We're getting old (OO medical complaints)

[stessier]

Last night after dinner, I started getting pain in my right testicle. I thought I just brushed something wrong. It got worse over the next hour, but I was still able to fall asleep at my usual time. About 8:45 I woke up from the pain

All of this sounds no fun at all, but I've gotta ask: what time do you normally go to bed???

7-7:30, but I wake up between 3-4 so I can get my run in before taking the kids to school.

[Jeff V]

A few minutes ago I tripped over one of the kid's toys on the kitchen floor, landing on my ass and treating myself to a large wound on my left forearm. I'm beginning to understand why falls in hospitals and nursing homes are such a big deal.

[Drazzil]

Plantar warts. I've made it my whole life without 'em, and now I have two on each foot, along the ball, right between the inner and outer (so right where the weight rests.) It's like having four rocks stuck in my shoe 24/7. I tried some OTC freezing solution with liquid. The freezing solution was... moderately cool at best. The liquid killed a few layers of flesh. After that sloughed off with two weeks of application the warts were... smaller. But still there. And still pokey.

I waited a couple of weeks for the areas to heal, and now I'm starting again. This time I super-saturated the cold solution onto the swab so that it was literally dripping (instructions say dispense for 2-3 seconds - I did about 5.) I applied it for about 40 seconds (instructions say 20.) That made the areas almost cold. I started the liquid again last night. Hopefully it does better this time.

I know that any doctor can freeze them off in a heartbeat, but I'm not making an appointment during a surge to deal with a little discomfort. I'm not exposing myself for that, and I'm not taking the (seriously overworked) doctor's time away from patients in actual need.

When I had warts as a teenager it took several visits to the doctor to get rid of em. When I had them as a twenty something, I just gritted my teeth and dug them out with an exacto and a pair of nail clippers. It was really hard to spot the dark spots through all the blood but somehow I did it.

[Blackhawk]

The Toe Bro Youtube channel has a couple entries on plantar warts and other warts. The trick is basically, warts only live on the top layer of skin, but it goes deep, esp. if it Is living on the weight-bearing part of your foot. And it grows THICK SKIN so topical solutions may not get all of it. And if there's even a little left it'll come back, and since your tissue is damaged by the previous treatment, it may be worse than ever. So you need to have ONE operation where it's ALL taken out, scraped and scooped, then the area electrocauterized, AND acid applied, to make absolutely sure it doesn't come back.

An operation isn't going to happen. But those videos did help (or rather a different video on his channel.) The one thing that the instructions don't mention that he comments on is that you need to scrape it a few hours after each treatment. I gave them a second round and scraped, and it seems to have done the trick.

[Holman]

I've gained weight in the past few years (I'm 5'11" and 230 pounds when just five years ago I was at 205), and for a couple of years now my blood pressure has been trending up into hypertension. After some monitoring, my doctor has decided to put me on a daily 25mg dose of Losartan Potassium tablets. (A common brand name for this is Cozaar.)

I'll take the first pill tomorrow. Does anyone have any experience with this? Are there any side effects to watch out for?

My initial concern is that I'll be taking a four-day college-visit trip this weekend with my eldest. I'll hold off starting the dose if it produces, for example, dizziness while highway driving.

[Rumpy]

Plantar warts. I've made it my whole life without 'em, and now I have two on each foot, along the ball, right between the inner and outer (so right where the weight rests.) It's like having four rocks stuck in my shoe 24/7. I tried some OTC freezing solution with liquid. The freezing solution was... moderately cool at best. The liquid killed a few layers of flesh. After that sloughed off with two weeks of application the warts were... smaller. But still there. And still pokey.

I waited a couple of weeks for the areas to heal, and now I'm starting again. This time I super-saturated the cold solution onto the swab so that it was literally dripping (instructions say dispense for 2-3 seconds - I did about 5.) I applied it for about 40 seconds (instructions say 20.) That made the areas almost cold. I started the liquid again last night. Hopefully it does better this time.

I know that any doctor can freeze them off in a heartbeat, but I'm not making an appointment during a surge to deal with a little discomfort. I'm not exposing myself for that, and I'm not taking the (seriously overworked) doctor's time away from patients in actual need.

When I had warts as a teenager it took several visits to the doctor to get rid of em. When I had them as a twenty something, I just gritted my teeth and dug them out with an exacto and a pair of nail clippers. It was really hard to spot the dark spots through all the blood but somehow I did it.

Yeah, when I was younger, I had to have warts taken care of. Took many visits and different treatments. I now still have a scar in the bottom of my foot where they removed it via surgery, where they went in deep. Had to soak my feet in salt water for several weeks until it healed, from what I remember.

[Smoove_B]

My initial concern is that I'll be taking a four-day college-visit trip this weekend with my eldest. I'll hold off starting the dose if it produces, for example, dizziness while highway driving.

I have been taking Losartan for almost 8 years now without incident. I think the first day or so I might have had some really mild dizziness, but I also take my meds at night with dinner as that's the easiest time for me to remember to take them. I don't recall having persistent dizziness but you should also likely watch yourself a bit more when standing up from the couch or getting out of bed. It's not something I am worried about now, but early on you might notice some extra wobble if you're used to just springing up.

I don't think you need a full stomach but I do, as well as taking it with plenty of water. I made the mistake once of taking it on an empty stomach and when my water intake was less than optimal and I ended up paying for it the next day with severe dehydration and nausea. To be clear, the alcohol didn't help but I would have likely been better off skipping a pill that night.

Good on you for trying to get it under control. It's just a thing now; part of my daily routine.

[Holman]

My initial concern is that I'll be taking a four-day college-visit trip this weekend with my eldest. I'll hold off starting the dose if it produces, for example, dizziness while highway driving.

I have been taking Losartan for almost 8 years now without incident. I think the first day or so I might have had some really mild dizziness, but I also take my meds at night with dinner as that's the easiest time for me to remember to take them. I don't recall having persistent dizziness but you should also likely watch yourself a bit more when standing up from the couch or getting out of bed. It's not something I am worried about now, but early on you might notice some extra wobble if you're used to just springing up.

I don't think you need a full stomach but I do, as well as taking it with plenty of water. I made the mistake once of taking it on an empty stomach and when my water intake was less than optimal and I ended up paying for it the next day with severe dehydration and nausea. To be clear, the alcohol didn't help but I would have likely been better off skipping a pill that night.

Good on you for trying to get it under control. It's just a thing now; part of my daily routine.

Thanks!

[dbt1949]

Had a neighbor from across the street come visit this afternoon. She's a little younger than us but has the full ailment selection for olde people. Even caught Covid altho she had both her shots.

[jztemple2]

I've gained weight in the past few years (I'm 5'11" and 230 pounds when just five years ago I was at 205), and for a couple of years now my blood pressure has been trending up into hypertension. After some monitoring, my doctor has decided to put me on a daily 25mg dose of Losartan Potassium tablets. (A common brand name for this is Cozaar.)

I'll take the first pill tomorrow. Does anyone have any experience with this? Are there any side effects to watch out for?

I can't say anything about that drug. I've been taking 10mg of Lisinopril daily with no issues since 2008 for hypertension. And I get it for free through my Publix pharmacy .

[Daehawk]

I take lisinopril as well and I recall in the old days my wife took losartan. No side effects as I recall.

[dbt1949]

I take 40mg doses with no noticeable side effects.

[Holman]

Thanks, all.

[SnarlQuigmire]

Haven’t been on here in a long while,but saw this and figured I’d post since I’m going through similar issues.Almost to 40 years old and my body starts giving me the finger.Found out abt 6 months ago I have Crohns disease,and have to take injections similar to what a diabetic does every 8 weeks.Stomach hurts like hell most days,worst pain I’ve ever been through.Meds help,so does staying away from foods that aggravate the disease.
About two months ago,after prodding from my wife cause of constant high numbers,find out i have high blood pressure as well,taking meds for it too.Apparently I was closer to a stroke then I realized.
It’s hell getting old gents,and I’m not even up there in age yet.

[Jeff V]

Haven’t been on here in a long while,but saw this and figured I’d post since I’m going through similar issues.Almost to 40 years old and my body starts giving me the finger.

Oh, just wait until you actually get old!

I'm trying to avoid the fate of Kraken's BIL. I haven't stubbed my toe, but I have painful calluses on my heels and toes. Some days I cannot walk like I'd like, and this has discouraged any running for quite some time.

[Daehawk]

You guys make me want to join a gym. If it weren't for Covid I just might. For now I dont have to worry about it.

[stessier]

New indignity for the day - internal hemorrhoid - wishing for a quick death.

[stessier]

I need someone to tell me that they survived hemorrhoids or that this will end because I'm not sure how much longer I can put up with this.

[jztemple2]

I need someone to tell me that they survived hemorrhoids or that this will end because I'm not sure how much longer I can put up with this.

I've had them and you do survive but it is uncomfortable.

[stessier]

I need someone to tell me that they survived hemorrhoids or that this will end because I'm not sure how much longer I can put up with this.

I've had them and you do survive

Thanks - do you remember timelines at all? It's been about 5 days and I think it's getting worse rather than better.

but it is uncomfortable.

Heh, you win the understatement award. Using the bathroom is bad. Then the next 2 hours are bad. Trying to use the suppository medicine is incredibly bad. Standing is bad...sitting is worse.

I used the bathroom at 4:10 this morning and still haven't recovered. I've called the doctor again - hoping they have more suggestions on things to try.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

You could always go the Drazzil method....

[Isgrimnur]

You could always go the Drazzil method....

But Brain, where are we going to get Jalapeño Cream Cheese Taquitos at this time of day?

[Unagi]

I need someone to tell me that they survived hemorrhoids or that this will end because I'm not sure how much longer I can put up with this.

I've had them and you do survive

Thanks - do you remember timelines at all? It's been about 5 days and I think it's getting worse rather than better.

but it is uncomfortable.

Heh, you win the understatement award. Using the bathroom is bad. Then the next 2 hours are bad. Trying to use the suppository medicine is incredibly bad. Standing is bad...sitting is worse.

I used the bathroom at 4:10 this morning and still haven't recovered. I've called the doctor again - hoping they have more suggestions on things to try.

So, I am going to suggest that you don't just have internal hemorrhoids, as I've also experienced them and they perfectly matched the definition . It sounds like you may have a thrombosed hemorrhoid ? Or at the very least, slipped into the land of prolapsed or protruding hemorrhoid.

Internal hemorrhoids
Internal hemorrhoids lie inside the rectum. You usually can't see or feel them, and they rarely cause discomfort. But straining or irritation when passing stool can cause:
Painless bleeding during bowel movements. You might notice small amounts of bright red blood on your toilet tissue or in the toilet.
A hemorrhoid to push through the anal opening (prolapsed or protruding hemorrhoid), resulting in pain and irritation.

Thrombosed hemorrhoids
If blood pools in an external hemorrhoid and forms a clot (thrombus), it can result in:
Severe pain
Swelling
Inflammation
A hard lump near your anus

[stessier]

Yeah, I started Googling yesterday and came to the conclusion that I either had an extremely rare internal one or it was some other option. Have an appointment this afternoon for an in person visit (last visit was virtual) to have the area checked for any other mass or causes. I've never had the prostate check, so this will be all new...although after 4 days of self administered suppositories, I have an idea of what to expect. I think it says something of my current discomfort that the thought of this visit is not the worst thing in the world.

Also - what's with the price of Hydrocortisone suppositories? I got 12 and it was $160 before insurance and $97 after!

[Carpet_pissr]

Apparently I need reading glasses now.

I assume it's some kind of karmic payback for making fun of my wife over the past couple years when I hold something up for her to read, and she backs away DRAMATICALLY, like 4 feet, as if I had just held up a tarantula to her face.

I guess she noticed me moving my phone away from my face the other night, and told me to try her reading glasses. OMG the difference they made was ridiculous. And only 1.25x power. Not sure if I need to get to an eye doctor or not, but NOW (since that revelation a few days ago), I notice that the text on my desktop monitor is quite blurry. My eyes are about 2.5 feet from the screen I guess? 32" monitor, 1440p

[Daehawk]

I have to set up a dermatologist appointment myself soon. Want a couple moles removed and some places looked at that have worried me enough to set an appointment. Also Ive have the inside corner of one eye stay dry and raw off and on for years and Ive had enough of it. Ive put vaseline, neosporin and other stuff on it that helps a little but does not sure it.

[Smoove_B]

(1) Absolutely go get growths looked at. I had an uncle die from ignoring skin cancer about 20 years ago and it still bothers me

(2) Neosporin should not in any way be put near your eye; it can scar or damage your cornea.

[Daehawk]

See this advice is why I post here.

[Default]

They sawed open my foot to correct a tailors bunion. Since I had nothing better to do, I arranged cognitive behavioral therapy, although there is going to be a wait for the first intake session.

[Scuzz]

I need someone to tell me that they survived hemorrhoids or that this will end because I'm not sure how much longer I can put up with this.

I remember many years ago my dad telling me that had he known what the surgery for hemorrhoids was like he would have just put up with the hemorrhoids.

Hopefully things have changed.

[Kraken]

I need someone to tell me that they survived hemorrhoids or that this will end because I'm not sure how much longer I can put up with this.

I remember many years ago my dad telling me that had he known what the surgery for hemorrhoids was like he would have just put up with the hemorrhoids.

Hopefully things have changed.

Same with my dad, probably 50 years ago. He, uh...lost control over his sphincter for awhile. I imagine techniques have improved since then.

I've had 'rhoids for quite a few years. They don't usually hurt or itch, but I bleed a little nearly every time I take a dump. Sometimes it's just a few drops on the paper, other times enough to discolor the toilet water. Occasionally I have to wait several minutes for the bleeding to stop or I'll ruin my underwear. It's a delicate and annoying condition, but not actionable.

[dbt1949]

My dad had the surgery and found it unhelpful. Plus the procedure was uncomfortable to say the least.

[Madmarcus]

My doctor says I have hemorrhoids but I really haven't noticed much of anything.

[stessier]

Well, the Dr. visit yesterday was able to rule out a prostate problem - both the digital exam and the PSA test were normal. She said I have to see a colorectal surgeon because they are the ones with the camera to really tell what is going on (not that it will necessarily lead to surgery). She said as part of her exam, she thought she might have detected a stricture in the passage, but doing it blind is not the best test. She also said I could stop the suppositories because if they were going to work, they already would have. That was the best news of the day - I hate those things.

So now I wait and hope they can get me in early next week and that it's not too bad this weekend. She said all the pain I was feeling was internal as the external view was normal. Nerves are crazy - why even put them there? She said if it got too bad over the weekend, to go to the ER because they could get a surgeon to see me sooner - well, she said after 10-12 hours once they are through dealing with the COVID cases. Really hoping it doesn't come to that.

[stessier]

Our healthcare system sucks. I just got a call from the surgeon and the next available appointment is November 15th. I'm now supposed to call the triage nurse to see if I truly qualify as urgent and can try and get in earlier. I am not happy.

[Daehawk]

So she didn't check your prostate by ramming a greasy finger up in there?

[Kraken]

"Digital exam" does not mean computerized.

[Daehawk]

Banged my arm on the front door latch yesterday. Thought I was dying it hurt so much.

Had a leg cramp in the night last night try to hit me so I instantly stretched my leg out fast. Almost hit the roof. Scared my dog it woke him up.

Chest muscle cramp today. UGH.

Plus Im kinda off mentally it feels like the last couple days.

[Jaymann]

Either you have a low roof or a very long leg.

[gbasden]

Either you have a low roof or a very long leg.

Or a really high bunk bed.