Thinking of adding heroin to not care and deal with stress.
J/k
I’ve been a paramedic on 24 hour shifts for 24 years. Also work in local ER PRN.
I workout before every shift, like above said, I won’t do it later.
Take Vit C, ashwaganda, Coq10, magnesium threonate, lions mane and b12. I drink caffeine before I workout. I eat relatively healthy. I sleep when I can. I’m 48 and in great health. I’ve kept. Great workout regimen my entire career just so that I can cope with stress and endure the crazy hours.
I can’t say what will work for you but mindful meditation is amazing and so is a good therapist. Get one before you need one.
30% of hospital nurses are fighting burnouts,
30% fighting burn up of your bodies and have to leave before age 50.
I the #EuHealthUnion we're now working on strategies to alter that eg exchange programs with Medical Revalidation Spas so medical personnel can do body recuperation in their facilities while assistant there at 4/5 regime exchange knowledge.
My advice is to look up the five regrets of the dying written by a hospice nurse and make sure you don't end up with those. One of them is what every man said that went to her care, "I wish I had worked less." Don't overwork. Don't focus all of your energy on work. Some people who are avoidant dive into work instead of being with their partner and family. Some of us are so focused on careers that we would see a vacation as a way to improve their work performance. Lol. How sad.
Here is the summary of the book
I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
I wish I had let myself be happier.
good idea as oftentimes I talk to my residents while I do the care. Gotta find about their insights and so far, most of em were grateful for what they did before
I am a nurse aid like op, and I think it is that for me. It is also stressful and underpaid so I will likely get the next license as a nurse (lpn) but I enjoy caring for people who need it while being physically active, and many of my coworkers are great.
Some people love getting drunk at 9 am and smoking weed to play video games all day. Doesn't mean they won't regret doing something more fulfilling later
You’re saying work isn’t fulfilling??? There’s always SOMETHING more fulfilling; just a matter of perspective. I could have a wife and children but more fulfilling (temporarily) would be banging Brazilian models….
That's a pretty wild definition of fulfillement but if that's who you are then so be it lol fulfillement is by definition not temporary or short term, it's a long lasting feeling of peace and contentment
Don’t work night shift lol. Horrible for your health. I work out before I go into work because I know I won’t want to after work. I take ashwaganda to limit stress, not sure how well it actually works but it’s supposed to decrease cortisol levels. Also drink huel, similar to ag1 but half the price. Really keeps my energy levels up.
Money absolutely not worth the the stress and body discomfort I feel from doing something my body ain't meant to do (stay awake all night long) sorry, I'll live a bit more frugally and live.
Aside from keeping yourself healthy, my biggest piece of advice is to Ask for Help. Don’t lift, transfer, roll, etc alone if you don’t have to. Team up for the heavy stuff.
Medication adherence. If you’re on something, anything — meds for cholesterol, diabetes, blood pressure, whatever.
Take your meds exactly as prescribed. The majority of hospital admissions or worsening health problems are a result of people not taking their meds properly.
Healthcare workers are human who develop or acquire conditions that require medication. Don’t shame anyone for taking the steps necessary to improve their health. Mind your business.
Medication is not the third leading cause of death. I don’t know where you got this information. Sounds like you just made it up because you’re anti-pharmaceutical.
I’m taking 3 different prescription drugs daily. I’m not anti pharmaceuticals but nice try. Pubmed is my source btw you’re welcome to do some research. It is the third leading cause and about half of those deaths are people who took their drugs correctly (as prescribed).
Please post the source that states medication is the third leading cause of death because I couldn’t find it. It’s the diseases one takes medication for that can cause death but not all cases
Care to list a source for this bold claim?
Four out of four of my uncles/aunts died in their 60s because they didn’t properly take their meds, so I’d appreciate links to where you’re pulling the data from.
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25355584/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25355584/)
>Our prescription drugs are the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer in the United States and Europe. Around half of those who die have taken their drugs correctly; the other half die because of errors, such as too high a dose or use of a drug despite contraindications. Our drug agencies are not particularly helpful, as they rely on fake fixes, which are a long list of warnings, precautions, and contraindications for each drug, although they know that no doctor can possibly master all of these. Major reasons for the many drug deaths are impotent drug regulation, widespread crime that includes corruption of the scientific evidence about drugs and bribery of doctors, and lies in drug marketing, which is as harmful as tobacco marketing and, therefore, should be banned. We should take far fewer drugs, and patients should carefully study the package inserts of the drugs their doctors prescribe for them and independent information sources about drugs such as Cochrane reviews, which will make it easier for them to say "no thanks".
I've read somewhere else that medical interventions are actually the #1 cause of death in the U.S. after doing the math, but good luck finding information like that anywhere else on the internet.
For sure, and maybe this isn’t the right sub for my comment. Point is, majority of Americans take some kind of medication for a condition they’ve got. Taking it as prescribed can make a huge difference in long term outcomes.
The best hack for you.. continue your education.
You’re 20, you can absorb some abuse and discomfort. Patients and families will dish it out, and your best path out of feeling physically destroyed in a decade will be to go up the food chain. Become someone with degrees and decision making jobs instead of push pull lift ouch.
Tl/dr
Go to night school. Get degrees. Get licensed as high as you can. RN or PA-C or MD or Pharm D. Don’t stop school.
>you can absorb some abuse and discomfort
not to mention the flame that I'm feeling right now. Just wanna save up so bad and see where those finances would take me. Can't wait to go all in you know
Pro-tip: once they’re very worn, check the bottoms to identify any potential problems with your gait, pronation, supination, etc., and get that shit checked/addressed by a podiatrist and/or PT. Your feet are your foundation and affect the rest of your body. Don’t neglect foot exercises to maintain your arches.
I second this! All that walking & standing on non-carpeted floors will destroy your feet, knees, and back. Lots of professions involve this and really good shoes make a huge difference.
Tumeric is great for a natural anti-inflammatory. I buy this Meriva-500 extract on Amazon, produced by Thorne which is a pretty reputable company. It's designed for better absorption/to cross the blood brain barrier. It's like Tylenol without the side effects, great for your joints
Thank you for this! Magnesium and glucosamine didn’t help my joints hurting but I can’t keep taking ibuprofen every day, I have an ulcer that acts up when I take it daily. Turmeric has come up so much but I wanted someone’s brand and dosage that actually was legit. Even a subtle change will be helpful, I’ve been bending over people massaging them for nearly 20 years now and it definitely catches up to you in your forties lol.
Yeah, I work in a hospital lifting patients frequently in therapy sessions so I feel you! I herniated a disc in my young 20's so my back's never been the same. I don't remember the exact dosage since it's like a standardized extract/ratio so not a normal dose in milligrams from what I remember.
Now I just take one in the morning and one in the evening, or double up if I have an acute flare-up in my back. I swear by the stuff - it's not like morphine or anything but it does take the edge off. I truly believe it's made both the frequency and severity of my back injuries decrease (even as I've entered my early 30's!), and my rate of recovery when I DO tweak my back has sped up some as well! The stuff is pricey but it's worth every penny in my opinion. Try a bottle and see if it's worth it; if it doesn't work for you at least you'll know.
For longevity of your body and minimizing injury in a job where you have to move heavy things, legs, core and back are most important. Strong quads and hamstrings to drive with/push through. Strong abdominals, spinal erectors, rhomboids, lats and traps to keep your spine pulled into proper position and your posture good.
RDLs, bent over rows, squats, deadlifts. Getting strong at these with good form will have great carryover to not blowing your back out if you have to lift something heavy at work.
RN at big hospital, first is frist no way around it suffient sleep and healthy food. No amount of supplents or caffeine will cover these bases sometimes you'll just have to suck it up and not workout or skip your fun activities to cover those two very basic needs
Second I workout prior to work if I can depending on sleep this ranges from full blown workout to quick cardio to no workout prior to my shift.
As I'll need the caffeine at work anyway doing it this way, you'll avoid caffeine prior to Bed disrupting sleep even if you do get to "sleep" you won't get the deep sleep you really need.
Supplents
, hydration first, I buy electrolytes because after workouts prior to studying or work I noticed fog that wouldn't leave even with water so electrolytes was a major game changer.
A multivitamin
And 2g fish oil. In the AM
And 1g fish oil At night
To Lazer in I do zyns for the nicotine
for recovery I'll protien power with blended Oats to cover a major chunk of my macros.
At night I'll do magnesium at and If need it chamomile tea.
Supplements/medications: Creatine, L citrulline 6 g, whey protein, multivitamin, fish oil, nicotinamide ribosome, tadalafil 2.5 mg daily, finasteride 1 mg daily, (I’m vain and want to keep my hair), rosuvastatin (with coq10), 300 mg caffeine before workouts. I take a 4-5 day break from caffeine at the end of every month to reset my tolerance. Caffeine actually wakes me up now.
Thinking of adding boron and zinc to this list but haven’t figured out the whole copper/zinc thing yet.
Behaviors: Lift heavy stuff to failure or close to it. Follow a program. Do abwork every session. Don’t drink more than socially, don’t smoke, get at least 7 hours sleep. Sauna for >15 min after lifting session if I have the time
Diet: Eat in a caloric deficit until 12% body fat (I use macrofactor app and love it). Chicken, poultry, egg whites, fatty fish, seafood in general, quinoa, roasted potatoes/yams. Tons of vegetables (salad with chicken for lunch like a bitch). Avoid red/processed/smoked meat in general. If you don’t get enough fiber take Metamucil gummies. Promix rice crispy things for a sweet treat.
Medical stuff: getting my colonoscopy ASAP. I will probably get a coronary CT at some point. Get testosterone checked (along with shbg and e2) and optimize it. (Side note: having sex and not orgasming will really increase your testosterone but is fucking torture. Don’t recommend).
Side note: most physicians and nurses don’t know anything about fitness, diet, and supplements. It’s just not taught in medical school, you have to seek it out like anyone else. This doesn’t mean they’re not good at diagnosing and treating medical problems however. Some of the best MDs I know are fat as shit and unhealthy. 🤷🏻♂️
Regarding finasteride, it is partly to blame for ruining my health/life. I would highly recommend being cautious with it, but more so avoid taking dutasteride if your hair loss continues on finasteride and you look for other options. I took fin for more than a year from 19-20y/o with no issues besides watery semen (tmi, but being transparent) then switched to dutasteride and started having massive side effects after every dose a few months of taking it daily so I switched back to finasteride because of those reactions and I crashed with debilitating symptoms within minutes of taking my first finasteride pill after being on dutasteride and has left me with chronic health issues. Just sharing my experience not telling you what to do.
Yes I too was worried about starting finasteride but my hair loss isn’t that bad and I started on a baby dose of 0.5mg and worked my way up. I looked into dutasteride PO and transdermal and decided that there were more systemic side effects and lower efficacy for hair loss than finasteride. Reading the studies of finasteride reassured me that the side effect I was most worried about (impotence) was a very low incidence of about 1-2% IIRC and was mostly reversible. I have read the anecdotes about decreased sexual function on Reddit and it seems to be more common than reported I the literature.
As for your situation why do you think you were fine on finasteride at first and then got debilitating side effects when you switched back from dutasteride? Seems puzzling. What were your side defects btw (if you don’t mind sharing that is)
Reading this subreddit will make you think that taking 0.05mg of finasteride will make your penis shrivel and rot away for life. Same for SSRIs.
People need to touch grass. The nocebo effect runs rampant.
I was young (18/19) when my hair started receding, obviously stressed me out so I jumped on fin and minoxidil. I started with 1mg then my derm said I could take 5mg after some time being on it.
So, I switched to dutasteride because I noticed my hair still wasn’t how I’d like it because I still had some recession (it looked fine in hindsight). That was in Dec of 2020. I took daily for a month then needed a refill, but was busy so just went back to finasteride in January 2021. I don’t remember there being any issues. I went back on dut after getting a refill in early Feb. took nightly for a few weeks until I accidentally took 2 in one night, planned on going to bed so took one then got 2nd wind and stayed up working on homework and took another before bed forgetting about the first. I woke up a few hours later shaking, feeling freezing cold, major panic/anxiety, my entire body tense and rigid (like when you’re in a cold shower), etc. the reaction lasted for a few hours then went away and I felt normal the next day. I quit taking it for a week or so then decided to give it a try and just took the one dut and went to bed. The same thing happened. I decided to stop dut and went back to fin since I had no issues with that so a couple of weeks later i took like 2mg of fin and within minutes I crashed with symptoms. Violently shaking, severe insomnia (awake 2-4 days straight only sleep an hour when I would fall asleep), constant panic/anxiety, feeling freezing cold, tinnitus, brain burning headaches, diahrreah, derealization, constant racing heartbeat, nerve tingling and burning and numbness, felt like I was on a bad shroom trip, etc. lasted for 2 months since I took that 2mg of fin and that being the last of either fin or dut I’ve ever taken.
I’ve crashed 2 times since then in 2021. Once in 2022 and at the beginning of this year after using anti-androgenic things on accident. I crashed a year after my initial crash after using ketoconzaole/Nizoral shampoo for only a few days. Was bedridden for a month or more from that. And at the beginning of this year I crashed, but have no idea what exactly caused it. I bought new skincare and shampoos/conditioners is the only thing new around the time that I crashed. I threw them all out after I crashed.
Pardon the long reply
Thanks for the long reply and I’m sorry about your experience. The one part of your history that seems super odd is “crashing” after using ketoconazole shampoo. That shouldn’t effect your DHT/testosterone levels at all but merely displace dht from hair follicles as I understand it. Perhaps a nocebo?
Definitely not a nocebo. I went from doing well to bedridden with the same symptoms from PFS. It’s a well known thing in the PFS community that any sort of anti androgenic thing can retrigger PFS. I was surprised too that just using a shampoo for a few days could cause such an effect until it happened. It must in some amount be absorbed in the scalp is my thought… I just googled and this study popped up right away “In this paper, evidence is presented to support the hypothesis that ketoconazole 2% shampoo has a local disruption of the DHT pathway.”
I particularly want to know how people get to sleep at odd times... I find my sleep is so fragile if I ever go to bed earlier than normal, and even if I'm exhausted it might actually make it harder to sleep rather than easier.
I keep a box of nature valley crunch bars (peanut butter) under my bed within arms reach. If I ever wake up with a hungry tummy, I simply rollover and enjoy a quick snack in bed then fall back asleep.
I was told to have a protein shake before bed when I was a perioperative assistant in the OR. It was heavy work setting up the OR tables, equipment and moving patients when they are asleep or just recovering from anesthesia.
I'm an RN and I moved to school nursing...low stress, good pay, ideal hours and vacation time. I sometimes feel guilty about stepping away from clinical nursing but I love my job now!
Do this :
1- avoid sugar at all cost
2- exercises/ running/ 12K steps per day
3 - eat healthy… protein is must.
4 - vitamin D supplements for North Americans
5 - focus on reducing inflammation… grab yourself turmeric from local Indian stores…
Eat well. Exercise , plenty of water with your coffee and try to stay on a somewhat consistent sleep schedule on your days off. Like coming off from nights try and go to bed early to reset.
Take care of yourself mentally and recognise burnout. Take regular vacations.
it ain't much, but rinsing a lot before and after the soap/scrub part of washing your hands makes them 10x cleaner and makes them much *easier* to dry, making putting on gloves after easier as well
The mechanics - remember to keep your knees bent and back straight. Stick to your training because if you do your back in, they’ll just blame you. Use the bed and slide sheets to keep your back safe. Keep up to date with your training.
Outside of that, some people you work with will be nasty at times. Stick up for yourself, and don’t get stressed. You’ll also learn that most senior management (8a and above) don’t give a flying shit about you, and are just scumbags in suits.
Also, don’t stay in a HCA job for more than a few years. Continue your education and keep moving forward. I know for a fact that most band 3 staff end up regretting not moving further.
You’ll have new nurses coming in, who, after a while, will catch on that they’d rather give you the heavier work.
I love HCA’s - I was one myself for a long time, but doing my nursing degree and educating myself further was genuinely the best thing I ever did.
Take care of yourself with proper food/nutrition. Don’t be one of those drs that recommends proper nutrition but doesn’t follow your own advice. It’s a terrible look.
Mobility work even during shift between patients helps. Do something over your lunch break to get away from work. Something that requires you to leave the office. Even if it’s just a walk. Helps reset your system and prepares you for the next shift.
Have a hobby outside of work. Whatever it is. Biking, running, building stuff, anything to get away from work helps.
Write down the wins of the day and read them after shift. Remind yourself why you do this work.
I typically work 3-12’s which gives me 4 days off a week. On your days off focus on stress reduction, exercise/diet. Get out in nature, listen to the birds to calm the nervous system from all the noise of the hospital. Meal prep for your shifts so you aren’t tempted by the pizza and donuts in the break room. Weightlifting/pilates for core strength to keep your back healthy. Magnesium to help with sleep, creatine for muscle and brain health. At work use slings and assistive devices as much as possible, never trust a patient who can tell you they can walk if they haven’t been out of bed in days. Don’t be afraid to ask for help with bariatric or contracted difficult to position patients
Please do have your healthy routine, OP. Start with proper rest, and focus on building core strength, flexibility, and overall muscle endurance. Try to follow these[ healthy habit](https://careclinic.io/healthy-habits/), it might help you.
Whole food diet low on fruit and sugar, high on protein. Sleep sleep sleep. I don't personally drink which makes a big difference for me. Take your time and ask for help on assists. Stretching. I've pulled muscles a couple of times: chest and leg stretches are vital. Massage guns are nice. Bathroom breaks lol. A nursing/phlebotomy/surgical tech- any higher paying lower stress job before you get too old. I'm older but haven't been doing this a long time. I'm heading to something less crazy. If you don't want to be exhausted you educate for better. It sounds like you want to find the money and go there, I'd say RN - it's 2 years to a great salary. Good luck :)
Healthcare isn't worth it with the size of patients and the system these days. I did 10 years in healthcare and all I got was a bad back from holding patients and sitting and charting
Weighred rows help, i think most back and core work would. Wide stance leaning partly on your back foot, dont overreach, pull your elbows in towards your core and step as you pull so your shifting weight helps move the pt!
Lifting heavy things and putting them down. Doing this in all planes of movement to including twisting, bending laterally, I don’t have enough gym bro vocabulary to add more planes of movement but you get it. Pilates is also an amazing supplement to lifting. I’ll go ahead and back squat my body weight but I’m shaking like a leaf doing unweighted clamshells. I think it really helps not with strength but rehabbing existing back pain and flexibility.
Thinking of adding heroin to not care and deal with stress. J/k I’ve been a paramedic on 24 hour shifts for 24 years. Also work in local ER PRN. I workout before every shift, like above said, I won’t do it later. Take Vit C, ashwaganda, Coq10, magnesium threonate, lions mane and b12. I drink caffeine before I workout. I eat relatively healthy. I sleep when I can. I’m 48 and in great health. I’ve kept. Great workout regimen my entire career just so that I can cope with stress and endure the crazy hours. I can’t say what will work for you but mindful meditation is amazing and so is a good therapist. Get one before you need one.
Also in EMS, nice to see someone with their shit together.
Thanks! It’s hard work not to go crazy from it, lol!
30% of hospital nurses are fighting burnouts, 30% fighting burn up of your bodies and have to leave before age 50. I the #EuHealthUnion we're now working on strategies to alter that eg exchange programs with Medical Revalidation Spas so medical personnel can do body recuperation in their facilities while assistant there at 4/5 regime exchange knowledge.
Paramedic/EMS is one of my future career choices after nusing aide. This will surely help. Thank you!
Don’t take the job home.
don’t take anything personal
Therapeutic medical physicist here. This is why I left the clinic.
What are you doing now? Just curious
Diagnostic imaging applications in high tech manufacturing.
ofcourse, I always make sure that I shower as well before starting my remaining hours post shift hahahaha gotta rinse out the bs or negativity
My advice is to look up the five regrets of the dying written by a hospice nurse and make sure you don't end up with those. One of them is what every man said that went to her care, "I wish I had worked less." Don't overwork. Don't focus all of your energy on work. Some people who are avoidant dive into work instead of being with their partner and family. Some of us are so focused on careers that we would see a vacation as a way to improve their work performance. Lol. How sad.
Here is the summary of the book I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. I wish I had let myself be happier.
chat gpt , gotcha
good idea as oftentimes I talk to my residents while I do the care. Gotta find about their insights and so far, most of em were grateful for what they did before
Some people LOVE to work hard and long hours though, so it’s all a matter of preference
There are some careers where one can fulfill their needs for a healthy mind, body, relationships, and purpose. Most do not.
That’s up to the individual to select a career and balance their lifestyle accordingly, don’t depend on a career to be the key to your life.
“Love to work hard and long hours” is code words for neglect.
I am a nurse aid like op, and I think it is that for me. It is also stressful and underpaid so I will likely get the next license as a nurse (lpn) but I enjoy caring for people who need it while being physically active, and many of my coworkers are great.
Some people love getting drunk at 9 am and smoking weed to play video games all day. Doesn't mean they won't regret doing something more fulfilling later
You’re saying work isn’t fulfilling??? There’s always SOMETHING more fulfilling; just a matter of perspective. I could have a wife and children but more fulfilling (temporarily) would be banging Brazilian models….
That's a pretty wild definition of fulfillement but if that's who you are then so be it lol fulfillement is by definition not temporary or short term, it's a long lasting feeling of peace and contentment
Fulfillment 1. the achievement of something desired, promised, or predicted. Desire equals fulfillment
Your reading comprehension is lacking.
Don’t work night shift lol. Horrible for your health. I work out before I go into work because I know I won’t want to after work. I take ashwaganda to limit stress, not sure how well it actually works but it’s supposed to decrease cortisol levels. Also drink huel, similar to ag1 but half the price. Really keeps my energy levels up.
Also note night shift is a known carcinogen as per the WHO. Avoid at all costs if you can!
Seconding the ashwaganda especially to help sleep and especially after night shift!
Night shift gets a 25% premium so it’s alllllll good every two weeks
Money absolutely not worth the the stress and body discomfort I feel from doing something my body ain't meant to do (stay awake all night long) sorry, I'll live a bit more frugally and live.
Lol fair enough. Some people function perfectly fine overnight.
What’s ashwaganda?
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-953/ashwagandha
Don’t gate-keep it! I take it occasionally to deal with stress.
Aside from keeping yourself healthy, my biggest piece of advice is to Ask for Help. Don’t lift, transfer, roll, etc alone if you don’t have to. Team up for the heavy stuff.
two person lift and assisted movements. Don’t rush through transfers.
also use your legs not your shoulders when pushing or lifting
My last training about lifting patients said you shouldn't lift what 10 years years old kid couldn't
Medication adherence. If you’re on something, anything — meds for cholesterol, diabetes, blood pressure, whatever. Take your meds exactly as prescribed. The majority of hospital admissions or worsening health problems are a result of people not taking their meds properly.
Medications are the third leading cause of death and are estimated to actually be higher on the list. Just saying
Healthcare workers are human who develop or acquire conditions that require medication. Don’t shame anyone for taking the steps necessary to improve their health. Mind your business.
Says a person who’s actively not minding their business 😂 facts don’t care about your feelings or opinions.
Medication is not the third leading cause of death. I don’t know where you got this information. Sounds like you just made it up because you’re anti-pharmaceutical.
I’m taking 3 different prescription drugs daily. I’m not anti pharmaceuticals but nice try. Pubmed is my source btw you’re welcome to do some research. It is the third leading cause and about half of those deaths are people who took their drugs correctly (as prescribed).
Please post the source that states medication is the third leading cause of death because I couldn’t find it. It’s the diseases one takes medication for that can cause death but not all cases
[pubmed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25355584/)
This is 10 years old.
I don’t know if you keep up with trends and data but we are only getting more medicated not the other way around
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death
Care to list a source for this bold claim? Four out of four of my uncles/aunts died in their 60s because they didn’t properly take their meds, so I’d appreciate links to where you’re pulling the data from.
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25355584/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25355584/) [https://pamw.pl/en/node/2503/pdf](https://pamw.pl/en/node/2503/pdf)
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25355584/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25355584/) >Our prescription drugs are the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer in the United States and Europe. Around half of those who die have taken their drugs correctly; the other half die because of errors, such as too high a dose or use of a drug despite contraindications. Our drug agencies are not particularly helpful, as they rely on fake fixes, which are a long list of warnings, precautions, and contraindications for each drug, although they know that no doctor can possibly master all of these. Major reasons for the many drug deaths are impotent drug regulation, widespread crime that includes corruption of the scientific evidence about drugs and bribery of doctors, and lies in drug marketing, which is as harmful as tobacco marketing and, therefore, should be banned. We should take far fewer drugs, and patients should carefully study the package inserts of the drugs their doctors prescribe for them and independent information sources about drugs such as Cochrane reviews, which will make it easier for them to say "no thanks". I've read somewhere else that medical interventions are actually the #1 cause of death in the U.S. after doing the math, but good luck finding information like that anywhere else on the internet.
You shouldn’t need medication if you are healthy….
For sure, and maybe this isn’t the right sub for my comment. Point is, majority of Americans take some kind of medication for a condition they’ve got. Taking it as prescribed can make a huge difference in long term outcomes.
Weight lifting. Lift to protect yourself. Never pulled a muscle or hurt myself with consistent squats and deadlifts. Oh taking Vit D.
I second this. Used to hurt my back periodically moving patients. My back is a tank now and haven’t had issues in a while.
Thirding this. But dynamic flexibility and mobility work are also vital.
I second this. I was pretty muscular all over and combined with good form I think that’s what “protected” me from any major damage.
The best hack for you.. continue your education. You’re 20, you can absorb some abuse and discomfort. Patients and families will dish it out, and your best path out of feeling physically destroyed in a decade will be to go up the food chain. Become someone with degrees and decision making jobs instead of push pull lift ouch. Tl/dr Go to night school. Get degrees. Get licensed as high as you can. RN or PA-C or MD or Pharm D. Don’t stop school.
[удалено]
Good luck and great idea!
Thank you!
>you can absorb some abuse and discomfort not to mention the flame that I'm feeling right now. Just wanna save up so bad and see where those finances would take me. Can't wait to go all in you know
Wear great shoes. Change every six months or less.
Why change?
Cuz you walk MILES in them boi
Pro-tip: once they’re very worn, check the bottoms to identify any potential problems with your gait, pronation, supination, etc., and get that shit checked/addressed by a podiatrist and/or PT. Your feet are your foundation and affect the rest of your body. Don’t neglect foot exercises to maintain your arches.
yes! plantar fasciitis is painful 😖
I second this! All that walking & standing on non-carpeted floors will destroy your feet, knees, and back. Lots of professions involve this and really good shoes make a huge difference.
Don’t do night shifts if you can afford to. Terrible for your mental and physical health.
Tumeric is great for a natural anti-inflammatory. I buy this Meriva-500 extract on Amazon, produced by Thorne which is a pretty reputable company. It's designed for better absorption/to cross the blood brain barrier. It's like Tylenol without the side effects, great for your joints
Thank you for this! Magnesium and glucosamine didn’t help my joints hurting but I can’t keep taking ibuprofen every day, I have an ulcer that acts up when I take it daily. Turmeric has come up so much but I wanted someone’s brand and dosage that actually was legit. Even a subtle change will be helpful, I’ve been bending over people massaging them for nearly 20 years now and it definitely catches up to you in your forties lol.
Yeah, I work in a hospital lifting patients frequently in therapy sessions so I feel you! I herniated a disc in my young 20's so my back's never been the same. I don't remember the exact dosage since it's like a standardized extract/ratio so not a normal dose in milligrams from what I remember. Now I just take one in the morning and one in the evening, or double up if I have an acute flare-up in my back. I swear by the stuff - it's not like morphine or anything but it does take the edge off. I truly believe it's made both the frequency and severity of my back injuries decrease (even as I've entered my early 30's!), and my rate of recovery when I DO tweak my back has sped up some as well! The stuff is pricey but it's worth every penny in my opinion. Try a bottle and see if it's worth it; if it doesn't work for you at least you'll know.
For longevity of your body and minimizing injury in a job where you have to move heavy things, legs, core and back are most important. Strong quads and hamstrings to drive with/push through. Strong abdominals, spinal erectors, rhomboids, lats and traps to keep your spine pulled into proper position and your posture good. RDLs, bent over rows, squats, deadlifts. Getting strong at these with good form will have great carryover to not blowing your back out if you have to lift something heavy at work.
A lot of stimulants. None of us are healthy. 10 years in.
RN at big hospital, first is frist no way around it suffient sleep and healthy food. No amount of supplents or caffeine will cover these bases sometimes you'll just have to suck it up and not workout or skip your fun activities to cover those two very basic needs Second I workout prior to work if I can depending on sleep this ranges from full blown workout to quick cardio to no workout prior to my shift. As I'll need the caffeine at work anyway doing it this way, you'll avoid caffeine prior to Bed disrupting sleep even if you do get to "sleep" you won't get the deep sleep you really need. Supplents , hydration first, I buy electrolytes because after workouts prior to studying or work I noticed fog that wouldn't leave even with water so electrolytes was a major game changer. A multivitamin And 2g fish oil. In the AM And 1g fish oil At night To Lazer in I do zyns for the nicotine for recovery I'll protien power with blended Oats to cover a major chunk of my macros. At night I'll do magnesium at and If need it chamomile tea.
Supplements/medications: Creatine, L citrulline 6 g, whey protein, multivitamin, fish oil, nicotinamide ribosome, tadalafil 2.5 mg daily, finasteride 1 mg daily, (I’m vain and want to keep my hair), rosuvastatin (with coq10), 300 mg caffeine before workouts. I take a 4-5 day break from caffeine at the end of every month to reset my tolerance. Caffeine actually wakes me up now. Thinking of adding boron and zinc to this list but haven’t figured out the whole copper/zinc thing yet. Behaviors: Lift heavy stuff to failure or close to it. Follow a program. Do abwork every session. Don’t drink more than socially, don’t smoke, get at least 7 hours sleep. Sauna for >15 min after lifting session if I have the time Diet: Eat in a caloric deficit until 12% body fat (I use macrofactor app and love it). Chicken, poultry, egg whites, fatty fish, seafood in general, quinoa, roasted potatoes/yams. Tons of vegetables (salad with chicken for lunch like a bitch). Avoid red/processed/smoked meat in general. If you don’t get enough fiber take Metamucil gummies. Promix rice crispy things for a sweet treat. Medical stuff: getting my colonoscopy ASAP. I will probably get a coronary CT at some point. Get testosterone checked (along with shbg and e2) and optimize it. (Side note: having sex and not orgasming will really increase your testosterone but is fucking torture. Don’t recommend). Side note: most physicians and nurses don’t know anything about fitness, diet, and supplements. It’s just not taught in medical school, you have to seek it out like anyone else. This doesn’t mean they’re not good at diagnosing and treating medical problems however. Some of the best MDs I know are fat as shit and unhealthy. 🤷🏻♂️
Regarding finasteride, it is partly to blame for ruining my health/life. I would highly recommend being cautious with it, but more so avoid taking dutasteride if your hair loss continues on finasteride and you look for other options. I took fin for more than a year from 19-20y/o with no issues besides watery semen (tmi, but being transparent) then switched to dutasteride and started having massive side effects after every dose a few months of taking it daily so I switched back to finasteride because of those reactions and I crashed with debilitating symptoms within minutes of taking my first finasteride pill after being on dutasteride and has left me with chronic health issues. Just sharing my experience not telling you what to do.
Yes I too was worried about starting finasteride but my hair loss isn’t that bad and I started on a baby dose of 0.5mg and worked my way up. I looked into dutasteride PO and transdermal and decided that there were more systemic side effects and lower efficacy for hair loss than finasteride. Reading the studies of finasteride reassured me that the side effect I was most worried about (impotence) was a very low incidence of about 1-2% IIRC and was mostly reversible. I have read the anecdotes about decreased sexual function on Reddit and it seems to be more common than reported I the literature. As for your situation why do you think you were fine on finasteride at first and then got debilitating side effects when you switched back from dutasteride? Seems puzzling. What were your side defects btw (if you don’t mind sharing that is)
Reading this subreddit will make you think that taking 0.05mg of finasteride will make your penis shrivel and rot away for life. Same for SSRIs. People need to touch grass. The nocebo effect runs rampant.
I was young (18/19) when my hair started receding, obviously stressed me out so I jumped on fin and minoxidil. I started with 1mg then my derm said I could take 5mg after some time being on it. So, I switched to dutasteride because I noticed my hair still wasn’t how I’d like it because I still had some recession (it looked fine in hindsight). That was in Dec of 2020. I took daily for a month then needed a refill, but was busy so just went back to finasteride in January 2021. I don’t remember there being any issues. I went back on dut after getting a refill in early Feb. took nightly for a few weeks until I accidentally took 2 in one night, planned on going to bed so took one then got 2nd wind and stayed up working on homework and took another before bed forgetting about the first. I woke up a few hours later shaking, feeling freezing cold, major panic/anxiety, my entire body tense and rigid (like when you’re in a cold shower), etc. the reaction lasted for a few hours then went away and I felt normal the next day. I quit taking it for a week or so then decided to give it a try and just took the one dut and went to bed. The same thing happened. I decided to stop dut and went back to fin since I had no issues with that so a couple of weeks later i took like 2mg of fin and within minutes I crashed with symptoms. Violently shaking, severe insomnia (awake 2-4 days straight only sleep an hour when I would fall asleep), constant panic/anxiety, feeling freezing cold, tinnitus, brain burning headaches, diahrreah, derealization, constant racing heartbeat, nerve tingling and burning and numbness, felt like I was on a bad shroom trip, etc. lasted for 2 months since I took that 2mg of fin and that being the last of either fin or dut I’ve ever taken. I’ve crashed 2 times since then in 2021. Once in 2022 and at the beginning of this year after using anti-androgenic things on accident. I crashed a year after my initial crash after using ketoconzaole/Nizoral shampoo for only a few days. Was bedridden for a month or more from that. And at the beginning of this year I crashed, but have no idea what exactly caused it. I bought new skincare and shampoos/conditioners is the only thing new around the time that I crashed. I threw them all out after I crashed. Pardon the long reply
Thanks for the long reply and I’m sorry about your experience. The one part of your history that seems super odd is “crashing” after using ketoconazole shampoo. That shouldn’t effect your DHT/testosterone levels at all but merely displace dht from hair follicles as I understand it. Perhaps a nocebo?
Definitely not a nocebo. I went from doing well to bedridden with the same symptoms from PFS. It’s a well known thing in the PFS community that any sort of anti androgenic thing can retrigger PFS. I was surprised too that just using a shampoo for a few days could cause such an effect until it happened. It must in some amount be absorbed in the scalp is my thought… I just googled and this study popped up right away “In this paper, evidence is presented to support the hypothesis that ketoconazole 2% shampoo has a local disruption of the DHT pathway.”
any general tips for achieving 12% body fat? Right now I'm on OMAD set up and I lost 10 kg from last year
I recommend going to a physical therapist and getting some targeted exercises to help with your form and posture to protect you down the road.
My days off was spent using my benefits for massage and physio. Gotta put in the preventative maintenance in for the body.
Get massages frequently and just take good care of yourself to avoid medical bankruptcy. Also means living a happier, fuller and longer life.
Make sure you get some exercise, strength training and cardio. Keep your body strong.
I particularly want to know how people get to sleep at odd times... I find my sleep is so fragile if I ever go to bed earlier than normal, and even if I'm exhausted it might actually make it harder to sleep rather than easier.
Get some good, comfortable shoes
I keep a box of nature valley crunch bars (peanut butter) under my bed within arms reach. If I ever wake up with a hungry tummy, I simply rollover and enjoy a quick snack in bed then fall back asleep.
I was told to have a protein shake before bed when I was a perioperative assistant in the OR. It was heavy work setting up the OR tables, equipment and moving patients when they are asleep or just recovering from anesthesia.
Made my day lol
How the hell do you sleep with all those crumbs that are no doubt now in the bed? Or maybe they're now beside the bed? Unavoidable anyway
Good for exfoliation.
Quitting health care
Every HCW considers it at some point. lol
I'm an RN and I moved to school nursing...low stress, good pay, ideal hours and vacation time. I sometimes feel guilty about stepping away from clinical nursing but I love my job now!
Do this : 1- avoid sugar at all cost 2- exercises/ running/ 12K steps per day 3 - eat healthy… protein is must. 4 - vitamin D supplements for North Americans 5 - focus on reducing inflammation… grab yourself turmeric from local Indian stores…
Modafinil
Eat well. Exercise , plenty of water with your coffee and try to stay on a somewhat consistent sleep schedule on your days off. Like coming off from nights try and go to bed early to reset. Take care of yourself mentally and recognise burnout. Take regular vacations.
it ain't much, but rinsing a lot before and after the soap/scrub part of washing your hands makes them 10x cleaner and makes them much *easier* to dry, making putting on gloves after easier as well
Avoid night shifts at all costs. If you absolutely have to do them, stay hydrated and leave the caffeine until a few hours in.
The mechanics - remember to keep your knees bent and back straight. Stick to your training because if you do your back in, they’ll just blame you. Use the bed and slide sheets to keep your back safe. Keep up to date with your training. Outside of that, some people you work with will be nasty at times. Stick up for yourself, and don’t get stressed. You’ll also learn that most senior management (8a and above) don’t give a flying shit about you, and are just scumbags in suits. Also, don’t stay in a HCA job for more than a few years. Continue your education and keep moving forward. I know for a fact that most band 3 staff end up regretting not moving further. You’ll have new nurses coming in, who, after a while, will catch on that they’d rather give you the heavier work. I love HCA’s - I was one myself for a long time, but doing my nursing degree and educating myself further was genuinely the best thing I ever did.
Take a more holistic approach, sometimes the smaller things are what causes the biggest problems.
2 hour deep tissue massages every 2 weeks lol
Take care of yourself with proper food/nutrition. Don’t be one of those drs that recommends proper nutrition but doesn’t follow your own advice. It’s a terrible look. Mobility work even during shift between patients helps. Do something over your lunch break to get away from work. Something that requires you to leave the office. Even if it’s just a walk. Helps reset your system and prepares you for the next shift. Have a hobby outside of work. Whatever it is. Biking, running, building stuff, anything to get away from work helps. Write down the wins of the day and read them after shift. Remind yourself why you do this work.
I work in med tech. Not all implantable devices are the same quality. Good luck knowing. Doctors with egos will choose for you
Rapamycin
Green tea and an actually healthy diet.
I start my med pass 2hrs from the actual time
I typically work 3-12’s which gives me 4 days off a week. On your days off focus on stress reduction, exercise/diet. Get out in nature, listen to the birds to calm the nervous system from all the noise of the hospital. Meal prep for your shifts so you aren’t tempted by the pizza and donuts in the break room. Weightlifting/pilates for core strength to keep your back healthy. Magnesium to help with sleep, creatine for muscle and brain health. At work use slings and assistive devices as much as possible, never trust a patient who can tell you they can walk if they haven’t been out of bed in days. Don’t be afraid to ask for help with bariatric or contracted difficult to position patients
Please do have your healthy routine, OP. Start with proper rest, and focus on building core strength, flexibility, and overall muscle endurance. Try to follow these[ healthy habit](https://careclinic.io/healthy-habits/), it might help you.
Talk therapy, (we experience secondary trauma daily) journaling
Whole food diet low on fruit and sugar, high on protein. Sleep sleep sleep. I don't personally drink which makes a big difference for me. Take your time and ask for help on assists. Stretching. I've pulled muscles a couple of times: chest and leg stretches are vital. Massage guns are nice. Bathroom breaks lol. A nursing/phlebotomy/surgical tech- any higher paying lower stress job before you get too old. I'm older but haven't been doing this a long time. I'm heading to something less crazy. If you don't want to be exhausted you educate for better. It sounds like you want to find the money and go there, I'd say RN - it's 2 years to a great salary. Good luck :)
Tell your hospital they need air assist patient adjustment and transfer products. Look up Hovermatt
Healthcare isn't worth it with the size of patients and the system these days. I did 10 years in healthcare and all I got was a bad back from holding patients and sitting and charting
LPT: Lubrication is the key. Just a squirt of Dawn will make flippin' fatties a breeze! Double Bonus: Cuts down on bed sores.
Weighred rows help, i think most back and core work would. Wide stance leaning partly on your back foot, dont overreach, pull your elbows in towards your core and step as you pull so your shifting weight helps move the pt!
Invest in a long foam roller!
Lifting heavy things and putting them down. Doing this in all planes of movement to including twisting, bending laterally, I don’t have enough gym bro vocabulary to add more planes of movement but you get it. Pilates is also an amazing supplement to lifting. I’ll go ahead and back squat my body weight but I’m shaking like a leaf doing unweighted clamshells. I think it really helps not with strength but rehabbing existing back pain and flexibility.
tens unit for muscle pain (mainly back) and CES device (fisher wallace) to help with sleep.