sovietknuckles [they/them]

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Joined 4 years ago
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Cake day: July 26th, 2020

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  • agelessrx responded that I look "young and healthy,"

    To respond to AgelessRx's assessment: The older you are when you start metformin, the less effective it is for slowing aging. If you wait until you're older to start, it is ineffective. From this review:

    In another study, metformin increased mean lifespan by 14% in female mice if started at 3 months. When metformin treatment was started later, the effect was much smaller, starting at 9 months increased lifespan by 6%, and at 15 months, there was no increase.

    So, young is the best time to start taking metformin, for that goal, and starting later instead will greatly decrease its overall effect.






  • I tried Adderall, Focalin, Dexedrine, and Vyvanse, and I had various issues with all of them, though some were more effective than others.

    Strattera plus Wellbutrin SR (not XR, which is what most people on Wellbutrin take, that lasts too long for me) is what I've been on for 7 years, and that combo works great for me. Wellbutrin SR gets rid of the fatigue/depression from Strattera, but because Wellbutrin also reduces activity of the CYP2D6 enzyme, it effectively turns me into a slow metabolizer of Strattera, which makes it last the whole day, rather than wearing off after 5ish hours. This effect is listed as a drug interaction between Strattera and Wellburin, but if you know what you're doing, this effect is a big advantage of combining the two.

    I'm productive up until whenever I choose to sleep, but because Strattera does not keep me awake (some people take Strattera before bed, which I don't recommend, that made it less effective for me), I can sleep whenever the Wellbutrin SR wears off.

    I am careful to stay away from alcohol and caffeine, as either of these will greatly increase Strattera's side effects.

    I also took a pharmacogenetic test to confirm that I don't have gene-drug interactions with either Strattera or Wellbutrin. It showed that I have a moderate gene-drug interaction with SSRIs, which explained why they didn't work well for me

    Because Wellbutrin makes me a slow/"poor" metabolizer of CYP2D6, my Strattera dosage isn't high (60mg, even though 80mg is typical for someone of my weight).



  • Can you elaborate on nasal sprays?

    Nasal sprays are useful for 2 reasons:

    1. Preventative

    The vast majority of COVID infections occur when someone inhales COVID through their nose, but the COVID virus particles will usually touch your nasal cavity on its way to you inhaling it.

    There are different nasal sprays you can use that will usually kill any COVID virus that touches it inside your nasal cavity, yet the spray is completely harmless to you, including safe to ingest.

    There are times when I am unmasked but using a nasal spray (when eating food while on an airplane, for example) that I intentionally inhale through my nose instead of my mouth, since nasal sprays don't protect mouth breathing.

    2. Reducing the viral load of an active respiratory infection

    If you have COVID, a cold, RSV, or another respiratory infection, the virus will likely collect in your nasal cavity. Using a nasal spray while you have an active respiratory infection will decrease the viral load/severity and will also make you recover faster.

    But it's very important not to use a nasal spray that contains anything that can be harmful to your nose (like povidone-iodine nasal sprays, which the FDA continually cracks down on).

    Which one do you take and how do you get it? Walmart pharmacy didn't know what I was talking about when I asked.

    I alternate between the Covixyl ethyl lauroyl arginine HCl/ELAH nasal spray and Betadine's iota-carrageenan nasal spray and buy them online from those sites.

    ELAH is a common preservative in food and mouthwashes, and is deemed generally safe by the FDA. Iota-carrageenan is a gelling agent, is used in foods, and is extracted from edible red seaweeds.

    Covixyl (risk reduction unknown, as far as I know it was only studied in vitro) stings a little, but the Betadine nasal spray (80% risk reduction) doesn't hurt at all. Some people are allergic to carrageenan, and for them, xylitol nasal sprays (62% risk reduction) are still an option. I have no experience with xylitol nasal sprays, but @JoeByeThen@hexbear.net has said that he uses the Xlear xylitol nasal spray as a backup.

    The Clean Air Club made a nasal spray comparison last year, which includes effectiveness and cost.