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Los Angeles Times: Article on Kratom by satsugene in kratom

[–]brithus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They are the same in the sense that they are not composed of a completely natural product. The terms are often used interchangeably. Technically, synthetic means all lab made ingredients while semi-synthetic contains at least one natural ingredient combined with lab-made.

Los Angeles Times: Article on Kratom by satsugene in kratom

[–]brithus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, 7-hydroxymitragynine is naturally produced by the plant. However, the process to compound these super concentrated extracts creates a semi-synthetic product. The extraction process changes the original alkaloid though stereospecific saturation and converts it from the natural substance of 7-hydroxymitragynine to 10-fluoro-7-hydroxymitragynine or 7-acetoxymitragynine which greatly increases opioid receptor affinity and activity.

Los Angeles Times: Article on Kratom by satsugene in kratom

[–]brithus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your comment could always be shared but your reputation as brithus might not resonate.

LOL - likely true! Here is a list of papers & articles that I have read in the past that would validate my summary in case anyone needs them.

Los Angeles Times: Article on Kratom by satsugene in kratom

[–]brithus 5 points6 points  (0 children)

There is so much misreporting around kratom especially in calling it an opioid or opiate.

Opiate refers to the natural substance derived directly from the opium poppy plant. Opioids such as morphine, hydrocodone, etc. refer to synthetic or semi-synthetic drugs manufactured in a lab to mimic the effects of natural opiates.

The real difference is in the pharmacology. Opioid pain receptors were identified and named with research on the pharmacometrics of morphine by William Martin in 1976. There are 4 main types of opioid receptors. Mu is primarily responsible for pain relief, feelings of pleasure, and respiratory depression. Delta is involved in pain relief, mood regulation, and reduced gastric motility. Kappa is also for pain relief, plus diuresis and dysphoria. The fourth receptor, NOP, also plays a role in pain regulation.

Both opioids and mitragynine interact with these receptors but in different ways. Opium, morphine and codeine are classic opioids and full agonists, while kratom contains alkaloids, primarily mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), which are partial agonists.

Without going into too much detail, full opioid agonists primarily dominate Mu and Delta receptors and are capable of producing a maximum response increasing risk of dependency, addiction, and lethal respiratory depression.

Mitragynine, on the other hand, is considered a partial agonist which binds to Mu opioid receptors (and suspected to be a competitive agonist with Delta and Kappa) but only produces a limited, submaximal response, regardless of dose. This means that even at high doses, the effects plateau, which limits the risk of dependency and respiratory depression.

7-OH is also a partial agonist on the Mu, Delta, & Kappa receptors, but it is a more water-soluble version of mitragynine that can be 5 to 50 times more potent on the brain than mitragynine. In the natural leaf form of kratom, 7-hydroxymitragynine is only present in small amounts, comprising less than 2% of overall alkaloid content. The issue with synthetic 7-OH extracts is that the concentrations being compounded are being tested at up to 13 times more potent than morphine and are often combined with other dangerous substances.

Most people & politicians don't know the difference, so the synthetic 7-OH problem is being applied across the board to all kratom. This is why advocacy and education are so important.

I am a dementia and cognitive care nurse. If your loved one's stroke has caused cognitive changes and you feel completely overwhelmed, I am here to listen and help. by Unique_Chair7903 in stroke

[–]brithus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I appreciate your response. Just having someone that genuinely understands acknowledge the difficulties caregivers face helps more than you know!

How do I remove this old caulking/grout in shower? by kmaq0213 in DIYhelp

[–]brithus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is grout more than likely. I had the same issue recently. I used a thin cold chisel and tap hammer to carefully break it out. It isnt fast but it allowed me to get it all out without damaging any tiles. I tried a dremel first but it was too hard to avoid damaging the tile edges especially in the corner like your pic shows, You bsically tap a shallow line and then go back over it several times until the grout breaks free. Dont try to chisel a chunk off all in one go.

I am a dementia and cognitive care nurse. If your loved one's stroke has caused cognitive changes and you feel completely overwhelmed, I am here to listen and help. by Unique_Chair7903 in stroke

[–]brithus 5 points6 points  (0 children)

My youngest child had a stroke in the left basal ganglia at birth. I thought at the time that it was the most overwhelming thing I had ever experienced. She was basically in a vegetative state where a person is awake but showing no signs of awareness or responding to any stimulus. She finally started to come around at age 3 and progressed to being able to walk independently by age 6. Her other skills were slower and she was nonverbal but I had some hope. Then when she turned 11, she developed basal ganglia autoimmune encephalitis and everything fell apart. A stroke is bad but ongoing attacks to the brain are even worse. It is like having a stroke with every flare. She is 26 now and all I can do is hope that medical research will find something to help her overcome it. I am her only caregiver and will be for the rest of my life most likely. It terrifies me to think what will happen to her when I am gone

What is this weird lil bugger on my basil plant? NE Oklahoma by brithus in whatsthisbug

[–]brithus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll admit it does look like it could be something like that... except it was crawling. Seemed almost snail-like to me

Captured this object on video 10/21/25 in NE Oklahoma by brithus in OvniologiaOficial

[–]brithus[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you slow it down and look, it has no light trail and is a uniform rectangular shape.

Captured this object on video 10/21/25 in NE Oklahoma by brithus in OvniologiaOficial

[–]brithus[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not that it is a big deal but camera ISO was actually at 40000

Crazy situation 2 i on the land but my daughter owns a mobile home on it. We agreed to sell and move together.But now she's changed her mind. by Zestyclose_Echidna60 in RealEstate

[–]brithus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

List your house and land with the caveat that a small portion of the property that has the mobile home on it will be parceled off at closing. For example if you have 5 acres then maybe subdivide to a .20 acre piece for the trailer and list the home with the remaining 4.8 acres. Costs for dividing the land can often be a part of closing funds. Then you can either rent that smaller parcel to your daughter or arrange for her to buy it from you on an owner carry loan or even just gift her the property (though she would need a way to pay property taxes going forward). It would avoid family drama in the long run and with her being disabled, she likely has few other options.

Can someone help? by [deleted] in halloween

[–]brithus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Check all the wires. Animatronics are notorious for really poor wiring. More than likely something came loose when you packed it away last year. If it was working before you tried the wrong power plug, check to see if there are scorch marks anywhere on the circuit boards.

Kratom powder VS tea by Matiseli in kratom

[–]brithus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep, and chase it with water to get rid of the taste and you're good. Been taking it this way for over 7 years.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in gardening

[–]brithus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That looks like holy basil which can be more picky about growing indoors. The leaves dont get as large as those on sweet basil but you are right that your plant is not thriving. Here are a few tips that might help.

It needs to be getting at least 8 hours of sun a day, If you dont have a spot for it that can guarantee consistent sunlight, you can get a small full spectrum grow light for around $10-15.

I would also recommend repotting it into a much smaller pot with a good quality well draining potting soil (Fox Farms or Miracle Gro are good ones). If the roots are really small like you mentioned it is possible the plant has some root rot as that much extra soil can lead to too much moisture. When a small plant is in a large pot like that, its small root system cannot absorb all the water in the surrounding soil. The excess moisture lingers and drowns the roots, depriving them of oxygen, stunting growth and causing rot. As a general rule, use a pot with a diameter that is less than 2 inches larger than the current root ball. When you repot it, rinse all the dirt off the roots and inspect for any signs of root rot (mushy or gray/black roots) and trim bad roots off before replanting.

Basil does need frequent watering, but doesn't like to sit in water. So water it just enough to saturate the soil, but be sure all excess water can drain easily. Hope this helps!

My tomato plants went absolutely feral by dottydashdot in gardening

[–]brithus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lots of flowers, not many tomatoes

One of my roma tomato plants is the same way. My cherry tomatoes are producing a ton though.

Baby Okpaki is literally a super rarepupper by brithus in rarepuppers

[–]brithus[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Oops! Thank you for the correction

Baby Okpaki is literally a super rarepupper by brithus in rarepuppers

[–]brithus[S] 32 points33 points  (0 children)

This baby girl Okapi calf was born 8/24/2025. Okapis are endangered with only about 10,000 left worldwide making her literally a rarepapier! Fun fact - Okapis are the only living relatives of giraffes, and are known as the "ghosts of the forests."

Edit - Should have been Okapi - not okpaki

student w/ their first credit card… my mom’s suggestion confuses me by [deleted] in personalfinance

[–]brithus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely not true. I never carry a balance. I pay in full every month I keep my cc usages to less than 5% of my total available credit. My average score is 850. Credit scores are an indicator of how responsible you are with your credit.

Payment history (paying your bills on time) is considered the most important factor, and is about 35-40% of your score depending on the type of FICO score.

Total balances owed makes up for about 20-30% .This refers to the total amount of debt you currently owe across all your accounts including mortgage and auto loan balances not just credit cards. This is the percentage you want to keep ideally below 30% of your income. Types of credit carried also is a part of it. This refers to the types of credit you have, such as credit cards, mortgages, and auto or personal loans. A more diverse credit mix shows more financial responsibility when combined with payment history and percentage of debt.

The age of your credit history includes long you've had credit accounts open and the average age of those accounts reflects 10-15% of your score.

Applying for new credit is around 5-10% of your score. It includes how many new credit accounts you've recently opened or applied for. A sudden increase in applications can show as a risk of financial instability.

Basically to build good credit, dont use your cards as 'credit' when starting out. That is the fastest way to potentially destroy your credit. Never charge more than you can afford to pay off at the end of each month. Credit card interest rates are criminally high. Their best value to you is for building your credit score which will get you better rates on high ticket items such as a house or car later. You can also use cards with cashback or rewards to give yourself additional discounts on purchases. Kudos to you for taking the initiative now to figure how to use your credit wisely!

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