I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis a year ago. I am on Enbrel and it has helped a great deal with the pain I experienced in my arms and joints but I am still having really bad pain upon walking or standing in my low back, sacral joint areas...I swim and do a variety of stretches but it is not allowing me the recovery I long for. I use to walk a few miles everyday, hike on the weekends and I haven't been able to do that in a couple of years. I miss it! I have been reading up on Epidural Cortisone injections and I am curious about personal results people have had. I am interested in the good as well as the bad stories, so I can decide, after meeting with my Doctors, if I want to go through with it. In other words if the benefits outweigh the risks.
posted by gypseefire on Oct 26, 2009 - 8 answers

My throat has been having a lot phlegm. I'm a singer and I don't know if it has to do with any dairy products I'm consuming. I haven't had a cold for several months so I'm not sure how to get rid of this problem? Any suggestions?
posted by InterestedInKnowing on Oct 7, 2009 - 18 answers

I messed up my eye - please help me figure out doctor stuff. [more inside]
posted by Solon and Thanks on Sep 30, 2009 - 15 answers

Canker Sores: Can a doctor do anything or prescribe anything that will treat or limit the duration of a canker sore better than what I'm doing on my own? [more inside]
posted by palliser on Sep 10, 2009 - 30 answers

Say I wanted to attend graduate school for a degree in Medical Illustration... what should I start doing now, as a freshman in undergrad, to insure that happens? [more inside]
posted by biochemist on Aug 30, 2009 - 7 answers

My taxes should pay for health care for all Americans, but they don't. I can donate $1,000 right now; what organization will use that money most effectively to provide care for uninsured/underinsured people in the United States? [more inside]
posted by haltingproblemsolved on Jul 12, 2009 - 23 answers

I snapped and bit my nails way too short after having kicked the habit for several months. Now all my fingertips are seriously painful. Is there any kind of ointment or something I can buy at a drug store to cut down on the pain? [more inside]
posted by rivenwanderer on Jun 23, 2009 - 10 answers

Mild chemical burns on my hands -- do I need to see a doctor? [more inside]
posted by dizziest on Jun 2, 2009 - 12 answers

Removing stitches. DIY? [more inside]
posted by ikahime on Jun 2, 2009 - 17 answers

There was a series of articles by doctors (or possibly, a doctor) in a mainstream US magazine, each about a patient who had a weird ailment, usually incorrectly diagnosed at first. What was it?
posted by musofire on May 3, 2009 - 11 answers

Why would a child need an electrode / electrical connection port in the back of his skull? [more inside]
posted by thermonuclear.jive.turkey on Apr 27, 2009 - 17 answers

I've talked to my GP and done my own research but just can't seem to come up with a reason as to why eating a lot of iron-rich food would make me groggy. [more inside]
posted by krisak on Apr 24, 2009 - 6 answers

What are the best cities/states for biomedical jobs? I'm not looking for a specific type, just in general.
posted by biochemist on Apr 21, 2009 - 21 answers

A friend, a 62 year old woman, was injured while driving in TN; her car was totalled. She is suffering back pain. She has been to an attorney who has retained an independent doctor to evaluate her. The doctor has assessed that she retains 5% PPI (permanent personal impairment?). The question she has - what is the likely dollar value of the settlement based on the 5%?
posted by cmh0150 on Apr 12, 2009 - 7 answers

Tell me all about your favorite intelligent professional or casual medical blogs/articles somewhat in the vein of Atul Gawande. [more inside]
posted by nursegracer on Mar 24, 2009 - 17 answers

Looking for crisp, royalty free medical illustrations with one-click purchasing. [more inside]
posted by benzenedream on Mar 6, 2009 - 6 answers

General medicine in San Francisco: I'm in need of a basic checkup and a few tests, but the UCSF system is no longer accepting patients. Where else can I see a doctor and have any necessary tests done in the same place? I've a PPO inaurance plan, so I believe I can go anywhere but Kaiser. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
posted by aladfar on Feb 12, 2009 - 6 answers

Is the x-ray the doctors are looking at in this advertisement fake? It looks like someone with a snake lodged in their pelvis. I can't imagine what it could be if it was real.
posted by XMLicious on Nov 7, 2008 - 11 answers

Why do medical insurers treat obesity different than other vices? Not a GYOB (I've got one); I literally don't understand the facts of the situation. [more inside]
posted by WCityMike on Oct 20, 2008 - 20 answers

What does "wegdrückbar" (in a medical context) mean in English? [more inside]
posted by feathermeat on Oct 20, 2008 - 4 answers

What are the underlying processes occurring during an orgasm that are the biological causes of the pleasurable sensation we associate with it? Is the sensation of orgasm a function of the nervous system, or is it something neurochemical in the brain, or both, or neither? Is the reason that certain masturbatory and/or sexual acts feel good because of nerve concentration in the erogenous areas, or is it something different or more in nature? [more inside]
posted by WCityMike on Sep 2, 2008 - 9 answers

I'm curious as to what medical condition causes something I saw a few weeks ago. [more inside]
posted by WCityMike on Mar 19, 2008 - 11 answers

Why does Wellbutrin cause weight loss? Even my doctor doesn't seem to know for sure. Are there unproven medical hypotheses or studies amongst doctors or pharmacists or anyone else that lean towards an as-yet-unofficial answer? (Feel free to get technical. If I don't understand, I'll Google.)
posted by WCityMike on Jul 20, 2007 - 10 answers

Medical professionals: how do you intellectually and emotionally cope with disease and death? [more inside]
posted by melissa may on Apr 2, 2007 - 20 answers

How can you get rid of medical waste in Toronto? [more inside]
posted by Drunken_munky on Jan 2, 2007 - 7 answers

A twofold question, both procedural and specific, about doctors, insurance plans, choices, research, and, optionally, the downtown Chicago Loop area. [more inside]
posted by WCityMike on Jun 4, 2006 - 7 answers

Where can I find some easily understandable tips on taking good clinical images with a digital camera? [more inside]
posted by melissa may on Oct 25, 2004 - 7 answers

How do you comfort yourself when you are ill? [more inside]
posted by melissa may on Oct 9, 2004 - 32 answers