Which mattress is least toxic?

[luvmysparklies]

Ok, this is good that you have received the interpretation of the MRI findings. No need for an MRA. Just to answer, yes you could have asked for no contrast, but the contrast "lights up" where the problems are better than without. But, I understand that you'd like to avoid contrast with everything going on with you right now. Now that it is confirmed that you have what is medically termed as "nerve impingement" your PCP is mostly right. At the C5-C6 level is where we get the most wear and tear as it is the main area that we use to bend and turn our heads. A pinched nerve at this location can very much cause the pins/needles feeling as well as vertigo and headaches. However, the C5 is responsible for the shoulders, your upper arms and your forearms. Meaning the sensations that you feel in these areas stem from the C5 disc. All of the areas that your PCP identified as being affected are correct except for the legs. The "C" in C5 stands for the cervical (the head/neck) part of your spine. That means C1-C7 (the C7, you can feel that boney protrusion at the back of your neck when you bend down--that is C7). Then we go down to the thoracic spine T1-T12 right after C7 down to the bottom of your ribcage. For the tingling in the legs you would have to test (probably another MRI) your lower spine, which is your lumbar spine L1-L5. This area and your sciatic nerve are the places to focus on to see what is causing your leg issues/tingling. Each section of your spine is responsible for different parts of your body. So, the C5 cannot be responsible for leg issues. Yes, a neurologist in conjunction with an orthopedic doc are your go-to physicians for these issues.


OK. So no ACTH blood test anymore? just the PHT? I was reading something about the pineal gland affecting my sleep. I've been suffering very badly from insomnia and can now only sleep by taking sleeping pills!

For your bolded question, I will copy and paste my previous response for your convenience italicized directly below:
No, the ACTH blood test is for the pituitary gland, which if there are issues with it, could cause dizziness. However, it seems that now your PCP has gotten interpretation of the MRI and you have a pinched nerve at C5 confirmed as attributable to your dizziness. The Parathyroid Hormone Test was to check to see if all of your parathyroid glands are outputting the correct levels of hormone. If they are not, you would definitely have elevated calcium levels. When I mentioned the calcium levels, it was a roundabout way to see if the parathyroid glands were problematic. If you simply want to double check to make sure that your parathyroid hormone levels are fine, the doc could check off this test as part of your labs. But, if calcium levels are normal, that really may not be necessary.

My calcium level, I am not sure is optimal though, as it is it going to the right places? I know I have bone spurs which may indicate that my functional calcium level is low.

(Admin, pls can we have a PM function? I am telling the whole world about my personal issues here!!).

Regarding the calcium number that you shared earlier, the lab indicated that your blood test shows your calcium numbers being within normal range. Ask your orthopedic doctor if bone spurs affect your calcium levels. The orthopedic doctor will be able to give you professional medical answers. There is no point in you worrying or have second thoughts/doubts about a normal blood test result, bone spurs or not. It goes against your healing process for you to trigger more anxiety for yourself.

I don't see nor feel any lumps on my neck. But will def do an ultrasound. It's harmless enough.

I agree that an ultrasound is harmless and you will benefit so much by having an ultrasonic assessment of your thyroid! Your endocrinologist would be the better person to discern any lumps (if there are any) via palpation during their physical examination. There may be nodules that you, as a regular person, are unable to feel or discern because you are not trained on what to look for. One benefit of the ultrasound is to accurately determine the presence or absence of nodules because sometimes they simply are not palpable or are in a location unable to be felt --but can be seen through the mechanism of ultrasound.

Yesss!! I am eating way less than I used to, cuz of HI/oxalate/salicylate issues. All shellfish are out, a lot of fruits are out, so is beef etc. I am shrinking before my very own eyes.

I really hope so!! I shall keep you updated on the follow up on my MRI results. Actually, might you have any idea how/why I have a nerve impingement issue? Could it have been from lifting too heavy a weight or lifting it wrongly? Or is that just a normal part of ageing?

Unfortunately, I cannot definitively answer about the nerve impingement. The neurologist and orthopedic doctor will take note of all that you tell them about your symptoms, gather more info with their respective exams they perform as well as look at the MRI that you will bring. They will use all of this info to provide you a professional opinion about the reason behind the impingement and if there is something that can be done. The impingement may stem from any one or a combination of the reasons you listed, or none of the reasons you are thinking. This is why you are gathering your records and keeping track of your symptoms. You might think about creating a file (relevant to your current issues) of docs/tests/results, put them in chronological order and give to your neurologist and orthopedic doctor to make it easier for them to put together a treatment plan addressing your issues.

Re bone broth, I shall follow that religiously, but I am being careful also not to have leftovers due to HI issues. Gelatin, I read, is somehow problematic for *me*. I was actually on birds' nest and then I switched to collagen powder, then I stopped (again I can't remember why, lol). Shall have to look that up again.

It is great that you have information about what is good/not good for you! This way, you are taking more control, making better decisions and are actively participating in your healing process.

Thank you sooo much, @luvmysparklies , once again. xoxo

You are welcome!

 

[luvmysparklies]

@luvmysparklies , I am going to see a cervical chiropractor next week. Apparently, he's the only cervical chiro in SG. I am excited but at the same time nervous. I am usually very reluctant to let anyone work on my neck, as you can understand. Next week will, I expect, just be a consultation and I am bringing my MRI results with me to show him.

(Again, Admin, pls introduce a PM function!! thank you).

I am excited for you! Make sure you also tell this person and your neurologist if you have had any falls or anything that may have injured you. For privacy, no need to post here if you did, just keep it in mind to report to the docs!

 

[Phoenix]

@luvmysparklies,

Thank you sooo much once again.

I have the test results printed out already and will bring them along to my next appts. I will also be sure to tell them my medical history.

I've been keeping a diary of my symptoms and meds & supplements I've been taking. Will make sure I inform them.

Will keep you posted.

Thank you soooo much for your guidance and for holding my hands.

xoxo

 

[MrsC Jewelry]

Hi, I wanted to mention that I’ve been chemically sensitive for a long time. I was also sensitive to the COVID jab and had long term side effects. My sense of smell is acute.

First thing I want to say is do not buy anything that’s treated with flame retardant. I can smell that.

We recently tried a NO flame retardant natural latex mattress and I could smell it all over the house. We also tried another type of latex (Dunlop versus Talalay), in a couch, and I could smell that. It was AWFUL (Dunlop. Talalay smelled slightly more acceptable but still permeated the whole house). No flame retardants, this was the smell of latex.

We then purchased a Naturpedic mattress with metal coils and organic cotton batting. It might have also had wool. No obvious smell but very firm. It was their only mattress without latex. I do understand about the issue of metal coils but we were getting desperate. No smell. We also got an organic cotton and wool futon for my child from Soaring Hearts. No smell. The best. So fresh. But hard and shifty. There is a company from Bulgaria that I’ve seen ads for, which ships Worldwide (not sure about your country’s limitations though). It’s called Home of Wool. They make wool-only mattresses and toppers. I’ve considered buying from them because wool is less rock hard than cotton. It’s more lofty. You might try a wool cotton mattress or futon with a wool topper for comfort. I’m sorry this has been a struggle for you, I understand what you are going through being extremely sensitive to smells. Good luck.

@LightBright are you still liking your Naturpedic mattress? We are considering the Naturpedic EOS Classic but had some concerns about the top latex layer (that you can customize) shifting since it comes in two pieces. Thank you!

 

[MrsC Jewelry]

Everything smells like something. We have a new Naturepedic that we love (latex over coils). It smells like a new mattress and maybe a little like latex. As I am sure you know, and as no one wants to hear, self-described sensitivity issues are usually annoyance coupled with anxiety. Read about the Ecology House debacle (I think) in Marin County.

It is almost impossible to find a good mattress (firm, not hard) -- there were basically none for the "pillowtop"/memory-foam decades but finally there are some decent choices out there again. But superimposing that Venn diagram of no smell, no coils, no anything and you should probably just get the rock-hard all-cotton futon that we slept on for ten years...

@LilAlex we are currently mattress shopping and looking at Naturepedic EOS classic mattress. Are you still liking yours? Thanks!

 

[LilAlex]

We are considering the Naturpedic EOS Classic but had some concerns about the top latex layer (that you can customize) shifting since it comes in two pieces. Thank you!

We have this and it is sensational! Should have done this years ago. We have used it for maybe two years. There was a super-bleak two decades in "mattress tech" where it was all tragic suffocating "pillowtop" and then sweltering gravity-wells of memory foam. But finally they are making latex foam over real coils and there are great beds again. After two days of looking, we both fell asleep on this in the store. She has the medium latex which is a little softer (side-sleeper with a sore shoulder) and I have the firm and we both have the firm coil units. The bed is soft (not hard) but firm (not saggy). It comes in pieces so we could easily get a Cali King upstairs and "build it" in situ -- and we will have no trouble moving it when we downsize. We got a cheapie foundation from an online place (I can get the name if you care -- I had to make some extra slats for that since the recommended spacing was less than this box had.) We unzip the "case" and rotate the foam every now and then. Every night we think what a great purchase this was! Literally one of the best upgrades we have ever made!

Wait, it is def an EOS but I need to look whether it is "Classic."

EDIT: I was about to wonder if I posted upthread since we LOVE this -- we really do. The only "bad" thing is that we both fall asleep too soon...

 

[MrsC Jewelry]

We have this and it is sensational! Should have done this years ago. We have used it for maybe two years. There was a super-bleak two decades in "mattress tech" where it was all tragic suffocating "pillowtop" and then sweltering gravity-wells of memory foam. But finally they are making latex foam over real coils and there are great beds again. After two days of looking, we both fell asleep on this in the store. She has the medium latex which is a little softer (side-sleeper with a sore shoulder) and I have the firm and we both have the firm coil units. The bed is soft (not hard) but firm (not saggy). It comes in pieces so we could easily get a Cali King upstairs and "build it" in situ -- and we will have no trouble moving it when we downsize. We got a cheapie foundation from an online place (I can get the name if you care -- I had to make some extra slats for that since the recommended spacing was less than this box had.) We unzip the "case" and rotate the foam every now and then. Every night we think what a great purchase this was! Literally one of the best upgrades we have ever made!

Wait, it is def an EOS but I need to look whether it is "Classic."

EDIT: I was about to wonder if I posted upthread since we LOVE this -- we really do. The only "bad" thing is that we both fall asleep too soon...

Oh what a dream it would be to fall asleep too soon! My husband can fall asleep within minutes, but that has never been the case for me, even as a child.

I'm thrilled you and your wife still love it. We've only seen it online and were concerned about the pieces that make up the bed shifting and not holding up.

I am a side sleeper with sore hip and shoulder, so it's good to know a medium works well for your wife. I'm a large size person, so I was considering firm instead of the medium, but definitely firm coils. I feel like this bed gets what I am trying to describe, I want a firm bed that is supportive, that doesn't sag, but I want it to be soft.

I'd appreciate info about the foundation, we have a poster bed frame we would like to keep, and just put the foundation inside, I was surprised how expensive the ones on their site were. I'm sure my husband could figure out how to add extra slats, I do remember reading they should only be so far apart.

I believe the EOS came in classic and then also in a pillowtop, we were thinking of just the classic.

Thank you so very much for your help! My husband is a little hesitant about how it will hold up, but I checked and there is a store near us, so I think it will be worth go in person.

 

[LilAlex]

You definitely sleep on top of it and not in it -- which we like. Easy to turn over. We hated an old pillow top because we struggled to turn over without breaking a sweat and half-waking up.

The "isolation" is great unlike with the old innerspring ones; I can "jump" into bed and she will not even notice.

It is worthwhile to spend some time on one in the store, imo. As I said, we actually made the rounds downtown with our own pillows (!) and every store was super-accommodating. I think we picked a slow day/time on purpose but we pretty much had every store to ourselves. (Maybe this time of year -- all the cash going to non-mattress purchases.)

We are both fairly tall and not big. One great thing is that they will let you swap out any of the components for the first 30 or 90 days -- so you can start with medium latex or firm and then try the other. There is not a super-big difference; I notice nothing where they meet. There is zero gap or discontinuity in the middle -- the cover is so thick. I would not get the pillow top (we did not) because, well, I dislike them and there is no need for it. The sack (cover) that it all fits in is pretty well padded/quilted and heavy-duty. There is no shifting of the components that we have seen. The foam is a little bigger than the coil units and the cover (maybe it has spread out a bit) so there is maybe an inch of overhang but it really is imperceptible. When we rotate the foam head-to-toe or flipping it over (we could rotate the mattress but then we would each have the "wrong" foam), it takes a few min to get it all lined up but it's certainly better than getting a duvet into the cover.

There is no "dent" where we sleep. It's good to know that worst case we can just replace the latex down the line (but it's expensive to do that).

The foundation we got was basically a you-assemble-it wood box with a neutral fabric cover -- no coils or springs or "give" -- just wood slats and center beam for support. It really just elevates and "holds" the mattress without contributing any comfort quality. I'll look for the name but it's one of the common bed-in-a-box internet ones -- we just didn't buy the corresponding mattress. We did not see the need to get their foundation -- I'm sure we looked at it in the store. IIRC, even the sales person implied there was nothing special about it.

 

[MrsC Jewelry]

You definitely sleep on top of it and not in it -- which we like. Easy to turn over. We hated an old pillow top because we struggled to turn over without breaking a sweat and half-waking up.

The "isolation" is great unlike with the old innerspring ones; I can "jump" into bed and she will not even notice.

It is worthwhile to spend some time on one in the store, imo. As I said, we actually made the rounds downtown with our own pillows (!) and every store was super-accommodating. I think we picked a slow day/time on purpose but we pretty much had every store to ourselves. (Maybe this time of year -- all the cash going to non-mattress purchases.)

We are both fairly tall and not big. One great thing is that they will let you swap out any of the components for the first 30 or 90 days -- so you can start with medium latex or firm and then try the other. There is not a super-big difference; I notice nothing where they meet. There is zero gap or discontinuity in the middle -- the cover is so thick. I would not get the pillow top (we did not) because, well, I dislike them and there is no need for it. The sack (cover) that it all fits in is pretty well padded/quilted and heavy-duty. There is no shifting of the components that we have seen. The foam is a little bigger than the coil units and the cover (maybe it has spread out a bit) so there is maybe an inch of overhang but it really is imperceptible. When we rotate the foam head-to-toe or flipping it over (we could rotate the mattress but then we would each have the "wrong" foam), it takes a few min to get it all lined up but it's certainly better than getting a duvet into the cover.

There is no "dent" where we sleep. It's good to know that worst case we can just replace the latex down the line (but it's expensive to do that).

The foundation we got was basically a you-assemble-it wood box with a neutral fabric cover -- no coils or springs or "give" -- just wood slats and center beam for support. It really just elevates and "holds" the mattress without contributing any comfort quality. I'll look for the name but it's one of the common bed-in-a-box internet ones -- we just didn't buy the corresponding mattress. We did not see the need to get their foundation -- I'm sure we looked at it in the store. IIRC, even the sales person implied there was nothing special about it.

Easy to turn over without waking yourself (and your spouse) up, no dents where you sleep, not disturbing your spouse when getting in bed, Yes please to all of that, it sounds fantastic!

I will definitely take your advice of testing out the mattress in the store. Hopefully over the Holidays my husband and I can scoot in there for a nice nap. I won't bring our pillows, lol, as I don't like our current pillows, so finding a good pillow is next on my to do list.

If you can remember the name of the foundation that's great, and I'd appreciate it, but I will also start doing some googling.

Great reminder that there is at least a 30 day exchange window for the latex layer. It sounds like your bed is holding up great!

Thank you LilAlex very much for all your helpful information! I greatly appreciate the time you spent!

Bonus that it's easier than getting a duvet in the cover. I'm golden then, as I can do that, in fact not only can I put a duvet in the cover by myself, but I can fold a fitted sheet! If it sounds like I'm bragging, it's because I am, those two are my major life skills, so it's very rare I can mention them both and it's relevant to a conversation, so I had no choice but to come hot with that info.

 

[LightBright]

@LightBright are you still liking your Naturpedic mattress? We are considering the Naturpedic EOS Classic but had some concerns about the top latex layer (that you can customize) shifting since it comes in two pieces. Thank you!

Yes, We still like our Naturpedic mattresses. We have the Chorus (medium spring coils) in a Queen and a Twin. The one we got has no latex because the smell of natural latex offgasing drives me mad. We bought two different natural latex items a couple years ago, a mattress (not from Naturpedic) and a couch. The mattress had a strong latex vanilla smell, which still didn’t fade after a month, and the couch was like a toxic cloud that permeated our entire home, they were different types of natural organic latex. We returned both.

I‘m sensitive to smells. The wool and organic cotton, with medium spring coils, Naturpedic Queen mattress was a second try for an adult mattress, the wool didn’t smell that strong or bad at all, and it faded quickly.

The same Naturpedic item in a Twin, purchased at the end of the Pandemic, took a year to stop smelling strongly of wool. It was annoying but I hoped not toxic. It literally still smells. But both mattresses are comfortable and well made.

As a comparison, we also have a Wool and Cotton Twin futon from Soaring Hearts. The smell of that product was like faint hay and very faint patchouli from the beginning. Like a Swiss Chalet, haha. I was disapointed when the smell faded but it is ROCK HARD. Really uncomfortable!

All this is to say that I have personally had to balance a desire for a little comfort, eg “medium” springs (they seem comfortable not too soft and not to firm to me, I‘m a petite person) and natural fabrics cotton/wool, with odors of the wool, which is all over the map, even within the same Naturpedic line. Latex is out of the question now because I can‘t get over how it smells.

 

[MrsC Jewelry]

Yes, We still like our Naturpedic mattresses. We have the Chorus (medium spring coils) in a Queen and a Twin. The one we got has no latex because the smell of natural latex offgasing drives me mad. We bought two different natural latex items a couple years ago, a mattress (not from Naturpedic) and a couch. The mattress had a strong latex vanilla smell, which still didn’t fade after a month, and the couch was like a toxic cloud that permeated our entire home, they were different types of natural organic latex. We returned both.

I‘m sensitive to smells. The wool and organic cotton, with medium spring coils, Naturpedic Queen mattress was a second try for an adult mattress, the wool didn’t smell that strong or bad at all, and it faded quickly.

The same Naturpedic item in a Twin, purchased at the end of the Pandemic, took a year to stop smelling strongly of wool. It was annoying but I hoped not toxic. It literally still smells. But both mattresses are comfortable and well made.

As a comparison, we also have a Wool and Cotton Twin futon from Soaring Hearts. The smell of that product was like faint hay and very faint patchouli from the beginning. Like a Swiss Chalet, haha. I was disapointed when the smell faded but it is ROCK HARD. Really uncomfortable!

All this is to say that I have personally had to balance a desire for a little comfort, eg “medium” springs (they seem comfortable not too soft and not to firm to me, I‘m a petite person) and natural fabrics cotton/wool, with odors of the wool, which is all over the map, even within the same Naturpedic line. Latex is out of the question now because I can‘t get over how it smells.

Thank you so much for sharing, I appreciate it. I had wondered about wool and cotton mattresses but didn't know anyone that had one.

It is good to know that you think the Naturpedic mattress are well made and comfortable!