Page 28 of 29 FirstFirst ... 18242526272829 LastLast
Results 541 to 560 of 577

Thread: I have a medical condition which will be tough to treat, and it means the end of radio (for now)

  1. #541
    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
    Reputation
    10110
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    54,627
    Blog Entries
    2
    Load Metric
    65677098
    So I tried all of the elements of my treatment individually, to success. No side effects for all of them, except the Mastic Gum where the side effects were mild.

    Great success!

    But wait... maybe not.

    The last one I tried was Monolaurin on Saturday night. This is a biofilm disruptor like the NAC which I had a hard time tolerating, so I braced for side effect impact.

    Nothing. Saturday night passed without feeling anything different. I was extra tired, but I had a sleep deficit lately, so I figured it was from that.

    Slept a good 10 hours and woke up Sunday with back pain. Figured it was just from sleeping so many hours on a sloped bed.

    Then I noticed I was still very fatigued. Then I noticed I had diarrhea.

    Ugh.

    I forced myself to go on a hike with the family, which I completed fine, but dragged somewhat during it.

    Had dinner, took the Monolaurin and the Floristor probiotic. Then I had another bout of diarrhea.

    I figured the diarrhea was no big deal because so many elements of this treatment (Pepto, Mastic Gum, Floristor) are known to cause constipation, so it was actually good that I was starting off on the "other side" of this problem, right?

    I took some Pepto.

    Felt even more tired and went to bed at 8:30pm. I noticed I was getting sharp shooting pains in the big toe of my left foot (wtf??)

    At 11:30pm, I woke up from a nightmare and then felt all hot and stuffy in the room.

    Had to go to a larger room, open the window to let in cold air, and try to relax.

    The weird pains in my toe were continuing, like every 10 minutes or so. Stomach and back hurt. Very lethargic.

    Whole thing kinda felt flu-like, except I wasn't nauseous, and had no fever.

    I took my pulse and it was around 80. That's usually indicative of a problem. When everything is mostly "normal", it reliably sits in the low 60s. (When I was having my worst anxiety problems, the faster heart rate was present, too.)

    It's been over 4 hours since. Some things have improved. Stomach still feels fucked up, and back hurts. Toe pain stopped, thankfully. Heart rate declined to 72, but that's still a bit high for me. FYI, not worried about heart trouble, but just using the heart rate to determine if my body thinks it's fighting something.

    Anyway, I suspect the Monolaurin might be at fault here, though it is supposed to be very well tolerated by most people.

    Sigh.

    What a pain in the ass.

  2. #542
    aka PP23 badguy23's Avatar
    Reputation
    673
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    6,064
    Load Metric
    65677098
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    So I tried all of the elements of my treatment individually, to success. No side effects for all of them, except the Mastic Gum where the side effects were mild.

    Great success!

    But wait... maybe not.

    The last one I tried was Monolaurin on Saturday night. This is a biofilm disruptor like the NAC which I had a hard time tolerating, so I braced for side effect impact.

    Nothing. Saturday night passed without feeling anything different. I was extra tired, but I had a sleep deficit lately, so I figured it was from that.

    Slept a good 10 hours and woke up Sunday with back pain. Figured it was just from sleeping so many hours on a sloped bed.

    Then I noticed I was still very fatigued. Then I noticed I had diarrhea.

    Ugh.

    I forced myself to go on a hike with the family, which I completed fine, but dragged somewhat during it.

    Had dinner, took the Monolaurin and the Floristor probiotic. Then I had another bout of diarrhea.

    I figured the diarrhea was no big deal because so many elements of this treatment (Pepto, Mastic Gum, Floristor) are known to cause constipation, so it was actually good that I was starting off on the "other side" of this problem, right?

    I took some Pepto.

    Felt even more tired and went to bed at 8:30pm. I noticed I was getting sharp shooting pains in the big toe of my left foot (wtf??)

    At 11:30pm, I woke up from a nightmare and then felt all hot and stuffy in the room.

    Had to go to a larger room, open the window to let in cold air, and try to relax.

    The weird pains in my toe were continuing, like every 10 minutes or so. Stomach and back hurt. Very lethargic.

    Whole thing kinda felt flu-like, except I wasn't nauseous, and had no fever.

    I took my pulse and it was around 80. That's usually indicative of a problem. When everything is mostly "normal", it reliably sits in the low 60s. (When I was having my worst anxiety problems, the faster heart rate was present, too.)

    It's been over 4 hours since. Some things have improved. Stomach still feels fucked up, and back hurts. Toe pain stopped, thankfully. Heart rate declined to 72, but that's still a bit high for me. FYI, not worried about heart trouble, but just using the heart rate to determine if my body thinks it's fighting something.

    Anyway, I suspect the Monolaurin might be at fault here, though it is supposed to be very well tolerated by most people.

    Sigh.

    What a pain in the ass.
    Bro just start drinking Vodka and water. It will relieve all pain and we can start having radio on a regular basis.

     
    Comments
      
      JoeD: old school remedies FTW. Mix in some leeches if needed too.

  3. #543
    Plutonium big dick's Avatar
    Reputation
    1328
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    fuck krypt
    Posts
    11,566
    Load Metric
    65677098
    feel better Druff

     
    Comments
      
      Baron Von Strucker: Dire

  4. #544
    Platinum Baron Von Strucker's Avatar
    Reputation
    513
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    3,192
    Load Metric
    65677098
    Attention cmoney, China, hongkonger, elgallow and associates.
    Please pay attention THIS is how you fake your death.
    Carry on Druff your knocking it out of the park.
    all hail Hydra



    Originally Posted by DanDruff:Since I'm a 6'2" Republican with an average-sized nose and a last name which doesn't end with "stein", "man", or "berg", I can hide among the goyim and remain undetected unless I open my mouth about money matters.

  5. #545
    100% Organic MumblesBadly's Avatar
    Reputation
    94
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    In the many threads of this forum
    Posts
    9,408
    Load Metric
    65677098
    I’m starting to think that you randomly experience phantom side effects for various substances, meaning you aren’t consciously aware that your mind induces you to experience phantom side effects due to some latent emotional/anxiety triggers. That would explain why you tend to experience side effects with so many meds/medicinal substances (because of your higher than typical concern over side effects versus the general public) but you experience some even if you aren’t aware of what other people have reported experiencing.

    Question for Shrink: Is there already a name for such a condition?
    _____________________________________________
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    I actually hope this [second impeachment] succeeds, because I want Trump put down politically like a sick, 14-year-old dog. ... I don't want him complicating the 2024 primary season. I just want him done.
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    Were Republicans cowardly or unethical not to go along with [convicting Trump in the second impeachment Senate trial]? No. The smart move was to reject it.

  6. #546
    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
    Reputation
    10110
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    54,627
    Blog Entries
    2
    Load Metric
    65677098
    Quote Originally Posted by MumblesBadly View Post
    I’m starting to think that you randomly experience phantom side effects for various substances, meaning you aren’t consciously aware that your mind induces you to experience phantom side effects due to some latent emotional/anxiety triggers. That would explain why you tend to experience side effects with so many meds/medicinal substances (because of your higher than typical concern over side effects versus the general public) but you experience some even if you aren’t aware of what other people have reported experiencing.

    Question for Shrink: Is there already a name for such a condition?
    That's known as the "nocebo effect", and I've been concerned about that happening, but it's not what's happening here.

    Among other things, it's not consistent with what my mind expects. For example, I was fearing side effects from the Monolaurin in the hours following taking it on Saturday night, yet I felt nothing at all. Then I had problems the following day (including the bad diarrhea, which would be hard to imagine into existence).

    Also, in some cases I have experienced side effects I wasn't aware existed, only to look it up later and find out that they were connected to the medication.

    So this isn't really following a nocebo pattern.

    I do think whatever is going on with me, causing the LPR, might be leaving me more sensitive to medication side effects than I used to be.

  7. #547
    Gold DonaldTrumpsHairPiece's Avatar
    Reputation
    234
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    SanFran
    Posts
    2,166
    Load Metric
    65677098
    Can I ask a question I think no one has?

    How is your child and significant other handling your illness, has it affected them in any way? Does your woman offer to get your med's for you, your son offer to fix your pillow while you sleep?

  8. #548
    100% Organic MumblesBadly's Avatar
    Reputation
    94
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    In the many threads of this forum
    Posts
    9,408
    Load Metric
    65677098
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by MumblesBadly View Post
    I’m starting to think that you randomly experience phantom side effects for various substances, meaning you aren’t consciously aware that your mind induces you to experience phantom side effects due to some latent emotional/anxiety triggers. That would explain why you tend to experience side effects with so many meds/medicinal substances (because of your higher than typical concern over side effects versus the general public) but you experience some even if you aren’t aware of what other people have reported experiencing.

    Question for Shrink: Is there already a name for such a condition?
    That's known as the "nocebo effect", and I've been concerned about that happening, but it's not what's happening here.

    Among other things, it's not consistent with what my mind expects. For example, I was fearing side effects from the Monolaurin in the hours following taking it on Saturday night, yet I felt nothing at all. Then I had problems the following day (including the bad diarrhea, which would be hard to imagine into existence).

    Also, in some cases I have experienced side effects I wasn't aware existed, only to look it up later and find out that they were connected to the medication.

    So this isn't really following a nocebo pattern.

    I do think whatever is going on with me, causing the LPR, might be leaving me more sensitive to medication side effects than I used to be.
    First, you say that what I described is a 'nocebo' pattern. Then you explain how it isn't. I wasn't arguing that you were exhibiting a nocebo pattern. I was suggesting something different that is potentially undiagnosed/categorized: latent nocebo pattern. Meaning, your subconscious mind, which is below the level of what you are consciously aware of, triggers nocebo effects.

    What I am proposing is that unlike typical nocebo pattern, you aren't consciously aware of why your mind is tricking you in perceiving side effects, but the anxiety you tend to have about potential side effects triggers you to have them even if you don't consciously know why. If you conscious mind doesn't want to accept that you tend to have phantom side effects (because of super ego needs that they are not psychosomatic), your subconscious mind may be accommodating your super ego by randomly triggering phantom side effects.
    _____________________________________________
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    I actually hope this [second impeachment] succeeds, because I want Trump put down politically like a sick, 14-year-old dog. ... I don't want him complicating the 2024 primary season. I just want him done.
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    Were Republicans cowardly or unethical not to go along with [convicting Trump in the second impeachment Senate trial]? No. The smart move was to reject it.

  9. #549
    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
    Reputation
    10110
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    54,627
    Blog Entries
    2
    Load Metric
    65677098
    Quote Originally Posted by MumblesBadly View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post

    That's known as the "nocebo effect", and I've been concerned about that happening, but it's not what's happening here.

    Among other things, it's not consistent with what my mind expects. For example, I was fearing side effects from the Monolaurin in the hours following taking it on Saturday night, yet I felt nothing at all. Then I had problems the following day (including the bad diarrhea, which would be hard to imagine into existence).

    Also, in some cases I have experienced side effects I wasn't aware existed, only to look it up later and find out that they were connected to the medication.

    So this isn't really following a nocebo pattern.

    I do think whatever is going on with me, causing the LPR, might be leaving me more sensitive to medication side effects than I used to be.
    First, you say that what I described is a 'nocebo' pattern. Then you explain how it isn't. I wasn't arguing that you were exhibiting a nocebo pattern. I was suggesting something different that is potentially undiagnosed/categorized: latent nocebo pattern. Meaning, your subconscious mind, which is below the level of what you are consciously aware of, triggers nocebo effects.

    What I am proposing is that unlike typical nocebo pattern, you aren't consciously aware of why your mind is tricking you in perceiving side effects, but the anxiety you tend to have about potential side effects triggers you to have them even if you don't consciously know why. If you conscious mind doesn't want to accept that you tend to have phantom side effects (because of super ego needs that they are not psychosomatic), your subconscious mind may be accommodating your super ego by randomly triggering phantom side effects.
    The nocebo effect is still what you're mentioning, except you're saying that you think my case is subconscious rather than conscious. But that's still a nocebo effect.

    The easier way to think of this is to consider the converse -- the placebo effect, where people feel better simply because they believe they're taking medication. The placebo effect also has a subconscious element to it. The person doesn't necessarily think, "I'm taking medication, so therefore I have to be feeling better", but rather the fact that they are taking what they think is helpful medication convinces their subconscious mind to tell them they're getting better.

    There's also randomness involved with the nocebo and placebo effects, where outside factors can cause you to feel better or worse.

    For example, some health issues just resolve on their own, and if this automatic resolution coincides with taking a medication, the person is convinced the medication helped them, when it really didn't.

    Similarly, sometimes you can get sick at the same time you start a medication for something else, and you blame feeling lousy on the meds.

    This actually almost happened to me recently. Some of these H.Pylori supplements are known to cause constipation. I hardly ever get constipation normally. Well, the day BEFORE I tried any of them, I got constipation! Had nothing to do with any of this, it was just a pure coincidence. But if the constipation came a day later, I would have been sure it was the supplements doing it.

     
    Comments
      
      MumblesBadly: So, NOW you are saying I was describing the nocebo pattern. Make up your mind!!!

  10. #550
    Platinum duped_samaritan's Avatar
    Reputation
    689
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    New York City
    Posts
    3,680
    Load Metric
    65677098
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by MumblesBadly View Post

    First, you say that what I described is a 'nocebo' pattern. Then you explain how it isn't. I wasn't arguing that you were exhibiting a nocebo pattern. I was suggesting something different that is potentially undiagnosed/categorized: latent nocebo pattern. Meaning, your subconscious mind, which is below the level of what you are consciously aware of, triggers nocebo effects.

    What I am proposing is that unlike typical nocebo pattern, you aren't consciously aware of why your mind is tricking you in perceiving side effects, but the anxiety you tend to have about potential side effects triggers you to have them even if you don't consciously know why. If you conscious mind doesn't want to accept that you tend to have phantom side effects (because of super ego needs that they are not psychosomatic), your subconscious mind may be accommodating your super ego by randomly triggering phantom side effects.
    The nocebo effect is still what you're mentioning, except you're saying that you think my case is subconscious rather than conscious. But that's still a nocebo effect.

    The easier way to think of this is to consider the converse -- the placebo effect, where people feel better simply because they believe they're taking medication. The placebo effect also has a subconscious element to it. The person doesn't necessarily think, "I'm taking medication, so therefore I have to be feeling better", but rather the fact that they are taking what they think is helpful medication convinces their subconscious mind to tell them they're getting better.

    There's also randomness involved with the nocebo and placebo effects, where outside factors can cause you to feel better or worse.

    For example, some health issues just resolve on their own, and if this automatic resolution coincides with taking a medication, the person is convinced the medication helped them, when it really didn't.

    Similarly, sometimes you can get sick at the same time you start a medication for something else, and you blame feeling lousy on the meds.

    This actually almost happened to me recently. Some of these H.Pylori supplements are known to cause constipation. I hardly ever get constipation normally. Well, the day BEFORE I tried any of them, I got constipation! Had nothing to do with any of this, it was just a pure coincidence. But if the constipation came a day later, I would have been sure it was the supplements doing it.
    You're full of shit.

  11. #551
    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
    Reputation
    10110
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    54,627
    Blog Entries
    2
    Load Metric
    65677098
    Quote Originally Posted by duped_samaritan View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post

    The nocebo effect is still what you're mentioning, except you're saying that you think my case is subconscious rather than conscious. But that's still a nocebo effect.

    The easier way to think of this is to consider the converse -- the placebo effect, where people feel better simply because they believe they're taking medication. The placebo effect also has a subconscious element to it. The person doesn't necessarily think, "I'm taking medication, so therefore I have to be feeling better", but rather the fact that they are taking what they think is helpful medication convinces their subconscious mind to tell them they're getting better.

    There's also randomness involved with the nocebo and placebo effects, where outside factors can cause you to feel better or worse.

    For example, some health issues just resolve on their own, and if this automatic resolution coincides with taking a medication, the person is convinced the medication helped them, when it really didn't.

    Similarly, sometimes you can get sick at the same time you start a medication for something else, and you blame feeling lousy on the meds.

    This actually almost happened to me recently. Some of these H.Pylori supplements are known to cause constipation. I hardly ever get constipation normally. Well, the day BEFORE I tried any of them, I got constipation! Had nothing to do with any of this, it was just a pure coincidence. But if the constipation came a day later, I would have been sure it was the supplements doing it.
    You're full of shit.
    Not anymore

     
    Comments
      
      MrTickle: lol
      
      AhoosierA: Spit out my drink LOL
      
      IamGreek: Response of the year!

  12. #552
    Canadrunk limitles's Avatar
    Reputation
    1650
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    In Todd's head
    Posts
    17,647
    Blog Entries
    1
    Load Metric
    65677098
    Then there is this

    Hypochondria

    "2. A psychiatric disorder characterized by excessive concern about having a serious illness.Patients formerly diagnosed with this disorder are now often diagnosed with either somaticsymptom disorder (if physical symptoms are present) or
    illness anxiety disorder (if physicalsymptoms are not present). Also called hypochondriasis."

  13. #553
    100% Organic MumblesBadly's Avatar
    Reputation
    94
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    In the many threads of this forum
    Posts
    9,408
    Load Metric
    65677098
    Quote Originally Posted by limitles View Post
    Then there is this

    Hypochondria

    "2. A psychiatric disorder characterized by excessive concern about having a serious illness.Patients formerly diagnosed with this disorder are now often diagnosed with either somaticsymptom disorder (if physical symptoms are present) or
    illness anxiety disorder (if physicalsymptoms are not present). Also called hypochondriasis."
    _____________________________________________
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    I actually hope this [second impeachment] succeeds, because I want Trump put down politically like a sick, 14-year-old dog. ... I don't want him complicating the 2024 primary season. I just want him done.
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    Were Republicans cowardly or unethical not to go along with [convicting Trump in the second impeachment Senate trial]? No. The smart move was to reject it.

  14. #554
    Silver The Shrink's Avatar
    Reputation
    480
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Your superego.
    Posts
    568
    Load Metric
    65677098
    Quote Originally Posted by limitles View Post
    Then there is this

    Hypochondria

    "2. A psychiatric disorder characterized by excessive concern about having a serious illness.Patients formerly diagnosed with this disorder are now often diagnosed with either somaticsymptom disorder (if physical symptoms are present) or
    illness anxiety disorder (if physicalsymptoms are not present). Also called hypochondriasis."
    Hypochondriasis is no longer a diagnosis in the DSM-5 (it was a diagnosis in the DSM-IV but it's now grouped in with somatic symptom disorder). That label is more about having a general tendency towards excessive worries about health problems. The nocebo effect is more about an expectation about how a specific environmental factor (such as a pill) will affect someone in a negative way and it's the expectation (rather than the actual environmental factor) that leads to the negative effect - much how the placebo effect is when you can get better from a sugar pill even though it has no medicinal properties; it's just the expectation that the pill will make you better that leads you to get better.

    A good example of the nocebo effect is when people visit Chernobyl as tourists. It is actually quite safe to visit for short tours but many people report feeling sick after going there even though their level of radiation exposure wouldn't be high enough to cause any kind of illness.

     
    Comments
      
      limitles: gettin screwed by the DSM-5 again

  15. #555
    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
    Reputation
    10110
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    54,627
    Blog Entries
    2
    Load Metric
    65677098
    UPDATE

    I went back and read some of this thread. My posts in the first few weeks of this reminded me of exactly how bad this really was. It's now kind of a blur. My brain has blocked out or partially blocked out a lot of what was happening. Even though this was only 8 months ago, some of the memories are as fuzzy as if they occurred in 1989.

    Here's where everything stands today:

    LPR
    Still have it. I may always have it. I was never able to determine the cause of my LPR. There are some signs that it's due to reflux, but also some signs that it's NOT due to reflux. I'm stumped. Doctors are stumped (as they often are with LPR).

    However, it has become mostly tolerable. My brain has gotten used to the lump-in-throat sensation. So while this was incredibly bothersome and stress-inducting in August 2018, now it's a sensation I'm used to having, and I mostly can ignore it.

    It also comes and goes. Sometimes it appears completely gone, while other times (including right now as I post this), it's very noticeable. I have observed that it often shows up when I eat something, but I have not been able to connect its appearance to any specific type of food. I can eat something recommended for LPR sufferers, and still get it. I can eat something super acidic and fatty, and I also get it, though it's really no worse than if I ate an "LPR safe" food. So I have no idea. Since I can't just stop eating, it looks like I'll just have to deal with it.

    The Biotene Dry Mouth Rinse has been a godsend. While not intended for use of lessening LPR symptoms, it helps me, especially when trying to fall asleep. I did notice that some of my LPR sensation stems from dryness in my throat. The drier my throat, the more I notice the LPR. That's why this rinse helps me.

    The choking sensation when lying down is just about gone. This was the worst symptom of the LPR. I believe a combination of my body getting used to the LPR sensation, usage of the rinse, and propping up my bed have all combined to stop the choking sensation. I can now sleep normally, though it's a pain in the ass to have to drag my giant "wedge pillow" everywhere I travel.

    The vocal fatigue problem has improved. In August/Sept/Oct, my voice would get sore after just 20 minutes of speaking. This was quite a difference from before, when I could do 8-hour radio shows without a problem! The situation has gotten better, and I've been doing 4-6 hour shows, only having to stop once each show (in the middle) to use the rinse. I might be able to fix this 100% and go back to normal through vocal therapy, but the only really qualified place to do this is 55 miles away (plus traffic), so I've been putting it off.



    H.Pylori
    I have given up regarding fighting H.Pylori. I still have it.

    The antibiotics method of fighting it is notoriously brutal and lengthy (2 weeks of being super sick), and in fact I can't even tolerate one of the medications (the Prilosec).

    I still have a dull pain in my lower-right abdomen, which I've had since early September. It briefly worsened in January, but then returned to what it was before that. A CT scan did not turn up anything, nor did an ultrasound.

    While H.Pylori is the main cause of ulcers, it is unlikely my pain is from an ulcer, as it's too low in my abdomen. Two doctors have told me this.

    There still remains some controversy about eliminating H.Pylori at all. It does cause ulcers and stomach cancer, but it's also known to HELP prevent esophageal cancer.

    I'm ignoring it for now.



    Anxiety and Depression
    This is where the most progress has been made.

    In late August and early September, I was an absolute mess. I had severe anxiety AND severe depression. I could barely function. I was crippled by crushing high-level anxiety, which was like a gigantic weight on my brain, even though most of the time I wasn't worried about anything in particular. The depression was so bad that I could not get pleasure from anything, no matter how good. I could not laugh at anything. I could not enjoy anything. It was like the entire ability to feel anything good or pleasurable was extracted from my brain.

    I could drive, but felt extremely stressed while doing so, especially in even a tiny bit of traffic. I had to keep the windows down. I had a hard time even sitting at home on my couch, often feeling I couldn't breathe and needing to go outside. I couldn't even dream of staying in a hotel. I threw away $2800 worth of freeplay which I could have redeemed in Vegas. That's how bad it was.

    The intense level of anxiety was also ramping up my metabolism to insane levels. As I result, I was constantly hot, and my weight was dropping at a rate I had never seen before. I have been telling people that I lost 17 pounds "in the first 2 weeks" of having anxiety, but I noticed in this thread that I reported having lost 17 pounds on August 27. The LPR came on August 16, and the anxiety on August 21. This means that most of the 17-pound loss occurred in the 6-day period between August 21 and August 27. I remember stepping on the scale and seeing about 2 pounds per day falling off. My weight was 241 on August 15. On August 27, it was 224. By late September, it was 209, which was its low point. It sat in the 210-212 range for a long time after that. It currently sits at about 218.

    The first real glimmer of hope came courtesy of conservative comedian/YouTube star Steven Crowder. This was in mid-September, and I was walking my ancient pug. I had Crowder's show on my phone, and he said something funny. I laughed. A few seconds later, I stopped cold and thought of what just happened. "Did I laugh? Did I really just laugh at something?" It was the first sign of a positive emotion in about a month. I continued watching the show, and another funny moment followed. I laughed again. Did this mean my depression was lifting?

    The answer was no. The next day, everything was back to its previous crappy state. However, a few days later, the depression rapidly went away. One weird and disturbing part of the depression remained. All of my past memories were warped and turned into bad ones -- even the good ones. By mid-October, almost all of the depression was gone, though the warped memory issue remained. By mid-November, the memories normalized, and the depression was 95% gone, which is where it remains today.

    The anxiety was tougher. It hung around for a lot longer, though I started to see significant progress against it in October. I started seeing a psychiatrist in early September. I was indeed diagnosed with severe depression and severe anxiety, though he agreed that perhaps a long-term medication like Lexapro should be held off, as this wasn't a lifelong problem, and I was old to be developing first-time anxiety/depression. He did prescribe me Xanax, which I have only taken as-needed, and not very often. I still haven't exceeded 0.25mg.

    By mid-November, there had been a lot of progress against my anxiety, and it was about 75% better. I started noticing that taking Xanax once a week seemed to help bring down the anxiety in subsequent days. At first this seemed to last about 5 days, but as time passed, I got off the Xanax completely, deciding that I didn't need it except for specific situations (like dental work).

    Today, the anxiety is about 80% better. It's still there, for sure. Sometimes I feel it, sometimes I don't. I don't have panic attacks anymore. I don't get high-level anxiety, either. All anxiety I've had in 2019 has ranged between low-mid level.

    I have returned to almost everything I was doing before. Radio is back weekly. I play poker online almost every day, and live sometimes, as well. I've even played in three tournaments in the LA area. I've made a few trips to Vegas. I just traveled to Mammoth and skied for 3 days. I went to Dodgers playoff games back in October -- really my first "social" foray since all of this stuff began.

    There was one thing still dogging me -- flying. While I had no problem flying in the past, the anxiety changed everything. The thought of setting foot on a plane made me freak out. It wasn't a fear of crashing, but rather just the entire environment of the plane and my complete lack of control or being able to leave if uncomfortable.

    On March 13, I decided it was time. I booked a "test" flight for early April.

    Soon, I will take my first flight since all of this started. I'll just be flying one way from LA to Vegas, but it's a huge step for me. If I can complete this flight with no issue, I will deem myself cured enough to live life normally again.

    I did take some precautions. I booked a first class seat. I bought a small handheld fan to take on the plane, as I've noticed air blowing on my face tends to bring down anxiety. I'm going to take 0.25mg of Xanax before getting on the plane, and then pop another 0.25mg if it's not enough.

    I'm going to take a book to read, to hopefully get my mind off of things.

    I will report back after the flight, to let you guys know how it goes.

    I've also come up with one unexpected substance which seems to greatly help with my anxiety -- caffeine. I quit caffeine after getting LPR (this was suggested by both the doctor and websites I read), but after the anxiety and depression showed up, I tried returning to the caffeine again, to see if the quitting actually had a hand in causing it.

    While I no longer believe that caffeine withdrawals caused it, I did notice at the time that caffeine sometimes seemed to help hold back the anxiety. I got too impatient with it when I was getting mixed results, and quit for awhile. However, I returned to taking it again, and I definitely noticed an improvement.

    Caffeine puts me in a better mood and seems to help prevent anxiety from coming on. I took 100mg/day in pill form, but have since upped that to twice per day. It turns out that caffeine varies from person to person regarding whether it helps or hurts an anxiety problem. It seems that this is mainly linked to whether you can metabolize it quickly, which is genetic. I am a fast metaboilzer of caffeine, and some research on caffeine and anxiety actually shows that caffeine would help someone like me.

    Caffeine has been poorly studied regarding how it relates to anxiety. I think that, sometimes in the future, people will be tested for how they metabolize caffeine, and the fast metabolizers like me will be told by psychiatrists everywhere to take it. I've become a big believer in caffeine being a great tool to fight anxiety -- provided you have the right genes for it. So that's what I've been doing.



    I might not ever completely eradicate the anxiety, and my LPR may be stuck with me for life.

    I've made peace with that.

    If things remain the way they area now, and if I can successfully take flights again, then I can tolerate the way things are, and still live the rest of my life happily.

    I must say that my experiences in August and September last year have changed the way I view anxiety and depression. I now know exactly what it feels like to have those at a severe level. I really feel for everyone who battles with that, especially those who have had it as a lifelong problem. In that way, I'm one of the "lucky" ones, as mine showed up late in life, and doesn't seem to be genetic. That's the main reason for my rapid improvement, while others go decades without making a dent in it. If you live with routine anxiety and depression, my heart goes out to you. It's something you just can't fully understand until you live it yourself.

  16. #556
    Diamond Pro Zap_the_Fractions_Giraffe's Avatar
    Reputation
    1416
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Posts
    3,783
    Load Metric
    65677098
    all your health problems would be solved if you ate the penis breakfast and the wiz lunch everyday and quit eating/drinking any sugar and snacks

    the penis breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs (no salt) and a banana. 16 oz of room temperature water and 8 oz of 2 percent milk

    the wiz lunch: 2 tuna sandwiches on whole wheat. mayo, fresh spinach and a whole roma tomato sliced on each sandwich. i like to premix the tuna and mayo with chopped raw onions. for every 3 cans of tuna include one tuna can of mayo and 1/4 a big white onion chopped up. always drink at least 32oz room temp water with lunch

    MANDATORY: one can of sardines every fucking day.

    dinner: whatever you want if it doesn't have added sugar. no dessert. you are allowed to have a diet coke or diet pepsi but if you do it's mandatory for you to drink 32 oz of room temperature water with it.

    you need to be doing 100 pushups a day, 30 reverse grip pullups, 30 overhand pullups minimum. running isn't necessary but you do have to do at least 60 minutes of light cardio like jumping jacks. you don't have to do this in one fell swoop but you have to do it. You are only allowed to masturbate to completion once a week but you can edge if you want.

    Sugar addiction, vitamin D deficiency, lack of exercise and excessive masturbation are the real reasons people get depressed.

    Why room temperature water?
    cold water hurts your insides you dingus

    by the way, I didn't even read your thread but ignore what your doctors tell you and do what i say

     
    Comments
      
      splitthis: Lol at penis breakfast, good advice.
      
      MumblesBadly: Eating that much tuna would give you dangerous levels of mercury

  17. #557
    Owner Dan Druff's Avatar
    Reputation
    10110
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    54,627
    Blog Entries
    2
    Load Metric
    65677098
    BUMP

    Took flight from LA to Vegas on Thursday night.

     

    It was torture. Just an hour, but I was already very uncomfortable from the first minute, and the entire hour I felt like I couldn't breathe and was trapped. Looks like I have a long way to go until I can fly. Even two 0.25mg worth of Xanax didn't make a dent in this.


     

    Just kidding. It went great. Popped one 0.25mg Xanax before I thought I would board, then it was delayed a bit (oops), but we got on and in the air fast enough to where the Xanax was at or near its peak the entire time. But honestly I didn't even feel the Xanax that much. Didn't have one care. Flight was totally normal, as if nothing had ever happened to me. Great success!

    Next test will be a flight across the country.

  18. #558
    Platinum GrenadaRoger's Avatar
    Reputation
    448
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    2,635
    Load Metric
    65677098
    Quote Originally Posted by Zap_the_Fractions_Giraffe View Post
    all your health problems would be solved if you ate the penis breakfast and the wiz lunch everyday and quit eating/drinking any sugar and snacks

    the penis breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs (no salt) and a banana. 16 oz of room temperature water and 8 oz of 2 percent milk

    the wiz lunch: 2 tuna sandwiches on whole wheat. mayo, fresh spinach and a whole roma tomato sliced on each sandwich. i like to premix the tuna and mayo with chopped raw onions. for every 3 cans of tuna include one tuna can of mayo and 1/4 a big white onion chopped up. always drink at least 32oz room temp water with lunch

    MANDATORY: one can of sardines every fucking day.

    dinner: whatever you want if it doesn't have added sugar. no dessert. you are allowed to have a diet coke or diet pepsi but if you do it's mandatory for you to drink 32 oz of room temperature water with it.

    you need to be doing 100 pushups a day, 30 reverse grip pullups, 30 overhand pullups minimum. running isn't necessary but you do have to do at least 60 minutes of light cardio like jumping jacks. you don't have to do this in one fell swoop but you have to do it. You are only allowed to masturbate to completion once a week but you can edge if you want.

    Sugar addiction, vitamin D deficiency, lack of exercise and excessive masturbation are the real reasons people get depressed.

    Why room temperature water?
    cold water hurts your insides you dingus

    by the way, I didn't even read your thread but ignore what your doctors tell you and do what i say
    re: penis breakfast -- does the variety of banana make any difference? for example, does a Big Mike banana work better than a Dwarf Cavendish? and ripeness: mature with aging spots or with some green?

    also the eggs: AAA or AA, chicken or goose, ranch or free range


    details/details - the devil is in them, but a lot is at stake here
    Last edited by GrenadaRoger; 04-07-2019 at 02:10 AM.
    (long before there was a PFA i had my Grenade & Crossbones avatar at DD)

  19. #559
    100% Organic MumblesBadly's Avatar
    Reputation
    94
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    In the many threads of this forum
    Posts
    9,408
    Load Metric
    65677098
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    BUMP

    Took flight from LA to Vegas on Thursday night.

     

    It was torture. Just an hour, but I was already very uncomfortable from the first minute, and the entire hour I felt like I couldn't breathe and was trapped. Looks like I have a long way to go until I can fly. Even two 0.25mg worth of Xanax didn't make a dent in this.


     

    Just kidding. It went great. Popped one 0.25mg Xanax before I thought I would board, then it was delayed a bit (oops), but we got on and in the air fast enough to where the Xanax was at or near its peak the entire time. But honestly I didn't even feel the Xanax that much. Didn't have one care. Flight was totally normal, as if nothing had ever happened to me. Great success!

    Next test will be a flight across the country.
    Have you ever considered meditation? Sam Harris has put a highly rated app that serves as a guide to do so.

    Name:  FB42A642-140A-4FFE-A96C-4254853FF3FA.png
Views: 240
Size:  516.7 KB

    Here’s a review:
    https://yesgurus.com/blog/review-of-...editation-app/
    _____________________________________________
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    I actually hope this [second impeachment] succeeds, because I want Trump put down politically like a sick, 14-year-old dog. ... I don't want him complicating the 2024 primary season. I just want him done.
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Druff View Post
    Were Republicans cowardly or unethical not to go along with [convicting Trump in the second impeachment Senate trial]? No. The smart move was to reject it.

  20. #560
    Bronze
    Reputation
    109
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    377
    Load Metric
    65677098
    You really should just hit the gym hard. It's the best way in the world to feel better. Three weeks after hitting the gym 4 times/wk and you will feel like a new man.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Selling Shares for a Weight Loss Prop Bet
    By chinamaniac in forum Flying Stupidity
    Replies: 623
    Last Post: 11-19-2018, 01:35 PM
  2. How chinamaniac's weight loss thread may end...
    By DonaldTrumpsHairPiece in forum Flying Stupidity
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 12-29-2017, 03:33 PM
  3. Journey to Atlantic City
    By HoodedN in forum Flying Stupidity
    Replies: 56
    Last Post: 12-11-2017, 12:10 AM
  4. abrown83's Weight Loss Extravaganza
    By abrown83 in forum Flying Stupidity
    Replies: 20
    Last Post: 05-07-2013, 03:29 PM
  5. Visceral journey: Unexplainable joys
    By Ricky in forum Flying Stupidity
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 02-03-2013, 04:08 PM

Tags for this Thread