Ask MetaFilter

Does your state of health show up in fingernail health/appearance? e.g. easily broken? lines?
posted by ebesan at 9:05 AM - 8 answers

Anything that helped you or a loved one survive after a severe bout of pneumonia? [more inside]
posted by kestralwing at 10:36 AM - 18 answers

I'm having big problems with my PCP. Are there any steps I can take to get better-quality care for myself under Medicaid? [more inside]
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 2:07 PM - 4 answers

A search of my Ask history will reveal that I have been struggling with depression for my whole life. It has been severe for the last decade despite therapy, psychiatric drugs and even ketamine. I think that it perhaps is due to incomplete diagnosis. Details within [more inside]
posted by kbbbo at 12:20 PM - 8 answers

I'm an MD who would like to get involved in doing some chart auditing, whether for legal reasons, utilization management or any other type of professional review. Has anyone here been involved in this, and if so what advice or direction could you provide me with?
posted by docpops at 12:18 PM - 3 answers

I have a 7.5 cm ovarian cyst that showed up on a CT scan when I had pain after sex. I've followed up with a gyno, who wants to wait a few weeks before doing a transvaginal ultrasound. That plan makes sense, and my doctor explained the possible outcomes well. I don't have questions about that, but I'm seeking peer-advice about the sexual and GI complications of ovarian cysts. YANMD, of course. [more inside]
posted by mermaidcafe at 12:55 AM - 12 answers

My son is 21 and was diagnosed with Aspergers only 5 years ago, as an older teen. I struggle myself to understand what this all means. So does he. [more inside]
posted by primate moon at 3:01 PM - 9 answers

I recently started a new job that has me doing a lot of checking/taking items from low shelves. Due to this, I have needed to squat and bend my knees repeatedly, and my knees are feeling rather sore. [more inside]
posted by massofintuition at 11:01 AM - 13 answers

At least once a week, often more, I get woken up by something at night shortly after I've fallen asleep. My body then thinks it's had a refreshing power nap, and then I'm awake for the next two hours, growing increasingly miserable. This is unpleasant, rage-inducing and leads to physical exhaustion the next day. Any advice for quickly calming the mind and returning to sleep? [more inside]
posted by whistle pig at 5:32 AM - 54 answers

When asleep, I occasionally slam abruptly awake, heart pounding and body generally reacting as if in terror. To the best I can recall, I have not been having a nightmare prior to the wakeup before these times. Google not helping, is this a thing that happens to other people with a name? [more inside]
posted by Cozybee at 5:23 AM - 23 answers

Hi all, I'm looking for any recommendations for specialists in ADD/ADHD in the Bay Area (preferably South Bay). [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 5:44 AM - 2 answers

I am considering taking planned leave to work on recovery from PTSD. Besides therapy, what do I actually *do* with that time? I’d you have done something similar, what helped you recover? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 10:40 PM - 18 answers

I just got what my OD referred to as "workspace glasses," which I'm supposed to wear while working at a computer to cancel out the contacts I wear for nearsightedness. But in my first couple hours of wearing them, they make me feel like I'm straining my eyes more. Is this normal adjustment? [more inside]
posted by quiet coyote at 4:11 PM - 8 answers

About two years ago, I started taking a low dose of sertralene for anxiety. It works great! The ball of dread in the pit of my stomach every morning is gone! Problem is, my appetite has come back now that I’m not anxious all the time and I’ve gained around 30 lbs in the last year or so and I want them gone. I was much happier at the lower weight, so I’d like to go back there. But I’ve never really lost weight in a healthy way and I need help. [more inside]
posted by Weeping_angel at 1:52 PM - 22 answers

Is there an app for iPhone that will measure multiple both walking and cycling activity with minimal effort from me? [more inside]
posted by catesbie at 1:09 PM - 3 answers

I'm going on a three-day, 30-mile backpacking trip in exactly 36 hours. I'm semi-successfully holding off an advancing case of plantar fasciitis. I can't cancel or postpone the trip. What can I do - now and then - to fend off any flare-ups along the way? [more inside]
posted by mykescipark at 3:36 PM - 7 answers

After undergoing a very stressful time at work about 4 years ago, I developed a chronic illness by having (what I now know as) a flare of severe fatigue over several days. What are your strategies for managing your illness and its impact on your life? [more inside]
posted by elsmith at 11:45 AM - 14 answers

My 10 year old has expressed a desire to lose weight. Specifically, he wants his belly to extend less. (Details inside.) What methods would actually work at this age? Time and money are limited around here, so I only want to embark on a process that will work (vs, say, sign him up for rock climbing at $30/hr and not get any results). What dietary changes and exercise changes will actually work? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 8:18 AM - 37 answers

ADHDFilter: stimulant meds generally work well for me. But I'm traveling somewhere where they're illegal. For others with similar challenges, do you have any advice for managing without meds? [more inside]
posted by anonymous at 8:18 AM - 13 answers

MeFites, I need help. I spent the other day home from work because of a mental breakdown. I've had a series of mental breakdowns over the past few years and I need help figuring out what to do. [more inside]
posted by adelaide at 3:18 PM - 22 answers