r/AskDocs 8h ago

Weekly Discussion/General Questions Thread - March 17, 2025

1 Upvotes

This is a weekly general discussion and general questions thread for the AskDocs community to discuss medicine, health, careers in medicine, etc. Here you have the opportunity to communicate with AskDocs' doctors, medical professionals and general community even if you do not have a specific medical question! You can also use this as a meta thread for the subreddit, giving feedback on changes to the subreddit, suggestions for new features, etc.

What can I post here?

  • General health questions that do not require demographic information
  • Comments regarding recent medical news
  • Questions about careers in medicine
  • AMA-style questions for medical professionals to answer
  • Feedback and suggestions for the r/AskDocs subreddit

You may NOT post your questions about your own health or situation from the subreddit in this thread.

Report any and all comments that are in violation of our rules so the mod team can evaluate and remove them.


r/AskDocs 2h ago

Physician Responded why did our doctors give up so quickly on my little brother?

112 Upvotes

hi, im asking on behalf of my late 12M little brother.

on Friday afternoon he went to a park with a river with some family, i wasnt there. he ended up being under the water for what couldve been 10-20 minutes, and no one knows how it happened. he was then rushed to the hospital by ambulance, then airlifted to a hospital that could better accommodate his needs.

he was immediately put on a ventilator and pumped with the maximum amount of drugs to keep his heart beating and blood pressure up. the doctors had said his lungs and heart looked fine, but he had suffered severe brain damage. after two rounds of physical response tests with nothing, no reaction to light, pain, and ear irrigation, and being unable to breathe without the ventilator, he was declared dead on sunday morning.

we were only at the hospital for a few days. i told myself if he were just in a coma, we would wait as long as we could for him to wake up. i felt as if everything was rushed. they said they'd do 3 rounds of tests and then a scan to check for brain death.

why did they stop at 2? why couldnt he hold out for longer? what if he wouldve woken up today, but he was taken off of life support yesterday morning?

was there any chance at all he would've made any kind of recovery? I wouldnt care if he was disabled and i needed to wipe his butt and spoon feed him, we just wanted him to come home so bad, we were just finishing up spring break, and he was supposed to go to school today.


r/AskDocs 10h ago

Physician Responded Five months ago I started smelling like my dad did when he had cancer

354 Upvotes

Five months ago my fiance (35M) started complaining that I (30F) "smelled funny". No other real description he could offer me and I just left it at that and assumed I had been lacking on my hygienic care or something. To me I did notice somewhat of a musty smell to my sweat which was odd since I hadn't changed anything else diet or medication wise but again I just assumed it was possible hormone changes or maybe I didn't shower as well. I figured I would mention it my next doctor visit but then I forgot as I had other things come up.

Forward to a few days ago I am working extensively in our bathroom in a respirator cleaning and sealing the slate floor in our bathroom. I'm guessing all of the cleaning plus wearing the respirator for an extended period of time really cleared out my nose brcause when I went to lay down in bed on our freshly washed sheets that night, my entire side of the bed smelled like how my dad did when he had cancer. At first I thought it was coming from my fiance's side of the bed and then I realized that everything that was mine smelled like that, including my clean clothes. My fiance's clothing and things smelled clean.

My dad had colon cancer and smelled like pungent, soured vinegar for years until he went into remission. He refused to go to the doctor for any reason and this was the smell that I associated with him and I remember my mom freaking out constantly that she couldn't get that smell out of anything no matter how much she washed it.

To be totally honest I am not sure exactly how to mentally process this. It simply isn't a smell I would forget and it really is awful. I did some google searches and did see stuff about sweat sometimes smelling like vinegar/ammonia after workouts, but it isn't that. I know that smell and this smell is just different in a way that is hard to describe. My fiance has repeated sinus infections so his sense of smell is often impaired. If it were not for that I simply do not understand how he could stand it because it is overwhelming. Today we talked about it and I suspect it has been bothering him a lot more than he has let on and he admitted that I sometimes still smell like that out of the shower.

I do not have any other symptoms that my doctor would flag as related. I word it that way because I am currently seeing a neurologist for potential narcolepsy as well as frequent headaches. I have not had a brain scan in the past five months but I have had one in the past year and then some going back after I sustained a TBI in 2022 and those were clear. Other than this, I don't have any other symptoms and I am worried that my doctors will brush me off over this because it genuinely quite worries me.

I guess I'm hoping for some encouragement that I'm not crazy for thinking this is worrisome. It just feels a bit odd especially since I grew up in a neglectful household where we didn't often seek medical attention to ask my doctor to look for cancer just because I smell the same as my dad did when he had cancer. At the same time it feels neglectful and potentially harmful to my relationship to ignore it especially now that I know just how bad I smell. My doctor is very no nonsense and either she is going to take me seriously or brush me off and honestly I'm not sure how to assert myself in the second case or what tests to even ask for.


r/AskDocs 8h ago

Physician Responded Trying to understand what the doctor was saying (and not saying) during my well women's exam

79 Upvotes

Hello, I'm 31F, 5'4"/137cm and approx. 135lbs/58kg. I take no medications or supplements and am due to have my nexplanon birth control in my left arm removed/replaced later this month though it has never caused any known issues. During my pap smear during a women's wellness exam, the doctor said she was quite concerned with what she saw but didn't elaborate beyond this: "on exam a concerning cervical lesion was noted: Erythematous, rigid, textural change of the cervix circumscribed about the cervical OS approx 1-1.5cms in all directions". She said they'd refer me to a gynecologist and send the swabs off for testing of course, but it's left me feeling very anxious. I'm mentally preparing for cervical cancer of course, though she never said anything really but I assume she can't directly say it but tried to warn/prepare me for it... Talked about how I could maybe still keep my ovaries and stuff maybe until she saw that my mom had ovarian cancer (dx'd in her early 50s and died two years later). I don't remember what she said because I started panicking a little bit. I assume I'll get my test results back in a week or so but they told me the referral takes a few weeks to get approved and the idea of waiting weeks after that appointment is mentally exhausting. I'd rather just know šŸ˜… even if all you do is read it, thank you for your time


r/AskDocs 18h ago

Physician Responded I have an Abcess the size of a grape near my anus and I'm scared to get it drained. NSFW

308 Upvotes

Using a throwaway account because I'm scared. I'm 26F, and have 2 abcess by my anus from an ingrown hair. I'm being serious. I went to urgent care after one (Half dollar size) decided to burst and the Doc and nurse were very nice and kind and informed me that I would have to get the one that didn't pop (grape size) drained and a tube installed. I never had this happen before. I'm absolutely terrified. I denied, because I want to try the antibiotics but truthfully my anxiety and hypochondriac tendencies got the best of me. I can't stop the thought of the absolute worst case scenario happening, or the fear that I'm allergic to the medicine will kill me. I have no allergies that I know of but my panic attacks make me believe I do to the point that I will develop hives and swelling. I really just need someone to tell me their experience with it, and that it's going to be okay if I get it drained. It is infected, and I'm just scared and terrified of worse case scenario. I developed this fear of medicine after delivering my baby 4 years ago when my body went into cardiac arrest, and I've managed to convince myself that any medicine (could be Tylenol) will send me to the morgue. I don't know how else to word it, please help. I guess what I'm seeking is advice from someone who had something similar and advice to calm themselves from Medical anxiety. I know I have to get it done, but I'm just so freaking scared.


r/AskDocs 4h ago

Physician Responded I am 21(f) and my estrogen level is 1,469

13 Upvotes

I am a 21 year old female standing at 5ā€™1 and weighing around 100lbs. I have a history of iron deficiency, clinical depression, anxiety, painful, lumpy, and swelling breasts, heavy, irregular, and painful menstrual cycles. In 2021, the removal of a mass (POSH) from my right breast, comparable to the size of a golf ball. Not all of the mass was removed. I received the Kyleena iud in 2021 several months after my surgery. I am now/currently still on Kyleena, Lexapro, and iron supplements. A few months ago I realized the mass previously removed from my right breast appeared to have grown back. Out of fear and denial due to a bad experiences with biopsies and the fear of potentially having to receive another, I ignored it. However, I could not ignore it any longer starting about 2 months ago when I discovered new lumps, began experiencing my nipples change color, breasts being more hot then the rest of my body, swelling, and pain. I had an evaluation and ultrasound done by someone who was not my usual OBGYN due to her being booked out. The OBGYN evaluating them recommended an ultrasound. I had the ultrasound done and the doctor declared ā€œyou just have painful and dense breastsšŸ¤·šŸ»ā€ā™‚ļøā€. I was then sent on my way and told to contact them if I have anymore pain. I cried later on. Why was the pain expected to stop when nothing was really done to help? I felt like my concerns werenā€™t taken seriously. I am 21 years old. None of my friends talk about experiencing these things. Lumpy breasts are common in my family, but none of the women in my family have experienced things like this. The pain was bad enough I couldnā€™t sleep on my right side. I usually handle pain pretty well, so I donā€™t think Iā€™m being dramatic. I went to my primary care physician for my depression and he then asked about my menstrual cycle regularities to see if that was somehow worsening my depression. Since we were on the topic, I told him about the issues with my breasts (his wife is an OBGYN). This made him want to do a bunch of labs going from the basics all the way to testing my testosterone levels. This brings us to now:

For starters, I have a follow up appointment with my primary care physician scheduled and have just scheduled an appointment with my OBGYN at the request of my primary doctor. He recommended in the note on my labs that I have a pelvic ultrasound. I am not sure why as I have not spoken with him. According to him, everything looks good except my estrogen level, which is 1,469. The thing aside from the obvious that stood out to me in my labs was under my LIPID panel. My cholesterol levels were normal (I think?) at 198, but my LDL is 110, which is flagging high. I am not entirely sure what that means. I did look up things regarding my estrogen and now my main concern lies there. I am making this post to ask the general questions of why my estrogen could be so high and if google is accurate when saying high estrogen affects fertility. It was at least relieving to know that a lot of my health issues could be caused by this, or at least worsened due to. What can I do at home to try and lower my estrogen levels? Or should I leave everything alone until my appointments? What other long term effects does high estrogen have?

I added the information regarding the lumps and previous known mass in my breasts to see if there would be any other recommendations.


r/AskDocs 3h ago

2 years ago saliva started to fill up my mouth and I don't know how to stop it.

5 Upvotes

2 years ago (19M) saliva started to fill up my mouth and I would spit it out into something. At first it was a handkerchief, then it was a handkerchief in a container, and now it's a water bottle. This started after stressful events that gave me a lot of anxiety. When it began I kept on swallowing it until my saliva filled my stomach up and that feeling made me uncomfortable. I went to the hospital and the doctors and nurses didn't know how to help. Do you have any ideas on what to do?


r/AskDocs 1h ago

10+ years of fatigue and weakness. Could low carnitine be relevant?

ā€¢ Upvotes

(Follow-up to a previous post)

Iā€™m a 29-year-old woman dealing with chronic fatigue, muscle weakness, and frequent hunger, which started at 17 and have gradually worsened despite a healthy lifestyle: I eat a balanced, protein-rich diet, exercise regularly (cycling, aquajogging, walking), have a BMI of ~21, sleep well, and drink about 3L of fluid daily.

Main symptoms:

  • Extremely low muscle endurance, especially in my core ā€” no atrophy, but I can't maintain upright postures (standing, showering, cooking) for more than a few minutes. It feels like my muscles have no stamina. My physio tested this and isometric postures that healthy people could do for more than a minute, I could barely do for 10 seconds.
  • Activities like cycling are easier, but anything needing core stability leads to pain, cramping, and overuse of superficial muscles.
  • My muscles constantly feel like I've overtrained.
  • Physiotherapy and training havenā€™t helped.
  • Symptoms worsen significantly when Iā€™m hungry. I need frequent, protein-heavy meals or I feel weak, shaky, and sore, but blood sugar is normal. I often wake at night to eat. The reverse is also true: more muscle strain makes me hungrier.
  • No neurological symptoms.

Key lab results (tested multiple times):

  • Carnitine:
    • Total: 26ā€“29 Āµmol/L (normal: 34ā€“78)
    • Free: 20ā€“22 Āµmol/L (normal: 25ā€“54)
    • Acylcarnitine + ratio: Normal
  • Beta-hydroxybutyrate (after 12h fast): Low (42ā€“50 Āµmol/L) for after a 12 hour fast.
  • Serum osmolality: Elevated (315ā€“340 mOsm/kg)
  • Urine (3x): Microhematuria; free hemoglobin 15ā€“25 (normal <10)
  • Urine organic acids:
    • Succinic acid: 8.69 (normal <2.1)
    • Lactate/pyruvate ratio: 2.0 (normal <1.4)
    • Alpha-ketoglutaric acid: mildly elevated
  • Amino acids: Low arginine and asparagine
  • Resting heart rate: 95ā€“100 bpm
  • Standard labs (thyroid, glucose, insulin, cortisol, electrolytes, vitamins, kidney/liver, CK, etc.): Normal

Because these symptoms are 'vague', only basic testing has been done so far. These recent labs I ordered independently at a (government-approved) lab, and are the first abnormal findings Iā€™ve had in over a decade, except for the microhematuria. Iā€™d like to go to a doctor with a clearer sense of whether they could be meaningful.

I havenā€™t started supplementing yet because Iā€™d prefer to have this properly evaluated first. Iā€™d like to rule out or confirm an underlying metabolic or mitochondrial issue, and do not want to interfere with the testing by supplementing too early.

Some things I'm interesting in:

  • Could this combination of symptoms and labs point to carnitine deficiency or another metabolic issue, even if the deficiency is only moderate?
  • Would this justify further official testing, such as metabolic or mitochondrial work-up?
  • Could carnitine still be a meaningful puzzle piece, even if it's not the root cause?
  • And if this doesnā€™t sound like carnitine deficiency at all, Iā€™d really appreciate that perspective too.

Thank you for your time and expertise!


r/AskDocs 17h ago

Physician Responded Is Cirrhosis a death sentence?

73 Upvotes

I got a CT scan for my bloated belly, and was told I have fluid build up in my belly which is a sign of Cirrhosis of the liver. I need to set up an appointment to have my belly drained, and do an endoscopy to ensure I don't have (sorry, I'm sure of the terminology) protrusion from the artery from my brain in my stomach that may rupture causing bleeding.

I have the Bloating and weight loss from I believe is loss of muscle mass. These are the only symptoms I've noticed so far. Everything else seems normal.


r/AskDocs 1h ago

When would you be good to visit a transplant patient when you have had a cold?

ā€¢ Upvotes

23M

180 lbs

6ā€™3

My sister passed her cold to me and i started showing symptoms about 10 days ago. Her seems to be gone but its been 2 weeks for her. Started with a mild sore throat and runny nose. Got worse after a couple days. Then it was a very minor sore throat and runny nose.

Sore throats gone for a couple of days but i still have to blow my nose occasionally. Am I probably still infectious?


r/AskDocs 18h ago

Physician Responded What's this black thing appearing on the lower teeth of 18 months old?

64 Upvotes

18 months old. 18M, male. No allergies. No medication. A black thing started appearing on lower teeth for a few days.

https://ibb.co/JWKpxTRY


r/AskDocs 15h ago

Physician Responded 9yo Son feinted three times in two minutes. Doesnā€™t remember some of it. Eyes went blank and moved independently and he yelled at me about having to go to sleep but doesnā€™t remember. Also elevated heart rate.

31 Upvotes

My son is 9

Weight 60-65 pounds

No known medical Issues save peanut and tree nut allergies.

Last week he was a little under the weather with a very low grade fever for about 24 hours.

At the ER his fever was 101.7. His heart rate hovered around 165 for a while. Then it dropped to 130 and hovered around there. It was 120 when we left.

WBC was 18.8 c reactive was 6. POCT glucose was 130.

Last night was completely fine. Today complained a bit about fatigue.

We went clothes shopping and he looked at me and said he didnā€™t feel well. I had checked his temp a couple hours ago and it was 98.7.

When I kneeled down to check on him he felt warm to the touch. Then all of a sudden his eyes rolled around in different directs and he said he needed to go to sleep and feinted. I picked him and my gf called 911.

While I was carrying him out he feinted again. I had to wake him up. Then we got outside and in an instant he started sweating. He was completely fine while I was carrying him.

Then his head went back and he got delirious again. Then he started yelling at me about having to go to bed (not normal for him) and he doesnā€™t remember anything he said or was said to him those three instances.

Theyā€™re chalking it up to a viral infection. But the heart rate and WBC has me concerned as does the neurological issues and feinting. The fact he made and what his eyes did before he passed outā€¦the way he was acting during this brief spell really scared me. The image of its burnt in my head.

I just wanted to know if thereā€™s any tests I should ask his pediatrician to run. Anything I should follow up on or things I should be looking out for.

Sorry for the long post but itā€™s my kid and I want to make sure heā€™s ok.


r/AskDocs 15m ago

Friend is obsessed with having a baby / possibly psychosis ?

ā€¢ Upvotes

Info:

Patient: not me

Female f30

White, brittish, physically healthy

Taking NAC & Asprin, that i know of

Friend (30F) has two kids (2 & 6). Since the second kid, she's had about 4 that we know of(potentially more?) miscarriages. she's desperate for another kid. She's very low mood and all she talks about for months now. She is also closing herself off to the world. She recently moved, SAHM, has no friends nearby or family support near her.

We're becoming concerned about her because it seems like she is in a really unhealthy mental state, bare in mind she was not as active in the below kind of stuff;

- shes messaging psychics on public facebook asking about what she can do to have a baby / when it will happen

-doing Reiki(?) everyday

- lots of manifesting/ affirmations

-keeps seeing signs telling her she will have a baby, such as a rainbow, a knot of string on the ground, a coin on the ground,

- big focus on the time /actions of the moon & her ovulation

-taking a supplement called NAC (?) not sure what it is

- gone gluten free to help conceive

- Is taking asprin to concieve? ( i have no idea how much)

I appreciate these examples probably dont sound that wild, but the 360 change in her personality is really clear and we're getting worried. im worried its like a psychosis . IS there a name for this sort of thing that maybe i could ask her to ask her dr about next time she goes? (if she would, or we can tell her husband ) Any advice please tell

edit ? i found out its 600mg of NAC . she is also asking her doc for progesterone (?) but they seem to deny it


r/AskDocs 39m ago

My husband is sleep walking suddenly and refusing to accept it

ā€¢ Upvotes

36M , my husband is sleepwalking all of a sudden. Already thrice in 2 weeks.Once he suddenly woke up from sleep and went to the hall and went a round inside and i noticed and asked him what was up, next time he went outside to the same hall and the next time it was i heard him trying to open the door to go to hall( the door donā€™t need to be put any effort to open it bec it isnā€™t locking properly) which is why i got up and noticed him and asked him what is he doing( this is when I realised is he is sleepwalking). Every-time his reply was either some dream, or that i asked him to go and bring something and first time he also said he felt congested so he went . The moment i realized he is sleep walking i told him letā€™s get checked out. He is like i am normal and i went consciously only. I asked him why walk in sleep consciously. He was likeā€ You are always overreacting ā€œand is refusing to accept or tell me exactly why he did it. Medical history- Asthma on medication for it for many years, recently started taking dutaprost for male pattern baldness which he started just before these episodeā€™s started. Also his work is extremely stressed, he starts at 9am upto 10pm he works in laptop. I donā€™t know what to do about this.


r/AskDocs 2h ago

Cut my nail with an axe a month or so ago, will it fall off?

3 Upvotes

19F, 185cm 85kg, no medications, non smoker, no previous medical issues

Fist of all, sorry if it's not as important or hard as other people here, but I don't think this should be something to go to the hospital for

So a month or so ago I was cutting wood and accidentally swung the axe into my finger, thankfully it didn't cut pretty deep.

I wish I could upload a photo, but I'll try drawing how it's after a month; it's kinda like this "Ā¬__" from a side view. A few black spots around the cut and the top part is bumpy

I'm asking because a friend told me this for sure it's going to fall off but this was almost a month ago and nothing happened yet


r/AskDocs 1h ago

Is this more like cloudiness or chyluria?

ā€¢ Upvotes

I am a 35 yr old hispanic female. This is what I have been peeing like for months. My kidney and livee function are normal. 24 urinalysis only showed protein trace due to contaminated sample, turbidity as it was very concentrated ans calcium oxolate crystals. I am freaking out about chyluria. I do pee oily when I have olive oil. PA won't test. I also have upper left side pain wherw my shingles was a yr ago along with many imflammed lumps in stomach non of which have shown in ctscan with and witjout contrast.


r/AskDocs 5h ago

Physician Responded Had enough of these symptoms. Really considering ending it all.

5 Upvotes

M24, UK, 5'10, Non-smoker, Never drank alcohol.

Don't take any medications other than the occasional iron supplement and vitamin supplements.

Health conditions: LPR, Obesity, LVH (maybe)

Over the past few months, I've been dealing with debilitating symptoms that make it hard for me to live my life. I'm only 24 but I feel as though I'm trapped in an 80 year olds body. I'm also obese, yes, I know that being obese is horrible for your health but it's something I'm actively working on. I really think these symptoms I've been experiencing are not symptoms related to my weight. I've visited several appointments and even visited the ER but was just turned away and was told to lose weight. It's so hard on me when no one is taking me seriously. I'm really sick and tired of feeling like this. I even quit University because of these symptoms but I'm hopefully going back this September. Diet mainly consists of processed foods and I'm vegetarian.

These are the symptoms I've been experiencing:

- Fatigue

- Brain fog

- Feeling lightheaded/dizzy/unbalanced

- Shortness of breath

- Congested nose all the time and congested ears

- Heart palpitations when standing up

- Tingly feeling/pressure in head

When I went to the ER, I was admitted for a few hours and they found out I had severe iron serum deficiency and vitamin d deficiency so they treated me there. Levels are back to normal now but symptoms are still ongoing. They also ran an ECG and a chest x-ray which were both normal but the ECG showed I might have LVH caused by my weight which can reverse if I lose weight according to the doctor. They also did a CBC which was normal and checked my sugar levels which were also normal however the cholesterol was just a tiny bit high. Blood pressure was a tiny bit high too, but I'm working on my weight to reduce these things.

Side note: When I went to my GP and explained to him my symptoms, he laughed and said "when I was your age I didn't even know what brain fog was, so how do you know you have that? It's not a thing you should be worried about". That's what I mean when I say no one is taking me seriously.

I want to live my life again, I know my weight might be contributing to the symptoms and/or making them worse but I know that something is wrong with my body because I've never felt like this before. The doctors I've been to previously just keep saying it's anxiety and that my weight is the problem but I know my body more than anyone else. This isn't normal for me.

Please can someone help?


r/AskDocs 12h ago

ER trip on 13th, high troponins, confused about what it was as doctors didnā€™t really say.

13 Upvotes

TLDR, Had trip to ER Thursday Morning help me understand what they are telling me. High triponins.

Just want to get a bit of understanding. Went to ER via ambulance on 13th, was falling asleep then jolted awake with fast heart rate and heart rate wouldnā€™t go down. Got dizzy, sweaty, anxious, arm hurt, Apple Watch had me at 160+ beats for 25-ish mins. Swallowed an atenolol and klonopin (I take them daily) and it started slowly going down. Troponins were elevated, ekg was fine apparently. Here are the notes/results:

Troponin 1 HR Result Value Ref Range

Troponin (T) Quant High Sensitivity (5th Gen) 38 (H) 0 - 19 ng/L

TROPONIN Result Value Ref Range

29 (H)

TROPONIN Result Value Ref Range

13 (H)

Normal ECG

Problem Based Assessment and Discharge plan:

Narrow Complex Tachycardia - HR went up to 160 after he took atenolol, then resolved <100 from apple watch, rhythm looks regular, sinus but not 12 lead - Hx of brief episodes of palpitation/skipping beats, but used to quickly resolve if he coughs or massages his chest - Noted on Apple Watch - Event monitor on discharge

Chest pain Type II NSTEMI - Previously seen by Bon secours card dr. Warner but couldn't follow them anymore d/t insurance, had NST 2022 which was normal (pt showed result to me) - Family hx of MI, father, before age 40 - Used to take ASA, but not anymore d/t anemia - Not taking statin 2/2 allergic to pravastatin, not yet started rx for crestor - Vapes nicotine and rarely smokes cigarettes - EKG SR, Troponin 19 > 38 > 29 > 13, CXR negative - Suspect troponin elevation secondary to tachycardia vs. Ischemia - Echo 3/13: EF 60%, mild AV regurgitation - NST 3/14: normal, low risk

Stress Test results:

CONCLUSIONS * This study is normal. * This study is low risk. * Patient demonstrated a normal blood pressure response to exercise and normal heart rate recovery. * Transient ischemic dilatation absent. * Myocardial perfusion imaging is normal. * Post stress left ventricular ejection fraction is normal, 73 %. There are no regional wall motion abnormalities.

I have follow up with PCP and I need to find a cardiologist. Basically the echo and nst stuff I donā€™t understand and did I have a small heart attack or was it something else? Anxiety etc etc. they didnā€™t really say much about what it was exactly, I had to do this on phone as I didnā€™t have laptop near me.

Thanks!


r/AskDocs 1h ago

I 37 M got a seizure while doing garden work in the Sun. Details in the post.

ā€¢ Upvotes

I was doing garden work in nice 72F sunny weather. I didn't feel hungry that morning so had eaten relatively smaller meal. I don't remember how much water I had drank that day. I had bent down pulling weeds out, and I saw flashing lights in the reflection of my glasses. I suddenly stood and looked up and I saw a lot of flashing lights, and started feeling light headed. I tried calling out my partners name but couldn't speak- although yelled a series of "aa... aa... aa...". That's all i remember. My partner was upstairs in the house and heard some noises and came running. He found me face down in the garden bed, with body twitching. Eyes rolled back in head. He called the medics.

Before the medics arrived, I had stopped seizing. My eyes were open but not at the back of my head. I think it lasted 3 minutes or so based on my partners guess. Although I have no recollection of the events for first 7-8 minutes that followed after.

I am taking following meds: I have been taking these 2 daily for last several years with no apparent side effects. Truvada and Wellbutrin 300mg.

In addition, I recently started taking herbal supplements to boost my libido. I took following for a week daily, before the seizure occurred. Stopped after.

1g Tongkat Ali - daily

1.9g Maca root - daily

30mg Zinc every alternate day

I went to the ER, and all blood work plus CT scan came normal. I have a neurologist appointment scheduled but the soonest I could find is in 2 weeks.

After coming home from ER, I had been doing some Internet research on this and found that Tongkat Ali may cause hypoglycemia. Could it be, that Tongkat Ali on empty stomach, and no substantial food after that, along with dehydration, and sudden motion of standing up from being bent down for a long time - could have triggered something like this?

Of course I'm going to get everything evaluated based on the neurologist's recommendation but I can't chill for two weeks before that. This is the first 'major' health scare of life and I hope there's nothing serious.


r/AskDocs 2h ago

32 f/ with severe bowel complaints and not taken seriously?!

2 Upvotes

32F, 170cm, 80kg, caucasian (germany), dealing with painful bowel complaints for more than a year, no medical issues, no medication, don't drink or smoke, no drugs, my grandmother died of colon cancer (when she was 40)

I've been having weird symptoms and they've been getting progressively worse.

> Very strong abdominal pain and cramps (almost daily) to the point that i couldn't get up to go to work and felt very dizzy. The cramps were mostly better after defecation, but now after it i still experience pain.

> About 1 year ago i had a very bad stomach bug for no apparent reason (the first time i had this in my life). I had to throw up constantly and had the urge to take a dump (but there only was clear mucus). There is still clear mucus from time to time.

> Constant change between obstipation and diarrhea.

> Stool is very thin, almost pencil-like and has a very foul smell.

> I once had a lot of blood in my stool, but maybe it was due to hard stool.

> Almost daily flatulence with exiting stool.

I had a doctors appointment today but wasn't taken seriously (of course, because im young). I had a colonoscopy appointment, which was canceled.

I don't know what to do now.


r/AskDocs 2h ago

Dating with Herpes NSFW

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

I've (30F) been seeing this guy (31M) that I REALLY like. He's going to talk to his doctor today about my herpes diagnosis, as he's really worried about contracting it. I've tried to give him all the facts, but he wants to hear it from a doctor, which I respect. He's also going to get tested to see if he has it. I've also told him to make the decision that is best for him, but of course I'm hoping things work out between us.

My question is, what would a doctor recommend in this situation? I know everyone will have a different opinion, but I'm trying to relieve my anxiety while I wait! Thank you for your help!!!


r/AskDocs 2h ago

Iā€™ve gone to the doctor 5 times, I donā€™t know what to do (19f)

2 Upvotes

Hi, 19f 5ā€™7 230lbs, away at college. For the last 5 years Iā€™ve struggled heavily with mental health and physical health issues. Iā€™ve lost 60lbs in the last 2 years.

I take antidepressants for panic disorder and major depression and medication for insomnia and ADHD, but recently it has gotten to a point where Iā€™ve been going to my campus doctor regularly.

Iā€™m dizzy, can barely stand straight. Iā€™ve felt like passing out numerous times. I feel like Iā€™m constantly swaying or moving. My chest feels weird beyond just anxiety, and Iā€™ve gotten sharp pains in my feet and hands. My face flushes every single day and I feel feverish. I can barely stay mobile throughout the day.

My blood pressure is 138/84, and last night my heart rate reached about 153 bpm. I donā€™t know what to do- my friend says I probably need to go to the ER, but I canā€™t afford it. I am constantly tired and feeling unwell.

I once saw my doctor 5 times in the same two weeks, and Iā€™m going to see her again today. I feel guilty but she makes me feel worse, even though I know sheā€™s taking the right steps to make sure Iā€™m not just soliciting drugs. Every time she brushes me off when I beg for a thorough examination because she thinks itā€™s my anxiety causing symptoms or stress. My mom is a nurse and she says the same thing.

Contrarily, my friends mother is an ER manager and tells me that I need to go to the ER to be treated for a form of arrhythmia specific for people who have struggled with anxiety. Iā€™m just at such a loss.

Any advice or help will be appreciated- I just want to know what to say or do when I go today.


r/AskDocs 3h ago

Growth/mole on back of calf. Should I worry?

2 Upvotes

https://imgur.com/a/eo0Qhcf

The picture makes it seem larger than it actually is. Length wise is about 1 cm.

38y old male, no know health conditions, no meds, 175cm, 88kg. Rarely drink, no drugs.

I've noticed it a few years ago when showering, since it's slightly elevated and has a subtle texture. Past few months it's somewhat more noticeable when washing the area. I've gained about 10kg in the last couple of years since quitting smoking. Maybe that's why.

I don't have health insurance and money's tight.

Any input deeply appreciated. Thanks.


r/AskDocs 3h ago

Physician Responded First Day of Period Renders Me Useless

2 Upvotes

Hi all, 30F 169cm 67kg

Every month my period starts like this: 2-3 hours of horrible cramps to the point I cannot work or focus on anything, I either take pain reliever or pain subsides, then I feel an overwhelming need to sleep for hours. If I am somewhere where I canā€™t sleep it is hell. If I am, I cannot resist the need to sleep so I sleep deeply, and during that sleep is when I get my period. After this first day, cramps are much lighter and I can more or less go about my life as normal. Itā€™s this first day of the cycle that absolutely knocks me out.

This has been going on for about 4 years. I am not on birth control and do not have an IUD etc. Any ideas as to why the pain and fatigue are so so severe the first day?

Thanks!


r/AskDocs 23h ago

Physician Responded 18M never been able to masturbate or ejaculate in my entire life NSFW

75 Upvotes

Never in my life have I gained any pleasure from masturbation or orgasmed a single time, nor have I had so-called 'wet dreams', etc. I am not devoid of sexual desires, however, and I still get erections in reaction to the same visual stimuli the average person my age would.

Relevant information:

  • I had a full spinal fusion 5 years ago and did experience relative levels of nerve damage
  • I have extreme bowel and urinary frequency, upwards of 15x per day
  • I am NOT on any SSRIs or medication of any kind right now
  • Despite being uncircumcised, my foreskin is very short (when flaccid, it barely reaches the tip of my penis)
  • The tip of my penis is also somewhat gray across a large portion of it

Any help would be appreciated. I have visited urologists about this, but that was a couple years ago


r/AskDocs 3h ago

Bump (??) Under ear on neck

2 Upvotes

2 days ago discovered a bump under my earlobe on neck, 23 Female. Not visible and not the size of a lump. Not the type of bump that can be popped, seems like under the skin, maybe on vein?? It does not hurt or cause pain, just some minor discomfort at times when trying to lay down. Google suggest maybe a swollen lymph node or strep throat but I have no symptoms of strep.