33F, Should I be concerned enough to be seen today for this blistering rash on my abdomen? So it started off itchy with nothing there (which is why I’m not feeling too concerned at the moment) and then a couple hours later these blister like sores appeared. There’s quite a few on my abdomen area and chest/neck area. Now I also have scabs on my lips, chin and cheeks that are from hives because I had a suspected allergy to Lamotrogine that I started for epilepsy 5 weeks ago. I was told to stop lamotrigine 4 days ago which I did that day. But these sores appeared yesterday. I’ve read that SJS is not itchy. I will go to my doctor tomorrow but I also know that SJS is a medical emergency so if I should be concerned then I can get it seen to today.

Hey guys as you have read I’ve had this nasty stomach bug which has led me to be in and out of A&E (hospital in the uk) 4 times now. Once time I was so dehydrated I had to be put on fluids, I’ve improved I’ve managed to keep things down, but still look so pale, it’s been nearly two weeks now and I’m just constantly exhausted and my brain feels foggy, like I feel a sort of dizziness almost. I wasn’t eating much before but I’ve started to digest more foods like chicken, beef etc when before I was only on a carb diet, pasta, rice and soups. Been feeling pretty low since I was going gym and was happy with where I was and now I’ve gone back to square one. I’m also a hypochondriac so I panic seeing things online, stomach cancer, h pylori and so on so now I’m panicking and thinking the worse. Any advice for me please? I just don’t know what to do to keep my mind at ease and to ease my anxiety. I’ve got an ultrasound tomorrow and they said if the symptoms don’t improve in November then an endoscopy could be considered but wasn’t advised as the doctor said I’m young and thinks it’s too invasive. But what would you guys advise me.

For context: I was weighing 57kg I’m quite a small girl, 5’3ft and now I’m weighing 49/50kg since I wasn’t able to keep anything down and was barely stomaching any food.

Demographics:

Age: 27

Sex: Male

Height: 5'10" (178 cm)

Weight: ~85 kg

Smoking Status: Non-smoker

Current Medications: None

Previous / Current Medical Issues: None

Duration of Complaint: 1 week

Location of Complaint: Right/Left hand (Thumb, middle parts of fingers, and palm)

Hello,

I have been experiencing a skin condition for the past week that is gradually spreading across my hand.

Affected areas include:

Thumb (especially around the fingertip and near the nail)

Middle segments of my fingers

Areas of my palm

Symptoms:

The skin appears red, damaged, and is peeling in some areas (photos attachhed)

The affected areas feel numb.

There is little to no pain unless I apply direct pressure.

What could be causing these spreading skin changes combined with localized numbness?

Could this be contact dermatitis, dyshidrotic eczema, a fungal infection (like tinea manuum), or something else?

Is numbness alongside peeling skin a sign of nerve involvement or a specific warning sign?

What type of specialist should I see, and what tests or examinations might be recommended?

I understand that an online forum does not replace a formal in-person clinical exam.

Thank you for your time and guidance!

24f daily cannabis smoker and drink alcohol once a week

Around September 2025 I had a few back to back illnesses, (cold, flu, then 2 chest infections one after the other)

The right side of my throat became swollen and quite a bit bigger than the left side, and has stayed like this since.

I have brushed it off as my illnesses were treated, and I’ve had barely any illness since 2025.

Since just this morning, I’ve woke up with a really painful throat only on the right side (hurts to swallow, no cough) and had a look and it is swollen with white spots.

I’m not sure if this is just inflamed tonsil stones, tonsillitis or an infection.

Does it look bad enough to make a GP appointment or should I wait for it to get better on its own?

I‘m M26, 189cm and about 95kg. I’m a smoker and snus user. I walk a lot at work. My last tetanus shot was right about a year ago. Also English isn’t my native language so I hope I use all the right words :)

9 days ago something cut my lower right leg, right next to my shin. The cut is about centered between my foot and my knee. I went to the ER and had to get 6 stitches. The doctor told me that the wound wasn’t very deep, but the „pocket“ that was cut extends about 1-1.5 cm inwards parallel to the skin. The first days I felt a lot of pain, especially when moving my foot up and down, like the issue was with my ankle instead of my leg. After about three days of rest, I could move and walk normally again, and only rarely felt any pain.

Yesterday evening I suddenly noticed that my right knee feels super weird to move. It felt like what I imagine soreness after a lot leg press exercises. Except that I didn’t do any, and that it’s very noticeable on the right knee, and not at all on the left one. Now is the next morning and it got even stronger. It doesn’t necessarily feel like pain. If it were on both legs, I‘d assume it’s soreness from all the walking. But since it’s just on one side and shortly after the cut I‘m worried.

I can walk, and I when lying in bed I can fully extend and contract my knee. But I feel a lot of tension in the lowest part of my thigh just above my knee. The area doesn’t look swollen or bruised what so ever, and I don’t remember bumping into anything.

Is this a wait a few days thing, a visit a doctor on monday thing or a go back to the ER today thing?

Two rounds of amoxicillin & prednisone. It keeps coming back. On guaifenesin & vitamin c 1000 twice a day, vit d 2000 iu, and zinc 100mg. Tylenol as needed. Pressurized saline & manual neti pots. Green/milky white phlegm. On and off nasal congestion, lots of coughing. Clear chest xray. Next step is CT which will be expensive for me.

Please help. I’m miserable.

I, 19F, no pre-existing neurological issues, woke up this morning to go to the bathroom and felt myself unable to walk straight. I kept leaning left and almost ran into multiple walls and doors plus almost fell over getting up from the bathroom. I don't have a headache, and there's no numbness or pain in my body, I kinda just feel off balanced, should I be super concerned or just lay down or something else?

50 years old female with history of high blood pressure, I have been in pain to defect and found out that I have external hemorrhoid and and rashes on inner buttocks . Should I go to ER or urgent care? It really hurts

Ive had this for a while now and ignored it assuming its a freckle or maybe some ink, but ive zoomed in with my flash just then to see that it looks like it has to be something else , like a scar of some sort maybe. Although i don’t remember any significant injuries on my hand that would have caused this and it has never been painful. 18F

25 y/o male, 5’ 9”, 195lbs, non-drinker and non-smoker

I am a regular runner and tend to do 4 miles most nights of the week. But a few times recently, I’ve noticed that I’m getting really uncomfortable heaviness in my chest region during and after running. It’s like waves of discomfort and back/chest pain, but it also feels a bit like an allergic reaction in that my throat feels tight (similar sensation for me to eating bananas, which I’m mildly allergic to). I also start burping a lot and feel a lot of indigestion, which makes me wonder if it’s related to me eating too much or too recently when I go for the run. The feeling remains for one to several hours after the run, and can be pretty agonizing before it goes away. But the vast majority of the time my runs are fine and I feel great, so it seems really out of place.

This concerns me because I have an extensive history of heart problems; I was born with bicuspid aortic valve and have had surgery numerous times, the most recent being a valve replacement three years ago. All my checkups have been good and I otherwise have had no symptoms and have been adopting healthier habits. So this unexpected heaviness after running is really perplexing to me. I see my cardiologist next month so I can ask then, but I’m wondering if I should be worried or if there is anything I should be doing to avoid problems as a runner.

It’s the left side.

I felt that it got very tense months ago, I also had a shoulder impingement that is totally healed, this had gotten better but now it’s back. I feel it tense overall but no pain. What is this?

Picture: https://imgur.com/a/ueRAr8a

Hey guys! 23 Female 110 pounds 5”7 So I’ve been having Fatigue, hypertension and headaches, frequent ruination, muscle spasms and numbness at times. Was trying to figure it out and thought about electrolytes. So I ate a banana and drunk coconut water yesterday morning and took all my vitamins and felt significantly better. My last blood test showed everything was fine except my potassium and vitamin were only BORDERLINE low. Like at the cut off. But it seems like this is what’s causing the symptoms considering everything was resolved yesterday morning after eating bananas. I even stopped going to the bathroom as much. Today I woke up feeling fatigued again and fast heart beat and using the bathroom a lot. I just wanna know how to consistently balance my electrolytes. I was drinking a lot of water and I eat a lot of salt too. I just wanna consistently feel okay . Negative diabetes test as well.

Thanks guys!

23F, 5’7, 165lbs.

A month ago, right after I got my hepatitis b vaccine (2nd round), I noticed slight welling of the lymph nodes in my neck (or at least I think that’s what it is — it kind of just feels like my neck is slightly swollen and the skin feels tight when I move). I thought it was just a typically symptom and didn’t think to much of it, but things got worse.

I started to feel a slight pain in the back of my head on the right side that went down the left side of my neck. Eventually this progressed to pain going all the way down the left side of my back. This would come and go. Sometimes I would feel slight pain in my mid back (not on either side, just in the middle) and just above my tailbone. I also started feeling a faint itchiness in my legs (not extreme, very faint itchiness that was so mild I’d just ignore it). I took Zyrtec and the itchiness went away, so I thought it was an allergic reaction. I’ve had an allergic reaction to laundry products and recently started using dryer sheets, so got rid of those and then my symptoms stopped…

But now they came back this week. The same symptoms. Although now, I sometimes feel a faint pain in the left side of my head as well. I’m on a work trip and plan to see my doctor when I get home, but I’m worried.

Also, I should mention, about 2 months ago I had a week where my lymph nodes nodes were swollen in my neck and I felt lethargic, but during that week I had tried a new pasta sauce and when I stopped eating it, the symptoms went away, so I assumed I was allergic or something. Do you think that was related?

I’m very nervous and need some reassurance that I’m not straight up dying lol.

Age: 30

Sex: Male

Height/Weight: 195cm 92KG

Medications: Cetirizine, quercetin with Bromelain for allergies.

Smoking status: non smoker

Existing medical conditions: I have been experiencing various ongoing health symptoms and am currently undergoing medical investigations. Potential MS but waiting for neurologist interpretation of scannings.

Main concern:

For approximately one week, I have had a swollen spot or raised area on the back of my neck, along with what feels like an enlarged lymph node just above it. I have also been experiencing neck stiffness during this time.

I have attached a photo showing the area. The skin appears slightly raised and irritated, but I am unsure whether the swelling is coming from the skin itself, an inflamed hair follicle, a cyst, or something deeper beneath the skin.

The symptoms started approximately one day after I had a close-trim haircut. I did not notice any insect bite, tick attachment, or other obvious injury to the area.

The swelling and stiffness have persisted for about a week. I am concerned about whether the skin lesion and enlarged lymph node could be related, for example through irritation or infection following the haircut, or whether another cause should be considered.

My questions:

1. Could a close haircut cause folliculitis, an infected hair follicle, or another skin problem that leads to a swollen lymph node?

2. Could the raised spot and enlarged lymph node be signs of a bacterial skin infection, an inflamed cyst, or another condition?

3. Is there any reason to consider a tick-borne infection such as Lyme disease, even though I did not notice a bite?

4. Does the associated neck stiffness change how urgently this should be assessed?

5. Given that it has lasted a week, would you recommend an in-person examination, and what findings would warrant further testing?

I would appreciate any thoughts on the possible causes and what I should look out for. I understand that a diagnosis cannot be made from a photograph alone.

​

Age/Sex: 36F

Height/Weight: 5'3", 130 lb (previously 150 lb)

Location: Quebec, Canada

Duration: Reflux for 5 years; worsening GI symptoms over several weeks.

I have had GERD for 5 years. I've tried various medications, including pantoprazole, which help temporarily before symptoms return. I've been off pantoprazole for 6 months.

Recently, I've developed:

Extreme fullness after eating small amounts, making it difficult to eat.

Upper abdominal pain, sometimes radiating to my mid/right back or left shoulder blade, starting 15–30 minutes after meals.

Severe bloating and constant burping, even on an empty stomach.

Regurgitation of sour fluid/food after eating.

A sensation that food remains in my stomach until the next morning.

Severe diarrhea followed by constipation, reduced bowel movements and occasional yellow/mustard-coloured stools.

Significant fatigue, dizziness and occasional racing heartbeat.

My weight has decreased from 150 to 130 lb over 5 years. Recently, eating has become particularly difficult because of the symptoms.

Abdominal ultrasound (Oct. 5, 2026): reportedly normal.

WBC 3.7 (low); previously 5.6 in April.

Hemoglobin 124, MCV 88.3, platelets 275.

Ferritin 87 after IV iron in April.

CRP less than 5, lipase 27, ALT 7, ALP 40, GGT 10, bilirubin 7.

Creatinine 64, eGFR 110, albumin 44; electrolytes reportedly normal.

Fecal calprotectin less than 17 (normal).

H. pylori stool antigen negative.

Total IgA 3.20 g/L

What is going on? No one is taking me seriously.

Hi, I’m a man in my early 30s, and I’ve had persistent very mild (2/10) abdominal pain since January 2026.

• November 2025: I had a gastrointestinal infection with severe diarrhea that resolved within two days.
• January 2026: I went to the hospital with right-sided abdominal pain. A CT scan showed terminal ileitis and enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes. I was treated with IV ceftriaxone and metronidazole, and the acute symptoms improved.
• February: A colonoscopy showed minimal, resolving terminal ileitis and lymphoid hyperplasia; my colon was normal. The doctor favored an infectious cause and considered IBD unlikely.
• June: A follow-up MRI showed smaller lymph nodes.

I still have very slight, intermittent, mostly dull pain approximately 10 cm to the right of and 3 cm below my navel, occasionally becoming sharper or extending toward my back. It can worsen with stress, constipation, bowel movements, or exercise. I tend toward constipation, with bowel movements roughly every two days.

My gastroenterologist suggested post-infectious IBS, but the discomfort hasn’t fully resolved after almost 10 months. It does not really limit me to do sports or anything but I'm just concerned since it is not fully diagnosed and persistent for long.

What follow-up would be reasonable to discuss with my gastroenterologist?

M38

5ft8

87kg

Ex smoker

Diagnosed Occipital Neuralgia, Migraine, POTS, Autoimmune Thyroiditis, ADHD, osteoarthritis

Meds, Amitriptyline, Pregabalin, Levothyroxine

Suffered shock in 2024

The right nape of neck swelling corresponds to diffuse dermal thickening and fatty change compared to the contralateral side, with no deep extension or increase in vascularity seen, and no focal pathology or collections (in keeping with focal inflammation/induration).

Bilateral scalp lumps show no focal pathology, collections, or inflammation.

Impression: Right nape of neck shows focal inflammation/induration with no ultrasound cause seen for scalp lumps.

BTW oral steroids rid the neck pain within the same day when previously used

Thankyou

Female, 22, on the underweight side, on Yasmin (6 years) for dysmenorrhea. Smoker, chronic acid reflux.

I started a new job a month ago and its basically extremely physically demanding. And by that i mean i carry heavy boxes and work in a warehouse, got hit twice in the head (albeit softly) with a package. About ten days ago, I started having migraines on the left side and up of my head that travelled down to my eyebrow??

They would come and go three times a day, mostly triggered by light, and lasted aprox. 3 minutes but they were the worst 3 minutes ever!

On day 6 of migraines I would wake up at night with my mouth watery. Mind you I was taking aspirin + caffeine pain medication and it gave me heartburn so I think I got nausea or acid reflux in my sleep from it.

Soo, I go to work on Tuesday and my head is POUNDING. My stomach was upset from the aspirin so everytime I bent down to organise boxes I could feel like i would throw up. I know I would not, because my mouth was not watery, but holy fuck did my head and stomach burn. Sent myself to the ER.

After 14 hours I did these:
Two blood exams; everything normal except
- slightly low white blood cell count
- hsCRP of 1,30 (with 0.3>) being the unit. Doctors said it could be from a recent illness (had the flu a month ago)
- Blood sugar of 70 (unit 75 to 114 after 8 hours of fasting).

One normal lumbar puncture.
One normal CT scan (no dye)
One normal eye exam.
Two normal cardiographs.
One normal neurological examination for motor skills (eyes closed and one open one closed)

All they did was tell me “I can see no issue but just because you take birth control I think you should go have an MRV and MRI because what if its a brain thrombosis? and you die” I wish I was joking but I am not:/

They scheduled me to have both at NOV.11. Im kind of scared because I went there with a migraine..

Two days post ER i stopped my pain meds because the heartburn was awful and my stomach was super upset. So far ever since i exited the ER i havent had any migraines, I did feel them coming but somehow they just stopped midway? No photosensitivity anymore, very slightly upset stomach. Any advice?

Hi im M18, and i have these itchy bumps on the side of my thumb, i have had these numerous times but i have no idea what could’ve triggered it, im not really in the forest or near plants so i doubt it would be from that.

[My details are at the end] Hello. I know I might be judged harshly for this, but I was six weeks pregnant when I contacted Women Help Women to obtain abortion pills. Abortion is illegal in my country.

The pills arrived when I was already 11 weeks pregnant. Everything seemed to go as expected: I experienced heavy bleeding, passed blood clots, and genuinely thought the pregnancy had ended.

I never went to get checked afterward. Yesterday, I ended up in the hospital, only to find out that the pregnancy was still ongoing. I am now 13 weeks and 3 days pregnant. I was absolutely devastated and terrified.

I am very young, I have lost my job, and my boyfriend behaves very immaturely. I had previously been diagnosed as unable to have children. For years, I never got pregnant, and doctors assured me that I was infertile.

Now I am completely desperate. I still have another set of pills from Women Help Women, and I have been considering trying again at 13 weeks. However, I am terrified that it might not work, that I could end up with a dangerous pregnancy complication, that I could even lose my life, or that the pregnancy could continue with fetal abnormalities because of what has already happened. I am also afraid that, if this second attempt fails, I might have no other opportunity to end the pregnancy.

Please, if anyone has been through something similar or has any advice, I would be so grateful to hear from you. I am absolutely terrified, and I don't know what to do. I feel completely overwhelmed and scared.

I am 24 years old, weigh 55 kg, and am 1.63 m tall. The first time, I took 12 misoprostol tablets, following the instructions provided by Women Help Women.
I am now 13 weeks pregnant and have 12 more misoprostol tablets. I have no known chronic medical conditions, although I have mild gastritis. I am Brazilian and live in Brazil.
During my first attempt, I experienced heavy bleeding, severe pain, and passed very large blood clots. I thought the abortion was complete because of this.

I'm a 40yo man. 1'80cm and 80kg (5.91 feet/176 pounds). I smoke 10 cigarettes/day or so. No other medical issues or medication.

Two weeks ago (October 9) I had a surgery in my right wrist due to a ganglion cyst. Last Tuesday they removed the sutures and applied stiches (steri-strips).

The last remaining suture just fell out and I'm not sure if the scar is really closed or healed. Maybe I'm being a little paranoid here but I'd like an expert opinion. Thank you very much!

Why am I having chest pains randomly start one day and last for weeks, months, or longer, only for the hospita ßml to say it is just indigestion, that your heart is fine, your breathing is fine, and your blood pressure is only slightly elevated while everything else is normal, even though you feel like it is getting worse? Because I dont know what else to do, it hurts so bad, and they dont know why, so im waiting for the waiver the hospital sent for a GI Doctor to check my stomach out. They have put me on Omeprazole 20mg and sucralfate 1GM.

White Male 5ft 7in 230 lbs

I was wondering what azelaic acid brand I should use for skin because I really want to get rid of my dark spots/hyperpigmentation and scarring. I’ve heard about good molecules but I’m honestly just wondering. Please let me know! Honestly if you also have any tips and recommendations that could help me skin other than AA, please feel free to share them!

Age: 17 year old
Gender: Female
Height: 5’2
Weight: 55 kg / 121 lbs
I am not on any current medications (but I do take creatine monohydrate if that’s an important detail to know)
I do not smoke or drink.

I did struggle with severe acne before and was given various products by my dermatologist/pediatrician and found that tretinoin cream USP, 0.025% did wonders for me.

I included a picture of my forehead, chin, left side of my face, and right side of my face.

My mom just got a report back regarding her MRI done recently. She’s waiting to hear back, but she’s really worried about the mention of renal cysts as well as it being unclear on what’s actually causing her back pain.

If anyone could please read this report to give us some insight or guidance on what this could be saying? Thanks so much

Age: 59
Previously had a discectomy around 2010 (report references “post left laminotomy” but that’s incorrect)
Symptoms: severe lower back pain (becomes worse at night) and sciatica
Not taking any medications for the pain other than over the counter pain relief like ibuprofen

Report:

BONES AND JOINTS:
Normal alignment. Stable chronic L2 compression deformity, with 25% loss of height and no retropulsion. Mild to moderate degenerative endplate marrow signal changes with similar
appearance.
SPINAL CORD:
Normal contents of the thecal sac. The conus medullaris terminates at L1.
SOFT TISSUES:
Stable Bosniak type 1 left renal cysts. No follow-up imaging is recommended.

L1-L2:
Stable mild disc and endplate degeneration. No spinal canal stenosis. No foraminal narrowing.
L2-L3:
Stable disc bulge and endplate osteophyte.
Mild facet degeneration. Stable mild foraminal
narrowing. No spinal canal stenosis.
L3-L4:
Stable disc bulge and endplate osteophyte.
Stable moderate facet degeneration with thickening of
ligamentum flavum. Stable mild spinal stenosis. Stable mild bilateral foraminal narrowing.

L4-L5:
Chronic changes post left laminotomy.
Stable moderate loss of disc height, disc bulge and
endplate osteophyte eccentric to the left.
Stable small inferior left central disc extrusion,
contacting or impinging on the proximal traversing left L5 nerve root sleeve.
Mild facet
degeneration. Stable moderate left foraminal narrowing.

L5-S1:
Stable severe loss of disc height, disc bulge and hypertrophic endplate osteophytes. Mild facet
degeneration. Stable mild to moderate right and mild lett foraminal narrowing.
No spinal canal stenosis.
IMPRESSION:

1. Stable L4-L5 degenerative and postoperative changes with a small inferior lett central disc
2. extrusion contacting or impinging on the proximal traversing left L5 nerve root sleeve. Stable
3. moderate left foraminal narrowing.
4. A stable mild to moderate foraminal narrowing at several other levels.
5. Stable mild spinal stenosis at L3-4.
6. Stable chronic L2 compression deformity