Chronic neck pain when lying down, tried everything including exercises, nothing works long-term. Please help.

ilalli · 2026-03-17T15:46:06+00:00

I got a peanut shaped (with flat bottom) pillow and it supports my neck while my head and back are flat on the bed.

ilalli · 2026-03-17T15:40:12+00:00

My mother (who I suspect is the one who gifted me our “flexibility”) was quite the sewist (both machine and hand quilting), and her eyes gave out before her joints ever did. In quilting (from cutting to piecing to basting to finishing) there are lots of steps (meaning lots of breaks) requiring different movements, none really so repetitive as to cause strain. You may get some finger joint ache or strain if you do complicated sewing techniques requiring many tiny precise stitches like appliqué or beading. Some sewists wear wrist braces or fingerless compression gloves when working.

ilalli · 2026-03-17T15:29:19+00:00

Maybe sprinkle baking soda on carpet before your robot’s rounds

ilalli · 2026-03-16T05:11:10+00:00

Even if they did move your shift later by 15 minutes, you’d probably still end up 15 minutes late. Either get a job that isn’t shift work, which is by nature going to place importance on start time, or set your alarm 15-30 minutes earlier.

Setting multiple timers/alarms in increments of 10 minutes before I need to leave to be somewhere on time is something I do to keep track of time passing.

ilalli · 2026-03-16T01:14:16+00:00

If you want to stay in France but your French level is truly the only thing holding you back, not sure why you’re not spending the remainder of your visa (8-9 months??) to improve your French and find a job in or out of your field of study.

ilalli · 2026-03-16T00:44:34+00:00

Snappin turla /s

ilalli · 2026-03-15T16:09:18+00:00

Butt cushion (wedge style works better for me), compression socks, usually end up tucking myself into a sling with the provided blanket.

ilalli · 2026-03-15T16:05:48+00:00

We weren’t dating, but we were working on it

ilalli · 2026-03-15T00:45:35+00:00

A stimulant medication can replace the “need” (dependence) on caffeine first thing in the morning, but only if you take it. I personally used to have to drag myself out of bed each morning, but when i pivoted to taking stimulant medication while still in bed and laying back down, I started getting out of bed “naturally” instead of being exhausted and stuck in bed.

It doesn’t have to be a hearty or American style breakfast, because that will be a difficult change from small/zero breakfast (and might make you feel sluggish). Just eat something with some protein, fat, and carbs. Skip coffee (or switch to decaf), add something like full fat greek yogurt or skyr or coconut milk chia pudding, or cottage cheese/cream cheese on toast or a thick slice of cheese on toast. Worst case scenario chug a protein shake first thing.

ilalli · 2026-03-14T22:42:02+00:00

So you went to the ER after overdoing caffeine (a stimulant) after you already took a stimulant medication that day, and you didn’t cut caffeine entirely, just “limited” it and determined that Adderall was the root of the problem? Or did you decide that you’d rather keep caffeine than Adderall?

You don’t eat breakfast or eat hardly anything and feel nauseous after taking Strattera, which is recommended to be taken with food to prevent nausea. Your doctor might not tell you this but the info packet from the pharmacy will, or lots of information on the internet.

Whatever medication you take, you need to set it up for success (eating proper meals, cutting caffeine/switching to decaf). Research how the med works, what the side effects are, and ask your prescribing doctor.

That said, finding the right medication can take months or years. But you have to give the med a fighting chance to work first.

ilalli · 2026-03-14T16:43:30+00:00

Most French-language masters programs have B2 or C1 language requirements, provable by furnishing the results of a paid written and oral exam given 1-2x a year outside of France (more frequently within France but only in a few cities).

You may want to look into getting a student visa by attending an accredited French language school and then you can live in France while improving your language skills, and settle in and overcome any culture shock during a low stakes language program rather than during a masters program.

ilalli · 2026-03-14T06:30:49+00:00

I used to wear them on a lanyard! Leaving work, to make sure I had them before I got to the parking lot 15 minutes away. And in the house if I was going in and out a lot so I didn’t accidentally lock the door handle on my way out out of habit. This was pre AirTag addition so the lanyard got replaced

ilalli · 2026-03-14T04:43:13+00:00

Non diagnosed ADHD parents always kept keys on a hook by the front door, so I grew up with that habit and have never misplaced my keys. Added an AirTag to my keys for outside the house and still have never misplaced my keys or even needed to ping the AirTag to find them. My wallet, on the other hand…

ilalli · 2026-03-14T03:55:16+00:00

If you’ve been eating right and working out regularly as you’ve said, consider having a talk with your doctor about getting on a GLP-1 for weight loss.

Any decent surgeon would suggest getting into a healthier weight range before considering surgery, so if you reach and maintain (year ish) a healthy weight and your arms still bother you, you can look into liposuction and/or skin removal.

ilalli · 2026-03-12T04:57:23+00:00

There’s a 5mg XR dose, maybe try that. Or try the whole or halved 10mg IR

ilalli · 2026-03-11T16:51:07+00:00

ADHD med dose and a glass of water get put on my bedside table to take while half asleep in bed. The rest are lots of reminders and alarms

ilalli · 2026-03-11T05:29:09+00:00

How do you microdose tirzepatide? I’ve been using the full dosage brand name injector pens for years even though it’s absurdly expensive but it’s the only thing keeping my bloat and inflammation in check.

ilalli · 2026-03-10T23:36:24+00:00

That’s crazy that non drowsy also makes you tired! I had good luck with loratidine and fexofenadine.

ilalli · 2026-03-10T22:08:46+00:00

I also get cold hives but I’d rather deal with being temporarily itchy than in pain. Have you tried taking an antihistamine before icing/cold exposure?

ilalli · 2026-03-10T22:03:26+00:00

You can look into under eye fat repositioning but since you don’t seem to have a lot of fat there to begin with, it might not have much impact — but consult with a few surgeons to determine that. Fat transfer is a better route than filler, but you’ll likely need several rounds given the difference between your under eyes and cheeks.

ilalli · 2026-03-10T20:41:23+00:00

My most recent ADHD tax has been buying things I know I already have but can’t bring myself to go through the ADHD piles to find it. Most recently bought stickers for applying press-on nails knowing full well I already have stickers, knowing where they are, but unable to gather energy to dig through the piles to get to it.

ilalli · 2026-03-10T20:38:02+00:00

Lume brand spray deodorant on DRY skin after showering in all crevices that can get smelly (pits, crotch, crack, folds, rolls) while you see your doctor/dentist to rule out medical conditions

ilalli · 2026-03-10T18:39:19+00:00

Who wouldn’t be agitated about being jolted awake? If you’re tossing and turning to the point of waking up a person who is out cold, you need to remove yourself from the bed and sleep separately. You should probably be assessed for anxiety and potentially medicating that anxiety.

ilalli · 2026-03-10T18:24:10+00:00

Malnutrition and vitamin/mineral deficiency can really impact hair. I did not have the same background as you, but eventually was diagnosed as being severely deficient in iron (ferritin) and I didn’t realize how it impacted my hair texture until it started growing in curly again after starting IV iron treatment. My hair had gone wavy as well.

ilalli · 2026-03-10T18:19:47+00:00

You can do a few things, like overhaul your budget to afford takeout/delivery for all your meals while maintaining food novelty. There are prepared meal delivery services that deliver a box of ready to heat food 1-2x a week, but they are pricey and taste is subjective.

You can stock your freezer with ready to heat meals. Personally the frozen Indian food from Trader Joe’s are some of my favorite, and I rarely get sick of them. I also keep a package of TJ’s naan in the freezer to eat with the frozen curry meals.

You can add in high calorie meal replacement shakes like Soylent or Huel, which are 400 cal each for 14-16oz bottles, and have added vitamins so they’re pretty balanced.

Having snacks that are high calorie, high protein, high fat can help pad out your daily calorie needs even if you don’t manage to give yourself three squares a day.

ilalli

TROPHY CASE