Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with pain

I can't stop cracking my knuckles, and I'm cracking up

Anonymous — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:57:15 -0800

Excessive knuckle-cracking is causing lasting pain in my hand, but I can't stop doing it. First off, I realize I need professional help. I just don't know where to start - medical? psychological? psychiatric? pharmaceutical?

I am a 35 year old woman. I was diagnosed with OCD in my early 20s, and dealing with a particular personal issue. Since then I have been seeing a psychologist as needed for some personal issues when they come up - anxiety, obsessive thoughts, worry, etc - but not on a regular basis.

A couple of years ago, I developed a habit of running my finger along my eyelashes while reading or web surfing, more in my left hand than on my right. After several months I noticed I was starting to get some pain in my finger and wrist as I did it, but had trouble breaking the habit. A few weeks ago, after I noticed the pain being stronger, I quit "cold turkey" and haven't done it since.

A week or so later, I noticed I was still having some pain, and noticed that it sometimes happened when I cracked my knuckles in my thumbs. This is something I've been doing since junior high, but I'm not sure if it really counts as knuckle cracking. Basically I noticed in junior high that if I flexed my thumbs so that they were completely straight, then bent them all the way, I would hear and feel a satisfying "crack." So I've been doing this for over 20 years, where sometimes I feel like my thumbs need a crack. There are some times when I think they feel like they need to be cracked, but I flex & bend my thumbs and get nothing.

So getting back to the pain in my hand. I noticed that I still felt some pain in my left hand whenever I cracked that thumb knuckle. So I decided I would also stop doing that "cold turkey." Except I can't. It's like when you try to stop thinking about something, you think about it even more. I am now literally cracking my left thumb every five minutes all day - whereas I used to do it a few times a day at most. I seem to have lost the ability to know when it needs to be cracked, and I just keep doing it - so sometimes I hear and feel the satisfying crack, and sometimes I get nothing. I try to stop, and then I just keep thinking about it - what if my knuckle needs to be cracked? I suddenly have become conscious of every minute ticking by, wondering how long it's been and if maybe I could try cracking it again. I'm hoping that people who are regular knuckle-crackers will know what I'm talking about, where you feel the urge in your fingers to crack, and it's hard to ignore. Except like I said, I can't seem to tell anymore whether I really need to. So I only end up feeling a crack about 1/4 or 1/3 of the times I do it. But I
keep cracking just in case.

So now the pain in my left hand is worse. I have pain along the outside of my pinky finger the outside of the hand itself, the top of my hand, my wrist and sometimes my arm. I'm really scared that it's going to get worse and I'm going to end up not being able to use my hand. If I can inject a bit of humor into this rambling story, it reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George was hand model. He was warned about a model who was not master of his domain and ended up with a deformed "claw" from overuse, and I keep thinking that the same thing is going to happen to me.

So I don't know where to go now. I have a psychologist that I see occasionally, but she's mainly helped me with anxiety and worries - I'm not sure that stopping knuckle-cracking is within her expertise. Do I need a psychiatrist instead? Last year I was taking Wellbutrin for depression and it *really* helped with obsessive thoughts I was having at the time, and I keep wondering if I should take it again to make me stop thinking about cracking my thumb - but the original reason I had stopped taking it was due to bad side effects. After the Wellbutrin I had tried Cymbalta but it didn't seem to help as much. Back in college when I suffered from depression I had variously tried Prozac, Zoloft and Celexa, but had side effects from each of them. I'm wondering if it would be worth trying an over-the-counter product like 5-HTP.

Then there is the option of going to an orthopedic doctor or other medical doctor about the pain, but I'm not sure if that would help if I can't stop the underlying (mental) cause. I feel like the only solution would be to somehow immobilize my thumb completely so that I can't move it at all, but I have no idea how that could be done.

Just to reiterate, what I am doing is probably not how most people crack their knuckles. What I do is extend my thumb so it is completely straight, then bend it all the way (just using the thumb itself, I'm not using my other hand to bend it).

Okay, enough rambling. As you can see, I'm a mess. Help?

New car, yay! Hip pain, uh-oh.

dywypi — Wed, 22 May 2013 08:45:05 -0800

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a new Subaru Impreza, which I drive for 45 minutes twice a day. Now I'm developing pain in my right hip, and I suspect there's a connection, or something I'm doing wrong, posture-wise. I'm going to tweak all possible settings for the seat, steering wheel, etc., and stay aware of how I'm sitting. I was wondering if anyone else has had this issue, especially with Subarus, and whether you found adjustments and/or strategies that helped. For instance, did it seem to be specifically a matter of distance from pedals (or how I depress the pedals), or something unexpected such as seat back tilt?

I've searched online and found various suggestions; I would like to hear your first-hand experiences. Thanks.

Help me identify this back pain

annekate — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:44:10 -0800

I had a baby a few months ago, and all of the sudden I can't sleep through the night without having excruciating back pain. YANMD, but I have never had serious back pain before and don't know really know where to start. New mattress? Chiropractor? Physical therapy? Stop getting older? Some more details inside. The pain seems to be located in the center of my back under my shoulder blades. I've tried every possible sleeping position and no matter what, I wake up in pain. It goes away completely if I get out of bed and either sit or stand up for about a half hour, and my back doesn't bother me at all during the day.

The pain is awful and wakes me up constantly throughout the night. I toss around but nothing is comfortable or seems to offer any relief but getting out of bed. It happened very suddenly so I'm not apt to blame the mattress but maybe this is the problem? It's a relatively new mattress, not more than two years old. I share the bed with my partner.

Any idea what I should do to fix this? I feel like there are TONS of options for this sort of thing and it's kind of overwhelming figuring out where to start.

Shoulder pain + yoga = ?

ellieBOA — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:19:25 -0800

I am supposed to be doing a yoga class with my friend on Wednesday, this will be my first one in over a year, and I have some pain in my neck and shoulder at the moment, will this make it worse? YANMD! I've had some pain in the right side of my neck and shoulder since Friday, and woke up this morning and the pain had travelled down to under the top of my arm. It's not particularly bad pain, and I went for a massage on Saturday which helped. I think it's probably related to posture at my desk and not taking enough breaks.

Should I cancel?

(I've browsed the archives and am working through the advice on posture at a desk etc, my question is specifically about this yoga class.)

Dealing with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome/stress in another country.

Kamelot123 — Tue, 14 May 2013 00:09:00 -0800

I was recently diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and I am having a very difficult time dealing with it. I am only 27. Basically tingling in my hands and a tension in my shoulders that does not go away. My blood gets rather restricted and my shoulders tire easily when they are raised above my head, which clued in the doctor to the TOS. At first the doctor thought it might just be a pinched nerve or a hernia but it is occurring on both sides of my body particularly on the palm and in the shoulders. I am living in Japan right now and one of my best friends here just went home to Ireland so I have no one really close to talk to, and thus am dealing with a bunch of stress as well. I am also taking days off of work since the fact that the condition has been steadily getting worse since February is really bringing down my spirits. I was also advised not to do many of the things that I love and make me happy, such as playing piano and exercising. I have noticed that especially typing and playing piano makes my condition worse. So I think that stress from avoiding the things I love (piano, computer games, running) may play a part in my condition as well, as I always have tension throughout the body and often clench my jaw. I have a difficult time typing and I am actually using dictation software right now.I just went to the doctor yet again and was prescribed Cymbalta for my symptoms. Not sure if it is working yet.

Besides the medication I am also sending a personal trainer who is giving me some stretches to work on like a chest stretch, neck and shoulder stretch. I am also working on strengthening my back.

I would love for some advice on how to deal with thoracic outlet syndrome and also if there's anyone with the condition/has had the condition I would love to hear from them. I know no one who has had this, so the feeling that I am alone really bums me out. Thanks a lot!

(I am currently looking for a therapist, but pickings are slim in Japan compared to my home country.)

Soooooooore cervix.

stoneandstar — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:33:39 -0800

Sex-filter: What the hell did we do to my vagina/uterus/entire abdominal cavity? My boyfriend and I were having sex the other night with some pretty deep thrusting, which led to some tenderness and soreness reminiscent of period cramps the next day. Because he usually kind of bonks my cervix a little (which feels good during sex!), I assumed it was a sore cervix, and didn't think much of it-- so we had more sex. Today I feel like my uterus is going to fall out-- it's just a kind of deep "burning" soreness, not much different from period cramps but different in that it's basically a constant pain instead of an ebb and flow of cramping. Owwww, it hurts.

So obviously, no sex for awhile. But is there a chance I've done something really fucking terrible to my cervix/vagina/uterus? I googled it (bad idea) and read a Straight Dope article about the phenomenon of vesicovaginal fistula in child brides + adult partners in Nigeria, and since I've had urethral surgery in the past, I'm pretty squeamish about the possibility of a fistula. It just... really hurts!

Idk, because I'm used to some occasional soreness I'm torn between thinking this is serious and not? I'm at a lapse in my medical insurance coverage right now so I don't want to make an unnecessary doctor's visit, but I also want to take this seriously if something could be seriously wrong.

(I've felt a little sick to my stomach, dizzy, lightheaded, but that could be a result of medical-related anxiety. I do feel a bit weak, though.)

Basically if this is super common I'm going to get some rest and not worry about it, but if it could be a sign of something more severe, I'll get it checked out. Thanks!

My pain in the ass, I mean lower back

oneswellfoop — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:57:44 -0800

Three days ago I was negotiating my XXL body around one of the smaller spaces in my XXS apartment when I got a sudden sharp pain in my lower back, left side, just above the hip, causing my left leg to buckle. I caught myself before hitting the floor and the pain went away (except for a barely detectable ache), but since then, it recurs if I move my back in 'the wrong way' - a category that is expanding daily. Standing up straight, sitting up straight, walking very straight and laying down is painless (except I'm starting to notice amild ache in my usual sleeping position, laying on my left side). The only pain medication I have access to, Ibuprofen, is minimally helpful. YAallNMD, but with three days of worsening, is it time to get my ass to a doctor while I can still move my ass, or should I give it just get comfortable and relaxed, and not move for X hours first?

Completely clueless (Sigh.)

strelitzia — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:44:33 -0800

What does the process of finding a life partner look like? How did you guys find a "right" person for romantic relationships and eventual (hopefully) life partnerships?

I have been "getting back on the dating horse" recently, trying to meet as many single men as I can, and am having a terrible time of it. For whatever reason(s), in 5 years of continuous effort I have not been able to meet a man...

a) my age (40s)
b) with whom mutual attraction exists
c) who wants more than just getting laid
d) is open to the possibility of a long-term relationship
e) is committed to personal, professional, and emotional growth
f) who has the desire for reciprocity
g) can see the awesome qualities I have and bring to the dating/relationship table
h) has a bunch of awesome stuff of his own to bring to said table

I just don't get it. How hard is this supposed to be? I apologize for being so morbid and pessimistic, but I am at the pinnacle of frustration.

Is it possible to meet a guy who meets the above description that I could love and who would love me back? Please be kind, folks. This stuff is kicking my ass bad. Thanks.

Tooth problems while out of town - please advice.

insectosaurus — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 01:31:46 -0800

It's the middle of the night, I'm out of town, and I'm in pain from my tooth. Please help me figure out what my next step is. You are not my dentist or doctor. I don't need an internet diagnosis, I need to figure out what to do.

I got a root canal 8 days ago; it was very infected (but didn't hurt prior to the root canal) and has been hurting ever since. I was on antibiotics for 7 days, which I finished. It still is extremely painful.

If I take 4 ibuprofen (standard otc pills) every 4 hours, including all night long, it does not hurt, but I've been doing that for several days now, and it's starting to mess with my stomach. More importantly I'm concerned at this point that it's just covering up pain. I missed my midnight dose tonight and woke up around 4am with a throbbing pain.

I am out of town this week. I have a temporary filling in the tooth and I am scheduled to get a crown on Monday.

I see these options:
- Go to the ER, either now (4:30am) or in the morning. This does not seem necessary - it's been okay for a while now. This question suggests otherwise.
- Go to (regular) urgent care in the morning; they could at least give me antibiotics if needed.
- Find a dental urgent care center - not sure if they would be able to deal with failed root canal, but they could take x-rays.
- Find a regular dentist who is willing to see me today.
- ????

I am currently in Orlando; specific suggestions of where to go are welcome.

I have MetLife dental insurance and I do have health insurance.

(Repeated for emphasis: I know you are not my doctor or dentist, and I really don't need a diagnosis, please help me figure out when & how to see a doctor or dentist).

Thank you so much.

Help me avoid developing a bad back

crapples — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 05:54:42 -0800

My dad's back is so bad that some days he can hardly move. I'm 46 and mine is just now starting to hurt. What can I do now to avoid crippling pain 30 years from now? My back hurts in the lower quarter, right above my belt. It's not bad - just annoying. It especially hurts if I drive for more than about 90 minutes. It's stiff when I get up in the morning. Some of this is normal aging, but my dad's condition is not normal, and I want to avoid it.

I figure reacting before it becomes a real problem is best. So, what should I do now?

Survivor stories - persons living well despite chronic pain.

MeatyBean — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:58:28 -0800

Encouragement and survivor stories from persons in chronic pain? Symptoms of what may be fibromyalgia and an inability to manage the pain well are depriving my life of beauty, art, and color; I am looking for underdog stories. I'm curious to hear from people, preferably musicians, in video interview, but written is also welcome, who have some combination of: chronic pain, a joint issue, fatigue, a diagnosed or undiagnosed medical something-or-other, that has proven to them a great struggle to overcome. Essentially I'm looking for stories of people desperate to retain some sense of freedom, control, and joy in their lives, and what that struggle has been like .

Myself I'm not sure what I have, maybe fibromyalgia, maybe something else, but yet another semester has come to pass and I've had to slow my life down to a crawl in order to get the most simple of assignments in; the pain has been so distracting. I added a fun class to my course lineup but even that feels as though stripped away from me.

As the semester began, playing guitar in class felt manageable, but practicing at home is no different then trying to read, write, or study; painful. And painful in ways I know not yet how to manage. Sit this way and that, metronome slow, fast or off. Different rooms, chairs, footrests. I even bothered to get a decent, well made for its price of $200, acoustic as opposed to something of the cheaply made entry-level variety as a kind of encouragement to myself that the financial investment was a self investment and so that when it came time that the cheapo guitar was falling apart, hurting my hand to play across the fretboard due to poor construction, I wouldn't feel I wasted my money. All that is to say, I had faith.

I still do, just need some encouragement is all. As far as musicians I'm hoping for a well done Vimeo short of a guitarist doing his thing in between cuts of an interview of the pain he encounters and his remarks on his determination to not let it best him.

Where can I buy a quality buckwheat pillow?

NikitaNikita — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:17:48 -0800

Where can I buy a quality buckwheat pillow in the DC area, or Maryland, or online? Or what do I need to look for to get a good one, and how much should I expect to pay? My aching neck is ready to try something new. My main issue is that my neck feels like it sort of "collapses" at night with most pillows -- the latex one i'm using now is pretty good and was affordable, but sometimes my head slips off of it (or it feels like that at least) and then I'm half off the pillow and my neck is wonky again.

Thanks for your tips and recommendations!

What were you offered for pain during your IUD insertion?

KathrynT — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:04:33 -0800

A friend of mine is designing a clinical trial to determine the comparative effectiveness of different methods of pain control during IUD insertion. The problem is, there isn’t a lot of existing literature on what women are actually being offered out in the real world, and what does exist is pretty low quality. If you have an IUD, and if you were offered pain control measures during insertion, what were they? How effective those measures were isn't really relevant here, because that's what the trial is designed to figure out; I’m just trying to help her get a sense of what the current state of practice is so that the design of the study can be as robust and relevant as possible. For Science!

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?

Am I supposed to be healing this slowly? Or is this quick?

kinetic — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 04:43:38 -0800

5 days ago, had general anesthesia lapropscopic surgery for salpingo oopherectomy (badly scarred right ovary and tube removed), appendectomy, D&C and exploratory surgery found massive adhesions and one intestinal cyst. Everything was cleaned up, I was sent home that afternoon with 2 days of Percocet and given basic after-care instructions. YANAD, YANMD...Also, I've already told all this to my doctor who isn't worried.

(Demographic details: 48 yo healthy, don't smoke or take drugs, rarely drink, have Celiac disease, athletic, 3 kids, previous surgery for PID, 1 C-section, history of right-sided ovarian pain for about 30 years...finally went in to get the ovary removed.)

But I wonder if there's something more I could be doing to heal quickly.

The pain is definitely decreasing, but here's where I still am currently:

walking, getting up, sitting down, (pretty much anything other than flat on my back) hurts at around a 6 on a 1-10 scale. Ibuprofen does nothing to help. I have no more (and won't be prescribed) painkillers. My abdomen is still hugely distended from the gas (I can lie on my stomach on a heating pad but it is beyond painful to do that) and my shoulders also really still hurt (I know all of that is typical, but 5 days later?). Lying on my side pulling up my knees offers no relief.

It's not like stomach or intestinal gas that I can get rid of the old fashioned ways, and gas pills do nothing. I'm not passing gas in either direction.

The incisions don't hurt but internally where the surgeon removed all the adhesions...it hurts worse than the original pain ever did. Goes from a dull ache to sharp stabbing pains.

I'm exhausted. But I can take full breaths.

What I'm doing: lying down, trying to get up and walk around for 10 minutes at a time every hour (when I'm awake), drinking gallons of water, taking 600mg of Ibuprofen every 6 hours, sleeping a lot, 3 rounds of relaxation meditation.

I absolutely can't force food down. No appetite. So I haven't eaten in 6 days. But I have had sugary tea and electrolyte drinks and I'm peeing normally. (I'm also spotting still, from the D&C).

So my question...what else can I be doing to feel better sooner? Certain things to eat and drink? Hot baths?

And even though I read that recovery from this type of surgery can range from 3 days to several weeks until you're even able to get off the couch, why is it that I'm recovering so damned slowly?

What is this weird bulge in my palm?

Kyrieleis — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 19:16:35 -0800

This bulge between my thumb and forefinger appeared in November of last year. What is going on? I noticed my hand hurt after carrying a plastic grocery bag and saw the bulge and figured I popped a vessel but it never went away. It aches off and on and sometimes looks less swollen but never gone. My doctor looked at it shortly after it happened but brushed it off and just said it would probably go away on its own. Relevant background: I knit up until I noticed this, I type a few times a week, and take handwritten notes a few times a week. Please help me solve this mystery!

Just the tip?

princeoftheair — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 21:28:16 -0800

*It* hurts at the end. I already seen two different doctors (GPs) twice each, but don't feel like I am getting answer I need. I'm looking for suggestions for what I should ask/tell my doctor in a couple days. YANMD, etc. Details follow. The last few months have been incredibly stressful and I've been dealing with bouts of anxiety. I was feeling pretty tired and nauseous, then 2.5 weeks ago after skiing for a day, there was pain at the end of my penis (the tip and about a centimeter down the urethra) on the bus ride home. I went to the doctor and he said it sounded like a bladder infection. After a week of antibiotics, the fatigue and nausea were gone, and the pain had diminished. However, on the second visit, when the doctor looked at my urinalysis and urine culture, he said there was no sign of infection and had no idea why I was hurting, but that it would last for several weeks and I should come back if there was more pain.
I immediately went to a second doctor for another opinion and told him the story. He thought it might be a prostate problem and gave me some meds for that. A couple days later the pain got intense again and I went back to the Dr. 2, but he just told me I was too stressed out and sent me away.
That was a week ago. I have a followup appointment in a couple days. Yesterday the pain came back strongly, though not as strong as before so I would like to think I am getting better gradually. But, I would still like a better answer than, "I don't know, just relax." So, is there anything I can ask my doctor or say that might help speed along my recovery?

Some other details:
Most of the time there's a little pain, but it's negligible, sometimes none at all
There have been three instances where the pain was pretty intense, each about 5-6 days apart and it lasts a few hours
The intense moments are after sitting all day (on the bus, afternoon at work)
Standing and walking helps a bit
There's no discoloration, swelling, sores, etc.
The pain doesn't seem to be triggered by anything in particular (urination doesn't seem to matter) it just appears, usually in the afternoon (almost at the same time)
Yes, I practice safe sex but understand there are always risks

Again, it's getting better (it seems) but slowly. If there's something I can tell Dr. 2 that won't make him think I am a hypochondriac and maybe get me on the right medication, it would be appreciated. Thank you.

Pinched nerve: how to improve when you are stressed and cant exercise?

Thanquol180 — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 20:32:37 -0800

I have had what a doctor said is probably a pinched nerve for the last 2-ish months. It started with a tingling in the left shoulder and now runs all the way down to the fingertips. How to heal when you are stressed, it seems to get worse from stress and you cant do anything you love? It has started on my right side as well. It used to be only while i was doing certain things, but is now almost always present. it is best when i wake up, and worst when i sleep. I think this may have something to do with my increased stress from not being able to do the things i love.

I have not been able to do anything I love to decrease stress like piano, jogging, games, tennis, writing, etc. as they seem to make the problem worse. Doing nothing, however, leaves me very anxious and stressed and i get bad sleep, with my jaw always aching when i wake up. I have tmj.

i went to a physical therapist and chiropractor - pretty sure the chiro made it worse. I am stretching religiously with stretches i learned from the physical therapist. i have worked on my posture as well, all to no avail. I got on health insurance and will be getting an MRI for the problem in about a week. In the meantime i would like some advice on how to cope, and possibly improve the problem, while waiting. Sleeping, and sometimes stretching, seems to be the only thing that :kind: of helps. Hoping to hear something!

Chronic pain from trauma

kanata — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:01:16 -0800

For the last year I have been experiencing varying intensities of chronic pain due to past trauma. My doctors have started shrugging me off. Since I cannot get a referral to anyone else is there anything I can do to make it more bearable on my own? (Trigger warning: Sexual abuse) From an assault in my teens I have had a lot of intense physical pain over the last year. This has mainly involved choking feelings, and pain in the genitals and rectum. As I have processed the events in therapy the intensity has lessened and I have been diagnosed with PTSD. I was doing good handling this pain through meditation and a lot of anti-inflammatories. It is still there but at a degree I can handle.

I am now facing the trauma of years of child abuse, both physical and sexual, and it has tipped the pain scale into a hellish region. It is painful to have bowel movements (which leads to panic now which doesn't help). My genitals either feel like they are having acid poured on them or are being split apart. My hips are constantly sore. My back in periodic spasm. My forearms in agony. Did I mention I have insomnia on top of this? FUN.

I know this is all in my head and it is hard to believe that I can experience physical pain from years ago but everything physical has been ruled out. My GP has given me Gabapetin but I have topped out at the top dose he will give me and now just lectures me on reporting the people who hurt me as he figures that is the cause. He turned me down for a referral to medical pot (and I can't just get another GP as there is a shortage in my city and people have been waiting years to see one. I know I could get the pot from other sources but I prefer not to as I struggle to stay sober as it is).

My shrink just gives me my psych meds (I finally found ones that work after two decades of trying so I have done all the SSRI routes), told me to try the Gabapetin and won't give me anything else either because of a risk of OD or addiction. He also suggested that I just use mindfulness to deal with it.

I do meditate. I journal. I paint. I am in therapy. I take my meds on time. I exercise daily for an hour hiking with my dog when I can. I am overweight but am trying to lose to see if that helps any. My diet is crap because of binge eating after therapy. I do smoke but am working on quitting even though my therapist approves of me using it as a grounding devise.

All of this excess detail I guess is just to try to get across how hard I am trying to get past this and how I feel like everyone (but my therapist) thinks I am making it up. I can't refer myself to any specialists here and my shrink is the only one in town. Is there anything I can do to help this ease besides pot (which puts my brain in a bad place and I really can't afford) and hot baths?

Sorry if it seems I am making excuses but I am curled up in a ball on the couch and feeling desperate for some relief.

Is this abdominal pain something I need to go to the hospital for?

UniversityNomad — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:48:17 -0800

I'm experiencing abdominal pain, and would like a non-medical sounding board for how serious it sounds, and whether it's hospital worthy (given my almost non-existent lack of health insurance). You are not my doctor, etc., etc., but I'd like some non-medical advice about whether what I'm experiencing is something serious, or something that I can just push through. I think I have a low pain tolerance threshold, and I'm not good at gauging relative pain strength while in pain, so I'd like some perspective. I don't know which details are important, so I'm including them all. This beginning bit probably has nothing to do with the entire situation, but I'm including it anyway. I very recently arrived on the West Coast for research, so I'm jetlagged. I accidentally fell asleep early, with the light on etc., so I woke up around 4-5 am. Around 6.30 am, I left my room to use the bathroom/shower, and in doing so, accidentally locked myself out (I'm in a weird cheap housing situation). I showered, and then was wet and cold because I couldn't get back into my room, and I was in fairly negligible pajamas (the rest of the house doesn't seem to be well or possibly at all heated). I was locked out for about two and a half hours, and once I regained access, I tried to warm up under the covers for a bit and then headed out to do research.

Shortly after I headed out, in other words, sometime at least by mid-morning (10-11 am), I began to feel sick. Most noticeably, this was cramps - they were mid to severe, and I thought maybe my period had come early, although I did think that they felt slightly higher up. I took some ibuprofen, which usually helps my period cramps, and it didn't seem to do anything. I also increasingly felt nauseous, chilled, and a bit dizzy. I ended up leaving my research location just after noon, because I felt so ill. I came back to my room to lie down, and almost immediately vomited. I didn't feel much better (I usually do after I vomit when I'm sick). I didn't vomit again the whole afternoon, and still felt the same. It's worse when I stand up or walk. It still feels like slightly higher up period cramps, with bloating there, and nausea and generally feeling chilled. The pain is so bad that I was in tears a couple of times (again, low pain threshold, though). I'm in a strange sketchy house with no family or friends here.

Does this sound like a routine case of stomach flu, or does it sound like something more dangerous/urgent? Googling (yes, I know) suggested possibly appendicitis, hernia, or intestinal/bowel blockage, and suggested that waiting might be dangerous if it's one of these conditions. I don't know if this is relevant, but this house seems to have some mold and possibly insects in it. I also wonder whether it could be food poisoning. Yesterday I ate some clementine oranges, some chocolate, a prepackaged protein shake, two beef tacos with lettuce and some chips, and some crackers. Today I had a few squares of chocolate and some water and other packaged soft drinks.

I would really prefer not to go to the ER if at all possible, because I really can't afford it. Does it sound like I need to? What would be the best strategy to manage whatever this is? Google suggested that if this is something abdominal like appendicitis etc., eating is potentially dangerous because it can rupture it. I really really don't feel hungry anyway. Should I drink something with electrolytes? Non-medical thoughts and advice?

Should I go to the ER? Calf pain after travel but with snowflake!

Frowner — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:23:12 -0800

I flew to Seattle for a couple of days. I climbed a lot of stairs. My calf hurts. Do I need to go to the ER? Doctors' advice in particular appreciated. So I know that calf pain after air travel is a big DVT symptom. However:

1. Flight out and flight back were each about 3 hours long and I got up once during each flight. I did not drink as much water as websites recommend (One to two cups per hour of flight time! Seriously?) but I did drink water during the flights. I also wiggled my ankles every twenty minutes or so. I am short and did not feel especially cramped in my seat. Supposedly, DVT risk rises with long flights of more than four hours, not so much with short flights.

2. In Seattle, I climbed a lot of stairs and hills in a one day period - way more than I ever do here.

3. My calf was a little sore the day of the flight but before I was even at the airport.

4. My calf is a little tender to the touch but not red, swollen or warm.

5. I do not have any of the other DVT risk factors except that I'm kind of fat.

So do I need to go to the ER right away? I would rather not, as I was in the ER last week for something totally unrelated and hate to be a frequent flyer.

YANAD, or if YA, YANMD.

Javascript Void my A**

MayNicholas — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 16:53:37 -0800

Asking for my Momma: Windows did an update and now she can't go to any of her websites that require passwords (bank, pintrest, ...). Nor can she download any thing. She also keeps getting a pop up saying Javascript Void(0). She uses Windows 7 w/ Internet Explorer. I had her enable scripting, tried to get her to download Google Chrome to see if maybe it was just Internet Explorer- but she can't download. Cleared cookies, temporary internet files, cache... What is going on? She has virus protection in the form of McAfee.

Holy Back Spasms, Batman!

outlandishmarxist — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:42:16 -0800

I've got bad back pain. I'm poor. I work in an industry that requires me to lift things and walk around a lot. I can't take time off. Help! I don't know what I've done to my back, but this current episode of back issues is far worse than anything I've ever experienced before - this in a life of chronic back issues. I'm a server at a restaurant, and while I like the job, it does require me to lift a lot. I've been at this level of pain for about a week: I can't bend more than an inch or so at the waist, at least once a day I am unable to stand on my own after getting up from the sitting position, I get sharp shooting pains every time I move in an awkward way. I don't have the money to take time off of work. I do have health insurance. Any advice is appreciated.

Things to do at home when incapacitated.

knapah — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:49:13 -0800

I need recommendations for activities for someone with medical conditions that preclude reading, writing, watching much video, or walking for any significant amount of time. My girlfriend has a series of health issues - tendonitis (wrists and soles of feet), severe headaches induced through reading (paper or screen) or watching video, and stomach problems which prevent the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories.

She is working her way through the medical diagnostic/treatment process, but progress is painfully slow. Consequently, she suffers tremendously from boredom and frustration. We need suggestions for activities that can be done around the home which don't rely on reading, writing or much movement.

To be clear, I'm not looking for diagnostic advice, merely suggestions for activities. Have you been in (or know someone in) a similar situation? What did you/they do to keep their mind active and mental health in a good state?

Bonus points for ideas beyond audiobooks and podcasts, although recommendations on that front are still welcome.

Mysterious foot pain - what could it be?

sock puppetron on wheels — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:51:13 -0800

I have been having a lot of foot pain that has been building for months. They only hurt when I am sitting still. My googling has proved fruitless, do you have any ideas what it could be? So this foot pain feels sort of like my feet have been left out in the cold for a long time, or like they are on fire or something, just radiating pain constantly for hours. It's about a 2 or 3 on a 1-10 pain scale. Not screamingly severe, but not able to be put out of my mind. At first, months ago, I thought I just had cold feet, and they only really bugged me in the evenings. I got some slippers and they seemed to help at first (or maybe I just convinced myself it was better), but the pain has grown steadily worse over time. Now it is really bad and worrying me.

Some facts:
- both feet hurt equally
- the pain is in the big meaty body of the foot, not the toes nor the heel
- the feet are not actually cold
- it has nothing to do with the skin or toenails - all are intact and no bunions or bumps or anything
- it does NOT hurt when I am walking or standing, only when I am sitting down and not putting weight on them. I use footrests and change the position of my feet regularly, and it does not make the pain any better.
- the pain doesn't really respond to ibuprofen, which is my go-to pain medication choice.
- it is keeping me up at night. I have some ambien that my doctor gave me a couple months ago, but I fear I have grown dependent on it. I try to go to bed early, then lie there for 60-90 minutes, then I finally give up and take an ambien. I need to find some way out of this.
- I am bipolar and on a lot of meds for that, but that regimen has not changed in the past 8-9 years.
- I have a low thyroid and I'm on medication for it. I saw my endocrinologist and told her my feet felt "cold" a lot, and she thought it was strange that I didn't feel cold all over. It was not as severe when I saw her so I didn't make a big deal out of it.

I have a doctor's appointment on Monday with my family practice doctor (PCP), but I thought the hive mind could help me figure out some things to ask him about, or an idea of the proper sort of specialist I should ask for a referral to. Also I just am frustrated and curious what the hell might be wrong with my feet.

Any ideas? I'd be grateful for any clues you could throw my way.