I (25M) recently had gotten the results of an x-ray back at the request of my chiropractor. The x-ray was done to discover if there were any abnormalities with my spine since my chiropractor believed there was something off in my mid-back. His prediction before the procedure was I had a mild curve in the mid back, but we discovered (as the results were sent to his office from the radiologist) that I have moderate curvature in the mid-back as well as mild curvature in the lower back. This sucks. I have never had any spinal injuries prior and I wasn't born with scoliosis so I don't know how this happened. After discussing this further with my chiropractor he believes I would be a little taller too. This is so upsetting. I'm so depressed to find out that I am more prone to back problems, and worse posture, and I am shorter than I should be. Is there anything I can do to straighten my spine, Since I got the news I've sunken into my deepest depression and I don't know how to get out of it besides resolving the issue.

I was prescribed doxycycline in 2019. During the course of my treatment, I was invited to an event and accidentally took a drink, which resulted in my face immediately flushing red. I dumped the rest and remembered not to drink alcohol on antibiotics.
Ever since then, literally five years later at this point, I flush bright red nearly every time I take a drink of alcohol. I can literally feel the onset as my face gets hot and somewhat itchy. It's an immediate effect from the first sip, and gradually goes away over 10-15 minutes. This absolutely didn't happen before the antibiotic treatment, and seems to apply to certain alcohols more than others. Mead and bourbon cause a powerful effect, while beer produces less of an effect.
Does anyone know what is happening, and what I can/should do? I ran it by a doctor who recommended taking Pepsid before drinking, which seems to help. I also took Zyrtec after it happened the other day, and that seemed to help as well. I drink less than once a month at this point, so it isn't a big issue, but I would like to be able to drink at social functions without having to run off for 15 minutes at the beginning.

34M, 5'11", 220 lbs.

Hello all,

F25/non-smoker/164cm/65kg

I found out after Christmas that I was about 6 weeks pregnant but unfortunately a couple of days after my first scan I stated to bleed heavily and began to miscarry. At my first scan I was not given a print out of my scan as I was scheduled to go back but did not get to. I was admitted to hospital after bleeding heavily where I got to see one last scan of the baby but feel I was never fully given an explanation on my scan and would like to know if anyone on here can help tell me what I am looking at! I have a photo I took of my last scan in the hospital before doctors confirmed I was having a miscarriage.

Important additional info: I was hospitalised approx 3 weeks after miscarrying due to high temperature and pains in stomach alongside vomiting. This was put down to ruptured ovarian cyst and I am aware that in the ultrasound photo attached in comments there is what appears to be a visable cyst. That is still there after miscarriage and rupture. However I am not looking for updates on this and simply just looking for someone to help me identify where the baby is in the scan for some closure if this is at all possible.

Thank you

hey guys this is my bloodwork.

bloodwork =

rbc = 6.77

rdw = 20.3%

wbc = 11.2

hemo = 12.6

hct = 41.1%

mchmc3 = 18

mchch3 = 30

mcvcm3 = 53

iron serum = 82

ferritin = 86

transferrin = 2,7g/l

transferrin saturation = 21.91%

my wbc and rbc is too high, hemoglobin and mch, mcv & mchc too low. What could be the cause for this ?

https://imgur.com/a/ZtCPSHD went to a doctor in march, she said it looks harmless and gave me a cream. didnt help at all. im a 25M, 174cm

4 month old male 16 lbs. had a rectal temperature of 100.8 earlier and now it’s gone up to 101. Have been given Tylenol. Is this high enough that it needs a visit to urgent care?

I’m a male, 16 years old, 6’2 and 190 pounds. I’ve been taking this for a week and still get frequent tachycardia. Why? and can I increase my dose (I take 25mg succinate ER currently, in the morning

I’m an ER doc who just had his first seizure and was hoping to have the experts weigh in. I’m 33 m, non smoker, 135lbs, 5’7”, with asthma. Meds include Advair and this trip I took zofran and scopolamine patch. I’m on vacation at a place that’s high in altitude (1 mile) and very hot. I had drank a lot of alcohol the night before which I almost never do and woke up feeling terrible. I wasn’t feeling well all day from the alcohol and heat and had a 3 minute GTC seizure. Could this be a one off from the combination of meds, alcohol and location?

Male, 29 and I live in Portugal.

I don't take any medication and I am a smoker.

So, I had a very serious sprained ankle playing football (in december 2023) and after some exams it came out as a torn ligament. The doctor I consulted said that he would only rebuild it in a 6 month period after the injury, which would be june. After that it would be very hard to do. Is this true for all cases? Asking because I will very likely not be able to get surgery in that perios due to hospital queue.

I still have some swelling and pain, but what concerns me the most are the long term effects in terms of stability and endurance of other possible injuries.

first time using reddit so hopefully this all goes well

I 17M have been experiencing multiple symptoms roughly starting back in covid time and they have progressively worsened.

SYMPTOMS:

The worst symptom I have is a never ending headache. The pain never completely goes away however it does get worse. The pain is hard to describe but i will try. The pain starts where the head and neck connect and wraps around the top of my head to my forehead(almost feels like it is in my skin). The pain is like electric/fire and if i touch my scalp even slightly my head will hurt immensely where i touched it. Also there feels as if there is a general pressure within my head which accompanies the scalp pain. The pain gets worse if i stand up or keep a very straight back for 10-20 minutes and becomes unbearable. Some days i just lay in bed because it makes it slightly better.

something that seems to be directly related to the headaches is pretty constant vertigo that is pretty bearable when sitting or laying down however if i stand up for too long it can start to feel like the world is spinning a bit. i thought that it could be related to blood not getting to my head but my heart rate doesn't seem to get much higher and my blood pressure seems to be fine when standing/sitting.

i also experience eye pain that feels like it is behind my eye this isn't intensified when i stand up like the headache and vertigo and isn't always there (seemingly more in the morning when i wake up). Hurts more if i try to move my eyes.

Another thing i experience is visual snow which is a condition where you see TV static overlaying your vision.This also never goes away however i believe that it doesn't really change in intensity. i struggle to read and it is very difficult during college. the vision has caused me to be very night blind as when it gets dark enough i am pretty much blind. this simulator is simular to what it is like. https://visionsimulations.com/visual-snow.htm?background=night1.jpg . This symptom is so disruptive and i would probably say it is the second worst thing i experience beaten by the head pain.

i also have ringing in my ears which i dont mind too much as it is nothing compared to the pain and vision however it is a consistent high pitched note that is noticable in quieter places which can be very annoying sometimes.

i also seem to have constant neck stiffness as if it try to move my neck at all it feels sore and slightly painful. this extends a little bit to my upper back. have been seeing a physiotherapist a few times over the course of a few months but hasn't helped one bit or made it worse.

should probably mention that my heart rate is quite high normally like 90-110 even when sitting down a while or doing anything. does not increase significantly if i stand up.

i for some reason have lots of tremors and twitching muscles throughout my entire body where many times throughout the day a random muscle will start spasming for a minute and then stop.

dont really think that it is relevant but i'll mention that i have been depressed for as long as i have experienced these symptoms and i want to make it clear that the depression is a symptom of the problems and these problems are not a symptom of the depression. haven't had this treated but honestly dont think there is any need to as i believe that as long as i have these symptoms i will be miserable.

another issue is that i really struggle with sleep and its really disruptive with my life. i believe the reason i cannot sleep is due to the pain and if the pain is gone then sleeping would be easy but i cannot be sure as i can never escape the pain. i can lay in bed at night and not fall asleep at all for like 6 hours(pretty usual) however as soon as i get to sleep i have no problem staying asleep.

i feel generally tired most days however i am very hesitant to say this is a symptom and not just due to the depression and the atrocious sleep schedule however the fact that i can sleep for 12 hours for weeks and still feel tired makes me think possibly something else is at play.

another problem i seem to have is generally poor memory and concentration. i dont think this is due to the pain even though it can be debilitating as i will so often forget what i was doing or struggle to find the word i was looking for and this is really stressing me out as i sometimes just dont feel like myself at all.

finally i will say that all these issues have gotten slightly worse over time i believe and not all of them were present at the start.

MEDICAL CHECKS AND MEDICATION:

i have had a brain MRI 2022 and a cervical spine MRI 2023 which both came back as normal according to neurology.

i have had a full blood count which was unremarkable apart from low but not deficient b12 which i have now been taking supplements for(couple months now) (haven't noticed a difference).

neurologist wants to check my head again with another mri. dont have a date yet.

seen neuro opthamologist several times and had eyes checked with like a million different machines all coming back normal.

i have taken pizotifen and amitriptyline which were taken separately and i honestly didn't feel any different (took them both for a couple months i think).

also paracetamol and ibuprofen dont seem to help the pain at all.

currently sometimes use codeine as it does help the pain slightly but makes me lethargic which helps sleep a bit but i need to be as awake as possible usually so dont like to rely on it.

am being referred to pain management and headache clinic however i really just want to find the cause of the problems as i feel like if we find that then we can figure out how to fix it.

CONCLUSION:

thank you if you read this far i can tell you that this was a pain to write as reading is SOOO annoying so there are probably so many spelling mistakes. i would really appreciate any help or suggestions as to what could be causing all this as i am so fed up of this as i feel like my life has been destroyed and all i want to is get it back.

a question i do have is could this be related to csf leak? because from what i have read if you stand up it can cause a worsening of headache however it also says when you sit up which isn't always the case for me

another question is could this be POTS? however that says that if you stand up your heart rate must increase by 30 which isn't the case for me.

Hi I’m female 21, 5’3 and 160 pounds. I was diagnosed with impetigo by a dermatologist. I have been using mupirocin for about 4 days and there is no scabbing and no more pus from the sores. It’s just red and raised, does this mean it’s healing or healed?

46M 5'11" 186lb White

I have had Crohns disease for over ten years and take Humira for it.

I have been struggling with psoriasis for about three months now. I was prescribed Prednisone by a clinic and my dosing schedule has been:

April 8th to April 17th: three 5mg tablets per day (total 15mg per day)

April 18th to April 21st: four 5mg tablets per day (total 20mg per day)

I just got a new permanent doctor and he wants me to stop the prednisone without tapering (I have no more left).

Is this no big deal?

Hi everyone! I hope someone can help me out, as this is lowkey stressing me and i don't know what it is.Thank you in advance!

I (F/24) have been applying a caffeine serum (the ordinary multi peptide serum for hair density) on my hair for about 2 weeks now with daily scalp massages.

From what I've been reading, caffeine and scalp massages are supposed to boost hair growth and promote blood circulation. That's maybe where the following problem comes from:

Yesterday I noticed this V shaped thing on my forehead (see pictures in comments) and I can't quite grasp what it is. It is a very straight line and it kind of looks swollen to me, but it could also be a vein, idk! It doesn't really feel like a vein and when I try really hard to push blood circulation on my head it doesn't bulge it stays the same. So I'm very confused.

I thought about what else could cause this, and I have these headaches here and there, I sometimes feel a lot of pressure on my head, and maybe that could be related to it? I don't know if it's migraine, I'd have to check that with a doctor.

Any advice/comment would be appreciated!

—-

Age: 24

Sex: Female

Height: 160cm

Weight: 75

Any existing relevant medical issues: been tested for thyroid, slightly Increased levels

Current medications: none

Include a photo if relevant: in the comments

(25F) about a year ago I got some itchy bumps on my elbow and they looked like they had water inside. They would come and go and even appear on my knees. Doctors never wanted to figure out what it was and just told me to put cotizone to stop the itching.

About two months ago I started to get extremely itchy ear canals, the doctor told me it could be eczema and prescribed an ear spray that kinda helped but the itching stopped after a little over a month. This is what lead me to think the itching on my elbows are knees were eczema.

Well about 3 days ago a noticed an itchy patch on my back and my shins are so so itchy. I don’t know what to do. I moisturize to often hoping it would help and cortizone cream doesn’t help!

What should I do, my shins don’t look like the google images when you search “eczema shins” but there is no other explanation.

I need help, doctors are not helping

27F 5'1 145 Ibs Propranolol as needed and hydroxyzine as needed l've had issues with my vision in the past due to multiple TBls and l've had to do vision rehabilitation therapy a lot. Haven't done it in 2 years tho. Sometimes I use sodium chloride ophthalmic eye drops when my eyes feel irritated. I did use some before this happened. I also was hiking in the woods yesterday and foraging around and picking ramps. My eye all of the sudden became puffy and swollen last night. I tried to take Benedryl which did nothing. I woke up and it's still swollen and puffy. I investigated and I have this irritation on the inside of my eyelid. Is this a stye? I've been applying warm compresses, not sure it it's helping. The bump is rubbing against my eye and it's irritating my eye as well. https://imgur.com/a/NWCaqZC

21, female, UK. 5’7 ish and I’m not sure of my weight but it’s on the larger side of healthy. Diagnosed GERD but do not take anything for it as nothing has ever helped. Had Randitine up until it was discontinued and Omeprazole. Also have OCD which I take sertraline 100mg for. Don’t really drink, don’t smoke but do vape. I also have dyslexia and dyspraxia if that matters. I have a mild egg intolerance. I have also never burped in my life. Oh and eczema, but it flares up randomly and I have not been able to determine a cause. For brevity I’m just going to list the symptoms.

1. extreme bloating that to me appears randomly. But now it’s happening nearly every day, usually in the evening, and has been that way for weeks. I can’t burp, but I don’t drink fizzy drinks or anything overly fatty for that reason, and the bloating has only really been an issue for a year maybe

2. constant nausea. Some of this will be due to anxiety (my OCD is surrounding nausea lol) but I do feel that this nausea is different to anxiety nausea (which is more in the throat). Most of my nausea comes at night after dinner, this has been going on for years and years

3. dry heaving, especially when really bloated, probably because I can’t burp. I haven’t been sick since I was like 10 ish

4. mouth ulcers, I have a particularly nasty one that hasn’t gone away after 6 weeks. It is healing though, and have had it looked at

5. I get really itchy, again could be eczema

6. constipation, no matter what I eat. But then occasionally I’ll have an absolutely diabolical shit for lack of better words. Sometimes my poop floats

7. very sensitive to cold

8. every month or so I’ll get horrible dry patches all over my face, my neck and under my arms. Was told it’s eczema but it’s completely different to eczema and just clears up on its own- doesn’t respond to any creams

9. weight loss. Over the past 6 months I’ve lost a bit of weight because I’ve been too bloated etc to eat. It’s not loads of weight, but enough to put me in the healthy range

10. I get tired and achy quite easily, I’m not the fittest but I can’t walk too far without heading a rest. My breathing is fine given how much u vape (I’ve cut down the nicotine levels and am working on stopping I promise!)

11. I don’t know the proper name for it but my gums are really lose on my bottom front teeth.

12. my stomach gurgles quite a lot, I know some gurgling is completely normal but it honestly sounds like a whole orchestra

13. a lot of farting, I mean I can’t burp so it’s expected but I’m so gassy

14. stomach pain, not as often as bloating and nowhere near as bad, usually my lower stomach area / groin

My friend who is celiac suggested I get tested for it, however I was tested at 11 I’m sure (blood test I think) and was negative for that and anaemia

My hypochondriac mind immediately jumps to cancer. I know I need to see a doctor but my OCD has been so bad I haven’t left the house in ages.

Hello

30F, 127lb, 157cm, UK

I had lower bleph surgery 12 days ago, stitches taken out 5 days post surgery. Obviously still swollen but I've never had stitches before and on one side where the stitches were removed there's almost a hard very obvious couple of lumps above and below the cut line - is this normal and will it go down on its own?

Seeing the surgeon for a check up on Wednesday but it's worrying me as it's right on the thin skin next to my eye so quite prominent

37 year old female, recent hysterectomy, otherwise healthy.

My GP tested my RF as well as an ANA panel in October. It was negative. Fast forward 6 months I get a new provider who also orders an ANA Panel (seemingly more extensive as it has RF IgM, IgA, IgG as well as ccp and several autoimmune conditions). Everything was negative EXCEPT RF IgM which was 19. According to Quest it should be <=6. A few weeks before the lab draw I had surgery and a subsequent postop infection (treated with antibiotics). Is this elevation concerning? Or is it likely transient and due to the surgery? I was surprised the lab was ordered at all because I thought we were getting wellness labs and checking for b12 deficiency. I will follow up as soon as I can get in with my doctor but in the mean time should I be worried?

Hello so I suffer with bad health anxiety to the point where I feel I’m going to die everyday so it’s not a good way to live, I start therapy soon

But for the past 4 days it has been feeling like my heart is pounding out my chest, it isn’t beating fast but just feels it’s pounding

It’s mainly noticed when I’m lying down, if I’m out walking it’s barely noticeable

My last ecg was 5 months ago, last year I had multiple ecgs, CT scan and chest X-rays aswell as bloods to which all come back clear

In 2022 I had a 24h ecg monitor placed on me for palpitations to which everything was found to be normal

The ecgs I did last year were for chest pains which come back as anxiery, I was stupid and went onto Google and it’s telling me the worst so I’m here to ask for advice, I don’t want to be wasting peoples time especially you doctors and medical staff but I can’t help but worry

Any advice is appreciated Thankyou 🙏

Age 25

Hi,

So this is a weird one...I've been having these weird spasms towards the bottom of my ribs on the right side but sometimes nearer the center. There's no pain or discomfort. Mostly just confusion. I can't seem to see a pattern in when it happens. I have a son (5) and have had 3 miscarriages. One recently at 5 weeks and last year at 16 weeks. We've recently just started trying for a baby again so babies are on my brain.

Could this be phantom kicks? It feels just like when my son used to kick me in the ribs? Or could it be something else? Please don't just tell me to see a GP. I will of course do that if this continues. I just want some ideas as to what else this could be so I don't feel like I'm going mad.

I'm 33F. 16stone and 5ft5. I have the occasional glass of wine and I do vape.

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks 😊

26F. Taking Lithium, Quetiapine, Celexa, Tramadol, Lyrica, Folic acid and Clonazepam.

Diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety, Depression and Bipolar.

I was just impatient for a mental health crisis. This is where I started most of the meds listed above. My anxiety is so bad that I’ll hear an airplane and think it’s crashing into my house, I’m afraid to drive because I think my tires are going to blow out, I’m scared to take my kids in public in fear that someone will kidnap them. I see a psychiatrist and a psychologist. My primary is also tracking these meds.

My concern is my need for the Clonazepam. It helps tremendously. I’m on a low dose (.5mg) once daily. Is this how the road to addiction begins?

I do not abuse my script, I never take extra and often go a few days in between taking it. If it makes me feel better is it okay to take it still?

Can someone put these MRI results into terms I can understand? Would it explain my severe arm weakness and pain? Possibly my esophagus issues that cause me to choke and gag every time I eat?

Cervical Spine MRI Comparison: MRI 9/19/2012, cervical spine radiographs 2/28/2024. Clinical Data: Radiculopathy cervical region. Chronic neck pain with bilateral radiculopathy. Bilateral arm numbness at times. Technique: Multisequence, multiplanar MR imaging of the cervical spine performed without the administration of IV gadolinium. Findings: Normal alignment with no aggressive osseous lesions. Degenerative changes detailed below. Normal appearance of the posterior fossa, spinal cord, and paraspinous soft tissues. Level by level:

C2-3: No disc herniation or stenosis.

C3-4: Slight generalized disc osteophyte bulge. Bilateral uncovertebral osteophytes. Mild left neuroforaminal stenosis with no central canal or right neuroforaminal narrowing.

C4-5: Desiccated disc. Generalized disc osteophytic bulge. Bilateral uncovertebral osteophytes. Bilateral facet arthropathy. Mild central canal stenosis. Moderate left and mild right neuroforaminal stenosis.

C5-6: Desiccated disc. Generalized disc osteophytic bulge, eccentric toward the left. Bilateral uncovertebral osteophytes and facet arthropathy. Mild central canal stenosis. Moderate bilateral neuroforaminal stenosis.

C6-7: No disc herniation or stenosis. Left-sided facet arthropathy.

C7-1: No disc herniation or stenosis.

T1-T2 and T2-3: These levels seen only on the sagittal images. No high-grade central canal or neuroforaminal narrowing at these levels.

Im 20f and Ive always suffered from a sensitive stomach so I already know which foods to avoid, but lately for the past two weeks its been getting much worse. Even my safe foods cause digestion problems now

Every single time i eat something, my stomach just bloats so much and i get really gassy. I can literally hear my stomach making loud noises cause of the gas and its so embarrassing cause it happens in class too. It sounds like a war in my stomach 😭

I dont know what to do cause I usually drink sparkling water or antacid to make my stomach problems go away, which usually works but lately it hasnt at all. I dont have any pain, just lots of gas in my stomach and most of the time i have to go to the bathroom like 5 minutes after finishing my meal

Im pretty much eating what I always eat, but could it be bad bacteria that I have or even parasites?? Im so confused why my stomach problems have suddenly gotten worse

Male | almost 25 | 6’1 | 150

meds: 1mg finasteride since 2021, 50mcg levothyroxine since 2023.

long story short; i feel like if i sleep anything less than 8.5 hours i feel like shit and i just want to go back to bed, and it’s really annoying at times, especially considering almost no one naturally sleeps that long, and your body wakes you up before then.

even when i wake up earlier and initially feel “good”, i know it’s just an adrenaline mirage or something and that if i actually got up and tried to live i would regret it within an hour.

but sometimes though, especially if i go outside or i have to do something, i feel fine/okay during that, but i feel like somehow that’s just adrenaline/living in the moment, some kind of biological myopia or something, because it fades as soon as i’m back inside or working on the computer.

oftentimes i can’t tell if i’m just super hyper aware and a hypochondriac (which, i used to be, i convinced myself i had a brain tumor and heart problems for 6 months when i was 13 and i can still fixate on my pulse at any given time without checking it.) and i’m actually fine, or if i actually do feel bad.

and being tired scares me, it makes me anxious because it’s like knowing that you’re hurting your body, oftentimes without even having the choice. i just hate it.

in late 2022 i took a TSH test and was told i had “subclinical” hypothyroidism, which apparently my mother also has. my TSH and T4 back then was 5.4 and 1.67, but now it’s around 1.8 and 1.39. so i have no idea if that’s a factor or not.

at my most recent lab in march my vitamin d was also 12.4 ng/ml, so i started taking 2000iu per day.

but basically, am i tripping? like, sometimes i legitimately feel bad don’t get me wrong, but oftentimes, especially in that 7-8 hour range, it’s more questionable than not.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been having multiple symptoms involving my heart and pain such as:

• Rapidly fluctuating BP (high when going from sitting/laying/standing, low when showering, bending over, etc)
• high heart rate (it hit 176 in the ER, 197 at home)
• muscle stiffness
• numb extremities, especially my fingers and toes
• temperature imbalance (I’m always overheating or freezing)
• vasovagal syncope (repeatedly passing out)
• extreme lower back/right leg pain (sharp, stabbing pain)
• hypermobility issues
• constant fatigue/exhaustion

I have a pre-existing medical disorder called OFCD, which causes a lot of other issues, but these new symptoms have started worsening recently. I do smoke, but these issues continued even when I quit for a couple months.

I’m wondering if I don’t have POTS or vEDS, but I was wondering if any doctors agreed with me. I’m going back to the doctor very soon. I’ve been to the ER and other urgent care clinics almost 12 times in the past month. All my blood work, X-rays (other than a compressed disk and slouching), urine samples, etc. came back normal.

Home remedies that help:

• ingesting salt/sugar
• heating pads
• leg elevation
• rest

Any help or advice is appreciated, thank you!

Hello doctors of Reddit! About 6 months ago, I (29f) was taking my dog on a hike on a trail here in Colorado. There's a lovely, shallow mountain river that follows the trail. My dog loves to splash around in the water, so I treaded to a boulder that was more in the middle of the river so he'd have more free movement. He got too excited from a fish and pulled a bit too hard and I slipped and landed straight on my tailbone on the boulder. It took the air out of me and hurt like hell. It was super painful for a few weeks after the fact. Then it got better. Or so I thought. It has seemed to get better in general but I do get a flair up of pain in my tailbone from time to time since then. Just recently, I had a bout of illness that caused a lot of coughing and tension in my body and my tailbone pain flared up again to the point where it hurts to even get up and sit down in chairs and the like. I guess I'm wondering if this may be more than a bruised tailbone given the length of recovery (or lack thereof) and if it may be a good call to get it medically checked out? TIA!

Hi all,        

Tomorrow i have an appointment with my eye doctor and i wanted to ask you guys what my options are cuz I'm kind of lost and absolutely don't know what to do at the moment.

Since December 2022, I've been experiencing significant issues with my left eye. The main complaints are:     

• Dry eyes (both eyes)     

• Double vision (only in the left eye)     

• Blurry vision (only in the left eye)     

- Frequently swollen upper eyelid (only in the left eye, it’s very asymmetrical as you can see)

I've had many appointments at eye clinics/hospitals. My last appointment was on April 11th and I was told that I need to use eye drops more frequently and that I should come back for photos in six months. I couldn’t wait that long, so i made another appointment for tomorrow. I really can't continue to live with these symptoms any longer. I've stopped attending school because I was getting headaches from the double vision. But i want to know what else can they do, i have a feeling they will just tell me to use my eyedrops more, like my last appointment, and send me away. I need all the info i can get. Please.

The only thing that has helped are eye ointments. Once at the eye clinic, I was given an eye ointment (HYDROCORTISONE/OXYTETRACYCLINE/POLYMYXIN B EYE OINTMENT 3.5G) that I could use for two weeks. After stopping, I was symptom-free for about four weeks. Then all my symptoms gradually returned. The same situation occurred at the hospital. I was given an eye ointment (OFLOXACIN EYE OINTMENT 3MG/G TUBE 3G) to use for two weeks. It worked well for four weeks, but then all my symptoms returned.     

Could someone please review my results (it’s long i’m so sorry i have no idea which parts are important so i copy pasted then all) and provide tips on my next steps and whether there's anything I can do at all? I don’t understand anything from the reports.       

I put all the reports in chronological order:

Treatment report from the ophthalmology:     

December 19, 2023:     

ICC outpatient / referral (Rheumatology): Low tear production with significant sicca and dry mouth, indications for Sjogren's syndrome? We would appreciate your analysis.     

Stop Trafloxal.     

Hylan 4-6 times daily once a day in each eye.     

----     

Treatment report from the ophthalmology:     

December 19, 2023:     

Conclusion     

Prominent corneal nerves with pannus, extensive differentials, keratoconus?     

Differentials:     

-Keratoconus     

-Fuchs     

-Posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy     

-Acanthamoeba     

-HSV/VZV     

-MEN 2A/MEN 2B/MNS     

-Refsum disease     

-Riley-Day syndrome     

-NF-1     

-Leprosy     

-Lipoid proteinosis     

-Ichthyosis     

Plan     

Trafloxal once daily in the left eye     

Hylan as needed     

Follow-up appointment, Obtain OLCD data     

Follow-up appointment: 3 weeks, check-up 3-4 weeks preferably on Tuesday morning     

With corneal topography     

----     

Microbiological results:     

December 20, 2023     

1^(st) report:     

Material: Eye     

Collected on: -     

Antibiotic therapy:     

Clinical data: Antibiotic use: none     

Question: Routine eye culture     

Routine eye culture     

Culture     

1 Staphylococcus aureus                            slight     

Conclusion     

No anaerobic microorganisms cultured     

Sensitivity     

 1     

 R                         Penicillin     

 S                         Flucloxacillin     

 R                         Amoxicillin     

 S                         Amoxicillin+Clavulanic acid     

 S                         Gentamicin     

 S                         Tobramycin     

 S                         Vancomycin     

 S                         Ciprofloxacin     

 S                         Erythromycin     

 S                         Clindamycin     

 S                         Doxycycline     

 S                         Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole (co-trimoxazole)     

 S                         Mupirocin     

 S                         Fusidic acid     

 S                         Rifampicin     

 S                         Chloramphenicol     

Explanation of sensitivities:     

 S = sensitive, I = intermediate / reduced sensitivity, R = resistant     

2^(nd) report:     

Material: Eye     

Collected on: -     

Clinical data: Antibiotic use: none     

EXAMINATION                                         RESULT    UNIT    INTERPRETATION     

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------     

Adenovirus PCR                                    No DNA detected     

C. trachomatis                                    No DNA detected     

N. gonorrhoeae                                    No DNA detected     

Herpes simplex virus 1 PCR                        No DNA detected     

Herpes simplex virus 2 PCR                        No DNA detected     

Varicella zoster virus PCR                        No DNA detected     

   The test method is not validated for this body material.     

3^(rd) report:     

Material: Eye     

Collected on: -     

Clinical data: Antibiotic use: none     

EXAMINATION                                         RESULT    UNIT    INTERPRETATION     

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------     

Acanthamoeba species PCR *                              

----     

Letter to my GP from the ophthalmology:     

December 20, 2023:     

Dear colleague,     

The above-mentioned patient was seen by us on December 20, 2023, at the Ophthalmology Outpatient Clinic.     

Reason for visit / Referral     

For a few months, the patient has been experiencing problems with her left eye. She experiences blurriness, has difficulty reading texts, her eye tears a lot, and she struggles with focusing.     

Conclusion     

Visible corneal nerves with pannus, past inflammation? Other pathologies?     

Plan     

Trafloxal once daily in the left eye     

Hylan as needed     

Follow-up appointment, Obtain OLCD data     

Follow-up appointment: 3 weeks, check-up 3-4 weeks preferably on Tuesday morning     

Requested investigations     

Functional examination: OCT     

Medical microbiology, eye, eye: Eye routine culture, Eye adenovirus PCR, Eye C. trachomatis/N. gonorrhoeae PCR, Eye Herpes/Varicella PCR, Eye Acanthamoeba PCR (December 20, 2023)     

Medical history     

For a year, the patient has experienced blurry vision and sicca symptoms, especially in the left eye. Often feels inflammation. Sees images separating, causing double vision. Often blinks. Visited -, received treatment for dry eyes and Hypromellose.     

Artificial tears provide relief for sicca symptoms, but blurry/double vision in the left eye persists. Current glasses are 3 years old.     

Last wore contact lenses 3 years ago, these symptoms have been present for a year.     

Ocular history: -     

Family ocular history: -     

Relevant medical history:     

Medication as per referral     

Physical examination     

Visual acuity with own correction OD: 1.0= S -1.75 C -1.00 axis 8     

Visual acuity with own correction OS: 0.4- S -2.00 C -0.75 axis 1     

Visual acuity after refraction OD: 1.0= S -1.50 C -0.75 axis 5     

Visual acuity after refraction OS: ntv S 0.00 C -2.00 axis 135     

Remarks on visual acuity OS: AR irregular rings and highly variable AR values     

Autorefraction     

Measurement method / remark: AR for cyclo.     

1.0= S -1.75 C -0.75 axis 15     

< 0.4- S -0.75 C -2.00 axis 150     

Measurement method / remark: AR after cyclo.     

S -1.00 C -0.25 axis 5     

S 0.00 C -2.00 axis 135     

Tonometer OD: 12 mmHg, applanation.     

Tonometer OS: 12 mmHg, applanation.     

Slit lamp examination OD: clear cornea, mild punctata, clean/deep anterior chamber, clear media     

Slit lamp examination OS: Conjunctival hyperemia+, cornea confluent punctata centrally diffuse, visible corneal nerves, deep/clean anterior chamber, clear media     

Fundus OD: pink and sharply demarcated optic discs, beautiful maculae, and no abnormalities peripherally OD     

Remarks: Everting gb, inferior fornix papillae with numerous calcareous concretions     

Additional investigations     

OCT macula OD: no abnormalities     

OCT macula OS: no abnormalities     

Schirmer test: OD 7 mm and OS 3 mm (after 5 minutes with oxy)     

----     

Treatment report from the ophthalmology:     

January 9, 2024:     

Conclusion     

Calmer picture, sicca with very low tear production in both eyes and complaints of dry mouth     

No visible corneal nerves     

Regular astigmatism in the left eye, differential diagnosis of forme fruste keratoconus     

Plan     

Follow-up appointment: 3 months, check-up with Bauke corneal topography, in conjunction with Dr. B     

----     

Treatment report from the ophthalmology:     

April 11, 2024:     

Conclusion     

Sicca keratitis in both eyes     

Plan     

Follow-up appointment: 6 months, Repeat corneal topography for Mr. -     

Increase Artelac to 6-8 times daily in both eyes     

----     

Gender: Female     

Age: 28       

Height: 177cm     

Weight: 74kg     

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