similar to the above?

If these laws do exist in either or both countries, what provisions are there to protect individuals from being evaluated wrongfully? I.e., suing doctors and the like.

Tips for parenting with chronic illness

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:49:51 -0800

What are your tips for parenting small kids when you have a chronic illness? It looks like my chronic illness is coming out of remission after 3.5 years. I have children aged four and one. I'm a married stay at home mom and I have a successful, growing side business. My Crohn's Disease appears to be coming out of remission and it is probably at a 2/10 right now, in terms of how problematic it is (and compared to it's worst, which would be the 10). But it's been three weeks of this and I'm starting to get exhausted and my kids are tired of it. It's very difficult to be even a slightly attentive parent when you're running to the washroom for 10 minutes of every 30-60, if not more. And it makes getting out and doing normal things a bit of a challenge.

If it was just me, this flare up would be a downer, but not unbearable. It's just that learning how to manage this as a parent is the tricky bit. I try not to think about what I'll do if I become sicker. I try to focus on getting well and being the best parent I can be.

My husband and I do not have family nearby. I don't have any childcare, other than a couple of hours of preschool. I don't really want my kids in daycare or with a nanny. That's why I'm at home. But I recognize that I cannot control my illness and that I may need to consider child care if it gets worse or even stays like this for an extended period of time. (I am #300 on the waitlist for daycare and it is *incredibly* difficult to find a part-time nanny where I live.) So let us assume that, while I will explore child care options, it's not really something I can consider further. All my friends are either working or run their own businesses and can't really do more than provide very occasional emergency baby sitting.

So, ignoring child care, what are your tips for parenting small children when you're dealing with a chronic illness? I recognize that Crohn's is not the only or worst thing out there and that people parent while managing difficult health conditions all the time. But I'm new at this. So your tips are welcome. Thanks.

Have I poisoned myself?

jessicapierce — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:58:31 -0800

Have I poisoned myself? First things first - obviously I will see a doctor if the following persists, and obviously I have quit taking the vitamins.

I'm 32, female, in good health, and on no medications. I get a cold maybe once a year but am generally pretty strong and healthy.

About a week ago I started feeling vaguely crappy, which I attributed to overwork + possibly coming down with something. Because I could not be sick on Election Day (volunteering/party), I took the usual steps to stave off a cold: upped my water and veggies intake, cut out what little junk food I eat, lowered my caffeine a tad, and started taking vitamins.

I kept feeling crappy, but with no escalation into actual, recognizable sickness. Now I've realized the vitamins are five years expired. Whoops. I'm wondering if any of the following symptoms can be attributed to an element in multivitamins which becomes toxic after expiring?

In order of most to least intense, I have:

- sporadic but INTENSE fatigue. This slams me in the early afternoon, which is when I normally feel a lull, but this is different and crippling. I did not cut my caffeine intake enough to be feeling this exhausted. Earlier in the week I would take a 2-hour coma nap; for the past few days I've been pushing through it with willpower and physical activity. The desire to pass out does go away within about 20 minutes, but overall I'm feeling pretty low-energy throughout the day, with or without the nap.

- severe and crippling anxiety, out of whack from the actual events of my life. Occasional shaky hands, racing pulse. I have no history of panic or anxiety attacks. I suffered from (undiagnosed but obvious) depression many years ago, but that's not what this feels like.

- an assorted festival of "head effects" - dizziness, headache, fuzzy thinking, tingly scalp, generally not feeling like myself.

- slight fever

- body aches

- loss of appetite

- vaguely sore throat

These are chewable 500 mg vitamin c tablets, and Publix brand children's chewable "plus iron" vitamins (shut up, I like them). I've been taking one of each every day for a week; before now, I took one every 2 weeks or so. The "head effects" are at their worst an hour or so after consumption, which was my first clue.

I can list the ingredients if that will help, but it's the standard rundown, and I'm just wondering if there's an ingredient commonly found in chewable vitamins which will poison you after it degrades.

Any help will be very much appreciated.

Pet vet on the 'net yet?

pseudostrabismus — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:17:43 -0800

For minor pet health questions: suggest websites that are comprehensive & user-friendly? I'd like to avoid unnecessary vet visits. Last week my cat had runny eyes for no apparent reason, and googling common search terms (cat+eye+discharge, etc) led me to a lot of annoying sites jam-packed with ads, poor user design, and sketchy-sounding information. (He's fine, now, by the way. I imagine his cat allergies were acting up or something.)

I'd like a pet health website with comprehensive, searchable entries offering detailed and specific information about animal health issues. Everything should be explained in terms geared to the literate layman- in other words, use of Latin terminology is fine if it's explained plainly and intelligently, rather than cut & pasted from a vet textbook in indigestible hunks, or dumbed down into single syllable hyperbole in the vein of POOR KITTEH OH NOES! VET TIME HURRY! Levelheadedness would be a plus, as not every sneeze needs a visit to a vet. I'd love to see stuff like "If your cat is breathing fine, it's ok to wait out the sneezes or a week or so. After 10 days, if it's not better- or if the cat is gasping- it could be problem X or Y, so take him to the vet."

Can anyone recommend such a site?
Thanks in advance!

PS, Personally, I'm most interested in cats, but I'm sure other users would appreciate sites relevant to their pets too. So if you know the #1 health resource for the spiny echidna or whatever, well, shoot!

How can I get my grandma into a new hospital?

Ostara — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:34:24 -0800

My terminally-ill grandma is in a hospital that is dirty, poorly staffed, and crowded. My family wants to move her to another facility. She has 2-8 weeks to live. Hospital staff has been unreceptive to our requests. How can we get grandma transferred to another facility? My grandma was diagnosed with intestinal cancer about a week ago. She had a tumor removed, and it is likely that she will spend her remaining days in the hospital. Currently, she is in an old hospital in a small Iowa town. None of the rooms are private and they do not limit visitors - at one point the other person in her room had 8 family members in with her, chatting on cell phones, eating fast food, and generally being loud. When we brought it up to the nurses, they said not to worry about it, the other patient would be gone in a couple days anyway.

When my grandma presses the call button to summon a nurse, she sometimes has to wait 15-20 minutes. We have been there and witnessed the slow response times. The hospital is not under-staffed, the employees are just not responsive.

The point is that every single day of my grandma's life matters. Her doctor spreads his time between several small hospitals, and he makes his rounds early in the mornings and then is unavailable the rest of the day.

We have another hospital in mind that she has stayed at before. How can I escalate this to get her moved? I have asked the nurses to leave a note in her chart for the doctor to read (I leave 3 hours away so I miss seeing the doctor in the morning) but I have not gotten a response.

deciding to be a parent with chronic illness

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:49:35 -0800

Having kids or not when you have chronic health issues: how did you decide and come to terms with it? I have severe and frequent migraines that have been interfering with my ability to hold work. I'm continuing to try different approaches to sort these things out and I'm trying to stay hopeful in this process. Now in my early 30s, I realize that I really want to have kids and finally believe that I might be okay at it. But I'm also starting to question how possible it would be for me to be pregnant and/or to be a good parent given how often my migraines affect my life. Given the medication I take preventatively and prophylactically, I can't imagine how I'd be able to endure without it for nine months no matter how much I'd want to. And given the needs of any child, let alone an infant, I really wonder how I'd be able to respond with the pain, no matter how much love, instinct, and help are involved.

These doubts and realizations have been hitting me hard lately. I've been open to being pregnant, to adopting, or choosing to not have kids at all, but I think lately it's the thought that perhaps I *shouldn't* have kids because of migraines that is the most painful to sort out. And I don't like the thread of entitlement in that reaction either. My partner would like to have kids but he'd rather see me suffer less; he is unwaveringly supportive. I feel really muddled in this and while of course, this is our decision, I'd really appreciate reading others' honest thoughts on this sort of situation.

This must happen more often than I think? How did you decide to have kids (in any way) or not if you have distracting health issues? How did you deal with medication? What do you wish you had or hadn't done? What perspectives and insights helped you accept your situation and choice? Thank you.

Can an air filter weaken your immune system?

mwang1028 — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 19:11:35 -0800

Can an air filter weaken your immune system? We've all heard of the studies where kids who grew up eating things off the floor grow up with stronger immune systems, kids growing up in a sheltered clean environment developing allergies and asthma, doctors who are all but immune to common diseases, and the like.
My question springs from stories/studies like these. I live in a fairly dusty area and am considering getting an air filter so I don't have to clean of a layer of dust every other week or so to keep my room tidy. Would getting this air filter lower the level of contact to pathogens so much that my immune system begins to atrophy?

Should I submit by psychiatrist bills to my employer?

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:27:03 -0800

It's time to submit my out-of-pocket medical expenses to my employer for reimbursement under the pre-tax medical account program. All my receipts are for psychotherapy, psychotropic medication, and other indicia of mental illness. Is it professionally "safe" for my employer to have this stuff? Does anyone know of a reason why I should not do this? If I don't put in these receipts, I lose the payroll deductions forever. But mental illness still carries a stigma in the workplace. I'm an attorney at a fairly large firm, if that matters, and the person in payroll processing these receipts has no idea who the hell I am.

How to make a child comfortable around those that are different from them

MrMulan — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 10:14:50 -0800

How do I expose my 2 1/2 year old son to people who have handicaps, or chronic illnesses like CP or MS? I remember my mom taking me to her nursing home when I was younger, and am very glad she did. I also remember most of the patients/residents were extremely happy to see me.

I would like to hear from people who grew up with somebody with a chronic illness, or somebody who was fine and then became ill. Before my mom started taking me to the nursing home, I remember visiting my grandfather who had a stroke and tormenting him, and generally being a dick with with my other cousins. I think I was either 4 or 6. I still feel like a dick for doing that.

I don't really like the insert childrens' book series/television program here that deals with this for one token episode.

Are there any books/programs with recurring characters with disabilities? Can I take him anywhere? Can I volunteer somewhere with him?

Dog with mysterious pain -- what should I expect?

treepour — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 08:46:43 -0800

Dog in sudden, mysterious pain. Going to see the vet as soon as possible, but want to be as prepared as I can be. On our morning walk yesterday, I noticed that my 15-pound dog was walking a bit -- not much, just a bit -- slower than usual. Later that afternoon, while the dog slept in his bed, he suddenly yelped, as if something had seriously hurt him -- the kind of yelp he gives, e.g., if someone accidentally steps on his paw or tail. Unusually, I was able to touch him without getting a reaction from him (he's quite territorial, and usually reacts with fear or aggression whenever someone attempts to pet him while he's in his bed). Last night, the same thing happened, only the yelps were more intense, and it happened about 3 or 4 times during the course of the night. For a few hours, my partner slept with him on the sofa (I'm terribly allergic), and the dog didn't yelp during this time.

Otherwise, the dog seems perfectly normal -- hasn't lost an appetite, doesn't have any lumps, unusual discharge from any part his body, is urinating and defecating normally, isn't vomiting, etc.

Anyone else had a similar experience and/or some idea of what I might possibly expect to talk about with the vet and/or advice on talking with the vet? Also, if anyone can recommend a reasonable vet in San Francisco who might be willing to make arrangements for a payment plan in case an expensive procedure is required, I'd be greatly appreciative (I'm planning on calling the SPCA for this, but additional recommendations certainly wouldn't hurt).

Plus, I can't giggle like a schoolgirl either

rileyray3000 — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 17:54:40 -0800

I think I may have seriously screwed up my voice. How do you know the difference between a temporary weird voice and long term damage? So I was in London about two weeks back. I got there and amidst the rain, the damp and the coughers on both sides of me on the plane, two days after arrival I get fever, chills and a cough.

Additionally there was a little raspiness. And some chest congestion that produced some stuff that, in my entire life, I haven't seen the likes of.

The day after that, my voice goes away. Now, I'm a talker. And this was my very first trip to England. While ostensibly a business trip, I came to see the sights, drink some beer AND to hook up with a hot indian girl with an english accent. And I was gonna be damned if this kind of voice was gonna keep me from making those dreams come true.

Well damned I got.

Because my voice loss got progressively worse to the point. Probably from doing the needed talking for work. Possibly from drinking alcohol. And even from trying to flirt with a Bend it Like Beckham-ish cutie at a coffee shop. Though that seems unlikely. There I was going for low and soft.

Though at that point it was now a strangled Harvey Firestein. Minus the gay overtones.

The whole thing devolved on an exponential scale to the point that, not only couldn't I flirt with the locals, but if I raised my voice above a certain level, it was like someone's punching me in the adam's apple. Long story short? I got my voice back the day after I got home to LA.

But not all of it.

Yesterday in the car a favorite Frankie Valli song came on. I sang along. Or tried to anyway. Because it seem like my entire upper register is completely gone. No falsetto, no high pitches, not even a "whooo" ability at this point. It kinda threw me. I had a great day. I couldn't go WHOOO! to commemorate it.

So my questions are these: what did I have, what did I do and will it fix itself or no?

Admittedly, if worse comes to worse, I'll just make do with the gravelly lower remnants of my vocal register. But it's gonna be hell on my verbal coloring and my karaoke act is going to lose fully half its repertoire. And that's not just a tragedy for me, but for the fans. So any ideas you have would be well appreciated

How to cheer up my BF?

barrakuda — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 10:12:09 -0800

How do I cheer up my SO? He just found out that his dad is in hospital following a hemmorhage. His dad has hemophilia and such crises could prove to be fatal for him. He had a similar episode about 2 years ago and it did have a huge emotional toll on my SO.

Additional details: his parents are in Europe and we're in the States. He's very upset about this and afraid that his dad will die. I want him to leave work and go home with me, but then what? What can I do to make him feel better? Cook good food? Watch comedies? Talk to him and comfort him? What do I say? I love him very much and want to be able to comfort him.

"Obnoxious" isn’t quite it either

jessicapierce — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 13:43:48 -0800

Is there a word to describe a person who repeatedly becomes convinced that someone else is sick with various obscure ailments, based on flimsy or imagined evidence? I've already come up with "transferred hypochondria" and "wack neurosis." What I'm really asking is whether this is a common phenomenon and whether it is recognized as a legitimate, specific condition.

I ask because I know someone who does this. It goes beyond old wives' tale, grandma-caliber "put a sweater on, you'll catch your death" fretting - this is a persistent, manic conviction that I'm currently suffering from everything from depression to random glandular disorders to trichotillomania. (I'm not.) Nastily, I'd love to be able to add to my usual response of "No, I really don't have X," "but I think you may have Y." And I'm curious about this condition, if it is a recognized condition and not just straight-up lunacy.

How can I stop my concerns about declining health?

Anonymous — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 15:31:52 -0800

How can I stop my concerns about declining health? I've had a chronic health condition for some time now. It's starting to erode my confidence in my general health.

Whenever some little physical anomaly happens (e.g. I have a weird sensation somewhere), my first thought is that it's something serious that's due to my health condition. Also, if I'm feeling mentally tired or slow, I attribute it to my health condition wearing me down and making me duller. (In reality I think the effect of my condition on my physical and mental performance exists a bit, but that it's much less than I'm giving it credit for.)

These thought patterns don't go to the point of an obsession, but I am noticeably less confident in my abilities than I used to be. I sometimes feel as if things are falling apart, or that I'm going "downhill." Any recommendations on how I can get my old, carefree state of mind back?

Available treatment facilities for mental illness

unsigned — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 15:25:04 -0800

MentalHealthFilter: To try and sum up a fairly long and complicated issue: My brother, 23, is diagnosed as bipolar. It's been an uphill battle ever since he was admitted to the psych hospital at 11/12 years old. Although his diagnosis and medications have switched many times, nothing seems to work. It's only getting worse and more dangerous. He currently lives with my parents and it's pretty much hell. He is verbally abusive to my mother, horribly so, has physically attacked another brother, damages belongings and the house constantly, his theft now includes family members' credit cards as well as cash, and people who probably shouldn't know where they live, do.

My mother has always been a supermom in the sense of finding resource to keep my brother afloat. I know that the only reason there is any sort of thread from him to hang by, is because of her. But, of course, this is not anything that he is grateful for, because, he constantly reminds her that he never asked to be born in the first place and will never forgive her. There is only so much someone can do for someone else.

Based on research and readings, I know that mental illness and chemical addiction need to be treated together more as one disorder rather than seperate, and that a combination of drug and behvorial therapy are needed for best results. The problem is that most of his treatment has been outpatient day programs, geared only for drug treatment, or only for mental illness, which makes it very difficult for him to get the intense treatment that I think he needs right now.

So, finally, my question: What are (or are there) other treatment options for those without the means to send someone off to the fancy rehab places all the celebs go to? They are in CT and he has Medicaid and SSI for his disability. Is there any way to get payment asssistance for long-term residential treatment, or is this sort of treatment reserved for the rich and crazy only?

Medical Songs

Failure31 — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 22:41:59 -0800

I am trying to put together a playlist of songs about doctors and hospitals. Not metaphoric "Love Doctor"- type songs, but more along the lines of The Replacements' "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out." Others I could think of include another by the Mats, "Take Me to the Hospital" and the White Stripes "Girl, You've Got No Faith in Medicine." I know songs about mental illness were covered recently, but I am looking for songs about physical ailments and medical/surgical interactions.

Always getting sick

angryjellybean — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 10:02:38 -0800

What is up with my immune system? I'm always getting sick! I only have a cold right now, it's true, but this is the third time I've had a cold so far in 2006. I've also had tonsillitis (which is recurring - I've had it 9 times in the last two years and am scheduled to have my tonsils out sometime this summer) and some mysterious bug that kept me up being sick 3 nights in a row for no apparent reason (I hadn't eaten anything strange). I also had 4 colds between September and December last year. Basically I catch whatever's going round.

I eat healthily - I eat at least 4 portions of fruit or vegetables a day but often it's more, I take vitamin supplements and go to the gym 3 or 4 times every week. I get fresh air and am moderately hygenic with regard to cooking and stuff (I'm a student, haha)... I'm starting to question my immune system, surely someone with a healthy lifestyle shouldn't get ill so easily? One thing that has occured to me is that it seems to be when I'm living the student life rather than at home with my parents... but who knows if that is relevant.

Oh p.s. I do drink alcohol, no more than twice a week (usually once) and don't smoke. If that sheds any light on anything.

Why do I get sick so often?

joaniemcchicken — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 12:41:11 -0800

I've been sick a lot in the last two years. And not just cold sick, I've had pneumonia and bronchitis at least 4 times a year. It seems to be triggered by physical work. I'm 49 years old, and I have been feeling lousy for the last year. I keep getting sick. I am about 40 pounds overweight, and I have, several times, started exercise programs that I love and begin to do really well at. Like bike riding and spinning classes. But, every single time, about 3-5 weeks into my program, I come down with a major illness. Usually bronchitis, pneumonia or the flu. It takes, easily, three weeks to recover, and then I'm weak and out of shape and lose interest. I have tried starting slower, pacing myself, vitamins, healthy eating. I'm going to my doctor today because, once again I have a serious infection of some kind. My tempurature is at 102 and climbing. I just survived something like this three weeks ago. But, I don't think my doctor's going to believe that there's a connection. And I can't blame him. It sounds nuts! But, dammit, it's true. I can't pretend it's not related. Has anyone ever heard of this? Could a person have some kind of compromised immune system that is worsened by strenuous (for me) physical activity? I know no one here is a doctor, but I'm hoping someone here has experienced this or knows someone who has.

bad kitty

luriete — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 14:21:47 -0800

Last week my wife put one of those toilet cleaning puck things - 2 discs, one blue and one white (a type of chlorine bleach, I think) in the toilet tank. Apparently one of us or our houseguest left the toilet open and one of our two cats - the stupid one - drank a quantity of the water, even though he had a big bowl of fresh water by his food (yes, we're now being very careful to leave it closed). My questions: 1) did he drink it because it tasted good, the way some animals will eat antifreeze, and 2) is he gonna be OK? He's acting a little odd - staring at his own shadow and attacking invisible things, growling at nothing, but then again he's kind of brain-damaged anyway (flea anemia as a feral kitten). He's 9 yrs old and otherwise in good health.

How to cope with a sick family member?

huskerdont — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 09:59:35 -0800

A family member of mine may be seriously ill and I can't stop thinking about it. How do I deal with everyday life in the meantime? I recently found out that a parent might be seriously ill. Although my relations with them haven't been the best in the past, the news that they might be facing a long-term illness has been crushing me. It's all I can think about at work and my productivity has been slipping (FYI: I work 50+ hour weeks in a creative field job). I keep on making excuses to co-workers and friends because I don't want the pity that comes with the territory. I spend as much time as I can with the parent, but still need to get my mind clear for work. Is there any way to do this?

Why do I get sick so often and what can I do to get sick less often?

Anonymous — Thu, 10 Feb 2005 20:20:14 -0800

I catch colds with alarming frequency- five or six times a year. If I make any sort of contact with somebody else who is sick, I can expect to have what they have within a day or two. I'm 21, HIV negative (recently tested and long abstinent), a vegetarian with a healthy diet, I excercise frequently and I take vitamins. I'm also currently taking Lexapro for depression. My question is twofold: first, what's wrong with me? Doctors insist that I'm fine. Second, what can I do to keep from getting sick so often in the future?

A permanent condition goes away. What's next?

dmd — Sat, 15 Jan 2005 18:50:06 -0800

After twenty years of twice-weekly migraines, Topamax has halted them completely for me; nary even a minor headache in three months. People with narcolepsy (and others with less severe sleep issues) have found a wonder drug in Provigil. Severe snorers, suffering from sleep apnea, arise from sleep studies on CPAP wondering what this strange "awake" feeling is. Cataracts disappear and vision returns. And then there's that other drug, so beloved by spammers.

What happens when a medical treatment truly changes your life? How does your life change when you've grown used to a condition over the span of years, and then in a matter of days it lifts? Any stories?

A Better Vitamin?

jed — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 17:56:37 -0800

VitaminFilter: I am a reasonably healthy male in my twenties, and I take a regular old Centrum multivitamin every day. My current huge container is almost empty, and before I buy another one, I'm wondering if there's something better. Is there really any difference between the various brands of multivitamins? Is there a brand better suited for someone my age? I have access to Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Trader Joes, etc., if that helps.