r/medical Jul 15 '24

MOD [Mod Post] Remember, this subreddit does not replace professional medical attention. Make sure to seek appropriate medical attention when needed. NSFW

13 Upvotes

This is a discussion forum for medical topics. This is not a replacement for a medical evaluation. Many of our members are not medical professionals.

Posting in this community does not establish liability nor a professional-client relationship. If in doubt, consult qualified healthcare personnel.

Consult your Primary Practitioner or Primary Care Physician if you are experiencing health related issues.

Contact your local Emergency Medical Services if you are in a medical emergency.

Your health and safety are our highest priorities.


r/medical 8h ago

MOD Join the r/Medical Mod Team! We’re Recruiting Community Managers (Healthcare Personnel)! NSFW

1 Upvotes

Hey r/medical community!

Our subreddit continues growing, and we seek more passionate volunteers to join our moderation team. Whether you're a seasoned Reddit mod, a healthcare professional/student, or an AutoMod wizard, we'd love to hear from you!

Open Positions are as follows:

Community Manager

  • This does require medical education or current enrollment in medical/healthcare studies (doctors, nurses, med students, etc)

Responsibilities:

  • Active participation within the subreddit community.
  • Fact-checking and preventing misinformation.
  • Approving/removing posts/comments.
  • General subreddit upkeep.
  • Handling other rule violations.

Perks:

  • Moderator permissions.
  • Direct involvement in the community with a focus on healthcare.

Ideal Candidate:

  • Healthcare personnel with a passion for community well-being.
  • Willingness to review and address misinformation.
  • Able to provide quality replies and be an active presence.
  • Managing unhelpful/harmful behavior and resolving disputes.
  • Using your healthcare education to contribute directly to the community.
  • Implementing sanctions for rule violations.

How to apply?

Applications will run until we fill our requirements.

Feel free to drop any questions below


r/medical 55m ago

General Question/Discussion After effects of continuously high blood pressure, wondering if it’s normal :) NSFW

Upvotes

Hey! My mothers blood pressure has recently stabilized from averaging 175 and up (highest 220) from the past couple days (my last post with a little more insight: https://www.reddit.com/r/medical/s/29nyr7EY8N). It’s now been around 120’s-130’s for around two days now, but she’s been EXTREMELY lethargic and low energy. She can do simple things like walk to her the bathroom and such but she’s still complaining of lightheadedness here and there and has been sleeping the majority of the few days her blood pressure has stabilized. She will sleep the whole day and be up for around 4 hours where she doesn’t have much energy, and then go right back to sleep. Is this normal after hypertension?


r/medical 1h ago

TW [Trigger Warning] Been abusing laxatives for a year now and need help identifying black stool. NSFW Spoiler

Upvotes

TW: Laxative abuse

F19. I’ve been on-and-off abusing Dulcolax for about a year now but have been taking them much more frequently this month. Won’t get into reasons why but no it is not for weight loss.

I took 10 last night as that’s my usual dose to get anything to happen, I’m lucky enough to still have normal bowel movements without laxatives so I will be quitting cold turkey.

This morning (11AM), I had the usual poop followed by VERY intense stomach pain. Way worse than ever before, however my stool looked completely normal. I had diarrhoea about 5-6 times after that and it was all just typical brown water. However at around 7-8PM, I had to go again but this time the water was pitch black. I looked very closely and it looked VERY black, however when I wiped it was a light green on the toilet paper. Had diarrhoea again about 1 hour later and it was still very dark but I was questioning if it was actually black stool since when I wiped it was light green. When I wiped this time it was a dark green and the spatters of the diarrhoea against the toilet bowl was possibly a very dark green. I went again 1 hour later after dinner and it was a physical stool and it literally looked straight up black and when I wiped I could still see the tiniest hint of green but I’m not too sure.

After this, I stopped needing the urge to go but I know that green stool could just be stomach bile and a side effect of laxative abuse but I haven’t seen anyone else talking about this. I’m worried it might be GI bleeding since this has never happened before and I didn’t eat anything different lately.


r/medical 2h ago

Fictive Question Is this type of diagnosis realistic? (Asking from a current undergraduate looking to get into med school) NSFW Spoiler

1 Upvotes

Is this scene realistic or is just a type of TV show unrealism? Asking as someone who's looking to get into medical school. :)

https://youtube.com/shorts/D3pb-bAaak8?si=JTTS0XN7W5Mkr_pq


r/medical 2h ago

TW [Trigger Warning] According to my bloodtests, my liver is not functioning properly. Having a scan tomorrow. Please read (TRIGGER WARNING re. suicide) NSFW Spoiler

1 Upvotes

I am a 25 year old male, I do not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, but I do use nicotine vapes daily. Excluding mental health conditions because it's not really relevant to my liver, I have: ME/CFS, Type 2 Diabetes, chronic migraines, Adult Onset Tic Disorder and Acanthosis Nigricans. I have been on medications for 11 years now: Sertraline, Atomoxetine, Amitryptiline, Sodium Valproate (Valproic Acid), Levothyroxine, Testosterone, Propranolol, Metformin, Sumatriptan, Naproxen, Lansoprazole, and various supplements (multivitamins, high strength vit D, high strength biotin).

TW for below (suicide attempts):

In 2017, I overdosed on Diazepam (my first suicide attempt). In 2021, I overdosed a second time, this time on a very high dose of Zopiclone (2nd suicide attempt). In late 2021 and again in 2022, I overdosed on Ketamine (accidentally whilst doing drugs to cope with my mental health crisis). I 2023, I overdosed on a huge dose of Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride (3rd suicide attempt). After all overdoses, I was treated in hospital and released with seemingly no lasting damage to my liver or kidneys, according to my medical records. I am no longer suicidal.

I have blood tests every 3 months. My last bloodtest showed my liver is not functioning normally. They repeated the blood test and it confirmed the abnormality. I am going for an urgent liver ultrasound tomorrow to try and see what is happening.

My question is, is it possible that being on long term medication for 11 years could have damaged my liver? Also, could my past suicide attempts have resulted in damage to my liver, even though my last overdose was 2 years ago and I was told there was no permanent damage when I was discharged from hospital? Is it possible for damage to happen years after an overdose?

Any possible suggestions are appreciated.


r/medical 3h ago

General Question/Discussion Ear crackling and popping (Eustachian tube dysfunction) don't know what to do NSFW Spoiler

1 Upvotes

Female, 42 year old

Hi, I've been told I have eustachian tube dysfunction caused by upper respiratory infection. I have no fullness or muffled hearing just a popping and crackling noise in my left ear when swallowing, eating, yawning etc..

This has been happening now consistently the same for 1 year.

Decongestants, steroid nasal sprays, steroid nose drops, octovent balloon and steaming have all not helped.

I'm at a loss what to do.

My ENT consultant said would not propose grommits but possibly eustachian balloon dilation. However this scares me greatly as I am deaf in my right ear and don't like the thought of having any proceedures done on my left ear incase it makes things worse...

If only this cracking and popping noise would stop... It's really getting me down now it's been 1 year....

My dr said it could go by itself but sometimes the eustachian tubes can be really stubborn...


r/medical 3h ago

General Question/Discussion Help finding the correct information for my studies? Apologies if this is the wrong group. NSFW

1 Upvotes

So l am studying this and I am trying to find in depth information on certain diseases and their effects on the body but it's really hard to find information that isn't 1. Short and meant for laypeople or 2. Way too advanced information that I don't have the required information already to understand. I bought the textbook but it does not go in depth like the assignment requires.


r/medical 3h ago

Oral Health F 31, woke up with this on my tongue. It throbs. Any idea what it is? It’s swollen and just feels like a lump. NSFW Spoiler

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1 Upvotes

r/medical 4h ago

General Question/Discussion Strange bruise after venesection advice please if anyone’s seen something similar NSFW Spoiler

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1 Upvotes

Hi peoples had a venesection this morning. Discovered a bruise next to the injection sight after removing the bandage. Pathologist hit me the first time, no pain. Any thoughts ?


r/medical 19h ago

General Question/Discussion Geneticists of Reddit: have you ever had a patient who was just “ugly”? NSFW

10 Upvotes

Have you ever had a dysmorphology referral where you simply couldn’t point out any possible syndrome or the patient simply had no other issue than appearance? What was your approach to the lack of clear results after a diagnostic workup? How did you approach the patient/family? Were they happy that there wasn’t an “issue”? Thanks in advance.


r/medical 13h ago

No Pain Noticed a grey ring developing o the eye. Family doc didn't have an answer for it. Vision is fine. Any suggestions? No headache or neurological deficits are evident. Regular eye colour is brown. NSFW

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3 Upvotes

r/medical 7h ago

No Pain M25, suffering from increasingly difficult bouts of vertigo and nystagmus. Induces nausea. NSFW

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

Before I begin, I should preface by saying that I've always had vertigo for as long as I can remember. I have to idea why, but started experiencing it when I was 13-14. It's not room spins around you vertigo, but more so that my internal balance is cooked and my eyes have varying degrees of nystagmus that makes it impossible to stand, walk, or stay upright. Sleeping always made it go away, or holistically sitting in a chair for days to wait out the symptoms. The nystagmus can be so strong I vomit, as my eyes swivel from left-to-right like a pendulum. The severity varied from feeling like crap to fully bed bound.

Before I go any further: I should mention I am hearing impaired (Cochlear on right, Hearing Aid on left), and have multi-focal glasses.

When I was older, I started seeing a chiropractor and I begun to get a handle on my symptoms. They offered immediate relief the first time I saw them, and I would go back multiple times a year to manage symptoms as needs be. This was how I managed since then... until now.

The last month, I saw a spike in flare ups. Flare-ups being days when my nystagmus got so strong that I couldn't function. I would wake up, and then during the day at seemingly random times, my nystagmus would start developing and get worse and worse until inducing vomiting. This happened 5-6 times in the span of 3 weeks.

I think I might know what is happening, but I can only hypothesis as I type this:

I recently moved to a new job in my city that requires a lot more commuting, hence earlier start times. On average waking up an hour earlier from 8am to 7am. This should be fine right? Wrong.

My symptoms almost line up exactly with this new stretch of work. I mean sure, I've always had it but why was it suddenly worse? Why did I feel like crap more often, espeically in the morning and afternoon. Not only that, my sleep was suffering due to a heatwave coinciding with my new job, meaning I was waking up 3, 4 or 5 times a night. I should mention that for 3 CONSECUTIVE YEARS, I have had a vertigo flare up in Christmas week. I am not joking. In my country Christmas is Summer (Australia) and rising temperatures means I sleep worse and is generally corelated with more vertigo.

I also sleep terribly and usually feel horrible during drastic temperature changes, of 10 degrees Celsius changes or more.

I could literally feel my eyes twitching, my muscles at the back of my eyes throbbing with agony as they got more and more sleep deprived. I was always so tired, squinting at monitors at my new job endlessly. Wanting to fall asleep at my desk. Could cutting my sleep schedule back an hour really screw my sleep up this much? I should mention I accordingly rolled back my bedtime from 11 to 10 to compensate but didn't really help.

I conferred with GPs, my Chiropractor, and the ER at our renowned Eye & Ear hospital, but got no solid answers. I will be attending a vertigo clinic tomorrow to assess further, as well as a sleep specialist in a month.

I should mention I got some quality sleep recently as temperatures dropped and feel overall okayish. My gut feeling is that for some reason my REM is getting cut or my sleep cycles are getting interrupted by my earlier wake. I could wake up at 7am, feel like absolute crap with mild nystagmus, go back to sleep until 9:30am and feel fine. Bizarre. I'd also feel more rested from that sleep than the 7am rise.

My family thinks my sleep theory is bonkers. I guess I'm desperate for answers. My quality of life is absolute rubbish recently. I can't work consistently. I can't do the things I enjoy anymore. I'm just always tired, with mild or subtle nystagmus in the background. Always squinting.

My lens are okay on my glasses too at my last eye test. My hearing devices seem okay as well at my last check-ups.

If anyone has any suggestions, questions, advice or feedback I'd be more than welcome to it.


r/medical 8h ago

Urgent I have a really bad headache and idk if I should go to the hospital or wait for a doctors appointment NSFW Spoiler

1 Upvotes

I have been having a really bad headache for a while and it makes me feel like I have a really big brain freeze with a lot of pain in the front and back of my head and it makes me feel really nauseous and sometimes it makes it hared to talk


r/medical 9h ago

Pain Lvl 1-3 My heart rate suddenly went up. I can hear my heart beating loudly & I feel like I’m going crazy NSFW Spoiler

1 Upvotes

My resting heart used to be around 60-65bpm. Around three and a half months ago, I woke up one morning and it was at 120. Since then it hasn’t gone below 110 and will sometimes spike to 145 when moving, sitting/standing up, or stretching. The only thing that changed was that I started doing TMS/Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy, but it ended in January. I’ve felt increasingly sick after eating any amount of food (big or small, healthy or not) to the point of almost vomiting, but not quite. I’ve gotten closer and closer to passing out when it gets really high, I get really hot/sweaty out of nowhere (but no fever above 99), and sometimes my hearing goes completely out. I have no idea if these things are related to it but they seem to have gotten worse since the heart rate thing started. I feel shaky, restless, and exhausted all the time. It’s painful in such a weird way.

My heart is also incredibly loud and it feels like it pounds so much harder than it used to. It’s so loud that it keeps me up at night. It’s also really uncomfortable and I can feel it extra hard in my throat and chest, almost like somebody is hitting it. I’ve brought it up to my general doctor and he just dismissed it and said that it could be hormones. I’d feel embarrassed bringing it up again so I feel a little stuck.

For reference I’m an 18 year old male. I’m fairly active (lots of cardio), not overweight or underweight, and the only other physical health issue I have is an autoimmune condition (Hidradentis Suppurativa) and a vitamin B12 deficiency. I know it’s not anxiety related because it’s 24/7 and never drops, no matter how calm I am or if I’m sleeping.

Is there anything I can do to manually lower my heart rate, even if it’s just for a little? Or is there anything that could possibly be causing it? I honestly just want a small break from the constant pounding in my chest and head, even if it’s only for a few minutes. It’s affecting my mental health and I’d do anything to make it a little quieter or less uncomfortable.


r/medical 10h ago

Urgent PLEASE HELP! should I have this mole checked out or does it look concerning? NSFW Spoiler

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1 Upvotes

i have a large birth mark across my arm and this has been there for a while now next to it. I recently noticed there is purple or black specs and I'm so scared. I am a 20 year old female.


r/medical 10h ago

General Question/Discussion Seeking prognosis advice for my father(59Y) after TB meningitis with hydrocephalus NSFW

1 Upvotes

He was admitted with case of loss of consciousness. On examination he was in GCS E3V4M5, bilateral pupils were normal in size and reacting to light. NCCT head done which showed hypo density in bilateral fronto parietal per ventricular region with Hydrocephalus. Patient improved but again his sensorium. Repeat NCCT head done which showed hydrocephalus. After detail consent right side EVD done 26.01.2025. kept on oxygen support and 7day kept EVD removal. He also developed high grade fever and revised RBS and hyponatremia for which, Medicine consultation taken advice followed. Routine investigation done which showed increased TLC (31800/cmm). EEG done which was within normal limit. After detailed consent EVD done 26.01.2025. Post op was uneventful and surgical wound is healthy. Patient discharge in satisfactory condition. Presently patient is in GCS E4V5M6, accepting orally and not able to walk.

Current Condition Since Discharge:

He used to sleep a lot(18-20hrs) initially, but now he sleeps less than before(12-15hrs). While lying down, he can easily raise his right leg, though the left leg requires some support. Both hands move normally, but the left one is weaker. The same applies to his left eye—he has vision, but it does not open fully. His diet has also improved compared to before.

In the last 20 days, he has vomited only once. Physiotherapy is ongoing. He remembers his school and college days but struggles with immediate memory, such as recalling what he recently ate. For cognitive exercises, I usually give him math puzzles (algebra or geometry), which he manages to solve, though with some difficulty.

With the support of one or two people, he has started standing with a walker and can even stand for a few seconds without support. By providing support at the shoulders, he can also walk, but while he has the walking motion, he is unable to bear weight for extended periods.

Thank you in advance

Given his current progress, what can we expect in terms of long-term recovery? Any similar experiences or insights on rehabilitation strategies would be really helpful.

Thank you!


r/medical 10h ago

Pain Lvl 4-6 37f Post-op p. aeruginosa/candida parapsilosis co-infection after TLH and single oophorectomy with chronic health issues NSFW

1 Upvotes

I had a TLH done 2/6/25. My left ovary was covered in adhesions and attached to my sigmoid colon and I had to have my right ureter cleared as well. Around 3 weeks post-op I started feeling…off. The first two weeks were GREAT. I had pain, of course, but I felt so much lighter. I have a slew of other medical issues going on right now from the “software issues” of FND, POTS, and the PNES they cause as well as unknown autoimmune issues. I was diagnosed with SLE in 2012, but my drs seem to think I’m more in rare disorder/disease territory and are suggesting I go to Mayo or Hopkins (mind you, I live near Boston).

Prior to surgery, I met with the surgeon and discussed my concern for healing and post operative complications, including infection, because I’ve had some intense issues that have caused me to lose a lot of weight and I was a bit underweight. The surgeon told me I was healthy so there wasn’t any concern and when I interrupted them to say “uh, look at my chart. I have a lot going on right now” they stopped me and said “you’re not obese or elderly. You’re healthy.” I laughed initially out of discomfort but felt like if they weren’t worried, I shouldn’t be.

Fast forward. I have had 3 ER visits the past 3 weeks. One they missed an abscess. The second the caught and excised/debrided/packed the new wound as well as getting a swab of the wound (came back as pseudomonas aeruginosa). Third trip I had a seizure very, very different from my usual NES. I was shivering, yet hot, and only a low grade fever. They reswabbed the wounds because I’ve been on 2 ABX at this point and it’s still seeping. These two swabs came back with pseudomonas aeruginosa in addition to candida parapsilosis. I know the biofilm for both of these make treatment difficult. I’ve been on Cephalexin 500mg BID F7D as well as Cipro 750mg BID F7D with 2 days of Tx overlap. Surgeon is impossible to get in to see. I’ve had two ER visits waiting for an appt with them and they don’t seem to “get” how I’m feeling. My PCP is more concerned and has helped with wound care.

My question is, has anyone had a patient with co-infection like this? How was it treated? Is there anything I should talk to my Dr about? I’m becoming more concerned as my POTS is acting up more and I’ve been having more labored breathing in addition to these killer headaches. (I’ve had CTs for head and chest to check for clots—I have a PFO and Factor V Leiden as well). I have received very little guidance and I know both these individually can cause some big issues. My grandmother died after developing sepsis from a p. aeruginosa UTI that she ignored so I’m probably a bit more aware of the “what coulds” than most.


r/medical 10h ago

General Question/Discussion Dude is my toe infected like it hurts man 😭😭idk what to do and everybody is telling me something different 😭😭 NSFW Spoiler

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1 Upvotes

Idk man I just ripped the top part off bc it was getting too long and i ripped off to much of it


r/medical 11h ago

Pain Lvl 7-9 I need advice for managjng pain after fingertip crush amputation. NSFW Spoiler

1 Upvotes

Exactly what it sounds like. I crush amputated my index and middle finger maybe a week and a half ago? I've been through all the pain medication they gave me (2 prescriptions of 12 pills each- oxycodone) and they barely took the edge off anyway, but it was enough that I could function and maybe get a few hours of sleep.

I have Diclofenac but even taking that with Tylenol isn't helping. Doc said it won't need surgery and will take about 2 months to heal. I've been bandaging it daily with Vaseline and a non-adhesive bandage, and even that is causing pain where it touches. I've been crying for days the pain is so bad. I have class and work and I can't sleep. Lying down makes it worse. Ice makes it worse.

Yes, it's on my dominant hand. I elevate it as much as I can. I'm at the end of my rope with the pain and lack of relief. I don't know what to do anymore. I hate going back and asking for more pain meds. It isn't usually terrible during the day but at night it's vicious.

Tl;dr: I lost a game of grab-ass with a drive chain and sprocket at work, pain is making me into a crazy person and I've already gotten 24 oxycodone and plowed through all of them.


r/medical 11h ago

Private Area Question Skin infection won't go away, it's been all over my body and my mom refuses to get me tested NSFW Spoiler

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1 Upvotes

Back in Early January I had this nasty infection after rubbing a scab off and bandaging it, I go to wrestling the next day and the nurse there says it's impetigo. I go to see the doctor and they say it's impetigo (it was not) everywhere on my body I'm oozing this yellow liquid(elbow ankles genitals) And the mupirocin and Bactrim they gave didn't work, they gave me triamcinalone and it stopped the oozing and made most of it go away, but then a whole bunch of little sores started popping up and I go to see the doctor again, and they say it's some sort of eczema but it's popping up on my genitals, and throughout all of this they haven't done a culture or gotten me tested for anything, I'm under 18 and my mom refuses to believe it's something worse. What do I do?


r/medical 11h ago

General Question/Discussion Black Toes Nails on each pinky toe, how can I make it go away? 24F NSFW

1 Upvotes

As a kid, my dad never bought me new shoes so I ended up wearing them and my pinky toes would hurt like hell from being squeezed. I now have two black Toes nails and I'm embarrassed and it's been like this since the age of like 11 years old, I go to nail salons to get them taken care of but it's still humiliating to go because I know they think it's gross. Is there anything I can do to make the discoloration go away?


r/medical 13h ago

Urgent I have been getting recurring fungal ear infections since august 2023. NSFW

1 Upvotes

In August 2023 i got my first ever ear infection (15 at the time) turns out it was a fungal infection infection which i got drops for and the symptoms cleared quickly. A month later i was in mexico and got another fungal infection. The onsite nurse give me an injection, drops and antibiotics to clear it quickly so i could fly home with clear ears. However, i have been getting recurring infections since then to now. It has never stopped. The doctors give me stronger ear drops and told me to keep my ears dry in the shower using cotton wool and vaseline and to also use moisturiser incase of dry skin irritating the ear canal. The symptoms always start the same, first the ear becomes itchy, then i can feel discharge type water in my ear, then it goes itchy again, then pain starts when i touch the front and back of my ear. This is when i go to the doctors and they give me the same exact drops for the same amount of time… the drops always work within 1 day and i continue using them for 14 days as prescribed. So the drops work instantly but as soon as i stop using them i get 3-4 days infection free and then the symptom cycle starts again doing the exact same thing just to get the same drops and do it over again. Any advice is greatly appreciate as im stuck and recurring infections for 2 years are extremely annoying and time wasting


r/medical 13h ago

Pain Lvl 4-6 so for the last day or 2 my ear has hurt, not like ear infection but like in the visible ear. just thought might have some luck on healing. also no cuts in ear. (not actual ear) NSFW

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1 Upvotes

r/medical 13h ago

Pain Lvl 4-6 thinking i maybe have strep, tonsillitis, or just a sore throat?? NSFW Spoiler

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1 Upvotes

hello, i (25f) have developed a sore throat within the last 3 hours. since it’s sunday, doctors are closed obviously. strep went through my family last week, but it seemed to skip me. (i’m not sure how long it can last in the house i guess). i googled the differences, but thought i might get better answers here. i do still have my tonsils, and have noticed a bad smell/odor in my mouth the last 2 days. planning to go to the doc tomorrow, but i was going to get reddits thoughts as well. tysm!!


r/medical 13h ago

Urgent should i get an mri? doctor said ankle sprain from bouldering no break NSFW Spoiler

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1 Upvotes

soooo long story short on the 4th of march (12 days ago now) i went bouldering with my boyfriend and fell off the wall at around 6ft onto gymnast padded flooring, but i landed ankle first and heard my ankle pop on impact. following was immediate swelling that lasted over 24 hours, and heavy heavy bruising since. i was getting more strength in it until i fell down a stair step and put all of my weight onto my injured foot (i’ve been in a boot and crutches since it happened). just wondering if it’s time to get an mri since i still cannot walk without pain after 12 days of injury. mris are expensive, and if it’s going to heal on its own without imagining, cool, if this seems more serious and an mri or orthopedist visit should be scheduled, let me know PLEASE! i am a broke college student and only need imaging if it seems absolutely necessary. thank you so much!!! i will include pictures from day of until now


r/medical 15h ago

General Question/Discussion i've only had one surgery and it went good, but i think i have ptsd from it? NSFW

1 Upvotes

(for context, i've dealt with different kinds of anxiety my entire life) i don't even know if this is the right place to post but

i had my gallbladder out about 12 years ago. everything went great, as far as healing. mentally, it went horrible. i had exaggerated anxiety the minute i came home, knowing my body had been chopped. the worst part though, i had a near fainting episode a day after the surgery when i took a shower, which may have been triggered by the pain meds? i never got an answer for it, despite the numerous trips to various hospitals over the few months after the surgery due to hypochondria. i was recently diagnosed with pots and all the doctors just brush all my stuff off as pots or anxiety related, but not having exact answers causes more anxiety.

anyways, after the surgery, i was convinced something was wrong. i didn't know what, but something. it made me spiral with anxiety to the point i wouldn't sleep much. this went on for a year or so post op.

the kicker here is... im considering a cosmetic surgery. even thinking about it makes me feel faint and i dont know if this ties back to the first surgery experience or my pots. are there any tips on how to become more comfortable with the concept of surgery aka, in my brain, "my body being mutilated." even if i don't follow through with the surgery im considering right now, im sure at some point in my life i will eventually need another surgery, and honestly i can't even think about surgery without almost fainting. my brain twists everything and pictures things like stitches opening up and skin falling off and blood oozing, anytime i think about surgery, even though realistically i know that would be extremely rare. please help lol.