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Question about CPR
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One year ago, my Mom died from cardiac arrest in our house. I performed CPR for 20 minutes, until EMS arrived. It has been the most painful, shameful year for me. I have since been diagnosed with severe PTSD and am getting therapy.
My question is about my 83 year old dad. He lives with my family, has severe COPD and asthma, and is in a slow decline. He has a defibrillator/pacemaker, which his cardiologist says fairly frequently activates, although dad hasn't noticed these events.
If he were to have a heart attack or cardiac arrest, what should I do? CPR? Will the implanted device continue to shock him, even after he is gone? Will CPR help him?
I dread the day and want to be as prepared as I possibly can be. Thank you for any info you can share.
| 343 |
These are tough topics, I'm sorry you have to wrestle with them.
The short (and incomplete) answer -- you can do CPR with a defibrillator present. It may shock the patient but will not shock anyone doing CPR. The pacemaker may still be pacing, but in the setting of cardiac arrest the pacing essentially won't do anything.
The longer (and more complicated) answer -- I think you need to have a detailed conversation with your father about his wishes. It sounds like he has severe chronic conditions. CPR is not magic like in the movies. I would suspect that if your father's heart stops there is very little likelihood of CPR restarting his heart. Even if his heart is restarted I think he would be extremely unlikely to make any meaningful recovery. I would *strongly* recommend you consider *not* doing CPR in that circumstance, instead consider letting him pass naturally and with dignity. As you know, CPR is a messy process, you can spare him that. We call it DNR/DNI -- meaning in the event of cardiac arrest we do not do CPR, do not intubate the patient, and do not use medications to try to restart the heart. It is an important conversation to have with his doctors.
| 501 |
AskDocs
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Had sex with my husband now I have something hanging out ? 20F
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So I my husband is visiting me from out of town and we haven’t had sex for about 4 months. So as you know, we get to a hotel and we start doing stuff and for some reason I start bleeding really bad, sometimes I would bleed just a bit but it was gushing. The weird thing is, I didn’t feel any pain, but the amount of blood scared me so we stopped and I went to go check and I saw a ball of flesh and a skinny stringlike poking out from the entrance. I freaked out, got in the shower and tried to push it back in but it won’t go back in. It’s barley a inch outside me, the string part of the skin doesn’t hurt at all but fleshy ball is tender. I’m not pain, just a little sore. I tried to take nap and hoped it went away but it’s still there. My husband and I tried to look it up and he’s thinking it could be my uterine lining shedding but I am not on my period and this has never happened before. What could this be ? What do I do ? Is this normal ?
EDIT: I am 22, sorry for the typo. I can’t see the post comments for some reason but I’m going to see a doctor. Going to keep you guys updated. I’ve never had children, I’m not pregnant, I am not on birth control (iuds)
EDIT 2 UPDATE : EDIT : UPDATE! Sorry to keep everyone waiting, so I went to urgent care the morning because it was freezing last night and I was super worried. When I woke up, it appeared that the fleshy stuff went back inside and I was still bleeding slightly. I was able to use the restroom and walk around but something still felt off. I went to urgent care and had a doctor take a look downstairs, THANKFULLY everything is fine (sort of)! No prolapsed anything, I was reading comments last night and got freaked out. He said that it was vaginal tissue that just ripped and happen to come out. Apparently it’s really common, and it happens when you have really rough sex (oops). However he said that it was strange that I didn’t feel to much pain so they just gave me pelvic exam and they are going to make sure I don’t have any STIs. I’m not pregnant, nothing is seriously injured! They will call me in day or two to see if I am positive for infection but I will be ok. I’m going to schedule a follow up with a gynecologist next week to look into the bleeding during sex just to be safe. Thank you to everyone who responded!
| 343 |
The fleshy thing sounds like it could be a hymenal remnant but there’s no way to be sure without an exam. If you are really “gushing” you need to be evaluated. If the bleeding has stopped and you aren’t having concerning symptoms right now, I would suggest making an appointment with your OB
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After days of earwax blockage in left ear, my mom used a metal tool and blood came out, shortly after, i felt fluid fill my ear and now I cant hear in my left ear no matter what
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Am I permanently deaf now?
15F, 5’6”, 60 kg, Chinese, I cannot hear in my left ear, lasted about 8 hours to now, no medical issues, not taking any medication, I don’t do drugs, Anguilla
This all happened late last night and it is currently morning. I’ve had several days of slight deafness from earwax until last night when my mom picked the earwax out. The process was painful and that was when we saw the blood come out. I’m not sure if she was the one that damaged my ear but I never had pain up until then. We didn’t think much of it until I was in bed and suddenly, I felt a fluid fill the gaps of my ear and this deafness felt different from the earwax deafness. I went to the hospital where the doctors inspected my ear and told us we were to get ear drops + water cleansing the next day and after the infection was gone. They also gave me this pill to stop the ear from getting more infected. During this time, if I was lucky, if I pulled my ear, I could hear a little better but the fluid would immediately go back into place. I tried to sleep but the nausea from the pill kept me awake alongside my sudden deafness. It feels like an itch now, kind of uncomfortable and sometimes ringing.
Update: Success! I’m going to visit a better doctor tomorrow. Let’s hope for the best :D
Update #2: Great news, the doctor cleaned my ears so well I might as well have become superhuman! The process only took about less than 30 minutes, as someone in the comments said. It was all a nasty infection in the end. Gotta put in some ear drops for the next few days though. Thanks for all the advice on ears, and I’ll be sure to remember:
Don’t ⚠️ put ⚠️ anything ⚠️ in ⚠️ your ⚠️ ear ❗️
| 352 |
Go ahead and tell your mum to never do that to you again. If you need to have ear wax removed, have it done professionally.
| 691 |
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[M27] Severe gynecomastia and no penis growth from puberty (suicidal as a result)
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My latest hormone test results:
https://imgur.com/a/idk5HVl (results on top are after 2-3 months of testosterone injections)
Is there anything I can do about my penis not growing during puberty?
I've never had a single instance of morning wood even when growing up (which is a massive red flag no?), and my penis is currently smaller erect than the average flaccid penis according to studies I've seen - it's at the point where my circumference is so low (3.5") that I'm unable to fit in the smallest condoms the FDA approves for sale in the USA.
Is it worth pursuing or is it even possible to induce a male puberty in my situation? This is a very serious problem for me because I've been at the brink of suicide for over 2 years now, with a suicide attempt, multiple hospitalizations under my belt over this EXACT issue.
What am I doing wrong exactly that is causing doctors to sweep my issues under the rug like they don't matter? I struggle with my gender identity because of how badly this has affected me, my gynecomastia has made it almost impossible to leave my house SINCE I WAS 12 because of how humiliating it is to have gynecomastia as severe as mine.
This is a must fix issue for me and I'm so helplessly lost after being kicked from one doctor to the next. Thank you to anyone who responds.
EDIT: Also, before anyone suggests surgery: current surgeries that are available are ineffective and partial at best, paying $15k and surrounding my penis with fat/injections/whatever and giving it a soda bottle look (while also not affecting erect size whatsoever) isn't what I'd call a fix and shouldn't be praised as one either. It also completely disregards my complete lack of growth during puberty which is not some small footnote but has lasting effects on my entire life the longer this is untreated.
| 340 |
I’m sorry that this is something you’re struggling with and you feel like you haven’t gotten any answers.
> Kicked from one doctor to the next
Have you seen a specialist like an endocrinologist? If not I would start there. If so, I’d find another one. You note “FDA, sale in the USA” so I’ll assume you’re there. There should be several doctors in just about every corner of the US, but you could also look into a place like the Mayo Clinic if you’re not getting answers locally.
Obligatory NAD.
The high estradiol levels (and the prolactin levels) would explain the severe gynecomastia. The elevated prolactin levels on its own should be examined further though. Are you having any visual issues? Change in quality of vision? Double vision? Etc?
A doctor should recommend some imaging of your head as well, such as an MRI of your head. This should have been done once your labs came back.
Another specialist you may want to look into is a urologist/male infertility specialist. These docs are a subset of urologists and have endocrinology training and specialization that deals with sex hormones.
As far as the question of growth, your hormones would need to get in line first before anyone can bridge that question with any success. Those will continue to cause issues and so whatever you may consider to “fix” the growth may not keep if the hormones will keep doing what they’re doing.
| 153 |
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Why did my perfectly healthy grandpa die from COVID after two doses of vaccine?
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The first two days, his only symptoms were a runny nose. He got tested and his answer came on the third day. We went to the doctor right away . oxygen levels had dropped from 95 to 87. CT showed that his lungs were 90% involved. His oxygen levels were 60-70 with BIPAP . Two weeks later at night it suddenly dropped to 20, the doctor intubated him. His oxygen levels were still 60-70. His heart beat was around 120 but it wasn’t steady. His Systolic pressure dropped to 60 but came up to 100 mmHg using epinephrine. He lasted only two weeks. Two days on ventilator. The doctor said he had fibrosis. Why did this happen can anyone explain please. He was 76 years old and we did a complete check up two months before and he was perfectly healthy.
Edit: I’ll just quickly add these since others were asking. His test results during his time at the ICU weren’t abnormal. Only his liver enzymes were a bit higher than usual. (This is the answer to people who say he might’ve had an immune system problem, we checked everything couldn’t find a problem here. Maybe you’re right , idk of any other data who could imply that his immune system was weak) he was on multivitamins for two years and had no medical records of any medical conditions, and was not on any sort of medications.
| 468 |
I'm sorry about your grandfather. COVID is a tough disease that wreaks a lot of havoc on previously healthy lungs.
Even if your grandfather was "perfectly healthy," he was 76, which means that he may not have had the reserves to fight off the infection as well as a younger person. Sounds like he got a big hit to his lungs early on, and maybe just couldn't fight that off.
| 742 |
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I (22M) am already in the hospital but my case has my doctors stumped. Massively losing blood out of my rectum but have had multiple tests on my GI tract and they can’t locate the source of the bleeding.
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Like the title says I’ve been losing blood like crazy every time I pass stool but I’ve had two colonoscopies and an endoscopy as well as a capsule study and a mekhils exam and the doctors can’t figure out where the bleeding is coming from. Do any of you have experience with a case similar and if so what was the cause of the bleeding?
| 339 |
Some more information my haematologist just came in and said she feels as though it’s still an ulcer the GI doctors just haven’t found yet. But how likely is that given the amount of procedures they’ve already attempted?
Edit: hey all, I’m going into surgery tomorrow and if the surgeons find my haemorrhoids to be problematic enough they’ll operate and remove and if not they’ll leave em.
I just wanted to thank everyone here for being so empathetic, thoughtful and kind. None of you know me and yet so many took time out of their day to share their experiences snd expertises in hope that it would help me resolve my situation.
Thank you all.
| 172 |
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Long lasting infection from a bite
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38M. 6’. 165lbs. White. I don’t drink, smoke or take any drugs.
I was bit by a spider 4 years ago on my left foot near my toe (it was dark in the room but I’m assuming it was a spider, I’m in Southern Texas btw). The spot quickly became infected. A hospital did a culture that came back positive and I was given an antibiotic. It cleared the infection.
Months later I stubbed my foot on the exact spot that was healed and it became infected again. Except cultures came back negative and always come back negative. The only culture that was ever positive was the initial culture, even though there is clearly some type of infection going on currently and for the last 4 years. Have been given different antibiotics and nothing has worked.
The infection has slowly but progressively been climbing up my ankle and leg, and is now halfway up my leg. I can barely walk and am at a level 10 pain all the time. It’s swollen and the whole bottom part of my leg looks like flesh. The upper part of the infection on my leg is turning black.
Any advice is welcome. I’ve been told by the hospital that there is nothing they can do for me (wouldn’t even run any tests, and this was pre-covid). Other doctors will run one or two tests which come back negative and then doc says they don’t know what it is and don’t know what to do. This has been going on for 4 years. I just can’t live anymore like this. I suffer from OCD which has become so much worse since the infection. Any ideas/advice are deeply appreciated
Picture- click at your own risk: https://imgur.com/a/vAAnlpT
| 518 |
>I’ve been told by the hospital that there is nothing they can do for me (wouldn’t even run any tests, and this was pre-covid).
Did your leg look like the current photo? **If your leg did not look bad then, please go back to the ER. This looks severe to me.**
Why is your foot in what appears to be dirty water? This is *extremely* dangerous, please keep your foot clean!!
| 629 |
AskDocs
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Dr. Recommended Jesus Christ as a remedy for depression.
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As the title states, went to see Doc for regular check up. Nurse asked about depression during intake. I was a little surprised as that was the first time I had been asked. Told her I was a teacher, and this was a really tough year. I'd be lying if I said it didn't have an impact on my mental health. Told her I was experiencing symptoms of depression. Doc comes in and does his check up. Asks if I am a man of faith. I told him "I'm agnostic." Doc: "That's great that you have a connection to the church! Well I personally feel that we can't feel our true purpose in our lives unless we accept that Jesus Christ is most important and comes first. that is where our sense of community should come from." I'm paraphrasing obviously but that was the gist. Honestly it made me kind of uncomfortable. Does this cross any ethical boundaries at all? Should I be looking for a new PCP? Thanks docs.
| 1,082 |
LOL WTF find a new doctor
| 1,113 |
AskDocs
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What alternative medical excuse can my girlfriend (22F) use for not drinking (she’s pregnant!)?
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My girlfriend and I are travelling to a family reunion in Scotland that is likely to be a bit of a booze-fest. We’re known to be well experienced drinkers and the reunion is at a whiskey distillery.
We recently found out she is pregnant which is great news! Except, we need to figure out a way to keep this quiet until her first scan in late December.
I’m tempted to use the antibiotics excuse but chest infection is out of the question as that’d be inconsiderate to travel/see family with. Alternatively, possibly skin infection.
Any ideas are much appreciated!
P.s: I know we shouldn’t need an excuse, but family will see right through it if we say we’re stopping drinking!
| 523 |
It may be less suspicious if you both don’t drink. You could say you’ve given it up for a 30 day detox or something like that.
Edit: You could also say her liver enzymes / liver bloodwork came back elevated and her doctor wants her to hold off on alcohol and recheck when she comes home.
| 1,005 |
AskDocs
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This period in particular fucking sucks, please help
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23F, 5'6 to 5'7, \~145lb, white, awful menstrual cycle (more details below), no relevant medical issues, current medications, or recent alcohol/drug use
I think I must have messed up very badly somehow because I am having an awful period. I do tend to have heavy periods, but this is insane. First of all, it came 2 weeks late. It's so heavy it bleeds through everything, including maxipads. If I try to go to the bathroom-- which I keep having to do-- standing up for even a second to wipe causes blood to gush all over the floor. There's so many blood clots I'd make a medieval royal jealous. I'm eating just as much as usual but I've lost at LEAST 4.5 pounds unintentionally between the blood loss and diarrhea. My head hurts and I'm constantly cramping. My entire house smells like blood now and I'm constantly dizzy and feel sick since this has started. I can't get good quality sleep because I wake up sick and needing to have painful poops. And I'm exhausted. Not to mention the constant anxiety, This is a period sent straight from hell and I genuinely have no idea how to deal with it. At the very least, I need advice on how to stop the dizziness and weight loss and the awful, pervasive sick feeling, because I've never really dealt with this before. Thank you.
| 308 |
The fact that you are dizzy and losing that amount of blood makes it an emergency. You can quickly bleed yourself into a dangerous state. There are drugs to help lessen the bleeding, but they need to check the cause. Please seek help URGENTLY.
| 500 |
AskDocs
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Please help me, why does my penis do this?
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It keeps constricting itself midway through. Sometimes I will have an erection from the base of my penis right to constriction, where it is dead and floppy. It is very difficult to urinate in this state, and sometimes there is a large volume of semen in the urine.
Sex: male
Age: 33
Height: 5'8
Weight: 215 lbs
Medication/drugs: Vyvanse 50mg daily, Seroquel XR 250mg with dinner, Seroquel IR 50mg bedtime, Testosterone (whichever ester the pharmacy has at the time) 150mg weekly, nicotine (vape), do not drink alcohol, vape cannabis occasionally.
I've gone into the hospital, and the walk-in clinic about this, but both times I was told that since my penis is not currently in that state, they can't tell what's wrong.
It is often constricted even tighter than this image shows. Sorry for the gross pic:
https://imgur.com/a/1gnYXG2
| 262 |
You need to make an appointment with a urologist specifically to discuss this
| 616 |
AskDocs
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Something is very wrong with me but hospital keeps discharging me. I am very scared
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Hello,
I am a 72 year old male who has been sick since last Sunday. I can't eat because I throw it up, have very bad migraines all over my head so it hurts to talk, I am too exhausted to do anything so i sleep all day and just going to the bathroom takes a lot of of me. Now I am having bouts of confusion and my head feels so foggy. My wife has been giving me boost and Gatorade but they make me feel very nauseous. I have been admitted by ambulance twice this week but they keep discharging me 5 hours later because they say there are no beds but i feel no better . I dont understand why they wont help me. They have done all these tests and given me all these fuilds but the doctors cant find what is wrong with me so they send me home. I have told them that ive had cancer tumors and two heart attacks in the past and i am overweight now . I am so frustrated so i dont want to go to the hospital anymore they arent helping me. My regular doctor wont see me until tuesday next week even though my wife said its an emergency he knew since it first started. My daughter says my platitudes are very low and she doesnt understand why the hospital wont keep me because them low could kill me. I feel like i am dying and i am scared. I have ao much planned with my children and grandchildren. It hurts seeing my wife and children begging the hospital to find whats wrong with me i hate being this burden ri everyone. I thought this was a flu at first but i am not getting better. I wish there was another hospital in the area bit the next nearest one is 3 hours away and the highway is damaged to it. I dont know if i will make it to Christmas. I dont want to die. What is wrong with me?
| 549 |
I’m sorry to hear what you are going through, sometimes the healthcare system can overwhelmed especially in this pandemic. A lot of the times the goal of ED is to stabilize patients and determine if it’s life threatening, any chronic illness will be refer back to their primary care doctor.
Do you know what are the triggering factors of your migraines ? Did the ED order head CT and do an EKG ? And when you mentioned platitude did you mean your platelet count ?
It is hard to diagnose you in this situation. My advice is to relax and lessen your stress, this can be triggering factor of migraine attacks. Best to wait and see your primary care on Tuesday. Good luck to you sir. Happy holidays ..
| 92 |
AskDocs
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My mom is sick and refuses to go to the doctor. I don't know what to do.
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Hello, I'm a 16M and my Mom (54F)seems really sick. I don't know what the disease is but it doesn't seem like a cold or fever or the flu or anything like that. Shes barely able to move and is barely able to speak as well. Most of the time she communicates with me or my dad via text. She doesn't seem to cough much, or sneeze at all. She seems really tired most of the day and doesn't want to eat, and she takes a pad that heats up wherever she goes in the house. She also clears her throat a lot. Every time I tell her to go to the doctor, she refuses because she doesn't want to go to the hospital and doesn't want to take medicine either. What disease is this and how do I convince my mom to go to the doctors office?
Update: mom is now coughing more
Update 2: mom is now vomiting
Update 3: mom is vomiting less, I gave her a mixture of baking soda, salt and sugar into water. Thanks to that kind user for suggesting that :)
Update 4: mom just spent the majority of the day in her bed :
| 435 |
Can you get her to do a video visit with a doctor? There's a lot of telemedicine availability since the pandemic started. They could communicate with her by text. As others have said, this could really be anything. Would be preferable to see in person but it's better than nothing.
| 282 |
AskDocs
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I have nightmares EVERY time I sleep.
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Hey all thank you for taking the time to read.
21 F, 100 pounds, 5”2, only on birth control medication. Have been diagnosed with anxiety/depression with psychotic features
Every time I sleep I dream. Usually it’s a nightmare/unpleasant. I’d say 98% of the time it is. It can be really confusing for me to wake up as I dream so often it’s beginning to affect my mood and feelings about others in the waking world. I can’t tell what’s a dream and what wasn’t sometimes. Even if I nap for just a few hours I end up dreaming and remembering the dreams. I dream more than anyone I know and all of my dreams are negative. I never wake up feeling rested :(
Is this a sign of a deeper issue? I do have anxiety and when I talked to my doctor about it she said it was just that. Is there anything I can do or take to prevent me from having dreams? They are extremely disorienting and exhausting :(
| 260 |
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this. Do you have regular follow up with a psychiatrist? Who diagnosed you with depression w/ psychotic features?
I’m wondering if you were prescribed anything for your depression and psychotic symptoms? I see you’re only on birth control. I know some folks have a horrible experience with psychiatric meds, no judgement here.
| 93 |
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I am afraid of being honest to my therapist because I think they’ll take my children away.
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(F26) I have my first appointment on dec 1st with a therapist after having a baby 5 months ago.
I want to tell them that when baby cries, I get shaky and I hyperventilate and I get urges to hurt him. I’ve never had of course, but I’ve definitely left him to cry for too long in his room while I run a shower (sometimes as long as 5 minutes). But when I get this way, I don’t know a better solution than to just get him in his room and then get away. And the shower helps me to not hear him cause I’ll want to literally hang my head into the floor. I don’t know why it’s this extreme.
His crying used to be due to MSPI, so now it’s because he’s tired (always well fed, diaper changed) and I’ve accidentally sleep trained him this way because he’s almost always asleep by the time my 5 minute timer goes off to check on him.
But my response to his cries are with sincerely violent thoughts and urges. I wanted to give him a bath but he started wailing in fear from the water. I got the urge to just put him under to get the crying to stop. And for a split second, the thought felt logical. Understandably horrified by myself, I walked into my mothers room (she moved in after baby was born) and told her I’ll kill him is she doesn’t take him. God, my poor mom. She’s the reason I have this appointment.
The thing is, I planned this baby. My husband and I wanted children. We went through 3 miscarriages to have him. I don’t know why I am responding this way.
I’m afraid if I’m completely honest with my therapist, they will have to call CPS and have my child taken.
He’s well taken care of, and I love him to pieces. I take him everywhere and he prefers me to everyone despite these terrible moments. I’ve made it 5 months struggling with these issues and I’ve never never hurt him. But psychotic response will probably illicit a cautionary response I’m sure.
What do I do? I need help but I can’t risk losing him. He’ll be traumatized if they take him from me. He’s starting to developed stranger danger and separation anxiety.
Should I be honest or tone it down?
| 886 |
You are experiencing Postpartum Depression. It's not your fault and it is treatable. This is a medical problem and it occurs in 1 in 7 births, so it is not uncommon. Tell your therapist. Having wild thoughts in a moment of frustration is not the same as having an active plan or intent to harm your child. Postpartum.net has additional resources. You will benefit from having your husband and/or another family member come and help you out with the baby for a bit while you recover, that way you can have time to bond with the baby without all the stress of trying to soothe a newborn all on your own. Please, reach out for support and help. You can recover from this.
| 862 |
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someone 14 years old might be pregnant and she needs some advice
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she wanted to stay anonymous, but she’s very very close to me.
it’s her first time and she says that they didn’t use protection and that the guy told her he didn’t finish inside. i asked her if she felt anything and she said she couldn’t because of the pain but i think she’d understand if he did finish inside?
so now she’s scared she might be pregnant, what should she do? is there any pills or a test she could take or how likely is it that she’s pregnant? also this happened 2 days ago
i really need to help her so any advice would be really helpful. thanks in advance
| 507 |
Plan B can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse. In the US she can buy it over the counter. I would recommend that however she needs to take it as soon as possible. It's too early for a pregnancy test. She should also consider getting on a type of birth control to prevent pregnancy.
| 739 |
AskDocs
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My [35M] brother’s leg looks bad, how serious is it?
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[leg photos](https://imgur.com/a/e5sWW8W)
My brother burned his leg on a motorcycle exhaust about a month ago, and has yet to seek any real treatment for it. He’s hesitant to go to an ER, due to being clean and sober from drug addiction for a while now, and not wanting to receive pain medicine, coupled with a lot of stubbornness and a sense of having “nine lives” (he’s survived a lot of crazy shit in the past and he has an invincibility complex). I’m obviously very concerned and wish he would appreciate the gravity of the situation; based on the photos, how bad does his leg look, and what immediate risks can be deduced? I’m worried about sepsis or amputation. Thank you.
Edit: he’s had one round of antibiotics a few weeks ago. I don’t believe it has helped. Still waiting on him to make moves and go to the ER. Thank you for all the responses
UPDATE: HE FINALLY WENT TO HOSPITAL. About a week ago. I just haven’t made an update. They did some debridement and gave him antibiotics. His blood work all came back ok. It hadn’t gone to the bone. It seems like it’s healing now. So that’s all good news. I’m so glad. It could have been so much worse. Thank you all for your comments and answers
| 917 |
He needs a doctor. Today!
People die with those sorts of wounds all the time (without treatment).
If your brother doesn’t want any pain killers, he doesn’t need to have any. But he definitely needs to be seen by a doctor and probably a plastic surgeon.
There are lots of non addicting pain killers that can be used in replacement of opioids.
If he doesn’t see a doctor, he might die.
| 1,723 |
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3 years, No diagnosis, Losing hope
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Specs: 23M, 140lb 6’1”, no drinking, no drugs, no previous health conditions Negative Covid tests and vaxxed
Hey All,
I’ll try to keep this short, but here is the deal. Since early highschool my energy levels have always been low, my body has generally felt quite sluggish. I always just attributed this to long school hours and work. My dad would joke, “its like you got the hangover without the party”
About 2 years ago I was done with school and really made an attempt to increase my health and energy to actually enjoy my days. For the next year or so I attempted to improve health through a consistent sleep schedule, diet, regular exercise, vitamins/supplements, you name it, I tried it. But after feeling consistently worse I began to seek medical help for:
**Symptoms:**
Extreme fatigue
Overall joint pain, but focused on my back
Constant tired burning muscles (as if I climbed a mountain)
Canker sores on soft tissue 1.5in+ in diameter
Morning nausea
Chills
Hard lumps on lymph nodes
No stamina
**Since July of 2019 I began experiencing “episodes” consistently every 3 months**
Fever 103+
Mouth sores 1 in+ and tonsils covered in lesions
Bed ridden
Muscles burn
Inability to eat or drink due to mouth and throat lesions
My docs were highly unhelpful as this was the height of covid and docs were quite busy. For the most part I was passed around with little to no results. I am self employed and this is the only reason I am still able to work, as my last episode had me bed ridden for nearly 5 weeks. I was prescribed Lidocaine, magic mouthwash, acyclovir, VitD3. None of these helped
Fast forward to 2 weeks ago, and 6 doctors later, I now have $8,500 worth of blood work done. Everything is normal, except I am anemic and discovered 5 herniated discs in my lumbar and neck. My iron levels are ok, but red blood cell count is low.
I have been tested for mono, flu, covid, recurring strep, rheumatoid factor, ana reflex, vitamin levels, thyroid, sleep disorders, allergies, just to name a few. All came back normal.
Docs are at a loss and don’t know where to go next.
I have been turned down by Rheumatology, ENT, Hematology, due to lack of symptoms (more or less I look too healthy to hold a place in the queue). I have been told I have “the exact same symptoms” by friends and family with diagnoses like RA, Lupus, MS, Gall cancer, gout, lymphoma. But I am getting turned down by specialists so tests are not happening.
My daily physical health has slipped to a point of now affecting my mental health. I need answers and cannot continue much longer like this. Nothing I try improves or alleviates any pain. I don’t know what to do next.
I will do my best to answer any questions!
Please and thank you for any and all advice or similar experiences!
​
\*\*\*EDIT: Blood Work Links\*\*\*\*\*
(my first time doing this, I don't know if I did it right)
[https://imgur.com/a/v7HCgrP](https://imgur.com/a/v7HCgrP)
\*\*\*EDIT 2: More Blood Work Links\*\*\*\*\*
[https://imgur.com/a/jL1LyKp](https://imgur.com/a/jL1LyKp)
​
\*\*\*\*EDIT 3: More Blood work\*\*\*\*\*\*
[https://imgur.com/a/BVzymlg](https://imgur.com/a/BVzymlg)
| 310 |
Ethnicity? Any family members with similar? How long do fevers last for? Is it 3 months like clockwork? What else occurs during these flares, just worsening of oral ulcers? Where exactly in the mouth are these ulcers? Any vomiting or abdominal pain?
| 124 |
AskDocs
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I just turned 32 years old and weigh 400 pounds. If I turn things around, what are my long term prospects?
|
Hi all,
Last week was my 32nd birthday. I currently weigh 400 pounds. My only diagnosed physical health problem is sleep apnea, which I have a CPAP machine for.
I got blood tests about a month back, and they were surprisingly alright. Slightly high cholesterol, AST/ALT, and glucose, but nothing requiring medication.
I have a 1 year old son and am starting to realize just how much I've ruined this first segment of my life. I'm working on trying to fix everything. Lose the weight, eat healthy, etc. I am working with doctors and therapists and getting all the help I can.
So.... my question... I just turned 32 and am 400 pounds. Let's say, when I turn 33, I'm down to 200 pounds (done safely of course). Or even I turn 34 and I'm down to like 180. What's my shot at living a long life? Can I make it to 60 or 70? Can I meet my grandkids? Or have I already ruined those prospects, the future be damned. Basically.... how much does the past I have had mess up my potential future?
I'd very much like brutally honest answers. No matter what, I am going to work towards being so much healthier. Of course, everything is a guess. But just wondering if anyone has knowledge or experience on how much a human body can "bounce back".
Thanks so much
| 303 |
Yeah, of course. Getting the weight off now will give you a much better chance of living to a ripe old age! It will be very hard, but it can definitely be done
| 338 |
AskDocs
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18M I got asked out by a girl yesterday who has genetic cold sores. What can I do to make sure I stay safe if we end up dating?
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Yesterday, I got asked out by a girl who was pretty upfront with me about cold sores running in her family. The thought of potentially catching it honestly scares me a little, so I was wondering what I can do to help prevent it spreading to me.
She says she takes medication and they only act up every few months. She’s dated someone before who did not catch it, so I know there are ways around it. I just think it’s better safe than sorry.
Edit: I guess a better way of putting it instead of saying it runs in her family is that she got it from her parents when she was little
| 339 |
She has HSV. You will probably have HSV before you die. Most people have HSV.
| 592 |
AskDocs
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23M. I'm in Bali on my own. In the last 12 hours I've had fully liquid diarrhoea about 15 times, and now just fainted. What do I do?
|
Diarhoea has been 100% liquid. Literally over 15 times in 12 hours, to the extent I'm confused where it's all coming from..
On about the 15th time, I started sweating, my body started going numb, my vision started going blurry and I heard screaching in my ear, had disorientation and collapsed against the wall (this is just fainting, right?)
As it was happening I was getting quite worried and considered phoning my hotel's reception calling for medical help, but I feel stable now.
I haven't eaten from anywhere that would be associated with food poisoning, though maybe I haven't eaten enough.
What could this be? Is it a fairly common thing (severe diarrhoea then fainting)? Should I be concerned? Please advise - thank you
| 271 |
If you are able to do it go to a local pharmacy and get some kind of electrolyte water (they will probably have them in a tablet form that melts in water and tastes nasty)... Drink plenty. Also get some loperamide and lactobacillus capsules
If you can't do that go to the ER for IV fluids, and then stop by the pharmacy on the way back to get that stuff... It's gonna be a shitty 48 hours
| 385 |
AskDocs
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My younger brother (5M) was discovered to have a brain tumor, can somebody please help me answer some questions?
|
So this might be a little hard for me to write... I never thought I'd come to this moment but, my younger brother (5 years and 4 months old) was discovered with a pretty big brain tumor... He already has difficulties in walking and standing still etc...
He is a perfectly healthy boy, he never had any kind of issues until suddenly, in the duration of 6 hours everything fell apart...
The tumor is located in the brain stem so removing it via surgery or chemotherapy is impossible as it might leave him completely disabled or even kill him... According to the words of the doctor
Since I wasn't in direct contact with the doctor, and I thought asking here might be better since it has a larger exposure and larger variety of people who can answer this... I wanted to ask few questions, what are the all possible solutions to this? Can something ELSE be done other than radiation? And if no, what is the success rate for curing (stopping or even making smaller) the tumor itself via radiation therapy? If it will be cured, what are the chances that the tumor will start growing again after some period of time? And how deadly is it after it was "cured"? The doctor even said that things might even get out of control and he might even pass away during the next few days, he didn't say what were the chances though so can somebody please please please tell me that the chances of this happening are small? + I just want everything to go back to normal, play with him and just make everything fine again like it was just 3-4 days ago... Is this possible or his life is now changed, forever? In what ways?
Please take this seriously, I really care for him, I am writing this with tears since I am deeply scared for him and what he might go through... I know that this subject is very serious and it's not some kind of ordinary virus... Thank you all in advance...!
Ps. If any more information is needed please let me know, (except for the type of the tumor, since it is located in the stem of the brain the doctor said it is impossible to make a surgery and find out what type of a tumor is this unless some part of it is located outside of the brain stem)
| 627 |
I am very sorry that you are going through this. I am a medical oncologist, and I know how hard this can be on families especially when it involves children. It's really hard to provide you with an answer when I am only get your testimony. I'd have to read his chart (at the very least) to get an idea of what type of tumor it may be.
If your doctor is already saying that he may pass in the next few days, I would try to visit him as much as possible. As hard as it may be for you, he would want you to be strong for him. Children are unique in that they can sense when something is wrong. His family needs to be able to provide him comfort during this time.
Hopefully, he can be seen by a pediatric oncologist who specializes in masses located in the brain and spinal cord. You and your family can also ask about any ongoing clinical trials that he may qualify for.
| 555 |
AskDocs
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Vomited blood. Went to ER. Stood there for 2.5 hours. Went home.
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M28, 180cm, 160lbs, no meds, no health issues, occasional smoker, occasional drinker
I am getting over a cold so I think my stomach is weak, and I went out for dinner with my dad. Had a drink and halfway through my salad I felt like I had no appetite. Fast forward two hours I threw up mostly bile (I hadn't eaten much all day). I have had this type of nausea before, I think it is related to my crappy stomach lining. Only this time I noticed quite a bit of blood with every heave (teaspoon per heave), but figured I must have torn my throat from coughing so much the last week. It wasn't small streaks, either. I tried to make myself cough hard to see if I could produce blood, and nothing. Only when I threw up.
I finished up, flushed, and drank water. I felt some pretty rough burning sensations, so I did some googling. After reading I quickly went to the closest ER. Told them I vomited blood and they asked how much and what color. I said a few teaspoons and it was fresh red. I waited for about two hours and the burning kind of went away. I told the nurse I was just going to leave and she more or less told me it was fine and that I was fine.
I am back home now, burning sensation has returned, and my googling has resumed. I am now reading it could be an ulcer or something. If it was as serious as the internet says, why did I wait for so long and why did they just let me leave? Can bleeding from gastritis/ulcer just get better on its own?
| 290 |
Could be any number of things related to irritation or small tearing of your stomachs lining. If it’s small, vital signs ok, and your blood level is ok more than likely will heal on its own.
You can take acid reduction medication and pepto to cool off the stomach and promote healing. Stay on fluids until you feel better but still get checked out by your own doc that may refer you to Gi for a scope.
If it keeps happening, gets worse, you start feeling light headed or your heart beating fast, time to go back to the er.
| 216 |
AskDocs
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Knee injections withheld due to booster "requirement." Is that ethical?
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Patient: 74M, 250lbs, 5'11'', diabetic, knee arthritis.
My 74 yo father was refused cortisone injections in his knees by his doctor until he gets a Covid booster shot. He got the two Moderna shots back in late January but he's a conspiracy theorist and has been refusing to get boosted. We've been trying to convince him, but he's stubborn. His knees are in extreme pain and he's eventually going to have knee replacement surgery. His doctor told him she wouldn't give him the steroid treatment until he took the booster, which means his injections will now be pushed back 6 weeks (next available appointment) and he'll continue to be in pain (he can barely walk these days).
NOTE: Please know I'm extremely pro vaccine-- I (36yo daughter) got fully vaccinated and boosted at my earliest opportunity, and I'm not in any way arguing the efficacy or safety of any of the covid vaccines...
I know steroids weaken the immune system, but is withholding them justifiable for the booster? My dad feels kind of extorted into it, and I'm upset about his loss of agency in the situation (though secretly grateful he's now getting boosted).
| 250 |
Just for clarification, are you sure that the physician refused to give injections until he has the booster?
Just playing devil’s advocate, but I’ve seen many scenarios where patients either misinterpret what a physician says or just remember incorrectly. For example, could the doctor have been under the impression he was planning to get the booster and recommended waiting to inject his knees until a few weeks after the vaccine?
I’m personally not aware of any literature on interactions between intraarticular injections and vaccines, so wouldn’t have a problem giving the injections, but just wondering if they are truly using that as a way to get him to get the booster or if it is a misunderstanding.
| 354 |
AskDocs
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Got punched in the stomach, having severe pain hours later
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(F27 170cm 58kg)
Got punched in the stomach earlier today and i am in so much pain right now, i'm tired and i feel like i'm gonna pass out from the pain.
The pain is so much worse now then it was 10hrs ago, it feels like it's getting worse and worse.. it's so bad i can't sleep and i can't stop crying, it feels like someone blew a hole in my stomach, and throught those 10 hours i've been feeling dizzy and like i'm about to throw up any second but never actually being able to do it.
Should i do something about it right now? What's the worst thing that can happen if i just try my best to ignore it?
I'm really considering going to a hospital right this instant. Please help.
| 402 |
Go to the ER right now. Do not drive yourself. Have someone drive you or call an ambulance if you have no ride.
| 681 |
AskDocs
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Wife ICU after anaesthesia. Urgent help for possible outcome?
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My wife was performing (25f, 167cm, skinny, from Middle East) an IVF and was needed to be asleep during the operation to ‘take the egg’. During the operation her heart rate kept going very high 160+, low BP and short rapid breathing. It took the doctors to long to be able to wake her up.
After waking up she kept fainting and not being able to stand up. She is still in the ICU (3days now) with low BP, unable to eat/drink and complaining from pain from the egg removal. Doctors keep telling me it’s normal and she will be fine in a week. But the fact that they had 8 doctors surrounding her, bringing ambulance and taking her to ER doesn’t seem normal at all. I lack medical knoweldge and would like to know what caused this, will she be okay. I’m scared.
Thanks for the help.
| 269 |
Not normal. Ask your wife if she has been informed of what went wrong and if not, I’d ask for clarification.
My guess from your limited info would be either a large bleeding or possibly a severe allergic reaction.
But no way any amount of time in ICU is normal after egg harvest in a young and healthy woman.
| 292 |
AskDocs
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Please help me understand my partner's passing (cancer).
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My 33M partner passed away in June from stage IV mutated bowel cancer. His first symptom appeared in mid-March, diagnosis at the end of April. He passed in mid-June. Pre symptom appearing, he was fit, apparently healthy, ate a balanced diet and was very health conscious.
He passed away peacefully at home. I still find it difficult to accept that he is gone and I would like to understand the process of his mind and body shutting down. Part of it is that I was his primary carer... and I hope, hope with every last part of me that I made him as comfortable as he could be. But death isn't kind, right? He must have suffered in those last few hours.
My questions are:
Was he still lucid, or conscious, in his last hours?
How much pain would he have felt (even with morphine administered hourly?)
Was he 'gone' when he took his last breath - or after that?
I guess what I would appreciate is a description of what happens with his brain, organs and systems as he left the world.
Thank you.
| 302 |
Im so sorry for your loss. That is too young and no one should experience what either of you have. If you were giving him morphine, he wasn't lucid or aware. Thats the point of it. It doesn't help people die per se but it blocks the perception of suffering by the patient while the disease is what actually causes death. People also make noises like a rumbling gasping breathing at the end. It's called the death rattle and is actually a sign of body death. Likely the brain is dead before that. In all cases I've seen it, the rattle happens much after the person's mentation and presence mentally is gone. Morphine also helps with this. It prevents agonal breathing or struggle for breath in the dying and is an incredibly humane way to help someone pass peacefully. It sounds like you helped him pass without struggling, pain, or awareness.
| 239 |
AskDocs
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In Hospital Again...Need Real Life Dr. House
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40m, white, non smoker casual drinker. I am currently in a hospital bed on a Heparin Drip.
I have Vascular, Hematology, oncology, and even Gastro all stumped. Basically, I am under attack by blood clots but no one has a clue why. A year of this.
Long story short - calf DVT 10/20. Found May Thurner, stent placed, clot resolved, moved on with life. Taken off thinners.
July - spinal surgery. 3 weeks later, blood clots EVERYWHERE, spent a week in hospital had thrombectomy. Simple answer - surgery caused clots (even though ive had many surgeries before with no clots). Put on Xarelto.
November - found more clots even on Xarelto. Do tPA lysis catheter puts me in hospital another week. Clears clogged stents, put on Lovenox.
2 weeks later - more clots. Just had another thrombectomy.
I have tested negative for everything. Negative for all genetic factors, negative for rare clotting disorders. And yet, here I am.
CT Scan of chest and pelvis no tumors. Lymph nodes swollen but "subcentimeter" in the area where all the clotting keeps happening.
Everyone is stumped. They won't let me out of the hospital. I feel fine except for my leg which has been through alot.
Only info to go off of - I have been anemic off and on, Monocyte % slighly high, folate very low, absolute immature gran count high.
I am here in the hospital. I can ask anything. Give me your wildest ideas. Something to have them test. I want to go home but also desperate for a diagnosis. Thank you!
PS: WOW- thank you all. Updates from what I’ve relayed off of this thread - hematology is now done with me unless something changes. They say they’ve tested for every clotting disorder and looked as much as they could for underlying cancers. They say definitively it is not APS. 🤷🏼♂️
Update 2 (I don't think anyone is still checking this but just in case) - Tumor marker test was negative but they did find a precancerous polyp from the colonoscopy.
| 398 |
Stent for calf DVT is not standard practice, at least in our country and we like to toss money at even the smallest improvements.
Were your iliofemoral veins clotted as well? That is, the veins in your pelvic / lower abdominal area involved?
Did they find a reason for your calf DVT? Immobilization, surgery or such? Absolute MINIMAL duration of thinners is 3 months if you have a good reason. 6 months without a good reason for your first clot appearance.
You said "many surgeries without..." going to need some info about those surgeries.
In what area does the clots keep happening?
| 151 |
AskDocs
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19 year old thinks they're 10
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19 year old genetic female identifies as a male, smoker, recovering cocaine addict, no alcohol,
Diagnosed with: depression, anxiety, autism, ADHD, ODD,
Undiagnosed PTSD, Has all symptoms, nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety for 3 months now
Since a couple days ago he's been having episodes where he thinks he's 10 again. He can't remember anything after autumn time 2012. He's obviously quite distressed and acting like a 10 year old. I've been with him every time, it's been about 6 episodes over the past two days. Lasting between an hour and 4 hours, average 2.5.
They seem to be lasting longer and longer, each time 10 year old can't remember anything from previous episodes, can't remember me, and when it stops, 19 year old can remember some bits but says it's like remembering a dream.
When in 10 year old state, he seems like a normal 10 year old. It's at the point in his life just before his trauma occured. Once he's calm we can have a nice chat, watch cartoons, play games, etc. Never any danger to himself other than trying to run away/ tries to hit me sometimes.
Does anyone have any advice? The on-call doctor was pretty useless, just said to not think of anything triggering.
| 454 |
Hello, mental health technician who works with adolescents checking in. The other poster is very correct: there is a huge trend in teens trying to get DID diagnoses at the moment. We had a group a few months ago would would ask each other every morning, “who are you fronting as today?”
I do not say this to discount true DID diagnoses. It is very real. I am obviously not a doctor, but I do work hands on with the kids and wanted to point out that this is a very real trend right now.
| 557 |
AskDocs
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What’s going to happen to my paralysis when I die?
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22F, white, 4’10, 110 lbs. I had a prenatal stroke and now have left hemiplegia, cerebral palsy affecting my left arm and leg. My toes and three fingers are fully paralyzed and I can’t extend my left arm fully. (Luckily, I’m right handed)
I used the line “you’ll pry it from my cold, dead, paralyzed hand” the other day, which made me wonder: when I die, what happens to my paralyzed parts? Do they loosen up? After I’m dead, what does the difference between my left and right look like?
| 254 |
They won't go back to "normal" if you have contractures or other shortening of tendons. They muscles and tendons in your body have remodeled into their current shape through years of non-stimulation/use.
After rigor mortis has passed, they may be slightly more flexible than they are with you alive. Just because there is no signal of pain to stop the manipulation. The basic behavior of the muscles though will be the same as other muscles, because they are no longer getting signals from the brain, but have someone manually manipulating them.
Not a pathologist, but according to my knowledge of how it all works, that should be the situation.
Does that answer the question?
| 195 |
AskDocs
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Doctor gave silver supplement??
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14m
Went to a new allergy doctor as a new patient. The visit was great, but at the end she gave me an “Argentyn 23 Professional Bio-Active Silver Hydrosol 23 ppm Dietary Supplement” and told me it’s good for fighting infections. She sprayed it a bunch of times in her mouth and nose and said she even drinks it. She charged $30 for it.
Should I be concerned? I googled it and none of its claims seem to be backed up by evidence.
Also, she has a lot of plaques around her office saying “Americas Best Physician.” She also doesn’t wear a mask most of the time. These things are concerning, but her reviews are really good and she’s board certified. What should I do?
edit: she also does ozone therapy and that seems controversial too. she also has a laser med spa that operates in the same office.
edit2: she prescribed me prednisone
| 289 |
"Med Spa" is typically a red flag. And often great reviews simply reflect one's social skills, not their competency as a physician.
| 431 |
AskDocs
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7 year old in need of a miracle.
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My niece was in a accident 4 days ago and has very severe injuries to her brain stem and upper spine. If anyone knows of any good neuro surgeons or any doctor that would be willing to take a look at her MRI's it would be greatly appreciated. We are in the New England area of the United States. I have contacted the neurology center in Boston Children's hospital and they will taking a look at her MRI'S today. Grasping at straws here.
| 427 |
Boston childrens is as good as it gets for pediatric ortho, you’re unlikely to find an opinion on here that is more qualified. I’m sorry to hear about your niece, best of luck to her and your family.
| 483 |
AskDocs
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Is this normal or creepy for an endocrinologist?
|
I am 27F diagnosed with Celiac disease, which led to nutrient malabsorption, which led to osteoporosis, which led to me seeing an endocrinologist. The fact that I’m so young with osteoporosis is another story.
Anyways, I’ve gone to my male endocrinologist twice now. Both times he has made me feel slightly uncomfortable. He gets very close when talking to me. Has complimented my hair, called me a young beautiful woman. And both visits he has had me stand up while he runs his hands down the sides of my body along my hips and thighs, he takes the side of his hand and pushes between my boobs, etc.
I would just like to ask if this is normal for an endocrinologist? I mean I like to think the closeness and compliments are to make him more personable. And with feeling my body he is trying to feel my bone structure to make sure I’m healthy. But I don’t know. I don’t want to be naive. Typing this out makes it sound very creepy.
Any endocrinologists out there that can comment or people who have experienced the same?
| 324 |
This is definitely creepy and not normal. A doctor cannot assess osteoporosis by feeling the bone structure. I think he is physically molesting you and passing it off as a physical assessment.
Does he have a chaperone (another person, usually a nurse) in the room when he examines you? This is standard practice when doing any kind of intimate examination. I would never touch a patient’s thighs (especially not a younger female patient’s thighs as a male doctor) without having a chaperone present.
Find a different endocrinologist- ask you GP to re-refer you. I would also advise that you report this doctor - he may be doing this to other patients, and may do worse in the future if he is not stopped. Your GP can help with this.
Sorry that you have had this experience, the trust between patient and doctor is very important. Abusing this trust is a very serious issue.
| 668 |
AskDocs
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[Serious] Gynecologists of Reddit: Why is the average gynecologist reluctant to pursue an endometriosis diagnosis/dismissive of pain?
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Age: 27, female, 5’1. Endometriosis. Symptoms were extremely painful debilitating cramps during the first day of my cycle along with vomiting, fever, and almost passing out.
I am one of many patients who have suffered endometriosis for YEARS before finally having enough and needing to find a specialist who would take my pain seriously and get me my diagnosis. This is such a common theme with woman with endo and it’s really sad. Extreme period cramps are not normal and shouldn’t be overlooked. Since I was 15 (diagnosed endo at 27) I have expressed my pain many times and the only answer they gave me was birth control. Once birth control was barely helping my pain, they only suggested me taking it to where I no longer get a period or get it every 3 months. I chose the 3 month option but I eventually asked for higher pain meds, since I did not wish to fully stop my period and naproxen barely helped me, and got denied as if I was some junkie just looking for pills. I’ve asked about the possibility of endo many times and got dismissed. They didnt want to do any surgeries unless I was ready for kids, which is ridiculous because it can continue to grow and cause serious permanent damage if not removed. It wasn’t until this year I had to find a specialist to get taken seriously, and she scheduled a lap for me right away without hesitation. Endo was found and removed via excision and for the first time in my life during my period, no more pain. My life was significantly changed after this, I felt like it was a miracle honestly. But why couldn’t this have been done years ago? I am just disappointed and feel like I was gaslighted this whole time, and this is so extremely common amongst others with endo. Is it lack of training? Do they want to just move on to the next patient? I’m genuinely curious.
Edit: I was not expecting this much engagement with this post, but thank you so much everyone who took the time to share your stories and opinions!! It’s so interesting to see everyone’s different views and experiences. And thank you so much for the silver and other awards!! You all are amazing! For those still struggling btw, you are strong, and you got this. Never ever give up on finding the treatment/diagnosis you deserve, and I mean that for any condition, not just endo.
| 736 |
I work in emergency medicine and I would love for a gyn to comment on this. i think part of the reluctance of the diagnosis is that i think its a diagnosis of exclusion. Meaning you rule out everything else first. Endometriosis is a well know condition and gyn try to treat medically first because 1) surgery is always risky, 2) the surgery for endometriosis is often unsuccessful if i recall 3) it makes any future surgeries more complicated 4) there may be a finical portion idk what type of insurance you have and im assuming your in America 5) if something does go wrong it can permanently ruin your ability to reproduce which is very high pay outs if doc is sued.
I also dont know how old ur old obgyn was but a lot of new younger ones (last 10-15 years) are veryyyyy into women advocacy and are very active behind the scenes pushing laws for the betterment of women in general.
But again this is my best guess and may be totally wrong and you had a shitty doc.
| 232 |
AskDocs
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Hello everyone, i need your help to know the survival rate here. (My gf is in critical condition admitted to a hospital).
|
(sorry English isn't my first lang)
So, my gf caught "Dengue" A few days back and she got admitted to hospital. Me and my gf live long distance and the only way for me to know what is happening her texting me about what is happening. So few days back she had dengue and was admitted to a hospital, she said they are giving blood...
So today i got a call from her that she is in a critical condition and her platelet count is going down day by day and doctors are transfusing platelets to her(i don't how to say this) and her current platelet count is 4000, so she said the doctors are saying "she is critical and we have to wait and see".
Till now this is the info i know, so please can anyone tell me will she survive i am really scared me and my gf are of same age 18.
Please anyone tell me what is happening there i can't understand...
Thank you.
EDIT: My gf is talking very well in calls right now, however her platelet count hasnt improved but the way she is talking seems like she will get through it and i hope she does...
EDIT 2- SHE is in critical condition shifted to another hospital in another city it's by far the biggest one so doctors said we just have to hope that she gets better.😕
EDIT 3- HER platelets count fell to 600(not 6 misheard on phone) , doctors say that they are trying their best..
EDIT 4- her platelets are fluctuating ......they are running some test called as "blood culture test".
EDIT 5 - her condition got very serious yesterday night and doctors were transmitting hemoglobin to her.
EDIT 6- She got a test and doctors said that she have an ITP Disease (a disease in which the immune system kills her own platelets).
EDIT 7- her platelets came back to 21k yuhuuuu she is getting normal as far as i know 🌟🌟🌟🌟 thank godd.
| 491 |
Dengue is a very rough disease. It sounds like she is getting excellent supportive care, but mostly you just have to wait for her body to fight off the virus while the hospital tries to keep her platelets up.
| 475 |
AskDocs
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A careless nurse douched my 17 month old daughter's vagina with enema and I am concerned
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34M, India. Asking for my infant daughter.
My daughter accidentally swallowed a small gold pendent, we took her to the hospital, we took x-ray and found it in her abdomen, doctor recommended rectal enema. The nurse who administrated the enema poked the tube into my daughter's vagina and squeezed half of the solution inside. My wife holding my daughter's leg noticed it and stopped the nurse. My daughter screamed her lungs out. The nurse callously reinserted into the rectum and administered the enema.
My daughter passed the pendent in her stool right away, but now I'm sacred of any possible issues from this accident.
"Neotomic Enema" is name of the enima. Its composition is Glycerine, sodium chloride and purified water.
| 473 |
The solution shouldn't cause any issues, but it was likely uncomfortable. :( I'm sorry that happened to her.
| 488 |
AskDocs
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Coughed this up
|
https://postimg.cc/R3tyWCDy
53F non smoker. Chronic cough x2 months worsening.
UPDATE: Biopsy came back adenocarcinoma.
Inconclusive of what the primary site is but assuming lung due to size.
Tempus revealed specific mutated genes that would unfortunately NOT qualify for targeted gene therapy :(
Start chemo this week and gamma radiation for brain next week.
Recent ct showed 8cm mass and I coughed this up this morning.
Is this a bronchial cast? What is this?
It’s about 1 inch long
| 428 |
Take that to the ER
| 661 |
AskDocs
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9 years ago, I donated a part of my liver to our baby daughter. Any transplant hepatologists or pathologists on here? Liver biopsy/immunosuppression questions inside.
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9F
4'6" 63lbs
Rapamune 1mg BID
Nine years ago, I donated a part of my liver to our baby daughter. Since then, as is the norm for all transplant recipients, she is permanently walking on the razor's edge of finding the right level of immunosuppression: one that sufficiently prevents rejection, but yet minimizes the toxic side effects on the rest of her growing body. We are now faced with a chance to lower her immunosuppression somewhat, but worry about messing up her organ after what has been a relatively stable stretch. We have a biopsy coming up in about a month, so I am wondering whether the biopsy would definitively tell us whether the lower immunosuppression is still sufficient. If it turns out that lowering was a mistake, will the biopsy show that in as little as a month? Or does it take longer for the inflammation to show up on the biopsy? Is there even such thing as a graft that is entirely free from inflammation/fibrosis 9 years in, or is some degree inflammation always expected for a transplanted organ? Can the biopsy indicate whether the inflammation is the result of inadequate immunosuppression or drug toxicity?
Many thanks in advance!
| 373 |
Thank you for your submission. **Please note that a response does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.** This subreddit is for informal second opinions and casual information. The mod team does their best to remove bad information, but we do not catch all of it. Always visit a doctor in real life if you have any concerns about your health. Never use this subreddit as your first and final source of information regarding your question. By posting, you are agreeing to our [Terms of Use](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/wiki/terms_of_use) and understand that all information is taken at your own risk.
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AskDocs
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Why isn’t pain medicine or local offered during IUD insertion?
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I had an awful IUD experience, involving vomiting and fainting as a result of the pain level. I would rate my IUD insertion worse than passing a kidney stone or breaking bones. I’m not alone with this experience. If you search IUD on TikTok or other female-dominated subreddits, you’ll see an abundance of women/ teenage girls who have also described the IUD pain as the worst pain in their life. I’ve noticed a trend of increased pain particularly among nulliparous women.The Intensity of pain doesn’t seem to be acknowledged by many medical providers though, as many patients are told it will be a „slight pinch“ and aren’t properly informed about the pain involved. As a result, many of us did not properly prepare for the persisting pain by arranging a ride home from the appointment, a day off from work/school, or mental preparation for pain. Many providers both seem to acknowledge that extreme reactions to the insertion are normal, but the pain isn’t enough to warrant preparation or pain medications
I played rugby, basketball, football, and softball. I’ve had many broken bones and torn ACLs. I’ve also passed kidney stone. The IUD insertion pain was by far worse and longer than any of the aforementioned pain events. If I was offered pain medicine for all those events, why is nothing given for IUD insertions to reduce the associated pain and discomfort? Is there a specific reason?
Edit- I should mention I‘m directing this question to medical professionals in the US.
Edit 2- I’ll admit I haven’t looked into any of the studies about this. We had one doctor chime in that studies show that extreme pain is not the norm, but the trend I’m seeing in person and across social media appears contradictory to those findings. Would any medical professionals be willing to share the specific studies that are being referenced for care? I’m a PhD student in a different area of public health research, but I wouldn’t mind doing some critical review of the publications while I have the time. Update: so far I've only found a few relevant articles in my Uni's database. Most are about a decade or older and have really small sample sizes, like n=40 or less. The more recent articles are recognizing the pain of insertion as an issue, but I'm not finding a lot of resources so far. If anyone has a specific research study they reference when learning, I'd be thrilled to look at it.
Edit 3 -I started to search for articles. This is the first abstract I found:
"Concerns about pain during IUD insertion are a major barrier to use of IUDs among adolescent and young adult patients who may otherwise be interested in this method. Although few studies of pain control options have been conducted in this population, available data suggest that several pharmacologic interventions discussed in this chapter may be beneficial. Pre-procedure naproxen, ketorolac, or tramadol can help to reduce post-procedure discomfort. Paracervical nerve blockage with lidocaine-based anesthetics, topical lidocaine spray, or EMLA cream also appears to reduce pain with IUD insertion. Intravaginal 2% lidocaine gel may reduce pain with tenaculum and speculum placement. This chapter will discuss the complex nature of pain in gynecological procedures, including IUD placement, and the impact of anxiety and fear on pain perception. It will also review clinical guidelines to assist with pain control during procedures and describe evidence-based pharmacological pain control modalities that can be used during IUD procedures." Optimizing IUD Delivery for Adolescents and Young Adults
Tho I don't have full access to the text, this abstract is making it apparent that pain management is a valid concern and there are options. Can doctors weigh in more on those options? If it is indeed a recognized problem in the medical community, why aren't these options considered?
Update 4: I have 26 peer-reviewed articles to review. Slamming a coffee and I’ll get you my quick-and-dirty lit review asap.
| 879 |
I don't do IUD insertions, but pain management should be discussed and offered.
I don't care what the studies say. Sometimes you just need to be a human and empathize with other humans. Medicine is as much an art as it is science.
| 603 |
AskDocs
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Really Embarrassing and Personal Question
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28M, Canadian
Ok, don't judge me too harshly. I don't know what I was thinking either. To date, my biggest regret.
So, when I was a kid, I was taking a bath and... I actually inserted a bar of soap into my rectum. I'd push it out and do it again. Shortly, the pushing it out part was happening involuntarily. That was a really weird feeling, but its something I've never felt before. Long, gross story short, I sorta continued doing that until about 5 or 6 years ago. I suspect it mightve been a brain addiction. Why? I don't know but looking back it sparked behaviors in me that were almost compulsive. But now, my anal muscles are very weak. Not incontinent, but sometimes I can't stop a fart when I really should be able to. The biggest worry though is that whenever I go to the bathroom, without fail I get a partial rectal prolapse. And when I push even a little, I get a big one. Like, softball size. It doesn't hurt but it does have me worried. I doubt my muscles can fully recover if that keeps happening, and I would really not like to have a prolapse and shove it back in when going to the bathroom. My question is, is this fixable? Or am I sorta screwed? And what sort of long term complications can come of this? Sorry for gross post...
| 516 |
There is no judgment to be passed here and dont feel like you have to explain it for someone to listen.
Practicing medicine is a privilege and we certainly dont judge ourpatients, at the end of the day a good outcome and a satisfied patient is all what we need. There are two things at play here, both important.
1. The description and suggestion of rectal prolapse is concerning for which you’ll have to visit a gastroenterologist who may or may not send you to a subspecialist based on their expertise and how complex the finding seems to be. And yes, rectum is a muscle which can dilate over time, but it does regress, however without complete resolution leaving partial prolapse.
2. I would also suggest seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist if its an activity that’s interfering in your day to day life and it’s becoming difficult for you to stop.
And lastly dont be embarrassed. Hope this helps.
| 1,053 |
AskDocs
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My Father (m, 55) is deteriorating like an 80 yr old dimentia patient. Doctors dont know what it is.
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My father (caucusian male, 55, unsure of weight and height sorry, definently less than 6 foot and probably 55 kgs) has been in hospital for two weeks now after suffering a fall from which he couldn't get up. He has all the symptoms of ataxia - slurred speech, lack of motor control, change in personality/mood etc After an MRI scan, doctors told us they found "iron particles" around his brain, particularly concentrated around his cerebellum. They told us they don't know what it is, and have never seen anything like it before, but that the damge is irreverisible and whatever he has is "terminal and untreatable" . They performed a bone biopsy last week and we have been waiting for the results ever since. A quick Google search will tell you iron particles in the brain can happen when you live in a very polluted area. My father has lived in in queensland australia for his entire life, and a country town for the last 20, and hasn't been anywhere particularly polluted except for perhaps London, where he worked for about 7 years. Doctor's think he has been deteriorating for some time, perhaps 12 years. My family and myself noticed changes in his personality, demeanour, and speech over that time - we plead with him to see doctors, which he would refuse to do - when we did get him to, they either misdiagnosed him pagets disease, or said he was fine. hence why its built up to this point. My mother says he has deteriorated more in the last two weeks than ever. He is losing weight in hospital, and complains of constantly being cold.
Basically im just posting this out of desperation for answers, since its very hard to see him deteriorating like this, so quickly and so young. if anyone has any thoughts, opinions, information, just educated speculations or advice about how to approach something like this it would be much appreciated. Its obviously very hard to go through something like this.
Additional information: My father was a triathlete for some years and a health nut in my teen years and child hood - I would say his exercising though bordered on an obsession. And a lot of the "health" foods/supplements he was into were (in my opinion) completely quack. I remember him taking things like colloidal silver, though i'm unsure of in what quantities. My mother brought this up to doctors, who seem to have dismissed it as a possible cause however. Could any such supplements in excess cause a disease that could detiorate the cerebellum?
Update: Thanks for the replies everyone, it was very heartening to see so many to say the least. I don't have any MRI images to upload unfortunately, I'm waiting for my mother to get them from the hospital. As far as updates go, we received the results of the bone biopsy - the doctors said "an accumulation of hepcidin" may be responsible. They sent us this article to read on it https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25115800/ they said they're will be a meeting of doctors in Brisbane to discuss the results and how to treat him in the next two weeks. They say this is very rare. The good news is that we were able to bring dad home for Christmas. He is in much better spirits!
| 381 |
Perhaps hemochromatosis that have been untreated for a long time and now gives CNS-symptoms?
| 138 |
AskDocs
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*SOLVED* "Feeling like I've been in a dream and can't snap out of it"
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Original Post:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/comments/rivtpi/23f\_feeling\_like\_ive\_been\_in\_a\_dream\_and\_cant/](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/comments/rivtpi/23f_feeling_like_ive_been_in_a_dream_and_cant/)
I didn't get any good answers from this sub, and was concerned enough about myself that I called my doctor, and she sent me to get some blood tests (she must have known something was wrong because it is NOT fun getting medical care in Cleveland right now).
I had one of the lowest vitamin D levels "she had ever seen." Additionally, I had fairly low B12 and iron. Like I mentioned in the original post, I have Crohn's Disease, but seem to be mostly in remission. I haven't been able to get a colonoscopy in quite some time due to the pandemic since here at Cleveland Clinic everything is on an urgent basis, but I might need to get one soon, because it seems vitamins aren't absorbing right despite me taken a myriad of daily vitamins and eating well.
Hopefully this helps someone else with the same symptoms! Winter is not a great time for vitamin D levels.
| 337 |
Thank you for your submission. **Please note that a response does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.** This subreddit is for informal second opinions and casual information. The mod team does their best to remove bad information, but we do not catch all of it. Always visit a doctor in real life if you have any concerns about your health. Never use this subreddit as your first and final source of information regarding your question. By posting, you are agreeing to our [Terms of Use](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/wiki/terms_of_use) and understand that all information is taken at your own risk.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskDocs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
| 5 |
AskDocs
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What is the life expectancy for somebody that has endometrial cancer and doesn't get treatment for it?
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Here's the deal... I'm 28 years old, 5'5'', and a 115 pound female. I have pelvic pain and discharge almost all of the time and I am exhausted 24/7. I have also had BV and have had 4 rounds of Flagyl and 5 Diflucan pills. My BV doesn't seem to not want to go away. My doctors say that my endometrium went from 1.2cm to 1.5cm from July 2021 to September 2021. They said for somebody my age and somebody my size, I'm way too young and way too little to have an endometrium that thick, so that is why they are thinking endometrial cancer. I also have ascites, because I am bloated all the time, nauseated constantly and can barely eat anything. You can just hear the water sloshing around. I've felt this way for about 8 years. And if it is any relevance, I used to be anorexic for about a year. I am completely recovered from that now. And during that time of my anorexic, I didn't have a period, so I'm questioning whether that had something to do with it. My cycles are heavy and regular now.
Now, out of the experiences I've gone thru, I saw both parents go thru chemo, and radiation and die from AML and brain cancer. Even though this is a different type of cancer, I've made the mental decision on to not get treatment for it, and to be honest, I 'm not even sure if I want the biopsy anymore. I'm tired enough, and I don't want to put my body thru that.
So my question to you doctors out there, how long of a life expectancy would I have since I'm not getting treatment?
Thank you for all and any feedback. It is much appreciated. <3
| 252 |
If your doctor has ordered a biopsy, please take it.
If it shows endometrial cancer, the prognosis is typically excellent if the cancer is localized.
I am a medical oncologist.
| 883 |
AskDocs
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Vaccinated (25F) tested positive for COVID and was prescribed Ivermectin unprompted???
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As the post title says, my wife and I seem to have COVID, and the doctor prescribed Ivermectin for us. Everything I can find surrounding research for Ivermectin use to treat COVID says it doesn't work. Is it safe to ignore this prescription?
Edit: Sliding into my DMs to let me know you think the FDA and CDC are full of shit is not going to change my opinion. Step outside your echo chamber. Ivermectin is proven to not work, I was just hesitant to ignore a prescription without consulting other health professionals.
| 807 |
Your doc is a fucking idiot
| 1,396 |
AskDocs
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My kids are COVID positive. I am experiencing symptoms, but Im still negative. Is it possible to not be infected but still fighting it?
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I am a triple vaccinated 36 year old. My toddler kids started having covid symptoms 5 days ago and tested positive. It's impossible to distance from them, and I've just not been trying. We are staying quarantined at home together.
My symptoms started 3 days ago. I've been testing daily for 5 days and I'm still negative. The symptoms I have are very similar to the affects I had after my second vaccine dose (fever, swollen glands, chills, sore throat, insomnia). The symptoms are relatively mild and mostly at night.
I'm still testing negative though. Is it possible that my body is fighting covid but the vaccines are stopping infection? Is that why I am symptomatic but not infectious?
I'm trying to wrap my head around it.im quarantined either way, but I'm just trying to understand what's happening to my body.
Additional info: I'm using rapid antigen tests, and after 6 tests over 5 days - all have been negative. I think I'm using the tests correctly because the kids tests come back positive.
| 265 |
Likely tested too early, gonna chime in here as I’m a lab tech and Covid tests are what I do all day, haha. It takes a few days for the spike protein and viral load to proliferate to a detectable level. If you’re not showing the viral load, it will read as negative. Also if the viral load has not entered the nasal cavity yet, it can still be negative. If the swab isn’t done deep enough or doesn’t collect enough specimen, you can get a false result. Testing for Covid if you’re going to be positive, is best done 5-7 days after exposure for this reason. With Omicron we’re seeing it come back a little faster though, about 2-3 days sooner. But yea. There’s a little more info.
| 362 |
AskDocs
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12y/o male refusing food/water for 3 days. Need advice!
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I am posting on behalf of my parents, whose child is having this issue. He’s 12 so not old enough to post on Reddit and I’m doing this at the request of my parents who just don’t know how to use Reddit. So please don’t remove it on the basis of posting for someone else.
I am his 19 y/o sister. I’m pre-med and know more than the average person about this stuff but still it’s not nearly enough and I’m at a loss right now.
I believe it started as a psychological issue (anxiety?). He will complain about stomach pain and refuse food and water whenever he’s about to to something even slightly out of his comfort zone. This time it was skiing with the family (which he’s done before and is good at). Right before we left in the morning he started crying and complaining about stomach pain with no apparent physical cause. Parents ended up letting him stay home with other sibling. He watched YouTube for over 8hrs (checked on apple screen time). And according to other sibling, he was perfectly content and moving and giggling until my parents got home. My mom asked how he was feeling and he immediately got up and started crying and complaining again to which my mom responded by coddling/hugging on him. (It’s worth noting that we come from a very loving family—no neglect/lack of attention issues).
He’s done this enough times to where a few months ago he got severely dehydrated, ended up in the er getting it fluid which prompted a GI work up that was done that ruled out severe things like cancer, gastroparesis, and other conditions. He also has no food sensitivities/allergies or any other (diagnosed) condition.
He’s no signs of appendicitis, food poisoning, “stomach bug”, or any physical illness (no fever, fatigue, etc) despite complaining about general stomach pain. He’s also responding incorrectly to external palpation (as in: i palpated correctly to which he didn’t complain much about but then I did stuff like poking his upper ribs and asking if his lower abdomen hurt (in a serious tone) to which he responded yes).
The issue now is that it’s becoming a real physical issue due to him refusing food and water for so long (3 days now). He’s showing signs of dehydration and malnutrition. Over the last few days he’s collectively taken about 2 cups of plain cheerios and roughly 20oz water. He’s urinating infrequently and it’s dark yellow. Also he’s no longer crying with tears as of today. Also he has a distinct metallic smell which (I think) means he’s metabolizing protein because he’s out of glucose to metabolize. He’s also now refusing pedialyte on the basis of taste and still isn’t eating. Also I don’t know if this is helpful but his heart rate has been between 80-140 (higher when people try to get him to eat/drink and he gets upset).
We think he’s going to end up in the hospital again by tomorrow but we’re wondering if there’s anything else we can try before that. Also if anyone has suggestions as to what the underlying cause could be, that would be greatly appreciated.
Edit: forgot to include:
Age:12 height: 5’1” weight: 86 (as of 2 weeks ago… probably lower now). Race: Caucasian
No medications
| 361 |
Not a pediatrician but I am a Family Medicine physician and have seen this in kids with underlying issues such as OCD, anxiety, and/or ASD. It usually manifests as [ARFID](https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/arfid.html) which is a form of a restrictive eating disorder. Have you noticed him change in how he eats?
When he does to the ER does he go to an adult hospital or pediatric one? If he goes to an adult hospital, is there a pediatrician on staff that is seeing him as part of his assessment? Was his GI workup done by a pediatrician or the ER doc?
I would advocate for a Pediatric GI to see him and/or a psychologist to see if he has any other underlying issue. Also maybe have your parents chat with the school and see if there has been any behavior changes, even if they are subtle.
| 359 |
AskDocs
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Am I at imminent risk of death? I’m scared. Please help… No insurance
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18F, BMI 12.2, located in the US
No medications
No drug or alcohol use
I‘ve had anorexia nervosa since I was a child, but this is the lowest my weight has ever been. Lately, I’ve been unable to keep down any food or water; I get extreme abdominal pain and bloating and I throw it up involuntarily. For the past day now, my mouth and throat has been so dry that I can’t swallow anything. I’ve been losing my hair too, clumps at a time every time I shower. I also keep getting random muscle twitches in my arms and legs.
I live alone at my college dormitory. No health insurance. I don’t have much of a support system, as my parents have ignored my eating disorder my entire life and I’ve gone no-contact with them.
I’m so, so scared. I feel like I’m dying. I don’t want to go to the emergency room because I can’t afford it and I’m worried they‘ll tell me I have no reason to be there. Every time I’ve had bloodwork done in the past, it has always come back normal, so what if the doctors think I’m making up my eating disorder?
I know my weight is technically low, but I feel like it doesn’t look like it’s that low. I don’t want to take up resources when hospitals are already overcome with all the COVID cases. Would the emergency room be able to do anything anyway? What are my options with no insurance?
How can I increase my caloric intake without throwing it all up?
EDIT: I went to the local children’s hospital ER, upon everyone’s recommendation. Thank you for all your responses and support! It made me cry. I don’t know if I would have gone if it wasn’t for everyone’s urging.
I’m still really scared. Apparently I’m in acute kidney failure, and I’m worried it’s irreversible. I really don’t want to die. It’s hard being alone at the hospital in this condition, but the doctors and nurses have been really nice, which is a huge relief.
I’m being prepped for tube feeding soon, which is terrifying, but I know it’s the only way I’ll get stabilized. I wish it was easier—everything is so painful right now. I have no idea how long I’ll need to stay in the hospital, which makes me more anxious. But, I know deep down that coming here was the right decision. Anyway, thank you again, everyone!
| 1,699 |
You need to get to a hospital. Not only is your BMI dangerously low, you also can’t keep down any form of nutrient intake. The muscle spasms are a sign of electrolyte imbalances. It doesn’t matter if your weight doesn’t “look” low or if your blood work comes back normal (which it shouldn’t if you’re not able to keep food down and are vomiting) - if your BMI is actually below 13, it can lead to organ failure and below 12 can be deadly. No doctor would ignore that or think you’re lying. So please don’t hesitate to address your concerns to the ER doc. I can assure you, they’ve dealt with this before and your concerns are very much valid.
You can talk to a social worker for ways to help with price. If you have no support or way of paying, they’re the best one to talk to to help you either alleviate some of the burden or find ways to work on paying it back if that’s possible but, while I understand that finances are a problem (especially when it comes to how stupidly overpriced the American healthcare system is), this won’t be a worry if you don’t survive. Please get to an ER. They should get you a psych eval as well as some nutrients to get you to safe levels.
| 754 |
AskDocs
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33 female - Covid pos in ICU, intubation pending. What are her odds these days of making it off the vent?
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*UPDATE: pt, my best friend in the world, died a horrific death 30 days later - 1 week shy of her 34th birthday.
33 y/o F (she is an ER nurse and paramedic, I was her ambulance partner and are best friends)
Approx 300 lbs,
Hx of severe asthma (never intubated),
Unvaccinated (b/c of high risk of anaphylactic reaction, multiple severe vaccine reactions and 30 documented allergies).
Pt is currently sleeping (thank you Ativan) and is prone and on Bipap with 90% fiO2. Vitals are:
Heart rate: low 80’s when asleep - 100 when awake, NSR,
Respirations: 56 and labored, dramatic accessory muscle use.
SpO2: 88% w/BiPAP, prone, asleep. Can’t see settings b/c no visitors allowed bedside. I’m outside her room looking in.
Last blood gas this am was Ph of 7.46, BNP 161, elevated d-dimer and CRP.
She has been admitted for 3 days, doing mostly well until yesterday when X-rays showed COVID pneumonia throughout. She did not receive antibodies due to allergy hx.
Meds administered during admission: melatonin, vanco (no bacterial diagnosis that I know of), steroids, in line neb treatments, Singulair, Ativan, heparin, ivermectin.
She’s in a backwoods hospital and they cannot find a higher level of care to transfer her to.
Those of you who do COVID ICU pts on the daily - if this was your pt what would you expect her outcome to be? I’ve been out of healthcare since 2019 and haven’t seen a Covid pt first hand. I need to know for me, and to help her family.
She is due to be intubated within the hour.
Thanks in advance.
Edits for updates in labs
| 457 |
I have access to a large outcomes database for our healthcare system. With her age, those stats, the intubation at 72 hrs after admission and risk factors she has a 24% mortality. We are definitely a tertiary center though so I hope they find someone to take her. Best of luck to her!
| 667 |
AskDocs
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Appreciation post
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23, Male, White, 185 pounds.
If I am breaking the rules I apologize. Just wanted to say thank you to all the medical workers here in the community that take time out of their busy day to help people all over the world.
You guys are the real MVPs.
| 912 |
In the spirit of the new year, ~~this thread is locked~~ we can appreciate your appreciation. Thank you!
| 248 |
AskDocs
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I might get covid in a few days. What shall I do before I get diagnosed as positive.
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Let me explain. My mother was diagnosed covid positive today and I have been taking care of her with precautions ofcourse but I think I might get covid in a few days. What should I do before it gets serious because if it does then I won't be able to take care of her.
I'm 17 years old btw. And not vaccinated but she is.
| 266 |
_Usual disclaimer: no one can provide specific medical advice for a person or condition without an in-person interview and physical examination, and a review of the available medical records and recent and past testing. This comment is for general information purposes only, and not intended to provide medical advice. No physician-patient relationship is implied or established._
It's great that you're taking care of your mother. These are difficult times, snd you are right to be concerned that you may get COVID-19 as well.
The main way to avoid serious disease from COVID-19 is not not to get it. Some new promising treatments for early disease have been recently released, but are not widely available, and are generally reserved for patients with serious underlying medical conditions and the elderly
To help avoid getting sick: you should be wearing a mask at all times. Best would be an N95, KN95, or KF94 mask, these provide the most protection. Whenever you are in the house with your mother, you should wear a mask. If you need to remove your mask stay in a separate room that she does not go into. If you can't find one of the masks above, next best is a surgical mask. Homemade masks are less effective, but if that's all you can get, best is a multi-layer mask.
Goggles can also help, and should be worn while caring for someone who is sick.
You are not vaccinated. This is a huge mistake. You should get vaccinated as soon as possible. This is the number one way of preventing serious illness from COVID-19. Have your mother or father make an appointment to get vaccinated as soon as possible. While it is too late for the vaccination to be of use for the immediate period, there is no reason for delay.
| 429 |
AskDocs
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I was born with my vagina closed -- what does that mean for me now>
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20 / F / 185 lbs / 4'11" / on BC, experienced regular menses
My mom told me a while ago that when I was born, I was born with my vaginal closed and it was surgically opened when I was less than a month old. Fast forward to today, where I started thinking about it and I did a few Google searches and I'm generally concerned for my reproductive health. I have a gynecology appointment in a little more than a week, what should I bring up to them? Would it be reasonable to ask for testing and scans to see if there's other reproductive birth defects? What should I even be wary of (like conditions comorbid with vaginal atrasia)? Any advice is welcomed.
| 423 |
To the dipshit who asked if "I could not share this on reddit": this subreddit is for sharing medical concerns. I have a medical concern, and you're just some dude who decided to read this. If it doesn't concern you, see yourself out. Me having a vagina is normal and all of the concern related to said vagina is normal.
| 974 |
AskDocs
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I become suicidal for a couple days each month leading up to my period
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Female, 5'1", 111lbs, 29 years old, white
Medications: Levothryoxine 50mcg (Hashimotos Disease), Allegra (seasonal allergies)
Vaccine: Pfizer (both doses, no booster - not sure if this is needed)
For much of 2021, I had been having heavy periods and get very depressed the days leading up to my period. Once I start my period, I am good within a day. But those few days, I feel depressed with the thoughts of suicide and life does not feel with living. Once my period start, I'm usually back to normal within 24-48 hours.
My periods are regular (24-27 days). I did start Levothryoxine in August which solved the heavy periods, but hasn't stopped the emotional hell.
Doctors haven't been helpful in the depression aspect. They have just told me to try taking anti-inflammatory the days leading up to my period or offer birth control. I do not want to start birth control because I am not trying to stop a pregnancy and have a strong family history of breast and uterine cancer.
Any help is appreciated.
EDIT: I just wanted to say thank you to all the responses. Honestly, I am blown away and feel less alone with your stories. Thank you.
| 394 |
This sounds like it might be [premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/premenstrual-syndrome/expert-answers/pmdd/faq-20058315).
The mainstay of treatment is antidepressants—sometimes taken just during part of your cycle rather than all the time—and birth control pills. Regarding your family history of cancer, that wouldn’t necessarily be a reason you couldn’t take birth control, but it’s definitely something to talk about with a gynaecologist.
| 246 |
AskDocs
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my feet have been purple for 1 year and no one can figure out why
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23F, 5'8", 305lbs (I was previously 190lbs, but have gained a lot in the past year due to medication and lack of activity).
Medications: gabapentin, mirtazapine, pantoprazole
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Symptoms: bilateral swelling, pain (burning, stabbing, tingling), discoloration, temperature changes. Sometimes my feet are red and hot to the touch, other times they're purple and cold. Sometimes one foot is red/hot and one is purple/cold. Heat makes the pain 100x worse, cold is the only thing that somewhat helps. Photos: https://imgur.com/a/ONHrRar
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In August 2020, I started having pain in my feet. It just started out of nowhere one day and... never went away. I went to my PCP several times and they checked for diabetes, thyroid problems, lupus, arthritis, and a host of other things. Everything came back negative. By November 2020, I could barely walk. PCP referred me to a podiatrist, and the podiatrist did x-rays and bloodwork (both normal)and gave me a medrol pack. Medrol pack did nothing at all so they referred me to a rheumatologist.
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While I was waiting to see the rheumatologist, I developed blisters on my feet and within days my the tops of my feet were covered in wounds. My feet were extremely swollen and I was in so much pain that I couldn't stand up, or even move my feet at all, without crying. I went to the ER and found out that I had three blood clots (non occlusive). Left popliteal, right popliteal, and right superficial femoral. I also had sepsis and spent a few days in the hospital being treated with antibiotics and heparin. Went home from the hospital on Eliquis and was told that the pain would start improving once the clots were gone, but it didn't. It kept getting worse. My feet would alternate between being bright red and warm to the touch, or purple and cold. They were swollen and stiff, and burned intensely.
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They thought it might be a cardiac problem, so I saw a cardiologist. Several EKGs, a week long holter monitor, and an echocardiogram were all unremarkable. Saw a hematologist and they tested for clotting disorders (negative). I did find out I was severely anemic though, and I was treat with iron infusions because I can't tolerate iron pills. I also saw 3 more podiatrists, a vascular surgeon who all said they had no idea what was wrong. Saw a different vascular specialist in February 2021 and they did venous and arterial ultrasounds, which showed that the clots I had before were all gone. There were no other problems as far as they could tell, though. They also referred me to a rhematologist (I never got a chance to see the rheum in November because I was hospitalized and things were chaotic after that), and the rheumatologist tested for dozens and dozens of autoimmune conditions, clotting disorders, etc. It all came back negative.
&nbsp;
Then, in April 2021, I saw a pain management doctor and was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type I. They started me on a fairly high dose of gabapentin (600mg 3x/day), which helped a lot. I also started getting sympathetic nerve blocks and saw a lot of improvement. My pain decreased a lot, the swelling went down (not completely, but it was better), and the color improved. After a few nerve blocks, my feet looked normal again! They weren't all red and purple anymore, and the dry skin on my feet that I had been struggling with for months finally went away. I was also able to start walking again and no longer have to use a wheelchair. Unfortunately I had to stop doing the nerve blocks because my insurance won't approve any more. I'm working very hard to maintain the level of activity though, since I don't want to end up needing the wheelchair again.
&nbsp;
Pain management wanted to try radiofrequency ablation, which I did in November 2021. It didn't help at all. This is when pain management started talking about trying a spinal cord stimulator. However, they wanted me to check in with vascular one more time to REALLY make sure nothing is going on before I get a spinal cord stimulator.
&nbsp;
Vascular doesn't think I have complex regional pain syndrome. So they did more ultrasounds (normal), then sent me to get a CT angiogram/venogram. The CT was unremarkable, but the vascular doctor became convinced that the problem is with my veins and wanted to do a venogram. I got the venogram today and the results were... strange? They saw a few spots where the vein looked to be compressed, but when I inhaled, the vein expanded (much more than what's considered normal). So the vein is compressed.. except when I breathe? Because of this, they were unable to place a stent since there's no way it would have stayed in place. I also heard "aneurysm" and "CVST" thrown around a lot when they were doing the venogram, which kind of scares me but they didn't elaborate any further.
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From what I understand, there are quite a few abnormalities but they have no idea why/where these problems came from. They did diagnose me with lymphedema and want me to start exercising more and also get fitted for a Flexitouch device. I'm quite nervous about this because I've tried compression stockings before (even got prescription ones) and they made my pain and swelling significantly worse. Vascular doctor is also going to get in touch with some other surgeons and ask what they think.
&nbsp;
So... does anyone have any idea what might be causing my symptoms, or what could cause the vein problems? Do I really have lymphedema, or is complex regional pain syndrome causing all my problems? Help, I'm completely exhausted and just want to know what's wrong with me.
| 291 |
I’m glad you have a vascular specialist on board- this looks like venous stasis to me. Might be time to check in with a cardiologist too.
| 262 |
AskDocs
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My [22F] mother is an anti-vaxxer who is making me take ivermectin. Is there anything I can do to prevent absorption?
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Age: 22
Sex: F
Height: 157cm
Weight: 59kg
Race: Asian
Duration of complaint: about three hours
Location: MA
Any existing relevant medical issues: N/A
Current medications: N/A
Include a photo if relevant: N/A
I'm a 22 year-old college student with my parents on winter break. My mother is a hardcore anti-vaxxer. She's concerned about the Omicron variant and wants my family to start taking some insane concoction twice per day: human-grade (thank God) ivermectin mixed with ginger and sugar in tea. I am vaccinated and boosted (without her knowledge), but I've got two weeks until I'm back. Is there anything I can do to prevent ivermectin poisoning in that time, assuming I have to drink this stuff? I've read that citrus juice inhibits absorption (see Canga & al, 2008), but fats increase it. Thank you so much for any help!
| 497 |
whats the dose? IVM is pretty useless against covid but it's not a poison, and is fairly safe if dosed reasonably
| 566 |
AskDocs
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Dads on a ventilator
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UPDATE: I wanted to give some extra information that I should've had in the initial post, my dad is obviously obese which doesn't help but he doesn't have any of the other comorbidies people in his condition usually have. No diabetes, no high cholesterol, no hypertension, and no high blood pressure. He does have a very very slightly enlarged heart that he's been aware of for a long time. My dad is not one of those people, who accepted being overweight, he has been battling his whole life to lose it. Finally I wanted to add that No he is not vaccinated, he fell victim to a lot of the misinformation out their and despite my best efforts, I'm only 23, he felt he knew more than I did. Also I am his oldest daughter, he doesn't have any sons. So everything is falling to me. As far as his vitals today, they did slightly improve so I am taking it one day at a time. I am a very realistic person, I know what the most likely outcome is for this but I love him so much that I feel it's worth it to try a little longer. I'm keeping updated with his nurses and doctor and as of right now, he is stable and comfortable so I don't see harm in waiting a little bit.
I don't know why I'm doing this.. maybe I just need some hope. My dad tested positive for COVID 4-5 days after Christmas and 5 days ago was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. My dad is the best person I know, he has impacted so many people tremendously and tonight he was put on a ventilator. The nurse I talked to told me that she's never seen anyone in his condition survive and that it's essentially on my mom and I to decide when to stop trying. He is in a medically induced coma and I'm just so scared. His history is that he is 53 years old, morbidly obese and has been all of my 23 years of life. His doctor said that his blood work is great, no diabetes, no high blood pressure. he was responding well to most of their treatment but unfortunately his pneumonia progressed and now his lungs look completely white on an X-Ray. They still have him on anti-virals, monoclomal antibodies (or however that's spelled) steroids, antibiotics. I just don't want to give up on him but this is so grim. Do I give up hope? Does anybody no someone in a similar situation that survived? Can somebody out there tell me we should wait?
| 487 |
Last year I saw less than 1 in 10 people survive after needing intubation. I didn’t see anyone classified as morbidly obese survive, but that doesn’t mean it never happens, just that it didn’t happen with the couple hundred people I saw with severe and critical covid. In general, you really know within two weeks of intubation. If there is significant weaning and the person is able to be transitioned to a trach (surgery puts a hole in the neck for a ventilator machine to attach there instead of through the mouth) or extubated entirely, then there is hope for recovery. How much recovery and how long it will take is hard to predict. If it has been several weeks and he is still on maximum ventilator settings then the chances of any recovery are almost nonexistent. After that point, covid isn’t actively causing disease as much anymore, but the damage has been done. Lung damage may scar down instead of heal, which makes it impossible to come off a ventilator.
I wholeheartedly agree with the other commentor. You need to have an honest conversation with his doctors about his chances. Ask them to be blunt. Ask them what they would do. Ask for a family meeting so that your entire family hears at the same time. Right now your dad is requiring intensive life support. If you reach a point where his doctors do not believe recovery is in the cards for him, you will need a plan to help him have a peaceful and comfortable transition at the end of his life. Talk to palliative care now to see what they can do to help him and your family.
| 490 |
AskDocs
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3 days ago I woke up and I don't feel like a normal person anymore. (20M)
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3 days ago I woke up from a deep sleep. I was having a dream, and I could feel the physical pain. After awaking I had a weird sleep drunk feeling. I could not remember where I was, who I am, or what was happening. My mind was completely blank and I was thinking irrational thoughts and it was pretty scary. This lasted a hour or two. After then the few days I have not been able to feel normal or function normal. My world looks different and I have a weird head pressure. My mind feels completely blank, and my thoughts are irrational to the point that I feel high. I try to go about my day, but I feel like I can't function and everything requires more effort. I have had depersonalization for several years now and I am currently seeing a neurologist for some other symptoms, but what I feel now feels worse than depersonalization. I avoided talking to some people at a grocery store because I feel like I think slower and mess up more. I don't know what's going on. It's super hard to concentrate.
EDIT: Since I've discussed a lot about my health here's some more info:
I have a multitude of symptoms started from since I was 14;
Muscle twitching, constant dizziness, head pressure, body jolts and head flinches, random pains in different areas of my body, brain fog, mental confusion, sensitivity to light, static in vision, floaters, flashing lights in corner of eyes, headaches in different locations.
I have accepted everything when I was 16 and learned to live with it and forget about it. I ruled it as anxiety, DP, and depression because my mom didn't want to take me to a doctor. Over time I still have had the symptoms, but I only notice it when it gets bad. Some days I'll feel out of it and I won't want to do anything all day, I'll stay in bed and feel like I'm going crazy. I can't even drive without focusing hard. Sometimes I'll go into a grocery store and zone out, or feel "overwhelmed."
I'm trying to get tested for Lymes Diseases and my neurologist wants a follow up MRI to see if any changes have occurred in the 2 tiny spots he's found.
I'm scared it could be MS or something else, but I'm trying not to think about it. My whole family is pretty healthy.
I did go through a lot of trauma and life changes when I was 13-15 and always kept to myself. Maybe this is a result of not looking after mental health. But I'm still not sure that all of this crazy mess can be caused by mental health. I'm trying to be strong and accept whatever it will be. I moved out at 18 so that's when I started seeing doctors, I want to continue my life but I feel like this is such a barricade.
Tests I've done:
Blood exams (clear)
Thyroid Test (clear)
EGG (clear)
EKG (clear)
EMG (clear)
Simple Lymes disease test (clear, I want to do a more advanced one)
MRI (2 small spots were found, awaiting scary follow up)
Hearing test (clear)
Multiple in depth eye exams (clear)
| 519 |
Call your therapist/psychiatrist and ask for an urgent appointment
| 571 |
AskDocs
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[homeless] some days I don't eat more than 3 granola bars. But then next day when I eat a sandwich, I get very nauseous. I've been losing weight. How do I eat?
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I space the granola bars out so i have 1 for breakfast, 1 for lunch, 1 for dinner. I see doctors/nurses rather frequently but none of them have known. I've lost around 20 pounds in the few months of me having these symptoms. It makes it very hard for me to eat.
Weight - 120 ibs
Age - 28
Sex - M
Height - 6 ft
Race - black
Duration of complaint - 2 months
Location (Geographic and on body) - stomach? nausea
Any existing relevant medical issues (if any) - b12 deficient, taking supplements which fixed my levels, and actually reduced the nausea. Levothyroxin
Current medications (if any) - Levothyroxin
| 297 |
Posted in the above thread, but wanted to post again to make sure this could be seen.
As described, I am very concerned at the very least that you are severely malnourished. On top of that, on days that you do eat more you risk potentially serious electrolyte disturbances due to Refeeding Syndome. Resetting your diet at this point isn’t something you should do alone. Please go to the hospital (Emergency Department) and mention your concerning weight loss and poor eating, as well as eating intolerance. As described, it sounds like you should get admitted to reestablish your diet and to make sure there are no other underlying issues. Now is not the time to worry about the costs, you can talk to a social worker after you get an adequate workup started and start feeling better. Best wishes.
| 340 |
AskDocs
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Blood donation clinic informed me that I have an STD, but I've been donating for the last 2 years and haven't been sexually active during that time - what are the odds that it's a false negative?
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**\*\*False positive, sorry**
Also, I have already gotten blood drawn for a second test, so no worries there. I'm just looking for reassurance while I wait for the results.
**Info:** 24F, 120lbs, 5'3", Caucasian, currently taking Camila BC along with Adderall and Lexapro
Hi everyone, I just wanted some input on this. I donated blood last month and my local blood donation clinic set me a follow up letter informing me that during the testing process they found "antibodies to antigens that are specific for *Treponema pallidum*", which apparently indicates that I might have syphilis.
I have been sexually active in the past (unfortunately unprotected at the time), but my last sexual activity of any kind was in late 2019, before COVID. I have donated blood several times since early 2020, at least 2-4 times. Is it possible I've been donating syphilis-infected blood all this time that slipped under the previous tests' radar, or is it more likely that this is a false positive?
The letter included the fact that false positives can be caused by recent vaccination, and I know I got my COVID booster and the flu shot around November.
I've already gotten blood drawn for a second test and obviously I have no plans to engage in sexual activity until I get the results back for that but how worried should I be here? I'm not sure if I'm just in denial.
**EDIT:** Not sure what happened to it but there was a comment asking if I've had symptoms of Lupus or some other autoimmune disease. Interesting question; I'm not really sure. I've had some symptoms in the past that are still unresolved, so I'll list them here in case they're relevant:
* Frequent, urination (sometimes 2-5 times in an hour, or 10-20 times in a day, despite not drinking a ton of water). The urination is not painful, and I am not incontinent. I've been tested for UTIs and come back negative in the past. I did test positive once for *Enterococcus faecalis* back in July 2019, but the issue has persisted even after getting treatment for it. The frequent urination has been going on since before I was sexually active, starting maybe sometime in high school.
* Throughout 2019 I had a recurring issue where [my lips would swell up](https://imgur.com/a/fLH88oV) for seemingly no reason. I also sometimes had itchy bumps on my neck. Neither of them were painful, and the swelling did not affect my breathing in any way. I could not identify what the cause of either one of them was, although I attributed the bumps to irritation from my shower routine at the time. Neither of them have happened since 2020.
* During that same period, I also experienced painful and recurrent chest pains, which were so bad that at one point I had to leave work to go to Urgent Care (they determined that my heart was fine). I concluded that it was heartburn because it would get worse if I tried to lay down. Tums and other heartburn prevention/care medications did not seem to do any good. I do not eat a lot of spicy foods and my diet didn't change during this period so I don't know what would have caused it; I would often get chest pains after eating pancakes, for example. Belching/trying to vomit seemed to alleviate the issue somewhat. The episodes never lasted for more than a couple of hours.
* In early 2020 I got a new job, so I attributed the chest pain, bumps, and lip swelling to stress from the old job (which was stressful, but not as stressful as other periods of my life, so I'm still not sure if this was the answer). I have not experienced chest pain, bumps, or lip swelling in 2020 or 2021.
* In addition, I get headaches and fatigue from time to time but I attribute this to my Adderall and sleep schedule. I've never considered them disruptive enough to see a doctor about but I thought it was worth mentioning.
* My fingers and toes do get cold pretty easily, but I'm pretty short and thin so I don't know if this is relevant.
* I feel like I lose a lot of hair but my hair is also down to my hips so I'm not sure if I'm actually losing a ton of hair or if it's the normal amount of hair and it just looks like a lot because of its length.
* I've never had any notable rashes that I can remember (either for lupus or syphilis).
**UPDATE:** Got a secondary test (RPR) done at MinuteClinic that came back negative! Lady who called with the results had no idea what could have triggered the false positive but I'm going to bring it up with my PCP next time I visit, so I'll keep you updated if anything interesting comes of that. Until then I'm going to assume that either the COVID booster or flu shot is what triggered the false positive.
| 281 |
Presuming the positive test was an RPR, just get a confirmatory test. There are a lot of things that can cause a false positive RPR and it is meant as a screening tool, meaning it wants to catch EVERYONE with syphilis at the cost of some amount of false positives.
| 178 |
AskDocs
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My 11 y/o brother ate 3/4ths of a 200 mg edible and he has covid
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11 y/o male [M]
4’11
120 lbs
Covid Positive
No pre-existing conditions
USA
I’m completely irresponsible I know. I’m just worried sick. About 2-3 hours ago my little brother found a 200mg brownie edible that I did not lock up properly. He had about 3/4ths of it. He tested positive for covid and his quarantine was set to end today. The only covid symptoms he has is a cough.
About 15 mins ago I thought his covid symptoms were getting worse but I saw the brownie wrapper empty. He’s feeling lightheaded and has red eyes and sleepy. I made him puke to get the rest of it out of him before it digested
Should I take him to the ER? Or would he be able to sleep it off. The only reason I’m asking is because I work at the place I’m taking him and I know they’re mandated to report. I’m just afraid CPS will take him. It’s 110% my fault and I’m ready to accept the personal consequences for my irresponsibility but I don’t want my parents in trouble.
EDIT: his pulse is a little elevated, his breathing seems normal. He’s talking ALOT and says he feels no pain.
EDIT: it’s been about 8-10 hours since his ingestion. He’s sleeping right now. I periodically wake him up to see if he’s responsive and give him water. headache is a 2/10 pain. No covid symptoms, cough seems to be gone too. I will continue to stare at his chest to make sure he’s breathing, choke myself in guilt and worry until he’s alright. Thank you all for your help!
UPDATE: he’s completely fine according to him all he’s feeling is boredom which means he’s completely back to normal. We’ve just been talking about what happened and I think this experience was worse for me than him LOL (pretty sure I’ve aged at least a decade). If anything I hope this is a cautionary tale, don’t be an idiot like me, lock your shit up. I thought since I wasn’t a regular user I didn’t need to buy a lock box and keeping it in my bag would be enough :/ If this does happen and you’re in a place where you can survive a CPS report just go to the doctor. The anxiety & uncertainty is not worth it. Lastly, thank you all for your help and suggestions I appreciate all of it!
| 665 |
He’s fine, just high. Eat the rest of the edible and chill
| 1,078 |
AskDocs
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Plz help my 6 year old
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So one day in November about a week after a viral illness my daughter woke up, ate a bagel and came running in to me saying it felt like something was stuck in her throat. We took her to the ER (we were on vacation) where they didn’t find anything. She had this feeling for the whole vacation. when we got home we went straight to the pediatric ER where they did x ray and didn’t see any obstruction. Just a little lung inflammation. She also had developed a dry cough. We got a referral for an ent who looked down her throat to make sure nothing was there with a camera that went through the nose. He reassured me nothing was stuck in her throat and it was probably globus sensation. Put her on famotidine. After about 3 weeks the cough did go away along with the globus however she was clearing her throat constantly. Then last Friday she began to not be able to swallow solids properly. She tries to swallow and some of it always comes back up with every bite. They did a barium swallow study yesterday and everything seemed to be normal and nothing concerning according to the imaging dr. Still have to hear from the ent about it though. So if he finds nothing wrong what do I do? There is clearly an issue as she can’t swallow her food.
HELP US IM BEGGING! I’m so stressed. She does have an appt with GI but it isn’t till February.
| 366 |
Just out of curiosity, was the test a Modified Barium Swallow Study or a Barium Swallow Study (MBSS vs MBS)? An MBSS would have likely had a speech-language pathologist present along with the radiologist. MBSS is used to identify swallowing disorders in the oral, pharyngeal, and upper esophageal phases of swallowing. While it is unlikely for a 6yo to have a swallowing disorder, it's not impossible; the MBSS would be a diagnostic tool to identify it. If the food is "coming back up", sometimes an MBSS will catch that (and will be documented by the SLP and radiologist).
If the MBSS revealed no significant findings, the next move would be a GI consult (which you are already doing). Until then, you want to mitigate any unintentional weight loss. Supplemental shakes are good in the short term, but you can also try softer foods in small amounts.
Best of luck, OP
| 108 |
AskDocs
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[19F] Eating nail polish and craving it.
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I've craved nail polish since I was little. I started painting my nails when I was 8 (with help from my aunt), starting to eat it directly from my nails back then after awhile.
Over the years, i started to actually crave it, slowly becoming a habit. Eating it directly off my nails, drinking it, painting the roof of my mouth with it. (Usually transparent because otherwise it's visible I ate it...and personally I feel extremely ashamed of people seeing me doing it face to face.)
I always had maximum a small spoon of it, but lately I've started consuming it in...bigger quantities. Which usually results in me feeling euphoric, dizzy, feeling sometimes like I need to vomit and having palpitations after awhile (and sometimes my stomach feels like it has a rock inside, but that feeling goes away fast). Sometimes after it I forget what I'm doing, even if my objective is right in front of me.
But I started enjoying the euphoric starte, for which reason I always go back to it even if I'm aware it's not good for me...
And since lately i felt more stress than usually, I kept on needing that euphoric state to actually relax.
Now my questions are:
How does nail polish affect my body?
Why do I crave nail polish, even if I know it's not right?
How can I break this old habit?
Should I go to a doctor for it?
I probably sound insane because of this...but I personally have no idea how I slowly got to this point without thinking from the stat that I shouldn't, but now I can't quite stop. It became a daily habit and a way of getting anxiety off my shoulders.
| 394 |
You need to talk to your doctor and/or a psychiatrist about this immediately. Nail polish contains many toxic chemicals and it sounds like you're consuming large quantities of it. (A spoonful of nail polish is a huge amount). Pica is a disorder where a person feels compelled to eat non-food items. Obviously, it can be dangerous to consume things that are not food. There is help available, please talk to your doctor as soon as possible.
| 796 |
AskDocs
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[27M] I'm 100% positive that covid-19 vaccine cured my allergy to cats, is this really possible?
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Hello!
I've been allergic to cats all my life, for the past 5 years i've had a cat anyway. Every single morning i wake up and need to blow my nose for 2 hours straight until i feel normal. And i need to be very aware of not touching my eyes or nose etc.
That was until i took the first dose, the morning after, i wake up, sore arm but... No allergies? That's strange. Can't be the vaccine right?
Fast forward 4 weeks without allergies, i start to slowly get my allergy back, but much milder than before. Week 5 \~ i take dose #2, and the allergy is once again gone. It's been around 2 months now since dose 2 and still no allergies in sight. I can literally pet my cat and poke myself on the eyeball
I've googled but found nothing, is this possible or an extremely weird coincidence?
Me as a stupid non-doctor can maybe guess that since the vaccine "targets" the immune system, and allergy is an overreaction from the immune system, maybe the vaccine somehow got my immune system realise that cat allergy isn't such a big deal. Just my uneducated theory...
Thoughts appreciated!
**Age, Sex, Height, Weight, Race, Duration of complaint, Location:** Not related, i guess.
**Any existing relevant medical issues:** I'm healthy & normal.
**Current medications:** No, somtimes medicin for grass allergy during summer.
**Include a photo if relevant:** No
| 427 |
>**Include a photo if relevant:** No
I demand cat tax.
| 580 |
AskDocs
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[27F] What are the odds this is breast cancer? Linked pictures are NSFW
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* Age: 27
* Sex: F
* H: 5'5"
* W: 160
* R, E: White, non-Hispanic
**Pictures**
**(EDIT: Please don't send me DMs of any kind -- comments only)**
**(EDIT #2: Removed pictures -- too many harassing DMs and creepy follows. Please, I'm just here for medical advice.)**
* January 2018 - No spots, no dimpling, same size (age 23.5)
* August 2019 - First spot, no dimpling, maybe slightly larger? (age 25)
* January 2022 - Two spots, major dimpling, significant size difference (age 27.5)
**Primary complaint:** I've had a dimple under my right breast for about 18 months, which has gotten deeper over time (noticeable in pictures, looks kinda like if you dropped a ripe peach on the edge of a box). I didn't know [dimpling is a symptom of breast cancer](https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/03/07/woman-shares-photo-of-dimples-on-breast-sign-of-cancer_n_9397962.html) until last week, and then I looked up some other symptoms I had: about 3 years ago, I got what I thought was a pimple in my areola, just under the nipple. (sorry this part is icky --) It has white or bloody discharge periodically; I don't touch it because I don't want to irritate it, and it mostly doesn't hurt, just is a little red (in the pictures, it's hardly noticeable, but it does get inflamed periodically, not aligned with my cycle). It isn't painful and I never really thought anything of it. Then last month, I got another spot, also very close to the nipple, also with discharge, but this one is larger and not as ignorable. I was going to just go to a dermatologist to have it removed, but then when I was reading online, I noticed that the dimpling could be a sign of breast cancer, and the red dots (especially the second one) look not unlike photos of abscesses, so I decided to see a doctor. Also, when I did a self exam, I noticed a large lump (maybe 3-4cm?) deep under my nipple, below the first spot and above where the skin dimples. Also, my right breast (the one with all these symptoms) has gotten larger than my left breast significantly over the past two years; they used to be the same size and the nipples aligned on a horizon line. Now, my right breast is almost a full cup size larger, and my right areola is also larger. I don't have any pain in my breasts, during my period or otherwise, and the lump doesn't hurt. I don't think my lymph nodes are inflamed, because they feel the same in both armpit areas, but I can feel them.
**Medical status:** I tried to make an appointment with my PCP, but the earliest they could see me was the end of March for a telehealth appointment. I didn't want to wait because I was feeling concerned, so I went to urgent care, and the PA said she also felt the lump, and scheduled me for "immediate followup within the next 2 weeks" at the local oncology center. She mentioned that I might want genetic counseling and to have a BRCA test, and then also said some stuff about mastectomies ("some people have preventive ones, others decide to wait" and "they do reconstructive ones now with implants"). I have an ultrasound scheduled at that oncology center for 1/25 (in 10 days). She said "the appointment is with the benign imaging center, but all first imaging is there, they only move patients to oncology for follow-up". Then she said "this isn't a cancer diagnosis, so don't stress. But it is urgent that you see someone" and the oncology center called me within an hour of leaving the PA's office. Side note: the PA is also a volunteer at the cancer center where she referred me, and said she's worked with breast cancer patients before.
**Background:** I took hormonal birth control from age 13-25. I had my first period at age 12. I've been a daily smoker (\~5 cigarettes/day) for 8 years (trying to quit using patches, with intermittent success). I used to drink heavily (3-10 drinks about 5 days/week), now I drink less than 1 drink per week. My mother and my grandmother both had breast fibroids, but never had a biopsy come back positive for cancer. However, my grandmother died two years ago at 76 from some sort of GI/colon cancer. Neither of them have been tested for BRCA 1/2. I've struggled with depression my entire adult life, which also means sometimes I sleep a lot, so I have no idea how I'd know if I was "extra" fatigued. I don't have any other symptoms.
EDIT to add: I'm not, nor have I ever been, pregnant.
**TL;DR:** I know I'll get results back from the ultrasound in just over a week, but... if you were a highly unethical medical professional who placed monetary bets on diagnostic outcomes based solely on some pictures and background from posts on the internet... where would you put your money on this being breast cancer vs. something benign?
| 343 |
You are right in moving forward to have this investigated as soon as possible - the signs are concerning for breast cancer. On the positive side, most (but not all) lumps in women your age are benign. Please let us know the outcome and good luck with it all.
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AskDocs
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Nurse at pediatrician office scolded us for an ER visit. Were we wrong?
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This summer, we were traveling. Our daughter (age 2F), tripped and hit her head. A few hours later, she became lethargic and vomited 8 times in an hour. We were in an extremely rural area, and the only thing nearby was a critical access hospital. Concerned about concussion, we took her there to their emergency department. They confirmed concussion, did a CT scan (since the nearest children's hospital was 8 hours away, they wanted to scan for a bleed rather than watching and waiting), found no bleed and we were out of there in a few hours.
The other day, they finally got around to sending the records to our pediatrician. The nurse that called to follow up gave us a lecture about misuse of emergency services and that we should have called them before taking her to an ER. They were over 1000 miles away?
I don't want to misuse emergency services. I myself am a healthcare professional. But I'm confused on what I should have done. Was this not the right move?
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You did the right move , don’t worry
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AskDocs
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BED SORE EMERGENCY. PLS HELP ME
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Age: 82, Sex: F, 5’1 maybe like 110? White. Bedsores. She is in Macedonia.
For grandma. She had Covid and was hospitalized for it. It left her unable to move. She also has diabetes and takes insulin. And she has mild dementia.
My grandma is in a country that is devastated by Covid. The hospitals are full and not treating the elderly - we tried and they sent her home. They just don’t care. At all.
She was in the hospital earlier this month and now she has severe bed sores. They didn’t even turn her. There is one on her middle back that is long and very red. One above her buttocks that is very big and black in the center. Photo link is at the bottom. It is graphic. I zoomed in to avoid showing her naked body, so that only the sores show.
I don’t want to give up on her. Is there any advice for treating this from home? The hospitals are refusing to take the elderly. I believe she has oral antibiotics to take, but how do we physically take care of these wounds? If anyone knows what to take or what to do, please please please help. I don’t know what to do.
[BED SORE PHOTO](https://imgur.com/a/6wjvRDv)
| 339 |
That's absolutely awful. I'm so sorry that all of this is happening. You will need to keep the wounds clean and dry. They will need bandages. The bandages probably will have to be changed once a day (or more often if they get dirty).
If she is unable to get out of bed, then in order to prevent the sores from getting worse, she will need to be turned from side to side. This moves the pressure from one part of the body to the other. If all of her weight rests in one area for too long, it can become a new pressure injury. This most commonly happens on the back or the backs of the feet. In the hospital here in the US, patients get turned from one side to the other every 2 hours. Nurses use pillows to prop them up on their side.
You should also try to make sure she has a soft bed and that there are no hard objects under her. You should look into getting her to be seen by wound care specialists, if able.
&#x200B;
Here's a little bit of reading that can help give you some guidance:[https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000740.htm](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000740.htm)[https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=uf8077](https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=uf8077)
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AskDocs
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I (18F) think I took too much tylenol
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I (18, F, 5”3, 115 lbs, smoker, no medications, alcohol, or recreational drugs, USA)took about 6,000 mg of tylenol earlier to help a headache. It did nothing, I went to sleep and when I woke up about 30 minutes ago, I started puking. I’m not throwing up anymore but, I feel nauseous. Should I be worried?
edit: throwing up again
edit 2: i can’t go to the er since i don’t have insurance. i called poison control and they said to go but i really can’t afford it.
UPDATE: Currently in the ER. Doctor said my tylenol levels were like 15 and 45+ is fatal. They took a few blood samples and gave me anti nausea in my IV. The doctors said I should be able to go home tonight.
UPDATE 2: I just got home after spending about 3 hours in the emergency room. Since my Tylenol blood level wasn’t too high I didn’t need activated charcoal or anything. They gave me sodium chloride for hydration but other than that, no treatment was necessary. I guess I got lucky.
| 445 |
If poison control said to go to the ER, GO TO THE ER. They are the experts, you need to listen to them.
In the US the ER has to treat you regardless of your ability to pay. They have social workers there that can help get things paid for, or help you figure it all out, but that isn’t important right now, you getting to the ER is.
Acetaminophen overdose isn’t something they just makes you sick for awhile, you organs shut down and once it gets too far there’s nothing they can do and you die an agonizing slow death.
If this goes too long the ambulance will take you and the bill will be thousands of times higher than it would be if you went right now.
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AskDocs
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do i need stitches? will they admit me to the psych ward if i go to the er??
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18f please help i’m so scared does this need stitches or can it heal on its own??? if i just put a bandage on it will it be okay? i know i’ll have a scar but i don’t want to go to the er because i’m terrified of being admitted someone please help[sh tw](https://imgur.com/a/0LaGAfz)
| 329 |
Subcutanous fat show. Stitches are needed
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AskDocs
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Is this a serious infection?
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[https://imgur.com/tew4aDx](https://imgur.com/tew4aDx)
Age: 32
Height: 180cm
Weight: 100kg
Male, Non smoking, no other medical condition
I think it was an insect bite but i am not sure. 2 weeks and it does not seem to be getting better.
Can some one please advise?
| 350 |
You should seek care urgently. It is unclear to me whether this is a bite, a serious infection, a neutrophilic dermatosis....
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AskDocs
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I'm 23 years old and can't live with this pain anymore
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Greetings to the doctors of reddit. Please excuse me as this is my first time asking a question on this platform but I'm seriously desperate for some advice. I am 23f and live in Cape Town South Africa. I'm about 5.5ft tall. 4 years ago I woke up feeling like I was having a heart attack, the left side of my body (from the top of my neck down my arm, all the way down to my toes) felt like a steam roller was crushing me, like a fire was set alight in my body as well as the most painful pins and needles I've ever experienced. Here's the kicker, it's never gone away. I live with this inescapable pain every single day of my life and it just keeps getting worse and worse. This pain is indescribably unbearable and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy. To note, I am a chef by profession, and very used to lifting heavy objects, being on my feet for 16+ hours a day etc. It's not like a pain I've ever had from either pulling a muscle, or anything like a broken bone. My nerves feel like they are burning me from the inside out. It's so debilitating. At times when it flares up in the worst part of the day, I can't drive, move my body around, lift anything, hold anything etc. I can't sleep because the pain will literally wake me up in the night and I won't be able to go back to sleep. There have been countless times where it's gotten so bad I've had to drive myself to the hospital at 3am just to get a morphine drip or a Valium injection. The strongest painkillers don't even touch sides for me. I've been on epilepsy medication to try and stop the nerves from convulsing, Oxycontin, and Tripaline. Nothing. Works. I'll also mention that I've been for a 2 and a half hour MRI only for them to tell me they couldn't find anything wrong. There HAS to be something wrong. I've visited neurologists, physios, chiropractors, I've had acupuncture, and even went with a holistic approach in reiki therapy. No one has an answer for me. I cannot afford to keep going to so many different doctors hoping one of them can tell me what is wrong. I live on my own and pay my own way through life. I am the most dedicated and hard worker, and I love what I do. (Note I work on my own hours so I'm always allowed to rest when I need to) I feel like I complain to my close ones around me and whenever they ask how I'm doing I always have to say I'm okay but I'm really not. This pain is making me miserable and ruining my life. I have an extremely high pain threshold and most of the time I have to grin and bare it but I don't think I can anymore. I'm fearing it's spreading to my right arm too now, as well as my right knee. I'm young, I have more energy than I know what to do with, but I'm sitting here writing this message with so little hope and fear that I'll have to live the rest of my life like this. Another note is that I'm also an extremely anxious person (I'm on medication for it) and unfortunately my anxiety affects my physical body, a significant amount more than my mental - eg nose itching, middle ear throbbing, itching skin, intense headaches, but even when I'm not consciously anxious about something, the pain is ALWAYS there. I also own a portable electronic shock wave machine that Is attached to me throughout the day, as well as a warming bean bag. I sit and cry all the time from this pain all goddamn day. I think I cry more for the fact that it keeps worsening and there's nothing I can do about it. I've had my heart checked, everything is normal. The pain feels like it's going towards my heart too, like I can't inhale or exhale properly. I can't even laugh without it hurting. If I won the lottery I would spend every cent on finding out what is wrong with me. Parsonage Turner Syndrome or Complex regional pain syndrome seem like the closest options but I don't know. One more thing to add, I was in a car accident when I was 18 and suffered from a bad concussion and whiplash, when i got to the hospital I had x rays done and everything was fine. I've heard after effects from an injury like that can occur later in life. I'm at my wits end. If anyone can give me some advice or point me in a better direction I would greatly appreciate it. I'm too young to be suffering like this.
Thank you
| 323 |
The neuropathic pain being on the left side of your body from your neck to your toes plus the car accident with head / neck trauma around a year earlier make it seem like the problem must be in your upper spine or probably spinal cord. Do you have images and/or results (written report) of the MRI that you got? The cause could be picked up in an MRI of the head and neck, or if you're unlucky it's a microscopic problem not amenable to imaging, in which case neurology is your best bet, and probably psychosomatic and psychiatric treatment in addition to co-analgesia so the pain can get more bearable.
What kind of medication exactly has been tried so far? Often you need to go through 2-4 co-analgetics to find one that works good in neuropathic pain cases (e.g. pregabalin, gabapentin, amitriptylin, carbamazepin etc.).
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AskDocs
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Waxing necessary for catheter?
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I \[27F, 5'6, 130, white, no meds/drugs\] have TMJ and double jaw surgery coming up at the end of March. Recently, my orthodontist (who will assist in the surgery along with the OMFS) told me that my pubic area should be "entirely waxed" because I'll have to have a urinary catheter (8 hour surgery). He said he's seen "rusty, gross blades" used for shaving in the hospital and doesn't want them to have to shave me. This made me feel uncomfortable -- I've had a bad experience with waxing before and I'd prefer to just shave myself. I'm checking to see if there's some good reason I should listen to this guy and get a full brazilian. Lol. Any input appreciated.
Edit: Thank you, everyone, for clarifying how weird and inappropriate this situation is. I’m going to share my concerns with my surgeon and hospital team and get their guidance. I’m hoping that this is just my orthodontist being confused and stupid, but I acknowledge and am thinking about the “red flags” too.
| 430 |
That's weird and highly inappropriate. We don't remove any pubic hair before placing a urinary catheter.
| 816 |
AskDocs
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My (39M) infant daughter's eyes glow red in direct light
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I'm finding nothing on Google and it's starting to freak me out. I've never seen it happen in another person.
In certain lighting conditions, my daughter's pupils shine faintly red. It's a little bit like red-eye in photos, but I can see it with my naked eye. It's frequent and predictable, mostly when she's on the ground and I'm standing up, looking down at her, with a light source behind me.
My wife says I'm crazy, and since she's the one who takes the baby to the pediatrician while I'm at work, I've never had a chance to ask a professional about it. She's 10 months old, normal delivery, and the pediatrician says she's completely healthy.
| 251 |
That is normal. It's called the red light reflex and happens when light reflects back from the retina.
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AskDocs
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Swollen penis foreskin [25M],NSFW. (PICS)
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Hello,25M,1.82,79Kg,with no medical condition and not under current medication here,smoking status:around 8 cigs per day,location:my penis uh,for around 2 days.
Recently,I had a sexual intercourse with my partner 24(F),(using condom).I'm uncircumcised and 9 out of 10 times my foreskin covers the tip of my penis.This time happened to be underneath it(have had sexual intercourses like that on the past),kind of locked and not able to go up and down as normal(happens when I'm erected,).Long story short,everything went as they normaly do and my partner wanted to finish me by giving me oral sex,10-15 minutes later she said,there is something going on down there,noticed it and we both stopped completely. This happened on Sunday and 2 days later it hasn't gotten any better,couldn't find the slighest clue online,cannot visit a doctor for the next 2 days,because everyone is trapped by all the snow.
Does anyone has the slighest clue on what is going on with it?It has me worried.
Pics NSFW. [https://imgur.com/a/VN3YHja](https://imgur.com/a/VN3YHja)
EDIT: First of all,thank you all for taking the time with my penis.Thank you kindly for all the suggestions.Spoke with the urologist I was supposed to visit tomorrow,asked me for some photos,told me to get my ass to the ER immediately(duh).Met the urologist,told her what i was told by her colleague previously and that this thing is almost two days old,she panicked told me to get undressed. Then she started short of squeezing these,had a horrific pain and managed to get my foreskin back to its original place.Today kind people of Reddit,you saved a random guy's penis,that guy is grateful to you.Stay safe.
EDIT.2: Sorry to anyone who might got offended by my laptop "joke",lol.
| 480 |
Emergency room now. I think this is severe paraphimosis and may need surgical release to prevent further damage to your penis.
| 768 |
AskDocs
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UPDATE - [27F] What are the odds this is breast cancer?
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I posted [this question](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/comments/s4ysui/27f_what_are_the_odds_this_is_breast_cancer/) a few days ago and some of you wanted me to update when I got my ultrasound results back. Thank you to everyone who offered kind words of support or points of information, and FYVM to those who used it as an opportunity for harassment.
Visit summary:
--------------
Examination is notable for the right breast being slightly larger than the left. She identified the right breast bumps which are consistent with Montgomery glands. With the arms raised over her head, and with pressing down on the hips, there is a visible retraction of the skin of the right lower breast.
Ms. [gradschool] identified the lump at the right 6:00 axis at N + 3 cm, this was marked for US evaluation, on examination, this is consistent with the edge of dense tissue. The site of visible retraction was marked for US as well.
There are no worrisome skin or nipple changes. There is no cervical, periclavicular or axillary adenopathy. There are no discrete or dominant masses.
Right breast US today:
FINDINGS:
Right Breast:
There is no sonographic abnormality at 8:00, 5 to 6 cm from the nipple, corresponding to area marked by clinician and visible skin dimpling/focal pain. However, there is an oval circumscribed mass at 8:00, 3 to 4 cm from nipple measuring 1.3 x 1.1 x 0.6 cm, adjacent to the skin finding.
Impression
Right Breast: Category 4A.
Oval circumscribed mass adjacent to area of skin dimpling is indeterminate.
Recommendation: Right ultrasound guided core biopsy at this time.
Results were discussed with the patient and a written summary was provided at the time of the study. A biopsy is recommended and has been scheduled. Critical results were communicated and documented using the Alert Notification of Critical Radiology Results (ANCR) system.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT -- BI-RADS 4A SUSPICIOUS
Biopsy is scheduled 1/31/22.
We reviewed the technique for core biopsy and possible risks of bleeding and infection by telephone. We discussed the possible results. We reviewed that surgical evaluation might be required if certain atypical findings are found, or should a breast cancer be diagnosed.
I will contact her by telephone when results are available, and further recommendations will be made pending the results.
-------------
Hoping that pathology has good news from the biopsy 🤞 Statistically speaking, it's probably fine, but... Glad I went to the doctor because the radiologist says it's definitely something to look at. Kinda scary seeing that big black spot on the screen, not gonna lie. Anyway I don't have a new question, just wanted to update you guys
| 359 |
Hey good job being seen! Early detection on your part was amazing. Well done my friend.
Lots of docs don’t recommend self exams anymore because of USPSTF data sayings they’re not particularly reliable, but every single breast surgeon I’ve worked with (I think 5 now?) says women are really good at it.
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AskDocs
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What are the chances of my doctor being wrong?
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Age: 2 weeks
Gender: male
Diagnosis: suspected sagittal craniosynostosis (sorry if spelled wrong)
So gave birth 2 weeks ago. Took baby in for a cold that he caught from his older brother. My doctor felt the sutures on his head and suspects that the back of his head may have closed prematurely. I had a csection if that matters. Once baby is healthy I need to take him for a CT scan. Anyway I was doing super well postpartum (I had ppd with my first) and now I’m losing my mind and can’t stop crying about this. I’m also afraid I’m going to develop ppd again cause of this. Should I just take him for the CT now?
I’ll post a link to a photo. Top 2 photos was taken today. Bottom two at birth.
Link: -removed-
Edit:
Just want to say thank you to everyone who responded. I feel a lot better today, and more positive regarding his possible diagnosis. I’ll wait for him to get healthy and then take him for a CT scan and take it from there. I’ll be keeping this thread up so whenever I’m feeling panicked I’ll just come read everything again.
I will be removing the link as I don’t like having pictures of my kids on social media.
| 251 |
Hi OP, I’m pediatrics but not NICU or neurosurgery so take what I say with a grain of salt. Unfortunately it’s not possible for any of us to say without imaging what’s exactly going on. What I will say, is we like to do “better safe than sorry”. So your pediatrician is doing the exact right thing by doing an exam and referring you for imaging.
If your baby has craniosynostosis that means that part of the skull fused early and will need to be cut so his head and brain have room to grow. It has nothing to do with your pregnancy or delivery, it’s just random chance. Its not emergent because his brain isn’t going to grow significantly in the next couple of weeks so it’s totally fine to wait until he’s feeling better. Sometimes if the CT doesn’t have enough information, the doctor will recommend an MRI as well so be prepared that can happen.
What’s important to keep in mind is that your baby is totally healthy. Whether or not he has synostosis, he is not hurting, he isn’t having any negative impact on his brain, and he is not being harmed for right now. He may need surgery in the future but it’s to protect him in the future, not because he has any problems right now.
I wish you all good things
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AskDocs
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Feel like I died after traumatic event.
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35/F, 115 lbs, 5’ 3”. Migraine with aura and anxiety. I’m on bupropion 150 mg.
I think this is a psychological issue, and I am very embarrassed to talk about it with anyone. When I was a teenager, I fell into an open “manhole” and escaped only by grabbing weeds before I fell all the way in, and a friend pulled me out. I call it a manhole but honestly I don’t know what it was exactly. We were walking at night in a new neighborhood development, and it was an open hole. My feet up to my knees were dangling in thick muddy water. My feet did not touch solid ground so I assume I would have drowned in it. I never told anyone in fear of getting in trouble.
Just typing this out makes me panic, and my brain actively tries to block out the memory. Lately, I have been reminded of it again and again, and I’m starting to think I died that night (I am aware that this sounds insane). I hate thinking about it, but I can’t seem to shake it lately. I know therapy is likely the answer, but I feel frozen and stuck when I try to think about this.
Any suggestions are appreciated. I feel like I’m going crazy over something so trivial.
Edit: Thank you everyone for your suggestions and support. I just emailed a therapist who deals with PTSD.
| 518 |
Sounds like you have PTSD. You need to talk to a therapist to help you process what happened and develop coping skills to manage the anxiety
| 522 |
AskDocs
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Staggered overdose of ibuprofen
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Hi guys, I’m writing on behalf of my best friend, he’s 17, 5’11 - 6’0, not sure of weight but under 170 pounds.
So, about a month ago he took around 15,000mg of ibuprofen (not sure of the amount but definitely above 10,000mg), then he took an overdose once more but under 10,000mg, and yesterday night he took 8,000mg again, he is saying he’s going to do it again tonight and I’m trying to convince him not to, he says he take them because he feels happy once he takes them, i don’t know exactly what he mean by that, but anyway, I tried forcing him to go to the ER but he keeps pushing and punching me away and ignoring me.
He also woke up today hot, and his urine was burning, please I need to help him because he wants to do it again tonight.
What will happen to him cause I’m really worried for him.
| 297 |
You need to let his parents know he has been overdosing. You cannot force him to anything, but his parents can. He needs professional help.
| 408 |
AskDocs
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Havent been able to orgasm since having covid
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28, female, nonsmoker, 180lbs, 5’7.
Current meds: vyvanse, wellbutrin, birth control
Temporarily: mucinex highest dose
This is not a joke, serious answers only please.
I tested positive for covid about 3ish weeks ago, and have not been able to orgasm since my first day of symptoms. Normally i masturbate daily.
Now when I masturbate or have sex, I’m not feeling much. With my vibrator I can force it a little more, but now after several mins it just goes numb. Normally if i miss even two or three days, I’m extra sensitive. Not anymore, and I don’t really feel my sex drive kicking in at all. I also have pain in my neck while i am tensing up during masturbation, and i am so achey after trying now without the release. Someone help, this SUCKS.
| 285 |
It may take awhile to recover. This is known to happen with covid
| 261 |
AskDocs
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Advice needed for toddler (7f) with a visible moustache
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My daughter, aged 7, has a visible moustache, and while she has a little excess hair on her back, the moustache is the one that concerns me. I really don't have an issue with it (still looks adorable!), but I am worried about her getting teased about it at school, and this may put her off the schooling experience.
What can I do to manage this -
1. Should I get her tested for hormonal imbalance? My wife has PCOS, could this be a cause of it?
2. Should I try to get rid of it (e.g. shaving, laser treatment)? I want her to grow up and make those decisions by herself, but I am afraid she may get bullied by then. I have been bullied for some other unrelated issues at school when I was young, and in those times mental health was not a topic of focus, so I have not really recovered, to be honest.
3. Try to mentally reinforce her against potential bullying?
Any advice will be much appreciated, thanks.
Edit: Here are a couple of pictures for context - [https://imgur.com/a/nv1x4jn](https://imgur.com/a/nv1x4jn)
| 332 |
First question is does this represent some underlying hormonal problem. I would have her seen by the pediatrician. If she is growing along her expected parameters, does not have armpit or pubic hair, and had not had early periods I would say it is most likely normal and does not represent a hormonal problem. If any of those other things were present than I would get blood work and potentially a x-ray of her hand (shows "bone age" or how mature her skeleton is in comparison to her actual calendar age).
It is not going to be PCOS at her age.
To shave or not to shave, or otherwise remove. Well that is a more tricky question. Somewhere there is a balance between body acceptance and realism about kids being mean to each other. I would probably shave or wax it to avoid social stigma but that is my personal opinion and not necessarily medical advice.
| 548 |
AskDocs
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I’ve [23F] been experiencing extreme cognitive decline to the point of forgetting the names of common objects. Could this be a sign of something dangerous?
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##TLDR AT THE END
Height: 5’9
Weight: 125-130 ish
Existing medical conditions: major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, and ADHD.
Medications: Adderall (15mg), Remeron (15mg), and propranolol (10mg) as-needed for anxiety.
Substances: a few drinks a week and weed for sleep.
I would like to preface by saying: I know the most probable culprit appears to be my depression. However, I have had depression for 7 years. This brain fog isn’t comparable to anything I’ve felt in the past.
#A brief summary of my disposition before January of 2021:
~~(I feel like I sound disgustingly cocky here, but I just want to emphasize the stark difference between this and what I’ve become)~~
I was a go-getter, in every sense of the word. I was also very bright. By the time I was 19, I was attending a prestigious university and had already published scientific research in my field. I thought that nothing could ever stand in my way. I was quick-witted with a broad vocabulary, and I loved engaging in discourse with others. I didn’t let a single day be filled with inaction or the mundane. I made sure to read, program, research, write, and learn about new subjects every day. I was filled to the brim with passion, grit, and drive. Though I experienced frequent bouts of depression which were debilitating, I let my pain drive me to succeed.
#A brief summary of what’s become of me since then:
I feel mentally paralyzed. I don’t even feel like I’m real because there is so little activity occurring in my brain. I haven’t learned anything in a year, because I’m unable to grasp the simplest of new content. Reading hurts my head. I blankly stare at programming problems I have solved before. I lay in bed all day like a vegetable. It takes me substantially longer to read, and to comprehend what I have read. I was once a very strong writer—now, this post is taking me abnormally long to articulate. I had to drop out of college because my brain is so numb.
I frequently forget common words whilst speaking; I find that I am forgetting a multitude of things. Some examples:
-I forget common words now often, which has never happened to me before. It’s not just forgetting larger synonyms, it’s things like: “plaid,” “cash register,” “remote,” etc. I also have forgotten how to spell certain things.
-I once knew every conceivable book by, and fun fact about, Charles Dickens. He’s my favorite author. I forgot the names of the main characters in my favorite book of his. This happens with other things I knew a lot about.
-I’ll forget conversations that occurred only days prior. Conversations are so hard, now, in general. I could once debate and discuss with others with ease and conviction, and now I find it mentally difficult to simply string together sentences.
-I’ve started a new engineering position and am tackling an issue I’ve definitely solved before. It looks like Chinese to me. I just can’t implement any critical thought to issues anymore.
-I have forgotten how to follow simple directions
It’s worth noting that I had Covid in March of 2021. I’ve heard of “covid brain,” but the research I’ve seen into it is vague.
I’ve lost my personality, my passion, my spark, and my cognitive abilities. What’s going on with my brain? :(
##TLDR: I went from being intelligent and ambitious to forgetting simple words and phrases, how to do my job, and how to comprehend basic instructions and dialogue. Though I have depression, this is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.
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So you have MDD; that is already established. However, what you describe sounds like dysthymia (persistent depressive disorder). You would need to see a psychiatrist and a psychologist for treatment. This is treatable, but you have to put in the work.
There is a saying when it comes to the brain: use it or lose it. Think of the brain like a muscle (analogy). When you don't use it, your way of thinking becomes impaired like a muscle that atrophies when you do not use it. What you describe sounds like traits related to dysthymia (staying in bed all day, cognitive decline, etc.)
You should also see your PCP/GP for a physical where they can perform an exam and run some labs. They can also refer you to a psychiatrist.
I see that you are already taking Remeron; however, the dosage may need to be adjusted. Likewise, you may need to switch to another medication if the drug never helped your depression symptoms in the first place.
I hope you take my advice because your case is treatable by utilizing both a psychiatrist for medication management and a therapist for behavioral therapy. I could be wrong about the dysthymia, but you still need to see both types of specialists to treat this.
I hope this helps!
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Recovered from covid, but now I can smell? I lost most of the ability to smell correctly when I was young. 27f smokes weight na
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When I was young I had alot of trauma to my nose and I always thought I must have messed it up from accentlly bashing my nose agenst a hard object. Since age 4, I could only smell extremely strong orders.After recovering from covid, I had 2 medium nose bleeds, and now I can smell very well. Will it go away again it's very overwhelming.
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Nerves that provides smell -olfactory nerves and receptors in olfactory epithelium - are one of the few mature neurons in the body that can actually regenerate itself.
Traumatic processes and colonisation of covid during your disease may have activated the regeneration process
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Tons of things wrong with my baby [11 week M] and no diagnosis HELP!
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https://imgur.com/a/jyU3YII
My baby has been in the hospital for a week and they just keep finding more stuff wrong with him. Pretty sure I just had a nervous breakdown because there is no solution or plan and I just want to figure out what’s wrong.
TL;DR: heart murmur, pulmonary hypertension, PDA, ASD, kidney dilation, dysphagia/ aspirating every gulp. Also inguinal hernia, two vessel cord, polyhydraminos, ear pits (mundane and probably unrelated)
I am 26F and during the pregnancy we found a 2 vessel cord, left kidney and ureter dilation at 36 week growth scan, and polyhydraminos. He was induced at 39 weeks, was 7 lbs 5 oz at birth. He never was able to latch and showed disinterest in the breast. He seemed to do well on the bottle. His kidneys looked normal at 1 month old.
My list of concerns grew by his 2 month appointment. Developmental delay (not smiling yet), low weight, “scream-coughing” after feeds, always sounded congested. I was dismissed but one day long story short he wasn’t eating and had a bulge in his groin and we went to the Er, discovered he had an inguinal hernia, it popped back in and he ate and we scheduled surgery for another day.
At his 2 month appointment he was only 8 lbs 13 oz, <1 percentile. Big concern before surgery. I upped his formula for 22 cals and he was all smiles and eye contact so I was really sure he was improving. He was watched over a week and only gained 2 oz. Then they found a heart murmur.
We were sent to childrens hospital. ECG revealed small ASDs, a large PDA with bilateral flow, and pulmonary hypertension. Normal heart structure. A CT scan showed normal lungs but they are uniformly hazy. Kidneys are dilated again, this time both of them instead of just the left. They also noticed he had an undecended testicle but it seems to go up and down. Worst of all, they did a swallow study and found he is aspirating with every single gulp. His tongue, uvula, and throat muscles don’t seem to be doing the right job. He is also sucking poorly which explains breastfeeding failing. They don’t know if it’s a genetic or neurological thing.
That puts the list of problems at
- pulmonary hypertension
- large PDA
- small ASDs
- heart murmur
- kidney and ureter dilation
- dysphagia / aspiration
- inguinal hernia
I was feeling hopeful when we only knew about the heart issues because there was a plan. He responds immediately to oxygen so they are putting him on sildenafil. His heart is already doing much better on that and a diuretic. But when we learned about the feeding and aspiration problems I just broke. They don’t have answers. it’s going to take 4-6 weeks for the genetic testing to come back.
I am very certain this is a genetic thing, based on how many things are wrong. I know this is above reddit’s pay grade but if anyone has an inkling of a suspicion of what this could be I want to know. Please look at pictures of my baby as well. He looks a little strange but nothing that stands out. He just doesn’t look like me or my husband very obviously, has a broad nasal bridge, ear pits, and distinctive eyes.
Any help would be appreciated. This is the worst week of my life.
EDIT: it’s KAT6A syndrome
| 454 |
Wow, this is a lot to hit you all at once. I'm so sorry. Obviously, I'm going by what you have listed here, but I don't know all the subtle details of his particular case, so this is somewhat generalized - Be sure to confirm everything with the people taking care of your baby.
First off, is he in the NICU or PICU - that affects how they think about the constellation a little bit sometimes - so if he's in the PICU, the things I worry about might have already been ruled out or they weren't considered because they don't think of new diagnosis congenital always.
I'll talk about some of the findings to start with: The pulmonary hypertension (PHTN) is most likely secondary to the large PDA that has been shunting extra blood to his lungs for his entire life most likely. That puts extra fluid and flow in his lungs, which causes PHTN to develop because of the lungs trying to compensate for all these things happening.
*Most likely* the PHTN is reversible. If it is secondary to his heart (kinda) defect, and/or the aspiration of fluids, once you address those, the PHTN will reverse, because the conditions that caused it in the first place are better!
There is a chance that it is a primary PHTN, which would have been a congenital malformation in the lungs/vascular system around the lungs. But with the ECHO findings and the overall mildness of it, I would place money that it is a secondary hypertension.
Have you only had a swallow study? I would see if they considered an H-type tracheoesophageal fistula, which can be difficult to diagnose and is found in these symptom constellations and a swallow study alone would not be able to see it necessarily - he would need a contrast esophogram.
Has he been seen by Ophthalmology? In his pictures, it's difficult to tell, but his R eye might have a very minor defect called a coloboma. You can also have no visible colobomas and it only be visible in an exam on the optic nerve.
I'm not sure what's going on with the kidneys. I lean towards a reflux because of the variable dilation, but that's just a lean.
When you have a lot of things happening in one baby, of course they consider genetic syndromes. And his genes may show something, but they may not. Kids with VACTERL (a constellation of symptoms often seen together) do not have any genetic differences that we've been able to find. And sometimes we simply haven't discovered the syndrome yet.
But in the end, with the exception of being able to anticipate issues somewhat (which has benefits and drawbacks itself) all the genetic tests won't tell you how to treat the symptoms and issues an individual child automatically. Syndrome or not, we still have to support the baby in everything it needs to do.
They also might potentially do something called a "skeletal survey", to see if there are minor malformations in bones that might have not been apparent, because sometimes it goes along with these sorts of syndromes.
Most likely they will do an MRI of his head to look for any abnormalities in his brain. Often there are none, it's just part of the whole workup for genetic issues.
I am concerned about it being something genetic as, based on his findings and his physical appearance that I can see from the pictures: his ears are potentially low-set (harder to tell because of the angle), his nasal bridge is a little flatter and wider than we would expect in a baby his age (babies really do look similar!), the pre-auricular (ear) pits, and I would really like to feel his sutures.
Again, the only treatment for many genetic syndromes is supportive. So, if there's a fistula, close it. Treat the lung and heart issues. Give him all the physical/occupational therapy you would for any baby having those issues, for whatever reason.
If there's not a fistula and it is that he is truly aspirating everything he eats, they will have to talk about putting in a feeding tube, so he can eat safely until his development is able to handle it. If it is so bad that he is even aspirating his own spit, that's much more concerning. There are some interventions you can do to try and minimize that, but if it continues to be an issue, you would have to talk about protecting his airway with a tracheostomy. I don't think that is likely at all, but when we have to think about serious aspiration, it has to at least be considered.
The PDA can be attempted to be fixed in two ways, with medication and surgery. While the surgery sounds scarier, I would lean towards that in his case, because of his age and that there is PHTN. The surgery can be done either in the cath lab or OR (even at the patient bedside in the NICU). In the OR procedure, it's not open heart. It's a small cut on the side of his chest. Both of them use something to clamp off the flow of the PDA. The medication can use several potential medications to try to convince the PDA to close itself, but IMO, the risks outweigh the benefits at this age. Just ask about the risks and benefits if they want to do medication. (and obviously with surgery too LOL)
The kidneys will really depend on what the final diagnosis is. Sometimes surgery is needed, sometimes not. Sometimes prophylactic antibiotics are needed, sometimes not. Hard to tell.
The sildenafil, diuretic and oxygen will likely come off once his PHTN resolves.
Has genetics actually come to see him, they are great at knowing how all the syndromes "look". He doesn't fit a typical CHARGE or VACTERL picture (two of the more common ones we see)
Sooooo.....this got really long and I likely went overboard. Sorry about that. LOL If you have any questions, happy to answer
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Is it normal to touch a woman's clitoris prior to a cervical examination?
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When I was pregnant, my doctor used to briefly touch my clitoris before doing a cervical examination. It was just momentarily, but I wondered if he was doing it to provide pleasure before an uncomfortable experience. My friend who had the same OB had a similar experience. Is this normal?
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Very not normal. In medical school we are given explicit instructions NOT TO DO THAT. I’m sorry I don’t want to freak you out, but something very not ok seems to be happening. How old is the ob and what country are you living in? And how long does the clitoral touching happen? I remember once accidentally brushing that area when I was a medical student doing a speculum exam and I felt bad/awkward about it for days. Even in the male GU exam you have to touch the penis in a very special way as to not stimulate or give any extra sensation. Something’s off here.
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Covid briefly gave me my voice back, what can I do to keep it?
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Age 27
Sex M
Height 175cm
Weight 75kg
So 5 years ago I had what I believe they called vocal cord hemorrhage due to a surgery gone wrong and since that I've had no voice, it's like I whisper when i talk. Last week I had Covid and for 2 days my voice was fully back, I think it had something to do with my throat being swollen.
Any ideas what happened and if i can do anything to help get my voice back? I had accepted it was gone but this gave me some hope
| 551 |
I haven't had my ENT (ear nose throat) course yet, so I can't come with any specific recommendations.
But I suggest that you start documenting things a lot. Record your voice and keep a diary about how you're feeling, if you have any symptoms, if the voice gets better/worse. Take photos of your mouth and throat. Basically as much documentation as possible.
Why? This sounds like a rare and special case. If the doctors thought that it was impossible to treat you before, now you need to gather as much clues as to what made you better. The doctors *might* be able to use it to find a possible therapy.
Again - I'm just a med student who haven't studied ENT yet. But I know that I've met patients with weird symptoms where a very detailed history helped find the solution.
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My 6 year old mentally "Freezes Up/Gets Stuck" several times per day
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Hello,
My kid over the past few years has done this thing, several times per day, where in the middle of a conversation or activity (seemingly randomly) just freezes up-
Face looks calm, blank stare, looking off into the distance. You can talk to him or shake him or say to snap out of it or ask questions and he just doesn't respond or change expression.
Kids do strange things but the fact that this happens so often and so consistently is really starting to worry us.
Someone please give me an honest opinion of what this might be.
edit: oh wow, thanks to /u/BVO120 suggestion below, after checking the symptoms i can pretty much confirm its an absence seizure because of this specific symptom "Smacking the lips or making a chewing motion with the mouth"
| 469 |
Not a neurologist.
Those could be seizures. He needs to see his primary care doctor.
| 560 |
AskDocs
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9 yr old boy, broken clavicle, ER Dr. said ortho consult was “pointless because the bone doesn’t do much anyway”
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Hello! My 9yo white Canadian son with suspected celiac disease fractured his collarbone on Saturday (3 days ago).
A 250lb weight rack fell on him. The first point of contact was directly across the collarbone. He was trapped under the rack but the weights on the side gave him enough room to escape.
X-ray shows it has fully separated. His posture since the accident is so poor. When I put him in front of the mirror he can’t figure out how to straighten out. The ER dr we saw said “slings are pointless and an orthopaedic consult would be a waste of time”. When I expressed my concern about deformity she said “Meh the bone doesn’t do much anyway”. She then tried to force him into proper posture -and failed- then sent us on our way.
The whole thing felt so bizarre and I thought taking into account how he was injured that there would be concern about surrounding tissues.
Am I over thinking this? Should I find an orthopaedic for a consult or should I just let it go?
Also should I be concerned because the bone is pushed inwards from the force or will it eventually come back to the surface?
[X-ray](https://imgur.com/a/lL1yGEQ)
[posture](https://imgur.com/a/St5f6dB)
| 381 |
Orthopedic Surgeon here. What they told you is, in a way, correct, though they had a more-or-less terrible way of communicating it.
&#x200B;
Clavicle fracture in 9 year olds \[almost\] never need surgery or any aggressive bracing/strapping etc. A simple sling for comfort for a week or two is used. When it stops hurting in a short while, nothing else is needed. An orthopedic followup appointment would help to determine when enough healing has occurred to allow child to return to sports etc. Typically 6 weeks.
&#x200B;
Yes, even though it is very displaced and there are fragments etc. It does not matter in this age group. It will heal. And it will do just fine. The fracture will not be "reduced" or "re-aligned" or "re-set" because that is 1) really uncomfortable for the child, and 2) completely pointless, as it wouldn't stay where you put it unless you put in some form of internal fixation, which is 3) unnecessary since it heals just fine without that.
&#x200B;
So... no, your child does not need surgery. Nor any bracing or anything, as long as that posture is related to pain only, and is temporary, and is not actually something like scoliosis (which would have been present for longer and wouldn't go away after).
&#x200B;
But yes, the doctor did not communicate well. Both can be true. The bone doesn't do anything??? LOL. The clavicle is the strut that helps suspend the entire arm. If that's not important, what is??? The silly thumpy-thump or floppy pink breathy-bois in the chest? C'mon now.
&#x200B;
Orthopedic consultation is not "urgently" needed. Followup in an office in a week or so is fine. The doctor was probably annoyed that you were advocating for something you thought might be appropriate (but in actuality was truly not needed). That should not annoy the doctor. Even if it does, they should not communicate this poorly with you just because they're annoyed by you advocating for a child. They should explain to you properly that it is unnecessary because the bone will heal perfectly fine without that.
| 684 |
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17F. Gave birth a 4 days ago via C section. Boyfriend said we need to start having sex again now. Is it fine since my vagina wasn’t involved?
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(Asked something similar earlier, but accidentally got removed before I saw responses) He says I can just lay there and he’ll do all the work, slowly, to avoid pain or I could take pain killers. And he won’t be going too deep so he won’t hit my cervix or anything.
EDIT: BTW I’m logged into my friend’s account, so if the profile history doesn’t add up then it’s not something I posted
EDIT: I moved back in with my parents. Me and the baby are doing fine. And I didn’t have sex!
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No it is NOT fine. Having intercourse before 6 weeks post surgery is dangerous. The issue is not your vagina but your uterus. It has a large, raw area from where the placenta was, as well as a wound where they had to cut open to get to your baby. Having sex too early risks introducing an infection into these raw areas. A severe uterine infection may affect your future fertility. You and your bf are strongly advised to refrain from sexual intercourse until six weeks after the surgery.
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17f Nsfw question
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I dont know where to go for this but yesterday my boyfriend and I had sex, he used a condom but it broke and he ended up ejaculating inside me. What can I do to keep from getting pregnant from this? I am still in highschool graduating this year and cannot care for a child. I am on birth control but sometimes i forget pills however the last 3 weeks I've been doing pretty good remembering to take them and I bought a plan B pill that will arrive on friday. What can I do about this that wont involve my parents finding out I had sex?
| 307 |
Also OP consider setting an alarm on your phone so that you can take your normal birth control regularly in the future.
| 609 |
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Did I [25m] make a mistake sending my partner [23f] to a chiropractor?
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I feel like I might've made a huge mistake. My partner had always suffered from stiffness/pain in her back/ribs which was manageable, until two months ago when it started to become severe enough that it was difficult to sit for long periods of time and fall asleep.
She was screened in school for scoleosis as a child and was told she did present with it, unfortunately neither her or her family had the means to pursue treatment until now. The only visible sign of this is an unevenness in the ribs.
Once she told me how bad it was getting I told her to make an appointment with a chiropractor. I had always thought that this is the kind of thing chiropractors fix, but the more I've read into it the whole practice sounds like snake-oil-fad gibberish.
More perplexingly, her pain all but disappeared after the first appointment, and she was told the cause was a misalignment of her hips as a result of her mild scoleosis. however she experienced pretty serious dizziness/lightheartedness the following night, which has me panicked about injury to the vertebral arteries. However, she was experiencing anxiety with a history of panic disorder at the same time, culimnating in a full blown panic attack, making the dizziness hard to distinguish. This all occured within the last 72 hours.
Have I put her in danger by misrepresenting these practitioners? Should we give it more time since it's been more or less effective? Is she already at risk of injury (I don't buy any of that "it's toxin release" b.s.)?
I'm absolutely torn up about not doing this research before hand and I'd really appreciate any perspective y'all can give.
Age: 23
Sex: F
Height: approx. 5'5"
Weight: 120 lbs
Any existing relevant medical issues: Scoleosis, Back/Hip/Rib Pain, Anxiety/Panic Disorder
Current medications: None
| 322 |
It would be better if she went to physical therapy than a chiropractor. Usually scoliosis doesn't need surgical treatment but patients can benefit from strengthening muscles to help with pain and PT is great for this. I personally would never go to a chiropractor but that is my preference. Also I would never let one near my neck.
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AskDocs
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Did medical staff mess up and kill my dad? He went in for surgery, around 15 hours after the operation coded and passed away. When I talked to the surgeon, he indicated the coroner would give us the final answer, but then signed off on "no autopsy" without telling me. Then lost the body for days.
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I'm not sure what details are most important here, so I'll try to sum things up clearly. I need to determine if I should pay for a private autopsy, the problem is money is tight. However, if it's likely someone messed up, I want to take action. This hospital has something of a reputation when it comes to problems with infections, and previously they messed up on a friend of mine, their mistake nearly led to the amputation of her arm. Luckily that time they caught their mistake, and the $250,000 medical bill wasn't placed on my friend.
Male
66
5'10"
215 lb
had been on 5mg oxycontin for a bruised rib, took something like 30mg total a day
Rough timeline:
* Day 1 he went to the ER for an infected toe. They referred him to another ER because the infection had spread to the bone and they needed to amputate. His GP said he had no diabetes. He may have had a case of bronchitis.
* Day 2 he's dealing with bad conditions at the hospital where his surgery will take place due to overcrowding in the non-covid section of the hospital while they give him antibiotics prior to surgery.
* Day 3 surgery takes place, surgeon reports everything went quickly and smoothly. Dad texts me after, saying everything went well. I talked with him and he sounded tired, but didn't seem out of the ordinary post-op.
* ~14 hours later, a nurse says he was talking with my dad, he was joking with the nurse and the nurse "got his pain level down" and continued his rounds. An hour after this, my dad starts to gasp for breath, starts coding and they move him to the cardiology section where he passed.
Some possible weirdness:
The surgeon led me to believe there would be an autopsy, though he never directly stated there would be one, as he said my dad was relatively young and the surgeon didn't know what could have gone wrong. However, the surgeon had either already signed off on no-autopsy or did shortly thereafter. Going back to our conversation, the surgeon never said "there will be an autopsy" he just said "the coroner will have to tell us what happened" or something along those lines.
I waited for a couple of days to hear back the results, but the hospital then lost my dad and the stuff he had brought in with him, they lost him for something like 4 or 5 days, with us calling every day after the 2nd day after his passing trying to find him and his phone so we could get his contacts and notify people. We still don't have his phone, so we haven't been able to notify all of his friends as the majority of their contact info is in his phone and we don't have it yet.
| 647 |
First off, let me say I am very sorry for your loss.
All the following assumes you live in the US:
I believe the specifics varies by state/county, but any unexpected death (with or without surgery) is by default a coroner's case. This means, someone at the hospital (doctor or nurse) is legally obligated to call the county coroner and report the death. The coroner has the discretion to order an autopsy, i.e. say yes or no they believe one should be done. In this situation, I would think they definitely would, and the body would be transferred to the coroner's office to do it. Even if the coroner says no, they don't require one, the attending doc of the patient can request an autopsy (to be done by the hospital.)
I guess in your shoes I would do the following:
Contact the surgeon and ask if the case was reported to the coroner. If not, why not. If they did call, what did they say about an autopsy.
Then ask how you go about arranging a private autopsy. The surgeon might not know, but should be able to get you in contact with people in the hospital who can help you find out.
Any respectable surgeon would want to know what happened just as much as you do. If you find him being evasive on the subject or refusing to return your calls, contact the hospital administration. Admins know medical legal risk and this is absolutely a red flag in that regard.
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AskDocs
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Started convulsing after being choked during sex, concern for long term impacts?
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F22, white, 5’4, 160 lbs, generalized anxiety disorder, ADHD, undiagnosed chronic pain, on vyvanse 60mg, trintillex 20mg, and a few supplements
This is a bit TMI so I apologize. Last night my boyfriend and I were in a hot tub in a cabin and were fooling around. He was choking me he said as hard as he could (consensual, he knows I love being choked) and suddenly I started convulsing with my eyes in the back of my head for about 10-15 seconds. He said he was trying to wake me up and was then reaching for his phone to call 911 when I woke up. I woke up and was just confused, I thought I had passed out from being drunk or something (I wasn’t THAT drunk though) and he looked absolutely terrified. I thought I was asleep for like an hour, I’m pretty sure I had a dream too. Afterwards we stayed in the hot tub for a bit to calm down and just chill after what had happened and I started feeling really panicky and over heated so I got out. When I got inside I just felt really strange and off, he told me I was being REALLY weird. When I got in bed he said my eyes kept going back in a way when I was falling asleep and he was super freaked out. Obviously I ended up falling asleep and woke up alive, lol.
Are there any long term effects I should be worried about? Obviously we decided no choking EVER again lol. This may be dumb, but could I develop epilepsy or some type of brain damage?
| 426 |
Eyo!
So, hot tub widens your blood vessels slowing blood flow, choking cuts off blood supply, the med combo could I guess contribute but not too much. Basically lower blood flow means less oxygen in the brain and that can lead to a temporary seizure, and although a seizure can increase the chances of developing future seizures, you’re prob alright.
Never one to kink shame, just don’t get choked in a hot tub when you get your freak on, and power to you both! But don’t squeeze both sides of the neck, for safety’s sake.
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AskDocs
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Any OBGYN HERE? Something came out of me and I'm worried. NSFW PICTURE
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39 F White USA 5' 10" 280 lbs
On Nuva Ring birth control no other meds
I don't drink or use drugs
I can't be pregnant, you have to have sex for that.
I am a week late with a new birth control ring because the pharmacy had to order it. However I was awoken this morning with severe cramps and then this https://imgur.com/a/htb9dzO came out of me. I don't know if this is an emergency or if I should just call my doctor and ask.
| 597 |
When you have a period, you are shedding the lining of your uterus. Sometimes, rather than coming out piecemeal, the entire lining is shed all at once, called a "decidual cast". This is often more painful than a typical period.
It's harmless and typically the more severe symptoms (pain/cramps/etc) improve pretty quickly after it passes.
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itchy butthole!!!! SO itchy can’t deal
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23 y/o female 120 pounds 5’3” i take oral contraception and usually take sertraline but took the week off (bad, i know. just started taking it again today). dont smoke weed cigs vape or anything. no recreational drugs. occasional drinker
my butthole is itchy. so itchy. i missed work today because it was so itchy i couldn’t fathom having to sit at a desk while my butthole was so itchy. and i have no idea why. i thought it was hemorrhoids, but preparation h has done nothing for me and my butthole looks normal. i have never seen a worm or anything even remotely worm looking so i don’t think it’s that. i have a theory that i wipe too much down there (shoutout my ocd) and the small cuts have finally caught up to me and created one big itchy problem.
regardless of the origin of this itchy issue… how can i lessen this itch? i just want to go to work and not be brought to tears by how itchy i am downstairs. thanks friends
| 283 |
You need to go see your primary care physician. I don't know the process for this where you are, but you should get tested for pinworms. You won't see them as they are not active during the times you would be awake. Depending on where you live or what you do for work, it can be very easy to be exposed to the eggs and subsequently infected.
I don't think this would be from over wiping unless you had a sensitivity to something in the toilet paper.
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Orgasms too... intense?
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I’m a 20 years old female. I’m a smoker and have a lot of panic attacks.
For a few weeks now, I realized that my orgasms, alone and with my partner, have increased in intensity. My whole body tense up really bad, I have big spasms that makes me move a lot and I just feel very weak after having one. Right after, I immediately get a tension headache and my ears tend to feel clogged. My arms also feel extremely heavy and I lose a little sensation in them. (even the one I didn’t use in the process...) They get so intense that it’s stressing me and stopping me from having intercourse.
Is that something I should bring up to my doctor? Could it be my anxiety playing tricks on me?
| 262 |
i can see that there are replies but it glitched and i cannot see them ughh.
my friends always say they wish they had orgasms that intense, i mean they feel good, but it’s almost seizeure like. it’s embarrassing and so draining.
| 67 |
AskDocs
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I have a brain tumor and I don't know what to do
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I'm 23f and 8 years ago I began getting constant migraines. My doctor recommended that I get an MRI done. They discovered a pea sized brain tumor and told me it was more than likely benign but that I need to get a follow up MRI a year later to track the growth. I couldn't afford that followup MRI so it went unchecked for the last 8 years. Now im beginning to get weird symptoms that my doctors can't explain. There is pressure inside my head 24/7, my head feels like a balloon about to pop. It also makes it hard for me to hear, it's like I can't hear over the pressure in my head so I ask people to speak louder often. When I stand sometimes my vision will go dark and I'll see spots as well as my hearing go quiet with a loud ringing. My arms will also fall asleep at random times and I'll have to shake them violently to wake them back up. I get the pins and needles sensation every time. My newest symptom that just began is I get moments where I feel like I'm suddenly floating outside my body and then I suddenly snap back. It's hard to explain. Similar to dissociation but not the same. My doctor's have ordered another MRI to finally check the brain tumor and this time I can afford to get it but I'm terrified of what they might find. What are my chances that I'll be okay? What are the chances that I'll need surgery/radiotherapy? I'm only 23 and I'm really scared.
| 266 |
There are just too many possibilities to go through them all without more information. Do you have access to the images or report from 2014?
When's the new MRI scheduled?
| 190 |
AskDocs
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25m Life Support Brain Injury - How is this possible?!
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My brother in law was in an accident. But things don’t make sense to me. Please explain this to me.
He was riding his motorized bicycle and ran into the back of a parked trailer around 7pm. No helmet. He proceeded to shake it off, go out to dinner where he couldn’t finish his beer. He was dropped off at home around 9:30 where he apparently vomited in the toilet. He was found unconscious by his brother in the bathroom doorway at 2:30am, barely breathing. He was life flighted and they removed a piece of skull to relieve pressure. After MRI and more surgery the doctors said that “a bad injury means your brain moves 2cm, his brain moved 2 inches”. Now they say his brain stem is so badly injured that he’s absolutely gone and has no chance of coming back.
How was he able to walk around and go about his night with only concussion symptoms, only to be found lifeless and damaged beyond repair hours after the accident? Thank you in advance.
| 449 |
Purely conjecture, but the story fits with an epidural hematoma following head trauma. These bleeds are very dangerous, because they grow very quickly, displacing the brain downwards and eventually results in herniation of the brain if not treated quickly. From your story, it sounds as though the neurosurgeon tried to relieve the pressure caused by the bleed, but the damage to his brain was already done.
Epidural bleeds are known for their “lucid interval”, in which, following the initial trauma (ex: skull fracture), the patient will appear lucid/normal. The issue is that there is trauma to an underlying artery (most commonly) and blood is accumulating (unchecked), creating a lot of pressure. Once the brain herniates, there’s a rapid clinical deterioration.
I am very sorry about your brother in law.
| 750 |
AskDocs
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Child's eye swollen to the size of a tennis ball - in papua new guinea, no specialists. Trying to connect them with medical care
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EDIT 1: Everyone, thanks so much for all the support. We're trying to get into contact in direct contact with the parents, but there's been a lot of good people reaching out, both here and on linkedin.
About gofundme - Since we're still trying to get in contact, and it's not clear yet exactly what's needed, I'd prefer to hold off until we know more, just feels cleaner.
That said, this is probably the most attention/traffic that this post will receive, so it makes sense to start gathering emails for interested folks. If you'd like to contacted in the future about the gofundme, feel free to leave your email here:
https://forms.gle/1pzAHSFPTxUNAD5j7
if one gets started, I'll let you know!
/*---------------------------ORIGINAL POST---------------------------*/
Hey folks!
I taught a programming bootcamp for some folks in papua new guinea. it was remote, and I'm still stateside. I've stayed in contact with many of the students, and occasionally I'll see their posts on linkedin.
The health infrastructure on the island is not the best, and it seems that a connection of one of my student's is in a tricky spot. Their child's right eye has swollen, and the cornea looks almost calloused over. Apparently, there aren't any specialists available to treat it. Here's the post:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/amos-steven-b9b92b1b3_medical-hospital-help-activity-6901102095534288896-1zwt
Is there any way we can support them? What kind of specialist would this require, and would it be possible to diagnose/treat remotely?
Apologies, I don't have any of kid's info, but given that I'm trying to connect them with care rather than diagnose, hopefully you won't mind if I try to bamboozle the bot so we can get this posted.
Age ?
Sex ?
Height ?
Weight ?
Race ?
Duration of complaint ?
Location ?
Any existing relevant medical issues ?
Current medications ?
Include a photo if relevant ?
| 662 |
Damn, this is probably an advanced retinoblastoma. *IF* this is still limited to the right eye, it's curable *IF* he can reach a hospital with ophthalmologic surgery and ideally radiotherapy clinics. If this is not possible, the short-term prognosis is very poor.
| 618 |
AskDocs
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GF claims she's pregnant, but is also a pathological liar. Anything fishy about this ultrasound?
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(Now ex-)girlfriend is 29F, 5'6", Caucasian. No relevant medical issues. She got pregnant with "expired" IUD in and has been consuming a light-to-moderate amount of alcohol during pregnancy.
My ex-GF has been claiming she's pregnant and I've been going along with it, until I discovered that one of the past ultrasound scan images she shared with me is a fake from an ultrasound-generator website called babymaybe.com. I'm now doubting everything.
[https://i.imgur.com/9r5kuKV.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/9r5kuKV.jpg)
Above is a link to the other scan that she's sent (patient info removed) - is there anything fishy about it? It seems much more legit than the one I determined was fake. Is that an 8w embryo size? The probe type (RAB4-8-D) seems to be abdominal, do they do abdominal scans at 8w? That field-of-view seems more characteristic of an intravaginal scan, but I say that only after Googling this kind of stuff for an hour or two.
I've tried a reverse image search but wasn't able to find anything. She is a nurse herself and I wouldn't put it past her to modify a real ultrasound image from her department somehow, if that were possible.
This is a throwaway account but I can provide more information if you'd like. Thank you very much.
| 582 |
She already sent you a fake US image. She will likely fake others. Unless you go into the doctor with her and hear the doctor tell you she is pregnant, you should probably have no contact except for a paternity test.
| 1,406 |
AskDocs
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Can my girlfriend get pregnant?
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Me (19M) and my girlfriend (18F) were about to have sex (with condoms) and she grinded on my penis (when I still hadn't put the condom on). We were both naked, and our genitals made contact while she was wet. I didn't finish on her, though. And although there was no penetration and I usually don't leak precum (even if I do, it's only when I'm about to finish and I wasn't even close to finishing when she did it), I'm still worried about the risk of pregnancy. Especially since we have no access to Plan B's, and abortion is illegal here in our country.
Here are some additional details that may or may not affect it:
- We've both been living pretty unhealthy lifestyles due to school. We're both not having enough sleep and are always stressed.
- We both urinated before and after we had sex.
- When I came, I noticed that my semen was almost clear. It was transluscent.
- I usually don't have precum.
- Edit: Her last menstruation was on February 6. The one before that was back in January 6.
We have no sex education in our country, so I can't help but worry. Now with post-nut clarity, I regret having done the deed at all.
| 282 |
It is very unlikely without even precum
| 437 |
AskDocs
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Endocrinologist checked my breasts- is it normal?
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Hello,
I went to check my thyroid, because I have Hypothyroidism and my endocrinologist (old male) asked me to show him my breasts and he pressed my nipples with his fingers. He said that this way he checked my prolactic levels. We were alone.
I have no problems with my breasts. No other endocrinologist checked my breasts and years later only my gynecologist checked my prolactin levels, but by taking blood test only.
I can not forget this, because it was such an extremely unpleasant experience... So I want to be sure that endocrinologists really have to check breasts and that was a normal check up for Hypothyroidism?
Do your endocrinologists check your breasts? It is normal?
| 321 |
I'm an endocrinologist.
Hypothyroidism can cause an increase in prolactin levels, which can lead to inappropriate breast milk production. Theoretically, you could check for this milk production by doing what you describe was done.
That said, I have never done a breast exam for this reason, nor was it even mentioned by my supervisors in training as a historical practice. If I'm worried about a high prolactin, I simply ask about the symptoms of inappropriate milk production and/or irregular menses, and if either is present I follow it up with a blood test. Because the breast exam itself gives minimal additional information in that scenario, I forego it - both for my and the patients comfort as well as to reduce any possible accusations of impropriety. Was there anyone else in the room when he did the exam? At the very least, I'd expect there to be a "chaperone".
The fact you're calling it "hypothyreosis" makes me assume you're from a non-English speaking nation, so it's entirely possible that such an exam wouldn't be outside the standard of care in your particular area. In more resource-poor areas where people truly try to minimize blood test utilization, I could theoretically see it being more likely to come up. But it still strikes me as unusual.
| 634 |
AskDocs
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Child passing out and seizure after eating ice cream
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Hi, I’m trying to fact find for my niece after doctors have only said her experience is “interesting.” According to my sister (her mother), my 5 year old niece was eating ice cream the other night at a restaurant when she got real still, said she had a headache, then her whole body fell and she slid under the table. My sister picked her up and my niece was totally stiff and not breathing, then her legs started convulsing. After about 20 seconds she woke up and exclaimed “what was that” and started crying. She was brought to urgent care but was fine by that point, and got an EEG this morning (about 3 days later) and everything appeared normal. My niece later described it as falling asleep without even trying. Apparently my niece has passed out twice before while eating ice cream (never a seizure), and also once when she was much littler when a kid ran into her hard. All the doctor said about this recent episode is it’s “interesting”.
What could be causing this? Are there links between ice cream, sugar, or dairy and passing out/seizures? Could it be a pain response to brain freeze? To my knowledge there is no family history of seizures. My sister is really worried and I’m just trying to help find answers.
| 279 |
This sounds like swallow syncope. It's rare, but described in literature. Sometimes specifically after eating/drinking cold things. Think of it like a brain freeze, but it causes vagal nerve stimulation and causes you to pass out.
Her movements were what we call "syncopal convulsion", and likely were not from a true epileptic seizure. These are common after passing out. You can watch videos of them on YouTube. You describe a very classic story of this. Passing out, still for a bit, then a series of convulsions, the quickly waking up and asking what happened.
Idk what to do about it. You probably should see a good pediatric brain nerd (peds neuro). Don't eat any ice cream or slushies for now.
| 786 |
AskDocs
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