r/AskDocs 23h ago

Weekly Discussion/General Questions Thread - September 07, 2026

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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.


r/AskDocs 9h ago

Physician Responded Hospital? Dog bite

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28 female 130 lbs 5’5 sertraline, birth control , atorvasatain

Dog bit me do i go to the hospital? Can i go to urgent care instead? Or can i treat at home. It does sting quite a bit

Its my dog, he’s not rabid, just a shithead

Edit: Leaving ER! Thanks everyone. Dog already forgot it happened of course and not the slightest bit of remorse in sight. That’s the small dog way-of-life though (he’s a schnauzer mix)


r/AskDocs 7h ago

Physician Responded I’ve had these for years and don’t know what they are.

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22F, 5’6 215lbs, no current medications, non-smoking.
Medical history:
premature—born at 27 weeks, tufted angioma present at birth.
Tufted angioma on right leg near knee that sometimes bleeds.
Diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and POTS.

These spots started appearing on my stomach probably around 12-14 years old. There were one or two to begin with but over time, have spread across my lower abdomen. I brushed them off for a while because I was born with a tufted angioma on my right leg and thought it was probably related to that. They fluctuate between being dark red/blood filled to fairly translucent. They are uncomfortable, can itch, sometimes open up and bleed when they are as dark red as they currently are.

I finally have insurance, so I am getting them seen. My PCP had no idea what they were and referred me to a dermatologist but the closest appointment available is months out.

[IMG-8747.jpg](https://postimg.cc/MnBG8TGP)


r/AskDocs 16h ago

Physician Responded What's up with my hands and fingers?

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No itches but the yellow ones hurt very slightly on interacting.

Since 6 months.

Slowly spread, begin with index finger of rght hand. The area has grown larger.

And has occured on left hand too, on two fingers , and a small area on the palm.

Never blistery.

Always begins under the skin, as visible, this is my visual perception.

All dots, same size

Never grew in size, even when yellowing.

In the past, some dots have yellowed, then fallen off, but then recame somehow. Also all these are under the skin, just below. But visible. Also these looks like pegs in the skins occuring down to up, just beneath the skin. But feel rough when stroking.

Age :25 Male

Height : 6'3


r/AskDocs 7h ago

Physician Responded 28M, cognitive decline after sepsis, repeated hospitalizations, cancer treatment, and 4 years on clozapine for a misdiagnosis. Worth a neuropsych eval?

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28M, 5'10", non-smoker. Current meds: clonazepam, prazosin.

History, and this is the short version: an episode of sepsis, several months of cumulative hospitalization across multiple admissions, multiple major surgeries, cancer treatment, recurrent C. diff, thyroid issues, and roughly four years on clozapine for a diagnosis that was later confirmed to be wrong, ending in an abrupt inpatient discontinuation. Psychiatric diagnoses include depression, OCD, PTSD, social anxiety and panic disorder.

After all of that, family members independently commented that I seemed cognitively changed. What I notice most is that my tolerance for change collapsed. A disrupted routine or unexpected demand derails me in a way it never did before, and it takes a long time to recover. I also have ongoing trouble with concentration and processing. These have been constant through periods when my mood was better and worse, and haven't shifted with psychiatric treatment.

I know this overlaps with depression, which is why I've asked for objective testing rather than assuming. Is a neuropsych eval a reasonable request given this history, and would testing during an active depressive episode be interpretable, or is it better to wait?

Not looking for medication suggestions.


r/AskDocs 21h ago

Physician Responded Unsure if toddler got bit by a bat or a bug

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I’m fully aware that I need to speak to the ER. Which we are. I am only coming to this reddit as we wait to figure out what to do and if anyone knows what a bat vs. bug bite looks like. The er doctor here has never seen one.

I live in a residential area that is not known for bats, at least during the day. We were playing on the side of the house in broad daylight and she was sitting down on her kiddie pool. When she got up, I saw something black that is the size of a quarter or maybe a half dollar on her arm. She immediately screamed and swatted at it. She said that it bit her. I immediately scooped her up and brought her inside. I didn’t think to look for what bit her because she was having a full meltdown. When we get inside, we put ice on it and notice that it’s swelling up, red, and creates a circle around two bites.

Once my husband saw two bites, he started questioning bat since we’ve never seen this before. We rushed her to the ER. While there, I called the state DPH and got in touch with a state epidemiologist that said while it’s unlikely to be a bat due to size, if the ER recommends the shot, to get the shot. We were waiting almost 5 hours and still no one came in. Since this incident, the elbow went back to normal and has two marks, one raised with a white mark in it, and the other flat. The PA told us that we have 72 hours to get the shot and that we could come home since it got to be so late last night and our toddler was having an entire meltdown due to lack of sleep. We do intend to go back when she wakes up, but wanted to check in on a heavily saturated Reddit with physician who have may seen bat bates and if they behave like a bug bite. Posting the photo when it was initially swelling and then 4 hours after.

3 year old female that is 30lbs and 3ft


r/AskDocs 2h ago

Physician Responded Is this burn infected? Yellow liquid?

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27F, 5’2, 101 pounds, have asthma game inhalers for it.

Burned myself on Friday with a curling iron and didn’t cover it until Saturday. I have put hydrocolloid plaster on it from yesterday to today, but through the night my hand was hurting when I was leaving on the burn. I took of the plaster and it looks like this, yellow liquid? There doesn’t seem to be redness or swelling though.
If it is how should I clean it? I have fake tan on which was applied before the burn.


r/AskDocs 18h ago

Physician Responded 53 male 4 days s/p cryotherapy of plantar warts. Still painful and now with swollen inguinal node. Is this normal?

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53 male, 6’0, 185. No meds except cholesterol medication. I have had plantar warts on the bottom of my foot for several years. Never bothered me but PA convinced me she could get rid of them by freezing. 4 days later and they’re still extremely painful. I didnt think they were infected but this morning I woke up with a small painful lymph node in my groin on the same side. Is this normal? I’m having a lot of trouble walking normally and freaked out now about the lymph node (I have a lot of health anxiety)


r/AskDocs 17h ago

Physician Responded Brain Tumor

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My 28 year old daughter had a seizure last weekend. She spent 4 days in the hospital. A MRI revealed she has a 3.8 cm mass on her right parietal lobe. It was determined a glioma such as astrocytoma.

We are looking to have it removed by the end of the month. It is not growing nor is it swelling. She is on Keppra 500mg twice a day and Norco as needed (she fell face first on the concrete).

Any info would be helpful.


r/AskDocs 12h ago

Physician Responded Neck discoloration

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18, female, 5 feet tall, 145 pounds, i take quetiapine 50 MG, D-amphet 15 MG, fluoxetine 40 mg, and clonidine 0.2 mg
Diabetes runs in the family
I was wondering if this is high insulin or a sign of diabetes or if it’s simply discoloration?


r/AskDocs 6h ago

Is this an issue or something to be worried about? (THERE IS VOMIT IN THE BEGINNING FOR REFERENCE AS TO WHY IM WORRIED. ITS NOT INAPPROPRIATE BUT I NEED TO KNOW) NSFW Spoiler

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Ok, so as 17 years old here I was just enjoying my dinner with chick fil a and had a cherry coke to drink cause why not. So flash forward an hour later and everything’s fine as I’m brushing my teeth getting ready for bed but the moment I brush my tongue I get that feeling when you know your gonna puke but you try to stop yourself by thinking about not doing it. So I do try that and it doesn’t work whatsoever and it was a mess everywhere. But the bottom line is I rushed over to the toilet and it just kept coming. Now the problem is.. If I just had the cherry coke an hour ago, is this blood or the red dye of cherry coke? Because after I cleaned up I drank water like normal and got a sharp pain in my stomach so I’m very worried and my parents are brushing it off like it’s nothing but I’m very worried it’s blood and don’t know what to do!


r/AskDocs 17h ago

Physician Responded 17 weeks pregnant - giant Omphalocele diagnosed

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Hi everyone - 39/f/151 lbs at 17 weeks pregnant / 5’4” / 138 lbs previous to pregnancy

Medication-managed hypothyroidism
Previous gestational diabetes (not yet tested during this pregnancy)
Spotting in early pregnancy, progesterone supplements were taken from 6-12 weeks
Previous chemical pregnancy and miscarriage
Infertility

We found out at 13 weeks that our baby has a giant omphalocele containing the whole liver, bowels, and partial stomach - they note how high up it starts and how broad it is across the abdomen in particular (pretty much starting at the diaphragm). As of 17 weeks they haven’t found any other defect and genetic testing has come back normal. We spoke to a pediatric surgeon, but I’m curious about the experience of all healthcare providers involved in NICU / PICU care, as it seems these babies require a lot of respiratory support after birth and often a months-long stay in NICU.

Every day I go back and forth wondering if we should terminate. Two maternal fetal medicine specialists have mentioned most people do. I have joined a support group and see lots of happy stories of these babies living normal lives as toddlers and kids. My husband and I are older and have had trouble conceiving for 8 years, so it’s not a simple as “we’ll just try again.” We have one amazing living child to consider too. We live in Canada so we are extremely fortunate to not have to consider financial strain and legal limitations on termination for medical reasons. We live 5 minutes away from our regional children’s hospital. I’m still terrified of the medical complexity involved, and the thought we will be one of the “unlucky ones” (given this defect is rare and we’ve had so much trouble and loss already).

Given your experiences, would you say a lot of these children with truly isolated omphaloceles are actually having good outcomes early on in childhood or is this just the loud minority speaking up in these support groups? I’m interested in the not so great outcomes so I am better informed on the realistic range of what to expect if we continue the pregnancy, especially in cases of a giant defect like this one. Would you bring a child with isolated giant omphalocele into this world, knowing the medical complexity involved in their care and chances of good outcomes or even survival? (Taboo question, I know. But I have to ask).

Any insight would be more than appreciated. Thank you


r/AskDocs 2h ago

I went to urgent care, what now?

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I i'm looking for advice on how to be taking seriously or who to be talking to. Because there's definitely something going on.And I'm currently living in my car, so I have to make it easier to get to.

Suffer from hormonal imbalance, PCOS, minuscule pituitary cyst, PRE diabetes, chronic joint pain.

( Not sure if this is directly relevent, but I did carry a sixty five liter backpack for 4 years straight, living out of it and in 2024, i got tazed once in my shoulder and twice in my spine and it still affects me)

I Smoke cbd for physical pain and anxiety.

I take ibuprofen and recently it has become ineffective.

24F,

5'5"

260lbs

Went to urgent care for extreme pain in the spine.

Doctor does it some poking around and then asked me to show her my spine.

She felt up and down my spine and said

"yup, theyre all there"

What does this mean? Should I go somewhere else?


r/AskDocs 6h ago

Physician Responded Hypomania episode? Can anything be done for it?

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40M, 6”2” 270lbs. I take Pristiq, adderall, thc, regular Therapist visits.

I recently had an unexpected interaction related to some trauma that I have been working through with my Therapist. I have been feeling really disconnected and only realized it coincided with that event today. The event was about a week ago. I’ve been feeling very out of body and having feelings really close to hypomania I think, so I guess it’s already been happening for about a week.

Unfortunately, I’m out of contact with my provider for about two weeks. If it’s subsides by then is this something worth noting with them?

I’m quite worried about some behaviors I’ve had in the past and I’m trying to actively avoid them and I think that’s causing me a bit of anxiety which isn’t helping.

Is there anything that can be done directly to alleviate the hypomania or cause it to stop? If so, is that something someone else could provide that hasn’t seen me before?


r/AskDocs 8h ago

Why does my armpit look like this? Spoiler

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tagged for spoiler bc it's kinda weird.

18F, on birth control, some vitamins (b-12, iron, and D) and a budes-formot inhaler

i just stretched in front of a mirror and was totally wigged out by this. I've never had this before. It doesn't hurt, my whole pit is a little tender to the touch, but I'm recovering from a cold/flu/something and it usually gets like that when i'm congested (the pain, not the discoloration)

It's on both pits, more prominent in the one photographed, but it's like a red ring with a bit of yellow discoloration leading up to the hair, which appears normal. I also don't usually shave my pits, they typically look like this.

from a quick google search, it doesn't seem to be any of the top results for infections or anything, but idk what it is? I shower every day, i've been using the same type of deoderant for 3 years no problem.

Basically I wanna know- is this concerning? Or is this just a thing thay randomly happens and hasn't happened to me before. I have medical anxiety so I'd love some reassurance, but also just to know if it's something to watch.


r/AskDocs 10h ago

Physician Responded Lump on left side of neck

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Female

26y/o

5'9" 250lbs

I have been having chronic health issues for the last few years, including PCOS, POTS, and Idiopathic Hypersomnia. Most of my symptoms are generally under control.

I also have a lot of symptoms with no known cause: excessive (and I mean EXCESSIVE) sweating, poor temperature regulation and mild to severe headaches daily. I also get a weird aching pain in my upper back/shoulders when I drink alcohol. Not everytime, but a lot. There are more, but those are the ones bothering me the most right now. They have been here for years, but are getting worse.

Attached is a CT scan I got done in March for a peritonsillar abscess. I know there are likely reactive lymph nodes due to the tonsillitis, however I discovered a lump in my neck a few months ago. It's deeper in my neck, and not really visual, but you can feel it. It's maybe grape sized, soft, and slightly movable. Its hard to tell since it is surrounded by muscles. It is in the middle of the occipital triangle.

My PCP felt it and said to keep an eye on it.

Any thoughts on the CT scan?


r/AskDocs 5h ago

Physician Responded Weird reaction to medication.

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Hello guys, I just came back from the hospital with my sister who is 20 years old. We were there because she has been complaining about dizziness for a couple of months now. They did an EKG which showed to be a little different than her other ones she had in the past but,they didn’t really do anything about that. To treat her for her dizziness they gave her , acetaminophen: 650 Oral diphenhydrAMINE: 25 Oral prochlorperazine Injectable: 10 IntraMuscular sodium chloride 0.9% Bolus.1000 IntraVenous Bolus… and then we left. On our way home she was fine but, when we arrived home she literally started tweaking... She couldn’t stay still, she was pacing from side to side, she was shaking uncontrollably, she’s said she felt very confused, her heart was pounding, and that her “ears were full”. After noticing that she went back to the emergency room. She’s currently there with my mom. I just want to know what made her act like that? was it the side effects to the medication? We ended up calling the doctor and she said that she has never had a patient react like that to the medication so I’m confused???


r/AskDocs 14h ago

Physician Responded Do my stitches look alright/normal?

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Age: 22

Sex: ftm

Height: 5ft

Weight: 130lbs

Race: white

Duration of complaint Saturday night/yesterday morning

Location: left ring finger tip

No existing relevant medical issues

Current medications: Wellbutrin 300mg Zoloft 50mg

got 7 stitches late Saturday night/early yesterday morning. And it still hurts really bad and I can’t do barely anything with my hand. And randomly bleeds through the bandages. When I show ppl they all think they look pretty rough and even the dr (or nurse I don’t remember) described them as “hodgepodged.” I was told by one person to get them redone but if I don’t have to I really don’t want to

Injury details: it was a nasty tear and not a cut. There was two main flaps and a couple smaller tears and a lot of dermis and/or fat was coming out. I know she didn’t have a lot to work with, I was surprised that the flaps of skin could cover any of it tbh. If ppl want and if I can figure it out I’ll post pics of the injury pre stitches.

Stitches care: She was also really vague with the instructions for how to care for it, saying “it’s up to you” when I asked if I should keep it covered or not. And said “you can if you want” when I asked if I should put like antibiotic ointment on it or leave it dry. She also said not to get it wet for the first few days but also to wash it with soap and water after 24 hrs. So idk I’m also confused on how to care for it.

Idk I’ve never had stitches before and I’m just worried that they still hurt this much and that it looks like this. The dr that did the stitches, I wouldn’t need to rest or anything and could continue as normal since it’s not on my joint but I can’t. I can’t outstretch my hand or really move my fingers with out it hurting.


r/AskDocs 1h ago

Long term effects of intubation?

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40F - three years ago I was diagnosed with AML four months after having my second baby and six weeks after having my gallbladder removed due to stones and eventual necrosis. Healthy my entire life aside from broken bones so all this was a shock. After my induction treatment for the AML I developed a staph infection from my port which was removed and then spiralled from there with breathing problems. Ended up in the ICU with a severe fungal infection in my lungs to the point of lung failure. High dose amphotericin saved my life and I had the tube removed after 8 days. I’ve been though a lot of therapy and different practitioners (massage, osteopath, chiropractor) because I’ve had weird pain in my chest/ribs/sternum area on and off since I went through that experience. An osteo I saw said it was related to my diaphragm being weak. I had pain in my lower right rib area a month after the ICU stay and he helped me resolve it but I’d have twinges come back here and there around my tib cage and then it morphed into being an almost daily occurrence this year on the left side mostly around the bottom ribs and around the sternum. It can range from twitching to sharp stabs to burning. I developed nocturnal and nighttime panic attacks around the same time (March I think) and ended up in the ER a few times terrified it was my heart. I’ve been to a cardiologist (echo, multiple ecg’s, holter) and nothing abnormal is showing there. The sensations are worse at night when I’m having a panic attack (which can last hours) but can happen any time and mostly occurs on the left side of my rib cage which is where the heart phobia came from. I had an anthacycline during induction but it was a low enough dose that the likelihood of heart impact was negligible. I did have a long QT interval develop after induction and troponin got up to like 35 a week and a half after induction but it all resolved within months during outpatient treatments. I was referred to a respirologist a year and a half after treatment when I brought the pain up to my GP and nothing abnormal there.

Has anyone studied long-term effects of intubation on people’s bodies? I’ve asked the question of doctors and it just sounds purely theoretical in terms of what’s known. None can seem to pinpoint what I’m experiencing. Does my experience sound like a potential physical issue like nerve damage or just psychosomatic? My best guess is trauma mixed with musculoskeletal issues being that I’m now 40, sit at a desk for work and don’t get a ton of exercise. I just wonder if the intubation caused some damage. I’m in Canada. Smoked socially on and off in my 20’s only.


r/AskDocs 1d ago

Physician Responded Stage4 cancer. Surgery wasn't 100% successful. Even after 6 cycles of chemo, its not operable.

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Age-24

Sex-F

Height-5'2"/157

Weight-39kg

Race-Indian

Duration of complaint-more than a year

Location-abdomen

Any existing relevant medical issues-cancer

Current medications-pazopanib

After undergoing an urgent surgery i got diagnosed with cancer. Its high grade endometrial stromal sarcoma. Last pet nd ct scan was done in January 30th. There are still multiple tumors left in subhepatic region, pre splenic region and pelvic cavity. My surgery was done in July 1st last year after that I got 6 cycles of ifosfamide and doxorubicin till January this year. After that I on pazopanib 400mg daily.

Idk why im here I just need to know if there's anything I can do since every doctor im seeing are saying theres nothing left for us to do


r/AskDocs 13h ago

Physician Responded 🚨 LOOKING FOR SIMILAR EXPERIENCES & MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS 🚨

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My dad has been in hospital for almost 2 months after a severe postoperative digestive leak — now he has had a last-resort salvage surgery. Has anyone experienced something similar?
My dad is 68 and had surgery for colon cancer almost two months ago. A few days later, he developed a serious digestive leak/perforation, causing peritonitis and septic shock. He spent time in ICU, was ventilated and critically ill, but eventually stabilised.
The main problem since then has been a leak that simply would not heal.
The doctors first tried endoscopic closure with clips and sutures, but the damaged tissue would not hold. They then used an Eso-SPONGE/vacuum treatment and placed abdominal drains to control the leak and infection. Later, two separate holes were identified and an endoscopic prosthesis/stent was placed to divert digestive contents away from the damaged area. The prosthesis was subsequently repositioned because it was initially too high. There were periods of improvement, with less drainage and better infection markers, but unfortunately the leak ultimately persisted.
At this point, the surgeons decided that repeatedly trying to close the same damaged tissue was no longer enough.
What happened today
Today they performed a much more complex salvage operation.
The surgeons explained that they created a Y-shaped intestinal reconstruction involving the duodenum and jejunum — essentially a Roux-en-Y type reconstruction, but this is NOT a standard gastric bypass.
The aim is to change the route taken by digestive contents, diverting the flow away from the damaged area instead of repeatedly trying to close the hole itself.
The hope is that keeping digestive fluid away from the damaged tissue will finally give it a chance to heal.
They have also left his abdomen temporarily open so they can reassess him over the next few days.
I don’t have the operative report yet, so I don’t know the exact technical configuration.
What he has been through
Almost two months of:
major cancer surgery
digestive leak/perforation
peritonitis and septic shock
ICU and ventilation
multiple endoscopic procedures
Eso-SPONGE/vacuum treatment
clips/sutures that failed
abdominal drains
two identified leaks
an endoscopic prosthesis/stent
prolonged infection and antibiotics
bacteria in his blood
severe weight loss and weakness
atrial fibrillation and other cardiac arrhythmias
He is extremely weak and thin now, and that is what scares me most.
At the same time, there have been periods where his infection markers improved and the drainage became very small, so there have also been reasons to hope.
Has anyone experienced something similar?
Has anyone had a persistent postoperative duodenal/digestive leak that eventually required a Roux-en-Y/duodenojejunostomy or another salvage operation?
Did it eventually work? How long did it take to know? What were the first signs that the leak had stopped?
I would especially appreciate hearing from surgeons, gastroenterologists or anyone who has personally experienced something similar.
I know Reddit cannot predict what will happen to my dad. I’m just desperately looking for experiences from people who have been through something that seemed this difficult and eventually recovered.
Thank you ❤


r/AskDocs 2h ago

Physician Responded Scared of gadolinium - Ovarian mass

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Hi, I’m a 31-year-old female who was recently diagnosed with a mass on my left ovary measuring about 4.3 cm. That has (No free fluid on mass) My OB-GYN wants me to have a pelvic MRI both with and without contrast.

I’ve done a lot of research on gadolinium, and I’m honestly very uncomfortable with having contrast. I already deal with chronic migraines and other health issues, and I’m worried about potentially developing additional problems from the contrast. I also have two young children who depend on me, so I’m trying to be as cautious as possible.

The mass is now causing me pelvic pain and other symptoms. Regardless of whether the mass is benign or not, I feel like I may need to have it removed because of the pain I’m experiencing.

Would it be reasonable to have the pelvic MRI done without contrast and possibly have blood work done as well? If surgery is ultimately recommended, I would honestly feel more comfortable having the mass/left ovary removed and having it biopsied rather than undergoing an MRI with gadolinium.

I’m really looking for some guidance on whether an MRI without contrast, along with blood work and/or surgical evaluation, could still provide enough information to determine what this mass might be. I’m just very anxious about the contrast and want to understand my options.


r/AskDocs 7h ago

Physician Responded Pain in lower right abdomen and coughing up blood

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Male, 40, 5'11, 200 lbs. I had a horrible pain on my right side abdomen below the ribs last night that woke me up and then this morning, after a restless night, I was coughing up blood. I take trazodone and Seroquel for sleep, and Lexapro for MDD and anxiety. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow but wanted to get a second opinion with you good people before that. I did start smoking again about a month ago after a stay in a psych ward for 8 days and caught a bad cold in there. Before that I was smoke free for over 10 years. The pain is still there just a little more tolerable than last night.


r/AskDocs 2h ago

Pain in hamstrings for 4+ weeks (18, Female, BMI 30)

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On August 15th and 16th I worked an event where I was standing for an extended period of time (about 7 hours on the 15th and 9 hours on the 16th) I'm on my feet for my other job, but never for that long. I woke up with pain in the back of my right thigh on the 17th, which I expected after all that. The problem is that it hasn't gone away completely. It felt better after a few days, but came back after a week or so and is still hurting now.

It's very on and off, and doesn't always hurt to put pressure on it. Usually it hurts more to take the pressure *off* the leg, so standing isn't bad but walking is awful. Trying to sleep is difficult because I toss and turn a lot, and moving in certain ways causes it to hurt. The pain is usually in the same spot in the hamstrings, but sometimes travels up to the glutes. (I leaned backwards against my hard kitchen counter yesterday and felt like I was being stabbed when I tried to move away). I've spent the past week taking it super easy, and it nearly went away, but now it's back AGAIN.

I've got a bunch of fun stuff coming up that I really don't want to miss, but I don't know what to do with this pain. At what point do I see a doctor? And should I get a mobility aid or something for the time being? Any advice would be super appreciated.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I'm hyper mobile. Not sure if that has any relevance here but I feel like it might (stuff bending in ways it shouldn't)


r/AskDocs 8h ago

Third annual bout of weird symptoms

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F/ 28/ 5'8/ 220 lbs. I don't drink or smoke

Meds: None except tums and occasionally Dicylomine for IBS-D. can only treat Gerd with tums due to bad reaction to Pantoprazol, Pepcid, Ozemprazole (sorry if thats the same medicine), priolisac -- you name it I can't take it

Health issues: GERD, IBS-D, PMOS although I don't have the hormonal symptoms of it via testing (all normal) only the secondary amenorrhea + weight gain but still qualifies for diagnosis

As the title implies, I am on my third yearly bout of bizzare unexplained stomach symptoms that happen this time of year every year for several years.

It all started the summer of 2024. I started working at an internship while in grad school and changed my eating habits to include breakfast and lunch because for the first time in my life, I was regularly waking up early enough for it. (Did not grow up in a "breakfast before school" house lol)

I started noticing slowly over the course of the summer that I was getting lunch later and later and pushing off dinner until I realized I had essentially no appetite and eating 2, let alone 3 meals a day led to severe, persistent nausea that Zofran could not touch. I didn't realize any issues for over a month bc I assumed it was just my body adjusting to a more stable meal routine

It got worse and worst until I switched to mostly applesauce, broth with carrots/ noodles, protein shakes, and strangly chicken nuggets because any and everything led to severe nausea.

One morning I woke up as white as a sheet and dripping in sweat -- went to the ER and they assumed I was fine because I didn't really have pain localized anywhere but ran a CT scan -- it came back as an enlarged appendix and I was dx'd with early appendicitis. They admitted me and treated me (my choice) with an insane antibiotic schedule in lieu of the surgery (Crazy i know but Iwas worried my insurance would label it an elective surgery since they gave me the option of trying antibiotics first... healthcare, am I right?)

I recovered from that element but still had extensive early satiety and extreme, severe nausea anytime I ate within about 2 hours.

I finally get into my PCP who suspects gastroparesis and refers me to a GI. GI sends me for an endoscopy (comes back normal) and a gastric emptying test (also comes back normal ruling out Gastroparesis).

After (or maybe slightly before I can't remember) I have one flare-up of the worst stomach aches of my entire life with horrific symptoms (was stuck in the bathroom for 5+ hours, blood everywhere, sorry for the TMI) that knock me out for a week straight. Was too sick to even try to go to the hospital and lowkey accepted my fate. I did recover from that flare up and only had one more rebound stomach ache of that intensity until probably 6 or so months later.

Either way by November of 2024 (first symptoms appeared in June) , basically every symptom was gone. Since then, I've struggled on and off with stomach aches and IBS-D flare-ups, but those ultimately were linked to the pepcid/pantroprazol I was put on at the beginning of these problems. In general, my gut seems to be extremely sensitive to medicine.

Without fail though, every year around this time of year I have a flare up of the extreme nausea and early satiety. Last year it only lasted about a month compared to the longer flare the summer before. Now it's back and I feel so defeated. I'm a lawyer, just started a new job and feel like I have to spend another month or two back on the liquid diet avoiding all food unless its late enough that I can sleep the nausea away.

other new-ish symptoms: major change in bowel habits including the "incomplete evacuation" sensation (TMI sorry) as well as an absent period for the last few months.

Yes, I have an appointment with my GI in Nov (soonest I could get in) but any thoughts would be appreciated. Happy to answer any questions but I hope this covers the gist of it

Any thoughts? Coincidentally timed Gastroparesis flares that are effected by stress/ change of weather?

Other random info in case this is helpful:

  • I've had severe stomach aches since I was 6. Like fall on the floor, stuck on the couch for a week flare ups. I was raised on a self sufficient farm so I grew up eating extremely healthy so that's my data point for it not being food related (because now I definately struggle eating as well).
    • On that note, kale/lettuce/broccoli etc send me into a nausea/slowed down stomach motility episode 1000% of the time since the first episode in 2024 (and I noticed espeically b/c I ate salad every day that summer) but I haven't notice any other foods that have this effect, pointing away from something like a bilemalabsorption issues (Especially bc I never had junk/greasy food growing up but always had stomach aches)
    • I have severe OCD and sometimes notice my anxiety/OCD effecting my gut
    • I do have a high stress job but find that some high stress periods (bar exam for example) have absolutely zero effect on these flare ups
    • Randomly get phantom smells (usually a burning smell) but idk how these could be connected lol
    • I live in a warm humid in the spring/summer/fall, cool/cold in the winter climate
    • Went from severe stomach aches in childhood, to severe migraines in high school, back to severe stomach aches in law school/post grad(Strangely, zero issues with either in college)
    • Was an extreme athlete growing up, coach in college, and out of shape now lol so same issues seem to span across varying health walks

Okay sorry that's long! Thanks in advance :)

Edit to add: I don't really have bouts of these issues outside of this time of year (the end of the last three summers). If I do, it lasts 3-4 days and it hasn't happened enough to be memorable. However, I have had a noticible uptick in severe stomach aches over the last three years, but they are almost always resolved quickly by dicylomine. And, while, I know this medicine is meant to slow down stomach motility, the issues started before I started taking it and I've never noticed a connection to taking it and having a flare up, especially bc I take it pretty regularly