u/Glittering_Dirt8256

Why is distilled white vinegar off limits if the grain protein is removed from the final product?

I'm looking for an N95 mask that will fit a small face, preferably something I can get from Amazon or Walmart. I'd also prefer to keep it at $1 or less per mask, if possible.

I recently tried the 3M Aura Particulate Respirator 9205+, but the chin area is much too loose. I do have a particularly small face and even have to wear child-size sunglasses because adult-sized ones will fall off of me if when walking too quickly.

I would really appreciate any recommendations. Thank you!

I have undiagnosed gluten encephalopathy (neuropsychiatric sensitivity to gluten), and living with this feels like more than I can bear. When I’m exposed to gluten, I go insane. My symptoms range from severe nightmares, crushing depression and anxiety, derealization, akathisia, and debilitating brain fog that feels like a significant drop in IQ, among other symptoms. These can persist for weeks or even months.

Realizing gluten was the cause of years of suffering has been a blessing and a curse. While I’m grateful to have discovered it, I feel like it’s ruined my life. I live in a gluten-filled household where my family eats it every day, our cat’s kibble contains it, and crumbs and dust are everywhere. I’m constantly terrified of contamination because every exposure has been traumatizing. I feel like each time, my reactions get worse and last longer.

I feel like I’ve developed severe contamination OCD because of this. I’ve recently found myself in a situation where I haven’t been able to shower or change my clothes in over a month (I really don’t feel like explaining why). The feeling of household dust on my feet and legs—knowing it’s on my clothes and that I’m carrying it into my bed every night—is genuinely making me suicidal. I’ve been too anxious to cook and have subsisted on liquid calories for days because I’m afraid particles clinging to my clothes will fall into my food. I don’t think the fear is completely unfounded, since it seems theoretically impossible for the dust to contain absolutely no gluten by now.

I don’t even have transportation because my family’s cars are covered in crumbs and dust. Just opening the car doors sends it all visibly airborne. I don’t have the energy to shower and change clothes every time I need to leave, so I don’t go anywhere anymore. I feel completely trapped. I can’t imagine living the rest of my life this way, stuck in this environment with people who seem to have so little concern for my wellbeing. I’m disabled and may never be able to drive or live independently, and the thought is so hard to bear.

This existence feels like a nightmare of constant fear and vigilance. Every ounce of energy goes into trying to keep myself safe. I’ve never been so exhausted and feel like I'm at the end of my rope. Right now, it just feels like it would truly be the greatest relief to not have to wake up another day.

Would you consider it safe to consume chicken that was fed wheat? I have a severe sensitivity to gluten (neuropsychiatric), so I'm unsure whether it would be safe for me to try chicken from a local farm that feeds its chickens wheat/grain-based feed rather than corn and soy.

For clarification, I am NOT interested in attempting to reintroduce wheat into my diet. If there is any risk that eating chicken raised on wheat-containing feed could trigger a gluten reaction, I don't want to take that chance.

Thank you!

Would you consider it safe to consume chicken that was fed wheat? I have a severe sensitivity to gluten (neuropsychiatric), so I'm unsure whether it would be safe for me to try chicken from a local farm that feeds its chickens wheat/grain-based feed rather than corn and soy.

Thank you!

I've had very low intake for the past month and this a symptom that only emerged in the past couple of days. Skin feels clammy and smells salty. I know it's just not ketosis because I've been in a perpetual state of deep ketosis for over a year (I actually follow a medical ketogenic diet, so it's required for a neurological condition I have).

This is honestly freaking me out. I've had periods in the past where I struggled to eat but never experienced this before. Has anyone experienced similar or know what causes it?

I live with my parents, and we're going to be moving soon (for reasons unrelated to mold—my parents don't believe in toxic mold). Unfortunately, we're taking all of our furniture with us, so I'm doubtful the new place will be much of an improvement. I also live in an area where water damage is common. My parents knowingly rented our current house despite previous basement flooding, and the house we lived in before that also had significant water damage. That's where I first became ill, and thus began the gradual decline in my health over the past six years.

At the new house, my parents don't want to share a kitchen with me because of my gluten sensitivity, and they want to be able to bake freely, so they're demanding that I prepare all of my meals in the basement using a portable cooktop. I follow an extremely restrictive diet, so I have to cook all of my own meals.

I'm very concerned about this arrangement, though. Wouldn't cooking regularly in a basement increase humidity and increase the risk of mold growth? Generally I try to avoid basements altogether, but if I'm cooking there, I'll be forced to spend quite a bit of time in it.

The problem is, my parents have threatened to kick me out and send me to live with my grandparents if I don't agree, and their house is severely moldy—so severely that I experience symptoms being near an item that's been in their home, and it smells nauseatingly of cat urine. So obviously I can't stay there.

I'd really appreciate any thoughts or advice!

Edit: my parents also want to put a minifridge down there for me, and I also worry about this especially because I don't knpw anything avout fridge maintanance.

Has anyone else experienced this with frozen meat delivery or know why it might happen?

I used to order meat from a delivery service and noticed a consistent pattern. When we ordered smaller boxes (for example, eight 6 oz portions), the quality was excellent. But whenever we ordered about twice that amount—which was much more cost-effective because of shipping—the meat would often arrive spoiled and completely inedible.

Is there a reason larger orders might be more likely to have this issue? Has anyone else experienced this, and if so, have you found a way to avoid it?

I don't know how to keep going at this point. I've posted about this problem before with our dryer, and people suggested air-drying my clothes outside. The problem is that the humidity here is almost always too high, and on the few rare occasions recently when it was drier, I didn't have the energy to carry my clothes all the way from the upstairs laundry room outside.

I tried drying them indoors instead, and now my clothes smell extremely musty. I'm afraid I ruined them. I just rewashed them and was going to try again, but when I went to hang them back up, I noticed that my closet now has a bunch of black spots on the metal rack that were NOT there before. I don't have the energy to deal with another problem and just can't take this. Now everything above the racked is ruined, too.

A laundromat isn't an option because I rely on my parents for transportation, and I've been avoiding going places because I don't feel safe riding in their cars. Their cars have a lot of trash and food residue, and opening the doors sends out a cloud of dust. I'm afraid of inhaling it or getting it on my clothes because I have severe neurological reactions from gluten exposure, and i'm trying really hard to protect myself.

I haven't changed my clothes in over a month because I can't figure out a way to clean them that feels safe. I've also lost 10 lbs during this time because I've been too stressed and exhausted to eat, which is already extremely difficult because the only food I can tolerate is meat, and I'm constantly struggling with it going rancid in the humidity.

I'm so fed up with living this way. The problems just keep piling up. I'm fed up with living in mold hell Virginia, and I'm never, ever going to leave. It's never-ending suffering. I wish my parents cared about our severe mold problem. I wished they cared about anything that really mattered. I wish I had a different life.

I've been really struggling to eat over the past month, and as a result I've also been going long stretches without having a bowel movement. My bowels have essentially been paralyzed for over a year—even laxatives no longer work for me—so I've been relying on Fleet Extra Volume saline enemas every few days. This was true even when I was at a healthier weight and eating enough, so I believe it's more of a nerve or pelvic floor issue, and my doctors are aware of it.

The last time I did an enema, though, it had been almost two weeks since my previous one. I'd been eating very little during that time and had very low energy, which is why I waited so long. When I finally did the enema, I felt closer to fainting than I ever have in my life., which really scared me. I managed to get through it, but the bowel movement didn't feel complete. I had been staying hydrated and supplementing electrolytes, so I was surprised that I still experienced such severe dizziness.

Now it's been almost two weeks again, and I know I need to do another enema because I'm in pain from how backed up I am. I'm worried about the complications of prolonged constipation, but I'm also terrified of feeling the way I did last time. or passing out. I've been trying my best to eat more over the past couple of days, but I still feel weak.

Has anyone been through something similar or have any advice? Would taking a larger amount of magnesium before the enema potentially make the process easier, or is that unlikely to help? I'm scared to put it off much longer.

For dating and friendship! I've always thought something like this would be a neat idea, so it's exciting to see it happening. 15,000 sign-ups, and it will be launched. Thought I'd spread the word!

I'm sorry for posting twice in 24 hours, but I really need some support right now.

I've gone through periods where I've really struggled to eat before. About a year ago, I went through one of the worst episodes. >!I fasted for four days, and afterward I was surviving on only a few hundred calories a week!<. I was supplementing electrolytes, but definitely not enough. During that time I remember becoming extremely startled by noises, which I later learned can happen with low potassium. Toward the end, I developed severe mood swings. I went from feeling intense euphoria, emotional warmth, and peace to what was probably the deepest depression I've ever experienced, along with an overwhelming feeling that I was about to die and wasn't ready.

Somehow I got through it. Eventually I started taking a digestive enzyme, and it made eating much easier. I realized a lot of my food aversion seemed to come from an inability to digest the food I was eating. I don't remember exactly how I reintroduced food or whether refeeding was a concern, but over the next few months I improved. Eventually I no longer needed the enzyme because the nausea after eating had gone away.

The difference this time is that, before that previous episode, I had actually been eating well. My intake dropped suddenly for a couple of weeks, then I recovered. This time, however, I've been under-eating for a couple of months. I think I was averaging around >!800 calories!< a day, and this past month has been especially bad. I've reached a breaking point. There have been several days (not consecutively) where I >!haven't eaten anything at all!<, and on the other days I've only managed >!a few hundred calories!< . I am supplementing electrolytes better this time, but probably need to drink more water.

I've decided to order the digestive enzyme again in the hope that it helps, but in the meantime I'm becoming increasingly concerned.

My biggest concern right now is my bowels. Earlier this month, during >!a period of severe restriction!<, I went two weeks without a bowel movement. When I finally tried a saline enema, I came closer to fainting than I ever have in my life. It was terrifying. The enema was only partially effective, so I don't think everything came out. I know I probably need to have another bowel movement soon (it's been close to ten days now), but I'm terrified it'll be even worse this time. However, I'm scared of developing a bowel perforation or another serious complication from not going.

Lately I've also been feeling hot and nauseated whenever I'm in any position other than lying down, which makes it even harder to eat. I suspect it's because I'm so backed up, but I feel trapped. I don't feel safe attempting another enema until I've managed to eat more for a few days, yet I can barely eat because I feel so sick. To add to everything, my stomach has also been hurting badly since I ate some meat severeal days ago I'm pretty sure was rancid.

My heart has also been beating faster than usual throughout all of this, which has been unsettling.

Part of me knows the body can be remarkably resilient because I recovered from something similar before, so I wonder if I'm overreacting. But again, circumstances were different. And I don't remember how I managed bowel movements before.

Unfortunately, I can't go to a doctor right now unless I'm postive I will otherwise die. I just can't. I just really need some advice or words of encouragement from the community, from anyone who's been in a similar situation. I'm really scared for my life.

I really need advice, I'm stuck in a horrible cycle right now.

Sorry for TMI.

This past month has been really tough. I struggle with food aversion, but I've been able to push through okay until this past month. I feel like I've hit a breaking point and can't anymore. The past few weeks, >!I've barely been eating at all, like a few hundred kcal a day, and I've gone a few days on nothing.!< After about two weeks of>! barely eating!<, I had to do an enema to have a BM. I usually do it after about 3 days, but I waited so long this time because I had no energy.

I've been relying on Fleet saline extra volume enemas for over a year now because I've had chronic constipation for several years. I don't think it's related to my eating, since I've had this issue for longer. Laxatives don't work on me at all because my muscles simply don't contract on their own. But when I did the enema this time, I don't think I've ever felt so close to fainting in my life. It was really scary. I did get some stool out, but I didn't feel completely empty and think some was left behind.

It's been about 7-8 days since then, and I know I have to do another one. I've been really nauseous for several days, which has made it hard to >!eat at all!<. At this point I've literally just been >!drinking oil in sparkling water!<, because the thought of anything else makes me want to throw up. But since I'm running on >!even less than before!<, I'm afraid I'll absolutely pass out this time. And it feels impossible to >!eat more!< until this nausea and pain lets up, so I feel seriously stuck and scared. I don't know what to do. I have a lot of sensitivities and can't take any antinausea meds right now, and absolutely no marijuana.

Any advice would be really, really appreciated. Thank you.

Edit: I have been supplementing electrolytes this whole time

If anyone could send me the MP4s to the first three seasons, I will marry you (joking, but it would be seriously appreciated)

I really need advice, I'm stuck in a horrible cycle right now.

This past month has been really tough. I struggle with food aversion, but I've been able to push through okay until this past month. I feel like I've hit a breaking point and can't anymore. The past few weeks, >!I've barely been eating at all, like a few hundred kcal a day, and I've gone a few days on nothing.!< After about two weeks of>! barely eating!<, I had to do an enema to have a BM. I usually do it after about 3 days, but I waited so long this time because I had no energy.

I've been relying on Fleet saline extra volume enemas for over a year now because I've had chronic constipation for several years. I don't think it's related to my eating, since I've had this issue for longer. Laxatives don't work on me at all because my muscles simply don't contract on their own. But when I did the enema this time, I don't think I've ever felt so close to fainting in my life. It was really scary. I did get some stool out, but I didn't feel completely empty and think some was left behind.

It's been about 7-8 days since then, and I know I have to do another one. I've been really nauseous for several days, which has made it hard to >!eat at all!<. At this point I've literally just been >!drinking oil in sparkling water!<, because the thought of anything else makes me want to throw up. But since I'm running on >!even less than before!<, I'm afraid I'll absolutely pass out this time. And it feels impossible to >!eat more!< until this nausea and pain lets up, so I feel seriously stuck and scared. I don't know what to do. I have a lot of sensitivities and can't take any antinausea meds right now, and absolutely no marijuana.

Any advice would be really, really appreciated. Thank you.

Edit: I have been supplementing electrolytes this whole time. >!I can't imagine how I'd survive with it.!<

I'm going through a strong food aversion where my body is just rejecting the farmers' market meat I've been eating for months. I'm not new to keto, I've been doing this for a year and a half and know I'm on top of electrolytes, so it's not that.

Well, I discovered another farm near us that I may be able to get fresher meat from soon, and I really hope it will help. But it the meantime I just can not bring myself to eat. I'm dropping weight at an alarming rate, and while I genuinely enjoy the zen feeling I have when fasting, I'm not healthy enough to continue this, and besides, I have no energy to get things done that I need to.

I was thinking, for a few days until I could try this new meat, could I function on just drinking 1000 kcal plus of olive oil? Or as much as I can. Of course I wouldn't down it at once, and I don't need to be told it's not ideal, but could it be enough to get me through the remainder of the week? Has anyone tried this?

Other questions:

Do you cook outdoors, or go inside for that? How do you navigate showers? Laundry?

Are you able to sleep outdoors outside in extreme temperatures, or are you forced to stay indoors during certain seasons?

Should I trash my computer? I'm afraid it may actually be a major source of exposure because there's dust under the keys I can't reach. But it's my only real connection to the outside world, as I use a flip phone. Thoughts?

Do I replace my clothes?

Please share the cost of all supplies needed as well. Thank you so much.

Any brand, type, etc? I really miss the convenience of it, and I'm struggling to eat lately.

Hey guys.

I (18) have been on a medical ketogenic AIP diet since Feb 2025 to manage severe neurological/psych issues I'd dealt with for several years. It's transformed my life, though my symptoms still affect me. I've confirmed through experimentation that both AIP and keto are essential to keeping myself stable. I now suspect the root cause to be CIRS from mold exposure, but haven't been able to leave the exposure or treat it.

The problem is, early into the diet, I developed a hypersensitivity to meat quality, which caused a strong aversion to it. I lost a ton of weight and my hair thinned because I couldn't force myself to eat enough. I'm sensitive to beef and fish (possibly histamine-related), so I was stuck with chicken, but grocery store chicken tasted like wet dog to me and felt almost impossible to swallow. On two different occasions, I attempted to stray from AIP or keto to expand my options, but the resurgence of my symptoms was so frightening that I could never consider it again.

In fall 2025, my dietician suggested frozen meat delivery, which saved me for a little while. I had chicken shipped from Chop Box for a month or two, until they changed packaging. After that, the quality noticeably dropped and I could no longer tolerate it. I've checked their website recently, and it appears they've since stopped selling chicken altogether.

Anyways, we then switched to delivery service Dude Food, and it was the best chicken I've ever had. We started with small orders of 6-8 pieces, but once we moved to larger orders (smaller ones weren't cost-effective for shipping), it started arriving spoiled—off color, texture, and smell, and it hurt my stomach. I don't understand why. But I knew it was unreasonable to ask my mom to keep paying so much for such small orders (I wasn't/am not financially independent), so I'd accepted I had to find something else.

Eventually I discovered frozen meat at local farmers markets. I didn't love it, as I found it to have an off-putting aged, cheese-like taste, but it was manageable... that is, until recently. I feel unable to push through anymore. The thought of that chicken makes me nauseous, and now I'm finding it nearly impossible to eat again. I'm rapidly losing weight once more and spending most of my day in bed just to conserve energy. I just wish I could have meat that I enjoyed, like for that short period with Dude Food.

One top of that, for several months now, I've seemed to have developed a sensitivity to pretty much every vegetable, causing numbness in my mouth and instant bloating. I think it may be some sort of MCAS reaction. lt's truly miserable because now I can't even lean on plants for extra calories or to mask the taste of the chicken.

I just don't know what to do anymore. Advice is welcome, though I don't expect anyone here to solve this for me. I just feel like I'm at one of my lowest points and needed to vent. This problem is honestly making me not want to live.

I've been trying to stay positive, but sometimes I just need to vent.

TW for eating disorder mention, hopelessness

I struggle to see point of anything anymore. I've long lost my brain and capacity to truly enjoy anything. I have nothing to bond with other people over. My health problems define me. I haven't been able to grow in any aspect for so long.

I used to have a binge eating disorder, and honestly, I miss it more than ever lately. I wish i could relapse. But it's not an option. The only foods I can eat anymore are chicken and olive oil. If I eat anything else or leave ketosis now, I become genuinely insane from the brain inflammation. No amount of temptation could make the consequences worth it. But living like this is torture. Especially because the only meat available to me is oxidized and looks and tastes like #@$%. Eating is the most dreaded part of the day because I feel like I'm eating literal pale #@$%. Sometimes, I even have dreams that torment me, where I look into the toilet, and what I see looks exactly like the food I have to eat. I often spend hours on end looking at images on the internet of food I wish I could gorge. It sort of helps, but I fear that as time passes I'll forget the taste of real food.

On top of starvation, my life is defined by constant fear and hypervigilance. In addition to having to worry about mold, I also have gluten encephalopathy, and gluten is everywhere in my home. I have a feeling it's adding ti my neuroinflammation, because it's literally inescapable. It gets carries into my room from walking around the house. It's mixed in with the particles on the floor that disperse in the air every time the fan in on. It's on my clothes and in my bed. Likely in my hair. And I don't the fucking energy to shower more than once a month so it's always stressing me. Plus our dryer broke so i can't wash my sheets or clothes unless its dry enough outside to air-dry in sun, which is rare.

the only people on this earth who I can talk to and rely on to not make me feel worse are my kid sister and my great aunt who lives in Colorado (I'm in VA). I wish I could stay with her. I don't know what the mold situation is like in her home, but I assume it's better since it's a drier state. She's also gluten-free as well as two of the other people living with her, so I wouldn't have to worry nearly as much about cross-contamination. But she doesn't have much money, and I doubt she could handle the expenses of another person living there who's basically a leech.

I don't want to live. I don't want to do any of this anymore. I don't want to eat. I don't want to exist in constant worry. I don't want to do enemas every week because my body doesn't work on its own. I don't want to be tortured by constant reminders everywhere of all the things I can't have. What's good? My family constantly insults me. I'm always too hot or painfully cold. It just feels like a life of endless suffering and exhaustion.

I spend most days on my computer to keep myself distracted from my reality and because it's the only real support I have. However, I'm pretty sure the computer itself is a major source of mold exposure because there's tons of visible particles stuck under in the keys, and it stresses me to remember this. I can't ever catch a break.

I don't want to be told that it gets better because that's not true for all of us. Not all of us have the support or money that you do. So respectfully, please don't say, "I got out and got so better, so you can too." Anyone who says this already had money before they got sick, or had family/friend support that made it possible. You had mold doctors. Don't act like you know my situation. I can't see any hope. Frankly i'd just rather not be alive.