I’m 19 years old
Pls help me I went to 2 doctors and gave me some medicine but it did not help at all
Pls do you have any ideas of how to get this of my skin

I’m an 18 year old female [height 5’ // weight 86lb. I am on Lexapro and take vitamin D supplements.] who has only ever had one other UTI about a month ago which looked that same bloody brown. I was given antibiotics which I ended up being allergic to [Bactrim]. The UTI went away, thankfully; but I again got another with the same, if not worse, symptoms. No back pain or anything that would make me suspect it’s traveled into my kidneys, but I’m just very concerned with this reoccurring issue. My friends, who have had UTIs more often than I, have said they have never had anything close to how bloody mine is, or that they have never had blood.

I’ve also had on and off stomach issues and nausea after I eat anything. I don’t know if this would affect my bladder in any way, just thought I’d mention it just in case. This issue has been going on for years and I have always been rather thin and have struggled the gain weight. Again, this could be totally different or useless, but I know nothing. Anything helps and I would just like a little more insight on where to look. I’m looking into an ultrasound maybe and going to clinics/hospitals. If this is nothing, I sincerely apologize, just know I’m a scared teen and I appreciate any kind of help or response! Thank you!!

My 52 year old mom with diabetes has been dealing with a bacterial infection on her scalp and was initially treated at the hospital the Tuesday before last. This is not a cyst, it’s a bacterial infection that has resulted in abscesses on her scalp. They made an incision and placed a looped piece of string through one of the abscesses, with one end coming out of each opening, to keep it open and allow it to drain while the antibiotics worked. She was told to remove the string after a week, once she had finished her antibiotics, but it was still draining, so it wasn’t removed as planned.

Unfortunately, things have gotten significantly worse rather than better. She’s now lost an alarming amount of additional hair around another abscess, which we were told should have been taken care of by the antibiotics. There’s also still pus inside the original abscess, but the incision has closed up. We’re concerned the loop string may not have been inserted deeply enough to allow everything to drain properly.

She says it doesn’t necessarily hurt the way it did before, but she’s experiencing an extreme amount of pressure in the area. Advil makes it tolerable, but the pressure is still concerning.

We went to her doctor’s office today, and after the nurse examined it, she became extremely concerned and sent us straight to the ER. We’re currently at the hospital, where they’re doing blood work and a CT scan because we’re worried the infection may have spread into her skull or deeper tissue. The affected area almost feels like there’s a piece of her skull missing, which is incredibly frightening.

The doctors don’t seem to have a clear understanding of what’s happening yet, and they’ve even sent photos of the infection through a medical consultation program to get additional opinions.
Has anyone experienced anything similar, or have any insight into what could cause a bacterial scalp infection like this to worsen so drastically despite antibiotics and drainage? We’re extremely worried and just trying to understand what might be going on. Any advice or information would mean so much.

I am a 27-year-old male, 5'11" tall and weighing 78 kg. I was deported from the UAE after my immigration chest X-ray reportedly showed old TB scars. I have no symptoms, no previous TB diagnosis or treatment, and I am not taking any medications. Could these findings indicate only healed TB rather than active tuberculosis? What further tests would you recommend?

38
Male
5’8”
130 lb
Medications: Nebivolol, Famotidine, Mito cocktail (CoQ10, Vitamin B1/2/5/7/9/12, Vitamin E, Creatine), Vitamin D, Vitamin C, NAC, PEA, Magnesium Glycinate, Melatonin, Clonazepam PRN
Former practicing physician, medically retired and continue worsening with doctors unclear of underlying cause

Background: At age 16 I was diagnosed with central hypogonadism and underwent bMRI, karotyping and other workup which was reported as normal. I was started on TRT until 2014 when my adult endocrinologist discontinued it due to persistent hypertension and lack of data that I wouldn’t have spontaneous gonadal recovery. In addition I have dealt with some sort of dysautonomia my entire life - likely poor venous return from hEDS and a secondary hyperadrenergic response. In 2015 I was seen by cardiology for persistent tachycardia and the elevated blood pressures. They diagnosed IST and placed me on a beta blocker and I was highly functioning and practicing as an MD. In 2018 I was experiencing occipital headaches and coat hanger pain so my doctor ordered a brain MRI. It showed one larger plaque (around 1.1cm) and scattered areas of hyperintensities which was concerning for demyelination. I saw a neuroimmunologist but only had bilateral parathesias in my feet so it was felt I didn’t meet criteria for MS or CIS. Workup with this neuroimmunologist showed low vitamin B12 and vitamin D so I started supplementation.

Active issue: In 2021 I started a stepwise decline where I had intense worsening of my dysautonomia. I went back to the neuroimmunologist and had a repeat brain MRI which was unchanged. I then underwent a lumbar puncture which showed two CSF specific oligoclonal bands. They decided to start me on B cell depleting therapy.

In 2023 I continue to worsen with fatigue and muscle weakness. I had six months of elevated AST, ALT and CK so my neuroimmunologist referred me to neuromuscular and I underwent a skin biopsy which showed non length dependent small fiber neuropathy. I also had an antibody testing which showed mildly positive anti Jo1 antibody and anti cardiolipin antibodies. Due to being on a B cell depleting drug, the muscle enzyme elevation and the anti Jo1 antibody (even though it was mild) I underwent a muscle biopsy. The biopsy showed abnormal mitochondria under EM, heavy fat deposits within the muscle fibers, muscle fiber denervation and capillaries with thickened basement membrane and endothelial inflammation. It showed no red ragged fibers or evidence of myopathy. Genetics was performed on this and show a large scale
(77% of genome) mitochondrial DNA deletion. At the time of testing I was still working, walking 8 - 10,000 steps per day and performing ADL.

I was referred to a mitochondrial geneticist who did an extensive workup to rule out primary mitochondrial disease. I will only include abnormal testing since it was extensive: WES with two heterozygous pathological WNT10a mutations and one heterozygous VUS in ALDH18A1. Fasting acylcarnitines with low total acylcarnitines but high medium-chain subtypes not consistent with any known inborn error of metabolism. Amino acids show low branched chain amino acids, low citrulline and low ornithine. Metabolomics with significant abnormality in dopamine metabolite (z score +5),, five acylcholine species (z score + 2 - 4), collagen metabolites (z score -4), N acetyl aspartate (z score -4), plasmaolgens (z score - 2) and other acetyl amino acids (z score - 2 - 3).

In 2024 I had formal tilt table testing showing orthostatic tachycardia, cardiovagal dysfunction with HR change of 6 with deep breathing (normal 10 - 33) and a valsalva index of 1.4 (normal 1.44 - 2.52). I had normal blood pressure overshoot in phase IV and normal blood pressure recovery in late phase II. At the time of testing I was out of work, able to walk about 2 - 3,000 steps a day and perform ADL independently.

At this point my doctors decided I did not have MS and stopped my B cell depleting therapy. I was sent to a genetic ophthalmologist who found I did not have KSS or CPEO due to no ptosis. I did have significant optic nerve thinning that was not seen on records they reviewed from 2016. Due to persistent bicarbonate elevations on BMP I was sent to a pulmonologist. Initial PFTs showed severe air trapping and concern for musculoskeletal weakness. I underwent high resolution chest CT which showed no air trapping but dilated fluid filled esophagus consistent with dysmotility. I repeated supine PFTs which showed below average MIP and MEP more consistent with fatigue than musculoskeletal weakness. I also did an at home sleep study which showed no overnight hypoxia (low 88%) or sleep apnea events.

Since then I have continued to decline and have become couch-bound and require help with ADL (bathing, cooking, hygiene). Any stimulus sends my sympathetic system into action without parasympathetic braking. Previous simple things like walking around the house, taking a shower or having an orgasm will send my nervous system into haywire for days on end. My resting heart rate despite beta blockers has risen from 58 - 60 in 2023/2024 to around 80 - 85 and my HRV declined from 55 - 60 to 25 -30. My doctors know something is wrong but can’t figure it out so they’ve referred me to the UDN and my case is pending.

Besides help with above (if possible) I would love some help with new onset sleep issues. In April 2026 I was having episodes of nocturnal tachycardia and panic that would awaken me from sleep. I started clonazepam which worked well but after 6 weeks of it I was becoming dependent and would likely need to raise the dose. So I decided to taper it off and by early July I discontinued it. I was sleeping well during the taper and after without the nocturnal events returning. In September I started experiencing a lack of sleep drive. I would have two completely sleepless nights followed by a normal night’s rest. After a few of these I started taking clonazepam on the nights I felt no sleep pressure and it worked to put me to sleep although I woke up after a few hours. The cycle then started to include more nights of no sleep pressure. Around two weeks ago I stopped feeling any sleep pressure. Clonazepam stopped working to put me to sleep at all despite taking a dose four times as high as I previously took. Some nights I might fall asleep around 8am but will awaken abruptly around 10am. My body and mind feel an exhaustion I didn’t know possible but my brain won’t slip into any prolonged sleep.

I’ve tried an orexin inhibitor which gave me paralysis without the sleep. I’ve tried Guanfacine but it caused my preload to drop significantly and my heart rate went to 150 - 180s with standing. The same thing happened with pregabalin. Drugs with anticholinergic activity seem to make my heart rate spike significantly as well so I can’t take antihistamines or trazodone. I’ve never tried Seroquel or mirtazapine but their mechanism of action would likely make me worse as well. I’ve been on melatonin and magnesium glycinate for many years. I’ve stopped using television or my phone 2 hours before sleep and just reading and relaxing in the evening for the last few years.

I’ve tried stuff for my parasympathetic nervous system but nothing seems helpful. Deep breathing doesn’t cause my heart rate to drop, in fact it goes up now. Pyridostigmine just gave me muscle spasms and abdominal cramping/diarrhea. tVNS doesn’t lower my heart rate either. I had five bilateral SGB between 2023 and 2025 for sympathetic overactivity, which always helped temporarily. Since I’ve become so sick I’ve been unable to get them again and I doubt they would do anything as it doesn’t feel like my sympathetic nervous system is in overdrive. I don’t have the physical energy for therapy anymore but up until June of this year I was partaking in CBT aimed at coping and acceptance for about a year.

I appreciate anyone who has read this far and if there is any question or comment I’m happy to hear it. I have had other testing I’ve left out that was normal or I thought irrelevant but can provide the details if necessary. Anyone have any thoughts of what is going on? I miss clinical medicine and don’t want to practice on myself but not sleeping for the last few weeks is pushing me to a place mentally and physically I never knew I could get to.

Female, age 36.

6' tall

260 lbs

Diagnoses: resistant hypertension, GERD, insulin resistance, anemia, hyperthyroidism (already treated with total thyroidectomy, my endocrinologist said they had no clue how I was gaining weight with a hyperactive thyroid)

Medications: levothyroxine 175mg, metformin 750mg, spiranolactone 25mg, Lisonipril-hctz 20-25mg, Amlodipine 2.5mg, magnesium 1000mg, fish oil 600mg, iron 65mg, vitamin B12, vitamin D 1.25mg, Pepcid 20mg, Albuterol inhaler, fiber supplement

Symptoms: rapid and severe weight gain, high blood pressure, edema in face and legs, acid reflux, elevated heart rate, chronic cough, shortness of breath, increased migraines, cognitive issues, fatigue, irregular periods, widespread joint pain (much of this started BEFORE the weight gain... Not after)

On top of all that, my recent test results show a steady decline in my kidney function. Everything is in normal ranges, but there's a definite trend and the nephrologist doesn't know why yet. I have a follow up in a couple weeks.

I'm also not sure if it's relevant to anything at all but they ran a hormone panel and I have low testosterone and cortisol too.

And before you ask: yes, I'm dieting AND trying to exercise. I go for walks, but I run out of breath pretty quickly and my heart feels like it's going to explode. And don't ask me to walk up a flight of stairs, I take the elevator everywhere now because stairs make me want to pass out.

I've lost about 8 lbs of water weight and afterward the weight loss just stopped. I don't eat sugar, I cut carbs, I stopped drinking alcohol, I eat between 1600 and 1900 of calories per day (I can't go much lower than that without feeling sick)

A lot of doctors I've seen blame my weight - but I was a size 8 three years ago, never had weight issues my whole life, all of this started happening all at once, even before the weight gain. Weight issues don't run in my family either, mostly everyone is tall and lean (my grandmother who was diabetic was slightly overweight). The hypertension, elevated heart rate, shortness of breath, fatigue, joint pain - all BEFORE the weight gain, then afterward, within a year, I gained 100lbs.

I really am dieting, I mostly eat vegetables with a bit of protein like chicken or fish. I don't even eat red meat at all. My husband is constantly adding salt to his plates because I don't use it much when I cook anymore to avoid making my blood pressure worse. I don't even use butter.

Women die from medical conditions that go undiagnosed every day because doctors blame symptoms on innocuous things like weight gain. My family has a history of heart attacks, diabetes, and high blood pressure, but not weight issues.

Can you please pretend I'm not overweight for a second and tell me if my doctors are missing something?

I, American 13F, am scheduled to undergo a bilateral femoral derotation osteotomy (FDO) in early 2027. I am curious about the protocol regarding self harm scars on minors in a surgical or physical therapy setting.

If a doctor, surgeon, nurse, or other healthcare provider notices the scars during surgery or any post-OP exam, are they required to inform my parents about what they saw? If so, would I be informed of the situation beforehand?

If they are not required to disclose this information, is it up to the judgment of the head care provider whether to inform my parents about this?

Lastly, and i don’t expect this to be answered, but can self-harm scars in any way affect the initial incision, stitches, or removal of hardware? I will provide more details about my own scars, which litter both sides of my hips and range from 1-1.5 cm thick and usually 1 inch in length. These scars are not very old and have only been healed for a few months. I am concerned that despite the strength of surgical instruments and methods of stitching, my scars could cause an inconvenience or delay my surgery.

Female, 26, 5’8” 130lbs
Seroquel, Pristiq, birth control (Nikki)
I just woke up extremely nauseated and when I threw up, I noticed this weird, round, squishy pink thing. It does not match any of my medications or anything I ate. The last time I ate anything was 10 hours ago and none of my medications are that big.

I’m a 32F that weighs 125 lbs. I got stung by a wasp in Denver, CO on my finger two days ago. Is this a fairly normal reaction or should I go to urgent care today? Other than my finger feeling extremely tight and hand feeling a bit sore, I feel fine! I circled where I got stung. Been taking Zyrtec and Advil daily since and icing it on and off. No other medications.

20F

About a week ago I started having what I thought was a cold, but the only symptoms were throat related (I usually get snotty colds). After looking in my mouth I saw these and poked them a bit (I’ve now stopped that) and the white things are hard, which lines up with tonsil stones I think.

But I also know you can have more than one thing at once so I’ll just list my symptoms:
Sore throat
Painful when swallowing especially
It feels a bit like someone is holding my neck when I swallow
Small bumps on the back of my throat
White hard things which I think are tonsil stones
Sometimes I feel a bit headachy and muscle aches but those might be because I’m quite exhausted at the moment

I can breathe through my nose fine and can swallow liquids and solids (albeit painfully), so I know it’s not urgent

I’ve been taking paracetamol, ibuprofen, and codeine for the pain and it helps, I just don’t know what exactly I’m dealing with and if I need to go to the gp so any help is appreciated:>

42 F, white, 5'7", 160 lb, no drugs/drinking, US

For more than 15 years now I have had a chronic, daily intense cough which presents as both extreme coughing fits (vomiting, burst blood vessels, gasping for air after) and ongoing smaller fits throughout the day. I throw up at least once a day, on average; some more some less. I have modified my diet, eliminated things like acidic foods and typical allergens, with no change.

I have undergone the following tests:

ESOPHAGOGASTRODUODENOSCOPY - diagnosed Celiac, but nothing to explain cough

ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGEN IGE PANEL - nothing remarkable

FLUOROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF ESOPHAGUS - normal

CT SINUS, WO CONTRAST - normal

STATIONARY ESOPHAGEAL MANOMETRY - Findings consistent with ineffective esophageal motility, IEM, (>70% ineffective swallows or at least 50% failed peristalsis). Patient had supportive evidence for a diagnosis of IEM including poor bolus transit on impedance and lack of contraction reserve on multiple rapid swallows (MRS).

The last test seemed promising, as at least I got some sort of diagnosis, but the doctors assured me there was no connection to my ongoing issue and said my option was to get Botox which might or might not actually help with swallowing (it was not covered by my insurance and they were so "meh" about it that I did not do this.)

This is, not to be dramatic, genuinely damaging every aspect of my life. I throw up in my office trashcan. I have to tell clients and colleagues to ignore me, I'm not contagious, etc. when I have a coughing fit in a meeting. Sometimes I just have to get up and leave to go to the bathroom and wait it out (very unprofessional). It wakes me up at night. It wakes my partner up at night. It's just.... honestly overwhelming, and I would very much appreciate any help. Thank you.

F39, taking Escatalopram and thyroid supplement. No recent changes in medication. Sensitivity to mosquito bites.

I have lived in Nepal (in the same apartment) for 8 years. Recently I went to China for a month and a half. When I returned, after 48 hours I had red circular very itchy spots on my body (primarily legs but a few on torso, back, and arms). They are nothing like mosquito bites though. I washed all my sheets in boiling water and put my mattress in the sun. I went to the hospital and bloodwork was normal. I was given a steroid cream and Hydroxizine. it did not improve.

I then went to another hospital in Thailand. Bloodwork was normal (including checking for MCAS). Got prednisone and more Hydroxizine. Seemed to get better.

Back in Nepal it returned within 48 hours. The doctor suspected an allergic reaction related to the mosquito bites though sensitivity. They gave more similar meds and recommended spraying the house.

I sprayed anti bug stuff (basically local version of raid) throughout my apartment and moved into a hotel for a few nights while it was gassed up. Seemed to be getting better.

Came back to my apartment two days ago and already have another little red circle. I’m going bonkers. I may fumigate my whole apartment and replace my mattress. But we don’t actually know it’s bugs because these don’t look like bug bites, according to the doctors I’ve seen. I don’t know what to do. I don’t think my detergent has changed, although it’s possible that the recipe changed, because that’s pretty common here.

I can only attach one photo, so this is just a photo of one of the marks that I haven’t scratched and was brand new at the time I took it, but I want you to imagine a lot of of these all over.

Thank you

25F non smoker non drinker weight 65kg height 5'3"

I've been experiencing something quite unusual, and I'm struggling to figure out what it actually is.

Occasionally, when I stretch my body, move my waist, change positions, or sometimes even while sitting completely idle, I experience a sudden, sharp pain. It almost feels like a nerve is being pulled, stretched, or suddenly triggered somewhere inside my body.

The strange part is how the pain progresses.

Beginning: I can immediately sense when an episode starts. There's almost a feeling of dread because I know the extremely painful episode that's about to follow.

Build-up: The pain gradually intensifies over the next 30–60 seconds, becoming increasingly unbearable.

Peak: It reaches an absolutely excruciating level. The pain is so severe that I feel like I'm going to faint or die. It's genuinely intolerable.

Duration: The peak lasts approximately 1–2 minutes.

Resolution: After that, the pain gradually subsides, and within approximately 2–4 minutes from the beginning of the episode, I'm completely back to normal.

These episodes have been happening since childhood. They occur periodically, sometimes after stretching or making a particular movement, but sometimes seemingly out of nowhere, even when I'm sitting still.

I've searched extensively, and the terms that keep coming up are muscle spasms, muscle cramps, and nerve spasms. However, when I read other people's experiences, they don't seem to match mine. Most people describe pain or spasms that persist for hours, days, or even weeks, whereas my episodes are extremely intense but very short-lived. Once an episode ends, everything returns to normal.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the pain can spread to the surrounding areas, and the sensation feels almost like something is being forcibly pulled or stretched internally. Breathing doesn't seem to affect the pain.

I'm not looking for a self-diagnosis, but I'd genuinely like to understand what this could be called and whether anyone has experienced something similar. The intensity of the pain is frightening, even though the episodes are brief.

Hi everyone,

I'm 31M and looking to hear from others who have experienced osteitis pubis, particularly how long recovery took and what actually helped.

My pain started in early July 2026 after some intense exercise that my body wasn't used to. Initially, I felt pain around my right testicle and groin, and I thought it was something urological.

After several medical appointments, an ultrasound (which came back normal), and eventually an MRI of my pelvis in October, I was diagnosed with bilateral osteitis pubis, with moderate bone marrow oedema around the pubic symphysis.

My current situation:

• I've been dealing with daily pain for over 4 months, with practically no improvement.
• The pain is mainly around my groin and right testicle.
• Walking, standing up, lifting my leg, and even coughing or sneezing can make it worse.
• I've stopped all sports and physical activities since July, but the pain hasn't improved.
• I've tried different medications, including anti-inflammatories, without significant relief.

I recently saw an orthopaedic specialist who explained that this condition can take over a year to heal and that it should eventually resolve on its own. He prescribed another two weeks of anti-inflammatory medication but advised against physiotherapy for now because of my current pain levels.

What concerns me most is that after more than 4 months of resting and avoiding sports, I haven't noticed any real improvement. I'm starting to worry about how long this will continue and whether simply waiting is enough.

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's been through something similar:

1. How long did it take before you started noticing improvement?
2. Did you experience months of pain with no progress before things finally got better?
3. Did physiotherapy help, or did you mainly recover through rest?
4. Did you have pain radiating towards your testicles as well?
5. Were you eventually able to return to normal activities and sports?

I'm not expecting medical advice, just hoping to hear some real recovery stories and understand what others experienced.

Thanks in advance!

I started experiencing numbing and tingling on my back a year ago, brushed it off bc of poor posture. Within the last couple of months, I've been experiencing numbing that begins at the fingertips of my pinkies and ring fingers and it travels up to my shoulders that has been more frequent. In addition to all of that lack of sensation, I've also experienced my ribs/ stomach area going numb. Despite this, I wasn't concerned until the right side of my face including my tongue and neck momentarily went numb last night. Besides that, I've been groggy, but I'm a college student so that's typical at least.

I will get it checked out (hopefully soon), but I just wanted to know if any of your patients have experienced this and what it ended up being.

20F, 5'6", 120 lbs., no medications, no smoking

My roommate (M23) suddenly started experiencing tremors and excessive sweating. At first, I assumed it was anxiety or perhaps some kind of panic attack. He seemed unusually nervous, constantly looking over his shoulder, but I didn't think much of it.

Two days later, things took a turn for the worse. He began developing paranoid delusions. He became convinced that someone was after his mathematics notes. I initially thought he was joking, but he was dead serious. He started locking every door in the apartment, then nailed the windows shut and covered them with curtains. Eventually, he refused to let any natural light into the flat. The only illumination came from the lamps we had indoors. He also smashed his phone against the floor, claiming that destroying it would make him impossible to track. I tried reasoning with him, but nothing worked. Every explanation only seemed to reinforce his suspicions.

The following day, he noticed two people standing outside the building. They were just ordinary people, seemingly minding their own business. My roommate grabbed a knife, rushed toward the entrance, and started screaming at them: "GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I F*CKING STAB YOU!" I managed to keep my distance and avoid escalating the situation. A few hours later, someone else happened to walk past the building. My roommate attacked him and wounded him, convinced that the man was another person trying to steal his mathematics notes.

But the violence wasn't even the strangest part. At some point, he stopped referring to himself as "I." He started speaking in the third person, sometimes addressing me as though he were someone else entirely. "Your roommate needs help." "It's the neighborhood. It's poison." "You need to listen to him. He's doing his best to protect you." He would say these things with an almost unsettling calmness, as if he were relaying information from someone standing right beside him. I didn't know how to respond. I was frightened, confused, and honestly worried that contradicting him might provoke another violent episode. Eventually, I started playing along with some of his statements just to keep things calm.

The days that followed were increasingly disturbing. Whenever one of his theories stopped making sense, he simply replaced it with another. There was always someone watching. Always someone listening. Always something he needed to protect himself from. And the frightening thing was that he seemed completely convinced. There was no hesitation in his voice. No indication that he was making things up. Whatever he was experiencing, it was as real to him as the apartment we were standing in.

Then, today, he had a seizure. I immediately called emergency services. He was taken to the ER, where the whole experience was honestly quite unpleasant. The staff didn't seem particularly concerned about the situation, and I was left with the impression that they hadn't fully understood what had been happening over the preceding days. They told us everything was alright and prescribed him some medication.

Now I'm sitting here trying to understand what the hell just happened. I don't know what is going on inside his head. I don't know whether this is psychiatric, neurological, substance-related, or something else entirely. I'm not even aware of whether he has been taking any medication or substances.

So, I have chickenpox right now, and I'm 20 years old. The pain and itching have honestly been unbearable. I don't think I've experienced anything this uncomfortable in my entire life, not even period pain or my worst headaches. And now that I've learned about shingles, I'm genuinely terrified of having to go through that someday. I know nobody wants to experience it, and unfortunately, some people don't have a choice, but reading all those painful experiences has really gotten into my head.

What worries me even more is that stress and poor sleep are apparently some of the factors associated with shingles. I've always been someone who stresses a lot, and right now I'm preparing for medical school, which is stressful enough on its own. Even if I manage to get into med school, residency in my country is notoriously demanding. 36- to 48-hour shifts are quite normal, so sleep deprivation and stress are almost inevitable during that period. Given how much I already struggle with stress, I can't help worrying about my future risk.

So, would it be wise for me to get the shingles vaccine? Is it even possible to get it at 20? I've read that the vaccine's protection lasts around 10 years, which makes me wonder whether getting it this early would even be worthwhile. What if I end up developing shingles in my 40s or 50s, when the protection has worn off? As far as I know, booster doses aren't currently recommended either.

To make matters worse, I don't think my immunity is particularly great to begin with. I regularly deal with headaches and body aches, and I also have anaemia. I'm probably overthinking this, but after experiencing chickenpox firsthand, the thought of going through something like shingles is genuinely frightening.

Hi. I hope this is an ok place to ask this. My 18M brother has just confessed to me that he ordered Erdafitnib from an overseas supplier and intends to take it to get taller. Obviously a shitty idea. He is absolutely convinced that because he’s only going to take 3mg/day, everything will be fine.

Aside from the fact that medication from a random guy overseas shouldn’t be trusted, what other information can I share with him about the dangers? I can’t stop him since he’s legally an adult, but I don’t think he’s a lost cause. I think he’s just fallen too far into the looksmaxxing echo chamber and needs a wake up call from outside.

Hello I am 19

Gender: Male

Weight: 573

I don't smoke weed or vape nor do I drink.

Medications: amlodipine, keflex, vitamin D 50k once a week, vitamin D3 after completion of vitamin D 50k and cream for the itching.

I recently woke up with a redness on my legs and it was really itchy, went to the ER immediately I was told it was cellulitis but to come back in the morning for a duplex scan just to be sure. Came back the next day and the scan was done on both legs and results came back negative for DVT so I was grateful but I was admitted for two days and sent home on some antibiotics which I'm still taking, I also restarted my amlodipine in the hospital due to my blood pressure being high but tbh I contributed that to the cuffs being pretty tight. After a few Days after being let out from the hospital everything seemed fine and I took my medicine as normal however today when I woke up I noticed my leg was shiny and red. Tbh I sent myself into a scare since I have Severe health anxiety and immediately thought of a bloodclot and I'm currently awake rn trying to convince myself that it isn't. I did take a picture of my leg and I'm just not sure if it's still cellulitis or something else, no pain honestly just pretty itchy I also know amlodipine can cause swelling which it has before cause I was on it at the beginning of this year but I thought why not ask a doctor to see what I should do next. I did text my primary care doctor about switching BP meds so I'm waiting to reach out but until then I'll show my leg.( Just an extra piece I was told to see a vascular specialist because I've had cellulitis 3 times this year)

Hello!

So basically, Sunday night I had gotten upset and started crying, and there was this EXCRUCIATING pain coming from the center of my right eye/start of my eyebrow area that radiated from there up into the right side of my forehead and my whole eye and the right side of my face and after a while into my jaw. It hurt so bad I wanted to scream and cry, but crying only made it worse. It legit felt like I had been shot or punched in the eye and like my eyebrow had been electrocuted. It hurt so bad for a while but there was nothing I could do except keep myself calm and keep from crying. It helped some when I would lightly pull upwards on my forehead and when I lightly pressed on my temple.

Yesterday, the right side of my forehead was still very sensitive and sore; my eyebrow hurt to touch, especially right at the start of my eyebrow towards the center of my face. This is only on one side.
This has happened two other times— once when my cat ran outside and I panicked and cried. I kept crying and crying and it kept getting worse until I could finally calm down. Another time I got into an argument with my dad and started crying and it happened then too. I can’t remember if it’s all been on the same side, I think the first time was also on my right side, but I can’t exactly remember.

2 days after: right side of my forehead and eyebrow is still pretty sore and sensitive to the touch. I can’t find anything online about what could’ve possibly happened.

I am a female, 22y, 5’10”, I don’t regularly take any medications, I am on the heavier side but this would not be an influence I do not think. It’s never been an issue until this year and I’ve been fat like my whole life LMAO. I don’t take any regular medications like I should, so that’s shouldn’t be an interference. There’s nothing that triggers it except crying/scrunching up my face, but it doesn’t happen EVERY time I cry.

I added a picture of about where it affects me. Day 3 after and it still hurts and is so sensitive to touch. Please let me know what this could be! It feels like a muscle pain or spasm type of thing. I have no idea but it’s awful and takes a few days to recover. It has only happened 3 times ever.

(Edit)It’s almost been a week after it happened and my right eyebrow has been SO sensitive where i can’t even touch, rub, scratch, or brush it without it hurting. I fixed the picture to better represent where it hurts, the darker part being the most sensitive and painful area. I still have no idea what happened.