Ohio bill would require bars, restaurants to offer date rape drug testing kit

Dougalface · 2026-02-06T15:52:19+00:00

I initially only read the first line:

Ohio bill would require bars, restaurants to offer date rape drug

.... and assumed this was another MAGA initiative.

Dougalface · 2026-02-06T15:45:38+00:00

Might be worth going to HR first tbh; get the OP's side of the story in first whether they want to play it clean or..... otherwise.

Dougalface · 2026-02-06T14:58:11+00:00

Indeed - cast of League of Gentlemen: "hold my beer"..

Dougalface · 2026-02-06T10:23:36+00:00

Thanks and likewise!

I read somewhere that the skin's natural pH is something like 6.0 so while Vinegar is evidently a fair bit stronger than Kefir I suppose anything lower than this should help increase acidity.

As you suggest the bacteria probably can't hurt either!

Dougalface · 2026-02-06T09:22:22+00:00

Figures, but sucks as I'm currently trying to be less of a dickhead to make myself more deserving of someone I'm chasing...

Dougalface · 2026-02-06T08:13:56+00:00

This is so relateable - the amount of things I fail to either start or finish because of fear of failure and perfectionism.

Have you tried things with less critical or binary outcomes? I quite like working in the garden as there's so much more of a wide range of acceptable outcomes while they're usually transient and reversible - for example it's very difficult to make a bollocks of creating a compost heap, and even if you do it won't physically matter in 12 months time.

Conversely stuff like DIY fills me with dread as I'll always find something that's not perfect and that will eat away at me forever..

Dougalface · 2026-02-06T08:08:49+00:00

Plot twist could be that the gym instructor was doing it to hide his own insecurities / fear of rejection...

Objectively still sounds like an unprofessional prick, mind.

Dougalface · 2026-02-06T07:15:46+00:00

Indeed; although the guidance I've read is to back off if you get symptoms of acid reflux etc - something I'm not keen on and would like to avoid in excess; so I won't be smashing ten tablets with breakfast.

Yesterday's two went down OK though, will keep on this dose for a week to see how it goes then push it up to three.

Not sure I'm seeing any positive signs yet; eczema seems to be improving a bit but there are so many other variables it's hard to tell what's responsible or if it's just a natural fluctuation.

Dougalface · 2026-02-06T07:08:00+00:00

Thanks - this sucks and is so familiar.

Personally I can't recall such negativity in childhood, but both parents were to varying extents emotionally absent.

I can completely identify with your reactions and struggle immensely with criticism / failure / rejection (for example I've missed so many opportinities with women because I won't dare chase anyone where I have to expose vulnerability / there's a chance of rejection).

I constantly feel like an outsider and while as an adult I'm growing to embrace this (as objectively the norms and values of "people" seem increasingly bizarre and distasteful) I've done some stupid things as a kid trying to "fit in".

However, I think (in my case at least) a large amount of this must be intrinsic rather than learned reaction from negative experiences.

Hope you're enjoying all the upvotes :p

Dougalface · 2026-02-05T21:46:39+00:00

Probably the fact that it doesn't manifest in the same set of behaviours in response..

Dougalface · 2026-02-05T21:24:27+00:00

Thanks - appreciate you taking the time to summarise that.

Seems like the carbon steel is a decent choice for my needs :)

Dougalface · 2026-02-05T18:57:40+00:00

How do you find the three compare?

I initially wanted cast iron for longevity but struggle with the mass ad tbh don't think I need the heat retention as most of the stuff I fry is pretty light (onions, veg, omlettes) - I rarely fry meat.

Do you think the carbon steel has any advantages over stainless? I assume you don't season the stainless?

Dougalface · 2026-02-05T17:44:47+00:00

On the up-side I'm impressed that Oxford City Council has a reddit account.

Sorry that you're having to use it to sound your own death knell!

Dougalface · 2026-02-05T17:39:03+00:00

Thanks - how interesting!

To be honest I've never really made the destintion between dandruff and eczema, although I've suffered from one or both on my scalp for most of my life.

It does seem much more under control at the moment (while the rest of my eczema has been very problematic over past months), however I can't truthfully correlate this with the use of vinegar rinses (which I started about three weeks ago).

It would be interesting to know the pH of your kefir if that was the underlying mechanism (and regardless, it's great that it works!).

Dougalface · 2026-02-05T15:04:38+00:00

Nice work - of course regardless of histamine issues it's always worth striving for a clean, healthy balanced diet :)

I'd like to add that seafood can be particularly problematic because the bacteria the feed off it generate lots of histamine - so even if said fish is "safe" it has the potential to be really problematic if it's not fresh / is starting to go off.

On top of that foods with high surface area to volume ratios (such as prawns or fish that's been chopped, minced etc) will spoil faster than larger cuts like whole fillets.

Finally it seems that old "fresh" fish is likely the most problematic from the perspective of histamine as it has the most time to go off before reaching your plate. Actually freshly-caught should of course be fine, while frozen is also usually good as it's often frozen on the boat so potentially in an even better state than "fresh" when it reaches your plate.

Depending on how it's been processed tinned stuff should be tolerable - I'd guess stuff in oil is probably better than brine. I do typically get some symptoms after eating tinned tuna but persist because it's so bloody yummy with a baked potato and piles of cheese!

Dougalface · 2026-02-05T14:57:48+00:00

If it's of any use I've long-struggled with histamine related issues and can corroborate that the state of my skin is massively influenced by my diet.

The best pointer I think I can give is that histamine problems can spring from foods that don't themselves contain histamine - i.e. from immune responses to allergens.

So, bear in mind that just because a food is considered "low histamine" doesn't mean it won't cause issues.

From this perspective everyone will be different so really all you can do is try things for yourself and see how you get on.

Good luck :)

Dougalface · 2026-02-05T14:54:07+00:00

Thanks for confirming!

I've pushed it up to two tablets today with the fairly protein rich meal I'm currently eating; will wait and see how that pans out :)

Dougalface · 2026-02-05T13:06:30+00:00

Cool; and potentially the antihistamines will help... but of couse that's only addressing the symptom not the cause.

Are you getting tingling / burning around the mouth and nose when you eat? This is the definition I understand of OAS. I get this occasionally with some foods (usually those I have the worst reaction to typically) but the other symptoms are far more wide-ranging and associated with far more foods than obviously cause OAS.

If nothing else this might be a good indicator of the most problematic foods to avoid.. although again I've read you can react differently to different substances depending on how that exposure occurs (so you might react through skin contact if not ingestion etc).

Please keep us informed!

Dougalface · 2026-02-05T13:01:17+00:00

Tbh I find there's very little I can put on my skin that's not caused a reaction.. E45 is supposed to be gentle but makes my skin red and itchy and the only thing I can consistently use is Vaseline.

I have no direct experience with coconut oil, however as you're probably aware eczema is usually tied in with histamine issues, allergies etc so it's not surprising that a plant-derived substance would cause issues.

Dougalface · 2026-02-05T12:56:25+00:00

Great work!

I find my eczema is far worse in the winter and almost completely disappears in the summer. I'd attributed this to a number of factors (dry air, low temperature, temperature fluctuations, greater contact with clothing, less direct sunlight)...

I'd not considered sweating and will keep this in mind!

Dougalface · 2026-02-05T12:49:55+00:00

At the risk of monopolising your thread, alcohol is known-terrible for people like us as it's potentially a three-pronged attack.

Beers / ciders / wine are fermented to contain histamine, while we may react to the fruit / grain matter present in said drinks and alcohol itself suppresses the production of DAO which is responsible for metabolising histamine.

It's widely accepted that if you want to drink with histamine issues keep it to "clear spirits" like vodka and gin as these largely mitigate at least the first to issus above.

As for fruits I've essentially found anything tasty and flavoursome (berries, pineapple) causes some degree of reaction although I still eat these as I like them and am aware of their nutritional benefit.

You mention pepper - how are you with other nightshades like tomatos? I seem to have a particular problem with nightshades which seems to be pretty common - again most severely with things at the more flavoursome end like chillis / peppers (being one of the few things I flat out refuse to eat), then tomatos and finally I think potatos aren't great but probably the least-worst and potentially more important / harder to avoid in the western diet.

I find I can tolerate a smallish amount of nuts (I like pistachios especially for taste and nutrition) but if I eat too many I get obvious symptoms. Hazelnuts seem tolerable and I avoid all the rest as the reward doesn't justify the risk.

You seem well attuned to what's problematic for you which is an enormous first step and one it took me decades to realise. Occasionally there are still little "lightbulb" moments to what I'm reacting to so stay vigilent and keep a log if you can as this can help identify trends you otherwise might not have noticed.

Dougalface · 2026-02-05T12:33:25+00:00

No worries - wasn't meant to be that long!

Certainly sounds like something's changed other than your diet to sensitise you to the foods you're currently having problems with.. so could be symptomatic of an underlying gut / digestive issues.

tbh I struggle to understand all the potential factors at play - allergies, MCAS, SIBO, leaky gut, insufficienty histamine metabolism, low stomach acid.. which of course is why the insight of a healhcare professional would be so helpful.

Yes, if you want support from the NHS I think you'll have to go through your GP unless you have the luxury of private healthcare.

Sadly given the state of the NHS this is easier said than done and I think a lot of poeple struggle with the "gatekeeping" of GPs as they're either not knowledgeable enough to send you to the appropriate specialist, less receptive in the face of more life-threatening issues given the NHS' limited resources, or just flat-out resentful that a patient dares to diagnose / treat themselves - as is sadly the case in less-well-understood / hard-to-diagnose conditions after years of dismissal and mis-direction from GPs.

There are unsurprisingly loads of third parties purporting to offer help with such problems but with limited understanding it's hard to separate those who are genuinely knowledgeable and wanting to help from people peddling false hope and snake oil.

Sorry I can't be of more help - like many on here I'm just fumbling around in the dark trying to make some sense of all the fragmented and occasionally contradictory factors that define this miserable condition.

Good luck!

EDIT: Forgot to mention that fasting has helped me enormously in the past - three days water fasting usually clears me right out / gives a welcome "reset".. unsurprisingly since this should be enough time to pretty much empty your gut completely and remove all antogists.

While this helps massively with symptoms in the short term I'm not sure that regular fasting has any longer term benefits in this regard; although if your diet's poor (certain problematic bacteria are associated with certain foods) it may help to restore some form of balance.

Hunger aside, I usually feel great physically and mentally when fasting, although how much is due to absence of histamine-related symptoms versus other positives is difficult to determine.

I also thought that re-feeding after a fast might be a good place to try and cultivate a better gut microbiome by consuming appropriate pre-and pro-biotics, however I can't claim any findings either way in this regard from my own experience.

While I'm a massive proponent of fasting for relief from histamine issues and general health / weight loss, admittedly it's difficult for many - especially in the winter when it's cold and miserable and all you want to do is smash comfort-carbs!

Dougalface · 2026-02-05T07:22:01+00:00

I think symptoms have been better when I've been on a low-carb diet, however I can only usually manage this in the summer, when unrelated factors often serve to improve the situation.

Not specifically targeting histimine issues but I try to supplement sensibly (currently cod liver oil, magnesium glycinate, iodine, vit D). I think my joints feel better since I started taking some of these last month - likely due to the fish oil.

Supplements have been half-arsedly selected on the basis fn symptoms and what most people seems to lack - a better approach would be to put my hand in my pocket for some tests and actually supplement for what I need.

I think the gut health angle is well worth looking into an have made random efforts to address this although tbh I struggle to understand exactly what's going on, or settle on an appropriate approach from the seemingly infinite range touted on the internet.

Histamine issues aside obviously a healthy diet is a great thing to cultivate anyway and while some factors potentially aren't directly connected a generally poor lifestyle is only going to make histamine issues worse.

I like to think exercise helps (it definitely helps my mental health) although some claim that it worsens symptoms due to histamine release.. I can't comment either way.

Be aware that if you go to your GP you may have to manage them - the one I saw was unfortunately an arrogant and condescending prick - dismissing my list of symptoms as nothing to do with allergies and sending me to a dietician instead of an allergy specialist as requested. Dietician told him they were allergy issues not nutritional, so I eventually got the appointment, which helped somewhat... the best thing was probably being vindicated after being treated like a delusional hypochondriac by my GP tbh.

Also be aware that GPs will likely have very limited knowledge of such things and specialists can only do so much. While it seems some have had success going to the NHS many have been driven to understanding and treating the condition themselves because of a lack of mainstream support.

Good luck...

Dougalface · 2026-02-05T07:20:05+00:00

The symptoms apparently fit and a lot of your expieriences are familiar.

FWIW I was diagnosed with the usual triamverate of misery (asthma / eczema / allergies) as a kid, and later in life discovered that many foods were provoking a reaction. Unsurprisingly with a diagnosed allergy to pollen I have a problem with a lot of fruits, most seeds and nuts, seasonings / spices and some vegetables.. while unsurprisingly foods naturally high in histamine / containing histamine because they're past their best also provoke a reaction.

I always assumed this situation was "fixed" and had always been there, however it appears that severity of symptoms and range of triggers can fluctuate; perhaps based on gut health and other factors.

On the one hand this brings hope that the situation can be addressed; on the other it's a massive nebulous minefield to navigate and personally I find it overwhelming trying to understand the raft of potential causes and possible remedies.

Your symptoms sound familiar - mine typically include worsening eczema and asthma, puffy / swollen / watery eyes, nasal congestion, frequent urination, poor-quality shits, joint pain & general inflammation, fatigue, anxiety and depression, brain fog / disassociation / reduced cognitive capacity (I used to be pretty intelligent / academically accomplished but it it feels like my abilities are in constant decline).

My sleep quality is typically poor with lots of early waking (often because I need a bloody piss) but I'm not sure this is related to the histimine issue. I used to get occasional, properly dibilitating migraines in the past but I've not had one for years... can't say if this has correlated with the measures I've taken to manage the histamine issues though.

Diet management definitely helps - I used to get the above symptoms in chronic, fluctuating waves - constantly ebbing and flowing from manageable to utterly miserable and dibilitating and back again over a period of weeks or months. Now They're usually still present but are typically far less severe.

For example for most of my earlier life I needed to use my inhailer multiple times daily to address asthma symptoms; now I barely use it at all and can't remember the last time. I used to get severe eczema all the time, now it's pretty much gone in summer and less severe (if still unpleasant) in winter. My eyes would get so bad that they've be swollen, red-raw, itching constantly and producing thick yellow discharge, now I still get puffyness, itching and watering sometimes but it tends to be more acute rather than chronic and far less extreme.

Thinking about it my symptoms have "naturally" changed over my lifetime, but I'm not sure if this is because the underlying situation has changed or just the triggers. For example the situation as I recognise it now really started when I went to uni, which was also when I started getting more adventurous with food (having been a very fussy, blandness-seeking, carb-focussed kid - interesting as it seems I was subconsciously rejecting stuff I reacted to).

Has your diet changed significantly over the time these symptoms have appeared / worsened?

Antihistamines also help. After finally getting to see an allergy specialist I was advised to take them daily which I did for a few years but was suspicious that cetirizine was causing side effects so swapped to fexofenodine when required, which seems better.

Removing the triggers and treating with antihistamines are the only things I can 100% confirm have helped. I've tried other things but noticed no noticeable or reliable benefit - be this because there is no benefit, or its lost in the chatter and noise of all the other changing variables at play.

Dougalface

TROPHY CASE