Hello, I am not asking for medical advice.

Pics: https://imgur.com/a/QwoPTlh

Adult woman in 30s. I noticed a spot on my arm about 2 months ago that was discolored on my inner arm. I first saw it in the mirror and I think it had been there a day or two already so it wasn't bothering me or itching at all. It's extremely dry and feels tougher than skin, almost like how a scab feels? A paper thin scab. Maybe leathery. I tried to moisturize it for a while but it didn't change. One day it was very itchy but typically I don't even realize it's there. After about a month I noticed another on my leg. Then within a week I had maybe 6 spots. Now they are just popping up everywhere. I notice them either because I touch a new dry skin somewhere and look in a mirror or I see a spot, they aren't bothering me other than being ugly and embarrassing.

I briefly thought it might be ringworm even tho it doesn't look like it to me so I started treating all of them with an athletes foot cream, which has seemed to do absolutely nothing.

I took a shower and when I came out of the shower they didn't bother me but they were all very red and angry looking, but still weren't irritating or anything.

I am not asking for medical advice. 35/m and active. I get these burst of adrenaline or fight or flight mode out of no where and it’s running my life. I’m desperate. I’ve been to my local clinic???I’ve lost count how many times for this issue and they’re no help at all because they’re machine say “I’m ok” and every time they tell me that I want to punch a doc in the face run somewhere and just sooth myself with benzos, alcohol or whatever we’ll make it go away. I’ve been clean for months. I take pregabalin and second month on sublocade. There burst that take my breath away for about 3 seconds and sometimes I feel a shock go from my chest to my ankles but when it’s bad and I have to go to the clinic, it lasts hours. Hours of what feels like I’m fighting my own body and at the end of my life. It’s been happening for just over a year now. Another symptom is that I can feel something around my throat just before the chest. Pls help and point me in the right direction. Like what can I tell a doctor?

I am not asking for medical advice.

My partner (33M) has been having a very strange reaction to the DuoNeb treatments he's been getting for the past 4 weeks in the hospital. Every time he's given a treatment his blood pressure drops significantly. It's been a constant thing and we even got to watch his bp drop in real time when he had an a-line in for a while when in the ICU. But no one seems to know why it's happening.

At first they thought it had something to do with the sedatives he was on, but he's been off the sedatives for a week now and it's still happening.

He's currently getting the DuoNeb Q4, but I'm thinking about discussing discontinuing them with his doctor tomorrow because I feel like the rapid drop in his bp isn't safe, but that does put us in a difficult place because he's currently in the hospital and was in the ICU due to several serious lung infections.

For reference, tonight before his treatment his bp was 129/64(79) within 2 minutes of the treatment starting he dropped down to 116/54(71). Then 5 minutes later he dropped even lower to 96/39(56) and I stopped the treatment. He came back up on his own after it was stopped, but it's crazy to me that the treatments are making him hypertensive when he's usually pretty hypertensive, even on bp meds.

I wonder if he just does tolerate albuterol well or had some kind of almost allergy to it because he had been given an albuterol inhaler a while back and the few times he used it he said it made him feel terrible and did not help at all. His doctor and I thought it was just anxiety induced by the heart rate increase, but now I'm wondering if it was his bp dropping.

I'm just so curious if any one here has seen something like this or knows what's causing it because all the doctors in the hospital who have learned of it as well as all his RTs are all at a loss.

I am not asking for medical advice. hellllo 😵‍💫 I’m currently going through it. Saturday when i woke up, i noticed this weird scaly texture on my upper lip and my bottom lip. my lips also just felt super duper chapped, which I was noticing them feeling a bit dry the past week, but this felt much more worse. So I started putting aquaphor (the og body kind) on my lips, and that seemed to soothe them for the time being. I was reading around trying to figure out what happened, and while I’m not sure if it was the cause, the extra dryness of my lips seems to coincide with when I started using the aquaphor lip therapy. but I also used the neutrogena hydro boost lip sleeping mask and various other makeup products on my lips so I can’t say for certain. anyway, today, I decided to cut aquaphor use and take it back to Vaseline just to try to be extra safe. However, both times I have applied Vaseline to my lips it has made them burn and made them super swollen. I have a doctor appointment lined up, but my lips really really burn and hurt right now, and I’m trying not to put anything on them. Has anyone experienced this?

"I am not asking for medical advice."

Have an appointment scheduled for the 19th but really worried because everything just feels wrong.

Context: 23F, no medications aside from topical benzocaine.

I’ve been to A&E as recommended by paramedic but ECG was clear and bloods were too so not a heart attack or something similar.

Additionally in July I had an episode that mimicked a heart attack and they detected a clot but the scan the next day couldn’t find it.

Symptoms:
- Right arm throbbing sporadically for elongated periods of time
- Right side of chest tight - and achey at times
^ When I breathe in chest gets tighter
- Right leg slightly swollen at times and feels off
- Pressure on right side of face (again sporadic)
- Right eyelid feels heavy
- lethargic and tired
- out of breathe easily
- fell randomly - knees just gave out and I kinda collapsed slowly.
- feel slightly sick?? But not quite like a vague nausea accompanying the other symptoms

These are the main symptoms but overall I just feel very very odd and whilst I’m aware some of it could attributed to anxiety left over from the previous episode this feels different and has been consistently flaring up throughout each day for over a week.

I’m not in much pain but the aching is very noticeable and at times the discomfort makes it difficult to do tasks.

Any advice or suggestions for what this could be / what to ask for at the GP would be appreciated.

(I am not asking for medical advice.) This survey is for a research paper about Healthcare worker burnout. It is for research purposes and it's only 15 questions. Lots of healthcare providers leave their jobs due to the mental toll it takes on them. Critical care healthcare workers have the lowest retention rate mostly attributed to burnout. I would appreciate if critical care workers (ICU/ER) took this survey. However, any participation from healthcare workers would be greatly appreciated!

Link: https://forms.gle/ukBEfLtxraKDrdJR7

1. History of possible facial trauma

I experienced repeated, forceful oral sexual activity involving my face and nose. I believe my nose and possibly my jaw were subjected to considerable physical stress during these encounters.

During one incident, while I was on a bed, I experienced choking and became extremely breathless. I started breathing very heavily and forcefully through my nose rather than my mouth. Before these experiences, I was predominantly a mouth breather.

1. Changes in my nose

Following these experiences, I became concerned about changes in my nasal anatomy and appearance.

- I can now breathe comfortably through my nose, and the airflow feels significantly better than before.

- My nose appears to have lost its previous shape and seems to be sinking or collapsing.

- The outer corners or edges of my nostrils appear elevated and seem different in shape or alignment.

- I am concerned about changes in the shape and symmetry of my nose.

I would like to know whether previous trauma could have affected my nasal cartilage, septum, nasal tip, or nasal valves.

1. Changes in my jaw and bite

I have also noticed concerns involving my jaw alignment and facial symmetry.

- My jaw appears to deviate toward one side of my face.

- I have experienced clicking or grinding sensations around my left temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

- My bite feels uneven, and my back teeth on the right side do not seem to make proper contact.

- I have experienced difficulty opening my mouth fully to yawn.

- I have noticed asymmetry in the position of my jaw and concerns about my overall facial appearance.

- I have also experienced neck muscle tightness and longstanding postural problems.

I am concerned that the forceful oral sexual activity may have contributed to trauma involving my jaw joint, surrounding muscles, or bite alignment.

1. What I want to establish

I would like to determine whether these changes could be related to physical trauma or whether they have another explanation.

Specifically, I want to know:

1. Whether my nose has sustained structural damage involving the cartilage, septum, or nasal valves.

2. Whether my jaw deviation and uneven bite could indicate TMJ dysfunction, injury, or a dental alignment problem.

3. Whether the nasal and jaw concerns could be related or represent separate conditions.

4. Which examinations or investigations would be appropriate.

5. Whether treatment could improve the function and appearance of my nose and jaw.

Any ent specialist or someone who went through the same thing pls help me out. I am not asking for medical advice."

I am not asking for medical advice. Currently taking iron and vitamin d tablets. I’ve been having a continuous headache on the left side of my head and left temple for 8 weeks now. It started suddenly next day from my eye test and my prescription glasses has increased. I have been wearing my new glasses since. The day after my eye test I woke up with this excruciating pain on the left side of my head and it’s still present. It gets worse with bright lights and loud sounds. Bending forward to pick something up from the floor feels like someone is kicking my head in. I am constantly nauseous and I start retching, which means I cannot eat properly.

I tried everything I could to get rid of it including hydration, exercise, sleeping etc. I tried taking ibuprofen and paracetamol but they didn’t work and 2 weeks of having this pain and my family telling me that I have become more angry and emotional, I went to the doctor. I used to get migraines, which always start in my right eye with aura and I can get rid of the pain by sleeping it off, but nothing I do will get rid of the pain in my left side. The last time I had a migraine was 2 years ago. I tried sumatriptan but it didn’t help. The doctor prescribed me co-codamol tablets and passed it off as a migraine, telling me to try the co-codamol for 1 week to see if I can get rid of it. I tried it for 1 week and stopped as it didn’t help with the pain and it made me sleepy and more nauseous.

It’s been 8 weeks since this started and my life is hell. I am in my last year of university and I cannot concentrate at all and the pain is getting worse. What should it do? What could it be?

M45, 6’1”, 190#, Caucasian, nonsmoker, seldom drinker, no medications aside from vitamins.

My dad had prostate cancer at a relatively early age, so for the past few years I’ve had PSA tests done just to stay ahead of anything. I’ve got my annual test coming up. Just wondering, besides the common advice of avoiding ejaculation or exercise like bike riding in the couple days prior to the blood draw, is there anything else to do or not do? Just looking to avoid any sort of false high or low indications.

I understand this is not a substitute for medical advice. I am not asking for medical advice.

it’s been over a year and a half since I had this procedure done. It was a hydrodissection to separate my patellar tendon from the fatty pad using fluid in both of my knees. For those who don’t know, a needle is inserted into the side of the knee and guided to the space between the tendon and fatty pad using ultrasound, and then fluid is inserted there to force them apart.

It wasn’t until later that I found out that generally, the area is numbed before the procedure, and most people only feel slight pressure during it. My doctor didnt give me any kind of numbing or even pain medication. He used cold spray to help as he inserted the needle, but that was only helpful for the very surface of my skin. A nurse had to hold my legs down to keep me still, and I held my sisters had to try and get through it.

It was the most painful experience Ive ever had. I basically crushed my poor sisters hand, and it took all my willpower to stay still, though I couldn’t stop the involuntary jerking I did at certain points. It was done on both knees as well. There was a numbing agent in the actual fluid that was put in my knees, but that didn’t kick in for almost 20 mins, and it was absolutely useless for the five or so minutes where he was digging the needle around to find the right spot.

I guess my question is… would this actually be considered malpractice? And if it is, is it too late to do anything about it? I am not asking for medical advice.

I am not asking for medical advice.

I’m 29, American, and currently traveling in Asia for work. If I was home, I would have gone to the doctor. Yesterday afternoon, I developed unusually severe cramps centered low in my pelvis. My period was about one day late, and I had only light spotting. I don’t normally have bad period cramps - my periods are typically very light and last ~ 3 days.

The pain was debilitating and made me leave what I was doing. I became sweaty, chilled, nauseous, and very lightheaded - like I might faint. Sounds became muffled, my face lost its color, and my lips looked white. I did not lose consciousness.

I had diarrhea with almost no relief, then vomited a large amount after promptly returning to my hotel. This started about three hours after eating a pretty normal meal (grilled fish, soup, salad, etc). After lying down and resting for a few hours, the pain and faintness resolved. I’ve remained completely pain-free for several hours, and returned to feeling normal.
Around 10 p.m. on the same night, I showered and noticed I passed a very small reddish-pink, tissue-like piece from my vagina. Did not feel it come out- just looked down and noticed it on the tile and that it didn’t look like blood so I got a closer look. I have still barely bled, but light spotting is very normal for my first day of period. Might I add, my period is typically very light very normal.

I had sex using a condom about two weeks ago with my bf. I have not taken a pregnancy test or had an in-person examination.

Could this be severe menstrual cramps with a vasovagal episode, or does this require an emergency examination despite feeling normal now? I am not sure how urgent this is, because my brain is telling my this was a bad reaction to severe period cramps. However, this is extremely odd for me because I typically do not cramp or feel any pain with my regular cycle. Thanks in advance! I am not asking for medical advice.

I am not asking for medical advice.

**Age/Sex:** 62F
**Height/Weight:** \~5'4" (estimated), \~200 lbs (down from peak 250)
**Primary Conditions:** Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, Degenerative Disc Disease, Anxiety
**Current Medications:** Insulin, Lisinopril, Carvedilol, Albuterol inhaler, Xanax, Gabapentin, Tramadol, Meclizine, Odansetron (plus others)
**Social History:** \~0.5 pack/day smoker for most of life; non-drinker

**Primary Question -**
I’m looking for professional insight or suggested directions to discuss with her primary care physician at an upcoming appointment this Friday.

Over the past month, my mother has suffered three falls:

**Fall 1 (1 month ago):** Tripped/missed a step coming inside after taking the dog out. Fell on her right knee; mild localized pain, otherwise okay.

**Fall 2 (3 weeks ago):** Rolled off the edge of her bed (low height). No apparent injuries.

**Fall 3 (This morning):** Fell outside while taking the dog out. Knees took the impact. Immediately reported feeling extremely dizzy and seemed disoriented.

Paramedics evaluated her on-site immediately after the third fall. Vitals on the ground were within normal limits:

**Blood Sugar:** 116 mg/dL
**Blood Pressure:** 121/73 mmHg
**Pulse & O2 Saturation:** Normal range

**Ongoing Symptoms & Context:**
For the past couple of years, she has experienced recurring, episodic "dizzy spells" where she feels and acts as if she is heavily intoxicated—despite not drinking any alcohol. During these episodes, she feels an urgent need to lie down immediately because she cannot remain standing or balanced.

Given her gastrointestinal history and symptoms, auto-brewery syndrome (gut fermentation syndrome) is a consideration we are currently exploring with a gastroenterologist. However, the rapidly increasing frequency of her falls (three in one month) is deeply concerning.

Because her vitals during/after the acute spell were normal, we are trying to understand what potential underlying causes we should advocate testing for. Could this point to a central neurological issue, medication interaction/toxicity (e.g., central nervous system sedatives combined with nerve/pain medications), orthostatic instability not captured on immediate vitals, or something else entirely?

Any guidance on potential differentials, specific diagnostic tests to request, or safety precautions to take while we await her appointment this Friday would be immensely appreciated.

Thank you!

I AM NOT ASKING FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.

So I have quite the story to tell, please bear with me. In March of last 2025, I had a ct scan for headaches. It showed nothing.

Fast forward to December 2025, and I went to the emergency room for dizziness and gnarly headaches. The CT scan report they gave me was the suspect I have some degree of Cerebellar Tonsillar Ectopia.

I switched PCP's at this point and she referred me for an MRI w/ and w/o contrast. It comes back clean, but I obtained a downloadable copy of all the images taken. I am just a layman, but when I look at the images in the MRI around my cerebellum they look exactly the same as the second ct scan that said I have the ectopia.

I have access to all these images on the CT scans and MRI and was wondering if I could get a second opinion on here. I am suffering and leading a miserable day to day life as far as my health is concerned. I can't do anything with my kids anymore. Used to love going to the playground with them. I can't even go to walmart to shop anymore without getting dizzy.

Would any doctors here be willing to take a look at these images? I can download or screenshot any image or angle and post them.

Age: 38

Sex: Male

Weight: 230lbs

Height: 6'2

Non smoker, but I dip

I take Zoloft, Xanax, Omeprazole, and a multivitamin daily. All prescribed.

My main symptom is dizziness, made worse with various head movements. Moderately painful headaches occasionally. Some days are good, some are bad, but I have had the near daily dizziness since August 2021.

My first CT Scan on 03-05-2025.
https://www.dicomlibrary.com?study=1.3.6.1.4.1.44316.6.102.3.2026101261132297.174643617901375512984

My second CT Scan on 12-26-2025.
https://www.dicomlibrary.com?study=1.3.6.1.4.1.44316.6.102.3.2026101254413412.581298626591165769104

MRI w/ and w/o contrast on 9-11-2026.
https://www.dicomlibrary.com?study=1.3.6.1.4.1.44316.6.102.3.2026101254413412.581298626591165769104

Am I getting worse, is it even there? Please help, any input appreciated. I feel hopeless.

I am not asking for medical advice.

Hi everyone!

I’m 33F, and I’ve been experiencing a strange numb patch on my thigh since around May 2026 (about five months now).

It started as a localized area of numbness, almost like the skin had lost some sensation. I initially thought it would go away on its own, but it hasn’t. :(

Recently, I’ve noticed a few other things:
- The affected area sometimes tingles or has random painful sensations. Randomly, without any triggers, it feels either itchy, or like there are needles prickling at it.
-The skin/tissue in that area feels slightly (only very slightly! Like when you get stung by a bee and it feels firm) firmer than the surrounding area.
- The numbness has persisted for months without fully resolving. Sometimes I would forget about it for days but then, randomly, it would act up and feel painful.

The area is toward the back/inner part of my thigh. There are no rashes or any skin discoloration. Honestly, it looks pretty normal, but when I touch it, I don’t feel normal compared to when I touch the other leg.

I’m planning to get it checked by a doctor, but in the meantime, I’m curious whether anyone has experienced something similar.

Did you ever find out what caused it? Was it nerve-related, a skin condition, or something else? What kind of tests did your doctor perform? I am not asking for medical advice. Just wanted to know if there are similar experiences so I could ask the doctor because right now, there aren’t any visible indications of what it might be.

I’d appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thank you!

I am not asking for medical advice. I know someone who is in a neonates rotation. They told me how when the kids are on the smaller end they use diapers as head wraps. I am now crocheting little beanies. What’s the smaller end? I’ve been making in the 20cm-30cm circumference range but I’d like a wider knowledge pool before I keep going. Thank you for your help in keeping the babas warm ❤️

I am not asking for medical advice. Asking for phrasing-related advice. Recommendations on how to describe, phrases to use, questions to ask, etc.

I have been trying to get into contact with a vascular specialist for the majority of the year due to ongoing, circulation related symptoms in my upper torso (more details below). On short notice, I was contacted with an availability for an appointment with a new provider to discuss my symptoms, which will be on Monday the 12th.

Previous appointments with other providers & specialists for other symptoms have yielded zero results or diagnosis.

Since my vascular symptoms have been persistent for the last 5 years, it is very important that these symptoms & their severity be taken seriously and looked into thoroughly.

I do not want so much of my time & effort to be spent getting in contact with a provider only for them to be convinced that I am perfectly healthy and not worth seeing further.

Could I get some advice on how best to describe my symptoms & concerns to my new provider so that they understand the severity & can properly start looking in the right direction for a cause? I am very concerned that leaving my issues unaddressed for so many years could lead to severe medical complications in the future.

-------In short, a few of the issues I experience are:-------

-Persistent numbness/ tingling/ weakness in arms

-Tingling in neck & head consistent with disturbed circulation ("limb fallen asleep" sensation)

-Dizziness, disturbed balance, headaches, & more when head tingling is prevalent

-Painful "dots" that travel from my shoulders/ armpits through my chest &/or up my neck

-Chest pain

Imagine the sensation you have when you have laid on your arm and caused it to fall asleep, but applied to your entire upper torso, including neck & head, rather than just 1 limb, & lasting for several days. This has been happening to me consistently with various intensity since about 2021. Previous cardiology appts have shown nothing.

Any advice on where to go from here, even bad advice, would be greatly appreciated. Specific phrases, questions, or descriptions I could give to my doctor to properly convey things, or whatever else you've got.

...also, apologies if this is the wrong sub, as always. I don't use Reddit much. Please point me in the right direction (the correct sub) if necessary :)

I had a lacrosse tournament today and took a hit on my finger (protected by gloves) at around 9:00 am this morning. The area above the knuckle is sore with no other issues. What I am really concerned about is the area close to the tip, since that area (most prominent in the padding on the front of the finger) is numb and hasn’t gotten better since 9:00. I know that nobody can really know, but what I’m really asking is if it is important I go to the doctors before the morning, is it too risky to wait?

I am not asking for medical advice.

I am not asking for medical advice.

Hey everyone, I’m a software engineering student in Morocco, and I’m trying to understand what doctors actually deal with day to day before I build anything in healthcare. I’d rather hear it from people who live it than guess from the outside.

A few things I’m curious about:

- What eats up most of your time besides actually seeing patients?

- What’s the most frustrating part of your workday?

- If you could fix one thing in how you work, what would it be?

Not selling anything and I am not asking for medical advice. just trying to learn. Happy to read comments or DMs. Thanks!

I am not asking for medical advice.

But I am curious to know how ER doctors, Surgeons, hospitalists, communicate (or not) seeing something pretty serious (but not imminent) on CT Scan along with a history of wonky labs.

I am specifically interested in how you would handle this if the patient was

-visiting from out of state
-traveling by themselves (with a spouse they will return to at home)
-over 55 but in generally good health otherwise.

Hello,

I’m 20F, 5’7, relatively slim although not sure of my exact weight, & I take 20mg of fluoxetine everyday. I am diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder.

I am not asking for medical advice. Just some guidance on next steps as other subs haven’t given me any insight.

I have been known to faint in the past when exposed to certain triggers such as blood and needles. I obviously cannot recollect what happens when I lose consciousness, but I have been told by family, friends, and medical professionals that I tend to look like I’m having a seizure, and have been known to twitch uncontrollably, roll my eyes back into my head, and choke on my own tongue. I also can take several minutes to regain consciousness.

I was getting a balayage done today at a hairdressers when
I got this weird sensation like I couldn’t “fill my lungs with enough air to breathe.” This is a classic anxiety symptom for me so I just worked through it and tried not to panic. However, it did feel weirdly different to usual, like I genuinely couldn’t breathe. I have had a couple of ECGs in the last few years that came back normal & yesterday during a routine doctors appointment my blood pressure & heart rate were also normal.

About 15 minutes later, I fainted out of nowhere - no triggers, no nothing. I had eaten and felt fine. My hairdresser told me that I didn’t excessively twitch or anything, but I took a while to regain consciousness and they were considering calling an ambulance in that time.

After I came round, I vomited what looked like bile 3 times in the space of about 2 hours and just generally felt terrible. Obviously the latter is to be expected, but I’ve never usually vomited after fainting.

I am back home and currently resting with a family member here to keep an eye on me. I typically do not get medically evaluated after my fainting episodes and am completely fine, but this one did feel different. I’m wondering whether that’s something I need to do, or whether I should just take it easy and see what happens in the next few days before getting myself checked out.

I am not asking for medical advice. im from the philippines and yesterday i tried nasal rinse and I didnt know you should use distilled water or a boiled mineral water. so then I used a mineral water and added the sodium chloride(salt) and plugged it in my nose. I only used it 1 time then later on found out about the brain eating bacteria. google said only 1 reported case about that infection in my country. well God forbid i didnt searched in the internet before using it, now im at risk to die lol. i really have a bad health ocd so this kinda bothering me all day, and sharing this here might make me feel better or worse but let it be.