Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with medicine

Health and weight effects of medicine metabolites in water?

mintchip — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:12:59 -0800

I'm aware that there are metabolites of the many various medicines that people take in the water supply in many US cities and towns. What are the health effects of this (known or theoretical)? Has drug residue/metabolites ever been linked to weight gain in humans? How can it be removed from the water (is reverse osmosis the only way)?

Acid/Vitamin C and ADD Meds

skjønn — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:58:49 -0800

For someone who takes Adderall for ADD, will drinking acidic drinks (including say juice, soda, or homemade drink with apple cider vinegar) and/or taking vitamin C supplements mute or dull or interfere with the medication? Talking to pharmacist and googling has yielded some very mixed and confusing answers, and I'd love it if somebody knew enough to give a definitive answer.

Kidney stone and no insurance...What can I do?

zinful — Wed, 08 May 2013 18:28:47 -0800

I don't have insurance and I seem to have collected a kidney stone. Already seen a doctor, but what more should I do? I'm just going to start out by saying that I'm scared witless.

Started out with pain yesterday afternoon that kept me awake practically all night. It got so excruciating by this morning that, after driving to work and cancelling my classes, I took my rolling, crying self to a critical care clinic because I know they're cheap. The doc shoved around on my stomach and back and checked my urine...turns out that I had blood in my sample and am presenting as a kidney stone patient. They don't have scanning machines or ultrasounds there, so he gave me anti nausea meds, Percocet and something to encourage urination, with the admonishion to go to the hospital tomorrow if the Percocet doesn't do much. Basically, supposed to wait and see whether I pass it, and if that doesn't look like its happening, hospital up.

I do not have any insurance at all. I'm in the US, 30 years old, a lady, drink too much coffee and smoke cigarettes but exercise semi regularly and eat well. I can't afford all the fancy scans--I barely afforded my scripts today. I'm trying to make the Percocet last longer by also smoking marijuana (it's ok, I live in WA state), but I know it's going to run out before I want it to nonetheless. I have 18 more pills left.

The doc couldn't give much information as to when this will be over. Basically, a couple days to a week, and I swear I'll die if this takes a week. We have no idea how large it is and whether it'll actually pass at all. So, I have a couple of questions:

Should I be running head first into the debt of going to a hospital anyhow? I feel like I must be sorta ok if a doctor felt comfortable sending me home with some pills and orders to drink water, but I'm spooked anyhow. He said that I needed to hospital-up if I stopped peeing, but still felt as if needed to, and/or if the pain increases (I can't imagine that pain being worse than it was, so ok sounds reasonable).

If it turns out I am physiologically able to "flush it out", will that part hurt worse than it has thus far? I can manage the kidney pain with the medicine, but I'm afraid of the pain being worse right before it gets better, and running to the hospital (($$$$$)) just to expell it into their toilet instead of my own.

Should I be smoking pot? Will that make it worse somehow? I'm scared and angry about the no insurance thing, since it functionally means I lack access to the contempory method of treatment. Would bassy loud music placed against my torso help, or is it not vib-ey enough? How about a Hitachi Magic Wand? I'm desperate here, and admittedly a little loopy. I hate pain, and this is really scary.

How high can a fever get before seeking care?

jsturgill — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:19:40 -0800

Feeling ill yesterday and today, with a fever, slight cough, stuffed nose, sore joints. Taking dayquil and nyquil, and keeping track of my temperature every few hours. What temperature means "go to the hospital?" What other symptoms re: the cough and nose might man go to the hospital? In america, with an okay PPO but no regular doctor yet.

I'm looking for a good pain-relief strain of marijuana.

Evilspork — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:27:50 -0800

I'm looking for a good pain-relief strain of marijuana. After a bunch of trials with prescription drugs (this is ongoing), I've tried your basic cheap type of marijuana. I found that while it helps with my back pain and lets me be more productive, it's more of a head high vs. the body high I'm after. Looking into it more, I'm pretty sure what I'm looking for is an indica strain instead of a sativa. While I've found lists of indica strains, I'm not sure what's popular or that I could get my hands on in a non-dispensary state. What should I be asking for that I have a good chance of finding?

How to stay motivated as a 20-something facing years of MORE school?

sunnychef88 — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:43:46 -0800

Problem is that I'm losing steam at this point, facing many more years of school ahead of me if I'm accepted into professional school. How I can shake the feelings of uncertaintly as I keep plugging away? I'm surrounded by college-aged students, and constantly getting updates from my peers via social media with whom I graduated who are living out their mid 20s in style, galavanting around NYC, traveling the world doing stuff like Peace Corps, dating people... doing all of these things I feel like I'm missing out on, and will miss out on for the next 5 years should I get into medical school. Won't I be in my early 30s by the time I finish school and get married? Isn't it time to start a family then, with no opportunity to live abroad or go out and have those great experiences you can only have when you're young and in your prime? As a woman, I'm anxious about the decison I'm making, and how being a physician will play out with finding a husband and starting a family.

I'm in my mid 20s, pursuing a second Bachelor's in order to complete required coursework for applying to med school. I have a first Bachelor's degree from a prestigious school that ended up being useless, although the intangibles, connections I made, and personal growth I took away from the experience that that academic were invaluable, and will help me to achieve my goal of being a physician. After shadowing a doctor, I realized I can't see myself doing anything else. Every day there will be novel cases to deal with, new people to talk to, new problems requiring innovative solutions... it's all a recipe for not being bored, and helping people out in a huge way, incorporating science and a love of your fellow man.

Not that I'm much of a partier at all. I would rather invent recipes or refashion t-shirts, or get lost in a book than have a night out at a bar or club. I have deep, meaningful friendships with many women, and find them immensely fulfilling. I would really like to date a guy, and I do get hit on quite a bit, but I've never been a fan of the casual hook up culture. Dating seriously doesn't seem to be feasible right now being in this town for only another year or so, with most college-aged guys not looking for what I'm looking for. It would be a huge emotional distraction, too. I get can overthink things easily when it comes to relationships. Perhaps it comes with the sensitive introspective artist territory.

Maybe this feeling wouldn't be so tough to deal with if I weren't pulled in so many directions by my talents and exploratory, inquisitive nature. If I were inept with language and visual-spatial perception, and instead, brilliant with sequential, logical thought.... if I weren't a "people" person... if were a more efficient worker, not having to explore all the nuances of whatever particularly interesting assignment I'm given... I might not feel so restless.

This all sounds totally self-involved and whiny, I know. Woe is me, right?! Man, I sure wish things were harder for me to grasp and I was socially awkward, jeez. It would be so awesome having to work multiple jobs, live on my own, and deal with all this stress! Yes, I have it really good, relatively speaking. We each have our own cross to bear, though.

Hoping that someone else who has faced a similar situation in their 20s can give me some advice on how to deal with these feelings of uncertainty. I work hard and am humble, realizing how good I have it, and how everything could take a turn for the worst tomorrow. However, no amount of rational thought seems to be helping.

Do I really want to go into medicine, or do I simply want to want it?

Seeking Direction — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 12:47:13 -0800

I've been setting my goal on medicine (looks like it's not immediately, but in the next few years). However, I've been having doubts and second thoughts ever since I went into my undergraduate years. I'm graduating undergrad now, and have an entry-level job at a hospital. How and when will I know if that's what I want? Undergrad degree is in biology. I have all the pre-med classes, though I may retake some as a continuing-ed student.

My family has been wanting me to go into medicine. I can't say it's life-or-death pressure, but it's definitely pressure. To be honest, I actually think engineering would have been more for me, though I'm not great at math.

Medicine definitely has some appeal to me - the flexibility for one, and I love reading about scientific research and developments. On the other hand, there are lots of things I feel I would have difficulty with in medicine - for one, having to make an eight-year commitment and the long hours / being on call (I have difficulty dealing what that type of stress). How will I know whether the pros outweigh the cons?

Have I just been hoodwinked and want to want this rigorous field? If so, how do I "short-circuit" the rumination and bias, so to speak, and pick out, intuitively, what I like and don't? (That is also a challenge for me.)

Thanks! I know AskMeFi can help guide me.

Law school or nursing school?

Autumn — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:47:10 -0800

I'm thinking of getting my Bachelors and going to law school. I'm also thinking of going to nursing school. Is going to law school an absolutely dumb idea at this point? I've always been interested in medicine. I grew up wanting to go into it, I was ore med in college but due to being young and stupid and not really ready I dropped out. That was years ago, and now I have a second chance to go back.

The problem is, since then I've developed an interest in law. I've taken a few paralegal courses, studied up on it, and I loved it. The legal jobs I've seen in my area as well as surrounding areas are very sparse, however.

My reasons for choosing law school over nursing:
1) higher interest than nursing, feels like my calling.
2) I'm gay, and being out in the legal field seems to be less of a deal than in nursing. I don't want to spend the rest of my career worrying about that, especially considering the nature of the work.
3) I worked as an STNA, and I didn't like how the residents could treat me any kind of way and say whatever. I didn't like feeling like a servant. I know that with law you'll run into bad apples, but it seems to be more acceptable to say if you talk to me like that, I'm out.

Nursing over law school:
1) there are more jobs. I'm worried that with law, I'll be unemployed or underemployed.
2) I worked as an STNA and loved it, so I have some idea that I'll like the work. I haven't done that with law.
3) nursing has a more linear oath for climbing the ladder, which I like.
4) I know I'll be working with people most of the time. With law, I'm worried ill spend a large amount of time doing paperwork, and I can't stand jobs without a high level of contact with other people.

You Are Not My Chemist, But... (old medicine question)

Cardinal Fang! — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:21:44 -0800

I've got an opened tube of hydrocortisone cream (hydrocortisone at 2.5%). It's expiration date is from 2008 (over 5 years old, for any future searchers). Still safe/effective to use it? Is there any reason to believe that this cream won't still be effective? In a closed tube, is the HC somehow deteriorating? Or the supporting elements perhaps becoming rancid somehow?

I am, of course, applying this to my butt, so there's no real need for the cream to be food grade. On the other hand, I *am* applying directly to my butt. So there IS a need for it not to be, say, corrosive. Or botulistic.

(Yes, I know I should get some new cream, but HC at 2.5% requires a prescription here in the States).

Living with transplanted organs and immunosuppressant drugs

jason's_planet — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 12:28:12 -0800

So what's it like to be the recipient of an organ transplant and having to deal with immunosuppressant drugs? How does your life change? How often do you have to take your drugs? What are the weird details of daily life that outsiders don't know about? Are there any insurance hassles? I have a fair idea of what it's like to be diabetic because of coworkers who have this condition but I don't know anything about the life of organ transplant recipients and I'd like to know more. Any help you could provide would be deeply appreciated.

How are new surgical procedures and tools evaluated?

gottabefunky — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:04:22 -0800

How are new surgical procedures and tools evaluated before they're OK'ed for use on the public? I know that (in the US) new drugs go through the FDA ringer for years before being released on the general public.

What about, say, a new way to perform a particular operation, or a new scalpel or whatever to do it with? Who does the vetting for those, and how does it work?

Are truly randomized, double-blind studies ever (always?) conducted?

How is it different in the US and other countries?

A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down?

starkraven — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:00:57 -0800

I'm undergoing a colonoscopy soon, and from what I understand, the worst part of the whole procedure is one of the prep liquids you have to guzzle the day and evening before the test. Seriously, those I know who've taken the prep say that toward the end, they struggle (and fail) to keep it down. I've been prescribed MoviPrep (polyethylene glycol). The instructions from the physician suggest mixing it with Crystal Light. Friends say keep it as cold as possible. Surely there are some hacks out there beyond these two to stop me from wretching. Experience? Ideas?

Another US health insurance question

crapmatic — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 07:10:35 -0800

How are things looking over the next few years as far as health insurance costs in the US? The realistic health insurance rate for a good family plan (self employed, so I get the crappy and expensive individual policy) is more than my mortgage, and not only is coverage expensive and precarious under an individual plan but I'm ALSO factoring in my experience in that the premiums tossed around are teaser rates which nearly double every year.

I don't want to turn this thread into a political debate or one over what's causing the high prices, as that's already been hashed out elsewhere, but what I'd like to know is what's realistically coming over the next few years in terms of health insurance reforms for those who are NOT low-income, high-risk, or enjoying group/employer coverage, and how much of it has been (or could be) rolled back?

Also as far as the red states that are passing all these symbolic bans against Obamacare, does this pose any real threat? I'm guessing the state pools would still have to comply.

This is A Real Headache.

anonnymoose — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 18:15:08 -0800

Migraines are ruining my day. I can't see a neurologist for three months. What can I do in the meantime? I have relatively frequent headaches and suffer from migraines. Over the last few days, the head pain has been bad and pretty constant. I know the next step is to see a neurologist, but haven't been able to find one in town who can see me until the summer. The thought of leaving this untreated that long makes me whimper.

Will a primary care physician/internal medicine physician be able to help me at all in the meantime? Or would going to one just be wasting my time and a co-pay?

(Assume that I am already doing basic things like watching my diet, avoiding my known triggers whenever possible, laying down in a dark room, drinking plenty of water, taking Excedrin, etc.)

Unusual things people do to stay/get healthy?

mschief — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 09:15:51 -0800

I'm going into the health field and curious about cultural/ethnic health practices that are off the beaten path. For example, can anyone tell me the "what", "how", and "why" of cupping and coining? What other cultural/religious/traditional practices can you share? Just to be clear, I'm talking stuff like: "I'm (Puerto Rican/Buddhist/Catholic/from a village in Africa) and my (self/grandfather/mom/roommate) does this thing where he or she (whatever) in order to (cure a cold/get pregnant/tell the sex of a baby before birth/get well/ward off evil spirits)", and not "Aunt Bertha eats dirt because she says it helps her hemorrhoids".

Thanks, MeFi!

What musical instruments can I play with a hand tremor?

quarantine — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 15:50:40 -0800

I have a worsening degenerative hand tremor and can no longer play conventional rock music on guitar. What musical instrument could I take up that could accommodate this condition? To help gauge the current scale of the condition, I can still touch-type most days (if my wrists are resting on the keyboard) but have trouble operating an iPhone or holding a cup of coffee. Because of the successful keyboarding, the piano has occurred to me. Any other ideas?

Master's in Medical Science? Is there use beyond med school?

caveatz — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 09:54:13 -0800

I'm considering getting a master's in medical science, slow route. I work at a university in publishing, so my classes are free. But I want to know if it's relevant or useful if I don't go to med school after. About a year ago, I had a part-time job helping a psychiatrist author technical papers on the pathophysiology of various medications. Absolutely loved it. Former English major here who always struggled with sciences but for some reason, ten years post-college, it finally all clicked and I love the stuff.
I am considering getting a master's in medical science, with a possible eye to getting a PhD in pharmacy or physical therapy. But I may not. If so, what does the master's in medical science qualify me to do. I could be happy teaching high-school/community college medical science or becoming a medical writer. Are there other possibilities I'm overlooking? Health informatics, some sort of medical communications job I don't know about because I don't work in a hospital? Anyone earned a medical science master's and then for some reason or another,decided NOT to go to med school. Let me know your stories.

Stats: is a set of values within a normal range?

snoogles — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 03:58:43 -0800

I'm trying a analyse a set of biological data for a research project and I'm having trouble finding the appropriate statistical tests to use. My data:

3 time points with levels of an immunoglobulin (Ig) for n patients
Day 1 n=23
Day 2 n = 23
Day 3 n = 14

I've run a D'Agostino and Pearson normality test for each time point, and some are normal and some not.

I know what the range and median levels of the Ig are for healthy patients. I want to know 2 things:

a) at each time point, if the levels I have are significantly different from health
b) if the levels of the Ig are significantly different between time points

A previous paper with similar data used a Wilcoxon Signed Rank test using the median levels for healthy patients as the "theoretical median" to answer a).

My questions:
1) Is the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test indeed the right test to answer a)?
2) Should I use the Wilcoxon even for the sets of data which are normally distributed?
3) What does it mean when the p-values for the Wilcoxon are either exact or Gaussian estimates?
4) Which test do I use to answer b)? My software suggests the Friedman test for repeated measure non-parametric, but won't run it because I'm missing some values for Day 3.

Please help! This type of stats is beyond what the other people in my lab are familiar with...

Could/should I find the man whose psychosis was directed at me?

Anonymous — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:19:50 -0800

About a decade ago I started University in the UK. Towards the end of my first year a friend I made began to become paranoid. His behaviour towards me was particularly troubling, and eventually rumours circulated that he had been institutionalised. I have always wondered what happened to him, and if he is OK. My concerns linger these many years later, but tracking him down online has achieved nothing. Is there any way I can find out if everything turned out alright for him, preferably without causing too many ripples? The fuller story to avoid questions...

This friend was a valued member of a new and exciting friendship group I made at that time. Many of those people are still close friends these many years later (including myself).

Towards the end of that academic year the guy started making accusations against my friends and I, most of which were utterly delusional. We all wondered whether his apparently mild drug use had something to do with the problems, but, of course, this was only conjecture and fuelled by rumour. His behaviour became increasingly unpredictable and socially problematic, and so naturally myself and my friends began to put some distance between us and him - difficult because we shared so many classes. In the end his erratic behaviour became mainly directed at me, the person in the friendship group who had perhaps been the closest to him. There were eventually some violent altercations, both in private and in front of other students and staff. People were very concerned for my safety, but I was always more worried about him hurting himself. My friends and I were obviously worried and talked to university staff about our worries for this guy, we really were more concerned about his health and well-being than anything. Staff basically told us they were dealing with it, and to keep them up to date.

This all took place at the end of the academic year. At that time examinations were taking place and the guy insisted that his name be changed on all academic forms. His new name was very very odd, and occasionally on examination room layouts you could see where he had crossed out his name and written in the new name.

When term began again in year two, the guy had gone, never to be seen or heard of again. Through the rumour mill we heard that he had possibly tried to attack a member of staff and had eventually been institutionalised. These rumours were backed up a number of years later by a chance conversation with an old member of staff at the university, but to be honest, the complete truth is unknown.

I'd really like to know what happened to the guy. Deep down in my psyche I am still worried about him. Tracking him down in the era of Facebook etc. should be easier than ever. I even tried both the names he was eventually using, but no luck. Any advice on this would be appreciated. I don't want to track him down in the flesh, just know how things turned out.

Facewart Funtime

moorooka — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:38:36 -0800

I have a little wart on my face next to my nose. It's only pimple-sized but has been there for almost a year or so and won't quit on its own. It's not very noticeable but I want to get rid of it and as far as I know freeze-burning in the fastest way to get these things off. But sometimes they are stubborn and need multiple hits of the nitrogen gun. Will doing this freeze-burning thing leave me with noticeable marks on my face the next day, or even scars?

Is a concierge doctor worth it?

Calicatt — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 07:26:26 -0800

I've been very disappointed with my doctor--she's obviously rushed and makes simple mistakes (like writing me a prescription for an over-the-counter medicine, telling me I need bloodwork but then not testing for the things she said she was going to, etc). I've also felt on several occasions that she didn't really listen to what I was saying to her. I'm thinking of joining this concierge medical center but I wanted to hear other people's experiences with this form of health care first.
I have a number of vague health concerns (something which might be allergies? tiredness? lingering physical symptoms of depression--after years of guinea piging I've finally found something that alleviates the emotional/mental pain, but things like exhaustion, weight issues, and painful intercourse are still around (in talk therapy too, don't worry)) and I'm interested in seeing someone who can see my health issues in an integrated way without dismissing everything as psychosomatic and/or treating everything as an isolated pathology. This post was helpful, but I'm looking for a first-hand experience of the concierge model. And if anyone has any direct experiences in the Boston/Cambridge/Somerville area that would be ideal.

I'm Done Taking This Pills

theichibun — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:45:09 -0800

I want to be done with my pills. So I stopped taking them. Just making sure that what I'm experiencing right now is normal because if it's not I've got a phone call to make. I've been on Venlafaxine 75mg for a while for anxiety stuff, and Pristique before that. I'm on the instant release better swallow it the first time because it tastes like shit variety. I've also only been taking it once a day instead of twice like it's designed for because it's been working like that.

Yesterday for some reason I didn't take it. Went to work after a rough-ish day in class and had what would have before been a breakdown of a day. Slid over to point on the line, couldn't keep up with both watching for everyone else's stuff and having my own stuff done. But where before I would have just come home and gone all suicidal or at least really pathetically shit down I got through it.

So today I decided consciously not to take the pill. 2 days in a row without for the first time since I started about 18 months ago. Went through the day definitely more light headed than usual, with a bit of almost noxiousness that could very easily be from being light headed. I'm like that, it's weird, whatever. Other than that it just feels like my brain's in a plastic bag that's being squeezed around it. Not blood flow cut off, just the inward pressure part. I should probably note that this is something I felt before I started on the pills, but this is closer to when I went from drinking way too much Coke to almost none.

Is this sort of thing normal? Is there a lower dosage I could switch to so it's not just a cold turkey stopping for me? If not, is halving the pill an option? Is there something I should be watching for to indicate that there's a big problem? Is there some advice you can give/information I can give that I'm missing because I'm trying to write this before I leave for work?

Obviously you're not my doctor, and I should talk to him. Thankfully he's all but said that he'd love to never see my in his office ever again while not pushing me to get off the pills.

I should probably also note that while my wife is really supportive and would do just about anything to help me out, I don't see her while she's awake except for my day off and maybe weekend mornings depending on when I wake up. This week that day off is tomorrow.

Is there anything I can do to make my period more predictable?

JoannaC — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:48:07 -0800

I have always had a very irregular menstrual cycle. I am interested in learning about any natural ways to make it more regular. I go very long (35-55 days) between periods and skip some months. She. I do have one, it is normal and fine. I have spoken about it with my doctor and he says I am fine, I am just one of those people who is not like clockwork and that is that. But...is it though? Is there anything I can do naturally (diet, alternative medicine and so on) to get things working a little more smoothly? I would like to be able to predict things a little better for possible baby planning.

How can I do a meta-analysis of just two papers?

ocherdraco — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 10:37:41 -0800

I'm working on my first ever scientific paper: a meta-analysis of data from other studies. I've just finished my search for relevant papers. My paper is to cover two related (but different) topics (determined by my advisor). For Topic A, I have a fair number of papers (nearly 20) from which to obtain data. For Topic B, though, I only have two! Is it even possible to do a meta-analysis of two papers? If so how would I go about it? I'm asking y'all instead of my advisor because he is unavailable this week and next, and I want to go ahead and get going, at least by reviewing other meta-analyses so I can get a sense of what I need to do with the papers I've got.

What does an enlarged spleen mean to someone with hepatitis?

marsbar77 — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 08:01:05 -0800

So my friend's girlfriend has had autoimmune hepatitis and primary schlerosing cholingitis, but with normal bloodwork. They recently found her spleen had enlarged. I know this is caused by either portal hypertension or high iron levels... but is there anything else to consider in terms of either cause or prognoisis. What should she do from here on out or watch for?