So... over the course of the day my elbow has gone weird looking - it's red and swollen and sort of squooshy feeling. The skin feels warm to the touch and it is tender. Doctor Google tells me it's probably Bursitis. So... I should probably go get it checked out. But is it a rush to the docs tonight thing or a wait to tomorrow thing?
posted by Artw on Aug 23, 2012 - 21 answers

Are there risks in having botox injections for a neutropenia sufferer? A relation of mine is determined to have botox injections to get rid of wrinkles, however, they suffer badly from cyclic neutropenia which means that their immune system is often weak and have white blood cell issues and consequently they get infections frequently. I am aware that botox is botulinum toxin and I have kept trying to persuade her to see her doctor before having botox injections, to check whether they are safe for her in light of neutropenia. She is desperate to go ahead with this and it is hard to persuade her to get medical advice on this. From a layman's perspective, I am concerned that this may be dangerous for her. Does anybody with medical knowledge, perhaps haematology, know if this botox is safe for neutropenia sufferers? Many thanks!
posted by conrad101 on Jul 20, 2012 - 1 answer

How far does -- or should -- a medical professional's ethical responsibility go when it comes to the health and well-being of strangers (i.e. people one might see on the street, or in line at the supermarket)? [more inside]
posted by greatgefilte on Sep 18, 2009 - 31 answers

You have Crohn's disease. You live in (or near) Oakland, CA. You're on Blue Cross. You have an awesome GI doctor. Who is he/she? [more inside]
posted by ElmerFishpaw on Mar 26, 2009 - 2 answers

What are some in the field jobs that involve studying the environment seeking medical advances? A friend asked me the following question, and I looked around and was stumped by it. A couple basic things came to my attention, like tracking the spread of different illnesses in developing countries and passing out vaccines, but I hope I'm missing something. "What branch of biology encompasses the outdoor study of plants, animals, environments, and whatever else in order to find medical advancements? You see in movies people hunting in the amazon for weird plants in order to cure diseases. Is this a real profession? Could I really go to Africa to study a plague because the genetic information found within it could lead to a cure for cancer?"
posted by Tres on Feb 24, 2009 - 11 answers

US doctor question: do general practitioners practice real diagnosis anymore? Every doctor my wife and I have gone to in the past ten years has turned out to be incompetent or disinterested in doing more than the bare minimum. [more inside]
posted by crapmatic on Aug 11, 2008 - 28 answers

Where can I find a good doctor in Philadelphia that will help me diagnose Celiac disease? [more inside]
posted by austinlee on Jun 8, 2007 - 5 answers