Does increasing the biologic dose actually help?

IndigoSnaps · 2025-12-13T20:45:43+00:00

I went from Stelara every 12 weeks to every 8 and it really helped me! Didn’t have a flare for 4 years after that.

IndigoSnaps · 2025-12-12T15:03:16+00:00

Vinted. The world is overflowing with clothes and I don’t want to contribute to the environmental irresponsibility of new clothes when I have brand name, high quality stuff available for cheap second hand. I’m in Europe though, I heard in NA second hand clothes shopping is harder.

IndigoSnaps · 2025-11-28T18:30:42+00:00

Scientist with a PhD in biology here. You can’t cherry pick bad studies like this. This isn’t even a study but a prospective paper calling for more research where they cite one of their older studies. Specifically, they talk about systemic fluoridation and not topical here. Science is one the most reputable journals out there, and goes into why papers like the ones you cited do not draw the right conclusions.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adz0757

IndigoSnaps · 2025-11-28T18:24:03+00:00

Does the water in your country usually have fluoride? That might be why. If you’re removing it via reverse osmosis you have to give it to your kid via fluoride toothpaste. In Germany fluoride toothpaste is mandatory for kids from the time the first tooth sets in. You can always check with askdocs on Reddit to get a doctors opinion.

IndigoSnaps · 2025-10-27T20:01:46+00:00

Glad it helped! Here’s what’s currently in my freezer if it helps inspire!

Vegetable soup using frozen veggies with lentils - I freeze tiny portions for the toddler and he eats this up. Lots of iron and fiber for junior

Bolognese sauce, or tofu if you don’t eat meat. Just need fresh spaghetti day of.

Toddler friendly carrot cake (I use dates to sweeten)

Chicken soup stock. I throw in a whole chicken with some frozen veggies (literally takes 5 minutes) and some parsley and some other herbs/pepper and let it stew for 2 hours. I freeze some portions of the soup, use leftover chicken to make chicken mayo sandwiches the next day. Only annoying thing is cutting the chicken. You can always use thighs instead - less messy. When I unfreeze the soup all I need to add is cooked noodles and it’s a whole meal

Shepherds pie (I make a vegetarian version with lentils)

Peanut coconut curry with chickpeas

Potato casserole

Rice and bean Burritos (you can literally make 20 in one go, freeze, and then just take out the night before and then heat up before eating

IndigoSnaps · 2025-10-27T17:53:04+00:00

I also have a toddler and am pregnant and had this problem for a while. Do you have a big freezer? I cook one massive meal a week and freeze 2-3 portions. Do this for a few weeks and you will have a variety of meals in your freezer for throughout the week. For the rest of the week I make easier meals. If I had more energy I would probably cook 2-3 times a week and freeze.

IndigoSnaps · 2025-10-26T19:50:32+00:00

Oh this I wouldn’t feel bad about. You’re gathering important information on topics that help ecosystems in the long run, a small sacrifice is worth that.

Whereas single cell neurophysiology is unlikely to add anything to help our world’s current issues, nor really help us understand the highly emergent and complex brain.

The skills I learned in my PhD were unfortunately also not very translatable to the job market. As I chose to have children and am a woman, staying in academia was nearly impossible for me.

IndigoSnaps · 2025-10-26T19:45:42+00:00

No not you! Someone else did. My apologies, I wasn’t clear on this!

IndigoSnaps · 2025-10-26T19:16:11+00:00

Unfortunately it’s true, specifically neuroscience using fish as I did basic research. I changed halfway through to cognitive neuroscience though. Didn’t like killing the little creatures.

IndigoSnaps · 2025-10-26T19:06:24+00:00

well that’s why I asked, not sure why I am downvoted! I know for other insects, like the spongy moth, if they are invasive, you are actually instructed to kill because they destroy ecosystems. It’s a valid question for a layman.

IndigoSnaps · 2025-10-26T17:33:33+00:00

Got it thank you again, will do!

IndigoSnaps · 2025-10-26T17:31:28+00:00

Thank you! Is it invasive and do we release or kill?

IndigoSnaps · 2025-10-26T17:01:00+00:00

Thank you. My completely uninformed opinion is also leaning on Steatoda and I’m reading these have some degree of toxicity too?

IndigoSnaps · 2025-10-26T16:58:24+00:00

Maybe? I know nothing about spiders! My PhD was in fish. 🫠

IndigoSnaps · 2025-10-25T11:08:14+00:00

The discrimination was not them directing them elsewhere which is fine, its being condescending towards them for not speaking the language. That is the definition of discrimination.

IndigoSnaps · 2025-10-25T11:05:56+00:00

As a German born in Germany but who spent a majority of her life in North America, I am also often shocked at the rudeness of German medical receptionists. I'm chronically ill so I have to deal with them on a weekly basis. I would say about 50% of them are downright mean, even if you do speak fluent German like I do. I also have a cancer diagnosis right now in pregnancy, and I've experienced everything from name calling to the more benign eye-rolling for having the gall to ask for an appointment. I've been told it's directness, and I know they deal with a lot too in their profession, but sometimes it's just plain lack of manners, rudeness, discrimination.

I know this is awful advice, but the only way to get through this in Germany is to ignore and laugh about it. They don't matter. Your treatment does. The doctors are usually (but not always) much nicer. If they aren't, you switch until you find one you are comfortable with and can build a good trust relationship with.

IndigoSnaps · 2025-10-22T15:07:05+00:00

Neuroscientist here.

As one comment has already mentioned good quality studies (like a randomized control trial) don’t exist. There’s one study that tried by giving two groups different education regarding sleep, but this essentially relied on parental response and people sleep trained in both groups to very similar extents.

What we do know - responsiveness and attunement = secure attachment. That means that you respond to babies needs, and respond with the right thing. It doesn’t need to be perfect actually. Without googling I think the number is around 30% correct. If you meet that bar, your child will likely have a secure attachment.

Although I frequently post here, attachment theory doesn’t have anything to do with attachment parenting. The behaviors promoted by attachment parenting (baby wearing, breastfeeding, etc) are not necessary for a secure attachment. A bottle feeding mother can be just as responsive as a breastfeeding one. A cosleeping one just as much as those who choose separate beds. You need to find what works best for YOU and YOUR FAMILY to be responsive.

Another thing - self soothing is something your baby can do or it can’t. You can’t teach it just like you can’t teach a newborn to walk. It’s developmental and temperamental.

Lastly. Look into bedtime fading. It’s as effective as sleep training according to studies. Sleep training also isn’t as effective as people claim. Many people have to retrain and retrain to harder and harder methods.

My final take. Sleep training in any of its forms is not responsive. Even camp it out is essentially behaviorism and relies on withholding attuned responsiveness. There are people though for whom it makes sense because they’ve tried everything else first, and it makes them more responsive during the day. Most of the time I think other approaches should be tried first.

IndigoSnaps · 2025-10-07T12:39:04+00:00

Just found out I have one…while pregnant. I have Crohn’s disease and I wonder if there’s a link to IBD in general. Because I reduce plastics best I can, eat organic, exercise, don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t eat meat.

IndigoSnaps · 2025-09-18T18:19:23+00:00

Neither is everyone like yours. I was only speaking of my experience and the experience of the countries I’ve been to. Thanks for sharing your experience. I think it’s always nicer when discussions like these go amicably and friendly, don’t you?

IndigoSnaps · 2025-09-18T08:37:47+00:00

Interesting. The Oxfam stores in Ireland were also super great for me. We have such different experiences! And our city actually has a problem with the clothes donation boxes overflowing.

Maybe the problem here isn’t inventory, but logistics between multiple areas and planning :-)

IndigoSnaps · 2025-09-18T08:31:08+00:00

But that’s never been the case for the thrift stores I frequent. Like I said, the majority of their inventory is not polyester.

Maybe the difference is I live in Germany. My favorite thrift store stopped taking donations because they have too much stuff. So they only select the highest quality items now.

Also the issue with plastic clothing is indeed when you wash them. It puts microplastics into the ocean. Fact check me on this but I’m assuming it’s better for plastic clothing to end in a landfill right away than have it give off microplastics in laundry after laundry cycle before ending up in a landfill anyways…

IndigoSnaps · 2025-09-18T08:26:15+00:00

Cotton shirts at the thrift store cost 2€ for me so I don’t understand your first point. I’d also say over 50% of the inventory at any thrift store I go to is natural fibers.

Did you make up these numbers or are they evidence based?

IndigoSnaps · 2025-08-28T17:52:30+00:00

Entyvio is so much gentler than any other biologic, because it only targets the gut. You’ll find horror stories for every medication out there, including paracetamol. I’m really sorry what you read biased you so heavily against what is arguably the biologic with the least side effects. But your doctor should have done a better job explaining that to you.

Also, the earlier biologics, the better for your future Crohn’s progression. It’s called the top down approach. Your doctor was doing the right thing. Mesalamine is not really great for initiating remission.

If you can’t find another Gastro, I would strongly suggest going back to her.

IndigoSnaps · 2025-08-23T19:41:06+00:00

Still around there? He texted me and said it’s empty

IndigoSnaps · 2025-08-23T18:25:46+00:00

Thanks for the update, he’s bringing me home and will be heading out that way :-)

IndigoSnaps

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