u/InsuranceRare5094

Feeling of being on a boat.

I have this ongoing feeling of being on a boat/disequilibrium that completely goes away when I use oxymetazoline and when I swim in super cold water.

This would suggest that vasoconstriction resolves the situation so I doubt it’s a structural issue. The problem is these options remedy it for just a short time. Sadly I can’t use oxymetazoline regularly and cold water swims aren’t something I can always do.

I also have fullness in my right ear only. It only resolves when I use oxymetazoline and do the cold water swims as well.

I don’t get dizzy, nauseous, nor do I experience spinning.

This has been going on for four years - nearly 5 actually.

Today I saw about the 15th doctor for this and finding the bubble was new. She didn’t know what it was, but she doesn’t think there’s fluid behind it.

The bubble looks just like my eardrum almost like I have two eardrums. It’s white and pearly.

I thought finally I would have an answer now that this bubble is there, but she has no clue.

So she sent me to the neurologist who said that this is something that is probably related to my sinus and that whole area, but the otolaryngologist I saw sent me to her because she has no clue, and the otolaryngologist said that surgery would cause me pain.

I can handle some pain, what I cannot handle is not being able to walk independent of using a walker for the rest of my life. 😞

Please someone tell me you know what this is. I’m desperate.

I have to take certain medications with 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda because the otherwise they trigger my GERD and IC.

I hope this helps someone out there who experiences GERD and IC not just with foods, but also when they take certain medications. You may need more or less than a quarter of baking soda – everyone’s body is different.

Anyone else using baking soda for things like this?

.

**UPDATE: A couple of important things to be aware of regarding the baking soda**

A few people brought up a good point that I think is worth adding to the post.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) neutralizes stomach acid, and changes in stomach acidity can affect the absorption of **certain medications**. It does not mean that it will affect every medication, but if you take baking soda regularly along with medications, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor or pharmacist about whether there could be an interaction and whether you should separate the timing of the two.

Also, baking soda contains a significant amount of **sodium**, so regular use may not be appropriate for everyone. People who have been advised to limit sodium, or who have certain heart, kidney, or blood pressure conditions, should be especially careful and check with their doctor or pharmacist.

I’m sharing what works for **me**, but this is definitely one of those things where it’s important to make sure it’s appropriate for your own medications and circumstances.

I’m glad someone brought this up because it’s something I hadn’t thought to mention in my original post. ❤️

Oh my gosh! I was just looking at my notes when I first started LDN and I started with .1 mg.

You read that right.

My body will freak out anytime I ingest any type of medication and it will freak out on most foods so I cannot mess around.

I absolutely must titrate up from the smallest possible amount.

Once I get the ball rolling, I can start making huge jumps. So I went from 4 mg to 6 mg pretty quickly and then I went from 6 mg to 12 mg very quickly. But in the beginning, I absolutely had to start at the tiniest tiniest amount and my body HATED IT.

It would keep me up at night overheating repeatedly day and night. I would experience something I describe as helium head. I would be lightheaded. It triggered my GERD in the beginning. I can’t remember what else, but it was f’ing with me big time.

Actually, it’s thanks to all the Redditors who have shared their positive experiences with it that I stayed on it. It is that and also all the research behind it convincing me that this is something that is worth the trials and tribulations. I have to go through before it will work for me.

And one last thing that super important about LDN. I like that it manages my pain without being an addictive substance that’s going to f\* my life. From what I can tell the risk using this medication is quite low and I absolutely love that about it.

Oh my gosh! I was just looking at my notes when I first started LDN and I started with .1 mg.

You read that right.

My body will freak out anytime I ingest any type of medication and it will freak out on most foods so I cannot mess around.

I absolutely must titrate up from the smallest possible amount.

Once I get the ball rolling, I can start making huge jumps. So I went from 4 mg to 6 mg pretty quickly and then I went from 6 mg to 12 mg very quickly. But in the beginning, I absolutely had to start at the tiniest tiniest amount and my body HATED IT.

It would keep me up at night overheating repeatedly day and night. I would experience something I describe as helium head. I would be lightheaded. It triggered my GERD in the beginning. I can’t remember what else, but it was f’ing with me big time.

Actually, it’s thanks to all the Redditors who have shared their positive experiences with it that I stayed on it. It is that and also all the research behind it convincing me that this is something that is worth the trials and tribulations. I have to go through before it will work for me.

And one last thing that super important about LDN. I like that it manages my pain without being an addictive substance that’s going to f* my life. From what I can tell the risk using this medication is quite low and I absolutely love that about it.

I have to take certain medications with 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda because the otherwise they trigger my GERD and IC.

I hope this helps someone out there who experiences GERD and IC not just with foods, but also when they take certain medications. You may need more or less than a quarter of baking soda – everyone’s body is different.

Anyone else using baking soda for things like this?

.

UPDATE: A couple of important things to be aware of regarding the baking soda

A few people brought up a good point that I think is worth adding to the post.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) neutralizes stomach acid, and changes in stomach acidity can affect the absorption of certain medications. It does not mean that it will affect every medication, but if you take baking soda regularly along with medications, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor or pharmacist about whether there could be an interaction and whether you should separate the timing of the two.

Also, baking soda contains a significant amount of sodium, so regular use may not be appropriate for everyone. People who have been advised to limit sodium, or who have certain heart, kidney, or blood pressure conditions, should be especially careful and check with their doctor or pharmacist.

I’m sharing what works for me, but this is definitely one of those things where it’s important to make sure it’s appropriate for your own medications and circumstances.

I’m glad someone brought this up because it’s something I hadn’t thought to mention in my original post. ❤️

I have to take certain medications with a quarter teaspoon of baking soda because the otherwise they trigger my GERD and IC.

I hope this helps someone out there who experiences GERD and IC not just with foods, but also when they take certain medications. You may need more or less than a quarter of baking soda – everyone’s body is different.

Anyone else using baking soda for things like this?

.

UPDATE: A couple of important things to be aware of regarding the baking soda

A few people brought up a good point that I think is worth adding to the post.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) neutralizes stomach acid, and changes in stomach acidity can affect the absorption of certain medications. It does not mean that it will affect every medication, but if you take baking soda regularly along with medications, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor or pharmacist about whether there could be an interaction and whether you should separate the timing of the two.

Also, baking soda contains a significant amount of sodium, so regular use may not be appropriate for everyone. People who have been advised to limit sodium, or who have certain heart, kidney, or blood pressure conditions, should be especially careful and check with their doctor or pharmacist.

I’m sharing what works for me, but this is definitely one of those things where it’s important to make sure it’s appropriate for your own medications and circumstances.

I’m glad someone brought this up because it’s something I hadn’t thought to mention in my original post. ❤️

This is for those of us whose body rejects pretty much all medications…
IN A NUTSHELL:
My body is unusually sensitive and unpredictable because of long COVID. Medications can make me feel worse before they make me feel better, so I’ve had to experiment to find combinations and doses I can tolerate. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I have to give up.

.

And for you readers out there…

Someone asked me if I had trouble when I started amitriptyline, and it got me thinking about writing this post — not just about amitriptyline, but about the trouble I have with any medication due to long Covid.

Here’s my answer. I thought it might resonate with some of you. I also hope that it will reach people who feel like they can’t take any medication. I thought I couldn’t take any medication for many years until I figured out that I could, but it would just be a ton of trial and error.

Before I answer your question, let me preface it by saying – I have a major case of long Covid. I’m surprised I’m still alive. I say that because whenever I take any sort of medication, my body tries to reject it.

So, if you ask me if my body gave me trouble with the amitriptyline in the beginning, the answer is absolutely. I had to calibrate it to where it’s at now. There were times where I stopped it entirely. There were times where I took more than I needed, and it really messed with my head.

And it’s not just with the amitriptyline, it is also true for every single medication I’m on today.
My body hates being on medications. But my body isn’t the boss. It tries to be. 🤬

It is I who need to find the right amount of tuning so that I can trick my body into accepting the medication because I know the medication will result in relief.

Sometimes, like with the amitriptyline, I can figure it out – and other times I can’t figure it out and I just have to abort mission with whatever medication I’m trying to get my body to accept.

So I guess you could say with my body and I – it’s more of a partnership. 😄

And since it’s gotten long Covid, it’s been the worst partner imaginable! 😖

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If anyone tries amitriptyline and has GERD or IC, be sure to take a quarter teaspoon of baking soda before taking the amitriptyline to avoid a flare. Also make sure your body is good with taking a quarter teaspoon of baking soda. This is a pretty typical recommendation for people with IC, but it’s good to watch sodium levels, for example.

**In a nutshell:** LDN (12 mg/day) works really well for my pain, but adding just 6 mg of amitriptyline gets rid of nearly all of the pain that LDN doesn’t touch. I stopped the amitriptyline for 3 days to see if increasing my LDN from 4 mg to 12 mg would compensate, and nope. By day 2 I was getting knee pain just sitting around, and on this morning’s run it hit 7/10 and I had to stop.

So, for me, the experiment was conclusive: LDN + 6 mg amitriptyline = nearly 100% pain relief, whereas LDN alone doesn’t quite get me there.

I’m also finding LDN really helpful for the insatiable, medication-driven hunger I get from some of my other meds.

.

Read on if you’re interested in the background/details…

I thought I’d share this because I don’t see enough people talking about the combination of LDN and very low-dose amitriptyline for pain.

I’ve been taking LDN for a long time. I was at 4 mg for quite a while, and recently I increased it to 12 mg/day of LDN because I wanted to see what would happen with the higher dose.

LDN is definitely doing something for me. I’ve actually stopped it in the past just to make sure I wasn’t imagining its effect, and yeah — it was SO obvious when I stopped it. So I have no intention of getting off LDN.

But LDN doesn’t get rid of all of my pain.

For the last four months or so, I’ve also been taking **6 mg of amitriptyline**.

And the combination has been incredible for me.

**LDN + 6 mg of amitriptyline gets rid of nearly of my pain.**

That’s not an exaggeration. There is a very noticeable difference between being on the combination and being without it.

I’m extremely sensitive to medications, so I can take doses that would probably look absolutely ridiculous to a lot of people and still get a significant effect.

6mg of amitriptyline is a perfect example.

On the other hand, I’ve taken amitriptyline at higher doses before, and for me it was completely different. It really bummed me the f\* out. I know it’s used as an antidepressant at higher doses, but it didn’t work for me that way at all.

At 6 mg, though, I’m not taking it for depression. It is very well known to be used for pain at low doses. For me, it has been a remarkably effective little pain medication - even helping me with random things like my sensitive teeth.

And the way it works alongside LDN is what I find particularly interesting.

The LDN handles a huge amount of my pain, and the tiny amount of amitriptyline seems to wipe out a lot of what remains.

It feels as though I’ve got pretty much every acronym you can imagine floating around in my medical history — MCAS, Long COVID, POTS/dysautonomia, EDS, IC etc. — and I’ve had plenty of pain that couldn’t be explained by some obvious structural damage.

For years, I avoided running because my knees hurt so badly. I assumed there must be something wrong with them. Doctors couldn’t find anything, and I didn’t want to make some mysterious knee problem worse.

After learning these issues I was having in were due to long covid, I started running again (when my balance wasn’t too f’d to do so).

My balance has been bad lately so I haven’t been running, but this morning I decided to run as a little diagnostic experiment after stopping the 6 mg amitriptyline for 3 days. I stopped it to se if the higher dose of LDN (up to 12 mg from 4 mg) would be enough to wipe out most of my pain.

**And damn my knees hurt! I knew they would because as early as day 2 with no amitriptyline I was feeling knee pain at a level of 4/10 just doing nothing much around the house, but I didn’t realize how much they’d hurt without the amitriptyline.**

On my run the pain was at a 7/10 simply because I hadn’t taken that tiny amount of amitriptyline for 3 days.

I had to stop running, but the attempt to run was useful because that diagnostic reminded me just how much pain the LDN + amitriptyline (6mg) combination has been suppressing.

When I’m taking both, I can move around and do things without worrying about my body, and when I’m not, I remember very quickly why I’ve spent years avoiding certain activities.

RESULT: I’ll stay on both the amitriptyline (6 mg) and the LDN (12 mg).

I used to be on just 4 mg LDN, but increased it to 12 mg to see whether I could get enough additional pain relief from the LDN to make up for losing the amitriptyline.

After this morning’s run, I’m not convinced.

And then there’s the other thing I use LDN for: **medication-driven hunger.**

I make my own liquid LDN by dissolving a 50 mg naltrexone tablet into water and storing it in the fridge. I currently take 4mg of that three times a day for 12 mg total.

I started doing the divided dosing because I noticed that LDN seems to curb the ravenous hunger I get from some of the other medications I’m on.

**And when I say hunger, I don’t mean normal hunger.**

I’ve been into bodybuilding and physique training for years. I’ve never competed, but I’ve spent plenty of time restricting calories and knowing exactly what ordinary hunger feels like.

Medication-driven hunger is a completely different beast. It’s not “I’m a little hungry. It’s **INSATIABLE - like having a hole in the bottom of your stomach and just being able to eat and eat and eat without feeling satisfied.** The kind of hunger where your brain is constantly nagging you to eat even when you know you’ve had enough food.

LDN has made a noticeable difference in that for me, which is another reason I’m very attached to it.

Anyway, that’s my experience: **LDN alone helps my pain a lot. 6 mg of amitriptyline adds another layer of pain relief that, for me, is HUGE.**

**Together, they get rid of NEARLY ALL my pain.**

And I’ve tested the LDN enough times by stopping it to know that it’s not just placebo or coincidence.

**Anyone else out there on this combo?**

.

UPDATE:

I must take the amitriptyline just after 1/4 tsp baking soda to avoid GERD & IC.

**In a nutshell:** LDN (12 mg/day) works really well for my pain, but adding just 6 mg of amitriptyline gets rid of nearly all of the pain that LDN doesn’t touch. I stopped the amitriptyline for 3 days to see if increasing my LDN from 4 mg to 12 mg would compensate, and nope. By day 2 I was getting knee pain just sitting around, and on this morning’s run it hit 7/10 and I had to stop.

So, for me, the experiment was conclusive: LDN + 6 mg amitriptyline = nearly 100% pain relief, whereas LDN alone doesn’t quite get me there.

I’m also finding LDN really helpful for the insatiable, medication-driven hunger I get from some of my other meds.

.

Read on if you’re interested in the background/details…

I thought I’d share this because I don’t see enough people talking about the combination of LDN and very low-dose amitriptyline for pain.

I’ve been taking LDN for a long time. I was at 4 mg for quite a while, and recently I increased it to 12 mg/day of LDN because I wanted to see what would happen with the higher dose.

LDN is definitely doing something for me. I’ve actually stopped it in the past just to make sure I wasn’t imagining its effect, and yeah — it was SO obvious when I stopped it. So I have no intention of getting off LDN.

But LDN doesn’t get rid of all of my pain.

For the last four months or so, I’ve also been taking **6 mg of amitriptyline**.

And the combination has been incredible for me.

**LDN + 6 mg of amitriptyline gets rid of nearly of my pain.**

That’s not an exaggeration. There is a very noticeable difference between being on the combination and being without it.

I’m extremely sensitive to medications, so I can take doses that would probably look absolutely ridiculous to a lot of people and still get a significant effect.

6mg of amitriptyline is a perfect example.

On the other hand, I’ve taken amitriptyline at higher doses before, and for me it was completely different. It really bummed me the f\* out. I know it’s used as an antidepressant at higher doses, but it didn’t work for me that way at all.

At 6 mg, though, I’m not taking it for depression. It is very well known to be used for pain at low doses. For me, it has been a remarkably effective little pain medication - even helping me with random things like my sensitive teeth.

And the way it works alongside LDN is what I find particularly interesting.

The LDN handles a huge amount of my pain, and the tiny amount of amitriptyline seems to wipe out a lot of what remains.

It feels as though I’ve got pretty much every acronym you can imagine floating around in my medical history — MCAS, Long COVID, POTS/dysautonomia, EDS, IC etc. — and I’ve had plenty of pain that couldn’t be explained by some obvious structural damage.

For years, I avoided running because my knees hurt so badly. I assumed there must be something wrong with them. Doctors couldn’t find anything, and I didn’t want to make some mysterious knee problem worse.

After learning these issues I was having in were due to long covid, I started running again (when my balance wasn’t too f’d to do so).

My balance has been bad lately so I haven’t been running, but this morning I decided to run as a little diagnostic experiment after stopping the 6 mg amitriptyline for 3 days. I stopped it to se if the higher dose of LDN (up to 12 mg from 4 mg) would be enough to wipe out most of my pain.

**And damn my knees hurt! I knew they would because as early as day 2 with no amitriptyline I was feeling knee pain at a level of 4/10 just doing nothing much around the house, but I didn’t realize how much they’d hurt without the amitriptyline.**

On my run the pain was at a 7/10 simply because I hadn’t taken that tiny amount of amitriptyline for 3 days.

I had to stop running, but the attempt to run was useful because that diagnostic reminded me just how much pain the LDN + amitriptyline (6mg) combination has been suppressing.

When I’m taking both, I can move around and do things without worrying about my body, and when I’m not, I remember very quickly why I’ve spent years avoiding certain activities.

RESULT: I’ll stay on both the amitriptyline (6 mg) and the LDN (12 mg).

I used to be on just 4 mg LDN, but increased it to 12 mg to see whether I could get enough additional pain relief from the LDN to make up for losing the amitriptyline.

After this morning’s run, I’m not convinced.

And then there’s the other thing I use LDN for: **medication-driven hunger.**

I make my own liquid LDN by dissolving a 50 mg naltrexone tablet into water and storing it in the fridge. I currently take 4mg of that three times a day for 12 mg total.

I started doing the divided dosing because I noticed that LDN seems to curb the ravenous hunger I get from some of the other medications I’m on.

**And when I say hunger, I don’t mean normal hunger.**

I’ve been into bodybuilding and physique training for years. I’ve never competed, but I’ve spent plenty of time restricting calories and knowing exactly what ordinary hunger feels like.

Medication-driven hunger is a completely different beast. It’s not “I’m a little hungry. It’s **INSATIABLE - like having a hole in the bottom of your stomach and just being able to eat and eat and eat without feeling satisfied.** The kind of hunger where your brain is constantly nagging you to eat even when you know you’ve had enough food.

LDN has made a noticeable difference in that for me, which is another reason I’m very attached to it.

Anyway, that’s my experience: **LDN alone helps my pain a lot. 6 mg of amitriptyline adds another layer of pain relief that, for me, is HUGE.**

**Together, they get rid of NEARLY ALL my pain.**

And I’ve tested the LDN enough times by stopping it to know that it’s not just placebo or coincidence.

**Anyone else out there on this combo?**

.

UPDATE:

I must take the amitriptyline JUST AFTER 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to avoid GERD and IC.

What I love about Daniel isn’t simply that he is wise. Again and again, he refuses to make himself the source of the wisdom. When Nebuchadnezzar asks him to interpret the dream, Daniel essentially says: the mystery isn’t being revealed because I’m wiser than everyone else; God is revealing it. (Daniel 2:27–28)

That’s a profound kind of humility: being used without needing to possess the glory.

I think it’s so heartwarming how people recognize God in Daniel, because I know a tiny bit of what that feels like - not nearly as magnanimously as Daniel does, but in little, tiny moments I can sometimes step aside, and I can see God working through me, and it is astonishing.

It is the greatest honor a human could ever hope for: to be used by God. And for people to turn to Daniel because he embodies the wisdom of God. That must be the top of the mountain.

If this is what faith can produce in a human being, I want to know that God.

Enjoy your Sunday. May God bless you and yours eternally. ❤️

I’d love to hear about your moments where you’ve been astonished in how God worked through you - where you’ve participated in His work in some way.

I’ve been stuck in an ataxia flare for about three weeks now, which means my world has shrunk down again. I can’t venture far. And when I do, I feel a lot safer sticking to grassy patches, walkways with building walls to support me, and predictable ground where a fall is less likely. I was starting to slide into that heavy,what’s the point of anything headspace.

Last night, feeling trapped by how small my world had gotten and just praying for the strength to handle it, I looked out at the trash outside my window - and a memory popped up. About a year ago, I spent a morning picking up trash along a beach in Corfu. I remembered th le quiet satisfaction of looking back at a stretch of sand and seeing a clear before-and-after. It hit me: this is actually the perfect time for something like that. My options are limited right now anyway, so why not make it my weekend project/activity?

So, soon after waking up this morning, I grabbed a bag, went downstairs, and got going. I had to get started before my ataxia worsened, as it typically does as the day progresses.

I ended up covering about a block - from my front door, past the grocery store, down toward my gym, and all around the grassy edge of the park. I popped my AirPods in, put on music, and was singing to myself while putting trash into a large black trash bag. It was absurdly fun.

I knew it would feel that good because
I’d done it in the past and there's something grounding about a tangible win. When I work on my laptop, I build things that feel like they just evaporate into the digital ether. It’s work, but you can’t hold it. Trash is different. You pick it up, it’s gone, and the spot looks better instantly. It doesn't take massive effort, especially when you're just vibing to music and enjoying the warm summer season.

And when the neighborhood animals got involved things got really fun! Pretty early on, a huge flock of pigeons started trailing me. I have no idea what their logic was, but suddenly I was leading a pigeon parade. A bit later, a cat wandered over to play, so obviously I had to pause - I'm not a monster, the cat got pets and his obligatory adoration.

And to punctuate the experience , right as I was wrapping up, a lovely older woman walked up to me. She was talking, but between not being able to pull out my AirPods because my gloves were so dirty, and the language barrier, I didn't catch a single word. It didn't matter. She was smiling, I was smiling, and we just had this warm, silent moment of connection. It felt like the perfect capstone to the morning. It means a lot to me that she’ll be enjoying that park a little more today than she did yesterday.

When I got back upstairs and looked out the window, the view felt completely different - and I do too.

It didn't magically fix my health 😞, and my physical world didn't suddenly expand back to normal size. But it did reframe things. There’s still a lot of life happening inside this tiny radius that I can still reach:

A surprisingly curious and companionable flock of pigeons.

A playful cat looking for a friend.

A neighbor reaching out across a language barrier.

And a couple of hours spent moseying around a park, singing terribly, and leaving the ground a little cleaner than I found it.

I needed that reminder. When chronic illness forces my world to shrink, it’s easy to assume there’s nothing left in it for me. But usually it just means I have to look a little closer at what's right in front of me.

I don't know how long my body will let me do stuff like this. So my hypothesis for living with this condition is simple: if I can run, I run. If I can walk, I walk. And if all I can manage today is shuffling around a park picking up litter with headphones on, then so be it.

Tomorrow is unpredictable. And today was alright.
I'll take the win.

3 hours later…So after I picked up most of the trash viewable from my apartment, I looked out the window again to admire my work and instead I see people in the process of dropping more trash😂😂😂 I literally observed them dropping more trash.

Well, gives me something to do next weekend. 😄

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What have you found that keeps you in life? What are the little things that make you feel connected to being alive, or give you something to look forward to when life gets smaller?

Maybe these tips can help me the next time I’m having one of those - what’s the point - moments.

Thanks in advance for any tips and tricks you have to share!

Hi everyone, I’m hoping someone here might be able to advise or help.

There is the sweetest cat who is outside this Bingo grocery store at V947+6X2, Tuzlanska, Sarajevo 71000, Bosnia & Herzegovina every day.

He is honestly such a gentle, loving cat. If I could take him with me, I would, but I’m only passing through Sarajevo and I’m not able to give him a home. I wish I could keep him!

I’m worried - not sure how long he’ll be able to survive outside in his condition, and I’d really like to find someone who can help or point me in the right direction.

Does anyone know a rescue, foster, or person I could contact who might be able to check on him or help him find a safer situation?

Any advice or contacts would mean a lot.

Thank you

❤️

TLDR:

Accidentally doubled my LDN from 5 mg to 10 mg one night. After researching it and deciding I was personally comfortable staying at that dose (with regular blood work), I noticed something I never expected: my medication-driven hunger, constant food noise, and lack of satiety improved dramatically. I later found out naltrexone has actually been studied for reducing binge eating and food cravings in some people. I wish someone had mentioned this months ago when I was desperately looking for help with medication-related weight gain. Has anyone else experienced this?

If you want the full story and some background, read on.

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I seriously wish someone had told me this like 50 pounds ago.

I was originally taking 5 mg of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) for long COVID symptoms—body pain, brain fog, fatigue, POTS/dysautonomia, EDS, MCAS, and just the general collection of BS that seems to come with long COVID. (At this point I feel like I’m collecting diagnoses like they’re Pokémon.)

One night I accidentally took my dose of LDN twice. So instead of 5 mg, I took 10 mg.

The next day I realized… hang on. I actually feel better.

Before I decided to stay on 10 mg, I did a lot of research because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t doing something reckless. My biggest concern was safety, especially my liver. From everything I found, I felt comfortable continuing, and I already get regular blood work anyway, so I’m keeping an eye on things.

Then something happened that completely caught me off guard. My appetite changed.

For context, I have MCAS and for a long time I could only tolerate about six foods. I became malnourished, and I’m now borderline osteoporotic because of how limited my diet was. I was incredibly thin.

Then, after 4 years of this very restrictive diet, I finally found medications that helped in some ways but absolutely wrecked my appetite. I was hungry ALL the time. Constant sugar cravings. I went from clothes hanging off me like they were on a hanger to looking like a toddler whose shirt somehow keeps turning into a crop top.

And the biggest thing was that I never felt satisfied. There was no “okay, I’m full” signal. No stop button. My stop button had turned into a nonstop button. I could just keep eating, and eating and eating. It was absurd how much I could eat. It would have been a great time to enter one of those hot dog eating contests. 😄

I’ve always been into fitness, weightlifting, and nutrition, so I know what it’s like to intentionally restrict calories. I know what discipline feels like.

Medication-induced hunger is a completely different animal. When your brain never sends that satiety signal, someone telling you to “just use self-control” has no idea what they’re talking about.

I actually posted on Reddit asking what people were doing about medication-related weight gain, and one self-appointed expert basically told me to have more self-control. 🙄 That’s about as helpful as telling someone with insomnia to “just sleep.”

What feels like a simple choice for one person can feel almost impossible when medication is constantly telling your brain you’re still hungry. Those aren’t the same thing.

Anyway…

After increasing my LDN to 10 mg, I started noticing something really strange. I was actually getting full. The food noise got quieter. The constant urge to snack started fading, and the sugar cravings eased up. For the first time in months, It felt feels like my body has an off switch again!!

At first I thought there was no way it was the LDN because I’d never heard anyone talk about this. Then I looked into it.

Apparently, naltrexone has been studied for reducing binge eating and food cravings in some people. One theory is that it changes how the brain’s opioid reward system responds to food, making eating feel less compulsive and allowing normal satiety signals to come through more easily. I’m not sure that’s exactly what’s happening with me, but it fits my experience almost perfectly.

Honestly, I’m shocked that nobody mentioned this when I was desperately asking for help. Not one person.

Meanwhile, I’d already bought a GLP-1 pen because I was getting desperate. Since March I’ve been gaining weight so quickly that I felt like I had to do something. Also, my sugar cravings were so intense. I was afraid I’d become diabetic again (another thing long covid gave me early on in my illness).

The problem is I have MCAS, and injections have a way of making my body freak out to the point that I can’t walk. Also, I was also worried it would make my GERD worse (something it’s known for).

So realizing that increasing my LDN seems to have solved the problem has been an enormous relief. HUUUUUGE!!!

I’m not telling anyone to increase their dose, and this definitely isn’t medical advice. I’m just sharing what happened because I genuinely wish someone had mentioned this possibility months ago.

Has anyone else experienced this with LDN?

Did it affect your appetite or food cravings?

I’d love to hear your story?

I’ve been traveling long-term for years, and it’s always frustrating to arrive in a new country and find that local apps require a local phone number.

I’m currently in Bosnia Herzegovina and wanted to use a local delivery app, but it requires a local phone number for registration.😖

I know most travel eSIM providers are data-only, but I’m wondering if anyone has found providers that let you buy an eSIM online \*\*and receive a real phone number (with SMS capability)\*\* without having to walk into a mobile carrier store.

I’ve already left my home country, so keeping my original phone number active is not an option.

If you’ve found one that works:

Which provider did you use?
What country did it work in?
Was it a real mobile number or a VoIP/virtual number?
Did it work for app verification (delivery apps, local services, etc.)?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Happy travels!

I’ve been traveling long-term for years, and it’s always frustrating to arrive in a new country and find that local apps require a local phone number.

I’m currently in Bosnia Herzegovina and wanted to use a local delivery app, but it requires a local phone number for registration.😖

I know most travel eSIM providers are data-only, but I’m wondering if anyone has found providers that let you buy an eSIM online **and receive a real phone number (with SMS capability)** without having to walk into a mobile carrier store.

I’ve already left my home country, so keeping my original phone number active is not an option.

If you’ve found one that works:

Which provider did you use?
What country did it work in?
Was it a real mobile number or a VoIP/virtual number?
Did it work for app verification (delivery apps, local services, etc.)?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Happy travels!

I’ve been traveling long-term for years, and it’s always frustrating to arrive in a new country and find that local apps require a local phone number.

I’m currently in Bosnia Herzegovina and wanted to use a local delivery app, but it requires a local phone number for registration.😖

I know most travel eSIM providers are data-only, but I’m wondering if anyone has found providers that let you buy an eSIM online and receive a real phone number (with SMS capability) without having to walk into a mobile carrier store.

I’ve already left my home country, so keeping my original phone number active is not an option.

If you’ve found one that works:

Which provider did you use?
What country did it work in?
Was it a real mobile number or a VoIP/virtual number?
Did it work for app verification (delivery apps, local services, etc.)?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Happy travels!

A little context: This post is about my experience over the last 10 years of full-time travel, not just my current situation.

But, I just happen to currently be in this part of Europe (the Balkans) because I’m receiving medical treatment that I can only access here.

I know housing is a sensitive topic in many European cities, and I completely understand why. I’m simply trying to find a modest, furnished place to stay while I receive the care I need.

Okay… on to my actual question.

.

I’ve been doing this lifestyle for about 10 years and accommodation is still one of the hardest parts.

I’m in my mid-fifties and find myself way too often paying premium prices for what feels like upgraded dorm living. 😄 You know the places - plastic chairs, sofas designed for munchkins, and kitchens where you can technically cook… as long as your meal is toast and you’re willing to wrestle with a butter knife to cut the bread.

There’s definitely a trade-off. And it’s a trade off I’ve been willing to make for the last ten years. I love the freedom of not being tied to one place, and at this time I can’t afford to have a home and travel at the same time, so this is the choice I’ve made.

But finding places that are affordable while still being comfortable can be really frustrating. I’m not looking for luxury, but you know the places I’m taking about - where the sheets look like they survived several generations of a family before finally being donated to the apartment; where every piece of furniture seems to have a story, just not one you want to hear; and where basic kitchen items like a decent knife or a strainer seem to be mysterious objects that no host has ever encountered.

Going the local rental route for finding places is tough when I’m only allowed to stay for up to 3 months. By the time I find a place, deal with contracts, deposits, and all the logistics, I’m already thinking about the next move.

I’ve noticed that Southeast Asia often has much better value for comfortable furnished rentals, and parts of Latin America (like Colombia) can also be much more affordable. But - as we all know - Europe is much tougher, especially if you want somewhere that feels like a real home for under $1300 a month.

I know people often suggest Facebook Marketplace (that seems like a lot of work), local rental websites (not sure how that works for 3 month agreements), or finding places after arriving (I’m disabled now so this is no longer a good option), but I’m curious if there are other ways you’re handling it when needing a need a furnished place for only 1–3 months.

What has worked for you?

Do you mostly use Airbnb, Booking, local rental sites, Facebook groups, or something else?

Have you found ways to get better prices without sacrificing comfort?

Would love to hear what other long-term travelers are doing - particularly when it comes to European travel.

Thanks in advance for the tips! It is greatly appreciated.

❤️

A little context: This post is about my experience over the last 10 years of full-time travel, not just my current situation.

But, I just happen to currently be in this part of Europe (the Balkans) because I’m receiving medical treatment that I can only access here.

I know housing is a sensitive topic in many European cities, and I completely understand why. I’m simply trying to find a modest, furnished place to stay while I receive the care I need.

Okay… on to my actual question.

I’ve been doing this lifestyle for about 10 years and accommodation is still one of the hardest parts.

I’m in my mid-fifties and find myself way too often paying premium prices for what feels like upgraded dorm living. 😄 You know the places - plastic chairs, sofas designed for munchkins, and kitchens where you can technically cook… as long as your meal is toast and you’re willing to wrestle with a butter knife to cut the bread.

There’s definitely a trade-off. And it’s a trade off I’ve been willing to make for the last ten years. I love the freedom of not being tied to one place, and at this time I can’t afford to have a home and travel at the same time, so this is the choice I’ve made.

But finding places that are affordable while still being comfortable can be really frustrating. I’m not looking for luxury, but you know the places I’m taking about - where the sheets look like they survived several generations of a family before finally being donated to the apartment; where every piece of furniture seems to have a story, just not one you want to hear; and where basic kitchen items like a decent knife or a strainer seem to be mysterious objects that no host has ever encountered.

Going the local rental route for finding places is tough when I’m only allowed to stay for up to 3 months. By the time I find a place, deal with contracts, deposits, and all the logistics, I’m already thinking about the next move.

I’ve noticed that Southeast Asia often has much better value for comfortable furnished rentals, and parts of Latin America (like Colombia) can also be much more affordable. But - as we all know - Europe is much tougher, especially if you want somewhere that feels like a real home for under $1300 a month.

I know people often suggest Facebook Marketplace (that seems like a lot of work), local rental websites (not sure how that works for 3 month agreements), or finding places after arriving (I’m disabled now so this is no longer a good option), but I’m curious if there are other ways you’re handling it when needing a need a furnished place for only 1–3 months.

What has worked for you?

Do you mostly use Airbnb, Booking, local rental sites, Facebook groups, or something else?

Have you found ways to get better prices without sacrificing comfort?

Would love to hear what other long-term travelers are doing - particularly when it comes to European travel.

Thanks in advance for the tips! It is greatly appreciated.

❤️

A little context: This post is about my experience over the last 10 years of full-time travel, not just my current situation.

But, I just happen to currently be in this part of Europe (the Balkans) because I’m receiving medical treatment that I can only access here.

I know housing is a sensitive topic in many European cities, and I completely understand why. I’m simply trying to find a modest, furnished place to stay while I receive the care I need.

Okay… on to my actual question.

.

I’ve been doing this lifestyle for about 10 years and accommodation is still one of the hardest parts.

I’m in my mid-fifties and find myself way too often paying premium prices for what feels like upgraded dorm living. 😄 You know the places - plastic chairs, sofas designed for munchkins, and kitchens where you can technically cook… as long as your meal is toast and you’re willing to wrestle with a butter knife to cut the bread.

There’s definitely a trade-off. And it’s a trade off I’ve been willing to make for the last ten years. I love the freedom of not being tied to one place, and at this time I can’t afford to have a home and travel at the same time, so this is the choice I’ve made.

But finding places that are affordable while still being comfortable can be really frustrating. I’m not looking for luxury, but you know the places I’m taking about - where the sheets look like they survived several generations of a family before finally being donated to the apartment; where every piece of furniture seems to have a story, just not one you want to hear; and where basic kitchen items like a decent knife or a strainer seem to be mysterious objects that no host has ever encountered.

Going the local rental route for finding places is tough when I’m only allowed to stay for up to 3 months. By the time I find a place, deal with contracts, deposits, and all the logistics, I’m already thinking about the next move.

I’ve noticed that Southeast Asia often has much better value for comfortable furnished rentals, and parts of Latin America (like Colombia) can also be much more affordable. But - as we all know - Europe is much tougher, especially if you want somewhere that feels like a real home for under $1300 a month.

I know people often suggest Facebook Marketplace (that seems like a lot of work), local rental websites (not sure how that works for 3 month agreements), or finding places after arriving (I’m disabled now so this is no longer a good option), but I’m curious if there are other ways you’re handling it when needing a need a furnished place for only 1–3 months.

What has worked for you?

Do you mostly use Airbnb, Booking, local rental sites, Facebook groups, or something else?

Have you found ways to get better prices without sacrificing comfort?

Would love to hear what other long-term travelers are doing - particularly when it comes to European travel.

Thanks in advance for the tips! It is greatly appreciated.

❤️