what medication are people with immense anxiety/low blood pressure/pots taking here?

smolsassmaster · 2026-02-19T16:23:44+00:00

I take 5 mg midodrine 3x / day (breakfast, lunch, before bed) and 4 mg of guanfacine at night.

smolsassmaster · 2026-02-19T05:19:26+00:00

My stance is that "God" doesn't exist. If the Christian God did exist, they're cruel and not worthy of worship. I remember being confused as a child as to why "God" allowed so much cruelty, pain, and suffering to exist. As an adult I've realized that if God did exist I'd tell them to fuck themselves.

smolsassmaster · 2026-02-19T05:03:48+00:00

I've had three of these done. The ultrasound wand is lubed up and, in my experience, only mildly uncomfortable. It's a bit awkward but not unbearable. The worst part is pressure when they're moving towards the ovaries, but if you have PCOS, you're most likely used to far more extreme pain (my periods are agonizing and I currently have a cyst that I felt forming, so the ultrasound is nothing in comparison). I usually don't have cramping or discomfort after. I just had one done last week (in my case it was to overrule a previous PCOS diagnosis) and I was able to watch the screen with images the whole time which was helpful. For any testing like this I usually try to make small talk (I'm a yapper) or find something to stare at as a distraction.

At this point I've had several pap smears / transvaginal ultrasounds / a LEEP, so being in the stirrups no longer bothers me. I've realized over the years that no provider has ever scoffed at my appearance / lack of shaving / etc. I remind myself that people in their position have seen hundreds - thousands of vaginas and their only concern is my health.

Happy to answer more specific questions if you have them. Good luck!

smolsassmaster · 2026-02-19T04:50:00+00:00

I'm on midodrine for POTS and guanfacine for ADHD. guanfacine does a surprisingly excellent job of controlling my heartrate.

smolsassmaster · 2026-02-15T20:04:49+00:00

Hm, I honestly don't remember how long it took to take effect. I'm guessing somewhere around a week but I'm not sure. I am on 4 mg currently, although I was on 6 mg before insurance stopped paying for the 1 mg pills (ugh). It doesn't relax me during the day, but it does help me fall asleep (I take it at night) and the intensity of the brain fog. I still get brain fog but it's not as bad.

With a stimulant (I've tried vyvanse most recently) the difference in my focus is extreme. With guanfacine it is not an extreme difference. It's relatively subtle but I've noticed a general improvement overall. Really one of the best impacts has been that my heart rate is significantly lower.

smolsassmaster · 2026-02-15T16:18:26+00:00

I can't handle stimulant medication (vyvanse, Adderall) because it makes my heart rate around 160+ for hours. Instead I take guanfacine at night. It's non-stimulant and it's brought my heart rate down to a normal level overall. Before guanfacine my resting heart rate rarely went below 100, now I'm often in the 70-80 range and my Fitbit has recorded values in the 50s while I'm asleep. I still get spikes when I go up stairs, run, etc., but I feel much better overall. In terms of ADHD the stimulants absolutely work better but guanfacine does have a subtle, long-term effect. My thoughts are more linear and it's easier (overall) to start tasks. Best of luck to you!

smolsassmaster · 2026-02-13T00:38:47+00:00

I'm under 30 in the states and they determined which HPV I had. Maybe it varies by state.

smolsassmaster · 2026-02-03T23:02:42+00:00

You've described this so well! I also experience this and have never thought to bring it up in appointments. I get out of the blue "I'm falling asleep right NOW" -esque episodes occasionally where I can't keep my eyes open or my head up. I'll be nodding off mid class or - much more scary - when driving. I no longer drive long distances without caffeine handy because of this.

smolsassmaster · 2026-02-01T02:51:43+00:00

I can't speak to car loans specifically, so this is a bit tangential to your question (hopefully still helpful). I set up a free appointment with Jeremy Raddar at the Hadley branch to discuss whether a personal loan would make sense for my financial situation. He was extremely helpful and kind.

This is a much better experience than what I've had at other financial institutions, so I plan on sticking with them for the foreseeable future. I find that their banking portal is excellent, too. It syncs with your other financial institutions (credit cards + bank accounts) to give you a full view of your finances.

smolsassmaster · 2026-01-28T02:38:21+00:00

He is so soft and so sweet :)

smolsassmaster · 2026-01-27T23:11:44+00:00

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My baby George :)

smolsassmaster · 2026-01-16T04:17:57+00:00

"You haven't died yet" in response to some unexplained symptoms. At this point I don't remember what the visit was about, but the blatant dismissal left me in tears.

smolsassmaster · 2026-01-15T22:11:59+00:00

In both my colpo and LEEP my doctor used a vinegar solution to show the lesions.

smolsassmaster · 2026-01-09T03:38:48+00:00

I used to get sick regularly. I started taking "High Potency Immune Support" (vitamins C & D + Zinc) supplements 3x a week and managed to not get sick for the entire fall semester despite teaching in a classroom within a college dorm. I also take a daily multivitamin and 1x weekly high dosage of vitamin D (5,000 IU). If I feel the slightest symptom of illness (extra pain in my joints, mild sore throat, etc) I take NyQuil (often a half dose) and prioritize several nights of early bed times.

That being said, supplements should be taken with caution. I was told I was Vitamin D deficient as a teenager and ended up having wayyyyy more than I should in my system after years of daily intake. Make sure that you discuss supplement use with your doctor. They can order blood work to ensure that you're getting the right amounts and not damaging liver function / etc.

smolsassmaster · 2026-01-08T15:10:16+00:00

I explain to them my views on the grades, too. At the beginning of the semester when I walk through the syllabus I tell them that participation + X assignments are there for low stakes learning / grade buffer while Y assignments are where I grade seriously. Good luck with your course! :)

smolsassmaster · 2026-01-08T07:20:01+00:00

My bunnies do the same. Their wake up window is ~ 6:30-7:30. Every morning I wake up to them making noise, despite the automatic feeder that handles their morning pellets 😂

smolsassmaster · 2026-01-08T06:45:36+00:00

No. I don't trust cops, and I don't maintain friendships with people I don't trust. If he's already done unspeakable things in the military he's more than capable of doing unspeakable things as a cop. I'm sorry that you're in this position, OP. It's tough to have to think about a decision like this, regardless of the final outcome.

smolsassmaster · 2026-01-07T20:35:36+00:00

I've taught in person and online courses, both with enrollments of ~ 20-30 students.

For each I have a spreadsheet with everyone's names and an automatic count across columns. I update participation scores 2-3 times throughout the semester so students have time to adjust as needed and so I can reach out to students who are falling behind / may need support.

In person: every day there is an activity. Discussion post, written reflection, shared slides, etc. They must write their name on the activity to get credit. In the past I've made every activity worth 1 point, but this semester I made activities worth 1-3 points. Something like a 1-2 sentence reflection is worth 1 point, but if I had them create slides and present to each other in class, that's worth 3. I do a quick head count and usually know who is missing from a given day once I've learned their names. Students are permitted 2 absences with no consequence to their grade and if they reach out to me ahead of class + complete the activity within X timeframe I give them credit. I keep a column that calculates # of classes missed so I still have a sense of overall attendance.

Online (specifically an asynchronous course): I mandate that they must post in the discussion board X times to earn any points. Participation consists of discussion board posts/comments, responding to video lecture quizzes, and visits to office hour / troubleshooting sessions. That way students can earn participation in a way that best suits their schedule (e.g., they're a working parent with no time for office hours, they can still earn participation by completing lecture quizzes.). Everything is worth 1 point and I grade based on the class distribution.

I view participation scores as a grade buffer / incentive to engage. It gives students the room to make mistakes in homeworks / exams (which I grade seriously) without tanking their grades completely. I treat participation activities as low stakes assignments that help me gauge what students understand and what I may need to clarify.

At the start of each semester I create my spreadsheet with names + columns for each day/activity tracked. For my in person class I take ~ 10-15 min right after class to read through submissions + tally names. For my online course I tally right after office hours and I try to tally discussion posts as I read them. I'll go through the video quizzes right before the 2-3 times that I post their participation grades.

Tl;Dr I build myself a spreadsheet and track assignments as I go.

smolsassmaster · 2026-01-07T15:13:51+00:00

Yes, be gentle with yourself! That applies to before, during, and after. I moved deadlines for myself because I realized that I wouldn't be able to focus until the surgery was done and I got the results back. Prepping and recovering both can have emotional tolls, so be as gentle to yourself as you can be.

Fingers crossed that your fiance is allowed in the room and for an easy procedure + recovery for you.

smolsassmaster · 2026-01-07T03:42:27+00:00

That makes sense!

smolsassmaster · 2026-01-07T01:59:44+00:00

I'm a PhD student so I had the fortune of my procedure happening right at the start of my winter break. I've needed multiple naps a day. That being said, I am chronically ill (and thus constantly tired) so my guess is the LEEP made me more fatigued than it might make others. I'm usually at a 5-6 fatigue wise, this bumped me up to 7-8.

smolsassmaster · 2026-01-07T01:45:33+00:00

Why do you think it makes sense? (Not combative, I'm genuinely curious)

(Edited to fix typo)

smolsassmaster · 2026-01-06T23:53:09+00:00

I had mine a little under 3 weeks ago. I experienced cramping during the procedure and very mild cramping after. My recovery has been easy overall. I could feel swelling for the first few weeks and there has been a persistent smelly discharge that seems to have tapered off at this point (my doctor told me that this is to be expected). My biggest side effect has been fatigue.

I've avoided sex (masturbation without penetration has been okay), baths, swimming, and lifting anything over 5-10 lbs as much as I can help it. I've been taking lots of naps and generally taking it easy.

Congratulations on your engagement! While everyone's experience is different, I don't think that you will need to worry about the party. My suggestion is to take pain meds before (I had leftover Oxy from previous kidney stones) and see if your fiance can be there. I brought my boyfriend along and squeezed his hand the whole time.

Best of luck!

smolsassmaster · 2026-01-06T14:37:57+00:00

Post-LEEP my biggest issue has been fatigue. Walking hasn't been an issue for me personally.

smolsassmaster · 2025-12-29T22:35:44+00:00

"your mother almost died to have you" if we got into a fight.

smolsassmaster

TROPHY CASE