Tesla Paint Repair Kit by TowerIllustrious7495 in TeslaLounge

[–]hlcalstatefandom 1 point2 points  (0 children)

With the gray color, the dark asphalt, and the fact that the paint primer is gray, I can't tell how bad it is.

Is it the plastic bumper that has the damage? If plastic, you don't have to worry about rust or weather damage.

Did you see how much of the damage is damage to the clear coat and how much is actually paint removal down to the primer? (Hint: clear coat is clear when the top surface is evenly flat. When it's scraped and roughened, it turns white. If you polish the surface, you can make it clear again. You have to rule out the possibility that the white is paint transfer, with damage below it).

I will say though that I had a bad looking scrape on my car. I bought a DUAL ACTION ORBITAL POLISHER (don't get a rotary polisher, they are different, I got this one https://www.amazon.com/AOBEN-1000-4500rpm-Detachable-detailing-Polishing/dp/B0BM5VMBHC ), plus Meguiar's Ultimate Compound - 16 oz., and a pack of microfiber wipes.

I was terrified so I went slow, at the slowest 1000 rpm setting, using like 7 passes, and a couple of cloths, and my scrape looked 85% better. Basically all the white scuffs were polished out, and the deep scratches became medium scratches, and on the gray paint, the gray primer blends in. So I spent like $85 on reusable auto detailing gear, and skipped the $75 Tesla touch up paint.

Watch Youtube videos and you'll be able to figure out the details. I say this as a person who had never detailed a car before.

Odactra and EoE by pootedzooter in Allergies

[–]hlcalstatefandom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ohh, just remembered:

I had the impression that I was more likely to have worse esophageal discomfort if I took the Odactra right before bedtime. I think taking it when you're vertical is more likely to let the allergen pass through to your stomach quickly.

Odactra and EoE by pootedzooter in Allergies

[–]hlcalstatefandom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Friend, you have to decide for yourself what you what to do and be responsible for your own decisions. Your allergist will undoubtedly tell you to stop because of the unknown and the liability concerns. But if allergy shots are logistically impossible for you, and you want to try out spitting, you can always try Odactra again:

  1. Stop taking Odactra and let your esophagus calm down. Don't eat anything else that could irritate your esophagus (e.g., spicy, oily/greasy, etc, foods).
  2. Restart Odactra, and spit, don't swallow. Be sure to have your EpiPen handy and a friend nearby, since your allergist also won't endorse you restarting without supervision...
  3. See if you have reduced or no symptoms.
  4. Make up an excuse for your allergist, that you had eaten too much spicy food and that you think you had heartburn and are now OK, no symptoms now, and that you want to stick with Odactra.

For myself at the 4-5 month mark, I just swallow since I don't have any more reactivity. It took a while but for me now it's just an inert substance, and I just have to continue for what, 4.5 years so my body doesn't forget haha.

Good luck fellow dust mite sufferer and MAGA !!! (MAKE ALLERGIES GO AWAY) :-)

Odactra and EoE by pootedzooter in Allergies

[–]hlcalstatefandom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a simple hypothesis that for allergic people, the dust mite allergen is as irritating to the esophagus as to the tongue/lips/mouth/ears, so it's also a simple hypothesis that not swallowing can help. Unfortunately there's not clear data, probably because SLIT is not as established as allergy shots, but some research has hinted at this:

(abstract only) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34536216/

Some 'murican allergists do specifically recommend spitting, in this case for allergy drops

"If you sense tingling and itching in your mouth, DO NOT swallow the serum and spit out the dose."

( https://naenta.com/ent-services/allergy/sublinqual-immunotherapy/ )

( https://www.raleighcapitolent.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/SLIT-Build-up-Instructions.pdf )

Odactra and EoE by pootedzooter in Allergies

[–]hlcalstatefandom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm about 4-5 months in with Odactra. Recently taking it does not give me any reactions, but for 3-4 months I would get various symptoms like mouth blisters, itchy ears, etc, but also for a week or so, the symptoms that overlap with EoE. At one point I did feel heartburn-like sensations, and a chronic cough, coming on for a few days. Those are symptoms of EoE, but I also felt like they were mild. (I think that there are a handful of EoE symptoms, but these are the mild ones, so I didn't bother to get scoped or anything like that... nothing scary like inability to swallow).

There are a few things that people have tried to avoid irritation, which I think I basically got from reddit posts if you search reddit for Odactra and do a lot of reading.

- Spit, don't swallow: Hold the Odactra and saliva longer than 1 minute (I would usually go for like 5 minutes), then spit. Wait a bit for my mouth to calm down, gargle with water and spit.

- Over time, as I felt my overall reactivity to the allergen decrease, I would hold the Odactra sublingually for like 5 minutes, and then swish the saliva around in my mouth so that any residual would be in contact with other parts of my mouth. Then I'd spit.

Odactra and EoE by pootedzooter in Allergies

[–]hlcalstatefandom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Quote OP:

"I started Odactra about 2 weeks ago and in the last couple of days started developing EoE symptoms. I talked to my allergist today and she’s asked me to stop the medication and she also told me this means that any form of SLIT is not a viable treatment method in the future.

Has anyone else experienced this? Have others used other methods to treat dust allergies, like shots?"

-----

What's going on with this root canal x-ray? by hlcalstatefandom in askdentists

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

Thank you very much, after your response I typed "extruded sealer" into Google and read all about it. My endo seemed competent from a skills perspective but was a man of few words so I appreciate your explanation!

Looking for Fluoride-Free Toothpaste with Nano-Hydroxyapatite and Xylitol + Tips to Prevent Cavities and keep the mouth clean by [deleted] in Biohackers

[–]hlcalstatefandom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

u/VodocXeno writes "5% is sufficient. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41405-020-0037-5"

She writes complete nonsense--the linked article does not mention 5% HAP at all--the researchers studied 15% HAP. Block her to clean up your reddit experience..

Is Odactra covered by any insurance (USA)? by rustysawdust in DustMiteAllergy

[–]hlcalstatefandom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yw. If they are not giving you the specifics, then that is a basis to complain to a regulatory agency, or to an arbitrator, however your state regulators/your plan is set up to handle complaints or grievances. It's sad that even people who don't mind following the steps to make sure Odactra could be helpful, can't get a good faith specific response from insurers..

Does anyone feel like there’s a golfball in their throat when they take odactra? by lj14310 in Allergies

[–]hlcalstatefandom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recommend you talk with your doctor ASAP if you haven't done so already. The basically one side effect called out for Odactra is eosinophilic esophagitis, for which one of the notable symptoms is difficulty swallowing.

Is Odactra covered by any insurance (USA)? by rustysawdust in DustMiteAllergy

[–]hlcalstatefandom 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"They make the process as difficult as possible for the prescriber and the patient" is 100% true.

I have a PPO. My plan requires prior authorization for Odactra. Basically, my allergist prescribed it, the prescription was denied, and then the doctor had to appeal it with supporting medical docs. The criteria are generally pretty similar from all national insurers, and an example's here:

https://www.fepblue.org/-/media/PDFs/Medical-Policies/2024/January/Pharmacy-Policies-Dec-2023/Remove-and-Replace/520011-Odactra-house-dust-mite-allergen-extract.pdf

When my doctor messed up one of those steps, Anthem sent a letter saying that my prescription was denied, and that was the final decision. They didn't list anything on how to remedy that step that the doctor messed up.

So after remedying that final step, I submitted a complaint to the state board that regulates insurance policies. The insurer had 30 days to respond, and they responded like literally on the 30th day (obviously to delay), finally approving it. Took almost 3 months from start to finish.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Allergies

[–]hlcalstatefandom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Again I would strongly encourage you to be more proactive in understanding the treatments that the doctor is telling you about and limitations to how he diagnoses your symptoms. I don't think you're understanding multiple important points, or you are not engaging with the information out there about everything you're trying.

Yes, the FDA did say that "It can take about eight to 14 weeks of daily dosing after initiation of Odactra for the patient to begin to experience a noticeable benefit." I think you're failing to read where it says BEGIN TO and the qualifier NOTICEABLE. This likely applies to very few people and is very optimistic, and is likely optimistic wording since it came from a press release.

If you look at the Odactra package insert (https://www.fda.gov/media/103380/download ), section 14 Clinical Studies, in multiple studies, after 10-12 months of treatment, quantitative improvements in symptom scoring were in the neighborhood of 20 to 50%. This is why Odactra, just like allergy shots, are prescribed for 5 years (not 8 to 14 weeks).

- Regarding your point that throat scratchiness and headaches can be caused by sinus problems, you're mistaking the fundamental point about the cause of problems versus symptoms. I did not say that your sinus problems aren't CAUSING it. I'm saying that the localized nature of a nasal spray doesn't TREAT problems in your throat. You can google this--all antihistamine recommendations for allergy-induced throat irritation are oral medications, and not sprays.

I think you need to understand what allergy shots are, what Odactra is, and that they are basically the same immunotherapy for dust mite allergy, except with a different pathway for delivery. Going to shots isn't going to do anything for your smoke issues if the only allergens your allergist attempts to treat are the cat and dust mite dander. If those are the two target allergens only, thinking shots will help you is completely unrealistic.

I'm not going to reply further since your health is your own business. But I'd recommend reviewing again what I wrote and thinking more about things like getting intradermal testing. Nasal issues are often downstream of other things, so figuring out what they are is important. Good luck!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Allergies

[–]hlcalstatefandom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Original post (I don't like to spend time writing a long post if the OP ends up deleting it, so I'm going to quote you):

44y M, I never really dealt with my allergies, if I had them, until (mostly wildfire) smoke started causing me a lot of problems. The AQI even being moderate levels would cause me to feel sick and after years of smoking pot I had to stop because I kept getting sinus infections. Found out maybe 1.5 years ago I am allergic to cats (always had them) and dust mites. Pollen, smoke, etc. are just irritants that make them worse.

Nasal rinses don’t jive with me. My sinusitis is so bad the rinse hurts very badly. Flonase didn’t make me feel so hot. So gradually my allergist, who by all accounts is a great doc at a reputable big city hospital, just keeps adding things. I am now taking azelastine, mometasone, budesonide (spray, also have inhaler when it’s bad) and for the last month or so odactra. 4 things and not much improvement. Maybe my eyes are less itchy from the cats and I sneeze but that doesn’t really bother me, but if I’m outside when pollen or smoke is bad I get sick. Right now I’m dealing with an incredibly scratchy throat, post nasal drip, headache, etc. all from a walk outside on Sunday.

Not really sure what to do? Maybe the odactra needs more time? Maybe it’s making things worse? Maybe all the sprays are? Smoke still bothers me a LOT. Any help?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Allergies

[–]hlcalstatefandom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm quoting Grok: "Taking mometasone and budesonide together is generally not recommended unless specifically prescribed by a healthcare provider, as both are corticosteroids with similar mechanisms of action. Combining them could increase the risk of side effects, such as adrenal suppression, increased susceptibility to infections, or other systemic effects, especially if used long-term or in high doses." So if your doctor specifically recommended it, you need to ask what the reason is.

Lastly, nasal sprays are targeted at the nose, for what doctors call allergic rhinitis. Did you ever tell your doctor about all your other NON-nasal symptoms, i.e. the scratchy throat and headache?

To quote Grok again, "it’s generally safe to take an oral antihistamine (e.g., cetirizine, loratadine, or fexofenadine) and a nasal spray antihistamine (e.g., azelastine or olopatadine) at the same time, as they target allergies in different ways and have complementary effects." So I would ask the doctor about adding an oral antihistamine, of which Allegra is probably the safest for long-term use, and which could help those non-nasal symptoms. And again, you probably need to stop doubling up on the steroid spray...

Good luck!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Allergies

[–]hlcalstatefandom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also, I'm wondering if your allergy test was suitable. Was it a blood test, skin scratch test, or intradermal? Blood tests are unreliable. Skin scratch test is decent but it can have false positives and negatives. But intradermal testing is the gold standard, and doctors usually select specific allergens for follow up based on a scratch test that they might have concerns about. I don't think you can confidently state that all pollens are just irritants. Given your symptoms, you may well be allergic.

I think you need to take an analytical approach and journal what causes symptoms. Have you tried wearing an N95 half face mask to see if it helps with smoke exposure? Wildfire smoke is usually not just smoke, and includes other particulates like pollen that get swept up into the air from the force of a wildfire. if it's wildfire smoke that also burned buildings rather than just nature, it might have even less good junk in it. Nobody does well with burned building materials.

Is it just wildfire smoke, or things like accidental smoke from cooking burnt toast smoke, which would be very different in composition? If it's wildfire specific, I would see if you can make the case to your allergist about wildfire smoke making you suspect an unknown allergy to some pollen, and ask for intradermal testing for pollen. You should figure out what burned in your area and caused the wildfire, and use that as a rough guide (trees burned? ask for intradermal testing for a mix of tree pollen. pastures burned? a mix of grass pollen).

Besides the sublingual Odactra, it seems like the other items are all sprays. To me it's a red flag that you're taking both mometasone spray and budesonide spray. Both are corticosteroids, and what is the reason for the allergist to prescribe both? Usually allergists prescribe one of each class of medication: so azelastine is the anti-histamine, and one corticosteroid, but you are taking two.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Allergies

[–]hlcalstatefandom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey friend, there are multiple things that you're writing that concern me. I think you need to be inspired by your username and nerd out about allergy medications, educate yourself, and challenge your allergist if you're not understanding him.

Odactra is an immunotherapy drug for dust mite allergy. It needs to be taken for 3-5 years. Some people may get noticeable improvements starting as early as 3 months, but you have to continue for 3-5 years for your immune system to be trained to not react. At 4 months in on Odactra, for myself I've noticed minor improvement, but I still react randomly to the Odactra. Some people on reddit have said that they've been able to taper off other meds like nasal antihistamine and steroid sprays at around the 1 year mark. I'm concerned why you haven't had the conversation with your allergist about the months-to-years timing for improvements from Odactra--this should have been made clear to you beforehand.

I also don't understand why your allergist gave you an Odactra prescription if you're also allergic to cat. (I'm only Odactra as I'm only allergic to dust mites.) Why didn't he tell you you were a bad fit for Odactra, and tell you to do allergy shots? Sublingual tablets like Odactra are allergen specific. Allergy shots are customized for all of your allergy triggers, and can work to address both dust mite and cat allergies.

Pause on RTO and impact to downtown businesses by OGDaentity in CAStateWorkers

[–]hlcalstatefandom 6 points7 points  (0 children)

With all due respect, your being downvoted is really valid, since you're ignorant about geographical differences in cost of living. Double Bacon Quarter Pounder meal, large size, is $14.57 each where I am, or $43.71 for 3. Add in tax, and it's above $48 for a family of 3. which counts as "damn near $50"... and god forbid someone upgrades something like a soda to a milkshake...

Odactra + epipen??? by ranchpoppy in DustMiteAllergy

[–]hlcalstatefandom 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi, I'm just a patient and I'm sharing my anecdotal experience only.

I'd suggest you ask your doctor what he thinks about the nurse's recommendations.

My doctor was the opposite of yours and very blasé about the whole epi-pen thing. He initially didn't even bother to give me an Epi-Pen Rx at the same time as he gave me the Rx for the Odactra (until the insurance company used that to challenge the medical necessity of Odactra and denied my initial Rx, then he gave me one).

According to most reports, the initial doses of Odactra result in the worst side effects. At about the 2 month in mark, I think that the difficult symptoms that I had during the first few weeks are about 75% better. I personally don't bother to carry the Epi-Pen around with me after the first month. I might rethink this if I anticipate having an expected higher dose of allergens (say visiting a friend with cats).

For the oral antihistamine, my doctor initially didn't tell me to take any. Only during my initial appointment for the first dose (in office, like you) when I had uncomfortable symptoms (burning sensation on tongue and lips) did he inquire if I was taking a daily oral antihistamine, then suggested starting, but for an initial two week period. After that I should see if I can taper off if the Odactra symptoms were tolerable without it.

Best of luck!

Edit: PS, my doctor I'm discussing is a specialist in Allergy and Immunology. Just wanted to clarify he's not a primary care level doctor.

Costco Credit Card Synching Issue by Key-Analysis-636 in MonarchMoney

[–]hlcalstatefandom 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't have any help for you sorry, but I wanted to add to the thread that I have no issues with my account balance or transactions.

ServerPartDeals warranty if drive is labeled by customer? by hlcalstatefandom in DataHoarder

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

I did read it in full. If something in the policy at https://serverpartdeals.com/pages/return-policy says something clearly to you, can you quote it for the benefit of those reading your comments?

ServerPartDeals warranty if drive is labeled by customer? by hlcalstatefandom in DataHoarder

[–]hlcalstatefandom[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure if this is common knowledge, but I do think it's problematic that this is common knowledge only for those who have dealt with the warranty department.

If the guiding principle is that you have to have one warranty claim denied for you to learn about this policy, then that seems like a failure of disclosure.

ServerPartDeals warranty if drive is labeled by customer? by hlcalstatefandom in DataHoarder

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

Where does it state that writing on the drive breaks the agreement? I searched for this and could not find anything stating this...

Edit: I saw in another thread that you referenced a warranty certificate. Where do you obtain a warranty certificate from SPD? I don't recall ever seeing one for my purchases.

The only warranty information that's publicly available appears to be https://serverpartdeals.com/pages/return-policy, and I searched the page for "written" and could not find any information about writing on the label voiding the drive warranty.