http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com A place for people to find support for neurological and brain disorders. en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:33:02 GMT vBulletin 30 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/images/ca_evo2/misc/rss.jpg http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108567&goto=newpost Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:25:57 GMT The news guy used to be the weather guy on the Today Show, but came back home. This is a really loveable cat!... The news guy used to be the weather guy on the Today Show, but came back home.
This is a really loveable cat!
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1fe_1258479419

A smile for all ...except the cop? - j ]]> Our Pets dahlek http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108567 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108566&goto=newpost Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:17:07 GMT I was sent this website in an e-mail. I took a look and it was legitimate. And free to send a postcard. So easy and it would mean so much to a... I was sent this website in an e-mail. I took a look and it was legitimate.

And free to send a postcard.

So easy and it would mean so much to a man or woman in the military.

www.LetsSayThanks.com

Appropriate for Thanksgiving, don't you think? ]]> The Stumble Inn Aarcyn http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108566 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108560&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:15:57 GMT This sticky has been added to fulfill a need for those with Primary Progressive MS. PPMS differs from SPMS and Remitting/Relapsing MS in both... This sticky has been added to fulfill a need for those with Primary Progressive MS.

PPMS differs from SPMS and Remitting/Relapsing MS in both onset and prognosis. Unlike RRMS, those with PPMS are not offered any of the treatments currently available, so with that in mind, this thread has been formulated for those with PPMS to discuss their trials and tribulations, or to simply keep in touch.

I hope you'll find this thread beneficial. ]]> Multiple Sclerosis Koala77 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108560 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108559&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:10:11 GMT Does anyone have knowledge of Qutenza? I understand It was approved last month for the management of neuropathic pain (a capsaicin patch, applied... Does anyone have knowledge of Qutenza?
I understand It was approved last month for the management of neuropathic
pain (a capsaicin patch, applied for 60 minutes, at 3 month intervals.)

Flora ]]> Peripheral Neuropathy Flora http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108559 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108558&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:29:47 GMT Hello, this has been going on for over a year now as well as sciatic/lower back pain.. I have also been "treated" for a trapped radial nerve in my neck scalenes area.. im not sure if at all any of these are related, but the tingling in the midback increases if i carry something in that arm, also if im sitting without support on my back or leaning forward.. if i pinch that muscle, i also experience pain and have been told/can feel it is in constant spasm..

also not sure if related, on that same side as you go towards my ribcage it gets extremely tender to the touch.. one oddity i noticed is if i rub over that tender point on the left ribcage, i get a corresponding tingling sensation in my left ulnar nerve at the elbow (i had a left ulnar nerve transposition btw 2 years back, which was before i noticed the back tingling though it provided little relief)..

is this a pinched nerve? perhaps in the thoracic region of my back? what kind of imaging would help in finding out? i have had prior mri's on cervical spine (normal) and L shoulder (bursitis) but none of my back lower than cervical spine.. also as far as EMG's go, i have had them for other recent (year or 2 ago) issues but it seemed restricted only to my arms/hands-can these be used for my back as well

here is a rough location i circled of the tingling/buzzing:

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...yson3/trap.png

appreciate it, thanks ]]> Mikeyson3 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108558 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108557&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:13:34 GMT Hello everyone my name is Skott and I am a 33 yr old man that fell 35 feet and lived to tell the tale. Unfortunately, the sudden stop at the end of... Hello everyone my name is Skott and I am a 33 yr old man that fell 35 feet and lived to tell the tale. Unfortunately, the sudden stop at the end of my free fall caused a Burst fracture of my L1 Vert. Four years have passed and things are getting worse. Sitting here is too painful for example...(break time be back in 20 minutes, I hope) So, Sitting up Lifting Bending Stretching all aren't terrible at first but after a little while the pain starts and just keeps getting worse...and this is after getting my nerves (burnt) radio frequency something or other.....a procedure to deaden my nerves...So, I take pain medication and recently told one of my Doctor's ( the prescribing Doc) about my pain and the changes in my living situation ( recently moved out of my parents house...now I get to do everyday tasks that cause pain to me) He went into what I think is a standard speech about people abusing pain medications and he did increase my daily dose but I wonder if I am taking the right meds for my pain. I take percocet 10/325's. We can talk about that later. I saw my spine specialist who is also my pain doctor. And he was alarmed at the pains I was describing and he ordered an MRI. So, at the MRI everyone was taken back that this was my first MRI seeing how I had major back surgery. [ I had my L1 vert removed...donated donor bone from a rib had a cage put around the rib bone and put into my spine to fuse with a plate and screws.] I took notice to their reactions and when leaving I got a copy of the images on cd for myself...I also have my X-rays this way I have my own stuff the Hospitals can still have their images too. Anyway, when I look at the images I think in 1 set there are clear images of fractures in my L2 L3 and L4 they look like the go 1/2 way through each from the spinal cord toward the middle. To say the least I am worried. I do not know however if the image is current or they are healed fractures that are visible. I am not a Doctor...So, I got on the internet to compare images. I couldn't find what I needed but I found this site. I am now having throuble sitting up again. I want to finish but the pain will get too bad then it won't get better so I have to stop there. I have other things I want to discuss. but that is my intro I might have gone astray in my writing but that's ME!

I hope to learn a lot on this site.

Skott ]]> New Member Introductions Skott http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108557 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108555&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:40:04 GMT (Psych Central News) Image: http://psychcentral.com/news/u/2009/11/man-internet-computer.jpg A new report on parental concerns about the safety of... (Psych Central News) A new report on parental concerns about the safety of their children’s lives online reveals a wide range of opinion, although some common themes do emerge. According to the researchers, of those parents with kids online, nearly two-thirds are ... ...


Read the full article...

From Psych Central News. ]]> Health News Headlines NewsBot http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108555 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108552&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:31:19 GMT This isn't a whine...or maybe it is, I don't know.

I was just wondering if I'll EVER get my mind around the concept of having a shorter day than most of the rest of the world? I'm talking about "usable" hours.

It takes me an hour or two to pull it together physically in the morning, between MS and arthritis mostly, and then I have anywhere from three to five "good" hours (relatively speaking) before things start going downhill.

Somewhere along the line I started thinking of 3 p.m. as the end of the day, even though I'm still technically up for another five or six hours. By 5:00, I'm circling the drain.

Even though I made/make the conscious choice to accept life as it is and adapt to it as graciously as I can, almost every day I catch myself thinking, "What? I'm STILL broken??" ]]> The Stumble Inn Blessings2You http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108552 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108549&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:57:14 GMT Hi, just joined over here and Psych Talk yesterday, wanted to introduce myself. I'm 50 years old, married, 2 grown kids, 3 grandkids, have had progressively poor health, pain, periodic depression, lots of bizarre inexplicable medical problems/crises for many years, and recently became permanently disabled after fighting and toughing it out for years. Now I finally learned this year that the root of all the strange medical and mental problems was a very bad TBI 45 years ago (though I've had another serious one 20 years ago, and 2 minor ones in between).

I'd really like to connect with other people wih TBIs, especially chronic TBI, and learn more and get and give support with daily living functioning with a reprogrammed brain and its implications.

I want to be sure not to post inappopriately here, so I won't go into details in my howdy note that might be triggering, but I also want to cast a wide net, since I have various neurological conditions/diseases stemming from the brain trauma(s) that I'm trying to understand in context, but also learn how non-TBI folks cope as well.

On the TBI side, I am hoping to connect with other people who have experience with, or know someone with:
*diverse neurotransmitter dysregulation (known for me: dopamine (deficient), serotonin (serotonin levels high but low serotonin symptoms; suspect receptor issue), norepinephrine & epinephrine (specifics unclear), & other dysregulations not sure about yet)
*extreme broad paradoxical reaction to several classes of drugs that affect CNS esp affecting serotonin--affect similar to serotonin syndrome but even at lowest doses
*chronic immune system dysregulation after TBI (acute period=low immune function;later=auto immune type responses following medical event/injury/pain event (me: raynaud's, secondary schleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, RSD-like inflammatory patterns, IBS--after surgery
*extended intracranial hypertension (I had 3 weeks in hospital, 8 months after discharge w/no medical treatment or supervision @ age 5)
*sympathetic storming initial recovery period, autonomic dysregulation thereafter aggravated by paradoxical reaction to meds

Outside of TBI context, interested in hearing from others familiar with:

* sero-negative autoimmune situations (can see inflammations, erosions, plenty of indicators of multiple inflammatory processes but blood doesn't tell the same story).
*autonomic dysregulation (hyperactive SNS/underactive PSNS) and approaches. (I have this, but without hypertension). I'm trying to get a handle on how this going off-course relates to the various illnesses that I have.
*comorbidities that interfere with each other
*fibromyalgia, IBS, & related using something besides serotonin-impacting meds (ie., SS/SNRIs/MAOIs/TCAs/lyrica/neurontin/narcotics/muscle relaxers, etc.)

Since I can't take meds to alleviate most symptoms (pain, stiffness, muscle spasm, mood, sleep,. etc.) except for CNS stimulants at this point, I've had to turn to non-pharm options, such as visual arts, journaling, other exercises to shift pain attention & engage the non-pain processing parts of my brain to ride out flares & avoid chronic stress, hot bath soaks, massage, topical analgesic creams. I am also taking prednisone & plaquenil for inflammatory issues, which controls as long as I remain inactive, but snowballs me on deconditioning and increases risk for more problems and aggravates other comorbids.

I am cognitively high functioning with periodic depression, chronic sleep impairment, chronic pain & memory impairment at times, had severe ADHD symptoms, impulse control & decision making require more time to process sometimes, but CNS stimulants help with mental organization, mood, energy, and some pain symptoms. I was the one who figured out what was wrong with me, after none of the doctors could understand why so many bizarre combinations of medical issues or response to treatment would go terribly wrong, I started researching myself (lost my job after so many medical problems), and discovered the one thing that was connected to all of them.

If you saw the first Star Trek movie (space probe falls into black hole, gets reprogrammed & repaired & comes back as a completely different entity no ne recognizes called "Vger"), then you've seen the story of my brain post TBI. Has its own rules and agendae, and nobody really knows a lot about the new life form or what its altered programming will do.

When I discovered this critical piece of information andmy theories, I presented it to my docs, and they investigated and had lots of aha! moments, told me that this was spot-on, but now they are sure that with this funky brain, there are very few options for treatment, and tell me that I am more likely to find workable options than they know about right now. Yay for the team, after 45 years!


I'm not bitter, the docs are good folks trying to help. I'm trying to learn how I can get on with my life, and navigate this new brain *superhighway* and its unique *pot holes*. Am still working with the docs to follow things and see if anyone comes up with new solutions, so this is me continuing to do my bit. Would love to hear from others who are familiar with any of these challenges, regardless of whether you've found solutions or not. I'd just like to know that I'm not the only one anywhere (I think there are others like me somewhere, and am optimistic that I will continue to find solutions if I keep working at it).

Just in case any of this might be triggering for someone, I'm going to go ahead and tag it, though I have tried to be careful with my phrasing but you never know.

Thanks! Donna:):):) ]]> New Member Introductions Donna E. http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108549 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108553&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:57:14 GMT Hi, just joined over here and Psych Talk yesterday, wanted to introduce myself. I'm 50 years old, married, 2 grown kids, 3 grandkids, have had progressively poor health, pain, periodic depression, lots of bizarre inexplicable medical problems/crises for many years, and recently became permanently disabled after fighting and toughing it out for years. Now I finally learned this year that the root of all the strange medical and mental problems was a very bad TBI 45 years ago (though I've had another serious one 20 years ago, and 2 minor ones in between).

I'd really like to connect with other people wih TBIs, especially chronic TBI, and learn more and get and give support with daily living functioning with a reprogrammed brain and its implications.

I want to be sure not to post inappopriately here, so I won't go into details in my howdy note that might be triggering, but I also want to cast a wide net, since I have various neurological conditions/diseases stemming from the brain trauma(s) that I'm trying to understand in context, but also learn how non-TBI folks cope as well.

On the TBI side, I am hoping to connect with other people who have experience with, or know someone with:
*diverse neurotransmitter dysregulation (known for me: dopamine (deficient), serotonin (serotonin levels high but low serotonin symptoms; suspect receptor issue), norepinephrine & epinephrine (specifics unclear), & other dysregulations not sure about yet)
*extreme broad paradoxical reaction to several classes of drugs that affect CNS esp affecting serotonin--affect similar to serotonin syndrome but even at lowest doses
*chronic immune system dysregulation after TBI (acute period=low immune function;later=auto immune type responses following medical event/injury/pain event (me: raynaud's, secondary schleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, RSD-like inflammatory patterns, IBS--after surgery
*extended intracranial hypertension (I had 3 weeks in hospital, 8 months after discharge w/no medical treatment or supervision @ age 5)
*sympathetic storming initial recovery period, autonomic dysregulation thereafter aggravated by paradoxical reaction to meds

Outside of TBI context, interested in hearing from others familiar with:

* sero-negative autoimmune situations (can see inflammations, erosions, plenty of indicators of multiple inflammatory processes but blood doesn't tell the same story).
*autonomic dysregulation (hyperactive SNS/underactive PSNS) and approaches. (I have this, but without hypertension). I'm trying to get a handle on how this going off-course relates to the various illnesses that I have.
*comorbidities that interfere with each other
*fibromyalgia, IBS, & related using something besides serotonin-impacting meds (ie., SS/SNRIs/MAOIs/TCAs/lyrica/neurontin/narcotics/muscle relaxers, etc.)

Since I can't take meds to alleviate most symptoms (pain, stiffness, muscle spasm, mood, sleep,. etc.) except for CNS stimulants at this point, I've had to turn to non-pharm options, such as visual arts, journaling, other exercises to shift pain attention & engage the non-pain processing parts of my brain to ride out flares & avoid chronic stress, hot bath soaks, massage, topical analgesic creams. I am also taking prednisone & plaquenil for inflammatory issues, which controls as long as I remain inactive, but snowballs me on deconditioning and increases risk for more problems and aggravates other comorbids.

I am cognitively high functioning with periodic depression, chronic sleep impairment, chronic pain & memory impairment at times, had severe ADHD symptoms, impulse control & decision making require more time to process sometimes, but CNS stimulants help with mental organization, mood, energy, and some pain symptoms. I was the one who figured out what was wrong with me, after none of the doctors could understand why so many bizarre combinations of medical issues or response to treatment would go terribly wrong, I started researching myself (lost my job after so many medical problems), and discovered the one thing that was connected to all of them.

If you saw the first Star Trek movie (space probe falls into black hole, gets reprogrammed & repaired & comes back as a completely different entity no ne recognizes called "Vger"), then you've seen the story of my brain post TBI. Has its own rules and agendae, and nobody really knows a lot about the new life form or what its altered programming will do.

When I discovered this critical piece of information andmy theories, I presented it to my docs, and they investigated and had lots of aha! moments, told me that this was spot-on, but now they are sure that with this funky brain, there are very few options for treatment, and tell me that I am more likely to find workable options than they know about right now. Yay for the team, after 45 years!


I'm not bitter, the docs are good folks trying to help. I'm trying to learn how I can get on with my life, and navigate this new brain *superhighway* and its unique *pot holes*. Am still working with the docs to follow things and see if anyone comes up with new solutions, so this is me continuing to do my bit. Would love to hear from others who are familiar with any of these challenges, regardless of whether you've found solutions or not. I'd just like to know that I'm not the only one anywhere (I think there are others like me somewhere, and am optimistic that I will continue to find solutions if I keep working at it).

Just in case any of this might be triggering for someone, I'm going to go ahead and tag it, though I have tried to be careful with my phrasing but you never know.

Thanks! Donna:):):) ]]> Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Concussion Syndrome Donna E. http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108553 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108548&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:46:02 GMT Someone pointed this out to me on another site and I find it very interesting. :Dunno: Three years ago was the Chinese calendar’s *Year of the... Someone pointed this out to me on another site and I find it very interesting. :Dunno:

Three years ago was the Chinese calendar’s Year of the Cow, & we had…Mad Cow Disease.

Two years ago was the Chinese calendar’s Year of the Bird, & we had…Avian Flu.

This year is the Chinese calendar’s Year of the Pig, & we have…Swine Flu.

And next year… Well, next year is the Year of the Cock… ]]> The Stumble Inn karousel http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108548 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108547&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:40:03 GMT AFP - Days after controversy erupted over new breast cancer screening guidelines, a US health group has said women should wait longer to get their first cervical cancer test.




Read the full article...

(From Yahoo Diseases) ]]> Health News Headlines NewsBot http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108547 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108546&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:40:03 GMT AFP - Women should not get their first cervical cancer screening before age 21, the leading US group of women's health care professionals said Friday, also recommending less frequent subsequent tests.




Read the full article...

(From Yahoo Diseases) ]]> Health News Headlines NewsBot http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108546 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108545&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:40:03 GMT AP - Health officials say four people in North Carolina have tested positive for a type of swine flu that's resistant to the drug Tamiflu.




Read the full article...

(From Yahoo) ]]> Health News Headlines NewsBot http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108545 http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108544&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:34:26 GMT I'm having some difficulty with some abbreviations here. I;ve just let it ride, thinking it would eventually come to me, but my assumptions just aren;t right, so maybe one of you guys would help me out?

Whats "DH" I get that it's "Husband" but what's the D for? Dopey? Dear? Devoted? Disabled?

Same with DD or DS? Second D is daughter, the S is son, but what's the first D for?

I know there are some others, but I can't think of any or find any examples right now.

Thanks for your usual help. ]]> The Stumble Inn Catch http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108544