Info: 17F, Caucasian, 5'5/165cm 126lbs/57kgs, only current medications are 75mg spironolactone for hormonal acne and 20mg cetirizine (one 10mg tab in the morning, one at bedtime) for allergies
For as long as I can remember, I've had nasal congestion on both sides. I can't remember what it's like to functuonally breathe through my nose. I'm a mouth breather because it's the only way I can breathe, which negatively impacts my sleep quality, and I have to wear a mask at all times outside so people can't see me mouth breathing lol. It's also very uncomfortable; there's a constant feeling of pressure around my nose and eyes.
The oral medications I've tried are (all for at least a couple months, double the typical daily dose with permission from my doctor): -Allegra -Zyrtec (what I'm currently using) -Claritin -Hydroxyzine hcl (haven't tried the pamoate version)
The nasal sprays I've tried are (1-2 sprays in each nostril, twice a day): -Nasonex (mometasone) -Nasacort (triamcinolone) -Flonase (fluticasone) -Generic rhinocort (budesonide) I've never used any sprays containing phenylephrine or oxymetazoline, so I don't think it's possible to be rebound congestion.
And nothing has helped the congestion. I have seen improvement with red, itchy eyes and an itchy throat/roof of my mouth (I had an allergy panel done because I thought I was allergic to my cats, but apparently it's a dust mite allergy), but the congestion stays no matter what. When I look up my nose, the nasal walls(?) are always bright red and so swollen they're pressing together so no air can get through. At night, if I use breathe right strips, I can just barely breathe through my nose which reduces the dry throat and drooling I always wake up to, but it's not enough to be comfortable.
What can I do? Does this seem like something that might require surgical correction? Are there other medication classes that I could try? Anything helps, and thank you for reading this :'D

If you don’t like James Edwards I don’t want to hear you complain about him. But for people who like his insight and intel, do you feel like you get good information from the podcast. How does it compare to Buns & Cardigan?
I’ve only been listening to the Pistons Pulse for Pistons podcasts and I really like Bryce’s takes, but I feel like Omari doesn’t have as much intel as Edwards does with the Athletic.
Thoughts?

Thank you to those who recommended Bart Torvik, I completely forgot about it. I decided to look at a specific type of player that I call "athletic shooters who are underwhelming." To find these players I used the following criteria:

• AST/TO LESS THAN 1.2 (not much of a creator on ball)
• STL% LESS THAN 1.5 (not creating many turnovers)
• AT LEAST 6-5 AND MAX 6-10
• OVER 25 DUNKS (have very good bounce)
• AT LEAST 4 3PA (shoot a lot of threes)
• AT LEAST 39% 3PT (are making threes at a high rate)

Here are the players that fit that description:
Athletic Shooter Who Are Mid
Obviously this list includes Dalton Knecht as that is the guy I'm evaluating for this draft. But the other names on the list are eerily similar players who have been very mediocre in the NBA. Semi Ojeleye ended up losing his shooting confidence on the Celtics bench but was a great defender against Giannis, but never did enough to solidify his role in the league. Ochai Agbaji, I haven't seen much of in the league but from what I hear he's been just ok, not super bad but not very good. Jordan Nwora hasn't done anything in the league and is already on his 3rd team. Obi Toppin is the most successful guy on this list, but from what I've seen of him this year, he can really score sometimes but gets cooked on defense far too often. Brady Manek was fun to watch on that UNC team but went undrafted and I think he's playing abroad now? Omari Spellman was great for Villanova in 2018, but didn't make it in the league. Richaun Holmes has had some good years in the NBA and earned a good contract, but has had years where he's hardly played.
Looking at this list, I think it should be a big red flag for Knecht. I don't want to completely write off the kid as he's clearly worked extremely hard to get to where he's at. But even if he ends up on the high end of this range of players, that's not a player I think is worthy of a lottery pick.
EDIT: I meant for the 3pt/100 to be over 5, not for at least 4 3pta. The new list removes the big men and Toppin. Still leaves Knecht in the company of Agbaji, Nwora, Windler, and Ojeleye. All of those guys are comparable.
Here's the screenshot to show how similarly these guys stats are:
https://preview.redd.it/9qwehjzb0p2d1.png?width=1172&format=png&auto=webp&s=5f43e9580e3db430c9900eeb7e6331fd9c748593

Hi all,
Symptoms for last two years: + Dry nasal inflammation internally. No infection. + Incredibly stiff shoulders and neck.
29M, 180cm, 88kg, living in EU, IBS and reflux sufferer since 14, moved into a new apartment in July 2022 and a couple of months later I started to have nasal inflammation (no infection, no runny nose or no mucus just nose getting blocked like concrete) and breathing problems through nose gave me tens of other physical anxiety symptoms which last year ended up in 9 months of antidepressants and psychotherapy. Since I moved in, I have observed silverfish around the apartment from time to time and since they are an indication of dust and dust mites, my focus was always on fixing probable dust mite issue. Although if mites existed I believe they would've been already eliminated because of the stuff I tried.
Stuff I tried:

• Examinations by ENT and family doctor
• Stop consuming milk products or at least lactose most of the time.
• To reduce dust mite and silverfish population, lowering the humidity, lowering the heat, and getting rid of dust/papers/cereals in the apartment.
• Administrating Avamys spray for months (Fluticasone furoate)
• Administrating Nasonex spray for months (Mometasone furoate monohydrate)
• Administrating Flonase spray for months (Fluticasone propionate)
• 240mg Pseudoedepherine tablets (can't use them anymore due to triggering physical anxiety symptoms)
• Crebros antihistamine tablets (Levocetirizine dihydrochloride)
• Loratin antihistamine tablets (Loratadine)
• Neti Pot (Water + Salt + Xylitol)
• Saline sprays (Water + Salt)
• Nasal Inhilator (Ocalyptus + Menthol)
• Moistruzer nose spray (Natural oils)
• Allergodil antihistamine nose spray (azelastine)
• Air Dehumidifier
• Air Humidifier
• Air Purifier
• Keeping windows open for days
• Vacuuming floors and furnitures daily with HEPA filtered self-cleaning robot, 800W HEPA Filtered floor Vacuum, HEPA Filtered Cordless FlooHand Vacuum, and Mattress Cleaner emitting UV light.
• Xylometazoline spray (This becomes a last resort if I can't sleep at night, but I can live without using for months)
• Nasal strips (Using at nights, they somewhat saved me from dependency on Xylometazoline)
• Massage Gun in case if the nasal issues are the result of constant muscle tension instead of vice-versa.

Tests conducted:

• Blood allergy test for common allergens (which came out negative for everything)
• Nasal endoscopy by ENT (Some dryness was found, but no polyps, no deviation, no infection)
• At home Sleep Apnea Test by sleep clinic with and without CPAP (No apnea or blood oxygen issue was found, but intermediate hypopnea was found probably due to nasal inflammation)
• Nasal breathing test, which showed improvement in breathing through nose when Xylometazoline is administrated which indicated to my doctor the Xylometazoline dependency, but quitting the spray for months doesn't show any improvement. Go to QuitAfrin and you will see no one had issues after quitting the spray for at most two weeks.

Things I did not try yet but I will be looking into this year:

• VivAer or any surgical procedure
• CT Scan (Tomograhpy) on sinuses
• Seeing an allergist on July 2024.
• Mold test
• Test to see what chemicals are used for wall paints. (Happened to another Redditor)
• Lose weight (I was 65 kg in 2020, last year ended up almost 100kg due to antidepressant but I already started having health issues when I went over 80 kg in 2021.)
• Wheat-free diet, keto diet and other anti-inflammatory diets.
• Wet fasting, dry fasting, daily intermittent fasting.
• Acupunture, spa, sensory deprivation tank, massage, exercise/cardio/lifting at gym, yoga to reduce anxiety and also sauna (one Redditor fixed his issue permanently by going to sauna only two times)
• Kimchi powder

I'm open for all recommendations or possible diagnoses. American friends, please don't tell me to move out, here healthcare is free not moving out.
Thank you

16m
5'8"
160lbs (14-17% bodyfat)
White/Caucasian
I take prescribed Symbicort (80/4.5, two puffs twice daily, occasionally I only get around to taking 2 or 3.) This is for asthma. I have been taking Symbicort for two years now.
Albuterol: as needed, so not very often anymore, maybe once or twice a month.
I also have seasonal allergies that prompt me to take Nasonex, or Claritin as needed. At most twice a week for either.
No recreational substance use, tobacco, marijuana, alcohol, nothing, clean as a whistle. However, I do consume energy drinks in moderate amounts, 3/4 or a full monster energy in the mornings, but not immediately before runs (anymore). I don't use pre-workout either.
Primary complaint:
I've been in the running and lifting space for around to years now, but I began noticing problems roughly one year ago, when I joined cross country. My coach insisted on early start times, and he even pushed me to run much further and much faster than I had ever before. Two miles when my prior greatest distance was one mile, 8:30/min pace when my training pace should have been 10:00/mile. So I would wake up after like 6.5 hours of sleep, chug a monster energy, take two inhalations of Symbicort, and one or two inhalations of albuterol. then essentially sprint for twenty minutes straight, with only around 60oz of water in my system. (Also note that my diet contained a load of sodium, 2500-3000mg/day, but no breakfast) During these runs my heart rate would hover around the 200 mark, and usually peaked around 205-210 every day. During my runs, I would experience some mild lightheadedness, dizziness, and usually chest pains. I would also very frequently run with the taste of blood in my mouth, which I've heard is due to high blood pressure. I'd best describe these runs as "fighting for my life", due to the world of intensity they introduced me to. The lifting alternative to these runs is deadlift maxing five times a day, every day. After these runs, I would be almost dazed, very quite dizzy, lightheaded just short of passing out, and my heart would palpitate, flutter, and skip beats for about ten minutes.
I felt that I was willful enough to run myself to death, considering all these details, so I quit after about a month of no improvement, and my times/symptoms only worsening. After cross country, I found myself winded when doing simple things like climbing stairs, and according to my watch data (GW4) my VO2 max decreased from the high 40s, the year before, to 33-37. I also had a newfound lightheadedness, like when moving from lying down to standing quickly, I would get dizzy, for the first time, I knew it as a phenomenon, but I couldn't relate before then. For about four months afterwards, my heart would continue to palpitate, and skip beats. As of now, I really only see the beat skipping once or twice during runs when I breathe out of sync, still unusual compared to my pre-cross country abilities. I've also found it very hard to make running progress, I have some pretty immense strength/endurance building genetics that make progressing in any physical discipline pretty easy, but now, I find that I've just plateaued in my running.
TLDR: I'm worried that I caused myself cardiac damage last year by running too hard, too far, too long, dehydrated, caffeinated, sleep deprived, and on Symbicort/albuterol. It's still a problem now because my heart rate is always high when running, 180s, 190s even at a comfortable nose breathing/conversational pace. Which for me is only 9-10min/mile. I'd like some advice on this before I rejoin cross country and possibly worsen my situation.

Link to labs screenshots: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yvt1w399NS-xR73O60e_u40uTZNtfnB0?usp=sharing
As required: 31F, 5'3, white, dizziness and light-headed, ~2 months intermittently, other med issues: heartburn, insomnia, adhd, current meds: adderall xr, trazodone, prevacid, micro-magic-psilocybin, flonase, yes drink, no smoke, no rec drugs (except the magic above).
l've experienced dizziness, nausea, tiredness, some pain with deep breaths and just feeling like breathing is shallow, sometimes tunnel vision, and light-sensitivity. Occasionally w/ dizzy/light-headedness I'll get increased HR, tunnel vision, feeling faint, weakness- at which point I'll lay down for a bit until I feel better. Seems to happen most with stress+ accidentally tensed up muscles and/or high activity level. The dr said it was likely my ears even though they looked normal. He did a maneuver to reset my ear crystals, but it didn't really help. Then he tried to just prescribe me dramamine and send me home. Lol I asked him to please test my iron levels for the heck of it, but l'm not sure if he did adequate testing. Shouldn't I have gotten a ferritin measurement as well? And others? Anyways, iron came back low. Everything else normal. Dr prescribed 200 mg iron daily with vitamin C, and retest in 3 months.
Labs (as screenshots) are linked in folder above, files labeled 1 through 9.
Can someone tell me if these tests are adequate though? I am skeptical... other people have more tests? Dr didn't suspect iron deficiency (I think he was so set on it being my ear crystals... really only did blood because I insisted) so I wouldn't be surprised if this is not enough. But I don't understand any of the abbreviations (looks like they also ran immune panel and other basics), so maybe there is more iron-related stuff I'm just not seeing?
Do iron levels vary from day to day? How quickly should these supplements help?
I have taken the supplement 2 days now and honestly I feel even more nauseous. I don't want to go on taking this for 3 months and possibly for the rest of my life without being sure I need it and without ruling out other indirect causes. Aside from prescribing the iron, dr didn't tell me anything else like if my symptoms could be attributed to the low iron/ which ones/what to watch out for etc. Is the level mildly or moderately or seriously low? Could that be causing all of the above symptoms? I should also note, my periods are and have always been super heavy. Also, my diet isn't great (it's also not the worst) but is relatively healthy compared to how it was years ago. I do eat a lot of cereal, meat, etc., but not a ton of veggies besides salad
Also, I have had vertigo with ear infections and allergies in the past, and even though my ears are not currently infected and I'm not sick, they always pop often and feel full
Also, I have an appointment with an eye-specialist next week to see if it's something called binocular vision dysfunction (I tend to close one eye while reading, and the vertigo seems worse with certain vision stuff). I may cancel that if this is all easily explained by the low iron, though?
TIA for any insight :)

Female, 33, 5'3, 243lbs. Currently on Allegra, Singulair, Nasonex Nasal Spray, Olopatadine nasal spray (as well as Adderall and Lexapro) I'm allergic to almost all environmental allergens. (Per the modified blood test) I was previously on Zyrtec and Flonase (prescribed by allergist) but they stopped working.
Hey all! I saw an ENT about a month ago, because I suspected nasal polyps. He saw some on my left side but couldn't get the endoscope down on my right because my septum is deviated. He mentioned possible surgery, and sent me for a CT scan. I see my ENT again next week for a follow up on the CT and take next steps. In the CT scan report it says this:
"FINDINGS: There is polypoid soft tissue at the nasal cavity, consistent with nasal polyposis. There is extensive mucosal thickening throughout paranasal sinuses. There may be minimal dependent fluid at right sphenoid sinus cavity,. Extensive ethmoid opacification. There is near complete opacification of frontal sinuses with mucosal thickening and fluid present.
Minimal mastoid fluid. Middle ear cavities appear well aerated,
There is rightward deviation the nasal septum. There is bilateral ostiomeatal unit occlusion.
Orbits and visualized intracranial structures appear unremarkable.'
Can someone explain this to me in simpler terms? Am I going to have to have surgery? Will they fix my septum as well as the polyps?
Thank you

I want to know how YOU would handle the following situation...
My father in law body, age and fat shames me regularly while depending on my husband and I for all his needs... I need advice.
He and I usually cut up pretty well and we agree on a lot of things, but he doesn't have a filter, he's grabby, he's rude, he's ornery and overall just runs his mouth more than he should. It's gotten so bad that people are storming away from him angry in stores and he's getting treated differently than the other patients at his doctor appts. (i.e. not allowing him to be in the waiting area where he can talk to the other patients, keeping him contained to a room by himself, keeping the candy jar hidden from him and not allowing conversation to wander at all etc).
His hygiene has gotten very poor. He hasn't showered in at least 2 months and maybe 3 times total in the last year. He's filthy and he stinks BAD. He suffers major allergy issues due to the way he chooses to live and has some health issues also.
I have given him an air purifier, taken apart and cleaned his entire kitchen with bleach and a drill with a rotating brush to get layers of roach and mice turds off every surface. Installed and bait mouse and rat traps all around his house because he won't empty or bait them himself. I organized and paid for exterminators to keep the vermin to a lower population because the way he chooses to live, they will never be gone. He lives in a dilapidated house that his ex dead wife's family owns (my husband's uncle and aunt technically own this home) and they allow my FIL to live there because he pays the taxes and keeps people from stealing their grandma's few sparse posessions. If the city were to step foot on the property they would condemn it. It's got mold, roaches, mice, broken windows all around, roof caving in, the yard looks like a junkyard with numerous broken down vehicles and junk everywhere, mildew and layers upon layers of dust and spiders both inside and outside the house. Looks like it was decorated this way for Halloween, I shit you not.
He has 2 dogs who have never bathed their entire lives. He leaves the front door open no matter what the weather is like and the mice and birds are very comfortable just coming inside and eating his food right off his plate next to him on the couch. I've seen roaches crawling all over his drink and watched him drink it anyway.
He can't cook for himself. I have to cook meals at my home and either have him for dinner and then take him back home or take him food in containers. He can eat snacks and microwave simple things.
He can't do dishes; he is both physically incapable plus the drains are clogged full of roach eggs and flies. He used to claim his water heater being broken was the reason but once his other son replaced it for him nothing changed.
He changes clothes once a month or less and he can't do laundry. We bag up his laundry and wash it for him... forcing me to clean the washer and dryer afterwards... and we fold and put them away... he still wears dirty clothes.
He abuses nose spray and albuterol inhalers and he literally will go through a bottle of nose spray or his albuterol inhaler in 2 days or less. He has learned how to manipulate the emergency room to send the inhalers to a different pharmacy so he can get more of them every month. He also has his other son's in another state send him their albuterol inhalers as well as several boxes of nose spray by mail.
My husband and I spend ALL of our spare time driving 30 mile round trips every single day to ensure his father's needs are met so his dad can continue living this way. I have 2 special needs kids in the home, aged 13 and 21 who have their own sets of doctor, therpy, dentist, PT, school as well as my own and my husbands healthcare and rides to worry about. I cannot tell you the amount of time, money and cleaning spent so my FIL can sleep on a couch in a rotting house and live in a way that actually makes him sick. My husband is enabling him because he's the only parent he has left and I'm going to need advice on how to deal with that too.
Now that I've painted the picture of who I'm talking about here and how much time, energy and money is spent by me to keep him happy... would you believe this man actually has the nerve to routinely fat, age and body shame me to my face and behind my back?
I'm 5'11" and I weigh 185. I have IBS, diverticular disease and ulcerative pancolitis. At age 35 I had emergency surgery that took half of my intestines out of my body as well as my left uterine tube and ovary. So sometimes my belly gets swollen and I look fatter than I really am. Most people call me statuesque and beautiful. I'm shapely, dark hair, dark eyes, olive skin. In addition to being tall, I'm an exotic mix (white, black, chinese, native american). So I'm "attractive" by most standards. My doctor tells me my weight is healthy for my height. I am 44 and I still cycle normally despite it all and would like another child if possible. I'm also growing out my gray hair which my father in law cannot stand.
He routinely makes comments about how fat I am or that my hair is greasy or I have bags under my eyes and will call me disgusting. He will actually rip the gray hairs from the nape of my neck and he talks about me so much that my husband's ex wife and her cohorts hear about it from his other son's, who dislike my husband due to the exaggerations and made up stories my FIL tells them. So the ex wife hears all this stuff and she has her daughter and sister fb calling and messaging all my family and friends screenshots of the gossip.
As you can imagine, this is grotesquely embarrassing for me. Some measures I've taken to counter this behavior include using big stretchy headbands that I can pull and stretch down around the nape of my neck and over my ears to keep him from sticking his wet freshly licked fingers in my ears and yanking the gray hairs out of my head and neck. I also have been making sure all my bags and random junk sit in the seat behind mine in the car so when we are taking him places, he sits behind my husband instead of me. This reduces his ability to touch and fuck with me the way that he does.
There have been other instances where he's grabbed my ass or tits too. He's found hairs on my shirt and picked them off and grabbed my tit hard while doing it. He's also many times grabbed and squeezed my ass. He never does it in my husband's presence however. While I will speak up when he does it and tell him to stop, I don't harbor an attitude or act like a bitch. I let a lot slide and tell my husband not to say anything (he asks me often if I want him to say something to his dad) but I don't want to add to the drama. His father already exaggerates things and makes up stories and tells everyone things that simply are not true anyway.
A good example I like to use was a choking incident he had. My FIL has no teeth and no dentures. He still eats normal for the most part unless its nuts or something like that. We were all eating a burrito together and he started choking. My husband and I both lept from our seats to help him and he cleared his own throat before we got to him. Then he told everyone in the family and all the neighbors that we sat there laughing at him while he was choking to death and that he almost died and he contends we did NOTHING to try and help him. To him this is all very funny. Just a big joke. So you can see, he's a problem parent. Big time.
The other day, he really pissed me off. One of my brothers in law is having another kid and his dad told us they found out they were having a girl. My husband mentioned always wanting a daughter of his own to raise. He has always wanted a little girl of his own, ALWAYS. While he raised 2 stepdaughters with his ex wife, having a daughter of his own is just a wish of his I hope one day to fulfill. Even in our 40's, we would welcome that.
His dad blustered at me incredulous and angry in front of my husband:
"Are you fucking kidding me! You don't need another kid! Look how fat you are! My god!! You're too old!"
I interrupted him and I said
"I guess its a good thing it's not up to you then, my doctor says my hormone levels match a 27 year olds".
So he boasts
"YOU'VE ACTUALLY SEEN A DOCTOR!!!"
That is when my husband got him to change the subject and shut him up. If he hadn't I was about to lose my shit. Thats a sensitive subject for me for a lot of reasons. Getting pregnant isn't as easy for me as it is for most women and yes we are seeing a fertility specialist. My ex husband abused me and was terrible to me during my pregnancies. Having a pregnancy with a loving husband is something I absolutely would invite into my life now that I have a loving husband. I've also had two miscarriages trying to get pregnant in this last year. We really have been trying very hard to have another child, but his father doesn't know that. We can't say anything because we know what we would get in return.
My father in law also is very controlling and has to do everything his way. He gets jealous of the amount of time his son spends with me and creates situations to interfere in our lives much like an annoying mother in law would do.
If he's feeling like he's not priority he will make my husband drive the 30 mile trip to his house to take him to the emergency room and sit with him and hold his hand while they tell him nothing is wrong with him. He gets lonely, calls and says he can't breathe and demands to be taken. He refuses to call 911 like a normal person with actual breathing issues would do. We have to waste our gas and take him ourselves. Mostly to work the doctors and pharmacy into giving him another albuterol inhaler or flonase nose spray, both he abuses.
I had surgery on my arm a couple weeks ago (carpal and cubital tunnel release) and this surgery was planned for many months in advance. I already outlined above the level of attention and care we give to this man. The week of my surgery, we kept trying to get him to do his usual stuff. Get his groceries, pay his bills, get his scripts, go to his appts etc etc etc. He refused. Every single day he wasn't feeling well. Sinuses too stuffy. Bla bla bla. First time ever he refuses to go all over hell and creation on our dime and interfere in our daily lives.
Then the day of my surgery he insists on us taking him to get his allergy shot first thing that morning. He gets these allergy shots every Friday but if he doesn't go on Fridays he has the option to go the following Monday. So instead of sleeping in and focusing on myself until my surgery time at 1pm since I hadn't eaten or drank anything since midnight the night before... I got to take him to his doctor and sit with him trying to keep him in line and try to prevent him from being abusive to the staff before my procedure. So I do that, babysit him and then rush to go have my surgery.
About 3pm they are done, I'm in recovery. 4 pm I'm back in town where we live and we get the call that we have to take him shopping. So the day of my fucking surgery not only was I inconvenienced BEFORE my proceduce when he could have waited until monday for that shot... But now I'm sitting in my car, half awake, in pain, crying and trying to recover from surgery while my husband does all the bullshit he wants to do because NOW is the time he finally wants to do it. I dropped a few comments then about how it would been nice if he had let us handle this stuff at any point during the week before today. But he didn't say anything. Instead he started bitching about the weeds we killed with weed killer before my surgery and he made my husband get out there and weed wack the dead brown weeds that were basically dust at this stage. All it did is made a dust cloud in his yard. Now he's insisting we start chopping down a tree when I'm still recovering and have my own shit I need to do over here. But I digress..
Then the next day he calls saying he needs my husband to take him to the ER, that he can't breathe. Refuses to call 911, let his neighbor or anyone else take him. So basically he can't stand the idea of my husband caring for me... he should be over there caring for him. It's ridiculous!
He pulled something similar last summer when I had emergency gallbladder removal surgery. I asked him to call his grandson to take him to Walmart to get his Allegra D from the pharmacy. He goes through that too fast also and they won't let him get it more than once every two weeks so either myself or my husband would use our ID and get it for him. I was too sick still after surgery to drive him and my husband needed to care for me. He got legitimately angry and cussed me out because I made him find another way. He hasn't asked us to get it in over 2 months because he told my husband's brother we refuse to help him anymore and the brother is getting it and mailing it from out of town.
Yesterday was my final straw day.
There I am in my car working (self employed can work basically anywhere with my phone) and now 2 weeks out of surgery. I decided to sit and work while my husband took his father shopping and to get his scripts and the usual his allergy shot etc. Normally I go in with them but this time work was busy and to be totally honest I'm tired of his shit. I chose to stay and work to avoid the situation with him all together; Yes, I'm admitting I'm doing that. So yesterday at the store when they were finished shopping and finished loading up the back of the truck, my father in law gets back in the truck while my husband is returning his motorized cart for him... and thats when he starts in...
"He's going slow today! Says he hurt his back! He was complaining about his back to everyone in line! I told the guy next to me, his wife, she's at least 250 pounds and he says '250 POUNDS MY GOD!!!!' I told him you won't get off him in the morning! You can't leave him alone, just climbing up on top and riding him until his doinker falls off and look now you've gone and broken his back! You can't just get up there on top like that when you're a great big fat person. You're destroying his back! And you want to have a kid! JESUS!! You're already fat, do you know what you would look like pregnant? You know how a buffalo looks with the hump???"
I see my husband approaching and hearing some of this so I just took this opportunity to speak up. By speak up, I mean say something in a normal tone of voice very calmly and nicely. But still standing up for myself. That is how I handle myself.. Years of abuse have left me sometimes afraid to use my voice. It's just my way and how I handle things.
I said to him,
"You know, I could be spending my money lots of other ways than running you everywhere you want to go when you want to go but I choose to do this out of the kindness of my heart. It wouldn't hurt you to show me the same kindness and stop tearing me down all the time about my weight. It hurts my feelings and I don't like it. It makes me feel bad about myself. I don't bring up how bad you smell or the fact that you've totally given up on taking a shower do I? I don't tell you that you belong in assisted living because we have to do all this shit for you that you can't do for yourself, do I?"
This man was shell shocked that I stood up to him like that. His eyes got REAL big and I could tell he was really embarrassed.
Thats when my husband now in his seat asks "what the hell is going on here?" and his dad says "IDK I guess I need to watch what I say she's being overly sensitive." So my husband spoke up and said to his dad "She is never going to be ok with anyone talking about her weight dad". I mean like yes, hello... I don't know any woman that would be ok with this treatment honestly. Even back in his day this was not acceptable. He is 69 years old, not 169 years old.
His father tried to backtrack and acted like the buffalo comment had nothing to do with the weight comment and totally deleted the pregnancy comment all together as if he never said it. I made one more comment in my husband's presence.
I said
"When you make comments about my body and my weight, it really hurts my feelings."
My FIL then gave me the silent treatement and after I helped unload and put away his groceries (he can't do that himself either) he refused to give me a hug when we left like usual.
After we left my husband commented that he never says this stuff in his presence. I said to him
"Well papa said in the store you were right there talking about your back hurting to the guy next to him in line, and that is when he started telling him it was because I won't leave you alone in the morning and that whole thing leading into the buffalo thing".
My husband said he was getting mad now because he wasn't there at all and didn't hear him saying anything like that. I don't know what the truth is, IDC that much. Even if he heard him and didn't speak up I'm not going to get mad at him because I know what a scene his dad would make if he had. I let that slide too.
Let me be clear, my husband is willing to speak up and do whatever I would ask in this situation. He is the kind that will fight for you however you desire. His ex wife abused that love in him and would make him fight her battles and I just do not operate that way. If anything, I've already gotten him to go easier on his dad as well as other people in his family when they incite drama. They used to get in fights and not talk for a month at a time and I just don't think that is healthy either. My husband has gotten a lot better at how to deal with people in general because of me... and that includes the way he handles his dad and now his dad is angry with me. That can potentially bring a whole new set of problems into my life.
In my last marriage, my inlaws opted out entirely because I was catholic and not pentecostal evangelist like they were. So being rejected by inlaws isn't new to me and knowing how much that rejection can create problems and resentment in a relationship has me worried. This is his last living parent and the only relative he has that actually wants anything to do with my husband. His two grown boys are not in the picture because their mother expects them to hate us on her behalf and have nothing to do with their dad... and they aren't strong enough yet as young adults to tell her where to shove it. So he's got no contact with his boys right now. His brothers are all distant and with the lies his dad tells about us, they don't care for us all that much either.
I really need some advice on how to transition this man from his current situation to one that will be better for him as well as us. Yes I am talking about putting him in assisted living. I have offered to build an addition, a tiny home, get an RV or fifth wheel and put on my property for him to live in. It would for sure save us a ton of money taking him places as well as give him a clean and vermin free place to live. He refuses. He also needs more care lets face it, I think we all are on the same page by now with that. But how do I have this conversation with my husband? Or do I not have that conversation with him? He's already told me "My dad is going to die in that house, thats what he wants, thats his choice". But his dad's choice is costing us so much money, time and also is creating a ton of drama. His dad's needs also interfere in our ability to focus on any of our own projects or chores. We have to make my adult son who is special needs, take insurance funded transportation to some of his doctor appointments because my father in law refuses to switch to the right insurance plan for his age group so he can get transportation himself. He wouldn't use it if it was available to him anyway. He has a neighbor across the street willing to give him rides but it has to be my husband and only my husband. We legitimately rearrange our entire lives around caring for this man.
Let me be clear, I do not mind caring for this man. I just want it to be reasonable and it has long run past the boundary of reason. Nobody understands older people better than I do. I grew up in Florida and I spent a lot of time with all my older neighbors and friends. Lots of retirees with different problems wither its senile dementia setting in or just lonliness because their families have all moved on. I speak old people, okay. My FIL just is creating way too much stress for me and I really do not know how to remedy this situation. It's spiraled so far out of control now and the way he creates drama between my husband and his siblings prevents anyone from having any real talks about what to do with him.
To conclude... I need advice on what to do with my FIL. Do I force the assisted living conversation on my husband? Do I call adult protective services and report this anonymously? Do I turn the house in to the city or county? Do I try and reach out to the brothers who hate us due to the lies this man spins? That situation got so hostile one brother has us blocked and called the cops on us and we still aren't sure why. All because of the B.S. stories this man likes to tell. All he does is get on the phone and complain with made up stories to anyone who listens. Do I continue letting him run my life? All while being body shamed?
Being continuously fat, age and body shamed is a huge trigger not only for me but for my 13 year old daughter. We both at different times in our lives have struggled with eating disorders and have both fought very hard to start accepting ourselves and our bodies for how they are. We both struggle with anxiety as well and the way this man behaves is comparable to trying to make someone with a fear of dogs sit in a room full of pit bulls.
Please be kind. I won't respond to negative comments. I'm open to all ideas on how you would handle the situation. Thank you.

Almost 2 weeks ago today (Saturday, April 14) I woke up with a clogged left ear. It felt like lots of pressure in my ear and I needed to pop it but couldn’t. No pain, no dizziness, no tinnitus, etc. The day before, my hearing was perfectly normal however when I went to bed, I noticed it sounded like there was some kind of yoyo in my ear when I went to put my phone down. If I moved my head, there was a slight buzzing noise.
Monday, April 16 I went to my PCP. No ear wax, fluid, or infection. She told me to try Flonase. The next day I called back and asked if she could prescribe a steroid because Flonase wasn’t helping. She prescribed 20mg of prednisone for 4 days.
In the mean time, I scheduled an apt with my ENT for Friday. My ear was about the same by this time. He did a hearing test and “the left ear was a type A tymp which means no fluid, no perforation, but there is a never hearing change on the left at 4K, a difference of about 20 dB compared to the right side.” ENT put me on a tapering dose of methylprednisolone because he said prednisone was no strong enough, however the highest dose I was on was 24 mg. He said it was Eustachian tube dysfunction. He told me that should fix it but to come back if it didn’t.
By Monday, April 22 the pressure was still horrible and I called back but he had no apts. I saw another ENT who thankfully took me very seriously. She’s not convinced it’s ETD but said we will call it that for now without any further testing. She wanted to act fast and said no one put me on high enough steroids, but was hesitant to put me on 60mg since I have already been on a low dose for a week.
She put me on more prednisone which I am taking now. I started at 40mg for 3 days and this made almost all the pressure go away, but then I hear a constant low whooping sound in my ear. Now I’m on 30mg for 3 days and the pressure is back again.
The pressure and ringing are always separated, it’s one or the other. My ear is either full of pressure with no ringing, or it’s no pressure and it’s ringing. With the ringing, it doesn’t change my I press on my neck veins, however I can shake my head and it’ll go on and off. My hearing in my left is still there, it just feels like a lot of pressure.
She said if this round of steroids doesn’t work, I need blood work done for auto immune diseases and an MRI. I have a follow up apt on May 8.
I also noticed on the days it got better, my jaw under my ear with tingly. Not like pins and needles, but more like lightening. She said I could have TMJ which makes it worse. I do already use a mouth guard.
Other notes are: - it always is the most pressure / worst when I wake up in the morning. Then it seems within an hour or two of taking the steroid, the pressure is better and the ringing starts. - I can “pop” my ears but the pressure still stays - yesterday it started that when I pop my ears, it sounds like it’s clicking too
I messaged my ENT today (Saturday, April 27) since the pressure is getting worse after I taper but she’s not in again until Monday. I’m getting really anxious that it keeps coming and going, and some people on this sub say it’s an emergency and to go to the ER, but my doc didn’t say that. I’m most nervous that it is a tumor or I’m going to lose my hearing forever. But I do still have my hearing and the loss seems to be mild? It’s just the pressure really. I’m not sure what to do.
Has anyone experienced anything similar? Any stories/advice appreciated. Thank you!!
Update: I’m going to go to the ER. Better to be safe than sorry with hearing loss.
Update 2: ER doc didn’t do much and said they couldn’t do an MRI or CAT scan. They upped my prednisone dose to 60mg for 5 or 6 days and said it is SSHL.

I quit cold turkey over a month ago. It was going ok. I used lots of saline spray, flonase, and breathe right strips to get me through the days and nights, but it was never the same. I saw very little improvement compared to just taking a hit off the Afrin once a night.
I was content trying to go without it and toughing it out more, but I got sick last week and was completely unable to sleep. Hitting the Afrin made it so I could get that needed rest. I've been having a hard time sleeping without it.
I'm a the point where I don't see why I shouldn't just use it to get to sleep. What's worse, taking a couple sprays of afrin once a day or bad sleep? I hardly even get what the downside is to afrin at this point aside the dependence.

Hi all,
I saw many individuals here who have gone through similar stuff as I did but most of those threads ended up unanswered or unsolved. I'm just looking for possible solutions from people who might've managed to solve their issue and didn't have time to update their threads or didn't even open one because it's affecting my quality of life very immensely last two years.
29M, 180cm, 88kg, and living in the EU, IBS and reflux sufferer since 14, moved into a new apartment in July 2022 and a couple of months later I started to have nasal inflammation (no infection, no runny nose or no mucus just nose getting blocked like concrete) and breathing problems through nose gave me tens of other physical anxiety symptoms which last year ended up in 9 months of antidepressants and psychotherapy. Since I moved in, I have observed silverfish around the apartment from time to time and since they are an indication of dust and dust mites, my focus was always on fixing probable dust mite issue. Although if mites existed I believe they would've been already eliminated because of the stuff I tried.
Stuff I tried:

• Examinations by ENT and family doctor
• Stop consuming milk products or at least lactose most of the time.
• To reduce dust mite and silverfish population, lowering the humidity, lowering the heat, and getting rid of dust/papers/cereals in the apartment.
• Administrating Avamys spray for months (Fluticasone furoate)
• Administrating Nasonex spray for months (Mometasone furoate monohydrate)
• Administrating Flonase spray for months (Fluticasone propionate)
• 240mg Pseudoedepherine tablets (can't use them anymore due to triggering physical anxiety symptoms)
• Crebros antihistamine tablets (Levocetirizine dihydrochloride)
• Loratin antihistamine tablets (Loratadine)
• Neti Pot (Water + Salt + Xylitol)
• Saline sprays (Water + Salt)
• Nasal Inhilator (Ocalyptus + Menthol)
• Moistruzer nose spray (Natural oils)
• Allergodil antihistamine nose spray (azelastine)
• Vitamin, mineral and relaxation supplements.
• Antidepressant (Escitalopram) and seeing a psychologist for 9 months. In case if it is anxiety based inflammation as some people written in comments.
• Air Dehumidifier
• Air Humidifier
• Air Purifier
• Keeping windows open for days
• 10+ different saunas (60 to 100 degree celcius) and spa&swimming
• Vacuuming floors and furnitures daily with HEPA filtered self-cleaning robot, 800W HEPA Filtered floor Vacuum, HEPA Filtered Cordless FlooHand Vacuum, and Mattress Cleaner emitting UV light.
• Xylometazoline spray (This becomes a last resort if I can't sleep at night, but I can live without using for months)
• Nasal strips (Using at nights, they somewhat saved me from dependency on Xylometazoline)
• Massage Gun in case if the nasal issues are the result of constant muscle tension instead of vice-versa.

Tests conducted:

• Blood allergy test for common allergens (which came out negative for everything)
• Nasal endoscopy by ENT (Some dryness was found, but no polyps, no deviation, no infection)
• At home Sleep Apnea Test by sleep clinic with and without CPAP (No apnea or blood oxygen issue was found, but intermediate hypopnea was found probably due to nasal inflammation)
• Nasal breathing test, which showed improvement in breathing through nose when Xylometazoline is administrated which kinda indicates the Xylometazoline dependency but quitting the spray for months doesn't show any improvement. Go to QuitAfrin and you will see no one had issues after quitting the spray for at most two weeks.

Things I did not try yet but I will be looking into this year:

• VivAer or any surgical procedure
• CT Scan (Tomograhpy) on sinuses
• Seeing an allergist
• Mold test
• Test to see what chemicals are used for wall paints. (Happened to another Redditor)
• Lose weight (I was 65 kg in 2020, last year ended up almost 100kg due to antidepressant but I already started having health issues when I went over 80 kg in 2021.)
• Wheat-free diet, keto diet and other anti-inflammatory diets.
• Wet fasting, dry fasting, daily intermittent fasting.
• Acupunture, spa, sensory deprivation tank, massage, exercise/cardio/lifting at gym, yoga to reduce anxiety and also sauna (one Redditor fixed his issue permanently by going to sauna only two times)
• Kimchi powder

I'm open for all recommendations, Thank you.

Skip to 2nd paragraph for my solution.
Context: I've had terrible breath for years. Initially I thought it was my wisdom teeth as they were rotting in my mouth. My tongue was white and I had a horrible taste in my mouth. Having those teeth removed helped, but I was still getting a lot of reactions. I have post nasal drip, acid reflux, dry mouth (anxiety doesn't help), and larger tonsils. I had H. Pylori when I was younger and thought about getting tested for that again, as well as SIBO, etc. Haven't done that yet though. I saw an ENT who claimed my breath was fine. My oral health (besides my white tongue) was great. I saw a dentist and didn't have any gum issues. I take probiotics, drink a ton of water, make sure to eat throughout the day because an empty stomach will make things worse.
What has essentially given me my life back is this: Every night I do oil pulling. I use Guru Nanda (I know it's trending, I promise I'm not trying to sell anything) because you only need to swish for a few minutes compared to 20-30 with plain coconut oil. When I started doing that, my breath was fresher and my tongue was becoming pink. I only do that at nighttime. The rest of my routine which is day/night is to floss, scrape my tongue, use a small irrigator syringe to clean my tonsils, use an electric toothbrush with BAKING SODA toothpaste (Arm & Hammer has a new one with Therabreath). That is so important to neutralize your mouth. Once I brush my teeth, I clean my toothbrush and put a dab of toothpaste on and start cleaning my tongue. Make sure to not only clean the back, but to go DOWN as far as you can. That is another thing that made a huge difference. I used to always go far back but I never really went down my throat. Then I rinse, and swish therabreath mouthwash for 1 minute. I spit that out, then pour a little bit more and gargle for 30 seconds. Last but not least, an absolute game changer is ALKALINE WATER. I'm so serious, this is what literally topped off my routine and made my mouth/throat feel lightweight and tasteless. Buy a brand with a PH of 9.5. I buy Smart Water and BodyArmor. They are about 32oz and I sip on it all day. After I eat, I swish some around my mouth. With acid reflux, there is an enzyme called Pepsin. That will stick to your esophagus, mouth, and sinuses. It essentially causes you to digest food in your mouth/throat which is the source of odor. It will only go away on its own, however alkaline water neutralizes it. This is what ultimately took away the gas I felt my throat was harboring. You can also do a sinus rinse, I use NeilMed Sinus Rinse from Amazon. I take Xyzal & Flonase to help with post nasal drip. I try to avoid trigger foods as well. Dairy, sugar, and anything with tomatoes are the worst for me. If I'm eating something acidic or fatty, sometimes I will take an antacid (Tums Chews) right before I eat to help avoid reflux.
But yeah, this is my story and I really hope it helps other people.

My allergies this spring are INSANE compared to the past few years. I’ll be okay, go on a run and feel fine, walk inside my house and sneeze my brains out for the next two days. Zyrtec, Benadryl, and Flonase aren’t even touching that horrible itch in my nose that feels like I need to scratch my brain. As soon as it finally goes away, it’s time for another run. Has anyone found the key to not being absolutely miserable during allergy season? I’m running every other day as of now, and I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made. I don’t want to stop if I don’t have to, but I can’t take the itchiness/sneezing/watery eyes much longer. Because of my running schedule it’s been almost a week feeling this way. Is there anything I can do that I’m not thinking of?

32F, 140 lbs 5’6, daily meds: Flonase, current meds: doxycycline, mucinex, ibuprofen, no major health concerns, history of generalized anxiety disorder
Started feeling sick with a cough about 2 weeks ago. Went to urgent care, exam and chest xray were negative at the time so we assumed viral illness and to use OTCs and ride it out (NP did prescribe steroids at the time, however I had been told by previous providers and reading here that they were largely unhelpful and I hate the emotional side effects of them, so I skipped them at the time). Never really had a period of feeling better, but by Easter was feeling absolutely awful. The next day I had a fever, high heart rate, lower than normal O2, and was constantly having chills/sweats. Went back to urgent care and she sent me to the ER since there was no xray tech available and she was hearing rales and ronchi bilaterally. ER diagnosed me with pneumonia (left lower lobe consolidation on xray) and prescribed doxycycline for a week.
I’m on day 6/7 of doxy and overall feel better. Major improvements came on days 2-3 where I no longer had fever, body aches, my hr and O2 normalized, and I was actually able to get up and function like a human. Took it easy the next couple of days and really only between yesterday and today started trying to do more. My main symptoms now are just feeling tired in general/tiring out more easily than usual and an occasional productive, hacking cough. Pollen is also exploding where we are, so I’ve had a lot of sinus/nasal drainage and congestion that’s impacting me.
I follow up with my pcp office on Tuesday, but as I was talking to my MIL today (she’s a peds NP), she insinuated that she thought I should be feeling much betteback to normal by now. I mean, I am much better compared to where I was, but my normal is going all day with two small toddlers and running half marathon distances, which…I’m nowhere near back to. Does this sound like a normal course of healing from bacterial pneumonia or should I be bouncing back more quickly? Also just curious what to expect from my follow up appointment? I’ve read X-rays can take a while to clear, but if my lungs are sounding good and other major issues have improved is it safe to say the pneumonia is gone? Also just curious about my susceptibility to future illness/pneumonia because of this as I have two small kids who bring everything home.

I never had allergies before I moved here, but over the last few years, they've slowly crept up, and now they are on full blast. I love this perfect weather but end up wheezing and leaking from my eyes and nose like a faucet after spending any time outdoors. I use Flonase and take the Claritin liqui-gels, and they're no help. 😭
What works for y'all? Anyone ever try all the different allergy meds to compare? Also contemplating Primatene mist since the wheezing turns to coughing and gagging after running. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Since I discussed H2RAs, I thought I’d delve into its sibling medication, H1RAs, which are generally referred to as antihistamines. These are the meds that you take when you have an allergy resulting in a histamine release that might cause runny nose, congestion, coughing, sneezing, itchy/watery eyes, hives, etc. (Of course, if you have difficulty breathing and throat swelling, use an Epi pen/go to the ER.)They are divided into the first and second generation namely based on their FDA approval dates, but they also tend to have some different aspects associated with each grouping.
The OGs (1st Gen) cross the blood-brain barrier, so they have the most noticeable drowsiness effects but also potentially stronger effects on blocking histamine in multiple areas of the body (GI tract, blood vessels, respiratory tract). They are also less specific to bind only to histamine receptors so they can also have more anticholinergic (dec digestion, urination, and saliva) effects. Some oral options include diphenhydramine (Benadryl-OTC/Rx), doxylamine (Unisom-OTC/Rx), cyproheptadine (Rx), brompheniramine (Dimetapp-OTC/Rx), chlorpheniramine (Chlorine-Tabs-OTC/Rx), meclizine (Travel Ease-OTC/Rx), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine-OTC/Rx), hydroxyzine (Rx), promethazine (Phenergan-Rx), etc. These meds are meant to be used on an as needed basis unless under medical supervision. Caution should always be taken when driving due to drowsiness potentials.
Second gens are generally considered safer from less risk of drowsiness and drug interactions. Many are also longer lasting, so many can be dosed once every 24 hours continuously. Some oral options include loratidine (Claritin-OTC/Rx), cetirizine (Zyrtec-OTC/Rx), fexofenadine (Allegra-OTC/Rx), desloratidine (Clarinex-OTC/Rx), levocetirizine (Xyzal-OTC/Rx). These are all generally considered to be equally effective, so one is not necessarily recommended over the other. As with any drug, always tell your medical providers if you take any OTC meds because these can still have drug or disease state interactions.
Some antihistamines available in nasal spray and ophthalmic dosage forms include azelaztine (Astelin, Astepro-OTC/Rx, Optivar-Rx), olopatadine (Patanase-Rx, Pataday-OTC/Rx), ketotifen (Zaditor-OTC/Rx). These have less systemic side effects, while still exerting direct action against symptoms.
Other allergy medications include nasal decongestants taken orally like pseudoephedrine (Sudafed-OTC/Rx), and phenylephrine (Sudafed PE-OTC/Rx), or intranasally like phenylephrine (Neo-Synepherine-OTC/Rx), oxymetolazine (Afrin-OTC/Rx) and tetrahydrolozine (Tyzine-Rx). Oral nasal decongestants can increase blood pressure because they work to constrict blood vessels and should not be used long term. They can also cause CNS excitability and heighten anxiety. Nasal spray decongestants should be limited to only 3 days of consecutive use because they can cause symptoms to worsen with continuous prolonged use.
Corticosteroid nasal sprays may also be used to alleviate allergy symptoms from stuffy or runny nose like fluticasone (Flonase-OTC/Rx), mometasone (Nasonex-OTC/Rx), budesonide (Rhinocort-OTC/Rx), beclomethasone (Beconase-Rx), triamcinolone (Nasocort-OTC/Rx), and flunisolide (Rhinalar-Rx). These are listed in order of their general potency. They also have less systemic side effects, while still exerting direct action against symptoms, though it may take several weeks of regular use before their full effects can be felt. While there are some prescription steroid eye drops also available, these are generally reserved for more persistent, severe eye allergy symptoms.
Finally, there are also mast cell stabilizers like cromolyn (Gastrocro-PO-Rx, Nasalcrom-NS-OTC/Rx, and Ophth-Rx) and lukotriene receptor antagonists like montelukast (Singulair). Mast cell stabilizers work to prevent histamines from being released, and lukotriene blockers prevent their inflammatory action involved in allergic reactions and asthma.
There is no evidence that adding medications from the same drug type is beneficial (ex: 2 oral antihistamines), yet a combination of those from different types are often used (ex: oral, nasal, and/or eye drop antihistamines, decongestants, and steroids. As always folks, let your medical providers know if you are using these OTC.
I thought this link had some great info if you want to read more! Allergy medications: Know your options