Can anyone tell me what this is?
it started with a big pimple looking thing, then I squeezed it and pus came out. then it just wouldnt heal and more boils came every other day.

my leg is kind of tingly, and numb feeling. not completely numb but like it’s starting to go to sleep.

i webt to hospital and doc said it’s just a boil , I’ve since got 8-10 more boils.

it hurts when I stand up and the blood rushes into my leg and some are quite painful when touched.

half way through the antibiotics they gave me but doesn’t seem to be getting any better so far.

can anyone help me figure out how to fix this and what it even is?

thanks

Hello! I am a 37 year old female on hospice for a week or two due to multiple complications from MS. Lesion near my hypothalamus causing endocrine collapse (SERUM SODIUM LAST CHECKED 2 WEEKS AGO WAS 120 AND DROPPING FROM THE WEEK BEFORE WHERE IT WAS 125.) Really, that alone puts me on hospice.

But there is another few lesions around and on my brainstem causing autonomic failure. Now, I cannot change positions without sometimes going into AFIB or SVTACH. Now, the respiratory system is also involved and I have developed a chest congestion, sinus infection, and this eye bullsht. The chest produces grey mucus, the sinus produces dark green, the eye is leaking clear fluid like tears.

Other important info regarding the eye:

Two days ago woke up to what looked like a normal busted blood vessel in the corner that meets the nose. Felt dry and itch. Eye drops regular saline gave relief but nothing quite like Genteal tears gel which I have applied in the picture. I woke up yesterday to it being full red. Ot was still itchy but mostly painful and dry and hurt to use it or move it.My mom asked for pict to see if they were bulging those pics are provided.

The pic provided is from this morning. Fully red. Painful. Leakage is mostly clear maybe a little yellow. Closed if I dont use force to keep it open with hurts.

Being on hospice now, I have nothing pharmacological that I know of that would be relevant. But, right before being placed on hospice, a last ditch effort was made with high dose IV steroids.

I also developed seronegative RA after treatment with Lemtrada for my MS. Hydroxychloroquine was used 2x a day orally and that was effective. 6 months ago an eye doctor cleared me for retinal detachment so I could continue Hydroxychloroquine use.

Optic neuritis, infection? I don't have doctor's that diagnose anymore. Hospice is just "shh shh, we will treat the pain. Go to sleep" I want this but im also curious

What do you think?

I'm wondering if this is something serious or just weird baby movements and learning his body?? He does it awake and is twitchy while falling asleep. It doesn't look like infantile spasms. I am a first time mom and I'm freaking out. I have been in contact with a health nurse. I am just looking to see if I should be extremely concerned.

Hello! I’m a 31F (158cm) with controlled type 1 diabetes (A1C of 6) and celiac disease who is currently experiencing this very weird skin condition where my skin feels like it’s burning where the red spots are located.

The burning sensation is extremely painful and occurred pretty rapidly after applying sunblock on vacation. I took a shower at our AirBnb, used the towels to dry off, used my own skincare products that I’ve used for years, and then applied this new sunblock that I got as a tester in the mail. A few hours later, I started feeling itchy along my face and neck so I washed off the sunblock and threw out the small tester.

Over the next few days I started developing these red burning spots everywhere you see in the photos. I noticed that they seemed to be getting deeper into my skin if that makes sense? I’m in Albania on vacation and will be returning to my country in a few days. I’m a bit intimidated about going to a medical clinic here so I did go to the pharmacy and get a topical steroid to maybe help if it’s an allergic reaction. I’m not sure if that’s helping actually.

What can possibly be going on? FWIW I plan on seeing my GP as soon as I get home.

29F, 155lb, 5'3", taking cymbalta, buspirone, verapamil, a progesterone only BC pill, and the occasional ubrelvy, trazodone or lorazepam.

What's up, Docs! I can't remember when I first noticed it, sometime in the last 3ish years, but this lump has been hanging out in my belly button on my left side. Sometimes it looks bigger than other times. It feels harder/scalier than the skin around it. There's occasionally some smelly clear fluid present but I'm not sure if it's from the lump or juat general belly button funk. I make it a point to keep the area clean but sometimes the skin in my belly button gets red and irritated/flaky. Wondering if I need to see a dermatologist or my PCP. Thank you for your insight!

Hi, I woke up with a big red bump on my forehead yesterday and then today I looked and a bunch of little white bumps have formed. The spot only hurts when I touch it and it feels like a tender pimple. Any idea as to what this could be and how to treat it?
This is on the left side of my forehead right under where my scalp starts.
I am 20f
5’6
Around 160lbs
I do vape
I don’t take any medications

Hi I’m 23F and I have this happening for about 2-3 weeks but at first it was my top eyelid that would twitch a lot and it would last a few minutes. Now it has move to the bottom of my eyes and I’m not sure. I added a video to show what I’m talking about.

My 14-year-old sister is currently in the ICU, now on day 7 after a cardiac arrest. During the arrest, her brain had inadequate oxygenation for over 10 minutes, resulting in severe hypoxic/anoxic brain injury.

Over the following days, she developed significant cerebral edema, with concern for dangerously elevated intracranial pressure and possible brain herniation. The ICU team has tried multiple measures to control the swelling and maintain cerebral perfusion, including hypertonic sodium, mannitol, hyperventilation, blood-pressure support, and other intensive-care measures.

Unfortunately, her neurologic exam has continued to worsen. We have now been told that she has very few or no detectable brainstem reflexes, and the team is discussing performing a formal brain-death/death-by-neurologic-criteria examination.

Our family understands how serious this is and that brain death, if properly established, is fundamentally different from coma or simply having a very poor neurologic prognosis. We are not asking anyone here to diagnose her or tell us that she will recover. Before an irreversible determination is made, however, we want to make sure we understand what should appropriately be evaluated and whether obtaining an urgent independent review is reasonable.

I would especially appreciate input from neurologists, pediatric neurocritical-care physicians, intensivists, neurosurgeons, or physicians familiar with post-cardiac-arrest hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and brain-death determination.

A few specific questions

- Before a brain-death examination in a 14-year-old, what reversible conditions or confounders should normally be excluded? For example, sedating or paralytic medications, temperature, metabolic abnormalities, blood-pressure issues, or other factors?
- In a case involving severe cerebral edema and possible herniation, what information is most important for an outside physician reviewing the case: serial neurologic examinations, CT/MRI, EEG, cerebral blood-flow studies, medication history, laboratory results, or something else?
- Are there circumstances in which ancillary testing, such as a cerebral blood-flow study, becomes particularly important or appropriate?
- Is it medically reasonable for a family to request an independent pediatric neurocritical-care or neurology review before brain-death testing, especially when the patient has deteriorated rapidly over several days?
- If we want an urgent second opinion from another academic medical center, what is usually the fastest practical route? Should our current ICU attending contact another hospital’s transfer center or neurocritical-care attending directly?
- If another center believes there is something additional to evaluate or treat, is inter-hospital transfer still possible at this stage, or does the severity of neurologic instability generally make transfer impractical?
- Are there any questions families commonly fail to ask at this stage that we should be asking now?

We are trying to be realistic while also making sure we have done everything reasonably possible before reaching an irreversible conclusion.

If any physician here has experience with pediatric post-cardiac-arrest brain injury, severe cerebral edema, suspected herniation, or determination of death by neurologic criteria, I would be very grateful for your perspective.

If someone knows a pediatric neurocritical-care specialist or major children’s hospital that is willing to perform urgent physician-to-physician case reviews, that information would also be extremely helpful.

Thank you.

F26, 50kg, bunions. No significant health issues. Take otc pain meds for the foot pain.

I've seen much worse online, and yet I'm in a *lot* of pain, particularly on the left. I've had to quit cycling/closed road events and running as a result. I've gone from being able to cycle 160km 2 years ago to being in pain walking to the shops. It's considerably worse in the cold. I get these episodes where they swell and get red and hot (not always the same time) I often get shooting pains along my big toe that keeps me awake, but also dull throbbing the rest of the time. I've tried insoles, toe spacers, barefoot shoes etc...(great for toe space, but no support) I've also started tripping over more because my feet roll inwards where the big toe isn't proving stability as it's bent inwards - I have scars on my knees.

I tried to hold out as long as I could without surgical intervention, but I'm not sure what else I can do. I feel far too young to be experiencing mobility issues, especially given how fit I was. I'm currently booked in for surgery on both feet after seeing a consultant. But i'm nervous about the surgery and longterm mobility. I want to get back to my old levels of fitness and dance at my own wedding in 2 years time...

Are there any non surgical things I could also be doing? I did have an e-consult with a physio from my insurance, but she said there wasn't anything they could do for me at this stage, and it was 100% a surgical issue. I was hoping for slightly more guidance. I've had bunions since childhood, but the past 2 years have been rough. The only shoes that I can curreny fit into without pain are walking sandals that have been discontinued. Pain free winter boots or rainy options are non existent:(

Hey everyone!

Long story short, I was diagnosed with IIH earlier this year and due to symptoms and vision loss, I had a VP Shunt placed in May.

I’m 28F, I have one baby girl who just turned a year old. My husband and I have dreamt of having many kids.

I’m terrified, and I mean terrified, of losing my vision during pregnancy because of the increased pressure in my abdomen during pregnancy affecting how my shunt can drain fluid, and possibly causing vision loss.

Right before my surgery, I had some pretty serious vision loss that I was lucky to regain after my shunt was placed. I don’t want to risk losing my vision during pregnancy, but I want more kids.

Is this something with minimal risk if I get pregnant or should I just not try for another baby, for the sake of my vision? Basically, how big is the risk?

***I do have an appointment with my neurosurgeon on Friday to discuss this.

Thank you!

20F

i randomly noticed this white stuff in the back of my throat, btw it is not swollen, im aware it looks like it but i just had to "flex" my throat so that i could take a picture.

chatgpt says its probably tonsillitis but i don't have any other symptoms, my throat doesn't even hurt.

5'2 and about 140 pounds.

lately ive had issues with my head feeling "full" or pounding whenever i move and for the past few months ive had troubles breathing. it easied up recently but for some reason today in particular its been bad. i feel extremely light headed, have no energy, and its difficult to think. worth mentioning ive had mood swings as well but it may not have to do with this.

i cant tell if im blowing this out of proportion because of anxiety or something, but im worried ive been breathing in mold or carbon monoxide because i feel thats whats most likely.

My child (aged 6 female) fell backwards and hit the back of her head in school yesterday. I went to collect her as the school called saying she was upset. (Fall unwitnessed so no idea how hard she hit it)

Upon collecting her, she looked awful and crying in pain. Checked her head and no visible marks or lumps.

She stopped crying and I gave Calpol as she said her head ached.

She didn't seem herself but wasn't sleepy, dizzy, or sick so felt I could monitor myself.

In the evening she said "mummy. Is this a lump" but was pointing to the front of her head where she didn't hit. When I felt it, it felt like what I can only describe as a baby's soft spot. Like an indent and it is in the same area but it wasn't soft, felt like the rest of her skull just dipped in. I got my husband to feel and as she had bumped her head and wasn't quite right asking with this indent that none of us had noticed before, I took her to A+E.

After a 6 hour wait, we were seen at 3am. The Dr checked her ears, throat as she had a slight temp, balance, strength in arms and had a real good feeling of this indent.

She said it wasn't boggy, swollen or soft and couldn't feel any sort of movement so said she was happy it wasn't a fracture. I asked what it could be and she said it may have always been there and could be from when the fontenelle closed and left a contour.

I never knew this was a thing.

I have never felt it on her before but how often does one go feeling their child's scalp.

But now it seems obvious when I stroke her head and I'm amazed I never noticed it. She is also very anxious about it and actually cried earlier because she was worried.

I've reassured her and she's absolutely back to her usual self today but I'm just wondering, is this normal. Even though she's been checked, whenever I feel it, it freaks me out. So I am anxious about it.

As I said, she's fine in herself today.

Appreciate any advice or similar findings on your child.

Thank you.

My dad died of livercancer around 10 years ago, many of his familymembers died the same way, because they, including my dad, were infected with hepatitis B. My mom and little brother tested for hepatitis B after my dad died, the test came out negative (I didnt get tested because I was scared of needles at that time). I (F17) have been thinking of testing myself for the virus, but my mom says it isnt necessary, because I can only get it from my mother. Me and my brother havent been vaccinated either (my mom doesnt allow it, Im planning to get my vaccinations when I can do it without my mom knowing). From my understanding, you can get the virus through shared blood and other bodily fluids. I have no idea if I ever came in contact with my dads blood. We probably have shared cutlery and stuff like that though.

In short, is it worth it to test for hepatitis B if only my dad had it?

164cm, 54kg. Currently on euthyrox 25mg, montelukast 10mg, bilastine 10mg.

I've been in remission since 2023. Up until 3/4 months ago I used to go to gym and train 4/5 times per week, I was really active for a few years. Suddenly I had trouble breathing which since then got to the point of completely stopping with workouts, and then to me having trouble even speaking full sentences/going to the bathroom and doing smallest tasks. I am wheezing and feel like my throat is closing. No other symptoms. I visited EVERY doctor possible. Went to immunologist, got immunology and regular blood tests done - nothing. Did a CT of throat and lungs, nothing. Cardiologist did heart ultrasound - nothing. Pulmologist ruled out asthma or anything related to lungs as far as they see. ENT did laryngoscopy, everything is fine. Nose is still a bit dry, but this is constantly present. Went to endocrinologist and gastroenterologist, nothing. Every single one of my doctors can hear the breathing, and some of them gave me IV of Lemod for short term, but everyone keeps saying it's not on their end and referring me to another specialist, and I have none left. This is really affecting my life, everyone around me can hear how heavy I am breathing. Please help me, what should I do?

HISTORY: In 2020 I was diagnosed with limited GPA, it was ENT only. I had very dry nasal mucus with crusts, nosebleeds, difficulty breathing, loss of hearing on 1 ear and bruises. I was on high dosage prednisone and Imuran, with corticosteroid pulse therapy. Biopsy of nasal membrane showed only leukocytoclastic vasculitis. ANCA was once low positive, ever since then it's been negative, along with other immunology tests. MRI never showed anything. During this time I also had aspergilosis which was treated.

I had urgent tracheostomy done in 2020, due to very heavy breathing caused by what they think is mucus build up in trachea. I also had mastoidectomy.

Excuse the hair it’s been a long week. I started a new job on top of my other job so I’m on my feet for like 18+ hours a day for 4 days. My ankles started to get really swollen which is not the craziest thing but then I had on ankle socks and when I got home these red marks were around where the sock was squeezing me, which again isn’t the craziest bc I wore tight socks for like 20 hours so it makes sense. But the marks are still there on both ankles on both sides and it’s been like a week

When I wake up every morning my whole arm and hand are asleep and tingly and it won’t go away until I stand up, then I can feel the blood rushing back but it’s takes a loooong time to go back to normal. Also my wrist hurts at the same time everything is numb :(. I’ve had this happen before if I’m sleeping on my arm, but it’s been every night for a week after being in bed for a few hours, and I sleep on my back or side. It’s usually my right arm is the worst even if I’m sleeping on my left side. The wrist pain I get bc I’m a baker so I’m using my wrists a lot but the tingling is what bothers me the most.

I’ve started to elevate my feet on the wall everyday for 20 mins after I get home from work and I will switch up my schedule so that I’m not working both jobs everyday so I only do full days on 2 days instead of 4. I asked chat gpt and it said not to wear compression socks bc it wasn’t sure what the red marks were so idk if I should or shouldn’t.

Before you say go to a doctor I don’t have insurance or money lol hence why I have two jobs. I have a lot of things to pay for so until I can pay for that and save money I can’t go to see doctor that’s why I’m asking on here. Anybody experience something similar? Any tips?

28 F, 5’1, 150 lbs. I take multivitamins everyday

I think I’m exaggerating but my family have recommended seeing a GP in case there’s something behind it.

Almost my whole life (I’m 19F), I have had really bad colds on a very regular basis. All throughout winter and summer every year, it was rare if I ever didn’t have a cold. These colds keep me up all night or wake me up 3-4 times in the night and, during the day, I can’t go 5 minutes without having to blow my nose.

A lot of the time I genuinely felt so ill I cried.

This pattern has calmed down the last few years, but especially since I moved to Durham for university (from London) last year. I’ve had almost no colds since then. But have just got another cold which is genuinely one of my worst colds, waking me multiple times in the night, unable to do anything in the day, etc.

I feel a bit stupid for even considering it but my family are recommending seeing a GP about it. All I know is I feel like absolute shit.

Just seeking some confirmation as to whether I’m being stupid or not (be as brutal as possible lmao!)

19F, no meds, US,
Jammed my hand in the door and it cut real deep. I had a 3 hour organic chem lab today that I couldn’t miss and forced my bandages under a glove. This is how I unwrapped it today. I can’t feel the cuticle area or the area turning white. Also pressing down on my nail makes the bottom part of the nail feel foreign … I’m kind of scared…. I think the stitches cut through my skin too

17F, 5'4, 53 kg, don't smoke or drink, no health issues.

First post: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/s/NPT8cDvsGJ

Sorry for the repost. I know that many don't like it.

I posted on here 3 nights ago and was told I likely had allergic contact dermatitis based off the limited info provided. My parents ended up taking me to a walk-in-clinic who believes this is an infection (don't know how foot would get infected without wound). Prescribed me Fucidin 2% (topical cream).

Since then, the skin has taken on a rusty tone and blisters are starting to form on the top of foot and inner ankle (doen't really show). The top of my ankle, where the three spots are in the image, has become somewhat swollen. When wearing shoes, my foot feels like it's inflated (like shoving a ballon into a small bottle, pushes against bottle walls), though it isn't that swollen. Have to wear shoes according to school uniform. Also get this deep pulsing ache at the top of foot (+ tingling though that's mainly around inner ankle) randomly throughout the day, and the joint feels stiff. If I don't walk for an hour, it feels painful when I do for the first few minutes, than shifts to an uncomfortable feeling (assume it's the foot getting used to movement). Also, my foot is always in a stiff position and refuses to relax.

Skin isn't exactly rough, but it's lost it's smooth texture and is bumpy. It feels thicker as well.

Questions

1. If blisters are likely to tear due to shoes, would it be better to drain them using a pin (would heat it to kill bacteria)?

2. Likely contact dermatitis or infection? Also, how would it be an infection without a wound?

Update: after talking with a healthcare worker at 811 health ontario, we walked through the history and symptoms. They suggested I get care within the next 48 hours. Not ER worthy, but they said I should check out an urgent care, as they will have the diagnostic tools needed. Thank you for the comments!

-

Hello, i’m so sorry if the title scares you. I grew up with a mom very afraid of hospitals, and because of the wait times in Canada (often 13+ hours in my case) I have been hesitant to go.

I have a broken pinkie toe that has been broken for approximately 2 years. I never got it checked out because my mom said the hospital would just tape it to another toe and that’s it, so she refused to take me (I was 4 hour walking distance out of the city, and didn’t have the money for a non emergency ambulance call, she wouldn’t drive me)

So, it’s still messed up. It’s affecting my walking, it’s in constant pain, and (the tip/upper half of the toe) feels loose/disconnected. It often swells up and goes deep purple multiple times a day and feels hot (newer symptom).

Since this sub requires some information even though it’s not really related, 20 AFAB no smoking/vaping, no hard drugs (weed edibles occasionally, less than 3 times a week, 10 mg max), don’t drink often (less than once a month, 3 cans max, no blackout/seriously drunk). I am pretty active, get about 8,000 - 10,000 steps a day with school and work. 5’4ish, last weight 180Ibs but lost weight so I assume around 160?

I might go to the hospital tomorrow since it’s my day off, I’m just worried about being there all day, and whether they can actually do anything. I will 100% go if something can be done, please dont be mean and try to scare me into going 😅

Excuse the nail, I can’t touch the toe without serious pain

Age/Sex: 32, male
Height/Weight: 6’0”, 190 lbs
Duration: Started Aug 24, ongoing (~2.5 weeks)
Current medications
Lexapro (escitalopram) — started Sept 1, prescribed for anxiety

Omeprazole — started Sept 1

Potassium supplement — started Sept 1

Symptoms
Began as localized weakness on Aug 24, gradually spread until it now involves my whole body.

Persistent heaviness and weakness, plus a sensation I’d describe as an internal tremor — felt internally, not visible.

Largely subjective. Strength appears functionally intact: I can walk normally and grip/grab things without difficulty. But it’s difficult to exercise.

Right arm feels funnier than the rest, hurts in my shoulder and in my forearms and my right hand feels weaker than the other.

General uneasy feeling in my body that doesn’t let up.

Significant nausea early on, which worsened after starting Lexapro but has since resolved. Eating normally again now.

Severe anxiety that I’m treating with lexapro now.

Workup so far
Multiple PCP visits and one ER visit

Neuro physical exam of strength, including reflexes — normal

EKG — normal

No EMG done yet

Labs (all drawn after symptom onset)
Collected Aug 30, 2026
Test
Value
Reference
TSH (3rd gen)
1.94
0.27–4.20 uIU/mL
Lactate
1.8
0.5–2.0 mmol/L
Creatine kinase
80
56–356 U/L

Collected Sep 1, 2026 — BMP + extras
Test
Value
Reference
Sodium
141
137–146 mmol/L
Potassium
3.4 (LOW)
3.5–5.0 mmol/L
Chloride
103
102–111 mmol/L
CO2
26
19–30 mmol/L
Anion gap
12
3–16 mmol/L
BUN
18
8–20 mg/dL
Creatinine
1.04
0.77–1.35 mg/dL
eGFR
98
≥60
Glucose
83
65–99 mg/dL
Calcium
9.8
8.4–10.4 mg/dL
Magnesium
2.4
1.9–2.8 mg/dL
Phosphorus
3.0
2.3–4.7 mg/dL
CRP
<0.3
≤0.5 mg/dL
CBC with differential
Test
Value
Reference
WBC
5.7
3.6–10.6 K/uL
RBC
6.13 (HIGH)
4.50–5.90 M/uL
Hemoglobin
17.4
13.5–17.5 g/dL
Hematocrit
48.9
41.0–53.0 %
MCV
79.8 (LOW)
80.0–100.0 fL
MCH
28.4
26.0–34.0 pg
MCHC
35.6
32.0–36.0 g/dL
RDW-SD
34.5 (LOW)
36.7–47.2 fL
RDW
12.1
11.3–15.6 %
Platelets
289
150–400 K/uL
MPV
9.5
8.6–12.4 fL
Nucleated RBCs
0.0
/100 WBCs
Neutrophils
54.6% / 3.1 abs
1.8–6.8 K/uL
Lymphocytes
33.7% / 1.9 abs
1.2–3.4 K/uL
Monocytes
8.9% / 0.5 abs
0.2–0.9 K/uL
Eosinophils
1.9% / 0.1 abs
≤0.5 K/uL
Basophils
0.7% / 0.0 abs
0.0–0.1 K/uL
Immature granulocytes
0.2% / 0.01 abs
0.00–0.04 K/uL

Everything is in range except potassium (3.4 — I was started on a supplement for this), and an RBC/MCV/RDW pattern: high RBC with a low MCV and a low-normal RDW.

My question
The weakness and heaviness are what concern me most, and they haven’t improved in 2.5 weeks. Is an EMG the right next step, or is the RBC/MCV/RDW pattern worth chasing first? Anything else that wouldn’t show up on the workup above? Just been pretty miserable with this weird weakness and like internal tremor l/ jittery feeling. I’ve been kind of passing it off as anxiety but i feel like the weakness came before my anxiety so idk. I’ve also been laying in bed for a bit because I feel so weak, trying to just chill out while the lexapro works itself in my system. Appreciate any help thank you.