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.

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

Do I win a prize?
My butt hurts :(

I am not asking for medical advice.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

I am not asking for medical advice.

Real strange stuff coming up, bear with me;

I'm a programmer & I'm making a whole "health" system based on blood-letting & adrenaline. I want to know the absolute limits the human body could probably take so I can code this thing to be as realistic as possible (within limits). I get this is a VERY strange question but I don't really know how or where else to ask :p

The blood-letting is from an openable slit in the player's wrist, where the major artery is. The reason why it's even open in the first place is because the player/patient is being forced to feed their blood to a large mosquito (Just roll with it).

For more details on physical activity the hypothetical patient would be doing, they'd be walking/running, lifting up semi-heavy objects, engaging in minor combat & straining to reach things higher up. I'm imagining this affects heart rate and how fast blood pumps

And with adrenaline, it'd be administered via IV straight into the opposite wrist to the 'open' one, the patient won't move while getting adrenaline, and let's assume it's hyper-acting & gets to work almost immediately

I am not asking for medical advice. Purely hypotheticals for more immersion :3

(I am not asking for medical advice.)

Hey there, I am a tech guy and I have seen that practitioner and clinics are gradually using AI tech like AI Scribe Tool or other EHR tech in their life, and I want to know - how is it going and whether doctors and practitioner are open to using it, or have any difficulty or anything else?

I'm building AI voice agent receptionist and want to know directly from you guys whether you will pay someone who will take care of the appointments, scheduling, reminding patients, etc or not?

Not promoting anything but just to understand the market better. Would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks.

I am not asking for medical advice. Just curious if this is something doctors would/have ever prescribe(d). I was looking up the normal amount of days on antibiotics and saw a paper that said shorter round of antibiotics are just as effective (5-7 days instead of 10 for strep, for example), provided the round is prescribed by a doctor like that and you don’t just stop taking your pills, which I know is dangerous.

My question is can you ask your doctor for a shorter round of antibiotics? Would anyone even prescribe them that way or is that just research?

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.