I am a 32 yo. I had a ruptured appendix at 13 and then a small bowel obstruction at 27 with no real symptoms between those times.
I was told by the general surgeon that I have a good likelihood of having additional obstruction as it was caused by scar tissue and there was abdominal surgery […]

On Oct. 31 my husband and I were walking home from the grocery store and I was carrying a slightly heavy backpack. My lower left side began hurting and got steadily worse until I went to the er the next day. The dr. said he thought the cat scan showed eppilloic appendigitis an sent me […]

My father passed away on 9/30 of colon cancer, we were really close and I am depressed but getting out of it. I am on Lorazepam for the anxiety. Since his death I have had a little discomfort almost right on the bottom part of the left rib. If I stand or lay down absolutely […]

I’m 28 years old and here recently I have been seeing blood in my stool. Should I be worried?
Doctor Joshua’s Answer
There can be basically three types of blood in stool:
1) Bright red blood. By far the the most common reason is hemorrhoids (piles). Anal fissures are also typical causes. There are also other, more […]

Hi, i’ve had heartburn for about 10 years, but it went untreated for so long because of my age. i recently changed Dr’s and he put me on Protonix for about a year now, which allowes me to eat w/out the burning, but i have to stay on it. in the past month, […]

Every time I eat I have a bad stomach ache. It’s in a strange spot higher up than most stomach pain and it is very sharp. It is very different from gas pain so I already know it isn’t that. It happens EVERY time I eat and it has been going on […]

my friend has real bad stomach pains-but doesn’t have the internet to look this up on his own. he says his gut constantly hurts and sometimes has bloody stool. he says it’s not a cramping feeling-it’s just in his lowing gut. it hurts him so bad be can’t hardly stand up stright. […]

It feels like I have a constant air bubble or burp stuck in my throat. It is worse when I lay down on my back.
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
Short answer to a short question: One possible reason is GERD, meaning gastroesophageal reflux disease. This occurs when acid from the stomach enters the esophagus. You could try […]

How much should I weigh?

Weight is one of the most significant factors that affect your health, and, even more importantly, this is one factor you can actively do something about.
Below you can find a simple calculator. Use it to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). Enter your height and weight, then look at the […]

Dear Dr. Joshua, Â
I have been ill since March of 2005, I have explained my symptoms to other doctors that I have seen and have been ignored, or they only treat my current symptom. I have been frustrated and want an intelligent theory instead of drugs. I am 26 now, […]

My question to you is:  I’ve been having some problems with constipation for about 3 years now. However, I’ve been diagnosed with IBS about 2 months ago(irritable bowel syndrome) and I started taking Zelnorm, which helped me greatly. I”m no longer on the medication and the only thing I take right now is Metamucil, […]

I work for the UN and am stationed in Sudan. I tested posted for malaria, and took coartem, then felt fine. I did not go back to the UN doctor for the follow-up test to see if it was gone, because I was in the field. About three weeks later, the malaria symptoms returned, but […]

I have had pain in my upper abdomen for a long time but just thought of it as an ulcer or something. It has gotten worse over time. The pain covers an area about the size of my fist and it is right at the top part of my stomach. I have had gallbladder surgery. […]

here is a list of my symptoms..all beginning around January 3rdish.
1. chronic fatigue- i could sleep the entire day. i am often tired
when i wake up.
2. intolerance to alcohol - i used to drink pretty much every day and
now even the smell makes me nauseous.
3. chronic back pain - it is primarily in […]

i am suffering from this decease since 1997…….this started like this……..initially i suffered from a strong nausea feeling for some days continously…….and started to vomit what ever i used to eat……this was during my graduation days…….i use to remain very tensed due to this……after so many gastro tests the doctors could not stop the vomiting…….they […]

I have been doing research on ulcers. Peptic and duodenal. Can you please tell me the difference between them or if they are both gastric ulcers. I still don’t understand and everything I read seems to contradict each other. What is the difference between peptic, duodenal & gastric or are they the […]

Here is my symptoms, some burning below and above v of
my ribs, worst when lay down, times very nervous and
restless, spell when skin fill tingly shakey and cold
feet are cold feel like am going to pass out. tested
sugar most the time when feel sick it is low. symptom
worse when lying down. have been treated twice […]

I have been expereincing unusual body happenings for the past month now. There is light red blood my stool, sometimes it is a bigger amount and sometimes it is a smaller amount. I also have sharp pains in the abdomen sometimes, seems like in various places, but mostly in my lower right side. I eat […]

I am a 31 year old female. Over the past 6 weeks, I have been experiencing (sp) sereral episodes of the same illness. However, each time I get sick, a new symptom occurs. It started one evening with a sudden onset of stomach cramps and nausea. No other symptons. The next time, was […]

What causes rectal discharge with a little blood?
Dr. Joshua’s Answer:
The most common causes are hemorrhoids and anal fissure. Neither of these is dangerous. There are other less common reasons, so have your doctor take a look.

I am a 31 year old female who was Diagnosed about 5 years ago with Ulcerative Colitis. I have terrible acne and have tried everything on the market I could possibly find that claimed to help. I have heard a lot about Accutane and I wanted to know if there are any other choices maybe […]

My dad bent over 2 months ago and felt a burning pain in his upper right quadrant. Since then he has had pain in the area – only relived by leaning forward when sitting and when supine at night. He can ‘pin point’ the exact spot the pain originates and it has a lateral transfer […]

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. […]

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 […]

Dr. Joshua, I am about 11 days late for my period. I’m having pains in my lower abdominal area ( feels like cramps) I have taken 3 at home pregnancy tests, which have all been negative. I have never been this late for a period. I have been on the birth control pill for about […]

am a 36 year old male in good health. I have been having abdominal pain in various places not severe comes and goes. Also sore around ribs and in to thje lower back muscles.No urine problems or stool problems.I do drink coffee and soda also 3- 4 beers a day. Does this sound like […]

D., mother of three, asks about her nausea, headaches, dizziness, stomach pain:
My youngest child is 8 months old, the boys are 7 & 9
On January 2 of this year, I got a nasty stomach flu. Ended up vomitting so hard I messed something up in my jaw. It was so bad, I went […]

J. asks about her 10-year-old daughter’s constipation:

My 10 year old daughter suffers from severe constipation. She has suffered for almost a year and a half now. We have been to the pediatrician many many times and don’t get too much help. They performed an X-Ray and found that her “whole system” was “stuffed from top […]

P. asks about his colon:

My provider does cover sigmoidoscopy but only colonoscopy if there are clinical or other indications. I had hemoccult lab test and sigmoidoscopy recently and they were negative. No clinical indications. Family history has only one occurence, my 80 year old (at the time) grandmother.I am curious if there are any statistics […]