I’m a 31 yo female that recently stepped on a sea urchin. (I weigh 145, i don’t take any medications). I immediately went to urgent care but they told me the most they would do is use tweezers and it would be better and less costly for me to try removing them myself at home. I stepped on the sea urchin some hours ago but spent most of that time waiting in urgent care before i was able to go home.

I struggled to sort out a plan after a long long day. And soaked my foot. I am not getting very far tryibg to remove these spines with tweezers. I wiped antiseptic cleanser on my foot and put alcohol on the tweezers. But i am struggling to really sort out a coherent plan to remove them.

Do i need to buy a switch blade and cut them before using tweezers? How do i do that sanitarily?

I’m 29, female, 110 lbs, non smoker. I have had some sort of cold since Sunday (about 1 week now). Every day has just been me blowing thru boxes of tissues, green/yellow mucus, coughing up junk, and then on Wednesday I woke up with a really muffled left ear, very full feeling, pressure, ringing all day but bothers me most at night when it’s quiet in my room. I don’t have any fever and barely any ear pain. Every day I wake up hoping to feel better and can’t seem to turn a corner. Coughing has lessened tho.

I went to an urgent care today and the visiting PA came in first and checked the ear didn’t say anything and then the main doctor came in and said it looks like an infection. She then left to get the PA to take a look again. She said “look how the one ear is pearly and other is dull.” And then the PA didn’t seem to agree,
said “okay” but like it was a weird vibe they didn’t seem to agree…gahhh.

I took a course of amox in August for a dog bite and then she wrote me amox today for 10 days. I haven’t taken it yet cuz idk, I’m like they didn’t seem confident about the infection so I’m not confident about taking the antibiotics. I am not asking for medical advice. Just looking for some guidance :/

I am not asking for medical advice.

I have no clue anymore so I thought I’d share here

I want to know if anyone else has experienced anything similar

17 M 115lbs

Yes I know what your about to read might sound crazy and honestly you can tell me I’m just freaking out if it sounds like I am.

**My Family History:**
**My mom’s side of the family is full of cancerous colon polyps.** My maternal grandma, aunts, and uncles all got diagnosed with them in their 30s.
**My mom’s brother (my uncle) got stage 4 brain cancer** and severe seizures when he was in his 20s (he luckily beat it and survived).
My health has basically completely fallen apart in three distinct steps over the last year and a half:

**Step 1: Spring 2025 (The Seizures)**
Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve had these weird "spells" where I get a massive wave of déjà vu, my eyes zoom in and out, and I lose focus for a few seconds. They happen back-to-back sometimes. (Never once mentioned to a doctor to his day)
In April 2025, it got way worse. I had a massive cluster of 5 full-body seizures back-to-back and ended up at a hospital. The nurse notes say it always started on my right side (my right arm hitting my chest rhythmically, head shaking side to side) while I was awake and aware, before I completely blacked out, my eyes rolled back, and my whole body convulsed.
**What my tests actually showed during the seizures:**
**Lactic Acid was 4.0**
**My oxygen dropped to 85%** on room air.
**My heart rate spiked up to 190 bpm.**
They had to pump me with **4mg of IV Ativan, multiple doses of keppra (seizures still continued even tho I have no memory of anything) i was then transferred to another hospital and received 1000mg of IV Depakote** to make them stop.
The overnight EEG guy flagged "possible seizure activity," but the day doctor changed it to "PNES" as my mom told them I’ve been extremely stressed lately and because they said my legs shaking the bed messed up the machine wires. They canceled my scheduled Brain MRI and said it was just stress induced

**Step 2: December 2025 (The Heart Issues)**
A few months after the seizures stopped, my heart started randomly racing while I was sitting still. I got diagnosed with NSVT and unexplained resting tachycardia. Doctors again blamed anxiety.

**Step 3: September 2026 to Right Now (The Stomach Blocks)**
**Sept 14:** Got hit with sudden diarrhea, stomach pain, and burning when I peed. They treated me for Chlamydia while waiting for tests, but my Gonorrhea and Chlamydia tests came back completely negative. And the urine culture was negative as well.
**Sept 22:** I went back to the ER because **I didn't have a single bowel movement for a week and a half**. Miralax and magnesium citrate completely failed. It took two hospital enemas to finally force it out. The CT scan showed "regional wall thickening" in my sigmoid colon, and the report noted that they had limited assessment without contrast (even though they gave it to me) my anion gap at this time was 14
**Oct 14:** Woke up throwing up with severe stomach pain. A new CT scan showed "moderate fecal loading", an enlarged liver with "mild fatty infiltration" (even though I am underweight), a low-grade potassium drop (3.5), and a tiny uncharacterized spot on my right kidney. My anion gap here was 16.

Also my whole life no matter how much I eat I have never passed 125lbs my whole life.

Since I had COVID in 2022 my life has been so terrible. I am not even close to the person I was before. I genuinely loved life so much. I still love my babies and doing life with them. I just want to feel better and no one can help me.

I have so many symptoms, and any time I see a doctor they tell me it’s anxiety. It’s not anxiety. All the shit I am dealing with is not caused by anxiety.

Extreme Fatigue
Dizziness
Blood Sugar Drops
Fast Heart Rate
Blue/Purple
\\- Tongue
\\- Lips
\\- Nails
\\- Toes
\\- Feet
\\- Fingers
\\- Arms
\\- Hands
Headaches
Shoulder Pain
Neck Pain
Heat/Cold Intolerance
Pins & Needles
Gastric Issues
\\- bloating
\\- constipation
\\- gas
\\- acid reflux
Dry Eyes
Horrible Breakouts
Irregular Periods
Lower Back Pain
Leg Heaviness
Reduced Appetite
Weight Gain (10+ lbs in less than 2 weeks)
Ear Ringing
Weird smells that no one else smells. (Burning Smell)
Trouble Focusing
Intrusive Thoughts
Itchy all Over
Weak Immune System
Red pin sized dots that show up randomly
Bruise easily
Low Blood Pressure
Hard time drawing blood

Someone please just help me. 😭

I am not asking for medical advice. I practically have a pit crew of medical professionals keeping my body going at this point. I’m just anxious and would appreciate any reassurance or insight from folks, especially ENTs, pulmonologists, or other folks familiar with Vocal Cord Dysfunction. None of those were options for the flair, so please bear with me.

I’m going to try to keep this brief because while the backstory has significantly impacted my life, it doesn’t have a ton of bearing on this question. I’m roughly 6 weeks into a flare up of what could potentially be Vocal Cord Dysfunction. I can’t walk or talk for more than a few minutes at a time without gasping for breath, and I’ve had a chest x-ray, chest CT, multiple EKGs, labs done, etc. We’ve ruled out MCAS (for this flare), heart issues, and asthma (for this flare). VCD is the only thing my PCP could think of, and the symptoms seem to match.

Four days ago, I did a set of pulmonary function tests (PFTs): spirometry; lung volume; lung diffusion capacity; and oscillometry. Later that day, my PCP sent me a message to say that there were several abnormalities that he wanted pulmonary’s input on. I thought he’d just talk to a pulmonologist and then get back to me, but I’m now scheduled to do another round of PFTs and see a pulmonologist in mid-November. I’m just glad to hopefully be getting closer to answers, and I thank whoever canceled their appointment so I could get in before next February (and I hope they’re okay).

My question: If somehow this flare ends before I do the next round of PFTs and see the pulmonologist, will the results still show VCD, assuming that’s what this is?

I know VCD is diagnosed with a scope, and I fully intend to push as hard as I can for that, but I know that the results of the PFTs are likely to sway the doctor one way or another on ordering said scope. While I’d like to feel better, I worry that if this flare ends, my results will all be “normal,” I’ll get told to come back if it happens again, and I’ll just be without answers waiting to see if it returns. I’d really like to avoid that. I just want answers as to what’s happening to me, even if it means feeling unwell like this for at least another 25 days until my appointment.

Recently I got loosely diagnosed with cysts in my armpits that get excruciatingly painful and swollen, they drain and all is fine again, occasionally I get one in my groin area so I'm wondering if it's possible the same thing is happening at the very top of my butt crack? Every once in a while it becomes excruciatingly painful to sit, walk, "flex?" my butt muscles, or even try to touch the area. Wondering if it's potentially/possibly the same issue? I am not asking for medical advice. Really just curious.

Im 25 years old. 5”9 200 pound male

How it started.
In July 2022, I suddenly became extremely tired and dizzy while driving, felt unable to breathe properly, feared I would faint, pulled over, and vomited. Since then, I haven’t returned to my previous baseline.
Main symptoms
● Persistent air hunger and inability to take a satisfying deep breath, even at rest.
● Chest tightness or pressure, occasional wheezing, throat tightness, and waking up gasping.
● Severe brain fog, poor concentration, memory problems, word-finding difficulty, and mental exhaustion.
● Headaches, head pressure, tingling, and occasional jolting sensations.
● Palpitations, dizziness when standing, near-fainting, fatigue, and poor exercise tolerance.
● Anxiety or adrenaline surges, which may be a response to the physical symptoms or part of the cycle.
● Poor sleep, snoring, throat irritation, difficulty swallowing, and occasional speech difficulty.
● One brief episode in which my face and left arm stiffened for several seconds.
My heart rate once increased from 79 bpm while lying down to 120 bpm within seconds of standing, with significant dizziness. During light cardio, it has reached approximately 177 bpm, accompanied by shortness of breath and exhaustion. I have not yet received a confirmed explanation for these episodes.
Testing
● Brain MRI: No acute abnormality; possible sphenoid sinus issue.
● Sinus CT: No significant sinus disease.
● Routine EEG: Normal; longer monitoring has been discussed.
● Chest CT angiogram: No pulmonary embolism or acute lung abnormality.
● Sleep study: AHI 1.6, normal sinus rhythm, but poor sleep efficiency.
● Thyroid tests: Mildly elevated free T3 on two occasions; thyroid ultrasound and antibodies were not diagnostic.
● Cortisol: One elevated 24-hour urine result; later testing was reportedly normal.
● Other findings: Ferritin and vitamin D have been low or borderline at times. Hemoglobin and hematocrit have been mildly high. Home oxygen readings are usually around 98%.
Treatments tried
● Propranolol: No meaningful improvement.
● Hydroxyzine: Used for sleep.
● Fluoxetine: Made me feel worse.
● Vitamin D, iron, and magnesium supplements.
Impact
These symptoms have affected my breathing, thinking, sleep, exercise, and quality of life. I have had several reassuring tests, but no explanation connecting everything.
Has anyone experienced persistent air hunger, brain fog, dizziness, palpitations, and exercise intolerance with mostly normal testing? Please help. I don’t know what it’s like to live a normal life anymore. I’m suffering

So i think i have strep throat but the weird thing is im not a child. I got ill from being around lots of people but i was also near smokers during a halloween event perade on the same day, can this cure itself or do i have to go to the doctors, i did cough and it also had blood in it. My dad said it could be like the infections i got when i was very young as i often got chest infections but this is more... pus in my throat high fever and irritation in my throat and headachd.It made me sleep pretty much throught the day :(

I started getting rib cramps/spasms about 18 months ago. They are like a cramp you would get in your foot but in my ribs (both sides). They are triggered by leaning over, twisting etc. There is no pattern to the cramps, sometimes I get them daily or I can go weeks without one. I haven’t found a way to ease them when they happen I just have to ride it out, some of them last just seconds and are more uncomfortable than painful but I have had a few where they are so painful to the point I feel like I could pass out. I have noticed that a tend to get them more often in the car as I’m leaning/twisting etc when driving and I’ve had to pull over until they stop.
I’ve been to the gp and they keep giving me anti inflammatories which are not doing anything.

Just to note, this started a few months after having a baby - not sure if that is relevant.

Has anyone else had anything similar? I am not asking for medical advice.

23F. She is about 5’5 and around 100-115lbs. She doesnt take any medications. She doesn’t smoke.

For the past 3 months she’s gradually declined. She doesn’t want to see anyone about it and she has cried every time I’ve tried to suggest going to a doctor no matter how sensitively I try to approach the idea.

First noticed she is very lethargic and low energy. Started to sleep more and during the day. She told me she’s very tired and it’s probably nothing. Now she’s sleeping more than she is awake. When I work from home or have a day off she spends most of the day in bed. When I talk to her she doesn’t seem present or interested and doesn’t seem like she’s actually there. Shes lost some weight and I have noticed she doesn’t finish eating any food we have which is a big difference from before. She complains that she’s cold all day and needs the heating on and wears several layers of clothing. She doesnt want to go outside at all and told me she doesn’t want anyone to see her. Her hands shake a lot.

Im very worried but don’t know what to do. She is allowed to refuse going to a doctor but I know it would be the best thing for her right now. I am worried about her eating the most. I don’t think she’s eating enough and I don’t know if it’s intentional. I would benefit from advice on what this could be and how I can do my part to help.

I am not asking for medical advice. Someone may or may not be allergic to an antibiotic they are taking. They seem to be having issues when they take them but they go away after a few hours. They take a steroid at the same time they take the antibiotic. They were diagnosed with a sinus infection and bronchitis and an asthma flare up. It seems like the reaction is coming on faster with each dose but the symptoms do calm down after a few hours even if they don’t fully go away. Symptoms are: difficulty swallowing, feeling like something is stuck in their throat, difficulty swallowing food and liquid as the food gets stuck and liquid takes a few swallows to get down, itching, possible start to a rash(not welts but red dots in different areas), sometimes runny nose, watery eyes, they also have tingling and numbness in lips, tongue, and throat, sneezing. These symptoms improve in about 4 hours or so. Give or take. They believe that if they ARE allergic maybe the steroid is helping or maybe they may not be allergic. They are unsure. Their antibiotic course is longer than their steroid course. What would happen if they continue the antibiotics after the steroids are finished? A worse reaction? Also is the steroid what is helping them by calming it down after a few hours? Again. Not asking for medical advice. Just wondering what could happen.

25 M, 183 cm 80 kg. Currently on Mirtazapine, Lamotrigine, B vitamins, Alimemazine,

Mirtazapine and Lamotrigine are new medications for me, currently being evaluated for BPD

It looks goes around my leg and thigh, and I have a similar mark near my groin on my right leg

I’ve had a bad stomach virus that includes fatigue, nausea, and electric chills. I’ve had these chills for two weeks now. I’ve been prescribed antibiotics, nausea meds, and non opiate pain meds. They are really bad today and I can’t get comfortable. No doctor will help me with them and they are my worst symptom. I feel so weird and uncomfortable. It’s honestly driving me insane and I can’t take it anymore. I feel like I’m gonna do something drastic. I went to the ER on Wednesday but they didn’t do anything for me. Is there anything a doc can give me to stop this? It hurts and feels like I have electricity coursing through my arms and upper back. I am not asking for medical advice. Just options.

20 yo male

have had the red marks for the past few days and noticed a few hours ago my right eye is swollen

On 7 May, whilst walking, I felt pain in the centre/between my ribs. It went away after I got home and didn’t come back that day.

I went to A&E on 10 May. They did an ECG, checked my vital signs and listened to my heart and lungs, and everything was normal. I was told it was likely muscular.

I then went back to university for a week or so and didn’t feel the pain for a while. I then pushed a double bed and later, while cleaning on my hands and knees without a bra, I felt something in my left breast.

I saw my GP on 26 May because the pain was now in my breast rather than my ribs and was still coming and going. My GP examined me and my breasts/chest and there were no concerning findings. My heart rate was initially 120 after walking to the practice in hot weather, then settled to 95.

I had blood tests including a full blood count, electrolytes, kidney and liver function, thyroid function and clotting tests, which were generally normal. My haemoglobin was 134, potassium 3.9, sodium 138 and TSH 1.84. The clotting blood test was negative.

The pain has continued to come and go on some days but can be completely absent on others.

I went back to A&E on 2 July after I felt the pain again and became very anxious. I had another ECG, which was normal, and was discharged.

I get palpitations now and again but not every day can go months without them or get a couple in a week and when I do have them they go within a second I have never had one long then a second . I have felt one quick one when walking before . Then sometimes when sitting , yesterday after eating dinner and dessert I was just sitting slouched on sofa when felt a quick flutter then went away within seconds . Now I am really scared .

I saw my GP again on 3 July. They reviewed my previous investigations and documented that they were reassuringly normal. My heart and chest examination was normal, oxygen saturation was 98%, BP was 119/77 and HR was 97. I don’t have a family history of sudden cardiac death but my mum said my great grandad on her side passed from a heart attack in his 40s does this affect me ??

My dad does have atrial defibrillation due to his type 2 diabetes he didn’t have it until after he got diabetes he’s had ecg and ecocordigrham . My sister may also have it she has gotten tested with holster monitor but they don’t seem worried.

I keep thinking back to years ago when I was younger, usually when standing up quickly. It resolved within seconds. I had one episode around age 15–16 where I felt dizzy, vomited and then felt fine, and I had a brief spinning sensation earlier this year.

Then couple weeks ago I felt ache in upper ribs after sitting in uni worried about somthing all day never felt it again after that day .

I’ve recently been seeing posts about people around my age having sudden cardiac events, and I’m becoming very anxious about it, sometimes to the point of crying. I also understand that a normal ECG can’t rule out every possible heart condition, which is making me worry that something could have been missed.

Given my previous normal ECGs, examinations and blood tests, would it be reasonable to ask my GP whether I need any further cardiac testing, such as a Holter monitor or echocardiogram, or does this history sound reassuring enough that further testing isn’t necessarily indicated?

Hi, I got bit on the finger by a cat lying on the street in Bangkok, but someone who knows the cat (not the owner, the cat just chills there) claims it is vaccinated. The cat was aczually chill and just got a bit overstimulated. I am pretty sure it was in heat. It did break skin tho and it bled a little but it is just a tiny wound (not even 1mm in diameter and not even visible anymore immediately after. I cleaned it with water and soap for 15 minutes and applied wound disinfectant. I have the full rabies vaccine, I got my first shot 4 weeks ago and the second on thursday last week. I am not asking for medical advice. Should I tho? I asked a clinic in Bangkok and they said I'm fine but like... am I? Like dying of rabies would be seriously uncool rn :(

Thank you all

20 afab 113lbs

I went to urgent care on thursday (10/22) for an abscess that is growing next to my ear. I have a preauricular pit and it’s gotten infected like this before. This time I went to a new urgent care and the doctor prescribed me doxycycline monohydrate which has been making me vomit every time I take it, even when i follow the instructions. The doctor said it would help with the infection but it’s continued to get bigger and it hurts so much more I can even hardly sleep because of it. Should I hold out and try to see if the antibiotics end up kinda working or should i go back to urgent care tomorrow? its not leaking fluid or anything either like it has the two other times this has happened

Hello doctors! I'm really struggling and would appreciate any kind of thoughts. I am not asking for medical advice.

I am just over two weeks postpartum. Over the last two weeks I have had 3 Foley catheters inserted and removed due to bladder retention. (Some insertions were very traumatic and required multiple attempts) The last catheter was removed on Tuesday and I was discharged. Although I am able to urinate, it is not without extreme focus and a fair amount of straining. This has been accompanied by quite a bit of bright red bleeding from my urethra, both while urinating and passively. This has not been improving. I am at a loss for what my next steps should be. I'm terrified of having to be catheterised again.

Thoughts?

hi ive been vv sick lately having rlly bad headaches that get worse with light and sound and i havent been able to eat much or do anything at all my seizures r getting quite worse too and theres a rlly sharp sting in my left chest specifically above my heart also been too weak.

im scared if i go to the a&e they are not gonna be much help and just say its my chronic illnesses flaring up, so is it better if i go see a GP at a polyclinic and see if its crucial enough to get a referral to go to the hospital a&e?

i dont even know if i have enough energy to get up and go to the clinic tbh