Displaying comments 1 to 50 of 763
Ask post:
Bulging disc but no back pain
We have no way of knowing. Maybe yes, hopefully no.
Just of note, there's a good amount of controversy whether surgery is really better than observation and non-surgical therapies for herniated discs in the long-term. If you believe that either a) surgery will definitely fix your problem or that b) non-surgical management will definitely not fix your problem, you've got some more reading to do / you've got some more questions to ask your surgeon. Just hoping you don't... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 9:30 PM on June 4, 2008
Ask post:
The Kneedle and The Damage Done
If you're concerned, go see your internist or family doctor first. They should evaluate you and decide whether you need a) more rest and ice and NSAIDS b) physical therapy c) imaging or d) a referral to a orthopedist.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 10:13 AM on June 4, 2008
Ask post:
Should I take these antibiotics even though they are mine?
I am not a doctor or dentist, not your doctor or dentist, and you are not my patient. This is not medical advice, it is only to be use for education purposes.
Never take anyone else's prescribed medications. Also, the type of antibiotic we prescribe depends on the type and location of bacterial infection. Bactrim really isn't appropriate for a dental abscess.
If you are concerned, you should be returning to a doctor or dentist ASAP.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 10:30 PM on June 3, 2008
Ask post:
must pee more!
You should be speaking to your doctor about this complaint. There are many reasons for edema/swelling, and we don't know your medical history to know if it's safe for you to be using a diuretic. There's an incredible amount of incorrect information/misinformation in this thread about water retention and the causes of edema.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 6:43 PM on May 31, 2008
Ask post:
Doctor or Doctorate? To-may-to, To-mah-to?
I’ve finally figured out that what truly fascinates me is elucidating mental processes by way of studying those with deficits or diseases – we’ve learned a whole lot about memory, for example, from Alzheimer’s patients.
That sounds like PhD work to me. I too find neuroscience and the brain fascinating, but practicing clinical neurology is a very different beast; I was surprised at how much I didn't enjoy it.
xholisa13 is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 6:54 AM on May 25, 2008
Ask post:
Are YOU my doctor?
I am not a doctor, I am not your doctor, you are not my patient. I do not provide medical advice, only education:
For about a week now, I've been suffering from what feels like heartburn that's not going away.
And herein lies our problem. We can't make a diagnosis of GERD, so we can't really treat your "GERD." We don't know your age or risk factors--this could certainly be GERD, but could also be any number of more... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 8:14 AM on May 17, 2008
Ask post:
What tests are early "screens" for cancer?
This is what expensive private health care is for.
No, it's really not.
False positives are a concern, but they are caused by the quandary of pre-test probability and likelihood ratios. The only way we know how to interpret tests in medicine (labs, scans, etc) is by testing the tests to see how they work out. We compare a test result to some sort of "gold standard" -- in a perfect world, a tissue sample -- to say,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 9:12 AM on May 13, 2008
Ask post:
Microbiology filter
As I understand it, dominant strains of influenza virus use the epithelial cells of the throat and lungs to reproduce. Is that why the flu tends to cause coughs, snot, and sore throats?
uncballzer is correct. The majority of symptoms of illnesses like colds and flus, as far as I was taught, are due to the body's attempts to rev up the immune system. There are a number of cytokines involved, but one of the biggest implicated is called interferon (IFN)... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 3:50 PM on March 10, 2008
Ask post:
Herpes schmerpes
The predilection for transmission is via mucous membranes so relatively speaking, digital penetration is much less likely to lead to transmission.
True, true, but don't forget herpetic whitlow!
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 9:31 PM on March 8, 2008
Ask post:
How do I prove to my doctor that I have a sinus infection?
yellow or green mucus? This is a common myth. Yellow or green mucus is due to an increase in the number of white blood cells fighting an infection, not necessarily that it is of a bacterial nature.
And if you say "no" to all of the above, the likelihood of them wanting to give you antibiotics is nil. - The current recommendations are to wait 10d-2 weeks or until someone develops more severe symptoms then treat, unless you suspect acute bacterial sinusitis, then... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 1:38 PM on March 5, 2008
Ask post:
Help righty stroke victim regain mobility on left side!
Sorry to hear about this.
For $1000? A few appointments with a rehab physical therapist would be my recommendation. He or she can provide a list of exercises and ideas, after determining what your friend's biggest needs are (fine motor, proximal muscle weakness, distal muscle weakness). Will likely take into consideration what activities your friend does the most or are the hardest for her--showering, dressing, other activities.
And patience and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 7:15 PM on March 3, 2008
Ask post:
Do I need a physical?
Go get a physical--at least your physician will have a basic idea of who you are if you come back with another problem. It'll probably be mostly a review of your previous health issues, checking your blood pressure, perhaps drawing some blood for cholesterol and basic labs, and then an exam by your physician.
Likely most of it will be education about eating right, exercising, etc, but again, depends on your history.
If you've never... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 4:57 PM on March 1, 2008
Ask post:
There Will Be Blood... And Poop
Jessamyn is looking for stercobilin, which makes poop brown. Biliverdin comes from "dead" red blood cells, which then gets converted to bilirubin. Bilirubin is excreted by the liver as bile. Some of the bilirubin gets converted by bacteria to urobilinogen, some of which gets reabsorbed and peed out (making your pee yellow). The rest goes through more conversions until voila, stercobilin.
No idea about your hypothesis. How about... maybe?... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 5:44 PM on February 29, 2008
Ask post:
How soon to try again after a miscarriage?
I'm sorry to hear about your miscarriage. Gosh, if you're having trouble getting a straight answer, maybe it's time to find a new OB--I know nothing about your medical history, so it wouldn't be appropriate to give you any medical advice. Yes, three months is what's generally quoted and thrown around in my experience, but again--you should really be asking your doctor who knows you for medical advice, not strangers on the internets.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 5:37 PM on February 29, 2008
Ask post:
How do I avoid the unavoidable?
This doesn't strike me as being a true statement; MRSA is still, fortunately, relatively rare outside of certain clinical or demographic settings.
Sure, it depends on what "relatively rare" means, but we're certainly seeing many more cases of community-acquired MRSA from gyms, pre-schools, and other "abnormal" settings. I've seen a number of patients with no known risk factors who end up with a nasty MRSA infection.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 3:58 PM on February 27, 2008
Ask post:
In Line for a Scholarship. Your Help Needed!
Just finished 10 residency interviews across the country. What a pain.
e_b_g is right: Having questions prepared (writing them down on a piece of paper keeps you from forgetting them and also shows that you prepared ahead of time!) shows your interest.
Now is the time for him to toot his own horn. We're taught not to do so, and it's great that he knows not to brag. But I go into every interview with two things:
1) I have... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 1:13 PM on February 25, 2008
Ask post:
I'd like to eat more than cheese and butter.
a) No, it's not a "notion." It's the currently-held theory as to the cause of Type 2 diabetes. I'm wondering if by "buy into it" your doctor meant "If you're going to want to start taking a medicine to treat it, you should really be looking at the reason your body is becoming resistant--ie: your weight." There are plenty of books and websites that discuss health diets for diabetics, and that doesn't just mean no sugar or carbs. A healthy diet will also help you lose... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 7:49 AM on February 25, 2008
Ask post:
What's a "mass" doing on my dad's brain?
The term you're looking for is "differential diagnosis." A differential diagnosis is a list of diseases that can cause a particular problem, or a list of causes for a particular sign or symptom. For "brain mass," this would include things like primary brain cancer, brain tumor from a metastasis, infection, abscess, etc. The list is much longer, which is why they're likely doing a brain biopsy, to figure out what the mass is. Very sorry for your father.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 4:46 PM on February 23, 2008
Ask post:
Help with Podcast hosting, uploading and creating a iTunes podcast?
If they're just spoken word, you can compress the WAV files into 64kbps or 48kbps mono MP3s which will shrink the file sizes considerably--I would think 450mb should get you a good bit of the way there. You should also see if your school provides you with webspace. If neither of those work, you can get pretty darn cheap hosting with plenty of webspace and bandwidth for 5 bucks a month.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 9:30 AM on February 23, 2008
Ask post:
Make a Run for the Border!
No, you're not being crazy. The monetary cost is half. The life cost might be greater, might not be. My n=1 experience was a woman who got a lap-banding in Mexico and by the time she was back in the US was pretty damn sick and required an open revision for a perforation I believe. (It was a few years ago that I recall this happening.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 8:05 PM on February 22, 2008
Ask post:
Loss of a leg
As truenorth said, he'll certainly need rehab and therapy and plenty of support. At the same time, it's absolutely vital that he get his sugars under control if they're not already, that he start seeing a doctor regularly if he's not, and that he start taking all of his medications regularly if he's not. If poor foot care was the cause of this amputation, ask for a referral so he can get trained and educated about foot care--nail trimming, inspection after bathing, orthotics, etc. He's... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 7:14 PM on February 22, 2008
Ask post:
How should we protect patient data?
I could've sworn there were requirements for how data is protected, but maybe that's just institutional policies that have been put in place. Everything I've ever seen has said data has to be kept in a locked location with security cameras.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 9:29 AM on February 22, 2008
Ask post:
Health risks associated with preventing ejaculation?
Gosh, I really don't know. They certainly don't teach us that in med school.
What you're doing is basically compressing your urethra (see this diagram and this one) to prevent anterograde flow. Since it's got to go somewhere, it's going retrograde, probably into your bladder and maybe some back into your epididymus. You'd have to ask a urologist about any long-term damage, but my guess would be 1) possibly some inflammation of the urethra leading to increased risk of... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 7:08 PM on February 20, 2008
Ask post:
When is she likely going to die?
Very sorry to hear about everything that's going on. Your acquaintance's ICU doctor (or whoever is managing her) can likely give you more information, because he has access to her lab studies, which really tell the most about how destroyed her liver is. The MELD Score (self-link) is what most liver doctors and transplant surgeons use to determine illness severity now, and it looks like there are several studies out there linking MELD score with mortality. (Note: she would not be a candidate for... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 6:22 AM on February 20, 2008
Also--doctors are not prognosticators. We can certainly take a group of people with similar disease profiles and average out their survival time and say, "Average mortality: blah," but when it gets down to individual patients, we just can't say. That's why doctors are very avoidant when people ask about prognosis--we just don't know, until death starts to set in, with changes in breathing and such--then we know there's usually hours to days left at most. From an awesome Hospice... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 6:27 AM on February 20, 2008
Ask post:
Do I still have Anxiety?
Personal experience filter: I'd highly recommend seeing a therapist at your school (almost all schools have a CaPS -- Counseling and Psychological Services -- program) for some nice Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It helped a TON with my anxiety issues.
And do it before med school if you can. It only gets worse in med school. Trrrrust me.
Doc Pops is right--you have to know your triggers and what you need to do to stay healthy and keep in... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 7:35 PM on February 18, 2008 
marked best answer
Ask post:
HomeRemedyFilter
BV is a bacterial infection, treated with flagyl, an antibiotic. I've heard of acidophalus used for yeast infections, but not BV.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 8:48 PM on February 16, 2008
Ask post:
Situational Comments
"Stop, you're going to make the baby Jesus cry."
When something bad happens: "Boy, I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue."
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 12:18 PM on February 16, 2008 marked best answer
Ask post:
Cheap Mac
Why not one of the old, old generation iMacs, with the swivel head screen or something? If your mom is just going to be emailing and using Word, there's no reason to spend money on the latest thing. And if you're buying from a reputable person on EBay with lots of good feedback and ask lots of questions, odds are you'll be fine. Much cheaper and less time consuming than all your hacks.
posted to Ask Metafilter by gramcracker
at 4:39 AM on February 16, 2008
