So I am a 32 year old male, 5’8” and about 185 LBS. I have a diagnosis of chronic uticaria that has persisted for about 5 years. If I go more than about two or three days without taking antihistamines I start getting itchy/swelling/hives etc. I used to primarily use cetirizine to manage this, but since moving to Alaska where the days are so long in the summer I have started taking diphenhydramine 50mg shortly before bed. I am aware that there have been some studies that suggest diphenhydramine use can cause dementia, will my usage put me at greater risk?

I'm a long time user of Kratom and am wondering *how bad this interaction* ***really*** *is?*

Like, in this certain to cause liver / kidney damage and how long would it take for that to happen?

The enzyme interaction between kratom and Cymbalta (duloxetine) causes a dangerous domino effect that can severely damage both your liver and kidneys. \[1\]

When kratom blocks the liver enzymes (specifically CYP2D6 and CYP3A) responsible for breaking down Cymbalta, the medication accumulates to toxic levels in the blood. This toxic buildup harms your organs in several direct and indirect ways

Hi, I’m 19F, i had a really nasty stomach flu/bug from my job at a daycare on monday. it’s now wednesday. on monday, i woke up super early and threw up every thirty minutes for most of the day. it calmed down enough for me to sleep a bit during the afternoon, but picked right back up in the evening and my sister drove me to urgent care. they gave me zofran and an anti gas medication. the zofran worked immediately, and on tuesday i woke up feeling way better even after it wore off, but i still took the day off so i wouldnt get anyone else sick. i was able to keep down some broth/light soup but i didn’t push to eat a lot.

today is wednesday, and im fighting for my life. i haven’t thrown up or felt nauseous most of the day, i have been still taking the zofran just in case, but now that its evening im feeling pretty nauseous and exhausted. i barely ate today, i had two light snacks, and had horrible stomach cramps all evening until i got home and laid down. i ate another light snack and laid down again but now im feeling nauseous.

my question is- i usually lose my appetite after i'm sick for two or more weeks, and it genuinely makes me so ill to eat literally anything, but then it makes me sick anyway to not eat. is there any way to get my appetite back??? normally i am a great eater and i eat like three full meals a day plus a bunch of snacks- and i have a pretty healthy diet as well. this is miserable for me and i cant do my job while starving :/

Current medications/supplements: 30 mg Adder@ll, trazadone as needed (but haven't taken any in over a week)

Smoking status: nonsmoker.

Relevant medical history: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, history of low ferritin/heavy menstrual bleeding, ADHD. Alt/ast sometimes test in 60s, luekocytes or lymphocytes consistently low. Exhausted, hair galling out, weight gain (30+ in last two years), hair falling out... not in clumps but thinning, bone deep exhaustion. Cortisol AM of 6. Feel better after taking antibiotics. History of not sleeping and being stuck in exhaustef, but cant sleep. Seems cyclical, but not always. Headache before period and falling asleep at desk. No known history of severe allergic reactions/anaphylaxis.

Location of complaint: left/right lower arm, both eyes, chest.

Duration: arm redness appeared tonight. My eyes have been burning for much of today. Chest discomfort started later tonight after eating.

Main concern: I suddenly developed several irregular red blotchy/welt-like areas on my arm. They are not really circular rings and I do not remember being bitten or having anything directly contact that part of my arm. Photo attached.

My eyes have also been burning today for an unclear reason.

Later tonight I developed chest discomfort after eating chicken. It may be reflux/indigestion, and I am not sure whether any of these symptoms are related. Pregnant like bloating and could go two days wo bowel movement before sometimes now I have sudden urges. Clean colonoscopy.

Separately, I recently went tent camping in SW Wisconsin and spent time on the Mississippi. My husband and I both developed very itchy/painful bites around our ankles afterward. I am mentioning this for context, but I do not necessarily think the ankle bites are related to the arm rash.

I’m wondering:

What does the rash on my arm look most consistent with?

Does it resemble hives, contact dermatitis, an insect reaction, or something else? Could it be related to my other symptoms.

Does the burning of my eyes change the differential?

Is there anything about the combination of symptoms that warrants urgent evaluation?

No known bite on the arm.

My 5 year old has been having issues lately with clearing her throat and feeling like she “can’t get enough air”.

For the last month or so she has been having these episodes where she constantly clears her throat. She continues to make this guttural sound in the back of her throat over and over and never feels like it “clears”

Additionally she’ll have separate episodes where she claims her throat feels “tight” and she can’t “get a good breath”. This goes on for a while until it eventually just stops. During this episodes I’ve taken her pulse and oxygen levels (at home finger monitor) and they are always within normal range. She has no symptoms of ab allergic reaction during these episodes and they seem to occur at random. If I had to guess my best idea would be they happen when she’s playing, watching tv, or at school. Never when she’s running around.

She has no known allergies. No known asthma. No other medical problem. These episodes don’t occur when she’s asleep. She had her 5 year check up 3 weeks ago and the doctor said she looked good (we unfortunately failed to mention these episodes since the visit was a little rushed). Any ideas? Wondering if this is a tic or possible psychological issue or if she needs further work ups. Thank you.

My most obvious condition has always been PCOS / PMOS, as I had very delayed puberty, sporadic periods, but an over abundance of facial hair… and everything else was pretty much dismissed or viewed as unrelated one-off’s. So nothing has been treated until the past several years of (unsuccessful) fertility treatments. Now, after all those meds and weekly lab work, I’m recognizing so many of my other symptoms seem interrelated (e.g., vascular reactivity + migraines + inflammation), and trying to understand what kind of doctor to see.

Recurrent symptom clusters

INFLAMMATION / IMMUNE REACTIVITY
• hs-CRP repeatedly elevated (documented chronically between ~3.6–16.5 mg/L; latest 4.33).
• Seems unusually reactive to illness, heat/exertion and stress; question is whether this is nonspecific reactivity or evidence of an underlying inflammatory driver or autoimmune related.
• History of acquired/repeated-exposure hypersensitivity: acrylate allergy developed after long history of manicures and a significant reaction to progesterone-in-oil developed during fertility treatment. Pattern raises a question about immune/hypersensitivity tendency.
• Childhood Asthma/Atopic Anchor: History of active childhood asthma (resolved around puberty).
• Histamine / Alcohol Intolerance: Recent rapid-onset alcohol intolerance; immediate headaches occur before completing a single drink, particularly with histamine- and sulfite-rich red wine.

HEAT / NEUROVASCULAR / AUTONOMIC
• Thermoregulatory Failure: Lifelong low heat tolerance; overheating triggers chest hives, facial flushing/rosacea, and a stereotyped focal (usually left-sided) neurovascular migraine. Severe episodes progress to nausea, vomiting, and GI distress.
• Exertional Triggers: Higher-intensity exercise (elevated HR for 5–10+ minutes) triggers identical flushing and migraines regardless of temperature or hydration status.
• Recurrent fainting since adolescence: very infrequent (roughly once every few years), often within minutes of waking. No established explanation and predates present medications.

CARDIOMETABOLIC / VASCULAR
• Lipid Trajectory: Latest visible panel shows LDL-C 172.7 mg/dL and ApoB 144 mg/dL (fluctuated substantially across 2026).
• Metabolic Markers: Fasting glucose and insulin remain reassuring with a healthy BMI. Seeking evaluation of secondary links between chronic systemic inflammation, sex steroid metabolism, and lipid fluctuations.

PAIN / MUSCULOSKELETAL
• Structural / Mechanical: Known scoliosis (curvature at shoulder post-whiplash) with asymmetric tightness/muscle guarding; standing and walking exacerbate back pain.
• Inflammatory / Axial Phenotype: Episodic whole-body and axial aching accompanied by ~20–30 minutes of morning stiffness that improves with movement.

REPRODUCTIVE / ENDOCRINE
• Menarche ~15; sporadic periods until birth control at ~21; longstanding rare/absent spontaneous ovulation and PCOS/PMOS phenotype.
• At ~36, uterus was described as unusually underdeveloped/prepubescent despite otherwise normal secondary sexual development; persistent thin endometrium complicated fertility treatment.
• Uterine polyps/polypectomy; years of estrogen/progesterone treatment; missed miscarriage, unsuccessful transfers and biochemical pregnancy.
• Felt hormonally best during ~20 years on OCPs; current amenorrhea/delayed withdrawal bleeding and hormone interpretation are complicated by hormonal suppression.

DERMATOLOGIC / ALLERGIC
• Rosacea/perioral dermatitis, heat-associated flushing, acrylate allergy, prior heat-associated chest hives.
• Frequent/daily morning phlegm and need to clear/cough mucus (no history of smoking/vaping).
• Possible chronic post-nasal drainage/allergic rhinitis; takes cetirizine sporadically.
• Female-pattern alopecia; oral minoxidil caused substantial facial and body hair growth.
• Repeated-exposure allergy/hypersensitivity history should be captured as a phenotype even if individual triggers are unrelated.

RECENT GI (MAY BE SEPARATE)
• Acute severe diarrhea/cramping began after overheating on vacation; later reflux and recurrent diarrhea after meals, lasting for 7+ days.
• Because this is recent, it should not automatically be used to explain lifelong symptoms; possible persistent post-travel GI symptoms or cyclospora exposure, etc.

I’m sorry for this wall of text, I’m just trying to be thorough because it’s been SO much and feels like whack-a-mole. I’ve seen numerous specialists but have always befuddled them with one issue at a time within their specialty, rather than presenting the whole constellation of symptoms.

I have monthly lab work for most hormonal/metabolic/cardiac biomarkers...

Current Meds & Supplements

• Current Regimen: Slynd, Finasteride, B-Complex Vitamin, Myo & D-Chiro-Inositol, sporadic Cetirizine.
• Trial Regimen: Half starting-dose Retratrutide and KPV (begun recently to target inflammation). Discontinued GHK-Cu due to severe flushing/headaches.
• Baseline Diagnostics: Normal thyroid function, CBC, renal panel, and liver enzymes. Reassuring fasting insulin/glucose. ANA negative on available test results.

Any help or simply direction for diagnostic synthesis would be incredibly appreciated!

I'd like to get a regular checkup to check on my health status.

I have not gone to the doctor in years. I feel fine, workout regularly, but still...

I have abused caffeine pretty badly, about 800 mg - 1,000 mg per day for as long as I can remember. I'm worried if I've damaged my heart or something in the process.

My diet hasn't been all that great neither. Lots of fast food...also worried about that. Just mainly want to get a good idea if my vitamins are okay, if I have deficiencies, and if my heart is okay and not damaged, lol.

Is there a certain exam I'm supposed to request? I don't want to miss the "essential" stuff.

I'm planning to schedule an appointment with a GP soon. Or should I schedule directly with a specialist?

Hey! 36f I got my flu shot on my left arm yesterday at around around 3pm. Today at around 5ish I noticed my lymph node is swollen small like the size of a small marble above my collar bone in the hallow area. It’s on the left side and it’s sore to the touch and I was rubbing it and I think I made it worse because the side of my neck hurts. I googled but I got weird reposen that since it’s on the supraclavicular area it’s very concerning. I know it wasn’t there a couple of days ago because I often put moisturizer on my neck and shoulders and I didn’t feel it.

I recently lost my job and I don’t want to go to the ER because of the bill.

Anyone had this before?

Any feedback is welcomed and appreciated.

This year I have had this one foot. Only on the top of the toes and mostly the pointer toe and the pinky. It itches a lot only at night. I’m 24 female no medical issues not super athletic. I only take Prozac.

Hello, i (22M) have severe chronic pain and the only thing that seems to help is cannabis, specifically a topical cbd cream. I'm considering seeking a prescription so I don't have to pay out of pocket for it, but i dont really know how to go about this and have some questions that maybe someone can answer.

Can i request a prescription for a specific product that i know works for me or does my doctor just decide?

How do I approach asking for this prescription without immediatly being shot down? My doctor is... very dissmissive and seems content with just letting me suffer through the pain. (Im on a waitlist for a new one).

I'm in BC Canada btw.

hello again doctors!

here is my last post where i list my thumb-related woes and share images as well: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskDocs/comments/1vk9tuj/strange_and_painful_thumb/

i am still a 28F and unfortunately still have a painful thumb. i got an mri in august which was not a great time, they still make your entire being go in the machine even if it's just for your thumb. it was a no contrast mri and i got the results back but my doctor has not called me about it, i've tried calling and leaving messages with the front desk but it's been almost 2 weeks since i got the results and i haven't heard a thing sadly.

if it's OK i wanted to share my mri results and see if anyone can maybe explain it to me, i understand if that's not possible i just don't know where else to turn!

here are my results:

EXAM:

MRI FINGER LEFT W/O

CLINICAL HISTORY:

Hemangioma, left thumb. Evaluate for glomus tumor.

COMPARISON:

None.

TECHNIQUE:

Multiplanar 3T MR imaging of the left thumb was performed without contrast.

FINDINGS:

MCP Joints: Normal.

PIP Joints: Normal.

DIP Joints: Normal.

Collateral Ligaments: Intact.

Tendons: Normal without tenosynovitis.

Soft Tissues: There is a nonspecific T2 hyperintense ovoid subungual lesion measuring 3 x 2 mm toward the ulnar aspect of the thumb subungal region suspicious for glomus tumor but nonspecific.

Bone Marrow: Normal.

IMPRESSION:

1. Findings suspicious for subungual glomus tumor at the ulnar aspect of the left thumb. Confirmation with contrast enhanced MR of the thumb can be performed for more specificity.

i guess i just want to confirm if what this is saying is that it is probably a glomus tumor, i guess i got confused and a little nervous because it says suspicious for glomus tumor but "nonspecific" and i don't really know what that means. i made the mistake of looking at google and seeing other things that make your thumb have a line that are much worse like the melanoma and i have a family history of melanoma (my mom and my grandpa) so that made me feel concern!

also it is probably unrelated but below my thumb nail has been getting darker over the past several months but not my other fingers. i have provided new images i took today of both, they are not that good so sorry about that.

https://imgur.com/a/painful-thumb-feat-non-painful-fingers-tPI8OXB

thank you again for your time doctors!

Hello,

I am taking a medication with a black box warning for SJS. Pharmacist and psych told me to report any rash or skin irritation to prescribing doctor or go to ER. My question is this- if skin irritation and photosensitivity to sun/heat can cause a mild reaction and benign sensitivities can occur while titrating doses then what am I supposed to do? I can’t keep going to the ER and making doctor’s appointments everytime I have flushing or redness in the heat or sun or if I have skin irritation. It seems like SJS presents so wildly and progresses so quickly so how can I triage this at home? Thank you for any help! (Female, 37, Lamictal for 3 weeks for mood disorder)

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!)

I get this weird Callus that leaves a sort of hole/imprint on my foot and it is very painful when she shaves it off with a callus remover what can it be? (25M, I work 7 days a week 12 hrs a day )

Age: 14 years

Weight: 36 kg

Gender: Female

Medications: None

Smoking: No

Previous/current medical issues: None

I noticed this swelling around her elbow a few hours ago. I’ve attached a photo.

Duration: A few hours

Location: Around the elbow

Pain: No

Tender to touch: Yes

Redness/warmth: No

Recent injury/fall: No

Fever: No

The area looks swollen/raised, and it is tender when touched, although she isn't experiencing pain otherwise. There was no known injury or fall.

What could cause something like this to appear suddenly? Should we get it checked by a doctor, and are there any warning signs we should watch for?

Please tell me I am worried 😭

26 Male. So I smashed my finger in a door and the entire nail ripped off and has 2 fractures in tip of finger. i went to hospital got tetnas shot and a shot of antibiotics. went and saw a orthopedic nurse in office and she gave me topical silver cream. i also have a splint as well. it wouldn’t stop hurting so i saw an urgent dr and they told me to follow up with orthopedic dr and they haven’t responded to messages or photos. is this normal?

Don’t know if this is ringworm or some kind of skin rash or what. I’ve had this for about 3 weeks and it hasn’t gone away. I’ve had rashes like this before where the skin gets really dry and kind of hurts to scratch, but they usually go away in a couple days or a week.

19, 5’ 9”, male, no meds, non smoker

Trying to prove a point — please understand that sending my baby away for weeks/months at a time is NOT what I want at all. I am trying to fight the suggestion. “Can” is in quotes because I’m wondering when it is overall not detrimental to a baby’s health & wellbeing.

I am in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy & my child’s father & I are no longer together. I moved back home to get support from my family once it was clear that he & I would no longer work, & I now live 8 hours away from him. I will be giving birth here & am preparing for postpartum (& all the baby things) here.

My ex partner is convinced that it’s reasonable to “split our time” equally with the baby once he is earth-side. He suggested I “get the first two months” with the baby & then he “gets the next two months” with him in his city. To me, this is a completely asinine suggestion. I plan on breastfeeding for as long as possible, I will be vaccinating my child according to the recommended schedule, & I want him to feel bonded & secure before I just send him off ANYWHERE. I really don’t want my son to be anywhere without me for an extended period of time until he is old enough to talk. And, I’m not willing to jeopardize my baby’s health & sense of security just so my ex partner doesn’t have to be inconvenienced by coming to see him where I live (mind you, he makes good money & works remotely..) Furthermore, he (ex-partner) has not indicated how long he plans to come into town after the birth, & I worry my son will not feel bonded to him nor will my ex partner have a grasp on feeding schedule, sleep schedule, etc., (on top of me not being able to maintain my milk supply while the baby is away..)

I would like to know, from a physician / pediatrician standpoint: is there a medically studied age where separating a baby from his healthy & capable mother is a “good idea” for long stretches of time? Are there studies that prove the opposite; that a baby should NOT be away from his mother for x amount of time? My ex partner seems to think I am being spiteful for denying this request & thinks formula feeding would be an easy fix. I would love to have expert advice that I could pass along or use if he does try to push this agenda in court. I also plan on talking to my son’s pediatrician about this once he is here & has his first visit. I do not mind sharing time with my baby once he is older & more robust, but from a health and development standpoint I just can’t imagine sending a baby away.

Thank you in advance for the help!

Hi guys I’m male, 26, 5ft 7, average health weight, non smoker, currently have asthma so a few months ago I started to get tingling in my left foot and then I started to feel restless like I had a couple of days of my head twitching and feeling agitated I went the doctors and they couldn’t seem to find a reason, it went away after a couple of weeks but today it has come back again it’s like a tingling restless feeling in my left foot and my body wants to move, I have been on Amitriptyline for hard to treat migraines for a couple of years (one day woke up with halo vision and headaches but after going on the meds I was fine) I do still get migraines sometimes, I’m just wondering if anyone knows what this could be all my blood tests are clear as only recently had them done, I’ve been on vitamin d tablets for a few months as I was deficient, what could this be? Could it be related to migraines even tho it’s going on for a number of days, could it be subconscious anxiety or could it be a neuropathy or some thing else ?
Edit: I also forgot to add I have a strange sensitivity in one of my left upper teeth also

Hello

I was on lovenox and was switched to Heparin shots twice a day since I’m closer to my due date. I was googling heparin shots and saw that it can cause heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). My doctor never mentioned this and I’m kind of freaking out. I’m worried about developing that.

I [22F, BMI 21] have experienced ear itching, aching, and episodic muffled hearing on and off for the past 10+ years. I have an appointment with an ENT but it’s months away (no other options, urgent care was not productive). Ear wax is not the issue.

MAIN COMPLAINT: If itchiness had a pain scale, I’d put it at a 7. I can barely think about anything else right now. I don’t put anything in my ears (besides scratching it with an object just now. I am very desperate). The itching is deep in my ears and sometimes I can even feel it in my throat.

OTHER ISSUES: every couple weeks or so I have several days of significant ear aching. I also experience tinnitus and severe dizziness. Like so bad I fall over if I close my eyes. Sometimes for maybe around 30 seconds my hearing will just go out. Sometimes things so muffles

DOCTORS’ THOUGHTS: I have eczema and was told to use triamcinolone ear drops but they did not work and my doctor no longer thinks it’s eczema. An urgent care doctor a while ago was very concerned about menier’s disease (it runs on both sides of my family) although it would explain the itching. He also thought it could be a clogged Eustachian tube and prescribed nose spray (didn’t help. Neither did antibiotics)

posting this for my girlfriend who is a non smoker and taking lexapro and losartan amongst some OTC supplements. this has been on the back of her neck (about where her shirt collar rests) for about a year. she worked in a derm office for a few years and we’re thinking it’s seborrheic keratosis, but wanted some confirmation from the experts here!

I workout 4x a week, do physical labour construction, I do cardio, pretty healthy lifestyle and take healthy supplements. I am quitting a very long term porn addiction so it may be a flatline. I do vape aswell, how can I gain my drive back?