I am a 17 year old male who takes many medicines daily
(not including acetaminophen or NSAIDs.) Usually I take
at the most 8 pills a day. I am afraid of what this
does to my liver, but then again I see older people
take tons of medicine a day. I am wondering exactly how
this affects my liver?
Dr. Joshua’s […]

I have been having sub-clinical body temperature for a month now.Over
the last 10 days I dont feel like eating and have persistent nausea and
vertigo. I also find it difficult to breathe manytimes. Have undergone following
tests that are all normal:
serum cortisol
TSH
haemogram
abdominal ultrasound
LFT
RFT
Urine test
need your guidance
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
A thorough history and clinical examination are key, as always. […]

Phentermine
I am about to start taking Phentermine (generic Adipex), but I have a
question. If I take this weight loss medication can it cause my birth
control pills to lose its effectiveness? I am currently taking Lutera (generic
for Alesse). If I take Phentermine, will I be 99.9% protected from getting
pregnant? Your help is greatly appreciated.
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
This […]

In a sick patient after a doctor takes blood tests how can he tell if the person has bacterial infection or viral infection what is the differance on the blood test? IF you have a blood tests done and the docotr says you have a bacterial infection is that 100 accurate or could it be […]

Once in a great while during a conversation I tend to get thoroughly confused and can’t make any sense, sort of ramble on, after a few minutes then I come back to myself.
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
Not much information for the doctor here. At worst, this could be temporal lobe seizure (epilepsy).

i am told i have tuberculosis of my organs mostly my stocmach tabes mesenterica the health dept won’t tell me any thing about it and can;t find anything about it on the intrenet i;m scared and would like to no more about it i had all the test but dont see the doctor for 2 […]

My fiance is incarcerated, and has been diagnosed with Hep c. Genotyping was finally done and it came back type 3a. What does this mean? He was given no information. He is 51 years old, has never been an IV drug user, but did have blood transfusions early in the 80’s […]

I am a 31yr old female. I have been having sharp sporatic pains in my heart for a while now. Actually, I have had this pain for years now (since I was a teenager). I know it’s not an air pocket (some people say it’s a air pocket and to raise my arm […]

I wore a pair of normally comfortable boots for about 14 hours, six days ago. The middle three toes of each foot were numb the next morning, and although they have gotten somewhat better, they are still slightly numb and uncomfortable. Will this ever go away or is it to be a permanent reminder that […]

I understand that you’re very busy with people a lot more sick than myself but I’d like some advice please. I’m constantly feeling sick and tired and I’m at my wits end. I’m a 22 year old female and I just don’t know what’s wrong. I’ve been to my general practitioner time and time again […]

I am a female, 31 years old, with five children. About five years ago i discovered a painless smaller than pea-size hard moveable lump on the left side of my head. There was no discoloration so my first thought was a swollen gland of some sort and I have ignored it. Last Friday, however, […]

Something that is bothering me. Since I was about 13 (my periods started at age 12, I’m now 25) I have had very heavy, long (usually 7-10 day) periods, which are often so painful I am curled in the fetal position for days. I also had an abortion 7 years ago. The […]

KID’S HEALTH
My daughter is 10 years old and a little over weight. When she exercises or plays sports and she gets hot, her face turns really really red. What is this and do I need to be alarmed or should I take her to her doctor?
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
It does not sound alarming. Perhaps […]

DIET
I received chemo about 3 years ago for cancer. At that time I gained a lot of weight. Since then I have tried to lose it but every time I start a diet plan I get extremely irritable. Even last year when I tried to lose weight I had the same results but I thought […]

DUI..or not?
My Husband was painting with zinsser bin primer sealer stain killer paint highly contains alcohol vapor. He was painting in enclosed area with no ventialtion, He was painting 5-6 hrs breathing the paint vapors. He wears dentures. Could my husband score a reading on a breath test for DUI ….. we really need to […]

Elbow Pain
I currently have no insurance and need to know how serious this might be. I have had pain in my right arm for 3 months. The top of my elbow (the little ball) is tender to the touch. Also the top of my arm hurts constantly, mostly in the straightened position and when I […]

MY MOTHER IN LAW IS HAVING SPELLS AND NO ONE IS ABLE TO GIVE HER AN ANSWER TO WHAT IS WRONG. SH HAS HAD A MRI, CT SCAN, BLOOD WORK, EKG, ETC. WITH NO LUCK. HERE ARE HER SYMPTOMS.
HER VISION BECOMES BLURRY AND THEN SHE GOES INTO ALMOST LIKE A TRANCE WHERE SHE JUST STARES […]

For the last two months, I have had a constant pain in my left leg that travels up and down the leg from hip joint to calf. I can barely cross my left leg, put on my left shoe, even bending over to pick up things I can feel the pain in my hip […]

I got viral meningitis 4 years ago, was hospitalized for 5 days. Well, I got it again this year. I was in the hospital 4 days this time.
Now, my fiancé is concerned that he can contract this disease via sexual intercourse. Should this be a concern of ours?
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
No!

For as long as I can remember, I see stars and start to feel myself get close to passing out(although I never have)when I have a single hic-up. Not full blown hickups, maybe kind of a burp without burping. Normaly I just drop to one knee if I’m standing, or just close my […]

Cervical Discectomy
I underwent Anterior Cervical Discectomy about three years back for disc herniation at C5-C6 level. I have been having neck pain withuot radiation on and off over the past years, which would subside in a few days with some rest and using a soft cervical collar.
Since two weeks now,I had been experiencing moderate neck […]

My husband is in his late 60’s and started having seisure-like episodes last year. This “siezures” are alsways about an hour after he goes to sleep, so in other words he has them in his sleep. My question is: Is it possible to have seizures when you have sleep apnia and very low blood pressure […]

Hello. 11 days ago I hurt my knee. I tripped on one of my daughters toys. The injury dropped me to the ground, and the pain was very intense. The next morning I went to a doctor. The doctor performed xrays and found that nothing was broken. She told me […]

My sister recently went into the ER because she was having what appeared to be seizures. Her right hand would start shaking and then her arms and sometimes her entire body would follow. Her legs and her hand would go numb- she could not feel anything.Her eyes would roll back in her hands and then […]

I am a 49 year female, within the last 3 weeks I developed what seem to look like a white head pimple on my left nipple. should I be concerned about this and what should I do to get rid of it.
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
If it does not go away, you should see the doctor. With […]

I am a 26 year old mother of 3 children. In the last 2 weeks I’ve noticed that I am always hungry and it’s all day long and it’s not just annoying stomach grumbling. Even if I eat a special K bar when I’m feeling hungry just to hold me over until my […]

Is it true that just a one-time exposure to asbestos causes mesothelioma? What are the other effects of asbestos? Can asbestos cause lung scarring? Does asbestos cause other types of cancer, apart from lung cancer and mesothelioma?
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
Exposure to asbestos can result in asbestosis, which is a form of pulmonary fibrosis, in which a […]

Weight Loss Problem
Please Help.
I jog 3 miles/ day. I weight train 3 days/week. I limit calories to 1300, fat 29g, carbs100g, protein100g. I cannot lose weight. I was always thin until my third child at the age of 35 (five years ago)
I cannot get below 155lbs.
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
Congratulations on such an active […]

About how long does it take to get results from an endometrial biopsy? Just want a general idea.
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
Usually 1-2 weeks. Depends on the hospital, laboratory, and pathology services, but I’d say normally you should have the results within about two weeks.
The biopsy must be prepared in the lab, go to the pathologist, […]

I am 25 yrs old and have never had a menstral cycle, ever. I have been starting to worry about why this is. I guess I just want to know what could be wrong with me. Is it something serious, or just temporary?
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
If you have never had menstruation, in medical […]

Chest Pain, sign of Heart disease or…muscle related?
I am a 29 year old female. I have been having chest pains for the past 3 ½ years that started after the birth of my 1st child. The pains are either sharp and quick or kind of a dull lagging. Sometimes it hurts in my arm, back, […]

I have been having servere mirgaine for the past 1 1/2 years. after seeing a specialist and having a CT Scan done, he could not find anything wrong, but did mention to me a specific type of mirgraine I might have -Basilar Artery Migraines. These headaches have caused me to leave my job, and are […]

I have been prescribed Levaquin (500mg pill once a day) for an ear infection. I am also a recreational marijuana user. Is it problematic to use marijuana while on Levaquin (other than the normal risks of each substantance individually)?
 
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
I don’t know of any direct interactions between levofloxacin and marijuana, but I recommend that […]

Incontinence (anal leakage)
I have been having a problem with a clear liquid leaking from my rectum. It doesn’t happen all the time, but at different, very inconvenient times. I take Metamucil twice a day, and it isn’t diarrhea or constipation. Does this sound at all familiar to you, and if so, what should I do […]

Xanthelasma, high cholesterol
I have white pockets of cholesterol build up on my eyelids. Is there away to get rid of these other than with laser surgery.
 
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
They are called xanthelasma and can be a sign of high cholesterol. They may reappear even after surgical removal. You definitely need to have your blood lipids measured, […]

Dr., I am a 52 year old male that stopped smoking and drinking over 30 years ago. Recently I started having tenderness around my left breast. Yesterday I noticed that I now have swelling around the same breast and it is more tender. My mother had breast cancer thus I am concerned.
 
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
Male breast […]

Kid’s Health
hi doc!
my daughter of 9 years been complaining of her feet/leg pain on DAILY basis since she was about 1 yr old.she was born with c-section in india and has no health probs of any kind.otherwise healthy normal kid but been complaing of her mainly both feet being in pain.she has been taking childrens […]

Foot Drop
About 4 years ago, I began to experience a feeling of numbness in the 2nd & 3rd toes on each foot. I saw 3 specialists, none could figure it out, one suggested it was “in my mind”. Well, I’m not crazy and the feeling never went away. Two months ago the feeling of numbness […]

I have a history of TMJ syndrome and had surgery in 1991. They did a scope on one side and arthrotomy on the other due to a ruined disk. Recently I have had a daily occurance of waking up and my ear canals are wet with fluid. Typically it will be worse on the side […]

I am a female & 44 years of age, I have been feeling real nasty on my stomach like a viral would feel and at the same time having a heavy palpitation in my throat all the way to my ears. This ha been ongoing for a week now and am a little concerned my […]

Husband dx with Glioblastoma IV one year ago. In the middle of his six and final chemotherapy treatment with Temadar. A firm fixed lump appeared behind left ear. His two tumors located also on left side of head one in Temporal and other in Frontal lobe. Could this lump behind his ear be an enlarged […]

Dear Dr. Joshua My problem is hard to expain but I’ll give it a try. Just as I am about to doze off sometimes I have seizures, my head jerks to the side very hard I feel a weird feeling in my brain, like a warning it is coming. I can remember some of it […]

Tingling fingers
I have been waking up with numbness in1st and 2nd finger, also tingling sensation radiating up my arm into the back top of my shoulder this is only on one hand and arm. I am male 30 years old. thanks
 
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
One possibility is compression of the radial nerve during sleep. The radial nerve […]

I have been experiencing a horrible pain on my lower back at my waist line, it causes me to feel cramps on my stomach, and I’m also feeling nausea. The pain in my lower back waistline line reminds me of the cramps I felt when giving birth. I also have no appetite when this occurs. […]

Every night, my hands fall asleep and go numb. Both of them. What causes this?
 
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
 
One possibility is carpal tunnel syndrome, which commonly causes pain and numbness in hands and fingers (thumb to ring finger) at night. The median nerve is compressed at wrist level, causing the symptoms. Computer work, and also hard manual […]