Weirds of a Feather: An AuDHD-Adjacent Podcast

Ep. 84 ADHD and Pharmacology Part 2

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any nerdier, Kristin is back with a follow-up lesson on ADHD medications. In part 2 she’s keeping the chemistry to a minimum as she looks at the mechanisms of action and potential benefits and side effects of non-stimulant medications such as Strattera, Wellbutrin, and other fun names we can’t pronounce. 

 

Also, we ponder about the nuances of frozen treats, get grubby in the garden, handle a family hacker, and listen to a quick 10 hours of soothing bird calls. 

Resources

Atomoxetine - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)

Nonstimulant ADHD Meds: Types and Side Effects | Psych Central

Viloxazine in the Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - PMC (nih.gov)

Bupropion - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)

Drug Interaction List: atomoxetine - Drugs.com

Tricyclic Antidepressants - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)

https://doctorlib.info/pharmacology/stahls-essential-psychopharmacology-4/12.html

The sound of the White-throated dipper - Bird Sounds | 10 Hours (youtube.com)

Ep. 83: Purple Paper Eaters

Grab a ream of your favorite printer paper and start munching, because we’re trying to identify the supertasters amongst us and you can’t really take a paper-tasting test until you’re intimately familiar with the flavor (not to mention, you could probably use the fiber). 

 

This episode Grace informatively infodumps on you about supertasting, aka better-than-you tasting, a topic she can’t and won’t shut up about. She’s summarizing the science behind what supertasting is, why it happens, who it affects, and how it may be impacting your relationship with cruciferous vegetables.

 

Of course, that’s not all, because we’ve got so many Segs it’ll make your head spin. We’re also catching the pickleball bug and getting into horror novels in This is Who I Am Now, getting nervous at the deli counter and pondering the appropriate amount to talk about IBS at work in I’m So Quirky, shouting out our current TikTok Weird Algorithms in Alternative Segments, and reading an extra-secret Pizza Secret from an anonymous listener that you won’t want to miss. 

Resources

Supertaster: Definition, Benefits, and Drawbacks (healthline.com)

Weird Algorithms on TikTok: @uselessfarm; @droofeed (mailbox guy); @dw29vgacf (dog in an orange grove); @smacmccreanor (chick tok); @francis.bourgeois (train guy); @operationolivebranch (the grassroots movement supporting Palestinian families); @erinhattamer

Support a Palestinian family trying to evacuate: @aseelabushaaban on Tiktok 

 

To keep this horse train running (but this isn’t a threat): ko-fi.com/weirdsofafeather

Find us on Instagram: @weirdsofafeather 

Join our Facebook group: Weirds of a Feather

Bagel Bite #31: A Beginner-Level Seance

Light those candles and crank up the Yo-Yo Ma, because we’re rising from the grave to bring you a tasty little Bagel Bite and our spirits demand a certain level of ambiance in order to be summoned. 

 

In this scrumptious shmorg we’re sharing our personal seance requirements and shouting out an incredible listener for mailing us a box of gifts that would feel threatening to anyone else but Grace. Then, it’s on to Speculation Station, where we welcome a new Tasmanian listener to the flock and take our best guesses at what it’s like there.

 

Also, we’re doubling down on our controversial stance that sometimes feelings are good, embracing the reality of having crushed up beetles in our hair, revealing important cannibalism poll results, and just generally being two silly geese.

Resources

@wanderaboutoddities

Ep. 82: ADHD & Pharmacology: The Oldsmobile of Stimulants

Fiddle your fidgisauruses and dammit, get ready to learn, because we’re bringing you a meat-forward episode that’s sure to get the brain juices flowing.

 

In an episode brought to you by Adderall, Professor Kristin is shimmying into her trusty lab coat and educating us on the chemistry behind ADHD stimulant medications. She’s covering the mechanism of action of amphetamines and methylphenidates, evaluating the potential cross interactions, benefits, and side effects of each stimulant type, and ranting about the current medication shortage that’s affecting so many of us. 

 

Plus, will taking drugs dampen your sparkle? Is Vyvanse the Oldsmobile of ADHD medications? Do centaurs sleep standing up, and if so, does their spine health suffer the consequences? Come ponder these questions and more with your two favorite podcasters who are definitely not pharmacists, so technically you can’t sue us.

Resources:

Tiktok: @your.psych.pharmacist 

Amphetamine - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)

Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate (Vyvanse), A Prodrug Stimulant for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder - PMC (nih.gov)

Enantiomers: Definition, Characteristics, and Examples (chemistrylearner.com)

Methylphenidate for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults: a narrative review - PMC (nih.gov)

Methylphenidate - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)

Bagel Bite #30: Two Stevies

Empty out your food holes and get those mouths ready for more, because we’re bringing you a Bagel Bite so big and tasty you’ll say, “Wait, does this really qualify as a Bagel Bite? What even is a Bagel Bite at this point? Has the concept lost all meaning?” And to that we say, “Bagel Bites are more of a state of mind so just shut up and listen already.”

 

This episode we’re two easy breezy tech-savvy Stevies as we share listener feedback from our psychedelic infodump, along with some helpful advice for consuming your ‘shrooms sans side effects. Plus, we’re learning about the (possible) origins of devil sticks, sharing book recommendations, fine-tuning our poetry, digging into the definition of an edgelord, and more. 

Resources

Alice Daniels (Contributor of Give Me a Minute) | Goodreads

 

To keep this horse train running (but this isn’t a threat): ko-fi.com/weirdsofafeather

Find us on Instagram: @weirdsofafeather 

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Ep. 81: Red Dye Tide

You know when you realize you don’t know things? Kristin had that realization when her doctor mentioned cutting out red dye, which sent her down the research rabbit hole and now she’s here to share her findings. 

 

This episode we’re taking a look at the facts behind food dye additives, discussing the limited studies on dye-free diets and ADHD, declaring Twizzlers as the superior long red gummy candy, welcoming a horse girl into the family, debating the possibility of getting scooped up in a pelican’s mouth pouch, and more. 

Resources:

Food Dyes: Harmless or Harmful? (healthline.com)

Artificial colorings (synthetic food dyes) | Center for Science in the Public Interest (cspinet.org)

Red Dye and ADHD: Is There a Link? | Psych Central

healthefftsassess041621.pdf (ca.gov)

schab-trinh-2004.pdf (badscience.net)

How to Read Food Labels Without Being Tricked (healthline.com)

Red Dye 40 and ADHD: Symptoms, Foods to Avoid, and More (verywellhealth.com)

Red Dye 40, Food Additives and ADHD: Feed Your Child's Focus (additudemag.com)

Artificial Food Colors and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Symptoms: Conclusions to Dye for - ScienceDirect

Synthetic food coloring and behavior: A dose response effect in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures study - ScienceDirect

Pelican Facts for Kids (kiddle.co)

Pelican | Taxonomy, Habitat, Description, & Facts | Britannica

SepSSE24 ENG (youtube.com)

Ep. 80: Psychedelic Spring Cleaning

Break out the 3D dolphin posters and crank up the Pink Floyd, baby, because things are about to get trippy and it’s important to set the tone. 

 

This episode Grace is taking you down the k-hole of psychedelic research. She’s exploring the benefits of ketamine and psilocybin treatment, how hallucinogens work to create new thought patterns in the brain, what the future of psychedelic therapy might hold for people with treatment-resistant disorders, how much kids love ketamine, and more. 

 

Plus, Kristin suffers from little sister syndrome and embarks on a new chicken adventure, Grace has a phrogger in the attic and possibly ghosts, and we both share embarrassing ADHD moments and sneaky Pizza Secrets among friends.

Resources

What a Trip: Mental Health’s Psychedelic Revolution by Nicole C. Kear in ADDitude Magazine

What is Ketamine Therapy? | Pacific Neuroscience Institute

The Potential Benefits of Psilocybin for Mental Health | Utah Patients Coalition

What Psilocybin Does to the Brain | Psychology Today

Microdosing with psychedelics to self-medicate for ADHD symptoms in adults: A prospective naturalistic study - ScienceDirect

Ep. 79: Decision Fatigue–Pig Bonanza

If you change your mind, we’re the first in line, honey, we’re still free, just as long as you don’t ask us to decide what’s for dinner.

 

In this ABBA-backed episode, Kristin is taking a chance on herself and diving into the psychology behind decision fatigue. She’s discussing what it is, why it happens, how it impacts AuDHDers who already struggle with executive dysfunction, and some ways to avoid it that don’t involve just eating pasta for every single meal (although that’s always a valid option, we don’t judge). 

 

Plus, we’re tossing around the proverbial pigskin as we ponder about kidney transplants, play Susan’s favorite game, “Is It Cannibalism?”, question the existence of radish people, and more. 

Resources

Decision fatigue: A conceptual analysis - Grant A Pignatiello, Richard J Martin, Ronald L Hickman, 2020 (sagepub.com)

Ego Depletion - The Decision Lab

Ego depletion: is the active self a limited resource? - PubMed (nih.gov)

The effect of decision fatigue on surgeons' clinical decision making - PMC (nih.gov)

Decision fatigue and heuristic analyst forecasts - ScienceDirect

The socially evaluated cold-pressor test (SECPT) for groups: effects of repeated administration of a combined physiological and psychological stressor - PubMed (nih.gov)

Transplant of pig kidney into a human marks medical milestone | PBS NewsHour

The BOD:

Rock Ptarmigan: Arctic grouse, or creaky old man?

Bagel Bite #29: Professor Beatbox

There are many reasons why one may need the ability to wink with both eyes–maybe you’re a batting coach providing complicated directions, maybe you're in a classic Phantom of the Opera situation and you need to wordlessly convey your flirtatious intentions, or maybe you just want to be better than Rhianna in one very specific way. 

 

No matter the reason, winking is an important life skill, and one that can be learned if you don’t mind looking silly. This Bagel Bite, Grace is teaching you how to work on your winking, what a wink means around the world, ways to identify your dominant eye, and more. 

Resources

To keep this horse train running (but this isn’t a threat): ko-fi.com/weirdsofafeather

Find us on Instagram: @weirdsofafeather 

Join our Facebook group: Weirds of a Feather

Next: The truth behind ‘Knick-knack Paddywack’ | Retwords (wordpress.com) (from lampshade episode where I was joking about rick rack)

Ep. 78: ADHD & Binocular Vision Dysfunction–Mr. Strabismus

Do you suffer from tension headaches and eye strain? Do binoculars leave you feeling disoriented? Are you tipping over way more than an adult should? Sure, it could be a classic case of old eye, but it could also be Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD), an eye condition that affects up to 50% of ADHDers. 

 

This episode Grace is diving into the symptoms and causes of this pesky eye misalignment, outlining all the ways it can affect your quality of life, and taking a look at some possible solutions.

 

Plus, we’re ruining your childhood nostalgia with some hard truths about Jumanji and Waterworld, venturing outside our enclosures for some real-world enrichment, and discovering that we are, indeed, two very special girls. 

Resources

BVD Symptoms and Treatment - Optometrists.org

Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD): Symptoms & Treatments (clevelandclinic.org)

Vertical Heterophoria: The Unknown ADHD Related Eye Condition (blackgirllostkeys.com)

Capuchinbird - eBird

 

To keep this horse train running (but this isn’t a threat): ko-fi.com/weirdsofafeather

Find us on Instagram: @weirdsofafeather 

Join our Facebook group: Weirds of a Feather