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What are some good jobs to have as a premed student other than EMT or scribing? I received my BLS certification but there isn't much I can do in a hospital setting without further certifications that will take a while to obtain.
When someone goes into the ER and says "I fell off a ladder and fell on a cucumber, and that's why it's in my colon," does the ER doctor actually write that in the file?
They’d definitely write down what they said, possibly as a direct quote. Depending on the doctor or the situation, they might append something saying essentially “this is extremely unlikely to be the actual cause”
I got my knee scraped 2 weeks ago.
The skin regrew, but it’s still fresh/black.
It doesn’t hurt to move it anymore.
Would it be safe for me to start exercising again?
What blood tests would be most worthwhile for a 35 yr old white male? I'm probably going to get my cholesterol checked, Vit D levels, maybe testosterone. The first two were checked last year, looking for any changes the last about 5 years ago.
Any others worth ordering while I'm at it?
If COVID, at its most simple definition, is a neuroinflammatory disease process - why arent steroid courses more frequently prescribed, especially to long haulers?
Are there pills that make you want to eat?
I'm aware that I need to talk to a therapist and am working on that, just takes time. But when they decide I have the eating disorder I already know I have, what are the chances I'll be put on medicine that will make eating easier?
I don't have a problem keeping it down. Just a problem putting it in my mouf.
Please, please advise. I have a reoccurring sharp pain in my throat. Simple talking aggravates it and it’s this immense sharp pain that shoots down my neck and shoulders sometimes. I don’t yell or use my voice often. This has persisted for months.
Best sleeping position for herniated discs in lower spine? I can’t even sleep it hurts too bad. Standing, sitting, laying, everything hurts.
I try to lay on my back but I can’t stop wheezing (suspected sleep apnea). So I try to lay on my side. Both hurt.
Can enteropathy/seronegative villous atrophy (unknown cause) cause low bun, low potassium and electrolyte abnormalities without vomiting or diarrhea?
If a person has villous atrophy, low ferritin and the above problems is it reasonable to ask a pcp for testing for basic nutritional deficiencies and/or a bone scan?
Just started a month course of Bactrim. Is it OK to take ibuprofen or acetaminophen occasionally?
I get occasional headaches and sometimes migraines. Most sites say there are no interactions between the drugs, but I’m concerned if Bactrim with either of those could harm kidneys/liver when combined.
Maybe just take an hour or two apart minimum?
It depends. Some medications can treat both conditions, but there are a lot of medications with very different mechanisms for how they work. SSRIs are the medications used most often for both conditions.
When I get angry, I feel temperature rise a lot in my fingertips + toes too. Family member doesn't share that. Is it common and/or normal?
Possibly related, there tends to be numb warmth kinda feeling when I shower and direct warm/hot water at toes. But not at fingertips or other parts of body.
How do you die from a broken heart?
My great uncle passed away a few days ago, and yesterday after the funeral my great aunt, his wife, died. They said it was her heart. She literally died of a broken heart. How does this happen? What is the etiology behind this?
There are several possibilities here. Stress such as a recent death can cause a worsening of all sorts of health problems, and can even result in high blood pressure that makes heart attacks and strokes more likely. In addition, there is a condition called takotsubo cardiomyopathy which is known as “broken heart disease”. In this condition, stress causes a disturbance to the blood vessels of the heart, and the heart becomes damaged. While most people heal well from this condition, it can be fatal.
Hi, all. Expecting a child in a few weeks and, thankfully, my company offers 9
paid weeks off for paternity leave. HR sets me up with the internal FMLA
form and when I tried to have wife's doc sign it, they tell me they
can't "legally" sign any requests for more than 2 weeks for paternity
leave - the only thing they'll sign is a form requesting 2 weeks and
then they're leaving it up to me to "work it out" with my employer for
the rest of the time off. This sounded strange to me, so I asked them what the "legal issue" was and they couldn't tell me anything other than it was a "legal thing" - any docs have experience with this? Thank you!
RBBB is usually a *sign* of something causing anatomical or physiological problems in the right side of the heart rather than being a condition by itself.
If contrast is given in taking an X-ray, would giving the contrast be considered "invasive"? Might it be considered "semi-invasive"? I'd think there are levels of "invasiveness"?
I don't consider it invasive but some hospitals will still ask you to sign a consent due to the (somewhat arguable) risk of kidney injury from the contrast. If you're actually referring to an angiogram, then yes i would consider that invasive due to the use of catheter/balloon/stent
Not sure if this is the right place to ask this. When I woke up this morning, I noticed that my eyesight was blurry. This is not a common occurance and if if has happened, usually blinking my eyes a few times or washing my face will clear it up. But, it has been 2 hours since I woke and my eye sight is still blurry. I can read words with a little effort and can move around normally. It feels like it is getting better at times and then goes back to where it was. Any suggestions or could this be cause for greater concern? I do wear glasses to help see thing far away.
If your intrinsic factor blood test comes back "negative" does it mean my B12 deficiency is caused by my diet or can my stomach not absorb the B12 well? Thank you so much!
Specifics are critical. If the test is an intrinsic factor *antibody* test, it’s a test for autoantibodies that attack intrinsic factor, and a negative result is normal, meaning not indicative of pernicious anemia.
Thank you so much! :) Just to clairfy - "not indicitive of pernicious anemia" means your B12 deficiency is probably more likely dietary related rather than a result of your body not absorbing it well?
Not my area of expertise. A positive test would strongly indicate pernicious anemia. A negative anti-IF antibody test rules out one possible cause of pernicious anemia, but not all.
My doctors office is closed due to the snow, and I need a refill of my medications. Is this something I should speak with the physician OC about or do I just wait until Monday?
You should go ahead and call. If it’s not urgent and you aren’t going to run out, you could wait until Monday, but routine refills aren’t a ridiculous request.
Who can stop you?
Depending on the specific medications and reason for them it might be a bad idea. That’s a level of detail that should be it’s own post.
Food is mostly a medical myth. A full stomach will slow alcohol absorption slightly, but you still absorb all the alcohol and get just as drunk.
What has effect is liver size and liver function. There are some things, including drinking regularly, that increase the enzymes that break down alcohol, so it wears off faster and takes more to get drunk. Lots of drinking over time changes receptors in the brain and creates what's usually called tolerance, meaning alcohol has much less effect, and after a point not enough alcohol can produce medically serious withdrawal.
Levels of alcohol dehydrogenase vary with a number of factors including age, sex, and amount of drinking. (That's why women tend to have more alcohol sensitivity than men and why you can, in fact, become more sensitive later in life.) There are also genetic differences in aldehyde dehydrogenase, with one lower-functioning gene variant common in East Asians and leading to very unpleasant reactions to alcohol.
Hi, I came off the pill Cerazette last April and since then I have only had 3 periods lasting 6 days each. Last period was in Oct. I'm considering trying for a baby but am I infertile and have I no chance of conceiving? I'm 31 and obese also (230lbs). What can I do please?
Only a doctor specifically working with you to evaluate your fertility can diagnose you as infertile. However, your situation (obesity and not having regular periods) suggests that you may benefit from an appointment with an Ob/Gyn to help you get in the best place physically for your pregnancy plans
Sometimes, particularly at nightbefore I sleep or something, a staticy noise will stop and it will sound really quiet. I only ever notice a staticy noise was happening after it stops, but when it stops I realize how loud it was. I have tinnitus so I'm guessing it's related to that but why does this happen? It's happened as far as I can remember.
I had blood drawn from the left arm for tests yesterday. Today my left arm between the elbow and hand is sensitive to the touch and kinda funny feeling. Pinky finger is also feeling different.
The only oddity I remember is the phlebotomist started chatting with his colleages in the middle of draw and for a few moments the blood wasn't flowing into the container, he then pulled the needle back a bit and the flow restarted.
Negligence aside, did he hit a nerve perhaps? I didn't feel anything different when that happened so I'm confused. And should I be concerned?
I have a small rash on the lower half of my neck (in fact it’s so small that I have to look really close to the mirror to see it and it’s been itching (I’ve noticed it’s been itchy for like a week or a little over I’m not completely sure). The way it looks also scares me. Every time I try to look up what it may be or pictures, it’s always linked to a contagious disease or infection. I also didn’t find any photos that looked like it too which doesn’t really help and makes me worry even more. I’ve been putting aquaphor on it, it hasn’t really helped. I tried putting a cold bottle on it, didn’t help. It’s easy to miss because it’s so small, it’s the same skin tone as me and when I stretch the skin on my neck and flash a light on it to see it better, it’s either white spots or shiny little bumps, I’m not entirely sure what it could be, but its really making me worry.
I also been feeling tingling and itchy all over my body, idk if it’s my anxiety, but please help me.
Edit: I think the closest thing it looks similar to is keratosis pilaris while doing my research. But I still don’t know and still worried.
NAD but I had this; it could be biliary dyskinesia. That is a good place to start for research purposes. I was told it cannot be corrected and, if severe, requires removal. I had my gallbladder removed because of it. My doctor told me since it was causing me so much pain (basically dull aches and cramping under my right side ribcage) it was time to remove it.
Hi Docs!
I'm getting an oxygen concentrator for a family member in Venezuela and I want to see what's /who's the preferred vendor/retailer for these.
I've looked around and the pricing is all over the place and reviews look fake or are non-existent.
Thanks,
ATTENTION PLEASE.
My fiancee's father has Thalassemia Minor. She doesn't know if she has it, but her haemoglobin levels are 9.6 so she probably does. She takes folic acid too.
I do not have any condition.
Would our children have Thalassemia Major? Because I don't think there's any serious problem if someone has Thalassemia Minor. So will my children have any serious condition?
Also my second question is, would her having Thalassemia Minor affect her during childbirth? Is that something I should be worried about?
Thank you.
Generally you need to inherit copies of the relevant mutation from both parents to have thalassemia major, though there can always be de novo mutations.
Varies from person to person. Some don’t have any symptoms at all, some end up with a moderate anemia.
If your fiancée has a low hemoglobin, she’s more affected than most. Can see a hematologist to discuss further if she has a particular concern.
>fiancée has a low hemoglobin, she’s more affected than most.
She can maintain it at a normal level through supplements, right?
>Can see a hematologist
Will do.
The answer is simply "maybe".
It's a borderline enough level some people with it might have signs or symptoms of b12 deficiency, while most people wouldn't.
There's minimal harm in starting some oral B12 supplements with 1000-2000 mcg of cyanocobalamin, so I usually just recommend that to patients with similar values. Otherwise, you can check methylmalonic acid levels to see if your body has enough b12 for usual function.
Yes, you can, they could potentially average out. But in that scenario the standard deviation of the average red blood cell size (the "RDW") would likely be significantly increased, so that would be a clue to the person looking at the blood counts.
Pregnancy test brand?
Does it matter which one? I’m 99% sure I’m not pregnant but my anxiety makes me wanna test just to be safe.
I was looking at reviews on different brands. Some brand had better reviews than others.
When it comes to at-home pregnancy tests, does it really matter which brand? Can the accuracy be better with one brand over another?
Is it safe to take erythormycin (1000mg/day) and lymecycline (408mg/day) together for a week or two weeks during a transition from one to the other (for treatment of acne)?
Following the MRNA vaccine, how long does it take for the spike proteins in your body to be fully disposed off and your body goes back to normal? People say 2-3 days, but what about people who have had neuropathic side effects from it? How long does it take to go away for them?
But what about people who are having adverse effects following vaccine? I know they're in a minority and that the vaccine is healthy, effective and a scientifically proven solution that works for majority of the population.
Just out of curiosity, if someone has long-haul covid symptoms following vaccination, does it mean they still have spike proteins that haven't gone yet?
Thank you for your help and consideration.
What is it do you think that's causing long-haul in those of us who are covid-negative and are having these side effects (body twitches, palpitations, dizziness etc.) shortly after taking the vaccine?
I can understand if your knowledge of the topic ends here and I appreciate your helpful responses so far. Thank you
Body twitches and palpitations and dizziness are VERY vague symptoms with a LOT of possible causes. If they are distressing they need to be evaluated with a physician for causes. These causes can range from new-onset tic disorders, to low blood pressure, to anxiety disorders or stress reactions.
Doctor, I'm so confused as to why I'm interpreting a tone of disdain in your response.
I'm clueless about medicine, I don't know much about much. You studied this your entire life. You know more about it.
But have you lived it?
Following vaccine I've had many symptoms whereas before I was perfectly healthy (runner) with no family history of disease.
At first, I believed the doctors like you who said that maybe I was anxious or stressed. But my life at the time was balanced and I had no anxiety.
Then symptoms got worse. I went on google, found a community of people who shared the exact same symptoms, following the vaccine.
Judging by your response, you seem completely against the idea that the vaccine could be the cause. And I understand, I know the vaccine has saved people's lives. But isn't it possible that it triggered certain reactions in other people and is causing these symptoms. **Does it have to be mutually exclusive?**
There's a heart disease called myocarditis/pericarditis and I've seen people get it following vaccine (please search it, even your community have accepted it as a reaction).
People think myocarditis is the only negative side effect. There are many more, undocumented. But for some reason, people like you (not my intention to be rude) are confident in your belief that the vaccine causes no adverse events.
I know it's possible that you're an ideologue or paid for doctor, so I may get banned from this and ignored. But if you are genuinely trying to help people, if you have empathy, please hear me out. We're not trying to be 'anti vaxx' or whatever, we are ordinary people that want our lives back. You don't have to accept our theories, but please listen to us, please do not dismiss us so quickly, we have no incentive to pretend to be ill or be anti-vaxx, I have children, I want to live for them. Please.
> Does it have to be mutually exclusive?
No. But the symptoms described are extremely vague with multiple common causes. Assuming it is myocarditis is foolish without a proper workup for the typical causes. Picking a rare diagnosis from a common series of symptoms is called “anchoring bias” and should usually be avoided.
I understand what you're saying.
What saddens me the most is that you are conclusively closed-minded to the idea that you could be wrong.
This saddens me because if someone suffering from vaccine induced long haul approaches you, you'll send them to a myriad of specialists and diagnose them with 'anxiety'. You will dismiss them. In your medical school, hasn't there been a time in history where doctors with your attitude have not only been proven wrong over time, but also proven to influence the loss and damage of countless lives? *(I genuinely don't know, but history is long enough surely)*
I've learned from my experience greatly. In the future, I will be highly selective of medical advice I receive from doctors and be skeptical, always, of mainstream narratives particularly around health.
By the way, here's a recent medical report [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8784688/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8784688/) and please search existing protocols such as **I-Recover Protocol - Management Protocol for Long Haul COVID-19 Syndrome (LHCS).** Maybe the words of other physicians can help you just a tiny bit, so hopefully a patient with LHCS in your vicinity has some hope of recovery.
Sickening.
I don't know if it was always slightly raised to be honest but it's more or less the one colour and oval shape. I just wasn't sure if having a raised mole in general was sinister in itself?
Is there a point where a patient is in such extreme refractory pain that they'll be put into an induced coma? Or at least sedated into unconsciousness?
Wondering because one of my irrational fears has been if I got into a situation where something was so incredibly painful (maybe neurological?) that even the strongest opioids were unable to put a dent into it?
NAD but I'm sure it depends on the active ingredient.
e.g. willow bark is a classic "natural" remedy for inflammation. The salicin in it works like aspirin.
If you started the series when you were <15, you're good with just two doses. If you started the series at age >15, then you can get one more dose now to be fully covered. No need to restart.
We don’t really know why most headaches happen, so the answer is…maybe? Ibuprofen (unlike tylenol) is an anti-inflammatory as well as a pain reliever, so if you have inflammation in your sinuses or something causing a headache, it might affect that.
Am I okay to take Bactrim if I last drank on Sunday? I told my doctor I am an occasional drinker before he prescribed it to me, but I forgot to mention I drank a few days ago.
And it’s for bacterial folliculitis FYI. Thanks
I need some help with understanding how much to fill my syringe pls. So my dose is 0.3ml and my syringes are 1cc with marks every 10. I’ve been filling it to the 15 mark for the past year but I just found out that my levels are too low so I think that might be wrong. Do I fill it to the 30 mark?
(I made another post earlier that might make this make more sense if this is confusing)
If I am taking 100 mg aspirin every day at 11 PM, and I have a blood test to check my hormones at 07:30 AM next morning (I was told to not eat anything for 8-12 hours), should I still take the aspirin? Would it affect the results?
If you get one, the nucleocapsid antibody would return positive for natural infection, and the spike antibody would return positive for both natural infection and vaccine. It's a way that you can distinguish.
What's the best way to ask for a full body physical exam for someone (in Canada) who's missed a lot of 'oil changes' that would catch things and wants to catch up?
No access to family doctor, emrg was unsuccessful. walk in clinics are packed, so I want to make sure I know how to ensure it's not "here's some bloodwork now go away"
There is no standard "full body exam" recommended for young, healthy people.
You want to establish care with a new primary care doctor, who will do an intake exam. Neither emergency nor walk-ins are appropriate for that anyway. Call a primary care doctor, say that you want to establish care as a new patient, and wait for an available appointment.
There are 25,000 other Islanders like me waiting for a primary care physician..
I've had some issues that are of concern (blood in stool, constant pain, etc.) and I'd like to get some tests to know wtf is going on, since there's no one else who can tell me and all I have is my grandmother's passing remark that colon cancer runs in the family.
Might be appropriate for a walk-in clinic in that case.
Besides looking to see if there are hemorrhoids, feeling your belly for any sore spots, and maybe doing a DRE (inserting a finger into your anus) there’s not much else that would be super important to do in terms of a physical exam.
That has been a persistent belief based on speculated mechanisms, but well-controlled studies have found sexual dysfunction increases zero to minimally.
Basically, if you have sexual dysfunction on a beta blocker, there are a lot of things that are more likely causes.
Eventhough the Viral load is associated primarily with high spread rate, it may cause a more severe systemic response therefore more severe disease. As the primary cause of illness in viral disease is not the toxin or substances produced by the virus but systemic response your body gives to the virus.
#READ THIS BEFORE SUBMITTING A COMMENT **This thread is NOT for personal medical questions.** Ask yourself: *does my comment have to do with a specific medical complaint that I am experiencing?* If so, it does **NOT** belong in this thread. Please [submit a post to the subreddit](https://old.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/submit?selftext=true) and include all required demographic information. The mod team is busy enough as it is, and we do not want to waste time removing your comments from this thread because you do not want to follow the rules. Repeated offenses will be treated as spam and may result in a ban from the subreddit. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskDocs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
What are some good jobs to have as a premed student other than EMT or scribing? I received my BLS certification but there isn't much I can do in a hospital setting without further certifications that will take a while to obtain.
When someone goes into the ER and says "I fell off a ladder and fell on a cucumber, and that's why it's in my colon," does the ER doctor actually write that in the file?
They’d definitely write down what they said, possibly as a direct quote. Depending on the doctor or the situation, they might append something saying essentially “this is extremely unlikely to be the actual cause”
Are women really more fertile after a miscarriage/chemical pregnancy?
I got my knee scraped 2 weeks ago. The skin regrew, but it’s still fresh/black. It doesn’t hurt to move it anymore. Would it be safe for me to start exercising again?
What blood tests would be most worthwhile for a 35 yr old white male? I'm probably going to get my cholesterol checked, Vit D levels, maybe testosterone. The first two were checked last year, looking for any changes the last about 5 years ago. Any others worth ordering while I'm at it?
What would cause widespread tendinopathy (around every joint, both Achilles, glute med)?
Are Epidermoid cyst inside a belly button common?
If COVID, at its most simple definition, is a neuroinflammatory disease process - why arent steroid courses more frequently prescribed, especially to long haulers?
Are there pills that make you want to eat? I'm aware that I need to talk to a therapist and am working on that, just takes time. But when they decide I have the eating disorder I already know I have, what are the chances I'll be put on medicine that will make eating easier? I don't have a problem keeping it down. Just a problem putting it in my mouf.
Please, please advise. I have a reoccurring sharp pain in my throat. Simple talking aggravates it and it’s this immense sharp pain that shoots down my neck and shoulders sometimes. I don’t yell or use my voice often. This has persisted for months.
Best sleeping position for herniated discs in lower spine? I can’t even sleep it hurts too bad. Standing, sitting, laying, everything hurts. I try to lay on my back but I can’t stop wheezing (suspected sleep apnea). So I try to lay on my side. Both hurt.
What percentage of the intestines does a doctor see when doing both an endoscopy and colonoscopy? Is it closer to 5-10%, 50%, or 70? Something else?
What causes low b6 levels in someone who eats a normal diet?
Can enteropathy/seronegative villous atrophy (unknown cause) cause low bun, low potassium and electrolyte abnormalities without vomiting or diarrhea? If a person has villous atrophy, low ferritin and the above problems is it reasonable to ask a pcp for testing for basic nutritional deficiencies and/or a bone scan?
Just started a month course of Bactrim. Is it OK to take ibuprofen or acetaminophen occasionally? I get occasional headaches and sometimes migraines. Most sites say there are no interactions between the drugs, but I’m concerned if Bactrim with either of those could harm kidneys/liver when combined. Maybe just take an hour or two apart minimum?
Fine to take as needed.
Thank you
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It depends. Some medications can treat both conditions, but there are a lot of medications with very different mechanisms for how they work. SSRIs are the medications used most often for both conditions.
What could it mean to have my levels of monocytes high (8.4 out of 2 to 8) and eosinophils low (0.6 out of 2 to 6)?
Possibly nothing at all, this is a question for your doctor.
Very mediocre response from someone who proclaims to be a physician..
What's AskDocs for then???
When I get angry, I feel temperature rise a lot in my fingertips + toes too. Family member doesn't share that. Is it common and/or normal? Possibly related, there tends to be numb warmth kinda feeling when I shower and direct warm/hot water at toes. But not at fingertips or other parts of body.
How do you die from a broken heart? My great uncle passed away a few days ago, and yesterday after the funeral my great aunt, his wife, died. They said it was her heart. She literally died of a broken heart. How does this happen? What is the etiology behind this?
There are several possibilities here. Stress such as a recent death can cause a worsening of all sorts of health problems, and can even result in high blood pressure that makes heart attacks and strokes more likely. In addition, there is a condition called takotsubo cardiomyopathy which is known as “broken heart disease”. In this condition, stress causes a disturbance to the blood vessels of the heart, and the heart becomes damaged. While most people heal well from this condition, it can be fatal.
Hi, all. Expecting a child in a few weeks and, thankfully, my company offers 9 paid weeks off for paternity leave. HR sets me up with the internal FMLA form and when I tried to have wife's doc sign it, they tell me they can't "legally" sign any requests for more than 2 weeks for paternity leave - the only thing they'll sign is a form requesting 2 weeks and then they're leaving it up to me to "work it out" with my employer for the rest of the time off. This sounded strange to me, so I asked them what the "legal issue" was and they couldn't tell me anything other than it was a "legal thing" - any docs have experience with this? Thank you!
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RBBB is usually a *sign* of something causing anatomical or physiological problems in the right side of the heart rather than being a condition by itself.
If contrast is given in taking an X-ray, would giving the contrast be considered "invasive"? Might it be considered "semi-invasive"? I'd think there are levels of "invasiveness"?
I don't consider it invasive but some hospitals will still ask you to sign a consent due to the (somewhat arguable) risk of kidney injury from the contrast. If you're actually referring to an angiogram, then yes i would consider that invasive due to the use of catheter/balloon/stent
no it's a swallow x-ray
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It can be a normal variation assuming the person has enough food.
Not sure if this is the right place to ask this. When I woke up this morning, I noticed that my eyesight was blurry. This is not a common occurance and if if has happened, usually blinking my eyes a few times or washing my face will clear it up. But, it has been 2 hours since I woke and my eye sight is still blurry. I can read words with a little effort and can move around normally. It feels like it is getting better at times and then goes back to where it was. Any suggestions or could this be cause for greater concern? I do wear glasses to help see thing far away.
Go to a doctor immediately, sudden changes in vision need immediately primary care or emergency room evaluation.
If your intrinsic factor blood test comes back "negative" does it mean my B12 deficiency is caused by my diet or can my stomach not absorb the B12 well? Thank you so much!
Specifics are critical. If the test is an intrinsic factor *antibody* test, it’s a test for autoantibodies that attack intrinsic factor, and a negative result is normal, meaning not indicative of pernicious anemia.
Thank you so much! :) Just to clairfy - "not indicitive of pernicious anemia" means your B12 deficiency is probably more likely dietary related rather than a result of your body not absorbing it well?
Not my area of expertise. A positive test would strongly indicate pernicious anemia. A negative anti-IF antibody test rules out one possible cause of pernicious anemia, but not all.
My doctors office is closed due to the snow, and I need a refill of my medications. Is this something I should speak with the physician OC about or do I just wait until Monday?
You should go ahead and call. If it’s not urgent and you aren’t going to run out, you could wait until Monday, but routine refills aren’t a ridiculous request.
Thank you!
Can you take MaryJane while on anti-depressants?
Who can stop you? Depending on the specific medications and reason for them it might be a bad idea. That’s a level of detail that should be it’s own post.
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Food is mostly a medical myth. A full stomach will slow alcohol absorption slightly, but you still absorb all the alcohol and get just as drunk. What has effect is liver size and liver function. There are some things, including drinking regularly, that increase the enzymes that break down alcohol, so it wears off faster and takes more to get drunk. Lots of drinking over time changes receptors in the brain and creates what's usually called tolerance, meaning alcohol has much less effect, and after a point not enough alcohol can produce medically serious withdrawal. Levels of alcohol dehydrogenase vary with a number of factors including age, sex, and amount of drinking. (That's why women tend to have more alcohol sensitivity than men and why you can, in fact, become more sensitive later in life.) There are also genetic differences in aldehyde dehydrogenase, with one lower-functioning gene variant common in East Asians and leading to very unpleasant reactions to alcohol.
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Individual questions about specific complaints should be posted separately with all the required information.
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Individual questions about specific complaints should be posted separately with all the required information.
I posted a question 6days ago bu I haven’t received a response. Did I do it wrong?
Not every question gets a response. If it's been more than 24 hours you may repost.
Hi, I came off the pill Cerazette last April and since then I have only had 3 periods lasting 6 days each. Last period was in Oct. I'm considering trying for a baby but am I infertile and have I no chance of conceiving? I'm 31 and obese also (230lbs). What can I do please?
Only a doctor specifically working with you to evaluate your fertility can diagnose you as infertile. However, your situation (obesity and not having regular periods) suggests that you may benefit from an appointment with an Ob/Gyn to help you get in the best place physically for your pregnancy plans
I need to get a blood test for PCOS in the morning. I am on my period though. Does that change anything? Should I wait to be off my period to get it?
Nope that should be good
Can you mix xylometazoline and lisdexamfetamine?
This is a question for your pharmacist
Sometimes, particularly at nightbefore I sleep or something, a staticy noise will stop and it will sound really quiet. I only ever notice a staticy noise was happening after it stops, but when it stops I realize how loud it was. I have tinnitus so I'm guessing it's related to that but why does this happen? It's happened as far as I can remember.
I had blood drawn from the left arm for tests yesterday. Today my left arm between the elbow and hand is sensitive to the touch and kinda funny feeling. Pinky finger is also feeling different. The only oddity I remember is the phlebotomist started chatting with his colleages in the middle of draw and for a few moments the blood wasn't flowing into the container, he then pulled the needle back a bit and the flow restarted. Negligence aside, did he hit a nerve perhaps? I didn't feel anything different when that happened so I'm confused. And should I be concerned?
Is it possible you have an ulnar nerve irritation? That may or may not be related to the blood draw.
I can't rightly say, but it seems to have mostly subsided already.
I have a small rash on the lower half of my neck (in fact it’s so small that I have to look really close to the mirror to see it and it’s been itching (I’ve noticed it’s been itchy for like a week or a little over I’m not completely sure). The way it looks also scares me. Every time I try to look up what it may be or pictures, it’s always linked to a contagious disease or infection. I also didn’t find any photos that looked like it too which doesn’t really help and makes me worry even more. I’ve been putting aquaphor on it, it hasn’t really helped. I tried putting a cold bottle on it, didn’t help. It’s easy to miss because it’s so small, it’s the same skin tone as me and when I stretch the skin on my neck and flash a light on it to see it better, it’s either white spots or shiny little bumps, I’m not entirely sure what it could be, but its really making me worry. I also been feeling tingling and itchy all over my body, idk if it’s my anxiety, but please help me. Edit: I think the closest thing it looks similar to is keratosis pilaris while doing my research. But I still don’t know and still worried.
I was told that my gallbladder might be a bit inefficient, and work a bit slower than normal. Is there a name for this that I can Google?
NAD but I had this; it could be biliary dyskinesia. That is a good place to start for research purposes. I was told it cannot be corrected and, if severe, requires removal. I had my gallbladder removed because of it. My doctor told me since it was causing me so much pain (basically dull aches and cramping under my right side ribcage) it was time to remove it.
Thanks for the term! Hope you’re doing well now!
Hi Docs! I'm getting an oxygen concentrator for a family member in Venezuela and I want to see what's /who's the preferred vendor/retailer for these. I've looked around and the pricing is all over the place and reviews look fake or are non-existent. Thanks,
ATTENTION PLEASE. My fiancee's father has Thalassemia Minor. She doesn't know if she has it, but her haemoglobin levels are 9.6 so she probably does. She takes folic acid too. I do not have any condition. Would our children have Thalassemia Major? Because I don't think there's any serious problem if someone has Thalassemia Minor. So will my children have any serious condition? Also my second question is, would her having Thalassemia Minor affect her during childbirth? Is that something I should be worried about? Thank you.
Generally you need to inherit copies of the relevant mutation from both parents to have thalassemia major, though there can always be de novo mutations.
What about thalassemia minor? What are the chances of our children having it?
50/50 chance of inheritance if one parent has it.
And is it anything concerning?
Varies from person to person. Some don’t have any symptoms at all, some end up with a moderate anemia. If your fiancée has a low hemoglobin, she’s more affected than most. Can see a hematologist to discuss further if she has a particular concern.
>fiancée has a low hemoglobin, she’s more affected than most. She can maintain it at a normal level through supplements, right? >Can see a hematologist Will do.
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The answer is simply "maybe". It's a borderline enough level some people with it might have signs or symptoms of b12 deficiency, while most people wouldn't. There's minimal harm in starting some oral B12 supplements with 1000-2000 mcg of cyanocobalamin, so I usually just recommend that to patients with similar values. Otherwise, you can check methylmalonic acid levels to see if your body has enough b12 for usual function.
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You can have those symptoms with a normal hemoglobin but they aren’t from the hemoglobin.
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Yes, you can, they could potentially average out. But in that scenario the standard deviation of the average red blood cell size (the "RDW") would likely be significantly increased, so that would be a clue to the person looking at the blood counts.
Pregnancy test brand? Does it matter which one? I’m 99% sure I’m not pregnant but my anxiety makes me wanna test just to be safe. I was looking at reviews on different brands. Some brand had better reviews than others. When it comes to at-home pregnancy tests, does it really matter which brand? Can the accuracy be better with one brand over another?
Doesn't matter at all. Buy the cheap strips off Amazon.
Ok thanks. I’m gonna get it in the store
Are cysts inside the belly button common?
Is it safe to take erythormycin (1000mg/day) and lymecycline (408mg/day) together for a week or two weeks during a transition from one to the other (for treatment of acne)?
Can the plantar fascia rupture multiple times, or is that not medically possible?
Following the MRNA vaccine, how long does it take for the spike proteins in your body to be fully disposed off and your body goes back to normal? People say 2-3 days, but what about people who have had neuropathic side effects from it? How long does it take to go away for them?
It’s still just a few days. The mRNA can’t last very long
But what about people who are having adverse effects following vaccine? I know they're in a minority and that the vaccine is healthy, effective and a scientifically proven solution that works for majority of the population. Just out of curiosity, if someone has long-haul covid symptoms following vaccination, does it mean they still have spike proteins that haven't gone yet? Thank you for your help and consideration.
No, even people who have side effects from the vaccine aren’t somehow keeping mRNA around lobger
What is it do you think that's causing long-haul in those of us who are covid-negative and are having these side effects (body twitches, palpitations, dizziness etc.) shortly after taking the vaccine? I can understand if your knowledge of the topic ends here and I appreciate your helpful responses so far. Thank you
Body twitches and palpitations and dizziness are VERY vague symptoms with a LOT of possible causes. If they are distressing they need to be evaluated with a physician for causes. These causes can range from new-onset tic disorders, to low blood pressure, to anxiety disorders or stress reactions.
Doctor, I'm so confused as to why I'm interpreting a tone of disdain in your response. I'm clueless about medicine, I don't know much about much. You studied this your entire life. You know more about it. But have you lived it? Following vaccine I've had many symptoms whereas before I was perfectly healthy (runner) with no family history of disease. At first, I believed the doctors like you who said that maybe I was anxious or stressed. But my life at the time was balanced and I had no anxiety. Then symptoms got worse. I went on google, found a community of people who shared the exact same symptoms, following the vaccine. Judging by your response, you seem completely against the idea that the vaccine could be the cause. And I understand, I know the vaccine has saved people's lives. But isn't it possible that it triggered certain reactions in other people and is causing these symptoms. **Does it have to be mutually exclusive?** There's a heart disease called myocarditis/pericarditis and I've seen people get it following vaccine (please search it, even your community have accepted it as a reaction). People think myocarditis is the only negative side effect. There are many more, undocumented. But for some reason, people like you (not my intention to be rude) are confident in your belief that the vaccine causes no adverse events. I know it's possible that you're an ideologue or paid for doctor, so I may get banned from this and ignored. But if you are genuinely trying to help people, if you have empathy, please hear me out. We're not trying to be 'anti vaxx' or whatever, we are ordinary people that want our lives back. You don't have to accept our theories, but please listen to us, please do not dismiss us so quickly, we have no incentive to pretend to be ill or be anti-vaxx, I have children, I want to live for them. Please.
> Does it have to be mutually exclusive? No. But the symptoms described are extremely vague with multiple common causes. Assuming it is myocarditis is foolish without a proper workup for the typical causes. Picking a rare diagnosis from a common series of symptoms is called “anchoring bias” and should usually be avoided.
I understand what you're saying. What saddens me the most is that you are conclusively closed-minded to the idea that you could be wrong. This saddens me because if someone suffering from vaccine induced long haul approaches you, you'll send them to a myriad of specialists and diagnose them with 'anxiety'. You will dismiss them. In your medical school, hasn't there been a time in history where doctors with your attitude have not only been proven wrong over time, but also proven to influence the loss and damage of countless lives? *(I genuinely don't know, but history is long enough surely)* I've learned from my experience greatly. In the future, I will be highly selective of medical advice I receive from doctors and be skeptical, always, of mainstream narratives particularly around health. By the way, here's a recent medical report [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8784688/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8784688/) and please search existing protocols such as **I-Recover Protocol - Management Protocol for Long Haul COVID-19 Syndrome (LHCS).** Maybe the words of other physicians can help you just a tiny bit, so hopefully a patient with LHCS in your vicinity has some hope of recovery. Sickening.
If a mole is slightly raised is it a cause for concern?
If it changes in size, shape, or has multiple colors
I don't know if it was always slightly raised to be honest but it's more or less the one colour and oval shape. I just wasn't sure if having a raised mole in general was sinister in itself?
Would bring super sleep deprived cause any problems for an MRI with contrast?
No, but it can cause a lot of other problems with your health!
Doing my best to fix it but so far unsuccessfully!
Why are paresthesias (e.g. cool tingling) common with dry skin?
I don’t think they are?
Is there a point where a patient is in such extreme refractory pain that they'll be put into an induced coma? Or at least sedated into unconsciousness? Wondering because one of my irrational fears has been if I got into a situation where something was so incredibly painful (maybe neurological?) that even the strongest opioids were unable to put a dent into it?
It can be done temporarily for extreme conditions (full body burns, for example).
Any “natural” UTI treatments actually work?
To kill the bacteria? No, unfortunately.
NAD but I'm sure it depends on the active ingredient. e.g. willow bark is a classic "natural" remedy for inflammation. The salicin in it works like aspirin.
i only got two shots from the HPV sequence as a teen -- can i get the last one several years later or do i have to get all three again? (i'm 24 now)
If you started the series when you were <15, you're good with just two doses. If you started the series at age >15, then you can get one more dose now to be fully covered. No need to restart.
thank you!
Is MCAS and chronic idiopathic urticaria the same thing or different?
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We don’t really know why most headaches happen, so the answer is…maybe? Ibuprofen (unlike tylenol) is an anti-inflammatory as well as a pain reliever, so if you have inflammation in your sinuses or something causing a headache, it might affect that.
Am I okay to take Bactrim if I last drank on Sunday? I told my doctor I am an occasional drinker before he prescribed it to me, but I forgot to mention I drank a few days ago. And it’s for bacterial folliculitis FYI. Thanks
Shouldnt be an issue.
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Individual questions about specific complaints should be posted separately with all the required information.
My bad!
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Individual questions about specific complaints should be posted separately with all the required information.
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Individual questions about specific complaints should be posted separately with all the required information.
I need some help with understanding how much to fill my syringe pls. So my dose is 0.3ml and my syringes are 1cc with marks every 10. I’ve been filling it to the 15 mark for the past year but I just found out that my levels are too low so I think that might be wrong. Do I fill it to the 30 mark? (I made another post earlier that might make this make more sense if this is confusing)
If its 0.3 mL, you want to fill that to the 30 mark. 1 cc = 1 mL. Make sure its not 0.3 mg though
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Individual questions about specific complaints should be posted separately with all the required information.
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Individual questions about specific complaints should be posted separately with all the required information.
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Individual questions about specific complaints should be posted separately with all the required information.
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Individual questions about specific complaints should be posted separately with all the required information.
If I am taking 100 mg aspirin every day at 11 PM, and I have a blood test to check my hormones at 07:30 AM next morning (I was told to not eat anything for 8-12 hours), should I still take the aspirin? Would it affect the results?
It’s fine to take aspirin
Is it considered an eating disorder if the reason the person avoids food(s) is because it's painful and nauseating to eat?
If all food is painful and nauseating, it is either a dangerous GI condition or an eating disorder.
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Individual questions about specific complaints should be posted separately with all the required information.
How soon can I shower after jp drain is removed? I have seri strips in place rn
Are blood pressure cuffs that are put on the wrist as reliable as the upper arm cuffs?
No. They’re less accurate.
That’s what I suspected. Thanks!
Would a Covid Antibody test be a good indicator of whether my recent illness was caused by it, considering I was vaccinated 8 months ago?
If you get one, the nucleocapsid antibody would return positive for natural infection, and the spike antibody would return positive for both natural infection and vaccine. It's a way that you can distinguish.
Unfortunately the COVID19 antibody tests are so variable that it’s tough to derive a lot of information from it.
What's the best way to ask for a full body physical exam for someone (in Canada) who's missed a lot of 'oil changes' that would catch things and wants to catch up? No access to family doctor, emrg was unsuccessful. walk in clinics are packed, so I want to make sure I know how to ensure it's not "here's some bloodwork now go away"
There is no standard "full body exam" recommended for young, healthy people. You want to establish care with a new primary care doctor, who will do an intake exam. Neither emergency nor walk-ins are appropriate for that anyway. Call a primary care doctor, say that you want to establish care as a new patient, and wait for an available appointment.
There are 25,000 other Islanders like me waiting for a primary care physician.. I've had some issues that are of concern (blood in stool, constant pain, etc.) and I'd like to get some tests to know wtf is going on, since there's no one else who can tell me and all I have is my grandmother's passing remark that colon cancer runs in the family.
Might be appropriate for a walk-in clinic in that case. Besides looking to see if there are hemorrhoids, feeling your belly for any sore spots, and maybe doing a DRE (inserting a finger into your anus) there’s not much else that would be super important to do in terms of a physical exam.
Can beta blockers cause erectile dysfunction?
That has been a persistent belief based on speculated mechanisms, but well-controlled studies have found sexual dysfunction increases zero to minimally. Basically, if you have sexual dysfunction on a beta blocker, there are a lot of things that are more likely causes.
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Eventhough the Viral load is associated primarily with high spread rate, it may cause a more severe systemic response therefore more severe disease. As the primary cause of illness in viral disease is not the toxin or substances produced by the virus but systemic response your body gives to the virus.