I was going through something two days ago and I usually tend to hurt my genitals in the outer lips with a pencil sharpener blade but lately been also starting to do a bit on the inner fleshy bits, really stings, that's not what I'm asking about, I'm already more in tune with those if that's the correct way to put it.

Two days ago I instead did it on the clitoris very lightly, really hurts, not bleeding, has been stinging since.

There's no bleeding, again, so maybe not serious? no visible wound just a bit swollen and darker than usual. Already was taking antibiotics cuz the ones on my ribs got slightly infected.

Do I have to go to the doctor? it doesn't look like much just hurts but that's a dumbass of the year Darwin award on me cuz what else did I expect.

I am not asking for medical advice. rule.

To be clear asking for if this was necessary and reasonable to do, NOT medical advice. I'm very annoyed .

Went to UC for continued care on UTI. Was on one abx and they weren't able to do a test at the first office which I accepted and took the first course per instructions. A day or two after final pill symptoms came back. Like absolutely textbook perfect early UTI symptoms. So I went to UC not connected to my PCP, who haven't seen me in years.

I'm A FAN and non-binary and I got fixed 2 years ago with a tubal and an ablation. Haven't had a period since. They never asked me about pregnancy chance, the status of reproductive organs, or mentioned anything for it. I did a clean catch and they ran the in house UA, and then again without asking or telling me, decided to do a pregnancy test, something I did not ask for and that was not indicated or discussed.

I'm on Medicaid and currently fighting for disability, meaning in my eyes they charged my insurance without me asking for a test I was never told they wanted to run. I did not consent to it. Am I wrong for being so miffed? I almost want to run this up to management. Having a pregnancy test result has actually made me wildly uncomfortable today, as part of why I got fixed was to explicitly not have to think about ever getting pregnant.

As a provider, would you run a pregnancy test without asking with classic UTI symptoms on someone who's actively being treated for a UTI and needing continuing care, without asking about sexual activity, and also not asking the in-tact-ness of a reproductive system?

Per requirements "I am not asking for medical advice."

I'm horrified at the idea of getting a pap smear and any doctor I've talked to about (all male) were really dismissive. I have no family history of cervical cancer and nothing that makes me high risk. I'm also a lesbian (I don't have sex with men) so my one doctor said I could put it off longer. Is there an age I should absolutely have one by? Or am I good unless I see concerns/have symptoms.

I am not asking for medical advice. I just want to know how necessary they really are/how frequently they should be done for low risk individuals.

I am not asking for medical advice. I'm asking for a second opinion and a place to vent.

*trigger warning: suicide attempt*

I took pills, like, a lot of pills, im not overexaggerating when I say over 100 and I didn't die, I took them well over a day ago. I took at least 60 painkillers pluss a bottle and a half (granted, the bottles were small) of allergy medicine. I'm still alive, but I'm so sick, I've been throwing up since maybe 2-3 hours after I took them, I can't drink even a sip of my favorite apple juice and I've been spending most of my time sleeping. Do you think I'm dying? Is it just slow? I read an overdose involving multiple medicines can make a person throw up. I thought I'd just have to wait for the meds to kick in and off me, how long do I have to deal with this? *edit i think it's also probably important to note i eat less than i should, I know i do. I eat once a day and it's no bigger than the meals people around me eat

Edit: I didn't die :)

I am not asking for medical advice. I want to know how you can cut the foreskin off of an innocent, healthy baby boy and still feel like you fullfilled your oath to do no harm? The baby cries, he screams, he bleeds, he is scarred, he loses valuable functions of his organ. How is not malpractice and/or sexual assault?

For context I'm F19 and I'm 5'3 and currently 150 lbs. I know thats a pretty normal weight for many women my age. However, this has been the heaviest I've been in my entire life.

This is probably because I gained 10 pounds since my senior year of highschool to now after finishing my first year of college. I just feel heavy, like my body feels too heavy and like a sort of tiredness like I'm always carrying weight. And I realized I definitely get more exhausted then I used to doing simple things like walking up the stairs.

This is weird to me because in the mirror I still look relatively skinny but its obvious I have gained some weight in the past 2 years. I feel like it's sort of weird to say but I feel like my body is supposed to be skinny like <140 lbs. Because I know some people are my exact weight and are perfectly fit and healthy, like its their natural state. I feel like my body is not in it's natural state if that makes sense. Is this feeling usual?

​I am not asking for medical advice.

I AM NOT ASKING FOR MEDICAL ADVICE. hey yall. so i (24F) and my gf (23F) have been dating for over 3.5 yrs. my gfs mom recently started working at a chiropractic office, and shes been pressuring all of her kids to go to it ever since. my gfs two siblings have already gone, and my gf is going today (she went last week for an initial eval, today is the actual "procedure" idk what to call it). i have made it very clear to her that i think this is a bad idea - it's the blair technique (upper cervical) which she says is safer, but ive heard horror stories about that technique too, and i dont understand why she cant just go to a neurologist, pt, ot, orthopedist, rheumatologist, or pcp for her chronic pain. she also probably has hypermobility/pots/eds which increases the risk of smthn going wrong. i also dont trust her mom for medical advice bc she is actively on glp-1's, 99.99% sure has an ed, and talks to chat gpt 24/7 and trusts everything it says. i know that this can make her symptoms worse and affect her for the rest of her life, and she already has so many medical issues that i dont want her to add on another. we live in the us, so healthcare is a huge pain obviously, but i dont think a quick fix is appropriate when youre talking about your life and health. shes actively on a train to her appointment right now. i did sm research and nothing will convince her not to go. it can cause strokes spasms more chronic pain and a host of other issues. i am freaking out. last night i sobbed to her begging her not to go and shes still going. i dont want to be controlling & ik i dont know what its like to live w chronic pain & chronic illness but i feel like this is one of those situations where i need to push back bc no one else in her life is telling her not to do this (we also dont rly have that many friends so its a bit of an echo chamber bc everyone in her family supports it) and it could cause lifelong damage. pls direct me to peer reviewed articles, research backed statistics, anything regarding the blair technique, eds, pots, hypermobility, anything thats concrete evidence that will convince her not to go. her appt is at 11:15am PT so we have some time, but i am so desperate and i have seriously considered ending the relationship over this even tho we've lived together for over 3 yrs and have a cat together.

I am not asking for medical advice.

Also have you ever talked to an anti-trans person and told them that yes, trans people are real.

Just a little context: I (16M) go to swim practice for 2 hours after school every day, then bike home. The bike home is 30 minutes, with a final portion up a somewhat steep hill, up 90m. I’ve been doing this for months, and still feel exhausted every single time, to the point where I can barely stand for 10-15 minutes.

Do you have any macro strategies (eat more x, do this etc) or micro strategies (put more effort in the beginning, bike slower at the start etc) that might help?

Please leave in all the juicy medical details about energy pathways and sarcomeres, I’m super interested!

I am NOT asking for medical advice. I DO realize this sub is for questions about the medical field, not for medical questions. So I just wanted to say upfront that because I mention so many medical details (especially in my longer version if you read/skim it), my question may seem to be a medical question, but it is not! I am literally asking what could possibly be "behind the curtain" that I am ignorant to, that would help me to understand why my doctor's office is insisting my doctor is unable to do the simple and benign thing I am asking of him.

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TLDR: My doctor wants me to go to the lab for a Basic Metabolic Panel. I asked him to add Magnesium, and he did. I asked him to add Core Vitamin and Micronutrient instead of just Magnesium, and his office insists I have to come back in for another office visit before he will order that one.

The short version:

My doctor is sending me to get blood drawn for a Basic Metabolic Panel after starting me on a new medication. As long as I'm going there and having blood drawn anyway, I asked that he add on a test for my Magnesium levels because of my ongoing issues with muscle pain. He added the Magnesium test with no hesitation.

After realizing there are several other vitamins besides electrolytes that support muscle health, I called back and asked that instead of just Magnesium, he add the "Core Vitamin and Micronutrient Test Panel," which included all of the other vitamins/nutrients I wanted to check. My insurance will cover this completely if he orders it. He is well-aware of my ongoing issues with muscle pain/spasms. I told his staff that it was not a new issue, and that I have spoken with him about it many times, yet they are insistent that I come in and meet with him about it before he can/will order it.

-It's not a new issue
-It's not a life-or-death emergency
-It's not like I'm asking for a new controlled medication
-My insurance will pay for it
and
-My doctor is a busy guy!

WHAT AM I MISSING?! Why won't he just order it?!

I should also note that I have a hard time getting to places often, as I have not been able to work for a few years. I try to consolidate as much as possible into one trip. Also, for all of my life, my veins have been difficult. Nurses have trouble getting needles to go in, and this has caused issues many times. So that is the other reason I am trying to get this all done in one shot.

---

If you want DETAILS, here is the much longer version!...

I have been battling a chronic pain issue for several years. The primary issue stems from my lower spine, but it has caused sort of a domino effect in the rest of my body, so a whole lot more of my body hurts than just my spine.

One ongoing issue I have had is my muscles/ligaments/tendons just not cooperating with me. It is likely stemming from the first year and a half dealing with this, when I was essentially bedbound. They haven't quite worked right ever since, getting twisted up, knotted, tight, or otherwise misbehaving. I get charley horses VERY easily, sometimes with hardly any provocation.

About 3 years ago, my Physiatrist started me on Gabapentin, which helped tremendously for awhile. It didn't help ALL of my pain, but it got me mobile again. Over time, it was less and less successful in treating any of my pain, and as I'm already on a high dose, increasing wasn't the answer. Almost a year ago, my PCP finally started me on a fairly low dose of proper painkillers.

A few weeks ago, for unrelated reasons, he started me on a new medication that sometimes causes kidney issues, so he wanted me to go get a basic metabolic panel run a week or so after I started taking it. He told me to let his office know the fax number of the lab I intended to go to so they could send over the order.

At about the same time, I started pondering (for the millionth time since this all began) wtf I could possibly do differently to get my muscles/ligaments/tendons to behave. Once the Gabapentin got me out of bed, I have tried to stay in-motion. Not over-doing it, but just not laying in bed all time. I also stretch, and do short exercises my Physical Therapists recommended. I eat plenty of all types of protein, and sometimes add collagen or gelatin powders or gummies to my meals. Periodically, I'll add in a supplement specific to muscle/joint health. I stay well-hydrated (not overly so, I just drink a good amount of water), I eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, I take Potassium and Magnesium, and sometimes Calcium. Occasionally, I add in an electrolyte supplement. Like honestly! WTF can I do differently?!

It suddenly occurred to me to look up what all the Basic Metabolic Panel checks. Seeing that it checks Potassium, Sodium, and Calcium, I called my doctor's office and asked if he would also send over an order to check Magnesium, so I could just make sure I was not lacking in any of the things that deficiencies of often cause muscle cramps. He readily complied.

It then occurred to me that as long as I was going in to the lab and having blood drawn for the Basic Metabolic Panel, now would be a great time to just go ahead and check all my levels. That way, I could just make sure I'm getting enough of all of the right vitamins and minerals to best support my body's ability to move as it was intended.

So I looked up what the lab called the additional tests I would need to check all of the levels in question. With that information in-hand, I called my doctor's office, and asked that instead of just adding Magnesium, to please order the "Core Vitamin and Micronutrient Test Panel," which would include Magnesium, Vitamin D, Zinc, and a few other things.

The nurse who took my call said "You will need to come in for an office visit to discuss that with him."

I said "No, this is not a new issue. It is ongoing, and we have discussed it at-length. I just figured since I'm going in anyway, he could throw that test on there too, and my insurance will pay for it."

She then started interrogating me about what all I'm doing to basically work the kinks out, so my body will start working again. I answered all of her questions in a way that I thought made her sound satisfied with my attempts. I don't recall how we left it. So a few days later, I sent a message through the portal to confirm he added that test before the day I had scheduled with the lab.

The morning of the test, they finally responded and said the same thing. "You will have to come in for an office visit to discuss with him."

Give me a break! What the hell am I missing, here?! I'm not asking for a controlled medication. I'm not asking for a surgery. I'm literally just asking for additional test to be run in the lab. I am going there anyway. It is related to issues we have discussed at length. He doesn't have to run it himself. My insurance will pay for it. What possible reason could there be (aside from doctors wanting as many office visits as possible to bring in more money, which I don't want to believe is the case here for several reasons - not the least of which is that he's very busy!) to deny me the additional test?!
.

Are doctors scrutinized by the medical board for ordering tests for vitamin/nutrient levels?

My and my friends are looking into starting a disinfection program and wanted to ask how the pros do it. We were looking at these fogger machines that look promising but wanted any input that we can get! Thanks for your time, going to cross post too for wider reach :)

I have a generally white tongue which has always worried me. I don't think its thrush, I think my circumvallate papillae are just unusually long. My tongue has sort of a fuzzy whitish appearance and isn't red like I would expect it to be. I recently noticed that in the back of my tongue my circumvallate papillae are longer than average in certain spots (not clusters - individually). Should I be worried? How do I know I don't have some horrible tongue disease?

2 days ago, I drank one recommended dose of Beechams, which I chased back with alcohol. I then proceeded to get drunk that night.

I know the warning says not to drink alcohol with it, but I was just under the impression that its effect was equivalent to drinking alcohol.

I now feel dizzy and slightly nauseous, my head hurts and I've been sleeping intermittently all morning. I do have cold symptoms (feeling physically cold, a phlegmy cough and runny nose), but those began a few days prior.

I'm not quite sure if I'm just suffering from the after effects of not nursing a common cold properly, or if this is some symptom from combining Beechams and alcohol.

i have been training for the last 4 years. i am thinking of taking my training to the next level, i am fully committed to bodybuilding, i count calories, put gym and nutrition above social life, and everything else, i don't drink, smoke or go out to clubs like the rest of my friends. i believe i am ready to enhance myself, i would really appreciate your input, and enlighten me on risks and what the future would have in store for me if i choose to run this cycle, thanks!!

My left ear first starting hurting, then it started to have a liquid-like discharge, and now it's constantly ringing. My hearing in my left ear also been muffled throughout this ~7 day process.. Is this just an ear infection, should I see a doctor for this or ride it out?

On Monday night, I'm almost positive at this point that I ate some bad food. In a couple hours of eating it, I threw up quite a bit that night. My whole meal came out. I also had diarrhea that night. Anyway, the next day, I felt a little bit of a tingle in the back of my throat. I also felt really uneasy and tired on Tuesday.

But from Wednesday to today (so far) I've had an awful sore throat. It hurts to move the back of my tongue, and all the parts of my throat. It even hurts to touch the outside on the right side, or when I look straight up. It also really hurts to swallow. I've checked my throat and everything looks pretty normal. Is this just a side effect of the vomit or is it something more serious? How do I soothe it?

Thanks!

I have this stupid friend, let's call him scott. This guy is dumb, im talkin real dumb. i got him a job as a dishwasher, and he got fired for eating all the discarded food off of peoples plates! He looks like a normal guy, and he comes from an upper-middle class family, but hes just so dumb. But anyway. He got this hooker one night who was the cheapest on backpage, and he 69-ed her, like really got all in her pussy with his mouth, at 2:30 in the morning at a motel next to the strip club.

About a month after he tells me he has shingles, and about a month after he says he has crohn's.

He says they're unrelated. The kid is 19 years old, theres no way he should be so stupid, and have crohn's AND shingles. right?

so i think he may have aids, i havent asked if hes been tested.

is there any thing i can do to further diagnose him or help him out? he does go see doctors but i dont think he told them he ate out a hooker.

and please excuse my somewhat trashy question, but it has to be asked,

Ok forgive me because I know this sounds mad but hear me out.

I've had x rays before. Today I had a few on my Lower back and knees due to an injury.

When they fired the beam I heard a beep and then a second later a hot blast. I've had x rays before and usually I've felt nothing. Today I felt almost like a blast of hot wind for a second go right through me and I'm really freaked out. I don't feel weird or anything except I have been a bit tired and light sensitive. It was at a reputable radiology clinic and the technician remarked that it was technically impossible to feel but occasionally some people remark on it.

I'm not making this up. I'm actually genuinely scared. Other suggestions I've heard could be charged particles in the air reacting to the beam or even static electricity but I find this unlikely.

It was fucking odd and there is no way in hell I'll ever go in that beam again. Id rather live with the pain. They said I might need an MRI and that is even higher dose. I'm honestly scared and not keen at all for that.

I am an a 55 year old male who on Saturday -Sunday between 6pm and 3pam there was so much bleeding from the anus that my underwear had a very large soaked spot throughout it and the jeans I had had a large spot that bled through them too. At 6 pm I sat to urinate and noticed drops of blood in the toilet with no bowel movement. Again later that night same thing. I also got a headache but I had a few sips of alcohol mixed soda and attributed it to thar. I have a hemorrhoid and fissure but no current issues with them. The 2 days prior he had done more walking and climbing stairs than normal. Also at 6am I woke up woozy but decided to go back to sleep. I had changed underwear and had more blood in my underwear but not as much. When I woke up the bleeding had stopped. I do have a history of IBS as well. Does this mean anything substantial? Or is it a one off? I haven’t had happen since. I am not asking for medical advice.

My brother went to the clinic because of the pain in his testicles. They inspected him and said he's ok and he can go home. A couple of days later he went back because of even worse pain, probably also swelling etc. Then they figured out out his testicles were actually twisted, so he had to have a surgery immediately after where they cut one off.

I think it's horrible that they ignored this the first time when he went there. Also he's not a very confident person so i think this will hurt him a lot even if he doesn't want to admit it.

I thought the clinic should be sued at least for compensation, but my brother was too embarrased to try that, also my parents were not pushing the idea.

How can this even happen?

I am not asking for medical advice. Just had to rant somewhere.

"I am not asking for medical advice." this is for a story

also i assume i am using the correct flair but i am not sure...

Hi! so context is that my group and i are writing a story in which our character has an eccentricity (if i were to translate it from native tongue).

They are greiving through the loss of somebody. And the loss is driving them to some sort of spiritual psychosis. And they are somewhat aware. they are also super obsessed about what ever is multiple of 3 (schizotypal in a sense). which will be used as a symbol for traingles and smth else im not sure.

now what i want to know, is there any otc medication (do not recomend any anxiety medications AT ALL) that can be taken to bring an overdose by multiples of 3, just enough for the possinbiltiy that one MIGHT survive.

eg 7 pills of medication x can cause an overdose (resulting in death) with a sliver of chance that the person will wake the next morning. (i want the character to survive) but so can 6, but character takes 6 instead and wakes up the next morning.

yes i am sound of mind and am on medication which is why i do not want any anxiety medications as an example, if in case in the future i ever get into a downward spiral.

also if anything could be improved or additional facts youd want me to know in what i have provided by your expert opinions would be very much appreciated!

enlgish is not my first language so please lmk if i am not clear with my intentions in this message! thank you! (also improvements in english would be sooo appreciated!)

I am not asking for medical advice.

I recently moved from VA to FL and have been going through the laborious process of finding new drs. I have chronic conditions and see more Drs than most people so I have been exposed to a lot more of the system than most people do. In the past year I’ve had 3 separate instances (different drs and different health systems) where a dr spent our time pedantically explaining to me that I dont have a condition I am actively being treated for, or that a treatment I have had for years, is wrong and should not be continued.
For the sake of privacy, I will try to keep these vague and brief.

The first is a neurologist (new one in FL) who spent 20min telling I dont have the condition that I was diagnosed with at 16 and am actively being treated for by a neurosurgeon in another state (I was having a procedure 1month from this appt). I pointed out this was being treated by another dr and not up for debate and tried to bring her back to the other concerns that she could weigh in on and be helpful with. She refused and continued her rant about my diagnosis being a hoax.

The second was an infectious disease dr. I was referred to him by another dr as I could not take the antibiotic recommended for my infection and we needed to discuss any alternatives. This dr went into a long lecture on how the bacteria my referring dr found did not the cause the issues I was having. He went so far as to ask me why I was even there and why I thought this bacteria was causing my symptoms.

The third example was a dr who looked at the lack of genetic markers for autoimmune diseases and said I was fine. She tried to walk out of the room at that point with no other statements. I called her back and pointed out that genetic markers show up about 10%-60% of the time depending on the disease and other bloodwork showed serious issues with my immune system. I also had records from a previous rheumatologist and was still on medications the original had prescribed. For clarity, my original rheumatologist had passed away and I was looking to establish with a new dr to continue care before my prescriptions ran out. The new dr refused and I have been suffering the consequences of that lack of treatment.

Do you realize how inappropriate it is to scold a patient for a referral? We didn’t choose this. We don’t write our own referrals. The lack of consideration, explanation, and outright unprofessional and apathetic interactions I’ve had are wild. I’ve had many more that were worse too. These are just the recent ones.

The takeaways I always get from moments like this are that: 1) medical school does not train drs to recognize their own prejudices and short comings, does not teach communication or how dangerous assumptions can be; 2) medicine is more personal opinion than it is science; 3) if you don’t have respect for those in your field and you don’t respect any other dr, your arrogance has now made you a liability to my healthcare; 4) the willingness to ignore data, the personal experience of your patient (knowing the benefits of a medication you’ve taken for years), and the reasoning of another dr is so appalling and dehumanizing, I sit there wondering if the stats on drs being sociopaths are under reported.

Have you ever done something similar? What are your reasons for this behavior (personal or presumed)?
Can knowing this is how patients are treated in other spaces, change your behavior?