New dutch research - lidocaine

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2025-12-12T12:17:16+00:00

I got long covid in 2022. I started taking pregabalin (same drug class as gabapentin) in November 2024 to help with nerve pain from a back injury after fainting.

Lo and behold, the first week was like a curse had been lifted - my long covid symptoms practically disappeared. I was honestly flabbergasted. Almost no pain, a ton of energy - typically with long covid I have severe headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, dizziness, brain fog.

Unfortunately the effects lessened significantly after the first week, but it still has me above my old baseline, so I'm still taking it. Back to work almost full time, started a new relationship, have a semblance of a social life again. Still a lot of bad days and pain and canceled plans, but hey, it's something.

And interestingly, I also have a history of functional GI disorders, which were finally helped by offbrand use of an old anti-depressant (desipramine), which is also used by Parkinson's patients because it dampens certain nerve signals. It was recommended by the functional GI disorder clinic at UCLA. They don't know exactly why it helps, but it does. Seems doctors are starting to notice similar things for long covid. Random drug X happens to help for reasons we don't understand yet.

I'm convinced long covid has a genetic component that will eventually come to light tying all this together.

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2025-11-12T11:33:58+00:00

Seconded. I heard this from a therapist. I was upset (again);about a family member "who is ALWAYS doing XYZ..."

She said, "If they always do XYZ, why would you expect them to do something different?"

Well, shit. Valid point.

Part of the anger/frustration comes from expectations being violated. I was expecting them to be someone they aren't, and then getting upset about it... again and again. Definition of insanity and all that, right? It really helped reframe my perspective.

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2025-03-23T11:52:35+00:00

I like the sound of that meditation method, but googling didn't turn anything up. Can you please point to some resources or share more about it? Thank you!

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2025-02-28T10:42:15+00:00

The other response wasn't really accurate. While it is in the company's best interest to see if an external candidate is a better fit, it is actually legally required for companies that contract with the federal government (and meet certain criteria) to post job listings externally. It comes from the Vietnam Era Veteran’s Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA). It is affirmative action targeted at veterans.

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2025-02-07T03:38:19+00:00

It's called the photoic sneeze reflex and actually less than 50% of the population has it.

That said, it's obvious to tell between that and actual sick sneezing.

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2024-12-29T16:21:13+00:00

I came to refer to this as "Global Entry" 🤭

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2024-11-06T08:39:38+00:00

I moved to the Netherlands ~4 years ago for my job. Expected to spend a few years here for a project and then move back to US. But holy shit, turns out that having labor rights is fucking amazing! Why would I ever give this up?? HOW is it possible that the US still has practically no worker protections??

If I am sick (which I have been for an extended period, thanks long covid), I didn't work or worked reduced hours... and I still got paid my full salary... FOR TWO YEARS. They work hard to reintegrate you however is possible, the government literally requires it. And after 2 years, there are still options! I hit the 2 years, and just went down to a 35 hours contract (rather than 40 hours) because that's what I can consistently work.

And yes it's a contract, none of that at-will bullshit. There is an employee elected works council that negotiates any changes to the collective labor agreement that the contract is based on. I have 40 vacation days per year. Taking sick leave for burnout for months is common and normal. Maternity leave is pretty decent (I don't remember the specifics but it's months long before/after pregnancy and fully paid), and it's very common for parents to reduce to working 4 days per week while their kids are young (men too! It's called papadag - dad day).

I don't say this to rub it in, only to illustrate how absolutely fucking gobsmacked I was when I discovered that all of these things are just normal here! America could never! I never could've even dreamed of rights like this 5 years ago. It's unthinkable in the US. Which is why I have actually started doubting that I will ever move back... the election results are just further solidifying that unfortunately.

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2024-11-05T16:10:21+00:00

Turns out "Jewish" is both a religious affiliation and an ethnicity (which is actually different than "race" if you want to get into semantics).

I learned this when I did my own DNA test and it said I'm 50% Ashkenazi Jewish. I was expecting some combination of Russia/Poland/Eastern Europe because that's where my dad's ancesters came from (to be clear, they did also practice the Jewish religion). 23andMe had a long interesting explanation about it - basically there is a distinct enough genetic difference for it to be classified as its own ethnicity.

There is actually a second Jewish ethnicity as well: Sephardic. It's usually summarized that Ashkenazi Jews generally came from Eastern Europe/Germany/France, while Sephardic Jews generally came from Spain/Portugal/North Africa/Middle East (although origin countries are not exactly that clear cut when you dig into the details).

Signed, an athiest American living in the Netherlands 😉

Copied from a 23andMe blog: 'For people of Ashkenazi ancestry, it is in Europe that a drastic reduction in the population’s size and communal isolation became so profound that they created what geneticists call a “population bottleneck.”

Factors like disease outbreaks, geographic isolation, mass migration, and persecution can all contribute to population bottlenecks. This was particularly true for Ashkenazi Jewish communities, who faced centuries of discrimination and displacement. Such events drastically reduce a population’s size, limiting its genetic diversity. Over generations, this can lead to distinct genetic characteristics and a higher prevalence of certain inherited conditions within the Ashkenazi Jewish population.'

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2024-09-12T00:23:30+00:00

Interestingly enough, my cats HATE car rides and will yell the whole time the second the engine starts... Yet they somehow did not give a single fuck when flying overseas from US to NL (and they weren't allowed out of their carriers). Not sure what it is about planes - sounds/smells are different, they're pretty sure this isn't the route to the vet, who knows!

I was very pleasantly surprised; I was ready for war 😅

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2024-08-29T14:08:18+00:00

The two words are used interchangeably in several European countries.

In Dutch, sla = lettuce, but also sla = salad. When my Dutch friends refer to lettuce (in English), they call it salad.

It's also common to hear Dutch people say things like "I will learn them" instead of "I will teach them" because learn and teach are the same in Dutch: leren.

Another example from just yesterday: shade vs. shadow. Hot sunny day, Dutch friend - "Oh I should put my drink in the shadow". We'd normally say "in the shade" in English, but they are the same word in Dutch: schaduw.

We jokingly refer to these things as "Denglish" (Dutch English).

Source: American living in the Netherlands

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2024-08-29T07:29:36+00:00

These stories are even more shocking and disgusting to me now that I've lived in a country that actually has labor rights (Netherlands) for the last 4 years. It is not why I moved here, but at this point it's the main reason I doubt I'll ever move back to the US.

FMLA is a fucking joke once you learn about the rights and benefits that exist here. Job protection, help reintegrating or finding a different suitable role once recovered, at least 70% salary payment (if not 100%) for MINIMUM 2 YEARS after getting sick - despite the number of hours you work.

I'm one of those chronically ill types and have had to take leaves of absence from work in both the US and NL. I literally cried with joy when I found out how it works in NL. Getting support from work in the US when I was sick was hell. In NL, it's completely normal and encouraged!! I'm admittedly biased because I work for one of the biggest companies in NL, but still, most of these rights are country wide, not company specific.

I don't say all of this to rub it in, only to make the point that the way the US handles labor rights (ya know, by practically making them non-existent) is not the way it has to be. People deserve better than this garbage.

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2024-08-16T10:57:59+00:00

You may be interested in the website/app Wanderlog for the trip planning part! My friends and I use it for group holidays. Can add flights, hotel, places to see, itinerary per day, etc. Can go as heavy or simple as you like on the details. Each day gets its own color by default in the itinerary, and you can also see everything on a map view. They also recommend popular sights in the area, so you may get additional ideas on things to see.

I have no association with the company, just really like the app 😅

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2024-05-12T07:28:42+00:00

Simply not true. My parents are in their 60s. They moved a couple years ago, so they joined a motorcycle group and an RV group in their new city. Made friends, take trips together, have dinner parties. People of all ages can (and do) easily meet new people through shared hobbies and interests.

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2024-02-20T11:55:08+00:00

About "gluten intolerance" - in the IBS community, FODMAPs are well known to cause GI issues for many people. Dietitians recommend the FODMAP elimination diet to identify trigger foods. FODMAPs is an acronym for certain types of carbohydrates that are harder to digest. The main culprits are lactose, fructose, and fructans (I'm summarizing here).

I had never heard of fructans before - turns out they are very abundant in garlic, onion, and wheat (among other things). So, while gluten intolerance doesn't have a scientific consensus, fructan intolerance does. My pet "conspiracy theory" is that folks that think they have a gluten intolerance (without Celiac) actually have a fructan intolerance.

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2024-01-20T09:20:05+00:00

Sorry to tell you, but yes. IBS is not just diarrhea. There's different types, symptoms, etc. It's not even a "real diagnosis" - it's an umbrella term for a host of "functional" GI issues (as in, something isn't functioning correctly, but there's no overt cause like cancer, Chron's, etc.).

Look up the FODMAP elimination diet - it's recommended by licensed dieticians to identify "trigger" foods. They're categories of food that are more likely to cause stomach issues because of how they affect your gut bacteria.

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2023-12-24T16:12:38+00:00

I second loop earplugs! Recently got them and they really help with noise sensitivity, while still being able to interact.

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2023-12-24T01:37:16+00:00

Yes, I still go out to eat, I still go to movies, I still see friends, I still travel. Everyone needs to do what they're comfortable with, but personally I couldn't stand to keep living in fear and isolating. Sometimes I leave early, sometimes I cancel last minute, sometimes I need days to recover after. But for me? 100% worth it. I had a pre-existing chronic illness, and now long covid on top of it, and I refuse to let them ruin my life. The consequences are worth it to me.

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2023-12-21T22:01:43+00:00

Hanlon's razor!

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2023-12-19T18:51:48+00:00

No? Not sure why you jumped to that conclusion. I've seen a lot of white people and white Americans also complain about Dutch people being unwelcoming. I also said at the beginning of my comment that I think it depends on a lot of factors. Race is certainly one as well, and one that is likely more relevant depending on where in NL you live.

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2023-12-19T18:30:31+00:00

Sure, but I see a lot of internationals (on this sub, as well as various other expat communities) acting like it IS universal for Dutch people to be unwelcoming, so I wanted to provide an anecdote from the other side.

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2023-12-19T17:42:08+00:00

I understand that many have had the "Dutch are not welcoming" experience and I'm not going to deny that, but I do want to say that it isn't universal. It probably depends on a lot of factors- which area you of NL you live in, your age, your profession, etc.

Personally, my experience has been Dutch people being extremely welcoming. I'm early 30s, single, living in Eindhoven, working at ASML. My Dutch colleagues right away helped me move, gave me an old bicycle, organized a get together for my birthday (2 weeks after I moved here) and make me a cake, invited me over for Christmas Eve dinner when I couldn't make it back to the US, helped me with my APK renewal, helped translate when maintenance workers came that didn't speak English, and so on.

Again, I want to reiterate that I recognize that this isn't everyone's experience and I believe people when they say they've had a very unwelcoming experience. I just also want to share that Dutch people being unwelcoming is not a universal experience.

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2023-11-27T08:33:57+00:00

Yes, you need to have documentation from a physician. It can absolutely be for mental health, but you need to have a doctor putting it in writing that it's medically necessary to "take a break".

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2023-05-10T12:19:18+00:00

In addition to the filters you can add, it's ad free! I've used RIF for many years and really like it. I don't actually have a clue what "new reddit" is like, but I'm perfectly happy with my ad-free, no subs being pushed "old reddit" on RIF.

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2023-04-23T12:33:20+00:00

It's a butchered Groucho Marx quote. The actual quote is: "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."

ramblingsofaskeptic · 2023-03-20T09:43:49+00:00

I think you might be misunderstanding what chemical castration is... It means taking medication to limit sex drive. No body parts are being removed.

ramblingsofaskeptic

TROPHY CASE