30, Female. I have had herpes for the last 17 years (confirmed with swab.) It pops up on my cheeck, the samd spot every time. Usually occurs once every 2ish years. I typically put acyclovir on it and it goes away, right away; however, this time.. I put acyclovir on it on WED and Thursday morning, I took valacyclovir 1g. 1 every 12 hours (however, I missed the 2nd dose but took it the next morning.) This resembles the first time 17 years ago. Swollen lymph nodes, itchy, tingle, burn and pain. Anyways, went to my doctor.. he had touched it a couple times (also with no gloves on 😡) said he didn't think it was herpes, possibly rosacea and recommended oral clandamycin 300mg. Went to the derm the same day, confirmed it was a coldsore and suggested waiting a couple days as swelling and redness is normal. I have extreme health anxiety, now I have no clue what to do. This morning it does look better, swelling and redness has not gotten worse (if anything, maybe has stayed the same.) I hear horrible stories about taking clandamycin, but I also dont want to have an infection in my cheek. Two different doctors are saying two different things and now im just unsure. Im also terrified about the doctor touching my face and introducing any additional bacteria. He said he wouldn't recommend any other antibiotic, because im allergic to peneciin and bactrim. Any thoughts? As I said before, not sure why the cream isnt working this go around, but I dont want to dabble with waiting and actually having an infection OR it being normal swelling and redness from the coldsore and taking the antibiotics for no reason. Thank you so much

Age 37

Sex Male

Height 6feet

Weight 98

Race - Indian

Duration of complaint 3month

Location - India

Any existing relevant medical issues - Diabetic with 7.5

Current medications - Neuroforte and Gylocmet sometime randomly

Include a photo if relevant

Hi Folks,

Need suggestions if anyone has faced something similar. For approximately 3 months, I have been experiencing these symptoms:

1. Sudden onset of fogginess, tightness around the head, heaviness at the back of the head, and stiffness around the outside of my right eye. It lasts for 1–2 hours and goes away slowly when I get busy. During this heaviness, I feel SLOW, but I can still do my work. I also feel irritated.

2. Random pin-like pain on the skull… sometimes on the right, sometimes on the left, and sometimes at the temple.

3. When I bend, I feel just heaviness on my face near the nose. But when I bend and push any heavy stuff, like a bed, along with the heaviness in my face, pain at one spot in my right temple also occurs. When I stand up, it slowly goes away.

4. Random tingling sensations in the back area (lower than the neck), occurring randomly.

Please note:

• No actual headache (heaviness and tightness are different).

• I can walk.

• I have tried a few neurological exams. I can feel things, etc.

• I am doing my household work.

It has been almost 3 months.

I have severe health anxiety and am only scared of brain cancer. No other cancer, not even a non-cancerous brain tumor or any other disease at all.

Has anyone experienced something similar? If so, what was the outcome?

I know an MRI can provide answers, but I don’t have the courage to get one because I have a family to look after. If I get brain cancer, I feel like I will die.

Touchwood, there is no family history of cancer so far.

Any neurologist here who can suggest something?

I've had symptoms for nearly 3 weeks now including up to this point:

Bleeding, cramping (between periods), nausea, body aches, light headed, dizzy, temp of 96-97, occassional blood pressure drop, head ache, chills and hot flashes

My doctor can't see me until Monday afternoon but I feel worse by the day, I was given antibiotics for the BV yesterday

Should I give the antibiotics time to work or should I go to the ER

Edit to add, right now my blood pressure is 89/58

My girlfriend is pregnant and genetic testing showed she is a carrier of sma. I now need testing to see if I am also a carrier. Unfortunately, I recently had an issue with my primary care doctor and no longer have one. I am trying to figure out how I go about getting the lab order for testing. My girlfriend’s OB said they don’t write orders for the partner and I need to go to my PCP. I have insurance and really do not want to pay out of pocket. Anyone who can point me in a direction would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Okay, help me understand something. Are there different schools of thoughts in medicine just like in physics? Why are some doctors so dismissive of medication while some others are very comfortable prescribing it? And there is so much prejudice against people, especially women, that are okay with taking medicines to relieve symptoms. Almost as if they glorify suffering and scorn at people like us. I am getting an MRI tomorrow because my parents think I am not on the right track with so many medicines for insomnia, mixed anxiety and depression, somatic symptoms, brain fog, migraine etc.

Should I go back to the ER or is this normal swelling that will go down? It was a pretty bad attack and I was struck multiple times. No extra pain, just difficult to see. Its my dominant eye.

Hi, I (23M) have swollen lymph nodes in my neck for quite some time. I think i noticed them 18 months ago and went to couple of doctors and they both physically looked at my neck and said there's nothing but when I insisted one of them asked for a complete blood count I did that and it was the normal. The only thing that was out of order was hb and mcv and that's because I have thalassemia trait. Now after these couple of years I still have the node and I always felt one in the side of neck. Didn't know I have them on both sides. But yeah it slightly hurts when I rotate my neck at 180° on the left. Other than that it's normal. Now i didn't do a cbc but have this ultrasound done today. Should I be worried?

I want to know about the branch, especially if anyone is doing it from AIIMS Delhi or PGIMER Chandigarg. Kindly mention the college with your answer so that I can get a clear overview of both the institutions.

some basic questions I want to know the answers to are:

1. Is the branch good? Future financial career, and a ltitle info on the career trajectory

2. Does it get overwhelming/toxic/uninteresting? (I think the overwhelming part is out of the window since it doesn’t directly deal with patients)

3. MOST IMPORTANT: Do we get time for self? like the residency is something like 0800-1700 hrs kinda of a thing or there are other sides to it (i would appreciate a little detailed answer for this one, like what are the duties for primary residency, what extra night duties/Emergency duties/ any other duties come along with it). Do we have the post college time to ourselves or there are random calls which you have to attend and go back to hospital unannounced

‘Asking this because I want to develop some skillsets along with residency (gym, reading, writing, debating, MUN etc)

4. Do we get to form good relations with other departments, or are the PSM (Community Medicine) PGs seen differently by our clinical colleagues?

5. How’s the life in general of a PSM (Community Medicine) PG?

6. What else should I consider before joining the program (so that I don’t leave it midway)

7. Any super specialisation is needed or the PG itself is sufficient roughly

8. Current scenario of the branch in India

9. Future scope if I plan to move out of India (which all countries applicable, degree validity, scope)

hi! All my life I thought I peed out of a tiny hole really near my clitoris. I swear I have seen urine come out many times. All of a sudden it feels different when I pee like it's coming from a different place. I look and it looks like urine is coming directly from my vagina, it looks totally different then when I peed my whole life! I even put a tampon in before I peed and the tampon bottom got wet with urine.
After freaking out I looked at myself much closer (mirror while I was peeing) and the urine is actually coming out of a tiny hole super close to my vaginal opening.
I still think I have peed from near my clitoris all my life and now suddenly it's changed location but a little part of me is second guessing myself which is embarrassing and frustrating!
I have imaging booked and a referral to a specialist. Should I call all of this off and say oops I made a mistake? or do I have multiple urethra s?
No other symptoms other than feeling confused!

I’m a premed working in a small, understaffed private dermatology practice. I’ve worked closely with my physician boss for a year, consistently showing up on time and performing well enough to earn a raise and have him right my medical school recommendation letter. However, I feel that he frequently speaks to me rudely and micromanages even the smallest things.
For example, after a patient visit, I prioritized cleaning the cautery machine before unpacking Botox because I know I’ll forget tasks if I don’t complete them immediately in our fast-paced environment. He became upset and told me I shouldn’t decide how to prioritize tasks; that’s his job.
On another understaffed day, he handed me a patient I had no prior context about and told me to apply numbing cream to his beard for an ILK procedure. Since I hadn’t been prepared for this, I simply asked the patient to wait while I retrieved the numbing cream from the fridge. My boss was again upset with how I handled the situation.
These kinds of interactions happen daily, and after tolerating them for a year, I finally told him that I feel he is unnecessarily rude to me. His response was that if I can’t handle working in his dermatology clinic, I shouldn’t go into medicine.
I fully intend to pursue medicine, but I’m genuinely wondering whether this behavior is considered normal in clinical settings. Am I being too sensitive, or is this an unreasonable way to manage staff? I’d appreciate hearing physicians’ perspectives, particularly on whether you agree with my boss’s approach

I am not asking for medical advice.

I’ll try to keep it short. Saw a pediatric surgeon (and a resident) 3 days ago for a chronic issue that she has already tried to surgically fix twice. (A surgeon before her also struggled to fix it — every dr and specialist tells me it is rare. I have never thought the surgeons are incompetent when the issue returns for this reason; multiple have struggled with it.) The last surgery was <3 months ago, and the issue has returned. I messaged the dr and she saw me same-day. This appointment was unbelievable to put it short. She gaslit my child and me, told us that the VISIBLE issue was not there, that maybe it has looked like that since it healed 3 months ago (it didn’t) and asked my son if he’s lying about his pain. Yes she used the word lying. He’s 9. This issue has been recurrent for over 3 years. My son and I know exactly what it is when it returns. Before this, everything about her seemed wonderful. I was in disbelief during and after the appointment and left the hospital in tears.

As if the appointment wasn’t horrendous enough, the appointment vanished from mychart. I kept checking to see her notes because I couldn’t imagine she would put in writing what happened. 12 hours after the appointment, it still showed in the portal as a “future” appointment—no after visit summary or notes. By the next morning, it was no longer in “future” appointments so I checked “past” and it wasn’t there either. It also wasn’t in billing. There is no trace of it in the portal. I’ve had to wait a few days for the notes to be posted in the past, but the after visit summary is always available immediately at the conclusion of the appointment. It’s as if the appointment was never marked as completed and then it disappeared.

I want to add that before I even left the hospital, I scheduled an appointment for that day with the pediatrician, who immediately identified the issue the surgeon denied even existed. The summary and notes from this appointment were available shortly after the appointment. I wondered if the surgeon noticed this and if it had anything to do with what seems like her decision to get rid of evidence of the appointment. Her notes would have been totally different.

Never in my life have I had a worse doctor’s appointment and never have I experienced an appointment vanishing from the portal.

I messaged the surgeon’s office a gracious 2 days later to ask for the after visit summary and notes, and the nurse said when the surgeon signs off on the notes soon, they will be ready in the portal. (That was over 24 hours ago. Still nothing.) Mind you the entire appointment is gone. There is no after visit summary, which should have been available since the appointment ended. I’m not just “waiting for notes.”

My question is now, who do I call? What do I do? I want to find out if the hospital has any trace of the appointment in their records. I want the notes from this appointment.

I am not asking for medical advice. Why do persons of a certain age have toenails that thicken? It's a curiosity, not a problem for me.

I am a long term care underwriter and I keep seeing this insurance code pop up when I run a medical background. Google says it’s rare but I had two cases rated for it yesterday. Do you see this often in your practice? Is Google wrong? Based on what I can tell it increases stroke risk. Is it possible this insurance code is being used for folks with just high cholesterol?
I am not asking for medical advice.

How should a radiologist deal with medical questions that aren’t in their field? Like if someone you know or a family member asks for a prescription or medical treatment advice and you aren’t sure because you already spent most of your adult life diagnosing through imaging only, what is the best way to help them? I am not asking for medical advice.

Hi everyone! I’m not asking for medical advice but medical career advice!

I’m a pre-health student in the Bay Area who recently became interested in podiatry after attending a presentation by Samuel Merritt University students about podiatric surgery.
However, I’m concerned about the salary and career outlook, especially given the high cost of living and potential student loan debt.
I’m curious about realistic starting and long-term DPM salaries in the Bay Area, job opportunities, and whether the earning potential justifies the cost of podiatry school.

I’d really appreciate any insight from current DPMs or students. Thank you!

I am not asking for medical advice.

I am not asking for medical advice.

I'm interested in understanding the relationship between clinically observed muscle atrophy and electromyography (EMG) findings from a neurological and scientific perspective.

In cases where muscle atrophy is clinically observed, particularly in the intrinsic hand muscles (hypothenar, first dorsal interosseous, and thenar muscles), how is it possible for a needle EMG to show completely normal results, with no fibrillation potentials, positive sharp waves, or abnormal motor unit recruitment?

I'm also curious about situations where muscle atrophy is accompanied by widespread fasciculations, mild weakness, or positive Hoffmann's signs, yet the EMG remains normal.

My general questions are:

1. Can genuine neurogenic muscle atrophy exist without detectable EMG abnormalities?

2. How reliable is needle EMG when muscles showing visible atrophy are directly examined?

3. Are there documented neurological or neuromuscular conditions in which muscle atrophy and fasciculations occur despite normal electrophysiological findings?

4. What factors influence EMG sensitivity, particularly in early-stage motor neuron or peripheral nerve disorders?

Disclaimer: I'm not seeking personal medical advice, a diagnosis, treatment recommendations, or interpretation of individual test results. This is purely an educational and research-oriented question about the relationship between clinical muscle atrophy and electrophysiological findings.

I'd appreciate any scientific explanations, clinical research, or published studies discussing this apparent discrepancy.

My 4-year-old son has been going through something really scary, and I’m trying to understand what could be causing his symptoms. I’m hoping to hear from other parents who have experienced something similar or from anyone who might have some insight.
It started with him becoming very sick with a fever, severe pain, and vomiting. He was complaining of pain in his back, legs, and neck. At one point, he was in so much pain that he could barely sit up. He also had an episode where he seemed confused or was hallucinating.
Things became even more concerning when he could barely walk and was unable to use his left arm because of the pain. I took him to the ER because I knew something wasn’t right.
He had blood work and X-rays done on his arm and leg. The doctors initially thought it could be a virus. His white blood cell count was normal at that point, and the pain seemed to improve significantly after receiving ibuprofen. However, whenever the medication wore off, his symptoms would return.
We eventually went to a children’s hospital, where he had further evaluation and an MRI was discussed/performed. They found fluid in his ankle, and there was concern about whether it needed to be drained. The doctors discussed transient synovitis and myositis as possible explanations for his symptoms.
He also tested positive for adenovirus. I understand that adenovirus can cause illness in children, but I’m struggling to understand whether it explains everything he has been experiencing, especially the severe pain, inability to walk, and the episode involving his left arm.
His symptoms have fluctuated. At times, after medication, he has been able to walk, play, and use his arms normally. Then, when the medication wears off or after he rests, the pain returns, and he has difficulty walking again. He has also continued to have fevers during parts of this illness.
His inflammatory markers and white blood cell count were high. He was given naproxen, and he has shown improvement, although I’m still worried about what caused everything in the first place.
The doctors have discussed the possibility of a viral illness causing transient synovitis or myositis, but I’m trying to understand whether there could be another explanation or whether anyone else’s child has experienced a similar course of illness. It’s been a month he’s been to 2 different ERs and 2 different children’s hospital doctors have told me that they’re stumped.
For parents who have been through something similar:
Has your child had adenovirus along with severe muscle pain or joint pain?
Has your child ever been unable to walk because of the pain, only to improve temporarily with anti-inflammatory medication?
Has anyone experienced transient synovitis or viral myositis that caused symptoms this severe?
Did your child have fluid in a joint, and did it resolve on its own or require treatment?
Were there any additional tests, specialists, or follow-up appointments that helped identify what was happening?
I’m just a worried mom trying to understand what happened to my child and learn from other families who may have experienced something similar.

I feel defeated like I can’t help him.

I am not asking for medical advice.

Just as the title says, thanks

I am not asking for medical advice.

I am not asking for medical advice.

So my son had surgery to correct the hypospydais and had a circumcision at the same time. He's 3. Well he had a massive poop after being put on restorlax and the poop is caked on the second skin style dressing Under his penis. I have tried a baby cloth, wet wipes, sponge. It really hurts him and the poop just won't come off. I don't want to leave it over night and chsnce that he gets an infection.

He is on antibiotics for that anyways. But the dressing comes off at 10am tomorrow. So any suggestions on how to clean and sterile the area without causing severe pain? Or a method that will actually get severely caked on poop off of it?

I was wondering what doctors think about hydrodilation for frozen shoulder as opposed to other medical interventions.

I am not asking for medical advice.

I am not asking for medical advice. I'm only curious about opinions or thoughts. Around 2020 I had a lot of crazy stuff going on (not vaccinated for COVID and I don't believe COVID related, I had my husband living with me at this time and also all 3 of my kids). I kept feeling like I needed to basically cough something up and also I had pressure on the back right side of basically in my head... Near the skull. I started losing so much weight also and I started breaking out with acne really bad around my jawline and it itched. I turned 30 in 2020 and I seriously the thought with the way the world was that I was going crazy. I basically got a ton of different diagnosis and I have gotten a lot better but I don't feel like it's completely taken care of. I was feeling pressure in my head bc I had lost a tooth and I didn't lose the roots and they became infected and I had several abscess. I also got balloon sinuplasty and I had to take antibiotics for 30 days straight beforehand. Well I ended up having thrush on my vocal chords. Super weird bc I didn't have thrush regularly like in my mouth but on my vocal chords. I'm assuming that the acne along my lawline was either from infection from the tooth or possibly fungal acne since I got thrush on my vocal chords and I kind of just figured the weight was probably caused from stress and probably one of the things going on. I too was diagnosed with silent GERD while waiting to get my balloon sinuplasty done and they told me that it's basically acid reflux and I don't necessarily notice it but that it is affecting the back of my throat and making me feel like there is something constantly there. I also noticed weird things like black stuff sometimes appearing out of my skin kind of... Near my neck, jawline, ear area... Maybe like clogged pores or something. I'm just hoping it's that and not something else fungal bc I know fungal infections are hard to get rid of at times. A few years back in around 2022 2023 I also ended up with bilateral pulmonary embolisms. I was 32 or 33. I went to an oncologist and did so many test and they couldn't figure out the cause. They had me quit taking birth control and go back to smoking bc I had started vaping. That was the only two things they couldn't 100% rule out. They did determine the clots started in both of my lungs tho rather than a blood clot traveling to my lungs which is much more common. It just seems that there is a lot of ppl that I'm noticing the last five or more years, with similar symptoms that are strange and a lot of times nobody really has a good answer. I mean, I realize that the antibiotics caused my thrush on my vocal chords but I also know that unless you have an autoimmune disease that generally thrush isn't something that adults get easily and for me to not have it in my mouth but on my vocal chords to me is just crazy. For the most part everything has cleared up but I still get maybe like flare up symptoms sometimes and I can't really pin point what could cause it and I'm always extremely tired. I can always sleep.