[blacksport]

Thanks guys. The popular opinion is to visit a psychiatrist, which I agree is the right one. Just worried about the stigma. BTW, I see that there are Psychologists who treat such things. Are they doctors? Or just counselors?

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Not sure about there being a pill, but its basically conditioning the mind that ultimately helps and addresses the issue at its root cause. You might want to consider going to a counsellor who is experienced at dealing with social anxiety issues.

Originally Posted by carboy

I used to have severe anxiety long back (many of the things you mention). It got cured by circumstances. ... This also spilled over to my personal life automatically.

I too had work related anxiety, but that went away after some time when I learned that the stakes are not that high as they make out to be. But still that has not helped my other anxieties.

Originally Posted by archat68

Consult a Psychiatrist and a counselor as per his recommendation. These conditions are quite treatable with medications and counseling.

Originally Posted by Aditya_Bhp

Since you are from Bangalore, kindly go to NIMHANS and speak to the doctors there. Psychiatric issue require vocal counselling initially.

[condor]

Originally Posted by Nalin1

Her concern now is that she sometimes has constipation issues, ..
For constipation no allopathic medicines worked. Hence tried castor oil and figs (soaked in water overnight) which has given reasonably good results. Hope it is permanent remedy.

For constipation, also try Sat isabgol - this is not processed by the body in any way, but it just absorbs water and safely passes out. The retained water helps avoid the constipation. It is a passive approach, but works. Available at the pharma shops

[Sherlocked]

Originally Posted by blacksport

Is there a pill that I can pop..

Have you tried practicing meditation? It might work for the anxiety related issues and help you being in the present.

[subraiyr]

Is this a condition that usually has a cure? Or is it better to avoid situations where I would encounter anxiety? Is there a pill that I can pop and get rid of my hypochondria at least?

Firstly - Stop Googling on symptoms, treatments etc. Easier said than done, but Dr Google is a problem. He creates a situation wherein the simplest of headaches can be classified as potential brain cancer!!!

Secondly - Don't pop pills. Every pill that you take has an effect (positive/negative) and can react with another medication

Thirdly - Speak to a counselor first. They can clearly identify the need to go to a Psychiatrist and in your case it might not be required at all. Counselor will try to understand the root cause of our anxiety attacks and help you overcome them.

Also
1. Have a hobby you are passionate about. It will help you control your mind from thinking morbid thoughts
2. Meditation helps immensely to manage your thoughts and your mind. Transcendental meditation is possibly the best solution to have apart from visiting a counselor.
3. There is no stigma attached to visiting a counselor or a psychiatrist. A counselor is a medium for you to interpret your issues and help you resolve them. They act like a catalyst rather than a cure. They just help you think more clearly.

Finally - Don't take everything to heart. Life is exciting to live through and you should take joy in the simplest of pleasure life throws at you. For e.g. even buying and using a new toothbrush sends me into a world of happiness.

Have fun and think positive

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by blacksport

Thanks guys. The popular opinion is to visit a psychiatrist, which I agree is the right one. Just worried about the stigma. BTW, I see that there are Psychologists who treat such things. Are they doctors? Or just counselors?

Don't worry about the stigma - the perception and world is changing. A bunch of people go to counselors for a variety of issues starting with something as trivial as time management / anger management, etc.

It is better to get the help needed and face the world, as compared to suffering and not facing the world because of 'stigma'.

My wife worked with a counselor / psychologist for a short period of time - reputed ones will always maintain your privacy, and they go out of their way at times to help.
Find a good counselor who will understand your issues, and try to help you overcome it. If they feel it is required, then they will ask you to meet a clinical psychologist / psychiatrist who will prescribe you a medicine after carrying out their tests (a regular counselor or psychologist cannot prescribe medicines IIRC).

[recshenoy]

Hello All,

Off late I have developed neck pain and tingling sensation in left hand. Orthopedic told that the problem is due to head down usage patterns like laptop, mobile and pathetic roads on which I drive. Due to this gap between neck bones have reduced and they are pressing the nerves and asked me to wear soft collar.

This incident got me thinking about my driving patter of 75 KM per day with 50% stretch in pathetic condition. What are the side effects of driving a manual transmission car on daily basis. I drive manual transmission car and per day on an average I do 400-500 gear shifts. How bad are manual transmissions on human body? One of my doctor friend said “anything repetitive is bad, buy an AMT and save your left hand , leg”. Any opinions about same.

[scorpian]

Originally Posted by recshenoy

Hello All,

Off late I have developed neck pain and tingling sensation in left hand.
I drive manual transmission car and per day on an average I do 400-500 gear shifts. How bad are manual transmissions on human body? One of my doctor friend said “anything repetitive is bad, buy an AMT and save your left hand , leg”. Any opinions about same.

My daily driving is in excess of 80kms of which about 20kms are on pathetic non existent roads with crater like pot holes. The pain and tingling you have is probably due to some nerve getting irritated or compressed. Neck exercises will help you a lot. Strength of muscles will surely help elevate your pain.
Sorry but i do not agree with your friend. In all probability not using your left hand will only aggravate due to non use.

With all my injuries i have learnt one thing do not let any part atrophy due to non use or lack of normal use. It just makes things harder to recover from.

See a physio do some neck exercises and you should be good to go.

[sandeepmohan]

Hi All,

I could use some advice from our Doctor community.

My uncle (Based in Puttur, Karnataka) has been suffering from a prostate condition for a while. I do not know the finer details of how he has been treating it other than some herbal medication he was taking which eventually stopped being effective due to a gap in taking in the medication.

He has been advised by our family doctor to go to the USA for treatment. That will set him back a lot financially. The other option is China. This family doctor claims that doctors in India don't handle prostate too well. I find this hard to believe.

Here is an excerpt from his medical report after an MRI scan was done.

"Grade III prostatomegaly with two suspicious nodular foci in the lateral lobes as described with diffusion restriction on ADC maps - suggested core relation with serial PSA and TRUS guided biopsy".

Much appreciate your advise on how to go about treating his prostate condition.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by carboy

Doctors/Diabetic patients - Few questions about Diabetic Supplies

1) Glucometer - I noticed that the Morepen BG-03 Glucometer & it's strips both cost much less than other brands. Any reviews on these? Are these reliable enough?

2) BioCon Insupen EZ - it's cheaper than the Novopen 4. Is it as easy to use as the Novopen 4?

3) BioCon's Insilin Biosimilars - Insugen-R (fast acting) & Insugen-N (NPH) are supposed to similar to Novo's Actrapid HM & Insulatard HM Penfills. They also cost around 30% less. Are they as good?

Since there were no replies, I'll update my dad's experiences since I posted the questions.

1) Morepen Glucometers work just fine.

2) My dad likes the Insupen EZ more than Novopen 4. It's a German made pen. They have a new version called Insupen Pro coming out soon. If you manage to find a Biocon distributor who supplies insulin to medical shops, he will even give you an Insupen EZ free of charge. I got one free for my dad from a distributor who was at the medical shop when I went to inquire.

3) Biocon's insulins work the same as Novo's Actrapid & Insulatard.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by blacksport

...worried about the stigma..

Social stigma is a very real problem, esp. in conservative societies, but PLEASE don't let that stop you from getting help. If you have close friend(s) you can confide in, seek their help in finding a good counselor.

Ultimately, your well-being is most important and none of the people stigmatizing your issues will probably lift a finger to actually help you, if untreated anxiety gets worse.

Look at it this way, if you can eliminate or manage your anxiety, you'll be able to handle social commentary better too, instead of letting it bother you.

Good luck, nobody deserves to live in constant anxiety, so please get help.

[Aditya_Bhp]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

"Grade III prostatomegaly with two suspicious nodular foci in the lateral lobes as described with diffusion restriction on ADC maps - suggested core relation with serial PSA and TRUS guided biopsy.

The details are not enough. Prostatomegaly is a common condition affecting the elderly, and there is no need to go to America. If at all you go to America, 50% of the time the doctor there will be an Indian

Although from this MRI, I can assume you uncle might have difficulty in passing urine or pain while passing urine, and hence he went to the doctor. What we should rule out here is prostatic cancer, that is why you should initially do a PSA and a PAP test. Elevated levels will tell us there is a lesion in the prostate but will not tell us if its a cancer. After that do a TRUS biopsy, where a biopsy needle is inserted through the Urethra guided by an ultrasound and a bit of mass is taken out and studied by a pathologist. The pathologist will tell you of its a BPH or a malignancy.

If its a BPH which is most likely, he may take some specific drugs for the same, but if turns out to be a cancer, then you should do an extensive study to rule out metastasis.

You may go to any medical college in Mangalore for the same.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Aditya_Bhp

The details are not enough.

Agreed and Thank you.

I will share more information after a chat with my uncle. He is not facing any difficulty or pain while passing urine.

[D4d-maniac]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Hi All,

"Grade III prostatomegaly with two suspicious nodular foci in the lateral lobes as described with diffusion restriction on ADC maps - suggested core relation with serial PSA and TRUS guided biopsy".

Much appreciate your advise on how to go about treating his prostate condition.

Well this is related to my field of super speciality. Firstly I would suggest that you advise your uncle to go to a urologist. I am based at INU Bangalore and we are treating prostate diseases day in and day out. Next step is clinical examination, Total PSA and Free PSA, if need be TRUS biopsy. If it turns out to be BPE ie Benign Prostatic enlargement and he has significant urinary symptoms which not controlled by alpha blockers, he can go in for TURP. If it's Carcinoma Prostate then we have a lot of options. If no mets and a good life expectancy then Robotic Radical Prostatectomy or else Hormone ablation.

As for your family doctor, that was a fairly immature and childish advise that he gave. Prostate diseases are treated routinely by urologists in India and there is no procedure which is done in USA which is not being done here in India.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Aditya_Bhp

The details are not enough.

Originally Posted by D4d-maniac

Well this is related to my field of super speciality.

Here are more details from the report;

• Urinary bladder shows normal wall thickness. No evidence of any calculi.
  
• Visualized bowel loops appear normal. There are no Ascites or mesenterie adenopathy.
  
• Prostate is massively enlarged measuring about 4.3 x 5.4 x 7.5 cm, vol-87 cc with significant median lobe hypertrophy indenting the bladder base. The bladder base extension measures about 2.9 x 3.6 x 2.7 cm.
  
• Multiple nodular foci noted in median lobe as well as both lateral lobes with few dark signal areas showing restricted diffusion on ADC maps, one is the right lateral lobe measuring about 10 x 5.5 x 5.0 cm and another in the anterolateral aspect of the left lobe measuring 11 x 7 x 6 mm.
  
• Complimentary multi voxel MR spectroscopy was not contributory.
  
• Prostatic capsule is intact. No periprostatic fat stranding.
  
• Seminal vesicles are normal.
  
• Rectum and recto sigmoid regions are normal.
  
• External and internal sphineters are normal.
  
• Levator ani muscle complex is normal.
  
• Ischiorectal and ischioanal fossae are normal.
  
• Pelvic bones shows fatty marrow changes. Subtle end plate edema noted at 1.5 - S1 (I could not read this properly from the report) junction on left side. Possibly degenerative.
  
• Joints, musculature and vasculature are normal.
  
• Bilaterl iliac lymphadenopathy noted with discrete oval outlines, largest on the left measuring 12 x 8 mm.

On the hesitation of going with our own doctors in India, this was down to the success rate being higher in the USA compared to India (97% versus 80%). I personally do not think 80% is bad but each have their own take on it so I won't comment further. The other concern was surgical equipment handling and care for the patient post surgery. If you are that Doctor who can help, I will direct my Uncle to you. He has basically lost confidence and anything to help reinstate confidence, will help.

[D4d-maniac]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

[*]Multiple nodular foci noted in median lobe as well as both lateral lobes with few dark signal areas showing restricted diffusion on ADC maps, one is the right lateral lobe measuring about 10 x 5.5 x 5.0 cm and another in the anterolateral aspect of the left lobe measuring 11 x 7 x 6 mm.

On the hesitation of going with our own doctors in India, this was down to the success rate being higher in the USA compared to India (97% versus 80%). I personally do not think 80% is bad but each have their own take on it so I won't comment further. The other concern was surgical equipment handling and care for the patient post surgery. If you are that Doctor who can help, I will direct my Uncle to you. He has basically lost confidence and anything to help reinstate confidence, will help.

So they part about modular dark signal areas is worrisome. This part needs a TRUS guided Prostate biopsy to decide further management. Coming onto the success rates, this part is due to the widespread PSA screening prevalent in USA. Surgical expertise and post op care is as good here as in the states.
As for me, I am still a resident doing Mch Urology here in Bangalore , who has read a lot but will still need a good 3-4 years before i can have patients referred in my name. I can still guide you a bit though.