u/That-Television-4856

Back in January I had a pretty severe panic attack that put me in the ER because I (and my Mom who was with me) thought I was having a stroke while driving. Long story short, the doctor at the ER ended up concluding that I had a panic attack, mixed with dehydration and low potassium. Fast forward a few months and I ended up in the ER again for separate stomach issues and found out I likely am suffering from dysbiosis (unbalanced gastrointestinal microbiome) after 2 rounds of antibiotics for yet another issue probably killed off a bunch of good bacteria in my stomach.

Initially for the first few months after I had that panic attack I was feeling pretty alright, but then over time I seem to be feeling... kind of worse and worse. I think part of it is because I don't really do anything right now that keeps my mind off of worrying. I was working before but then ended up employed after a new job I had lined up fell through after I already quit my old job. I don't think I've even gone anywhere more than 30 minutes from my house in almost 2 months. Weirdly though, even though I had the panic attack while driving, for some reason driving actually seems to calm me down now.

The dysbiosis I believe is also playing a pretty big role in this as well, because apparently it can be a big contributing factor to anxiety and I seem to have a pretty bad case of it. I've been working on taking various probiotics and prebiotics to get my gut back in order, but it can take months or even years to fix it fully.

Lastly, I also live with my Mom and Grandma, and my Grandma severely stresses me out. She's just a really loud, obnoxious, and demanding person. Every time I leave my room she has some sort of command she barks at me, and that makes me feel really anxious as well.

I hate feeling this way. Back in 2023 I was in grad school and I was doing so well, I had so many friends and was out doing stuff all day all the time. Now 3 years later I'm in my room all day, worrying about everything all the time.

Date: November 19th 2026

Evidence: GTA 6's preorders open up tonight and already Rockstar is doing some controversial stuff: no disks on physical copies, costs $80 ($10 more than most games currently), no announcements about multiplayer, notable features locked behind the game's more expensive special edition, etc.

Alongside this, despite all the hype, very little is known about the game compared to other games. Rockstar hasn't even shown any actual gameplay before opening pre-orders.

I'm sure that plenty of people are still going to buy GTA VI, but I don't think it is going to end up having the staying power which GTA V did, and therefore Rockstar won't be able to recoup their money from post-launch stuff like microtransactions.

I recently was in the ER for some ongoing stomach issues, and the ER doctor told me it likely is a mixture of acid reflux and my stomach biome being messed up. I got a prescription-strength heartburn relief med that has helped the acid reflux, but my stomach is really screwed up otherwise right now.

I've had kind of a really rough year on my tummy actually. For one, I was on antibiotics twice (Cefdinir specifically) within a few month period. After the first dose was when I started getting mild stomach issues, and this most recent dose (which I finished about a week and a half ago) has really kinda done me in. I also was sick a few months ago with what I think now was COVID, and apparently COVID can cause microbiome issues as well.

Alongside that, over the past month I also wasn't really eating very much for a handful of reasons. I was mildly sick for a few days, then my stomach was upset from cefdinir while I was on it, and then my Mom came home from a work conference with COVID and I was stuck isolating in my room for 10 days.

Right now I'm at a point where when I wake up I usually have some bad cramping and nausea, plus loose stools but not full-on diarrhea. By the evening I tend to feel better and have been going out grocery shopping and stuff, so I'm not like bed bound, but generally not feeling great. I've been trying my best to eat a lot of probiotic and prebiotic food, and my girlfriend sent me a psyllium husk supplement a while ago that I've been taking too.

Overall I do seem to be slowly feeling better every day, but only by a tiny bit.

Is there anything else I can do to try to get back to normal quicker? Or is my best bet to just stay on this path?

I've been having a pretty bad onslaught of stomach issues over the past month. I already was dealing with general upset stomach but ended up being prescribed cefdinir and prednisone for a separate issue and they've messed up my stomach even worse. Long story short, after about a week of intense stomach-aches and nausea, I finally went to the ER yesterday.

I was told that I likely have GERD and that it's been especially bad because of the meds I was taking, and that it will probably take a while to resolve on its own. I did get prescribed a prescription antacid and told some specific foods to eat.

But, on top of this, I seem to have RCPD as well. I haven't really ever burped in my life except a few times when gagging, and I also actually haven't vomited in close to 16 years. So, this means that often I just kinda get stuck with burning in my esophagus and stomach, and nausea, for hours at a time because I can't burp anything out.

Does anyone else have this combo and advice on how to combat it? I think I've actually been dealing with it for a pretty long time but only recently has it become serious due to those meds screwing up my stomach.

(also, sorta related, I've been having issues with anxiety about eating as well because, due to a bunch of factors, I barely ate anything for the past month and my appetite is screwed up as well)

I've been having some pretty bad tummy issues for a while. It initially started actually when I caught covid one time back in 2023 but after recently being on a combo of steroid and antibiotic for a separate issue, my stomach has felt awful.

Long story short, it was so bad that I ended up going to the ER yesterday and they told me they were pretty sure a lot of my issues were caused by GERD. But, alongside that, I also seem to have R-CPD, which is "no-burp" syndrome. I haven't burped ever pretty much except a few times when gagging, and I also haven't vomited in close to 16 years.

It really sucks because the acid reflux often makes it feel like I need to burp, but then I can't so I don't get any relief that way. Luckily the ER doctor prescribed me a prescription grade antacid and I've been working on exercises to the R-CPD so hopefully I can solve it. But, just figured I would post here and ask if anyone else deals with a similar combo and if you have any tips for how to make it not so bad?

I've been dealing with a few issues lately and recently after backtracking the calendar realized they may be COVID-related and wanted to ask if anyone else has experienced similar stuff.

So, I've had COVID 3 times that I know of for sure, but I got sick back in January and I'm thinking it may have been COVID. I don't remember exactly what days I was sick but I remember being ill on MLK day so sometime in mid-January. I didn't get tested because I just isolated at home once I felt sick and didn't have any tests. Like a week later a big ice storm came through my area and, long story short, I had a panic attack so bad while trying to drive my truck out of the road I live on while it was icy that I went to the ER because it looked like I was having a stroke. They ran all the tests on me though and concluded it was dehydration, low potassium, and a panic attack.

However, ever since then, I've continued to have anxiety issues that I never had before, and have had 3 smaller anxiety attacks. I used to literally never feel this worked up about anything, and now it seems like every small thing gets me super nervous.

Alongside that, I was having headaches and have been having stomach issues since January as well. I decided to try to cut out caffeine to see if it helped my headaches, and it actually has seemingly made them disappear. But the thing is, I never had any issues with caffeine before this. I used to be able to drink Mountain Dew all day and never had any headaches or other problems lmao.

Aside from that, I've still been having stomach issues where on some random days I just feel really nauseous and have diarrhea for like... 4 hours after I wake up. I haven't quite tracked it down to any specific foods, but my girlfriend has been suggesting I try to go gluten-free for a little while to see if COVID possible triggered Celiac disease for me. I'm planning on starting that next time I buy groceries. In general my stomach has actually been acting weird ever since I caught COVID for the 3rd time back in 2023, but after this most recent possible bout with it, it seems even worse.

Lately I've found most of my gambling is done via in-person sports betting kiosks at my local casinos, however, none of them count any of the money gambled this way towards their rewards programs (except one that counts horse racing bets this way but no other sports bets).

I was wondering if this is just a problem specific to my area, or if in general most casinos don't offer any rewards points for sports bets?

I'm unemployed right now and have healthcare marketplace insurance. I actually got a pretty good plan for an okay price, but part of the trade-off of it is that it doesn't appear to cover me at all outside of the state that I live in. Normally this isn't an issue because I almost never leave my state, however, my Mom has been trying to plan a trip out of the state to pick up some furniture she inherited from a family friend who passed away and she wants me to go with her.

I've been having a few health issues over the past like... 3-ish years that, although not serious, are concerning me enough that I'm worried about not having coverage during this trip. Mostly I've had some stomach and anxiety issues.

Is it possible to get a travel-insurance type plan like you can get for international trips, but for a domestic trip within the US?

I'm American and my girlfriend is Indian. We originally met in grad school, as we were both going to grad school in the UK. She was still in the UK for a few years after we finished grad school and we visited each other a handful of times while she was there, but a few months ago she went back to India and I've been trying to plan out my first visit to see her there.

She has been suggesting that I come stay for like a month or longer, as we're both unemployed right now so I don't really have anywhere to be lmao. Her Dad has a very good job in India so they live in a pretty nice house and I could have my whole own room while there if I really wanted.

I was just wondering if anyone has advice on anything to do before going. My main concern is possibly getting sick while there, so does anyone have any suggestions for vaccines, medicines, supplements, etc to take before/while there?

I'm on my last few days of a prednisone dose combined with an antibiotic from my ENT to try to treat some sinus issues I've been having. I'm on the lowest "tapering down" dose of it right now and am feeling okay, but for the past like 6 days I was on a moderate dose and kinda felt like I was losing my mind. I was just generally way more anxious than usual, and in-particular for some reason was freaking out one day when I had to take my cat to a vet appointment.

It's weird to me because I actually took this exact set of meds a few months ago and didn't have any side effects. Although, that being said in the months since then I had a few really scary experiences that may have like awoken an anxiety disorder in me.

Anyway, was just wondering if anyone else has had the same thing happen to them?

My girlfriend and I are both in our late 20s, long-distance and actually in different countries right now, but we met irl in grad school in a 3rd country (the UK). We're both pretty miserable with our lives, my girlfriend has been searching for a job for almost half a year and not even gotten an interview. Her family is supportive of her overall, but also puts a lot of pressure on her. I also am living at home, but my family is driving me insane. I live with my Mom and Grandma. Idk wtf is wrong with my Grandma, she has some sort of dementia or something similar, she's just a very odd person and hard to be around. In addition, my Mom keeps pressuring me about jobs like they're the only thing important in life. They both push most of the chores of the house onto me, which takes up a lot of my time too. When I was employed I had to spend a lot of time on my off days just doing shit around the house because nobody else does.

Neither of us are in a situation where we need to like completely abandon our families and disappear, but I think we're both really getting close to the point of just "running away" to start over somewhere else. I'm in a uniquely lucky position with this as well because I actually inherited some money a few years ago and so, although I'm not rich, I could survive without a job for at least like 5 years.

So, how do people do it where they just up and run away and start over somewhere else?

I got my vasectomy a while ago (2 years now I think) but just feeling thankful for it once again after having a nightmare about pregnancy lmao. Well worth it!

My ENT recently prescribed me a round of a few things, including prednisone which is a steroid. I've been having sinus issues for a while and this is just kinda the first step in getting it all looked at. I didn't really care because a while ago she prescribed me an initial round of it and I didn't have any side effects, but whoo boy it is kicking my ass this time.

Apparently since it mimics adrenal chemicals it can make you jittery and more susceptible to mood swings and man, I've been super anxious and hyped up this time on it. I think it's partially because I've been having some anxiety issues anyway which weren't present last time I took it, and it has been amplifying those. Luckily I'm on the part of it where I taper off though now.

Anyway, long story from me, but what's the worse medicine side effects you guys have ever had?

My Mom has an older German Shepherd who has started to have mobility issues. She can still move around mostly fine but has been having trouble jumping/climbing into vehicles. We used to have a Jeep Patriot that matched almost perfectly to our porch when backed up to it so we were able to get her in that way but my Mom has since traded that in for a different vehicle, which means we don't really have any cars that are easy for her to get into.

Alongside this, 4WD/AWD would be helpful to have too because none of our cars have that right now and it'd be good for the like 1 week of snow we get a year where I live, but it's not necessary. The main thing is a car that'd be easy for the dog to get in and out of and also something very cheap because this is just gonna be mostly a beater car for our whole family when not in use for the dog.

My Mom is thinking a minivan may be good but in my area there's not any cheap ones for sale right now. We've found a few Mercedes GLKs for sale that we've been thinking about test driving, and I also have been researching and finding some sedans and SUVs that I think may work (found a few good Subaru Crosstrek listings that I think may fit the bill). We do have a ramp for the dog btw but she's hesitant to climb up it.

I'm gonna refer to my gf's friend as just "A" and his fiancé as "B" to clarify since there's 4 people in this story. For a little bit of background, this is a uniquely "international" situation. I'm American, my girlfriend is Indian, her friend is also Indian, and his fiancé is British. Me, my girlfriend, and A all met in grad school in the UK, and A met B after grad school. I'm in the US now, my gf in in India, and A and B are in the UK.

My gf and A were really close in grad school because they lived in the same building and also both come from military families. I never really knew A very much aside from him being friends with my gf.

At some point in the last few months A met B and they started dating, and only three months in they're living together and A has proposed to B. They're supposed to get married next summer.

My girlfriend and I have been dating for about 3 years now, but even though we started dating IRL, we've been long distance for most of it (but with visits to each other throughout). She has been to the US to meet my family, but I still need to visit India to meet hers.

Ever since A got engaged to B, she has kinda... lost her mind about our relationship a little bit. She's started to get onto me a lot more about figuring out when we're gonna get married, how we'll move in together, if we want to live in the US, India, or a 3rd country, etc. She brings something about it up almost every time we talk and it's getting stressful because I feel like she's putting a lot of the pressure of figuring it out on me. I do want us to plan things out, but we're both unemployed right now and I haven't even met her family.

I feel like she's trying to rush things along because A has done that in his relationship, but frankly I don't think A and B are going to last very long after getting married. I'm not sure what to do to calm her down though because it feels like every time I say that we need to take it one step at a time she accuses me of just being lazy about our future.

tl;dr: My girlfriend is trying to rush our relationship along because her friend has rushed his.

A few months ago I had my first ever full-on panic attack and it seems to have sorta triggered a pretty bad general anxiety for me. I never used to feel this way but after that I've had a lot of days where I feel really anxious. Long story short, what triggered it was driving in an ice storm. The area I live in had been blanketed in ice and in the process of trying to get my truck out of our small road to go grocery shopping with my Mom, I had a panic attack so bad that it seemed like I was having a stroke (and looking back on it I may have had a panic-induced seizure). I had overworked myself trying to shovel out our driveway, was already nervous about the fact that I had missed almost a week of work because of the ice, AND I had damaged my other vehicle too trying to get out of our driveway already, so it was all just too much for me.

Jump forward now and I've started to notice that I get really anxious going... pretty much anywhere with other people. But in-particular, I get really anxious driving with my Mom in the car. It's not that my Mom is even doing anything wrong, but it's just that it reminds me of that day and makes me really nervous. When I'm by myself this doesn't really seem to happen though. I've even drove 5+ hours solo recently to visit a family member and it didn't really bother me.

I feel really bad because today my Mom and I had plans to go to an arcade that was having a special remodeling party but about halfway there I just felt that I couldn't handle it. I also didn't get much sleep last night which didn't help. My Mom offered to drive the rest of the way and tried to be really encouraging but the only thing I could really do was just go home.

Inversely, I also get anxious being a passenger in the car when other people are driving, but not as much as when I am driving with other people. Any advice on how to deal with this?

My local casino has a nice setup for sports betting and I find that often being my preferred way to gamble. In-particular, their kiosks often list a bunch of seemingly random sports, so I've bet on some weird stuff before.

Sometimes I'll put together really goofy parlays and bet like $1 on them because it's fun and if they pull through they could be worth a lot. On my last visit I think I had parlayed together Korean baseball, Indian cricket, Finnish hockey, and a Counter-Strike match which would've payed about $90 on a $1 bet. It sadly didn't win though.

So, what's the weirdest parlay you've ever put together, and did you win it?

Ever since the pandemic happened and I caught COVID for the first time, I've always never felt quite right and seem to get sick way more often than I used to. Initially it wasn't too noticeable, but in 2022 I went to grad school and caught COVID a 2nd time before my classes had even started, and it was awful.

Right after I got over COVID, I ended up getting sick with something else that was going around campus and was some form of ill for about a month. I was generally sick for like a week but then my sinuses still hurt and I lost my voice for about 3 more weeks.

Once I finally got over that it was like a vicious cycle for a while because every time I would have a night out with my friends, I would fall very ill for 4 or 5 days. Eventually I had to give up on hanging out with them if they were planning on going to clubs or anywhere else crowded because I kept falling ill. When I did that I finally stopped getting so sick so much, but it still didn't end.

Shortly after grad school I got a job at a big used media store (like a 2nd & Charles but a different, smaller chain). Caught COVID once again shortly after starting work there, and ever since then have had multiple seemingly random new health issues pop up. Sleep apnea, stomach issues, bruxism, and most recently found out I may have a migraine disorder. On top of that I seem to get sick a lot still... it feels like at least 50% of the time I go anywhere where other people are I fall ill. Even just recently I went to a casino like 2 weeks ago, I brought hand sanitizer, stayed away from other people, and washed my hands a bunch and yet still I fell ill with something.

Ik that there's a lot of stuff pointing towards me having long COVID and I've mentioned that a bit to my doctor, but I just started seeing a new doctor. Plus since Long COVID is such a new thing it seems like it can be kinda hard to really figure out how to get a doctor to send you for tests related to it.

It just sucks. When I was in college, right before the pandemic, I was so active and busy and happy. Even in grad school despite getting sick more often, I was still always hanging out with my friends. I was doing so much stuff and now I find it hard sometimes to even go grocery shopping because I like 75% of the time I feel moderately unwell. That 3rd bout of COVID feels like it really did me in.

I'm American and lately have been watching quite a few (South) Korean shows and movies, and I've started to notice that in situations where North Korea is mentioned or important to the plot, there tends to be an underlying tone of like... hope that someday the country will be reunified. I especially noticed it in "Crash Landing On You" and "Steel Rain", which makes sense because those shows deal directly with North-South relations.

But it has me wondering, how do Koreans actually feel about it? Figured I would post it here in case maybe any actual Koreans want to reply.