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PB: Well, I don't drive anymore - can't operate a motor vehicle with presyncope obviously so DH drove me. I was almost glad that it happened then so my PA can see what I have been enduring since July. Although certainly not a good feeling at all. Thank you for your kind words. Presyncope can be a conundrum.
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Llama - my goodness, that was a close call. Glad you made it to the restroom. So sorry you're having these episodes.
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OB, may your dads passing be peaceful for all of you.

Prayers sent that it is.
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At my annual Medicare visit today, I experienced another episode of the presyncope. My physician, who is really a PA, had me lie down and brought me a juice. Complete loss of bowel function almost, but made it to their restroom. She was almost going to call 9-1-1, but she knows based on my input that the ED physician can't help me.
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OuterBank - I can sense from what you wrote that your dad is at peace with his imminent death, and that he has no regrets or things left unsaid or undone. That is a blessing. I am sorry for your impending loss.
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early: Do you mean to imply that you've been enduring this itching for two decades? I hope that is not the case.
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OB: Many thoughts going out tonight for your father.🧡
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OuterBanks, thank you!. My A1C was around 6.0-5.7. My entire family has blood sugar issues. Most are diabetic. I am due for my annual next week and I certainly will discuss this with my primary. Many thanks.
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My dad on Hospice has quit eating completely. He will no longer drink Ensure, just tiny sips of water. He has no pain, a little anxiety controlled by minimal doses of Ativan. I’ve sat with him most of the day. I came home for awhile will go back to the NH in an hour or so.
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EB, Sometimes itching can be caused by high blood sugar. A friend had this problem. Went to dermatologist etc with no relief. Young ER doc did blood work referred to endocrinologist who prescribed a type 2 diabetic med. No more itch!
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Logging out for the day to avoid a troll....
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Thank you all for trying to help with my itch problem. I appreciate all the advice and will take it seriously. Hugs to all of you.
Eary
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Hello Geaton,
I had it was a little over twenty years. That is a good idea. I will make an appointment with ID. I can't stand this itch. I have my niece scratch my back frequently and I use a rake kind of thing .I so appreciate all the help I can get from anyone .Thanks so much.
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earlybird, if you don't make any headway with the derm doc try to ask for a referral to an Infectious Disease specialist, emphasizing your recent swimming in the Amazon. If they think it's "just" hives then they don't bother thinking beyond that. Do some internet searches (like "skin problems"+tropical +waterborne+"amazon river") and see if you can find an image of what looks similar to your skin problem. This helps the docs move along faster. Here in the land of 10,000 lakes we have a problem with Swimmer's Itch, also caused by a parasite. The Mayo website says it goes away after a week and they just treat the itching. Not saying this is your skin issue, but wondering how long you've had it?
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Llama, I think I told doctor when I got home but they did not think too much about it. It was tiny little bites probably 100 of them on my top thighs .It is like having hundreds of mosquito bites all over my body. So darn itchy. I went to dermatology back then and he told me not serious. Now sp telling me it is a parasite I am going to do more research and perhaps go to Mass General in Boston.
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early: You're very welcome.
I hope that you can get some relief from your back; have you spoken to your physician about it and the many insect bites you endured years ago?
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Thanks all for the tips on insomnia.
Hot baths didn't work for me, unfortunately.
Zzzquil gummies and tabs do work if the dosage is right.
Not being able to function - absolutely.
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Insomnia, I swear by ZQuil. Liquid works fast and does work for me most of the time.
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Thank you very much, sp. The doctors did not seem to be worried and did not offer any treatment. I will check it out next week or I will self medicate once I do some research on it. I never had such itchy skin/back. I hope the treatment works. I really do appreciate your advice.
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Earlybird what you have is a parasite larvae from swimming in the water in the Amazon. I don't know what the treatment is but you really should seek medical help. They may be able to prescribe an antiparasitic for you.
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Insomnia is the worst. I've suffered for years. The worst part is then I lay awake obsessing and dwelling on bad stuff which causes me to then get depressed. It's a vicious circle for sure.

I take over the counter sleep remedies occasionally. Even the over the counter ones you need to be careful with. Other than that if it gets really bad I just sit up and read all night. Lucky for me I love to read!
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Gershun, I have a terrible itchy back since swimming in the Amazon river in Peru back before I started taking care of my mother. Nothing really helps. I think it is some type of water disease from being bitten over twenty times from some bug. Our tour guide left my brother and I in the jungle with no water for hours and it was so hot I decided to take a quick swim. It has been extremely itchy since the swim.
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Thank you, isthisrealyreal. I appreciate your prayers.
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Thanks, Llama. I appreciate the prayers.
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Hi Geaton.
Great advice as always. I actually took a day off the other day and did just what I wanted to do. That has not happened for over twenty years. Now I feel like doing it more often. I went outdoor mall shopping, had lunch, went for a ride, had Chinese food with my brother. It was a good day, indeed. I feel more renewed. Should have done it sooner.
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Because of congestion from my allergies frequently waking me, I developed a few ways to get back to sleep. A hot bath or shower helps; it relieves the congestion and is relaxing. I often play an audiobook or a well-known movie or tv show; it engages my mind just enough to allow me to somewhat forget/ignore minor pains and bothers. Using streaming services or a timer on the audio app, they can turn off and leave the bedroom dark and quiet after a few minutes, although when I was traveling for work I often left the tv on overnight. The "noise" in the room seemed to be better (sleeping wise) than the unexpected noises generated outside the room.
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Llama - my dear friend who is 84 y.o. suffers from insomnia for years. She typically doesn't go to sleep until 5 am or 6 am, then wakes up a couple of hours later, feeds the stray cats that come to her patio, then tries to sleep some more on and off until noon or so, then wakes up all tired. She has tried all sort of sleep aids, but they only work for a short time then lose their effectiveness. Insomnia is a big problem. I can totally relate. When I don't get enough sleep, I can hardly function through the day.
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EB: Hope that your foot pain is corrected by your specialist. Prayers.
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Ugh - insomnia IS a huge problem. I have had to cancel out doctor and dentist appointments because of insomnia. Anyone else deal with insomnia? Tried melatonin and pretty much everything else.
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Gershun: So sorry that you are itching all night and causing insomnia. That's horrible.
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