u/madcook1 — reddlx

IPS screen polarization

For me it seems the main problem causing eye strain / focus issues is the polarizer used for the IPS screen. All screens that are good for my eyes and don't cause any issues are all vertically polarized. I test this by using polarizer sunglasses (they block horizonally polarized light) and if they pass the light looking through them, the screen is emitting vertically polarized light. If I turn the glasses 90°, the go black/dark blue.

Currently I'm using a TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen9 AMD as main driver with a MNE007ZA3-2 panel, vertically polarized, with zero eye issues. My previous laptop, the HP 840 G5 (+ G10 and G11, which I tested) were also vertically polarized.

My smartphone is a Samsung Galaxy S23 (which seems to have the worst PWM), zero issues. AMOLED as OLED is circular polarized.

My 10 year old TV screen is also vertical polarized - zero issues there too.

My previous monitor was a Gigabyte M27UA, zero eye issues, also vertically polarized.

I just went into an electronics store and looked at different monitors and tested each one with my polarizer sunglasses. Here is the result:

HP 524sh: horizontal
Samsung S70D: vertical
HP 527sh: horizontal
Lenovo L27-45: vertical
LG 27US550-W: vertical
Acer QG241Y: vertical
Dell U2424HE: vertical
AOC U27G4R: vertical
Acer XB273UX1: vertical
AOC Q27G4ZR: vertical
Acer QG271X1: horizontal
LG 27G610A-B.AEUQ: vertical
Asus VG279Q5A: vertical
LG 27G411A-B.AEU: vertical
AOC 25G4SRE: vertical
Acer QG241Y X1: vertical
Dell P2725QE: horizontal
HP Omen 27u: horizontal
Gigabyte M27UA: vertical
Dell U2725QE: horizontal
Dell P2720D: horizontal
Dell G2724D: horizontal

The last three Dells of the list I bought myself and tested them at home, I had to return each one because of eye/focus issues.

Here is a study that shows humans can detect light polarization via Haidinger brushes: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4528539/

Here are some reddit posts related to polarization:

I'm currently trying to find a new monitor, but because the polarization is not definied anywhere, it's pretty hard. I'm now collecting as much data as possible and by finding out the panel manufacturers, maybe some pattern emerges that helps me find a suitable monitor. My dream monitor would be: 27" 4k, >100 Hz, TCO cerified, vertical polarized.

u/madcook1 — 5 days ago

▲ 1 r/GERD

Why rice but not potatoes or wheat

So for whatever reason, I can eat 350gr of potatoes cooked/baked or 150gr of wheat (simple flatbread, wheat+water+salt) but even 40gr of rice (dry weight, basmati) cause reflux. I eat all meals with ~250gr of ground beef. What is going on with rice? I digest potatoes and wheat really good, but I don't tolerate nightshades and the wheat causes digestive distress later on. Any idea?

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u/madcook1 — 8 days ago

▲ 1 r/Lyme

Rifabutin against Bartonella

Just started Rifabutin 150mg (+ Azithromycin + MB) against Bartonella and expected all hell break loose, but don't have any real herx besides fatigue, muscle weakness and just feeling "off". It's only 3 days in, but is this common/expected? In the past when trying out herbs, I had strong mast cell flares that I expected also to have with Rifabutin. What was your experience with Rifabutin?

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u/madcook1 — 27 days ago

▲ 2 r/Lyme

Distinctive neuro symptoms lyme vs. bartonella

I had a lot of symptoms in the past and now that defintely point to Bartonella (shin pain, striae, pain on the sole of the feet), but many other neuro symptoms that can be both like, dpdr, short term memory loss, vertigo/diziness, slow motility/gastroparesis, diziness, fatigue, ...

Now I wonder if I have neuroborreliosis as well. Are there symptoms that are pretty much only neuroborreliosis?

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u/madcook1 — 1 month ago

▲ 0 r/Lyme

Ivermectin improves fat digestion

I'm currently testing Ivermectin as part of a treatment against a tick borne co-infection (Babesia and Bartonella), and noted that it improves my fat digestion a lot. Currently I'm taking 500mg TUDCA per meal, which works fine for around ~250-300gr of fatty beef. If I go over it, I get inflammation that causes MMP-9 activation which makes my hands and skin very dry (sometimes so dry they crack and bleed).

Just took 12mg yesterday, and already noted improved fat digestion and very very smooth skin the next day. AI said Ivermectin is a potent FXR ligand that somehow maintains bile acid homeostasis:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23728580/

Did anybody experience the same with Ivermectin? I found that reaction very odd (but welcoming) and wondered about it.

u/madcook1 — 2 months ago

▲ 15 r/Lyme

Strong reaction when improving circulation with Tadalafil

In my previous post I asked about using Tadalafil to improve circulation: https://old.reddit.com/r/Lyme/comments/1t96j0c/improving_circulation_with_tadalafil/

I'm currently on a regimen against Babesia and partly Bartonella (Tafenoquine, Malarone, Azithromycin, Methyleneblue, Lumbrokinase) and after around 3 months I didn't feel any more herx from the medication. Because I always have cold feet and hands, I wondered if the medication actually hits all the places. Then I tested Tadalafil (cialis) with 1.25mg (1/4 of a 5mg tablet) to improve circulation, which started a lot of continous herx. It was bearable, but felt like the herxes I had when starting the medication.

Then after 3-4 days, I added 2.5mg on top of the 1.25mg, and boy, that opened herx hell. I suddenly had flare ups I had many many years ago, even symptoms I forgot I had. The herx "intensity" was a lot worse then I have ever experienced being on the meds (this is the second round).

Before Tadalafil, I tried Pycnogenol which also improves circulation, and I was not sure if the symptoms I got from it was from side-effects or herx. Now I know, it was herxes. If I had to guess on herx severity, I'd say 100mg Pycnogenol equals around 2.5mg Tadalafil.

The Tadalafil is now out of my system, no strong herxes any more from the meds I take. And I'm always walking around 10-15.000 steps a day, and that didn't causes herxes like Pycnogenol/Tadalafil.

In my last round (Tafenoquine, Malarone, Doxycycline, 3-4 months) I had massive improvement after I finished the round, but just 3 weeks later I relapsed. By improving circulation, I might hit all the places where the pathogens hide. At least for me, that seems the missing piece.

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u/madcook1 — 2 months ago

▲ 1 r/Lyme

Improving circulation with Tadalafil

I'm currently treating Babesia and thought about adding low dose Tadalafil (which is..cialis) to improve circulation. Tadalafil is a PDE-5 inhibitor which causes vasodilation. I always have cold hands and feet, and wonder how much of the Babesia is actually hit when the blood flow is impaired.

I have some experience with Pycnogenol which should also improve circulation, but I couldn't find out if the reaction from it is a Herx or side-effect.

Any one used that or has experience?

reddit.com

u/madcook1 — 2 months ago

▲ 2 r/tinnitus

In my original post I claimed that my tinnitus was caused by my monitor, and I want to backup my claim with some measurements I did with a spectrum analyzer.

Here you see the different emissions spectras measured with a tinySA and a 50cm telescopic antenna infront of the monitor with around 40-50cm distance: https://imgur.com/a/15WFCvQ

In the first image you see the 120Hz DisplayPort connection radiating off the Gigabyte M27UA (non-TCO) monitor. Switching to a 60Hz HDMI connection reduces the frequency of the signal, but it's still there.

I then tried out a Dell P2725QE monitor that is TCO certified, meaning it has strict electromagnetic emission limits, and the signal from the DisplayPort or HDMI connection is completly gone. Note that the 16MHz signal you see in all spectras is coming from my laptop.

With the Dell P2725QE, I have no tinnitus when I sit infront of the monitor. When I switch the monitors back to the Gigabyte M27UA, the tinnitus instantly starts. Way worse with DisplayPort 120Hz, but even HDMI 60Hz does start the tinnitus.

u/madcook1 — 2 months ago