wolfchild

Provide more details about your injuries....What type of "major injury" and "multiple smaller injuries" are you talking about ??...How did those injuries happen, and what type of activity caused those injuries ??...Which part of your body has been injured and is causing you pain ??

KraneXL

You are a curious thing. In any event, it was a blunt force trauma that compounded a previous sports related injury to my neck and shoulder. The compression of my cartilage causes impingement on the nerves. There is no cure other than an operation which is not guaranteed to improve the condition.

wolfchild

I hope you find some product or some solution that will improve your quality of life without producing too many negative side-effects. I don't have experience with this type of stuff so I can't really help you. Good luck finding something that works.

Seattle Forrest

Have you tried Gabapentin? It's for nerve pain. I knew somebody with sciatica from a spinal hernia that was helped greatly by that stuff. I've never taken it, so I can't comment beyond that.

bruce19

I believe there are studies that show an increase in "creativity" when micro-dosing with LSD, Psylocibin and DMT. This is a practice that increased in popularity in Silicon Valley when the tech crowd started seeing an increase in creativity and productivity. Micro-dosing has also been used effectively to treat PTSD and Depression. There is a lot of information on the subject. Here's an example:

Seattle Forrest

Doctor said I can do a final course of prednisolone in mid December when ski season begins and I use the hell out of my feet and ankles. 🙂

KraneXL

One of the first drugs my doctors prescribed for me. Its suppose to treat nerve pain. The results was a very minor relief of pain with a more pronounced increase in side-effects: memory loss, fatigue, motion sickness, etc. Its the sedative state that prompted this question..

canklecat

Gabapentin did nothing for me either. It's become a catchall one-size-fits-none prescription since doctors became paranoid of losing their licenses for prescribing even mild and generally safe opiates like hydrocodone or Tramadol.

My mom got some relief from gabapentin for neuropathic pain related to shingles. And I've met folks who say it relieved their fibromyalgia. But I've yet to meet a doctor who believes fibromyalgia is a real thing. At best they believe it's a misdiagnosis of other existing problems that have been accepted as legitimate. Even some "pain management" specialists don't seem to believe fibromyalgia exists, but they humor their patients and give them gabapentin as a relatively harmless placebo. And that's reflected in the current literature on gabapentin. I've read no studies that claim it's useful for anything other than some neuropathic conditions. Zero apparent effect on pain due to injuries, migraine, cluster headache, etc.

I get more benefit from the non-prescription GABA supplement, mostly for mild relief from anxiety without significant side effects. It's chemically related to gabapentin. I'd compare it with a small dose of melatonin or valerian root.

But for pain related to injuries, nope, it's not a real analgesic.

canklecat

Regarding the currently trendy stuff about micro-dosing hallucinogens, some friends say it's helped them. They're fully functional, working folks, some of whom own successful businesses. They aren't looking to get high.

My experiences with LSD, psilocybin, mescaline and peyote buttons were from the 1970s. Those were all full doses and the experience was positive and pretty much like everyone else's positive descriptions, including the claimed mind-opening effect. I think it helped me become more understanding and tolerant of people and more pragmatic about life in general. Once experienced, it's difficult to revert to the previous state of mundane thinking. Part of that was probably influenced by my preferences for books and movies too. But I also had no particular desire to repeat those experiences. It would be akin to redoing my bar mitzvah. I've done it. Time to move on in life.

But recently a friend gave me a small amount of psilocybin to try micro-dosing. I tried it two or three times. Can't say I cared much for the experience. No hallucinations, of course, not really even any sensory enhancements. The sensation was merely jittery and unpleasant, like drinking too much coffee on an empty stomach. It elevated my heart rate and blood pressure, with consequent mild anxiety.

To some extent I had similar impressions of marijuana. It was fun as a teenager. But now it just makes me feel lazy and I get bored with the sensation quickly. Like, after 15 minutes I'm finished with the sensation but it drags on for hours like a lecture or speech from someone who sounded brilliant for the first 15 minutes but didn't know when to shut up. I suspect part of the problem is the emphasis on a high THC level now. Decades ago there was more of a balance between THC and CBD content. Some of my friends with PTSD prefer THC vape pens and it seems to me that it only increases their anxiety and paranoia.

Nothing at all like CBD. Good full spectrum CBD works very well for me for anxiety and mild to moderate pain. No "high".

I'm sure micro-dosing hallucinogens works for some folks, exactly as they've described. Didn't do anything for me. But folks should have the choice to use it as they wish.

Personally, I prefer the buzz I get from a good vigorous bike ride that doesn't leave me completely exhausted. Including Tuesday's ride. I should have stopped at 50 miles. I wanted to hit the ride-my-age goal (62 this week) and while I'm glad I hit the goal, today I'm just worn out. Like anything, too much is too much.

KraneXL

DMAA


Originally a nasal decongestant, but recently used for ADHD and the active ingredient in dietary supplements for weight loss, and to improve athletic performance.


Like so many weight loss/energy booster ingredients it is now banned by the FDA (or about to be), due to claims of abuse (some say it has psychotropic properties).


Many pre-workout drinks still list it as an ingredient but some reviewer claims its false advertising. Whether this is true or not, I decided to try it out to see if it would do anything to clear the head fog cause by my Rx. I can report that I did get a noticeable improvement in cognitive ability and sharper focus, and clearer thinking but nothing abnormal or special.


I experienced zero psychotropic affect, but noticed it does stand true to its bronchodilator roots. If anything, it felt reminiscent to a decongestant plus drinking strong coffee for the first time (caffeine is an ingredient). In my case, it was enough to remove the cloud from over my head and return me back to my normal clear thinking. Its unlikely to be restocked so, whatever is in inventory may be the last of it. There are some other ingredient like creatine, and citrulline for energy.


From what I have researched thus far, it will be replaced with what is considered safer alternatives: DMHA and DMAE (focus) which are said to have 80% of the original potency. For the moment I have something to remove the fog when I really need to be 100% clear-headed.



BTW, I almost forgot to mention that I was able to get out of bed immediately upon waking the next morning (I usually just sit on the bed for 20 minutes hypnotized while I got my bearings), which was a godsend by itself, since its something I hadn't done in a very long time. It almost made me teary-eyed. Just my luck to find something that works just when its being cut from the market. Oh well, maybe the new formula will live up to the hype?

Carbonfiberboy 

DMAA is basically a form of amphetamine and stronger than ephedrine, so no mystery about the effects. Here's a good article:
https://examine.com/supplements/1-3-dimethylamylamine/

The issue with bad effects like brain hemorrhage is dosage. 25mg no problem. 600mg, big problem. So avoid stuff not coming from reputable manufacturers in a sealed bottle.

canklecat

Yeah, I'd be cautious with DMAA, ephedrine or pseudo-ephedrine. They are useful for specific medical conditions for short term use. But there are risks.

Unfortunately I need Sudafed most days just to breathe. Sometimes at night too, which is a hassle. It keeps me awake, but at least I can breathe and don't have sinus headaches. I'm hoping to be re-evaluated soon for chronic sinus pressure and pain. Just waiting for the referral to a specialist.

I used ephedrine for about a year for asthma after my insurance no longer covered albuterol inhalers. $10 for a box of generic ephedrine, vs $100 for a single albuterol inhaler. Pretty easy choice on my budget. But now my insurance covers all my prescriptions so I have the inhalers again. And the FDA recently loosened restrictions on Primatene Mist with epinephrine, the only true rescue inhaler -- it works in seconds, compared with up to 15 minutes for albuterol. Thankfully my asthma has never been bad enough to need epinephrine, but some of my relatives did have asthma and allergies bad enough to need a true rescue inhaler -- notably from wasp and bee stings and contact with some plants.

canklecat

Very familiar. Most mornings are like that for me too (mostly due to the Hashimoto's thyroid disease I've described before). At night I'm often stumbling like a drunken zombie just trying to get to the bathroom. It's difficult to describe to people outside our closest family or friends. Most folks see us only when we're out and about. That's when we're usually at our best, otherwise they wouldn't see us at all.

Often I'll premix an energy/protein drink the night before so I can swig it first thing in the morning to speed up the recovery process. It's mostly cold coffee with protein/BCAA powder. But I usually add green vein kratom (which I've also described before, pros and cons), about 1-2 grams per liter so it's considered a low to moderate dose. And I'll add other supplements that aren't already in the protein powder, like extra creatine, l-arginine, niacin, and whatever voodoo potion I'm experimenting with (lately, DHEA, pregnenolone, beta ecdysterone, turkest, etc.)

Usually revives me within 15 minutes without having to fumble around making hot coffee. I've dropped and broken coffee pots and mugs just trying to fix morning coffee. After the cold potion revives me, I'll fix some proper hot coffee.

Machka 

I started using from an eye mask when I sleep. It made that sort of difference for me.

Eye masks are still on the market and I've now got a whole collection of them.

canklecat

Gel cooling eye masks are good if you can find some that are comfortable to wear while sleeping. I tried but they weren't comfortable. I'll often use a chilled gel pack on my face to relieve sinus pressure and pain. Helps.