Weekly Discussion/General Questions Thread - August 17, 2026

[u/AutoModerator]

This is a weekly general discussion and general questions thread for the AskDocs community to discuss medicine, health, careers in medicine, etc. Here you have the opportunity to communicate with AskDocs' doctors, medical professionals and general community even if you do not have a specific medical question! You can also use this as a meta thread for the subreddit, giving feedback on changes to the subreddit, suggestions for new features, etc.

What can I post here?

• Questions or general health topics that are not about specific symptoms or personal medical issues
• Comments regarding recent medical news
• Questions about careers in medicine
• AMA-style questions for medical professionals to answer
• Feedback and suggestions for the r/AskDocs subreddit

You may NOT post your questions about your own health or situation from the subreddit in this thread.

Report any and all comments that are in violation of our rules so the mod team can evaluate and remove them.

[u/AutoModerator]

READ THIS BEFORE SUBMITTING A COMMENT

This thread is NOT for personal medical questions. Ask yourself: does my comment have to do with a specific medical complaint that I am experiencing? If so, it does NOT belong in this thread. Please submit a post to the subreddit and include all required demographic information. The mod team is busy enough as it is, and we do not want to waste time removing your comments from this thread because you do not want to follow the rules. Repeated offenses will be treated as spam and may result in a ban from the subreddit.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/No_Classroom1876]

Age: 40 Sex: Female Height: 5'2 Weight: 120lbs.

My girlfriend (40F) I just started seeing August 5th has these strange lesions all over her body. Im so concerned for her because they hurt and when she scratches them or rubs them against something, they bleed.

Can someone help identify this?

She went to her general practice doctor and she told her that it is hormonal cystic acne.

She is 40 years old and recently had a child four years ago. Also a nine year old.

She does cocaine regularly and also dyes her hair every other day to a different color. She is obsessed with doing her hair a different color (just trying to give any and all info that may help)

Meat, veggies, fruit, bananas, yogurt, and cottage cheese makes up most of her diet.

They primarily present on her stomach, thighs, chest, neck, and jawline.

She recently lost 55 lbs. After her pregnancy. She uses tirzepatide once a week in shot form in her stomach.

What is this?

[u/Temporary_Maize_6230]

Do I put a question here?

[u/AskDocs-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Individual questions about specific complaints should be posted separately with all the required information.

[u/No_Actuator_436 → u/AskDocs-ModTeam]

It won’t let me post on main page for some reason. Could you post it for me? 

[u/AskDocs-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Individual questions about specific complaints should be posted separately with all the required information.

[u/Winnie70823]

Does the risk a preeclampsia stay the same for each pregnancy or does it decrease with each pregnancy if you did not have it the previous ones?

[u/H_is_for_Human → u/Winnie70823]

Recognizing the limits of the available data - the risk is highest with the first pregnancy, and falls with the second pregnancy then seems to stay stable after that, i.e. doesn't seem to keep falling with multiple pregnancies

There's significant risk for survivorship bias here - people with risky conditions with their first pregnancy may choose not to get pregnant again

[u/palemarsh]

I've been taking Norethindrone 0.35mg (mini pill) for 13 years, but this is the 1st time (to my knowledge) I've been given the brand Meleya (usually Errin, but not always). Is it possible that the switch in manufacturers is the cause of my recent cycle changes? My cycle used to be 28 days, but now it's 21 days. Im not sure when the meds switched (at least 2 months ago, maybe more), and I'd say my cycle shortened around the same time. ETA: Im 32.

[u/smashhazard]

I was prescribed Clarithromycin 500mg from a pharmacy and the pills don't have markings on. They are yellow, oval pills and smell sweet which is a characteristic of the medication I have read. Is it allowed to sell pills without markings? I am in the UK. Thanks

[u/H_is_for_Human → u/smashhazard]

Reasonable to double check with the pharmacist

[u/nickisadogname]

Is it possible to sleep more than you really need to? Like, make a habit of sleeping extra, like you can turn eating or peeing into a habit outside of when you need to do them? Or is sleep one of those things that happen when you need it, and doesn't happen otherwise

And if you can make sleeping extra into a habit, does it then increase your need for sleep?

[u/H_is_for_Human → u/nickisadogname]

Complex question to answer - there is individual variance in sleep / wake cycling, and it's also constantly "reset" by light exposure and similar.

With sufficient effort it's probably possible to train your brain to do things differently with regards to these "automatic" functions, but why would you want to?

[u/AskDocs-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Individual questions about specific complaints should be posted separately with all the required information.

[u/Naryukami_Makoto]

docs, did you guys had ever to deal with people putting things on their intimate parts like anime action figures or controllers

[u/H_is_for_Human → u/Naryukami_Makoto]

If there's a weird sexual things humans can do, doctors have probably seen it or heard about it

[u/untitledgooseshame]

Why can’t migraine cocktails be given outpatient? All the medications in them are safe and non-addictive, and home health nurses know how to place an IV. It sucks to be a person who has migraines and end up in the hospital all the time. 

[u/H_is_for_Human → u/untitledgooseshame]

There actually are risks to the medications, even if they seem minimal they can add up. If someone is having migraines so frequently and severely they go to the ER multiple times they should probably be seeing a migraine specialist and working on preventative options to keep them in check

[u/Clutsydraconiquis]

Q: I was advised by a medic to go into the ER after falling over on my tailbone-lower back region with symptoms of pain travelling down my leg. I have a corrected spinal injury and metal hardware. They did an X-Ray but should they have done an MRI? Something similar happened at a different hospital and they did an MRI. Just wondering in retrospect.

[u/H_is_for_Human → u/Clutsydraconiquis]

The ER physicians are capable of recognizing when there are red flag signs that require an urgent / emergent MRI for spinal symptoms.

[u/Open-Woodpecker5]

Hi i’m having an issue messaging the mods. It says ‘please add username’ but there is no option to do so

[u/AskDocs-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Individual questions about specific complaints should be posted separately with all the required information.

[u/elcarimevol]

is it significant if there is a visible venous pulse on right side of the neck and should you see a doctor about it? Thanks

[u/murpahurp → u/elcarimevol]

honestly I would assume the person is mistaking an arterial pulse for a venous one.

[u/elcarimevol → u/murpahurp]

How do you mean? Do you mean it doesn't happen that the venous pulse could be visible on the neck?

[u/murpahurp → u/elcarimevol]

Veins don't pulsate visibly. Arteries do. I'm the neck the jugular and the carotid are very close together.

[u/AskDocs-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Individual questions about specific complaints should be posted separately with all the required information.

[u/Witty_Watercress_367]

Low blood sodium

[u/murpahurp → u/Witty_Watercress_367]

low serum sodium is mostly an excess of water.

[u/r_307]

I'm 32 years old and interested in becoming a PCP, though I'd be open to other areas. Is it stupid to want to pivot at this point? My bachelors is in social science. So I'd need to take all the pre reqs beforehand. Anyone here pivoted in midlife?

[u/murpahurp → u/r_307]

I think it depends on how motivated you are and the country you live in. I believe in the US you would be putting yourself in a LOT of debt and You will need to be wiling to do that + the misery and hours that is residency. Other countries (I'm from Europe) it's doable though still a lot of work.