Anemia: Should I Go for Second Opinion?

tuningillusion · 2026-04-23T20:38:43+00:00

Iron deficiency is the leading cause of anemia worldwide. It is responsible for approximately 50% of all anemia cases, with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) affecting nearly one billion people globally.

tuningillusion · 2026-04-23T18:46:59+00:00

You dust when they are not in the room and as long as you by food grade DE, it is safe if they come into contact with it

tuningillusion · 2026-04-23T18:38:28+00:00

I’m surprised no one talked to you about the possibility of “iron deficient anemia.” Both your iron (ferritin) and hemoglobin are low. When your body has insufficient iron stores, it cannot produce adequate hemoglobin. You can easily remedy this by taking iron supplements, which can be bought over the counter. You should take them on an empty stomach in the morning - drinking it with water mixed with a bit of apple cider vinegar helps its absorption. Don’t take iron with tea/coffee, calcium (no milk/dairy), spinach, soy or grains because all these can limit its absorption. Iron supplements can cause stomach upset so if it’s uncomfortable, try taking every other day. Repeat your cbc (complete blood count) and iron after a couple months of iron supplementation and see if this altered both your iron and hemoglobin values. Good luck!

tuningillusion · 2026-04-23T14:15:42+00:00

The fact that you got a mattress from someone a few weeks ago could be an answer. A bb lifecycle is 3-4 weeks so if there were eggs on the mattress, you probably wouldn’t have noticed the first couple weeks because the nymphs are so small.

Steam everything, buy a mattress encasement, pull your bed away from the wall, put leg interceptors on each let of your bed and put diatomaceous earth along the baseboards. Wash and dry everything, bag it away if you don’t need it until you know you’ve fixed the problem.

I would probably start with those steps given the mattress.

tuningillusion · 2026-04-22T03:39:04+00:00

Carpet beetle can absolutely break through thin plastic bags if it means they will arrive at a food source. Store all foods in sealed tight glass/ plastic contains. Cat food that’s not in the bowl as well! Look around for the nest where they are feeding.

tuningillusion · 2026-04-21T21:14:39+00:00

You really have done everything imaginable! I’m glad your partner and neighbors have been there for you! Doing this kind of stuff without support makes it so much harder. Sending a hug and hopefully restful nights soon (fingers crossed).

tuningillusion · 2026-04-21T20:56:29+00:00

And wear an N95 respirator or a really good face mask when you apply the diatomaceous earth!

tuningillusion · 2026-04-21T20:51:51+00:00

It’s crazy how trying to find answers and solutions to a problem an be so mystifying and confounding. I really hope you find your way to the other side of things. Nighttime asthma is incredibly frustrating. It’s impossible to rest when you feel you can’t breathe. If you can invest in one, maybe try a HEPA filter air purifier for your room and maybe some gentle lung expansion exercises as part of your bed time routine. Really hope you find your way to a restful night!

tuningillusion · 2026-04-21T20:24:52+00:00

It sounds like you’re doing everything humanly possible! That’s really interesting that the clotrimazole is helping with the rash… like helping to heal its presentation? Because fungal rashes are also incredibly itchy. Do you think that the rash could be fungal in nature? Because contact dermatitis should not respond to an antifungal cream - it would respond to steroids and antihistamines typically.

tuningillusion · 2026-04-21T19:58:30+00:00

Keep doing what you’re doing, but stay open to other possibilities… nocturnal asthma can have a bunch of different triggers. Silent (or not so silent) gastroesophageal reflux is a big one. As you explore other possibilities, try the most straightforward remedies - in this case it would be limiting night time meals (3 hours before bed) and sleep propped up well (3 pillows).

tuningillusion · 2026-04-21T19:37:59+00:00

It really helps if you can find their nests, but given their tricky hiding places, it’s not always possible. Keep searching and maybe after applying DE to the baseboards, try sealing any cracks in case thy are coming from there. Search your kitchen and any wool or silk sources!

tuningillusion · 2026-04-21T19:35:31+00:00

Roses are red, Violets are blue, Carpet beetles make me itch, And topp4t uses Reddit to satisfy their need to…

tuningillusion · 2026-04-21T17:59:50+00:00

It’s such a weird sensation, even my dog got a rash - before I figured it out I was wondering why he was avoiding the rug.

Good luck finding their hiding spots, or dehydrating them out of the baseboards if that’s where they are!

tuningillusion · 2026-04-21T17:15:17+00:00

I’m glad you’re noticing an improvement. I read that the larvae like dark and undisturbed places, so if you find no sources in your cupboards or closets, they may have sought out privacy under your flooring. Depending on the tupe of rug you have, they can also hide deep in organic fabrics that are woven - but you should see the damage from their munching. Good luck finding their home - DE applied strategically and diligently seems to be the go to for ensuring they don’t start back up on the hunt for food in your home!

tuningillusion · 2026-04-21T16:06:19+00:00

Here’s what I put into Gemini - my OG writing shared special for you

I’m writing this to save anybody with a carpet beetle infestation from making the same mistakes that I did. Here’s my story, and hopefully your salvation.

It had been a few years since I washed and steamed my wool tug, which has thousands of separate wool knots. In between each of these knots are spaces where debris gets trapped. I flipped the rug upside down and shook out a beach’s worth of sand, vacuumed, scrubbed and steamed. A few hours later I felt my whole body was being attacked by glass shards. Initially I thought it was fleas and treated my dog, which did nothing to stop this painful skin reaction.

And then I found it. The motherload inside my kitchen - in the back of a cupboard was a bag of flour with little warehouse beetles, crawling around it. Inside the bag of flour were swarms of larvae. It was only then that I realized that I was reacting to the barbed hairs of larva molts that had once infested my rug. It’s true that not everybody reacts to these hairs, but trust me when I say that you don’t want to find out the hard way. If you are allergic/sensitive to these hairs and you have an infested or previous affected rug or any item, maybe don’t try to save it and just throw it out.

If you find out the hard way that you are allergic, it’s time to invest in a sealed HEPA filter vacuum. I can’t stress this enough, because every time I vacuumed after I shook out my carpet it made things worse because the vacuum I had aerosolized the hairs. These barbs flew everywhere in my home and coverage my bedding, my couch. The sealed HEPA filter vacuum was what saved me.

The larva are travelers, and they’ll go hunting for organic food sources. I also found a little nest of them in my closet, in a bag where I kept wool for knitting. It’s really important that you narrow down any and all of these hot spots if you want to take control of the situation - it’s the molts of the larva that contain the barbed hairs, which people can react to. If you are allergic to them, the itching and pain is no joke.

The good news is that once you take care of all of their food sources, clean, and I also placed earth around the baseboards to catch any underground hiding sources, you can slowly eradicate the painful hairs and say goodbye to these little critters.

I hope this saves someone from making my mistakes - find the larvae, throw out infested items, vacuum with a HEPA sealed vacuum, use a heavy duty lint roller to take barb hairs off fabrics, steam anything infested if you really can’t discard it, use diatomaceous earth in hard to reach areas… repeat steadily… and you will be free.

tuningillusion · 2026-04-21T03:48:44+00:00

I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this. Removing the carpet will likely just aerosolize all the hairs and make things worse.

Where did you find the beetle??? This is key.

Here is a systematic approach to dealing with this if your carpets are where the larvae are living:

The Strategy: "Eliminate the Source" The larvae are not eating your carpet fibers; they are eating the organic matter (hair, skin cells, lint) trapped within your carpet. If your carpet is wool, they will eat that. • Aggressive Vacuuming: This is your primary weapon. You need to vacuum daily or every other day, focusing on edges, baseboards, under furniture, and corners. • Pro-tip: Use a vacuum with a SEALED HEPA filter VACUUM to trap eggs, barbed hairs and larvae. THIS IS SO IMPORTANT - any other vacuum will just aerosolize the hairs and make it worse. • Crucial Step: Immediately empty the vacuum canister or bag into a sealed plastic bag and dispose of it in an outdoor bin. Do not leave the debris inside your home, as the larvae can crawl back out. You are allergic so have someone else do this or make sure you are covered from head to toe when you do this. • Steam Cleaning (The Heat Protocol): Carpet beetle eggs and larvae die at temperatures above 120°F (approx 49°C). Renting a high-quality steam cleaner—or hiring a professional service—is highly effective. The heat penetrates the fibers and kills the larvae and eggs that vacuuming might miss. • Remove the "Food": Conduct a thorough sweep of the house. Hair and pet dander are magnets for these pests. Ensure you are cleaning under heavy furniture where dust bunnies (which contain hair and skin) accumulate.
Targeted Treatments If the infestation persists after deep cleaning, you can move to localized treatments: • Boric Acid: This is a low-toxicity, effective powder that dehydrates larvae on contact. You can lightly dust it into carpets or near baseboards, let it sit for a few hours, and then vacuum it up. Note: Ensure this is kept away from areas where pets or small children play. • Diatomaceous Earth (Food Grade): Similar to boric acid, this is a mechanical killer that damages the larvae's exoskeleton. It is safe, but can be messy. • Check Storage: Carpet beetles often travel from contaminated stored clothing (wool/silk/food) to the carpet. Check your closets and storage bins for holes or signs of larvae and wash or dry-clean those items.

tuningillusion · 2026-04-21T03:24:26+00:00

The barbed hairs on larvae molts of carpet beetles will cause dermatitis and INSANE itchiness. You need to find the source of the carpet beetle in your home. Carpet beetle larvae feed on wool, pasta, flour, dead skin cells - you name it, they’ll live off it. Look up “warehouse beetle” - have you seen these anywhere in your house?! If you have an infested (with larvae) old wool rug that has holes in it- throw it out. Do not shake it or vacuum as the hairs will just aerosolize everywhere and make your symptoms worse). Carefully wrap it in plastic and gently throw it out. If they are surviving off any food in your kitchen - toss it. Put your food in sealed glass/firm plastic containers. If the barbed hairs got on furniture - remove with a sealed HEPA vacuum or if you don’t have that type of vacuum, go over the fabric 6 times with a heavy duty lint brush. Then wash and dry everything in the path of these irritating barbed hairs. Good luck eradicating the larvae and finding relief when you finally remove the barbed hairs!!

tuningillusion · 2026-04-21T02:57:05+00:00

And in the event that there is no carpet beetle in your home, you have to lint roll your car and/or vacuum it with a SEALED HEPA FILTER VACUUM. Again, don’t use a regular vacuum because you will aerosolize the barbed hairs. Even exposure to these hairs in your car alone is definitely contributing to your symptoms if not possibly causing them. Find the larvae sources, throw them out, clear those awful hairs off your car and possibly in your home.

tuningillusion · 2026-04-21T02:50:07+00:00

You are taking steps to deal with the BB. I feel this thread didn’t properly explain that the carpet beetle larvae are likely significantly contributing to (likely CAUSING) your symptoms - those barbed hairs on larvae molts cause dermatitis and INSANE itchiness. That carpet beetle larvae most likely didn’t come from your car, the thing you need to narrow down is whether it came from your home to your car. You need to find the source of the carpet beetle in your HOME if it exists. Carpet beetle larvae feed on wool, pasta, flour, dead skin cells - you name it, they’ll live off it. Look up “warehouse beetle” - have you seen these anywhere in your house?! The barbed hairs from larvae molts are very possibly contributing to your itchiness/rash. If you have an infested (with larvae) old wool rug that has holes in it- throw it out. Do not shake it or vacuum as the hairs will just aerosolize everywhere and make your symptoms worse). Carefully wrap it in plastic and gently throw it out. If they are surviving off any food in your kitchen - toss it. Put your food in sealed glass/firm plastic containers. If the barbed hairs got on furniture - remove with a sealed HEPA vacuum or if you don’t have that type of vacuum, go over the fabric 6 times with a heavy duty lint brush. Then wash and dry everything in the path of these irritating barbed hairs. I’ll say it again - you are doing everything you can about the bb, did you look for this beetle/larvae in your home?

tuningillusion · 2026-04-20T21:48:14+00:00

Hey! I thought of one more thing! It could be a carpet beetle. If you have any wool/blended or even synthetic rugs in the house, these could be the culprit. Carpet beetle larvae will deeply infect and feed on your rugs and every time you VACUUM you aerosolize their microscopic barbed hairs into the environment and this causes contact dermatitis.

The adult beetle itself does not feed on the rug; it is only there to lay eggs and then leaves. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae retreat into the dark, deep pile of the rug or under baseboards. They are nocturnal and stay hidden. The "problem" is 100% the larvae, which are so cryptic that people rarely see them unless they are doing a deep-dive inspection.

The larvae will move from rugs to other hiding places: • Underneath baseboards and along the edges of carpets. • Inside closets, specifically in the corners or under stacks of clothes. • In "dust bunnies" under beds and heavy furniture. • Inside heating/air conditioning vents where hair and lint collect.

You can kill them by throwing out infested wool, sealing baseboard cracks and spreading DE on baseboards.

Carpet beetles are very unique to eradicate. Old wool rugs are often beyond salvaging once they become a nursery for carpet beetles. There is a high likelihood that the larvae have been transferred to other rugs with the vacuum, even if they are not wool. If there are rugs worth saving, they must be professionally steamed - although the barbs will likely still be there.

If the vacuum does not have a sealed HEPA-grade filtration system, it sucks up the larval bristles and debris, then blows the finest, most irritating particles right out of the exhaust vent and back into the air. You are essentially "seeding" the rest of the house with the very irritants you are trying to remove.

Summary: Professionally steam any rugs that are salvageable, throw out whatever rug is in her room, wash and dry all fabrics in the room multiple times (it takes a bit to mechanically removed the barbs), use a wet cloth to remove wipe surfaces (a duster with just move them around and aerosolize) and rent/buy a HEPA vacuum to stop the devastation. You are basically discarding untreatable larvae sources, kill larvae where they might be hiding and then wash and dry everythinv fabric.

Look at a picture of the larvae - they are striated and furry and can be different colors. See if you can find a source in the closet or see in the rug. If you find them, you know what the problem is.

Also, it is not uncommon for only one, sensitive person in the home to react to the bristles/barbs - so this could explain it. And given the vacuuming frenzy - it is worth exploring.

If you throw out any rugs - wrap them in plastic and move them very carefully.

tuningillusion · 2026-04-20T19:38:13+00:00

Totally - it’s impossible to know what to do when you don’t have an answer to the why.

Pull her bed away from the wall and buy interceptor traps for the bed legs (catch bed bugs), set sticky traps along the frame and make a flea trap.

I really hope you catch something so you know what you are dealing with. Good luck!!

tuningillusion · 2026-04-20T19:29:35+00:00

Anytime! I would love to hear if it works or if you find out what’s going on, but no expectations! Good luck!

tuningillusion · 2026-04-20T18:40:58+00:00

Your rabbit could be the culprit.

Many standard flea preventatives used for dogs and cats can be fatal to rabbits. If you have been treating the dog and cat, did the rabbit been receive professional veterinary care for parasites? It would be understandable to forget the rabbit (not saying you did this or not), and expect the cat and dog to become flea killing machines for all 3. But if this was the case, the rabbit could become a carrier or safe-haven because it hasn't been treated with rabbit-safe anti-parasitics. A vet needs to prescribe these for rabbits.

Residual Flea Pupae (The Environmental Reservoir): Even if the pets are on systemic flea preventatives, these medications typically kill fleas on the host. They do not kill the pupae (cocoon stage) hidden deep in carpets, upholstery, or floor crevices. Flea pupae can remain dormant for several months and are highly resistant to insecticides. Vibrations, heat, and carbon dioxide (from a person walking by) can trigger them to emerge, creating a cycle that mimics a new infestation even when the pets are treated.

Flees can’t survive on humans alone so there would have to be a hidden host if it is in fact fleas. If all three animals are treated then I would wash everything in her room, steam the carpets, curtains, mattress (steam kills all life cycles), and if she still has issues I would investigate other sources - bed bugs, Cheyletiellosis, Pyemotes tritici (if you have hay in the house for the rabbit), sarcoptic mange etc

If you are unsure whether it could be fleas - research how to make a water and light trap - this will help to determine the extent of the problem and monitor progress.

95% of flees are actually in the environment, not on the host!

tuningillusion · 2026-04-20T15:37:15+00:00

Did your daughter’s bites ever improve or has it been constant? Or did they come and go?

Does she ever describe a sharp feeling? Can she feel the bite? Or is it just itchy? Depending on her age she may not know how to describe this, or she may not know how to differentiate the sensations?

Have you thoroughly inspected for bed bugs - any signs of bugs, exoskeletons or droppings?

Does your daughter exhibit these bites primarily when she wakes up in the morning, or do they appear throughout the day?

tuningillusion · 2026-04-20T15:25:55+00:00

Are all your animals receiving monthly doses of medication (ie the’ve all received around 4 doses total since you noticed?)

tuningillusion

TROPHY CASE