Recent comments in /f/science

iwantyoutobehappy4me t1_jaeojbc wrote

Reply to An anti-seizure medication shows promise in reducing the likelihood of heavy drinking, desire to drink, and positive alcohol expectancies, according to new research by chrisdh79

I heard this from a psychiatrist I worked with over 15 years ago, and oddly I've just seen "new research" about this and weight loss due to topirimate.

So I'll go ahead and call the other thing they told me, which is that it can also reduce self injury in folks with IDD, lowering the "reward mechanism" for engaging in those behaviors.

For realizes though... how much "new research" do we need for things we've known for off-label use for the better part of 2 decades?

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rocket_randall t1_jaeo68z wrote

Reply to comment by fluorescentpuppy in Researchers have developed a new device that can detect and analyse cancer cells from blood samples, enabling doctors to avoid invasive biopsy surgeries, and to monitor treatment progress by giuliomagnifico

A boutique genetics company I used to work for was researching and fundraising off the same idea. The way the director of bioinformatics at that job described it to me as akin to tapping into the sewer line for a small city and from a random sample being able to ascertain whether or not anyone in the city ate natto the previous evening, and even then it's another matter entirely to identify in which home the natto was eaten. He was highly skeptical of it ever delivering the claimed results without some major advancement in technology, and every one of these press releases seems more or less the same as what I was reading internally almost a decade ago. Then again I am just a software guy and not someone with training or expertise in this field.

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Melodic-Heron-1585 t1_jaeo0hw wrote

Reply to An anti-seizure medication shows promise in reducing the likelihood of heavy drinking, desire to drink, and positive alcohol expectancies, according to new research by chrisdh79

Have been on it for 15+ years- it is an awful drug, but I'm in the select few that tolerates it well.

I also cannot feel my extremities at times, cannot gain weight to the point some have accused me of having worms, and appear drunk occasionally, even when stone cold sober.

Still a better alternative to life without Topomax.

EDIT: epilepsy and cluster headache issues- wouldn't suggest for migraines- ever.

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Time-Lime t1_jaensyn wrote

Reply to Immune cells called microglia, which keep the brain free of debris but also contribute to inflammation, are the likely culprits behind concentration and memory problems ("chemo brain") that sometimes follow paclitaxel chemotherapy treatment, a new study in mice suggests. by memorialmonorail

Also a likely culprit behind some long covid symptoms (brain fog, concentration problems, anxiety etc) as covid crosses the blood brain barrier causing overactive microglia and neuroinflammation. Low dose naltrexone is a promising treatment for both chemo brain and long covid...guess what it can do. Yes! Modulate microglia and calm them down, in laymans terms.

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CheekyGruffFaddler t1_jaen9h1 wrote

Reply to comment by fluorescentpuppy in Researchers have developed a new device that can detect and analyse cancer cells from blood samples, enabling doctors to avoid invasive biopsy surgeries, and to monitor treatment progress by giuliomagnifico

I figured this would have made it into Nature or Science if it were as groundbreaking as the title suggested, but apparently it’s just a microfluidic pH meter?

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MrKahnberg t1_jaem1ym wrote

Reply to comment by RamboGoesMeow in An anti-seizure medication shows promise in reducing the likelihood of heavy drinking, desire to drink, and positive alcohol expectancies, according to new research by chrisdh79

The physiological benefits take a while to be noticeable. I'd say around 6 months sober I definitely felt more comfortable with my depression and started to lose weight.
You can dm me if you want to talk.
Probably the most important thing is to be connected to other people.

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throneofthornes t1_jaelz6w wrote

Reply to comment by andreichiffa in An anti-seizure medication shows promise in reducing the likelihood of heavy drinking, desire to drink, and positive alcohol expectancies, according to new research by chrisdh79

I'm on lamotrigine for bipolar 2 and used to be a functional alcoholic. I used to drink .75 to 1.5 bottles of wine a day, and thought about it constantly. Now I can easily choose not to drink, don't often want to drink, and can stop after a glass. I've left drinks half finished, never done that in my life.

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nihilisticpunchline t1_jaekif9 wrote

Reply to comment by DamonSing in An anti-seizure medication shows promise in reducing the likelihood of heavy drinking, desire to drink, and positive alcohol expectancies, according to new research by chrisdh79

I've been on it for 7 years for migraines and it's been a god send. It might also be for someone else for this purpose or it might not. Let's not discourage (or even encourage) someone based on anecdotal evidence.

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ron_leflore t1_jaej9i8 wrote

Reply to comment by fluorescentpuppy in Researchers have developed a new device that can detect and analyse cancer cells from blood samples, enabling doctors to avoid invasive biopsy surgeries, and to monitor treatment progress by giuliomagnifico

Haha, this sentence is in every micro fluidic paper:

> Existing technologies are time-consuming, expensive and rely on skilled operators, limiting their application in clinical settings.

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nexusgmail t1_jaej8rj wrote

Reply to comment by Strategy_pan in Scientists unveil plan to create biocomputers powered by human brain cells | Scientists unveil a path to drive computing forward: organoid intelligence, where lab-grown brain organoids act as biological hardware by chrisdh79

I couldn't agree more! I imagine humans creating massive architectures of this organic technology, before going extinct and leaving it all in the hands of AI, who eventually abandon it, and leave it to it's own devices in this way. Universes within Universes within awareness.

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