Neurological and Physiological Effects of Ass-fart-lame

[shaun.lawson]

You're clearly an outlier shaun. It's safe in the same way that most things that are commonly ingested are safe to most people, but harmful to others.

But how does someone discover whether they're an outlier until taking something which everyone says is supposed to be safe?

Even here though, this response is fine. Again: the problem I have is when real people react to something and others say "well that's not supposed to happen - it must be something else".

[Cheeky Gnando’s]

Genuinely giggling away at Shaun's story of shitting himself on the campaign trail. One second away from disaster like an osmotic Jack Bauer

[shaun.lawson]

Genuinely giggling away at Shaun's story of shitting himself on the campaign trail. One second away from disaster like an osmotic Jack Bauer

At least the thread title is accurate now. Always happy to be of service to the #THF.

[2MatoFish]

But how does someone discover whether they're an outlier until taking something which everyone says is supposed to be safe?

Even here though, this response is fine. Again: the problem I have is when real people react to something and others say "well that's not supposed to happen - it must be something else".

Some people are allergic to water. Is water not safe?

I've skim read lots of this, but i don't see many people saying that you definitely don't have some allergy or negative response to aspartame, although I also have doubts about anyone's ability to self-diagnose, and that it must be something else. I have seen you extrapolate from your own experience, and that appears to be an experience that is as unfortunate as it is unrepresentative.

[Shuto Makino]

No, it's not 'backtracking' at all. If some people 'tolerate' aspartame better than others, then it isn't safe for those others, is it? So why claim that it's safe?

And your last section is just silly. 'The science' has done nothing for me, or the other people I mentioned, or many many others with similar conditions. So what good is it to them? Nothing. That doesn't mean it hasn't done colossal amounts of good for colossal amounts of people with other conditions... but digestive conditions? Doctors are one step up from witch doctors on those.

FFS.

Saying something is 'unsafe' on the basis some people struggle to tolerate it is like saying pollen's unsafe because people get hayfever. When you refer to something as safe or unsafe, you're always generalising.

The science, in the context of foods like aspartame, has done tremendous amounts of good in determining what level of consumption is safe for the general population. Research on food intolerances is still in its infancy, and GPs aren't necessarily all that hot on nutrition (even if they have been up-to-date at one point, keeping up with all of the research that's relevant to their job while working full-time would be an impossible task), but dismissing scientific research in general because you think you've found the source of your own problems (bearing in mind that those problems are ongoing)? Nah.

You're a very intelligent man, Shaun, and I don't want this to come across as overly harsh as I actually like you, but it's left you unable to admit that anyone knows more than you about anything. I remember something similar coming up before when you swore blind that someone you knew died because he lost weight and that losing weight is therefore dangerous.

[shaun.lawson]

FFS.

Saying something is 'unsafe' on the basis some people struggle to tolerate it is like saying pollen's unsafe because people get hayfever.  When you refer to something as safe or unsafe, you're always generalising.

The science, in the context of foods like aspartame, has done tremendous amounts of good in determining what level of consumption is safe for the general population.  Research on food intolerances is still in its infancy, and GPs aren't necessarily all that hot on nutrition (even if they have been up-to-date at one point, keeping up with all of the research that's relevant to their job while working full-time would be an impossible task), but dismissing scientific research in general because you think you've found the source of your own problems (bearing in mind that those problems are ongoing)?  Nah.

You're a very intelligent man, Shaun, and I don't want this to come across as overly harsh as I actually like you, but it's left you unable to admit that anyone knows more than you about anything.  I remember something similar coming up before when you swore blind that someone you knew died because he lost weight and that losing weight is therefore dangerous.

No, I didn't say "losing weight is dangerous". I do know there's many warnings out there about losing more than a third of your body weight - and that my health problems started when I did just that actually. In his case? He did all the right things, had a gym instructor, did an incredible amount of work and had never been happier when he reached his target... then BOOM! Heart attack when swimming in Australia at age 24.

http://www.cshah.plus.com/

What happened to him was enough for a mutual friend of ours to question me at length about how I was losing weight, and to urge me to stop. He was quite emotional about it actually. I insisted I knew what I was doing - which I did - but my health problems started shortly after that, for which I have no-one to blame but myself given I lost more than a third of my body weight.

I'm not trying to act like I know more than anyone else on this - I don't. All I have are my own personal experiences and those of others I know (and in their cases, I'm not living in their bodies, so I don't know exactly what it's like for them. How could I?).

You're correct about food intolerances and nutrition - and the trouble is, both have a huge amount to do with the digestive system, so the science is, well, thin. My increasing (personal, unproven) belief is that, in many cases, serious digestive problems or M.E. are more than likely caused by emotional problems more than anything - but how would the science ever prove that, even if it wanted to?

Which leaves people like those I mentioned turning to Chinese medicine instead. Which works for some, not for others - yet which many again entirely dismiss, as they do homeopathy too. I don't think we should. If one person gets help from Chinese medicine which they didn't from Western medicine, that must be a good thing IMO. Because to use 2na's term, there's 'outliers' everywhere.

PS. You're a very intelligent man too. And thus far, the runaway leader on my 'Poster of the Year' list for 2016.

[Roger H. Sterling]

No, I didn't say "losing weight is dangerous". I do know there's many warnings out there about losing more than a third of your body weight - and that my health problems started when I did just that actually. In his case? He did all the right things, had a gym instructor, did an incredible amount of work and had never been happier when he reached his target... then BOOM! Heart attack when swimming in Australia at age 24.

http://www.cshah.plus.com/

What happened to him was enough for a mutual friend of ours to question me at length about how I was losing weight, and to urge me to stop. He was quite emotional about it actually. I insisted I knew what I was doing - which I did - but my health problems started shortly after that, for which I have no-one to blame but myself given I lost more than a third of my body weight.

I'm not trying to act like I know more than anyone else on this - I don't. All I have are my own personal experiences and those of others I know (and in their cases, I'm not living in their bodies, so I don't know exactly what it's like for them. How could I?).

You're correct about food intolerances and nutrition - and the trouble is, both have a huge amount to do with the digestive system, so the science is, well, thin. My increasing (personal, unproven) belief is that, in many cases, serious digestive problems or M.E. are more than likely caused by emotional problems more than anything - but how would the science ever prove that, even if it wanted to?

Which leaves people like those I mentioned turning to Chinese medicine instead. Which works for some, not for others - yet which many again entirely dismiss, as they do homeopathy too. I don't think we should. If one person gets help from Chinese medicine which they didn't from Western medicine, that must be a good thing IMO. Because to use 2na's term, there's 'outliers' everywhere.

PS. You're a very intelligent man too. And thus far, the runaway leader on my 'Poster of the Year' list for 2016.

Uh oh. Emotions are unsafe. Better just lock yourself in a room and distance yourself from the rest of the world Shau... oh wait.

I've never witnessed hypochondria on this level before. It's fascinating.

[shaun.lawson]

Uh oh. Emotions are unsafe. Better just lock yourself in a room and distance yourself from the rest of the world Shau... oh wait.

I've never witnessed hypochondria on this level before. It's fascinating.

Told you psychoanalysing others over the internet was fun.  

Do run past me how having piles which were so bad before surgery, the doctors were bewildered how I'd managed to live any kind of life at all was an example of "hypochrondria" though. Do also run past me how, if I ever have to go to the toilet late in the evening, I then have to stay awake all night (because after going, I have to sit for 6-8 hours) is further evidence of "hypochondria".

You don't have a fucked up digestive system. Lucky you. I do, just like my sister and my friend. I'd better go tell them it's just hypochondria though. And speaking of that friend: she's seen numerous specialists over the years. The one she saw last year said "M.E. is almost certainly caused by emotional problems". She was amazed at that; I wasn't.

[Drederick Shanktum]

Why do I keep coming back to read about Shaun's piles

[Shuto Makino]

No, I didn't say "losing weight is dangerous". I do know there's many warnings out there about losing more than a third of your body weight - and that my health problems started when I did just that actually. In his case? He did all the right things, had a gym instructor, did an incredible amount of work and had never been happier when he reached his target... then BOOM! Heart attack when swimming in Australia at age 24.

http://www.cshah.plus.com/

What happened to him was enough for a mutual friend of ours to question me at length about how I was losing weight, and to urge me to stop. He was quite emotional about it actually. I insisted I knew what I was doing - which I did - but my health problems started shortly after that, for which I have no-one to blame but myself given I lost more than a third of my body weight.

I'm not trying to act like I know more than anyone else on this - I don't. All I have are my own personal experiences and those of others I know (and in their cases, I'm not living in their bodies, so I don't know exactly what it's like for them. How could I?).

You're correct about food intolerances and nutrition - and the trouble is, both have a huge amount to do with the digestive system, so the science is, well, thin. My increasing (personal, unproven) belief is that, in many cases, serious digestive problems or M.E. are more than likely caused by emotional problems more than anything - but how would the science ever prove that, even if it wanted to?

Which leaves people like those I mentioned turning to Chinese medicine instead. Which works for some, not for others - yet which many again entirely dismiss, as they do homeopathy too. I don't think we should. If one person gets help from Chinese medicine which they didn't from Western medicine, that must be a good thing IMO. Because to use 2na's term, there's 'outliers' everywhere.

PS. You're a very intelligent man too. And thus far, the runaway leader on my 'Poster of the Year' list for 2016.

A bit off-topic now, but some people need to lose a third of their bodyweight and more. Warnings about doing so are meaningless without a starting weight and/or timeframe and relate mostly to the amount most people would need to malnourish themselves to do so. For me, an obese person losing weight and then having a heart attack seems more likely to have developed their health problems while obese and lost weight too late. Having said that this is presumably a touchy subject for you and it's one I shouldn't really have brought up, so I apologise for that.

[Roger H. Sterling]

Told you psychoanalysing others over the internet was fun.  

Do run past me how having piles which were so bad before surgery, the doctors were bewildered how I'd managed to live any kind of life at all was an example of "hypochrondria" though. Do also run past me how, if I ever have to go to the toilet late in the evening, I then have to stay awake all night (because after going, I have to sit for 6-8 hours) is further evidence of "hypochondria".

You don't have a fucked up digestive system. Lucky you. I do, just like my sister and my friend. I'd better go tell them it's just hypochondria though. And speaking of that friend: she's seen numerous specialists over the years. The one she saw last year said "M.E. is almost certainly caused by emotional problems". She was amazed at that; I wasn't.

I wasn't suggesting you're not exhibiting the symptoms you speak of Shaun. The hypochandria relates to your reasonings for their cause.

[shaun.lawson]

Why do I keep coming back to read about Shaun's piles

Because you're secretly fascinated by me. Online, weird numbers have people have been over the years.

A bit off-topic now, but some people need to lose a third of their bodyweight and more.  Warnings about doing so are meaningless without a starting weight and/or timeframe and relate mostly to the amount most people would need to malnourish themselves to do so.  For me, an obese person losing weight and then having a heart attack seems more likely to have developed their health problems while obese and lost weight too late.  Having said that this is presumably a touchy subject for you and it's one I shouldn't really have brought up, so I apologise for that.

Absolutely no need for the apology, and I accept your premise. In my case, if I hadn't lost so much weight, I'd have been bound to develop much worse, incapacitating health problems eventually, so I don't regret doing so at all.

I wasn't suggesting you're not exhibiting the symptoms you speak of Shaun. The hypochandria relates to your reasonings for their cause.

Well that's the thing Rog. It's a bit difficult when doctors aren't able to explain it. So someone like me is left searching around and doing the best we can to isolate where the problem's coming from.

And incidentally, no: I don't think "emotions are unsafe", and your take on me made me smile. You're a smart chap. All I meant was: people who grow up repressing their emotions through no fault of their own are very likely to develop health problems as a result - because those emotions have to go somewhere. Carrying on repressing those emotions (because it's 'natural' to people like me) is bound, I think, to weaken the immune system and make me and friends of mine more susceptible to the kinds of things I've discussed.

Part nature, part nurture, in other words.

[Cheeky Gnando’s]

Why do I keep coming back to read about Shaun's piles

Because it's solid gold, friendo.

Well, I say "solid"...