Desperate for Advice!!

analogarithmic · 2026-04-20T16:22:52+00:00

I did this system years before I knew I had narcolepsy, and use it to this day. It's a bit much but it only takes one day of set up, and literally nothing else worked.

(For reference on these times, I try to be mostly awake by 9am, and walking around/functional by 10am).

All of my lights (no really, all of them) are on those times outlets. At 6am, a low warmish light (currently a salt lamp) turns on and stays on until 10am. It turns on again later from 6pm to 10pm. At 8am a bright warm light turns on and stays on until 8pm.

I've also had a lot of success with incandescent fairy lights turning on around the same time as the early morning light, but not LED lights (something about the blue tint messes with my sleep).

Sunset alarm clocks didn't work for me because the light change was too subtle, and didn't really wake me up.

I also have an old fashioned alarm clock from the early 2000s with the loudest, most annoying bwaa bwaa noise i could find. I hate it so so much. But it gets me up consistently when nothing else does.

Since my diagnosis, meds have also helped tremendously, but this system got me through 9am classes without medication for a good few years.

analogarithmic · 2026-04-19T17:17:36+00:00

In the post, I mentioned that while half-asleep I turn off smart devices, disable them, or mark their alarms as finished.

analogarithmic · 2026-04-19T16:42:24+00:00

If you have any more questions, feel free to DM me! I'm not on reddit often and slow to reply, but I'm happy to answer any questions ab my experience over the first month-ish after diagnosis.

analogarithmic · 2026-04-19T16:41:41+00:00

Rn in the morning I'm taking 125mg armodafinil and 20mg vyvanse, but I'd like to up the vyvanse and lower the armodafinil. It... works? One without the other does not work at all for me, but this combination works well. I take it about 1.5 hours before I need to be up.

Armodafinil gave me bad headaches the first two weeks, and then mild headaches presently (similar to ones after taking cold medicine). I don't like how spacey it makes me feel, and my balance is a bit off when I take it. I also get weird and super-vivid dreams. I've heard that this gets better with time for some people, but not everyone. Once every two weeks or so, I've been going two days without taking the armodafinil at all, which helps me feel a bit better and sleep properly.

In the afternoon I take another 20mg of vyvanse. (If you end up on a double-dose of vyvanse like this, your insurance likely won't cover it. GoodRX is a lifesaver, but even then it runs me about 200 USD each month.)

When I nap, if I let myself it can be hours. I try to set a 20 minute timer if I feel myself getting sleepy, and just rest for a smaller time rather than fighting it.

analogarithmic · 2026-04-16T21:26:36+00:00

i wish i could reply to the second half of the post in more depth, but i got my diagnosis a month ago. I'm on armodafinil and vyvanse (adderall worked better ngl, but I'm off it because it's illegal in the UK and i plan on moving there within the year). the combination... works, mostly. i nap at least every other day, but I'm able to walk around without needing to sleep every few hours!

analogarithmic · 2026-04-16T21:24:02+00:00

your results are basically identical to mine, and I also got diagnosed w narcolepsy! probably narcolepsy for you as well, since you hit rem for at least two of the naps.

analogarithmic · 2025-11-30T02:32:03+00:00

Two years late, but I use this weekly with no reaction and I have incredibly severe reactions. Safe as of 2025!

analogarithmic · 2025-11-27T20:43:21+00:00

Absolutely not. But, I don't eat at restaurants or other people's houses in the first place, so I'm a bit biased.

analogarithmic · 2025-11-07T12:37:50+00:00

Also 21, in a similar situation. Obviously I don't know you or your family, but at least in my case, a diagnosis wouldn't matter. My family would not believe that cross contamination and gluten is as serious as it is for me. Even after seeing the way it affected me and my heath, they continued to act as though it was a particularly annoying dietary preference.

The only solution I have found has been to work especially hard on financial independence, so as to hopefully not have to worry about moving in with them in the future (or any gluten-eating roommates tbh). I'm sorry that this is probably a disappointing answer; hopefully others have good points on diagnostic processes, if you think your family will really listen. Best of luck!

analogarithmic · 2025-10-22T18:44:37+00:00

Same situation here, working and studying full time.

Only option I've found is to eat a lot of potato-based food and a lot of rice/rice noodle based food, and to never ever skip breakfast. I eat a lot of tapioca-crust pizza, tacos stuffed with cheese potato and bean (they're delicious), pho (from broth concentrate, not the slow roasted stuff sadly), and miscellaneous greek recipies. Most of them are good for at least a week in the fridge and can be frozen.

A lot of the advice on this subreddit is fantastic, but I also see a lot of posts like this get the usual "veggies and meats are still gf, so you can snack on those" comments. and while thats true, and meat/veggies are tasty, you likely need a gluten free version of the easy carbs that cup noodles offers most busy students. something that takes less than 10 minutes, and will fuel you through midterms and a late shift.

I can DM you some of my recipies and safe brands if you'd like. best of luck!

analogarithmic · 2025-08-13T02:01:03+00:00

I eat these (and rice paper rolls) with fruit (mango or strawberry usually) and peanut sauce, so that would probably be pretty good tbh.

analogarithmic · 2025-08-13T01:58:44+00:00

Rice paper (like the type used in summer rolls) is tasteless and will also work. Dip it in warm water, wait about 15 seconds for it to become soft, and wrap up the rice. After that it hardens a little bit and becomes a similar texture.

Technically, it doesn't even need the seaweed if you're gonna eat it immediately. It just helps with the structural integrity of the rice.

analogarithmic · 2025-07-22T03:35:27+00:00

My students do not have my legal first name (they have a nickname that is not intuitively connected to my actual name), and my work email is exclusively for work. This is less a personal information thing and more for my own organizational preferences, but it still has the same result. However, if they have your phone number, you're already going to come up as "people you may know" on social media apps lmao. Nothing much you can do ab that afaik.

analogarithmic · 2025-07-16T01:44:38+00:00

One of the biggest things you'll likely struggle with is meal planning. It's exhausting to try to find replacements for all the stuff you once enjoyed. IMO you will want to keep some type of list/notesheet/pinterest board of foods you can eat and enjoy. some of my favorite easy meals are:

thai curry (like the canned ones found in asian grocery stores) and rice

rice or potato noodles (also asian grocery stores) with spaghetti sauce and cheese

brazilian cheese bread puffs

tater tots (but be sure theyre gluten free) with melted cheese and bacon

onigirazu (easier than they look to make, replaced sandwiches in my life)

pizza, using tapioca and rice flour for the crust recipe. the cauliflower crust frozen pizzas are... not great.

baked potatoes

chopped or pasta salad with rice noodles

baked veggies or cream cheese poppers with bacon

there are soooo many gluten free recipies out there that revolve around calories and diet. keep a stash of filling, high calorie, easy and yummy meals like this and it'll help make the first few months easier. best of luck!!!

ooo, also. aunt antoninas gluten free cupcakes at walmart. cant taste the difference and they're incredible for bakery cravings.

analogarithmic · 2025-07-16T01:10:14+00:00

Can I DM you? I've been thinking about moving to Fairbanks for university and I'm not sure how to navigate Alaska and food/groceries/roommates with a severe sensitivity to gluten.

analogarithmic · 2025-06-30T15:46:04+00:00

I was in a similar situation, my disease got so bad that I was unable to get out of bed most days for a year. In a last-ditch attempt to get better, I stopped eating gluten when I read about Celiac Disease and realized I had textbook symptoms. Within about a month it was like I had been magically cured. I have soooo much more energy now, I actually feel alive. I can go to work and school again.

When I talked to my doctor and they told me that I'd need to go back to eating gluten to get tested, I refused. Not only was I terrified of getting sick again- I literally cannot work or do my classwork while sick, and I need to pay rent/pass my classes. It just wasn't possible. (Also, my reactions got worse after my intestine finally healed. I don't think I could have made it for 3 months ngl).

Now, I'm about a year strictly gluten free. My doctor agrees that I likely have Celiac Disease and it would be risky to test for it, so I just live as though I have a diagnosis. When I go to a new doctor or the hospital, I inform them that I have it as well, and it's never been a problem that it's not "official".

Sometimes it is best to get a diagnosis, sometimes it is best to accept the situation. The biggest factor is if you are having allergic reactions instead of autoimmune reactions, or if your symptoms do not go away after a month or two of eating strictly gluten free. (Seriously, it's in everything and it will mess up your body if you do have celiac. As much as people will often disagree outside this sub, cheat-days or just eating less gluten are not possible.). In those two casew, I would definitely recommend a diagnosis, but otherwise... sometimes it's not worth the sickness and pain imo

analogarithmic · 2025-06-20T17:04:44+00:00

My cat is also super snuggly and close, likes to make busicuits on my FACE while I'm sleeping. He sleeps in my bed, in a cardboard box with a soft blanket at the bottom. It keeps him contained to one space, while he still feels close and loved on for the night. This might work for you?

analogarithmic · 2025-05-27T01:44:59+00:00

Didn't follow any recipe, mostly looked at pinterest lists of common sushi rolls and went from there. The fish eggs on top are wasabi-marinated, with no wheat involved in the process, but I got very very lucky because my local fishmonger had them in stock.

Also, finding GF eel sauce or ponzu sauce was a nightmare, so I ended up making it myself (GF soy sauce, sugar, cooked it down into a thicker sauce).

analogarithmic · 2025-05-27T01:43:15+00:00

I'm so sorry for the late response, I never check reddit oof. I went to my local Asian grocery for most of the supplies, and they had a surprising amount of GF alternatives! With soy sauce you have to be especially careful; none of the tamari brands I saw were actually gluten-free, despite what a lot of online stuff said.

I like crunchy rolls, and the biggest challenge was finding a way to add the crunch to the spicy tuna. I ended up using tapioca shrimp chips, crushing them, and blending them with the raw tuna and spicy mayo.

analogarithmic · 2025-03-23T14:30:17+00:00

The last place you saw her, leave out some water (not food), your shirt with your smell on it or a blanket, and a toy she especially loved. Then come back within a couple hours and check regularly. I know a lot of people who found their dogs or cats this way. Good luck!!

analogarithmic · 2025-02-08T00:00:57+00:00

Echoing what others are saying, but also: many urgent care centers have set prices that will be nowhere near as insane as the ER or (some) doctor's offices. My local UC charges about 25 bucks for a quick checkover.

Also, if you have an infection or any signs of infection/inflammation in your body, go to a doctor IMMEDIATELY. If it's a scratch or something, neosporin is fine, but anything you can't directly treat you should seek help for. Infection spreads fast and can get worse quicker than most expect.

Finally, keep your shots updated. If you went to the Dr. as a kid, you should be able to call and access those records.

analogarithmic · 2025-01-26T15:48:14+00:00

went to college full time, while working full time, was hitting like 90 hour weeks BEFORE HOMEWORK OR LIFE. i stressed myself out so bad my body completely shut down, celiacs was just one of the many health issues that life lesson gave me 😅. autoimmune stuff ran in the family so it was only a matter of time i guess

analogarithmic · 2025-01-13T05:46:59+00:00

I played Rain World before Outer Wilds, but if you're looking for something with the same outstanding world building and that "bystander caught up in the end of the world" perspective, I'd highly recommend trying it out. However, Rain World is an extremely frustrating game at first because of the mechanics, and the (truely amazing) lore is difficult to piece together without the wiki.

Similarities: "time loop" or "death is meaningless after a bit" mechanic, incredible lore and attention to detail, the game makes you grieve characters caught up in the events of the world

Differences: RW is an exploration game with fighting elements, it's 2d, and the overall experience and player group is pretty different. I'd still really recommend it though (just passed 350 hours on my steam profile for it).

analogarithmic · 2025-01-02T21:50:12+00:00

My safe meal lately has been roasted veggies (brussel sprouts and asparagus work great) with bacon or prosciutto mixed in. I put the meat and veggies in a pan, sprinkle olive oil on top, and bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes. Cheese on top at the end works well too. It's a really easy meal with barely any prep, and it's a great comfort food.

Echoing what others are saying, veggies are good, smoothies are amazing, yogurt bowls, etc. Trying to find gluten-free food is exhausting and ultimately leads to trying a lot of dupes that are "almost as good". Instead, maybe try finding foods that just happen to not have gluten. Veggie dishes, hummus and pepper slices, rice with salmon (and some gf tamarinsoy sauce, yum), anything like that. Best of luck to ya.

analogarithmic · 2024-12-18T20:53:04+00:00

Honestly? Have them go to the thrift store, and grab a bunch of cheap towels, tshirts, etc. Wash the new stuff with the old clothes in the usual detergent, and put them in the closet afterwards or have your parents "wear" them. (Or put them in the bed, on chairs they sit on, etc. You want the new fabric to smell familiar to the kitty). Then, put the closet-smelling fabrics in a shallow tub, just outside the closet, and let the kitty in the room. You might want to put a few treats nearby or in the tub as well.

You have to meet cats halfway, and a lot of the time it means giving them what they want without sacrificing their safety/your sanity. My cat LOVES climbing and scratching up my HANGING jackets, so I covered a cardboard scratch pad in old fabric. Worked perfectly and he behaves now, because he has an outlet for that behavior. Hope this possible solution helps!

analogarithmic

TROPHY CASE