Long Covid (?)
Covid, sick 4 weeks - Before covid I was Normal. Depression, but I worked out 4-5 days a week. Worked 100% position or more. I like to work. I Looked fresh. Used anti depressants for mild depression. MADRS TEST medium. Fit, trained, normal / slightly underweight -> tried to get in good shape / lower fat percentage. I have always had a great desire to become a better version of myself, so I have worked hard towards this since throughout my childhood / growing up I have never had any advantages and my parents have always neglected me. When I got covid everything changed. I was In bed for four weeks. Then sick leave, and I wasn't at work for 6-7 months. After this, my health just got worse and worse. Since then, over time, I have had all sorts of symptoms. I am always exhausted / tired. I go to bed tired, can easily fall asleep during the day (unless I'm working extremely hard to stay awake) I wake up feeling pretty much hungover and exhausted. Im just walking around in a bubble. Symptoms: nausea, dizziness, a little anxiety, things or situations (ex. stress at work) or social situations feel overwhelming very quickly. Poor libido (always tired). in sexual settings my penis feels over sensitive, finish fast. I loved exercise before. Now everything feels like a lot of work. Thinking a lot about candy and sex. I struggle to recover and often have muscle pain. I was hit by a car two years ago and suffered a small fracture in my left thigh, later after rehab when I was "normal again" I suffered a severe stretch in the same thigh that I had previously fractured. It feels like my body can't take anything. I feel my body and mind is constantly stressed. I don't quite know what to do and have checked out all possible treatments. As of now, I have probably spent 5000-6000 dollars on various treatments, seen many doctors. I now go to a manual therapist who thinks I have "Neuroplasticity / the nervous system and symptoms of dysregulation" Symptoms I have can remind me of an awful lot. I have spent a lot of time and energy reading through Google. Diagnoses I "ish" could possibly have( so I could ask a doctor etc) : ME - depression - insomnia - allergy - eczema - inflammation - eating disorder - imposter syndrome - insulin resistance - high cholesterol - IBS - blurred vision - fibermyalgia - vision has become worse - In the past I have taken many blood tests. I have always been told that the samples are ok. (Not told bad or good, just ok. Since they base this on an average and the average I wouldn't exactly say is taking care of their health) Since blood tests come back ok I don't really know what I can do. When blood tests are ok, I will very likely be rejected, if/when the doctor wants to refer me to someone. After reading online it seems my hormones are out of balance. I am very angry, irritated and can quickly have a temper. I feel like dying as all the tests are always ok and I feel so damn bad. I am struggling to lose weight and have at times tried many different things over the past year. 1500 kcal, 1800, 2000, 2200. The weight does not go down despite the food and activity being ok/good. Right now I'm in a period where I exercise a little less. I have tried fasting. I always have a sweet tooth that is at an all time high. I have tried metformin, because symptoms I previously had/have remind me very much of insulin resistance before you get diabetes. Metformin only gave me less appetite, but I still have a very high sweet tooth. So I'm off it now. I have now received "work clearance allowance" so I don't have to work 100%. I tried to stay in 100% position for as long as possible. I then worked Monday-Friday and always slept a few hours after work and then I slept all night before work. This was absolutely terrible. When I was approved, I tried a 50% position. It was also too heavy. I now work 40% aka 2 days a week. I also think 2 days a week is too much for me as of now. I am tired all the time and have no idea what to do. I don't feel life is worth living, if this is everything life has to offer. There is never anything fun to look forward to. Before, I could work regularly and train. I liked this. Health and exercise. Now everyone my age is glued to a girlfriend and or has had children. In addition, I've always been bad at school, so I don't have an education. I therefore do not have a career. I have a job, but no career. I am now going to a psychiatrist. He thinks I have ADHD. He thinks I've had this all my life. I myself think perhaps a little more a.d.d than adhd. I'm trying ADHD medicine now and I'm not experiencing any effect. I also find that depression and possibly a stress eating disorder is demanding. A lot of what I want to eat is unhealthy, but it always feels like it can make me happy, but I also think I have high inflammation (based on symptoms read online, even tho it doesn't need to be that) Possibly high cholesterol, because I notice that there are symptoms there too that match, but when I have tested it with a doctor, I have been told that everything is good / ok. I am reading a bit about hormone health now and think maybe fasting is not good for me at the moment, because the body needs to understand that I should have about 3 meals a day. so fixed meals, fixed bedtimes are advisable, etc. I also have some gut issues I've had for years. So I'm trying to eat foods that are good for gut health, / get it in balance etc. I don't know what I can do to turn things around in my life. I am seeing a manual therapist, but also feel it is wise to ask here because I have previously spoken to many doctors and others and everyone says they understand and know what is wrong. Then you pay hundreds of dollars each treatment. Everyone thinks they will make me well. It is now 3 years since I got corona, and now I only work 2 days a week. Not because I don't like it, but because it's so tiring. I almost don't work. Everything feels stressful and overwhelming. If I have problems related to insulin resistance (even if tests have been ok, e.g. glucose test at the doctor) then I have to eat healthier and maintain good blood sugar to avoid a crash. So ok, but if I have some kind of stress eating disorder then it is very difficult. I have sweet tooth all the time and otherwise often/always think about sex (therefore I think something is out of balance) If I have hormonal problems, it is also something that affects weight and cortisol. Everything in my life as of now very difficult and demanding. I read and online it says breathing exercises and relaxing is the key. It's very hard to feel relaxed for me. I don't feel improvement from breathing exercises, and it doesn't seem to be much other things I can find.. If my problems are related to: "Neuroplasticity / the nervous system and symptoms of dysregulation", what do you recommend? What am I doing? Where do I start? There is no direct covid treatment center where I live (if it's long covid etc. its also hard if its not related to covid, because what Can I do next?) I am trying to get good sleep routines in order, and bought a light lamp for therapy, which can often be called SAD. Lux 10,000. trying to focus on same bed times and waking up times. fixing / improving circadian rhythm. Actively uses Bluelight glasses, for screen use. Difficult in Norway to get a specialist due to blood tests ok and I'm not super overweight etc. (if related to insulin, then the referral gets rejected) (keep in mind Ive also seen private doctors) Waking up often at night. Toilet visit, thirst too. Typically around 02/03. Sometimes several times in one night. I have used short-term melatonin (fast type so you fall asleep faster) and long-term melatonin (which should keep you asleep heavier) I experienced that you became a bit addicted, and that you did not have as good a circadian rhythm / healthy habits because you use these the "drugs" to sleep. Bought an ice bath culp, but I have now been diagnosed with "atopic eczema" according to a doctor. When I take an ice bath/shower, my skin very very itchy. lasts for a long time. I have also developed itching (eczema) on the scalp. I have a skin rash that typically looks like pimples, but is also "chicken skin" (I've always had this) I am a 29-year-old man, and had almost no problems apart from depression when I was 20 years old. As of now at 29 I have lost all major parts of my identity. I have been using cipralex (anti depressives ) 5-10 mg since 2017. What's my next step? what should I do? Kind regards H
Pain and Testosterone
Just listened to Jan 15th 2024 episode and you mentioned treating your dog's pain with testosterone and that he moved better with said treatment. Women's testosterone drops radically pre and post menopause and their pain goes up. Any studies giving women testosterone for pain?
Bullying/Peer Cruelty - Neurochemical Payoff?
Do you know or suspect whether there may be a clinical neuroscience connection between repeated, targeted, power imbalanced, and unwanted peer to peer cruelty of whatever type (euphemistically called bullying/cyber bullying - yet it's often much more vicious than the connotation may suggest), including among some young children victims (i.e., ages as young as in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th grades - ages 9-12 years old and maybe even younger), some older children victims (i.e., 13-17), and a neurochemical transmitter payoff for aggressors via dopamine, etc. If scientifically likely, how can our society address same to alter behaviors to limit adverse childhood experiences, trauma, anxiety, and depression for victims of child to child cruelty, while redirecting negative peer conduct to reduce offending against other children who too often appear to keep their pain to themselves? Thank you Dr. Huberman. I believe you're on the righteous track with your extensive efforts to educate the public about neuroscience and its life impacts. This problem of "bullying" has not met an effective solution and the consequences in too many cases shock the conscience of communities across America with aggrieved children, sometimes with seemingly little or no warning taking their own lives at 9, 10, 11, 12 years old and older. I have seen my own kind, bright, friendly, happy child determine in recent months that he has a "bad life" due to relentless bullying. Are there neuroscience based reasons behind why the behavior is it so often described as "relentless" or "merciless"? Does the neurochemical payoff drive the maleficent intensity and callousness of degrading classmates? A simple Google search will display the widespread despair and hopelessness of so many young American children, and the devastating grief of the families left reeling with inexplicable loss. Thank you for considering this topic in a future podcast. Wally