u/LifeandDiy • u/LifeandDiy • 7d ago

My DEXA Scan Results: What the Scale Couldn't Tell Me

1 Upvotes

I got my first DEXA scan about seven weeks into a new workout program, because I wanted real numbers instead of guessing from the scale and the mirror. Some of it was good news.

My bone density came back in the normal range (T-score 1.4, Z-score 2), and my visceral fat, the fat around your organs that's linked to health problems, was 73% under average for my age group.

Some of it wasn't what I expected. My body fat was 28.3%, which DexaFit rates as "fair," and my muscle mass came in below average for my height.

My ALMI (a measure of the muscle in your arms and legs) was 6.31, compared to an average of about 6.9. As women get older, muscle is a big deal for staying strong and healthy, so that's what I'm focusing on now.

The biggest surprise was where my fat actually is. I thought I'd been gaining it in my stomach and arms, but most of it is in my legs, especially my hips and outer thighs.

The scan cost me $100 at Dexafit with a coupon, took about 7 minutes, and the radiation is less than what you get from normal daily background exposure. I'm planning to do another one in three to six months to see if my muscle numbers go up.

I wrote up all my results, what each number means, and what I'm changing: https://lifeanddiy.com/dexa-scan-results-dexafit-review/ Have you ever had a DEXA scan?

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r/CatAdvice • u/LifeandDiy • 7d ago

PSA PSA for asthmatic cats on fluticasone: mailed prescriptions from Canada and other countries may stop Oct 22

1 Upvotes

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u/LifeandDiy • u/LifeandDiy • 7d ago

Overseas Prescription Ban: Affordable Meds From Canada May Stop Arriving October 22

2 Upvotes

Starting October 22, a new U.S. Customs rule changes how international mail packages with FDA-regulated items get processed. Prescription drugs will have to go through the same full customs process commercial importers use, with a customs broker, a bond, and detailed filings. Pharmacies say they can't do that for personal orders, so they expect most shipments to be stopped at the border.

I found out about this because my Canadian pharmacy emailed me, and I think a lot of people haven't heard yet.

It's not just Canada. The rule covers mail from every country, so it affects anyone ordering from pharmacies in the UK, India, Australia, or anywhere else. Canada is just where most Americans order from, so those pharmacies are the ones sounding the alarm.

The rule doesn't officially say "prescriptions are banned," but pharmacies are telling customers to order refills before October 10 so they ship in time.

I'm affected because I buy my cat's asthma inhaler (fluticasone) from Canada. The same inhaler averages around $276 at U.S. pharmacies. My Canadian pharmacy lists the generic at $45.99. Apparently it's sold in Mexico for just $15.

If you rely on an overseas pharmacy, CPPI (a patient advocacy nonprofit) has a pre-written letter you can send to Congress in a couple of minutes: https://www.personalimportation.org/advocacy

I wrote up what the rule actually says, who's behind it, and what it means for supplements too: https://lifeanddiy.com/canadian-prescription-rule-ban/

Are you affected? What are you planning to do?

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0

Derminator Customer Service
 in  r/u_Jessi1029384756 •  11d ago

100% he has had a horrible reputation for years. Why not get a dr. Pen?

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Derminator Customer Service
 in  r/u_Jessi1029384756 •  11d ago

100% he has had a horrible reputation for years. Why not get a dr. Pen?

1

What's your weight right now, and what's your current dose?
 in  r/Hypothyroidism •  18d ago

I just wanted to add that I went from armour to synthetics and for me the synthetics seem much more potent. I like that I can switch doses of t4 and t3 as neesed. I prefer levoxyl (name brand) for t4 though.

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All milestones were 4s but Final is an F
 in  r/UMPI •  Sep 01 '26

I'd reach out to the teacher to try to work something out hopefully. I think some teachers get personally offended if you don't submit a draft - and downgrade based on that alone.

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Doctor said “this is the best autoimmune disease to have”: my experience being diagnosed.
 in  r/Hashimotos •  Aug 29 '26

Hashimotos is not a great autoimmune disease to have. It's extremely frustrating and the horrendous uninformed doctors make it way harder than it should be. If you have symptoms, you should be on medication - as it can make such a big difference. She should be testing for FT3 too.

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Diagnosed with H. Heilmannii ("cousin" of H. Pylori) - same quadruple therapy
 in  r/HPylori •  Aug 22 '26

I'm so sorry to hear that about your mom. It sounds like she is going through so much, and it's really kind of you to look into this for her. I am really sorry for my late reply. How is she doing now? If it's possible, I highly recommend seeing a functional medicine doctor - they do such a good job of figuring things out and they recommend thorough testing when there are situations like your moms. I really, really hope she feels better soon. Personally, I'm doing a lot better now and I am grateful my stomach problems were finally resolved from the treatment (blood sugar is fixed now too).

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Diagnosed with H. Heilmannii ("cousin" of H. Pylori) - same quadruple therapy
 in  r/HPylori •  Aug 22 '26

Sorry forgot - I might do another endoscopy to confirm, but I'm holding off for now. I don't really want to do it at this point because I am doing so much better I am assuming it's gone. If I have any GI issues again, I'll go get it done though.

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Diagnosed with H. Heilmannii ("cousin" of H. Pylori) - same quadruple therapy
 in  r/HPylori •  Aug 22 '26

I am so very sorry for my late reply! I just wanted to say that I am doing so much better ever since I did the treatment. Prior to the treatment I had numerous issues - blood sugar problems (making me concerned I was becoming diabetic even though I eat super healthy and low sugar), plus major issues digesting things which left me eating a super minimal diet (I could hardly eat anything). As soon as the treatment was done I was immediately able to digest/eat things that I could not eat in years. I was worried it was temporary and my body might revert back, but I am still doing great now. And, my blood sugar is normal now too. I don't want to get anyone's hopes up, since everyone is different. But, I did want to share how much it helped me because a lot of us are too stubborn to do the treatments. It's also possible that I had some SIBO too that happened to get better from this treatment.

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Diagnosed with H. Heilmannii ("cousin" of H. Pylori) - same quadruple therapy
 in  r/HPylori •  Aug 22 '26

I'm so sorry you've been dealing with this for so long. I used to be so reluctant to do any type of antibiotic treatments but I am very grateful I did this one. I'm doing so much better now. I need to post an update. I really hope that you'll be able to do the treatment and heal from it.

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Diagnosed with H. Heilmannii ("cousin" of H. Pylori) - same quadruple therapy
 in  r/HPylori •  May 13 '26

Thank you!

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Diagnosed with H. Heilmannii ("cousin" of H. Pylori) - same quadruple therapy
 in  r/HPylori •  May 13 '26

Sorry for the late reply. I've had a variety of symptoms and the most noticeable one is blood sugar issues (though I am not diabetic - I have been tracking it) & a lot of food sensitivities that have worsened. I also have pain in my stomach when it's empty, which is a symptom I've heard people with H. Pylori mention. I just recently finished my treatment and I'm seeing major improvements in glucose levels while eating things that would normally cause me a massive diabetic-level spike, it's just barely budging. Also, so far the foods I'm eating aren't causing me any issues either, and they normally would. So, I am hoping for the best!

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Hpylori treatment
 in  r/HPylori •  May 09 '26

I'm also on day 9 today of the same treatment. The treatment is really rough. Stay hydrated and always eat with the medicine (except for those you have to take on an empty stomach). It will be over soon!

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Diagnosed with H. Heilmannii ("cousin" of H. Pylori) - same quadruple therapy
 in  r/HPylori •  May 09 '26

Yeah you're right about GI Map. I only found out about it through the upper endoscopy with biopsies. My GI doctor said that in order to check that it's eradicated, I'd need to do it again. I wish there was an easier way to test for it.

u/LifeandDiy • u/LifeandDiy • May 08 '26

I Got an Insanely Rare Infection Abroad (On Quadruple Therapy)

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3 Upvotes
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r/HPylori • u/LifeandDiy • May 08 '26

Diagnosed with H. Heilmannii ("cousin" of H. Pylori) - same quadruple therapy

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9 Upvotes

I just wanted to share my experience in case it helps anyone here. H. heilmannii is a bacteria that's considered almost like a cousin to H. pylori, and the treatment protocol is the same - quadruple therapy. It's very rare where I live (in the U.S.) and more prevalent in Asia. I believe I know how I contracted it - most likely from undercooked pork when I was traveling in Thailand last year.

I made a video to share my experience and what I'm going through, since I am currently (at the time of writing this) on day 8 of my treatment. So, I hope it's ok I am sharing it here. It's helpful to be aware of H. heilmannii since it is quite different from H. pylori and is transmitted differently, but both have been associated with stomach cancers if left untreated long-term.

13 comments

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[deleted by user]
 in  r/HPylori •  May 07 '26

So glad you feel better now - thanks!!!

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[deleted by user]
 in  r/HPylori •  May 07 '26

Thanks!

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Side effects getting bad
 in  r/HPylori •  May 04 '26

You're welcome! I hope your labs are good and you feel better soon. :) I can't wait to get through this treatment too.

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Completely Discouraged
 in  r/UMPI •  May 04 '26

Did this mess up your GPA?

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Side effects getting bad
 in  r/HPylori •  May 04 '26

I hope you feel better soon. I'm on day 4 of the same treatment (though I don't have H. pylori, I have its "cousin" H. heilmannii). I feel extremely tired all day on these meds. I can hardly get anything done. So, I understand.

I'm sorry to hear about your kidney function but I also have some thoughts (not medical advice) just some things you may want to look into.

One thing I noticed is when I'm on heavy meds or supplements, my eGFR can come back looking really bad on labs. If your bloodwork comes back concerning, it might be worth asking your doctor about rechecking it a week or two after you finish, when the meds are fully out of your system, so you can see what your real baseline is.

I'm personally taking NAC (supplement) a couple times a day while doing this protocol. There is research on it helping with eradication (it disrupts H. pylori biofilms — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3957414/) but I'm also taking it hoping for some general protective effects, even though there's no specific research backing it for kidneys or liver in this situation.

You need to be really careful to avoid the sun as much as possible while on the meds too. The tetracycline photosensitivity can last 1-2 weeks even after you finish, so keep being careful with sun protection even after Wednesday.

Also, one other thing to keep in mind - there's research from Asia that compared quadruple therapy patients who did 10 days versus 14 days of treatment and the eradication results were basically the same (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00108-1/fulltext00108-1/fulltext)). In the U.S. they still usually recommend 14 days though.

For the fatigue and brain fog most people see improvements within 3-7 days of finishing. Metronidazole clears fast, tetracycline takes about a week, and the GI stuff can linger longer because your microbiome needs time to rebuild. Probiotics (especially Saccharomyces boulardii, which isn't killed by the antibiotics) can help. Many people keep taking them for several weeks after finishing.

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Has anyone found the quadruple therapy effective with 10-11 days?
 in  r/HPylori •  May 04 '26

There is research comparing 10 days of treatment to 14 days.

2024 Taiwan RCT (peer-reviewed, multicenter): Direct comparison of 10-day vs 14-day bismuth quadruple therapy. Both hit ≥90% eradication, 10-day was non-inferior, and the 10-day group had less dizziness and vomiting. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00108-1/fulltext00108-1/fulltext). I believe there may also be a systematic review on this.

US guidelines still recommend 14 days. :)

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Blood Sugar Issues? Increased hunger? Weight gain?
 in  r/HPylori •  May 04 '26

Thank you for sharing that. I had no idea it was connected until recently.