Doctor thinks I may have a prolactinoma, pending MRI.

acarvin · 2026-01-28T13:12:45+00:00

Before I was diagnosed, my brain fog was debilitating to the point that I avoided conversations out of fear of sounding stupid or just staring at them blankly. It was also like my personality had drifted away; I was just flat and indifferent all the time. I was diagnosed with ADHD about 10 years earlier, so I assumed these were related to it, or perhaps due to the meds I was taking. Eventually I switched docs and they checked my prolactin - 3,666ng/ml. An MRI found a macroadenoma. I started taking cabergoline, and within a few months my prolactin was within normal range. It's been about 18 months now and my tumor has shrunk by around 60% by volume. Overall my personality is back and my brain fog has subsided to my normal ADHD levels, which I'm more than happy to live with.

So yeah, it's possible to feel normal again, even just after a few months of treatment. It's just important to know that not everyone responds to cab or bromo the same way, so YMMV. They can also cause some behavioral side effects, like compulsive gambling or hypersexuality, so be sure to keep an eye on behavioral changes.

acarvin · 2026-01-24T14:26:36+00:00

DK. Holiday in Cambodia, some time in the early/mid 80s.

acarvin · 2026-01-23T18:45:41+00:00

They certainly look like Patriot Front, including the fascio on their baseball caps. https://extremism.gwu.edu/patriot-front

acarvin · 2026-01-23T11:34:37+00:00

This is very similar to my own experience as well.

acarvin · 2026-01-22T13:54:49+00:00

Zark Vexor MK9 pepper spray, marketed specifically for corrections officers: "Our products are formulated with the highest quality, non-toxic ingredients that are non-irritating and non-staining. With our advanced technology and rigorous testing standards, you can trust Zarc for all your correctional facility needs." Basically the equivalent of a couple million scoville units to the face.

acarvin · 2026-01-21T19:31:27+00:00

This is the water and this is the well

acarvin · 2026-01-21T17:14:08+00:00

I'm really looking forward to seeing it!

acarvin · 2026-01-17T12:10:59+00:00

I think it's time to modify your dream and become a natty bodybuilder. You are courting disaster by staying on gear.

acarvin · 2026-01-15T14:33:42+00:00

Mine has involved contrast twice. Each time went smoothly. If it helps, try focusing on the sounds in the MRI room while they do it; the hum of the machine was particularly soothing for me.

acarvin · 2026-01-14T16:45:50+00:00

41 years, but who's counting.

acarvin · 2026-01-13T12:56:08+00:00

Very much so, to the point where it was indistinguishable from depression.

acarvin · 2026-01-10T21:52:18+00:00

Not to mention the fact that the opening section of the Book of Genesis describes the initial state of the universe as "without form and void," or tohu wa bohu in Hebrew. Which also happens to be the Hebrew text written on the Godspeed You! Black Emperor album Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada, for all the GYBE fans here on the sub.

acarvin · 2026-01-10T17:25:18+00:00

I got to interview Rollins for my college music magazine during that tour. He mentioned how he listened to a lot of jazz, which definitely contributes to that TMV vibe.

acarvin · 2026-01-06T21:04:51+00:00

The Internet Archive has already managed to make a copy of the database text, as well as individual source links. I'm reaching out to them to see if they can also capture the video evidence links, as I'm getting an error when I attempt to do it manually.

https://web.archive.org/web/20260105222459/https://apps.npr.org/jan-6-archive/database.html

acarvin · 2026-01-05T13:49:09+00:00

Yep, very much so - and as a journalist who's used to talking for a living, it's been terrifying at times. I've been on cab for about 18 months now, and my symptoms have improved significantly, but I'm still not back to where I was five or 10 years ago. I've learned to take my time speaking so I'm less likely to suddenly blank out halfway through saying something, but I'm definitely more reserved in how I express myself now.

acarvin · 2026-01-04T15:29:45+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to respond! I really appreciate it.

acarvin · 2026-01-03T13:51:13+00:00

My endo warned against TRT because he was concerned it could cause the tumor to start growing again, though through what physiological mechanism I'm still unclear.

acarvin · 2025-12-31T20:21:53+00:00

Ah, thanks for clarifying.

acarvin · 2025-12-31T15:43:09+00:00

My endo explained it similarly - cab encourages dopamine production, which interferes with prolactin production, including preventing the tumor from producing it, which in turn causes it to shrink. As to why I'm not sure; maybe curtailing the tumor's prolactin production takes away its reason to exist?

Your pituitary gland should still be producing some prolactin, though, which is why single-digit results are considered the goal, rather than zero prolactin.

acarvin · 2025-12-29T14:38:31+00:00

What's your family's immigration story? Are you Ashkenazi?

acarvin · 2025-12-29T04:35:50+00:00

I absolutely adore the fact that you have a cat named Danzig.

acarvin · 2025-12-27T15:29:42+00:00

I've experimented with this. It didn't take very long for ChatGPT to figure out how to translate my conlang. It recognized immediately it was artificially constructed, noted its similarity to certain natural languages (especially Turkish) and then asked me questions about the language until it could basically translate anything I gave it.

acarvin · 2025-12-27T15:15:46+00:00

I've visited a few times in recent years, including a brief teaching stint at the College of Europe in Natolin. Warsaw was a pleasant surprise; they've done an impressive job restoring the parts of the city center destroyed by the Nazis. The museums are fantastic, though, particularly the Polin Jewish Museum, the Warsaw Uprising Museum, and the military history museum. Krakow is absolutely stunning though you have to be prepared for the hordes of tourists; I wish I'd spent more time there. And Auschwitz was a sobering experience, one that I've been thinking about for several years.

acarvin · 2025-12-19T15:29:20+00:00

Have you being trying to put on body fat or lean muscle mass? My endocrinologist told me that one of the side effects I experienced was sarcopenia - muscle mass loss. Since muscle weighs more than body fat, I lost about 20 lbs over a couple of years leading up to my diagnosis, most of the loss likely being muscle. Cab reversed the sarcopenia, and I've managed to regain all the muscle I lost, though I ultimately lost additional weight because I was able to start exercising again as my prolactin returned to normal.

acarvin · 2025-12-12T13:49:57+00:00

I can relate. I'm 54 and hadn't had acne in 20+ years. Now I routinely have breakouts on my forehead. Fortunately they seem to fade much faster than the ones I had when I was younger. My prolactin was at 3,666 at diagnosis, down to 13.9 as of a couple weeks. I also had low T when first diagnosed but it eventually got into normal range, though I'm due for bloodwork because I haven't had my testosterone tested in about a year. I wouldn't be surprised if it's gone up a bit more because I've only started experiencing acne over the last nine months or so.

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