r/AskDocs • • 6d ago

Weekly Discussion/General Questions Thread - September 28, 2026

5 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?

  • Questions or general health topics that are not about specific symptoms or personal medical issues
  • 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 • • 8h ago

Physician Responded Pus pocket on my leg has drastically increased in size within the last couple of hours.

Post image
757 Upvotes

I’m 34, male, live in the UK. I have been on antibiotics for the last few days due to an infection on my leg. Over the last couple of hours, the pus pocket has drastically increased in size from a few mm to about an inch across and is soft and spongy.

I’ve been told over the phone to speak to my GP within the next 24 hours, that’s not possible for the next 9-10 hours minimum due to the time, so just wanted to get a second opinion as it’s been quite a surprise with how quickly it’s changed.


r/AskDocs • • 2h ago

Physician Responded 18F - how do I fix this? 💔

Post image
115 Upvotes

I know it’s my fault but these are quite literally the bane of my existence and bring me so much shame. These are about a year old at this point and they have improved but not as much as I would like. If you look closely the scars used to be longer but became white as time passed, is it possible for the whole thing to become white and fade away? How long will this take?

I’ve tried applying products from shoppers drug mart like mederma, vitamin C, tretinoin, silicone strips, etc. What else can be done? I asked an actual doctor irl and she just shrugged and said, “maybe a skin graft” but I feel like that might make my arm look worse? And it’s so invasive. Is this something that is reasonable for me to pursue?

Please if anyone knows how to fix this please help me, thank you! 🥲


r/AskDocs • • 2h ago

(30m)About five years ago, I fell victim to a seizure that left me unconscious in a blizzard.

Post image
74 Upvotes

I survived, obviously, however I’ve been having a few issues with some of my nails. Most of them fell off while I was in recovery. And they regrew. A little offkilter, but, not all as gracefully. Recently, my toenails have begun doing this. I don’t know what to do about it. It’s like they’re growing over top of one another. It’s been becoming more painful as it goes. I gotta be extremely carful of my toes when I’m out and about. I’ve been having difficulties in this respect since the frostbite.


r/AskDocs • • 5h ago

Physician Responded 3 Months of cognitive Decline

29 Upvotes

Female, 31 years old, 5’3”, 185 lbs.
Hi guys, I’m hoping to get some insight into a medical situation I’ve been dealing with for almost three months. Around July 8th, I woke up feeling completely out of it, despite feeling totally fine the day before. My own apartment suddenly felt unfamiliar, and I was struggling to understand things or think clearly. The change was extreme, like a switch had flipped overnight, and the confusion has only gotten worse since then.
For context, this happened after my second night of taking Seroquel for sleep, prescribed at 25 mg as needed. I had taken it before with good results and only took it for about five days this time. I personally think the timing may have been coincidental, but I’m mentioning it for completeness. Before this happened, I was working full time as a photographer, running my own business, and handling everyday life without any difficulty.
Since that morning, I haven’t felt back to myself, and my ability to function feels like it has progressively gotten worse.
At first, I had intense brain fog, felt disconnected from my surroundings, and experienced a horrible sense of doom. The doom sense would cause me to wake up at 4am confused and feeling as if something was very wrong. This persisted and I started struggling to follow conversations, understand what I was reading, and figure out basic tasks that used to come naturally. My mind often feels blank, like I can’t access my thoughts or figure out what to say. My memory and judgment feel different, and I’ve struggled to draw a clock correctly during assessments. I now need help with things I used to do independently, and this has affected my ability to work. My personality has completely changed, I used to be also an extremely clean person and I am the total opposite now.
One of the most upsetting changes is that I no longer feel sleepiness. I don’t just mean being tired but unable to fall asleep. The actual sensation of getting sleepy seems to be gone. I have nights when I feel like I barely sleep at all, but I still don’t experience that normal tired feeling.
I’ve also lost my sense of thirst. My brain doesn’t seem to tell me that I need water anymore, so I have to consciously remind myself to drink. I’m still drinking, but the normal internal signal is missing. My usual hunger signals have also decreased. These changes happened alongside the confusion and feeling disconnected, which is part of why this has been so frightening.
My emotions and personality feel completely different too. I feel emotionally numb, disconnected from myself, and unable to engage with people the way I used to. I’ve also noticed that I don’t feel the same subjective effects from sedating medications or alcohol that I used to, although I don’t know what that means. People that have known me so well have noticed I’ve seemed very spaced out and confused.

I’ve had multiple hospital visits and extensive testing, including brain imaging, EEGs, lumbar punctures, and bloodwork. So far, my doctors haven’t identified a neurological cause that explains what I’m experiencing. I know someone could say this could be anxiety, but this is so severe. I did get ruled out for any mental health issues and have not had any previously either.

This is constant, regardless of where I am, and I haven’t had a period where I feel back to my usual self. I’m scared and frustrated because it has changed my everyday life so much. I know Reddit can’t diagnose me, but has anyone experienced something similar, or does anyone have guidance on what type of specialist could help evaluate this


r/AskDocs • • 11h ago

Physician Responded Seeking closure about wife’s death (Brain Haemorrhage)

78 Upvotes

52/F/5’2/55kg/UK

My(42m) wife (52f) passed away suddenly from an intraparenchymal haemorrhage + extensive subarachnoid haemorrhage in July this year. She had a history of: significant alcohol consumption (1200ml wine/day over 10+ years); a formal diagnosis of mild liver fibrosis in 2021; and an inherited bleeding disorder (VWD; I didn’t find out which factor). She was not on any medication aside from a week’s worth of painkillers from the GP that we were told accounted for liver damage and did not contain blood thinners (I can’t remember the name). 

If you have the time, I am hoping to find some closure about what my wife might have experienced from the period of her brain bleed until her death. I am also interested to know whether the quality of care she received at the end of her life is consistent with the expectations of the physicians on this sub - not to criticise the professionals who I owe a great deal to, but to remind myself that they did the best they could. My wife did not do all that she could to help herself with alcoholism - and I deeply regret not trying harder to help her change - so I’m not here to point any fingers. It’s just that there are some things that went too quickly for me to process at the time and have left me with questions as to their nature. 

I woke to find my wife unresponsive in bed at 8.45am, with her left eye closed and her right eye half open. When she opened her left eye she became conscious briefly but could not speak or move her right side. I called an ambulance immediately and began to shift her into the recovery position. Her eyes rolled back. I lifted her into an embrace, telling her to stay with me, at which point her eyes came forward again and she raised her left hand to rub my hair gently between two fingers. She then began gurgling slightly, so I assumed she could not swallow and put her back into the recovery position. Both her eyes shifted sideways towards me with an expression of fright/confusion, but within moments they assumed a fixed, forward position. She was still breathing. 

Four paramedics arrived within 30 minutes and declared her unresponsive immediately, assuming a seizure. After answering some questions I left the room while they worked on her, and totally froze on the steps outside my home, waiting for them to bring her to the ambulance. We didn’t ride to the hospital for another hour, which confused me given how serious her condition seemed, but when we did leave it was at light speed. Paramedics attempted to intubate her airway en route but upon doing so she vomited at *least a litre of blood and I heard an electrical monitor flatline. The medics strapped an oxygen mask on her and began working tirelessly to refill her blood levels and potentially restart her heart. I was too shocked to ask for any information from that point and did not see the paramedics again after arriving at the university hospital. 

I was in the ICU waiting room for no more than 5 minutes when a doctor reported that the amount of blood on my wife’s brain was likely ‘unsurvivable.’ He checked with the neurosurgeon and confirmed - ‘zero chance of survival’ - then hurried away. The clinical delivery shook me, athough I appreciate that ICU doctors are often too busy for bedside manner. It is what it is. Again, I was too shocked to ask any questions.

So by about 11am or so, my wife had been removed from the ICU and placed on end of life care. It was… quick. I wonder now if there really was ‘nothing that could have been attempted’ to lower the pressure in her skull, especially as I had been told she was going to die anyway. That hurts, that nobody tried, but I suppose she wouldn’t have wanted to live with no functionality if it really was as severe as they said. Maybe it was best they didn’t try anything. I hate that I have to convince myself to say that.  

The doctor leading end of life care was much more sympathetic. She confirmed the intraparenchymal haemorrhage on the left side but there was no mention of the SAH until the death certificate. Perhaps the SAH is why my wife died so much sooner than the doctor anticipated, at 3.00pm that same day. I suppose it just cascaded, what with all the disorders of blood clotting stacked against her? Would that be fair to say? 

I’d like to know why her eyes were open (no blinking) during the entire hospital stay, and can’t believe I never thought to ask. It was so jarring to be told that her brain was shutting down and she wasn’t responsive despite her thousand yard stare. Her eyes were a little lifeless and it got me thinking; what if she had died already in the ambulance with the internal bleeding? Or after she arrived? I never saw the CT scan but I assumed it went ahead since her necklace had been removed and returned to me. I was shocked - it was all processed by the hospital so quickly, like fast food. If she was still alive was it likely just by way of machines? She didn’t look intubated - it was just a mask with nasal feed? Do they even do intubation at end of life care? 

While the head doctor was great, the team of nurses was either inexperienced (which I understand completely) or experienced but just plain uninterested in my situation. I asked one nurse if my wife could hear me (I had been talking to her anyway), but the nurse just shrugged and said ‘we don’t know’, while proceeding to discuss my wife’s terminal fate right in front of her face. I had to move this nurse to the other side of the room to continue talking. I asked several nurses if my wife could have morphine, which was met with a sort of inconvenienced expression. They suggested (without exactly saying it) that morphine was out of the question. I later learned online that patients with liver issues can’t metabolise it properly, but again - why did the nurses not just say that? It was as though they didn’t want to give me any information. Eventually the doctor agreed to a syringe driver with alternative medicine, but almost as though it was a favour to me? Perhaps this is wildly paranoid on my part. 

Nothing was said of the vomiting blood in the ambulance. I later learned about the condition of oesophageal varices from my own research, and was upset that none of the paramedics had considered the possibility after me telling them about her alcohol addiction, painful throat and clotting problems. Then again, her breathing would likely have been the priority anyway, and I get that. I could see the paramedics had their work cut out for them and that they worked very hard. 

I was told that my wife’s brain would shut down within 48 hours and that I could stay the night. At 2.00pm I left the hospital to get my phone and wallet which I’d left behind, and inform family. I told my unresponsive wife I was going to buy her some lunch and that I loved her. At 2.50pm the doctor had left a message to say my wife’s condition had worsened and ‘she was approaching end of life imminently’. My paranoia makes me think she vomited into her oxygen mask and aspirated or something? Should she have had a mask on after vomiting half her blood volume earlier in the day? 

When I arrived back at 4.15pm she was long gone. The kind end-of-life doctor took me to the side and explained that my wife had been comfortable and her breathing simply slowed to a stop. I know I should believe her. I did believe her. Until I was shown my wife. I wasn’t braced to see her like that and I’ll never get over it. Her mouth was wide open as if gasping for air and her eyes were closed this time (sealed shut, I imagine). I have heard the jaw often opens after death but even so something looked off. She looked exhausted, frightened, and nothing like when she was unresponsive with a dying brain. I hope someone can tell me it was just my imagination, and that autonomic reflexes postured her that way. I swear she looked so peaceful when I’d left her. Nurses had disappeared and the doctor just kind of grimaced at me as if to say, ‘is that okay?’. 

I said thank you, kissed my wife, then turned and walked out of the hospital without another word. I know I couldn’t do the job that the doctors and nurses do (for long, anyway). I know they were doing their jobs the best way they could at the time. But I felt let down, like someone had noticed she was an alcoholic and lost interest along the way. Sorry to say it like that. Why didn’t they keep her on the mask until I got back? Were there tests done for brain death? I didn’t get to know? Why did nobody volunteer any information? I’m the furthest thing from a doctor. 

I have been struggling despite support from my family, and I am considering approaching a professional grief/trauma counsellor, but my heart isn’t in it just yet. 

Guilt has been the biggest obstacle stopping me from processing my grief in a natural way. I spent the first half of our relationship organising blood tests, therapy and liver biopsies - then I just stopped trying because my wife’s symptoms never progressed. I hate myself for that. Both my wife and I were definitely ignorant about how quickly end stage symptoms could appear. For years it was just intermittent jaundice. Then for a few weeks there was bruising and fatigue. Then for a few days there were bleeding gums, and then suddenly a haemorrhagic stroke. I thought we would have time to at least get back to the hepatology department but I was wrong. 

If I could have the answer to just one question it would be - was my wife suffering? It was certainly the worst experience of my life, but I’d like to think she was truly unconscious long before she was officially pronounced dead at 3.00pm that day. 

Thank you for taking the time to listen to me. Any replies are welcome, wherever you come from and whatever field you are in. Please don’t think I am not grateful for medical help. I am. My wife was always grateful too. 


r/AskDocs • • 10h ago

26f, every symptom of ovarian cancer. Doctors have assured me I’m too young for it but I have a history of cancer. I’m wondering if with the tests they have done if they would have found it?

49 Upvotes

26f- 5’3 about 120 lbs.

My mom got breast cancer at 35, triple negative. They did tests on her and told us it was not genetic, the cancer came back more aggressively at 40 and she passed within less than a year.

Over a year ago I went to the doctor due to burning pain in one side of my lower abdomen which I assumed was ovary pain. I also was having trouble holding my bladder. I mentioned my concerns about ovarian cancer back then but they said more than likely not.

They did a pelvic ultrasound and I had to pee in a cup.

They called a week later and said I have “polycystic presenting ovaries” but it did not matter unless I was trying to get pregnant.

I then started to have weird behavioural changes, bad fatigue and weakness 24/7, I was diagnosed with PMDD and depression and got put on birth control.

They did bloodwork and never called after that.

My symptoms have evolved over time, I now have pain in both ovaries which is confusing because they told me the birth control should stop any new cysts from growing.

I have bad back pain almost everyday, I’m moving slowly and feel tired.

I went back to the doctor and they switched my anti depressants.

I’m having a lack of appetite, I slept from 10pm-1pm today without waking up and it’s now 4 and I feel full like I ate a meal but haven’t eaten since last night.

My bladder issues still have no answers either they said I don’t have a bladder infection but I have to pee non stop, I can’t make a 30 minute drive without stopping

As embarrassing as it is to admit have peed in my sleep and peed in my pants on more than one occasion.

My ovary pain is really constant now, I can feel a lump on one side.

So I’m wondering, if I did have ovarian cancer would they be able to tell based off of what they’ve done and that’s why they shut down all those concerns?

Also, they did the genetic testing on my mom and said it was not in her genes, is it possible for those tests to be wrong? I have read a lot of studies about intra-aereola polythelia being connected to BRCA and I have it on both sides so I wonder if they got it wrong, if they did my chances of cancer are a lot higher

I also was diagnosed with lichen schelerosis as a kid but nobody’s brought it up since my mom died so I don’t know much about it.

I also bleed everytime I go #2, like a lot of blood. I believe it is unrelated, like haemorrhoids or something

Also not sexually active so they would only do the outside ultrasound


r/AskDocs • • 4h ago

Physician Responded Is there a way I could still take my stitches out on my own?

Post image
18 Upvotes

Hi, 26F, in Wisconsin USA. I had to get (4) double stitches on my right calf from a broken frame in our trash bag brushing up against it when trying to take it out.

The dr did this on Friday and told me I could cut and pull them out on my own in 8-10 days. Checked my leg on Friday (8th day) and couldn't see my stitches to cut. My gf helped me get the first one out, but we cannot reach the other stitches. I tried putting an ice pack on it to reduce the swelling but I can't get a needle or anything thin to get under the thread to cut it with our medical scissors.

Am I gonna have to go back to the doc to get them taken out?

The image above is from today. I will put an image in the comments of what it looked like the day I got them done to see where the stitch line was.


r/AskDocs • • 20h ago

Physician Responded Baby born with brain cancer : update

245 Upvotes

My grandson is 7 weeks old, weighs 12 pounds.
This is an update from a couple months ago.

The diagnosis is infant-type hemispheric glioma.

He’s doing really great and will start a daily med that’s not chemo (yet). Is is supposed to shrink the tumor as well the fluid in his brain. He has an amazing team of neurosurgeons and oncologists.

I don’t have a question.


r/AskDocs • • 1d ago

Physician Responded 1 Year Old Skin 12 Days After Normal Vaccines?

Post image
1.2k Upvotes

My 1yo had the MMR vaccine along with flu, hep a, and Varicella almost 2 weeks ago. This past Wednesday she had some of the rash forming. Now, 12 days after the shots, her skin looks like this.

She also developed an ear infection exactly 1 week after the shots. She has been on amoxicillin since Tuesday.

Her pediatrician says it looks like a rash from the MMR vaccine and that it will go away on its own. She also said it does NOT look like an allergic reaction from the antibiotics.

They told me that there’s nothing I can do, but I’m nervous and feeling lots of mom guilt.

My 1yo also has not been sleeping very well for the last week. Up and down all through the night.


r/AskDocs • • 8h ago

Physician Responded Can Someone Double Check This Nuclear Stress Test? Doctor said I’m having a heart attack.

Post image
23 Upvotes

5’10”, 170 lbs, 35, extensive cardiac history. 3x CABG, 2 stents, I went in to the hospital with shortness of breath, hypertension, and chest pain. My initial chest pain would improve with morphine. I had a stress test today and I attached the photo. I knew I had prior ischemia, it’s not horrific. I was able to reach 13.7 METS last time in March before an LAD stent. My symptoms are mimicking all the problems I had before that stent in May. Since then, everything was well controlled.

During the nuclear stress test I developed severe chest pain when I’d previously been feeling little to no pain around 6 mins in because I was given morphine around 40 mins prior. It stayed severe and kind of never subsided. It’s an extremely heavy pressure. The other cardiologists for the March nuclear stress test made no mention of an EKG showing ischemia nor did they say I had any issues besides moderate inferior wall ischemia.

The cardiologist for the hospital said they believe I’m fine and everything is just ischemia. They didn’t run a new EKG, troponin, or any further testing. Meanwhile, I’m experiencing all these symptoms, including hypertension that starts only with activity and goes down to like 120/80 with rest laying down. It also feels like I’m having strong coronary artery spasms, which I haven’t had since my LAD stent. Should I go back to another hospital where my main cardiologists are? I had to go to the new hospital because they did my stent in May and they’re generally a very good hospital. Realistically, based on my symptoms I was hoping to do a heart cath, especially with the nuclear stress test results.


r/AskDocs • • 1d ago

Physician Responded Seatbelt syndrome questions

Post image
408 Upvotes

20/ female/ 5’1 190lbs/ on Tylenol, ibuprofen, and OxyContin
For context I got in a wreck a week ago (Sunday), when it happened I was passenger and I was diagnosed with seatbelt syndrome day of. A week passes, went to the ER last night however they told me they had lots of cardiac patients and what I was dealing with wasn’t an emergency.
Bruising went from purple to a jaundice color within a day, it’s super super hard to the touch, I had trouble w/ the bathroom until literally today, and it’s hot to the touch. I’ve been to the ER three times this week (once for after wreck, once for tailbone post wreck ^three days ago^ and once yesterday ^told me it wasn’t a medical emergency but refused to examine me!) Just really wondering wth this could be as nobody has examined me fully since last Sunday and I’m getting really concerned, my pcp/ orthopedic wouldn’t even look at any other thing than my fractured wrist.


r/AskDocs • • 2h ago

26 yo female found maybe tonsil stones?

Post image
4 Upvotes

Notice some time swallowing is hard Notice this when I check tonsil stones?


r/AskDocs • • 3h ago

Physician Responded Are my guts coming out?

Post image
4 Upvotes

Brief history: I had abdominal surgery in 1998, and another in 2001. They reopened part of the original incision for the second surgery, and it didn't heal as well. I remember having a deep pain in my belly not long after the surgery, but it didn't last long and I think I just pushed it out of my mind.

Fast forward to 2025 and an MRI for hip arthritis. I came across this image, and am I crazy or did my incision split open?

I have secondary lymphedema from the surgery, hence the big leg.

50F / 5'4"/ 129lbs / nonsmoker


r/AskDocs • • 20h ago

Physician Responded Coming out of nose

Post image
127 Upvotes

28 male, no medical history, just getting headaches pretty frequently, on and off green and yellow mucous

This came out as a snot rocket. Kinda looks like worms


r/AskDocs • • 11h ago

Physician Responded Can 10 minutes walking (with a mobilty aid) really make a difference?

20 Upvotes

Age, almost 41, 180 cm, 100 Kg. Non smoker, non drinker.

Diagnosed with:

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) / focal atrial tachycardia (FAT)

ME/CFS

Dysautonomia

Lipedema-Lymphedema (arms and legs)

Bilateral knee osteoarthritis (Grade 4 right / Grade 4 left)

Plica Syndrom on both knees

Polyneuropathy feet

Patella alta

Bilateral piriformis syndrome

Snapping hip syndrome

GERD

SIBO

Insulin resistance

Cervical syndrome

Splay-flat-foot deformity

Swan-neck finger deformities

...and I just ripped part of my left meniscus for no reason.

My actual question: trough circumstances in the last years I am mainly laying in bed or sitting, altough sitting cost a lot of energy. I am trying my best to move around but it is very exhausting and painful. Outside I am usually using an electrical wheelchair but I kinda refuse that this is it now.

I really want to walk like a normal person again and I am trying. Today I walked (with my walker 10 minutes without sitting). I am wondering if 10 minutes a day would even make a difference for my body? When I came back from the walk I asked myself if this is even worth it.

On the internet there are training plans and everything but I will never be able to follow them. It always sounds like if you don't move around a lot it does not even help your cardiovascular system.

Can 10 minutes make a difference for my health?


r/AskDocs • • 12h ago

Physician Responded Pain management dismissal.

23 Upvotes

Male 29 175, in shape and active. Non smoker.

So i was recently dismissed. Pain management told me that my type of pain does not fit within their guidelines, and that I am being dismissed with a final refill.

Im hoping that they are being honestly, and that i don’t fit their clinics guild lines to treat pain. I talked to a family member and just trying to vent about it.. He kinda pissed me off tho.. he told me that i was dismissed due to my past going to urgent care because id have severe flareups 10/10 pain and would frequent urgent care two or three times a month. He said “you actions have consequences” as if i was going for fun….

I now take buprenorphine for pain. It works great for my type of pain. Im on two mg, three times a day. Id say 90% of the time i feel great. I had a flare tho, and asked for help from pain management. The pain management clinic told me to do so.
Thankfully my PCP is taking over.

Is it true they will release you based on your past urgent care visits from before you got in pain management?
Are they most likely be honest?

I wasn't clear here I guess. I mean to ask simple because I was given this as an answer from a third party. I was not released for abuse, they told me they don't treat flare ups, that my pain management needed was something that required close monitoring due to pain being up and down. They told me to seek my pcp to take over, or if i called back they could refer me elsewhere... they also gave me a final refill to hold me over.

I figured this to be a kinda blanket way to remove someone that they didnt want to deal with. When i vented to a family member about this, i was told they may have released me due to how frequently i was at urgent care before i was in pain management. I did go once well in pain management, but this was approved by the pain management provider. There was past issues of my testosterone being low as 107 and i had asked many times to be taken off. Then there was a mix up with how i was to take meds, as my bottle and count didnt match up on the bottle so i took it as my doctor told me during the appointment but the change in my treatment never got noted and the doctor that responded was not the doctor that did my treatment, this had lead to more confusion so i had to go to the clinic agan to show them the bottle and that my count was right.

this is all stuff i posted about this. However instead of an answer to a question i was given a answer to a question i didnt ask, and then implayed that im dismissed for knowing drug abuse.


r/AskDocs • • 15h ago

Donated & this happened.

Post image
36 Upvotes

I(48/F/5’9/200 lbs/Lexapro/Gastric Bypass & plastic surgery ‘10, ‘11, ‘14/Nonsmoker) went to donate blood on Tuesday. I’ve done it before, never had a problem, maybe a little bruise, but nothing like this has ever happened.

The guy who hooked me up, decided to tell me, he had been awake since 3pm the day before, and it was 9:30 in the morning. He worked all night, and came into to the donation location until 2:30/3. When it put the line in, it hurt, and he kept jiggling with it. It hurt a lot, and the blood pressure cuff was obnoxiously tight too. I asked if it was the big girl cuff, because I’m a meaty girl. I’m not meant to be a skinny mini. I’ve tried - I get sick. I’ve learned to accept it. I figure weighing 200 is better than weighing 448.

He said I didn’t need the bigger cuff, and told me not to move. Cuff went off again, the pain really amped up, and at this point I was getting tired. I beg him to take the needle out, and rip the cuff off. I start to feel fine, sat for a min, got up, and down goes Frazier. Next thing I know, I’m talking to a fireman, and going to the hospital. It’s labeled vasovagal, and I’ve even been resting and wfh.

But here’s the thing, my arm is KILLING me still. I can extended, but it feels like a rubber band about to snap. My inner elbow to my thumb/fingers either go numb or hurt. I get, I passed out. But this is way more than landing on my arm the wrong way. The donation place is blowing me off, or if they call - no one leaves a name to get in touch. Spoke to a a friend, who’s an IV nurse, they’ve asked to see what it’s looked like since it happened, and one point they said I looked like I got run over. I just don’t know how to proceed? I can’t get into my doctor, I don’t want to waste the $ going into a walk in clinic, and have them tell me to take Tylenol and rest. Do I keep trying to get in touch or try to go to corp(not like anyone cares), I just want to be able to my arm, and not walk around like Napoleon. Thoughts? Help? Sorry to bother. Thanks.


r/AskDocs • • 21h ago

Physician Responded Is this worth going to urgent care over? It HURTS

Post image
104 Upvotes

27F

5ft4, 210lbs

Non tobacco user, but I vape both nicotine and cannabis oil

Currently diagnosed with PMOS, PMDD, degenerative disc disease + multiple other back issues

Not currently taking any medications, I do use generic acetaminophen for pain

This is the 4th one of these painful lumps I've had, all within the past 3 months. 3 of them have been in the left armpit, one in the right. Primary doc suspects HS and has referred me to a dermatologist, but my appointment is 3 weeks out from now.

This particular lump hurts SO bad, it is getting pretty big under the surface, and its been days and it still hasn't started draining (the other 3 all drained on their own within 2 to 4 days). I dont think the other ones got this red either, but im not 100% sure because I didn't take pictures of the other ones.

Is this likely to start draining soon on its own? I dont want to look silly going to urgent care, but its honestly so painful its hard to sleep 😭 Acetaminophen isn't helping, is there something I can do beyond warm compresses and tea bags at home for relief?? Please help 😅


r/AskDocs • • 3h ago

[10F] Sudden small dark spot/lesion on the sole of the foot – what could this be?

Post image
4 Upvotes

We noticed this spot appear suddenly on the bottom of her foot. It was initially mistaken for a skin mark, but we want to know what possibilities this could represent


r/AskDocs • • 4h ago

Physician Responded Paranoid about Tylenol toxicity

3 Upvotes

I am 33 years old, female, 213lbs. Yesterday starting at 5:30 I took two 500mg acetaminophen pills, then two 30ml liquid cap fulls (1000mg each) around 7:00 and finally two more 30ml cap fulls around 12:00am this morning. I’ve taken amounts similar to this before for the first 24hrs of my period in for intense pain. I started getting nervous after my last dose though because it made me feel kind of dizzy, so I started reading and got totally freaked out about accidental OD. So I called poison control at 6:00am to see what they thought I should do and they said to not take anymore for 24+ hrs and that because of my weight to dosage ratio that I should be okay to not go to the ER. I’ve been paranoid ever since though and monitoring symptoms like feeling very tired and noticing some mild hints of upper abdominal pain but I often feel like this anyway during my period. I was going to let it go and calm down a little but then when I went to pee it looked pretty cloudy, not quite tea colored but definitely cloudy. What do yall think? Should I see about this first thing tomorrow?


r/AskDocs • • 4h ago

Physician Responded Does this need stitches?

Post image
4 Upvotes

Male
Age 6
Height: 4 ft
Weight: 46lbs
No medication and non smoke, obviously.

My son hit his head on the edge of the bed frame today. It was bleeding quite a bit but we got it to stop quickly. The end result is what you see. Nothing looked deep, more like he skinned his head, but it just feels like such a big spot when looking at it. After about 10 mins, he was fine and back to playing.

I’m second guessing now whether we should have gone to the emergency room. Does this look like it needs stitches? There no laceration we can see.

Happened about 6 or so hours ago. It’s a little raw looking and seeping still a bit. This was taken after it happened and we cleaned him up.


r/AskDocs • • 2h ago

Physician Responded Friction burn two days ago on top of foot, don't know whether it's worth addressing with an ER visit

Post image
3 Upvotes

25M, redness in the area has gone down alot since it happened, feels like the friction burn was across more than just the wound area, i did it with a sock on against carpet.. I used antiseptic wipes and kept it dry. Pain is a 3 unless pressure is on it then it's more like a 5. No puss or bleeding or swelling at all at the time or since. It might also be worth mentioning i have previously had quite bad 2/3rd degree chemical burns on this foot when I was younger (10 years ago) that left the skin quite thin and with some scar tissue


r/AskDocs • • 45m ago

Physician Responded Wondering if anyone can help me determine if i ovulated from my bloodwork.

Post image
• Upvotes

Family dr can’t get me in for 6 weeks but I’m taking fertility medicine from him and he requested these tests

I did the bloodwork on day 22 of my cycle

I’m 42, and female

I’ll add more in the comments


r/AskDocs • • 6h ago

Physician Responded Spreading rash is driving me crazy. Spoiler

Post image
5 Upvotes

Female, 32, no drinking, quit smoking sept 19th 2026, medical issues: fibromyalgia, anxiety, depression, ocd, currently taking macrobid for a UTI. This rash mid last month, around the time I stopped smoking (vaping). I am allergic to nickle, but haven’t come into contact with it that I am aware of recently. Also allergic to sulfa antibiotics and latex. I am miserable. The rash started in my upper pubic area, I thought it was potentially related to going to the gym and sweating (started going to the gym regularly early sept. However I am struggling and have developed more places with the rash that doesn’t seem to be related to the gym like my eyelids, wrists, and the back of my neck/hairline. It started in a small patch and has progressed. Stopped shaving to avoid further agitation, it seems to still be agitated. I started using an antifungal cream and spray in case it was ringworm or jock itch, does not seem to have had any impact and it isn’t getting any better. I also used head and shoulders shampoo. I usually use Dove Antibacterial body wash and hemps shampoo and conditioner, use shaving cream every time I shave. My partner has had no issues and has not gotten any kind of rash. We’ve checked our pets and they don’t appear to have any kind of fleas, no bedbugs that we see. The rash isn’t super itchy, but occasionally itches really intensely and then is fine. Usually at night or after a hot shower. My legs are also very itchy, but have no rash that I can see or feel, though they are a bit dry. I’ll attach more pictures in the comments.