Antibiotics to treat jock itch

I recently got a urinalysis done and the results came back saying that I had high levels of bacteria in my urine. My physician prescribed me an antibiotic (nitrofurantoin mono-mcr) for a UTI. I was suprised to hear that I had a UTI because I did not have any major discomfort when I go pee or anything like that. I did some research and found that I might have a medical condition called asymptomatic bacteriuria. I was reading online that it is generally not recommended to take antibiotics to fix this and that it could increase the risk of UTIs in the future because of antibiotic resistance that the uropathogenic bacteria could develop. I am not pregnant, nor am I immunocompromsied, nor am I getting a urologic surgery or like that. I am also assigned male at birth. I have been eating some steak that I have cooked rare over the last few months. Maybe I didn’t completely cook the steak (or some other type(s) of meat) properly, and some of the E.coli found on the surfaces of the steak got into my urine; I can’t think of anything else that I have done that could cause it. Anyways, should I take the antibiotics to treat my asymptomatic bacteriuria? I have them at home just in case but I feel like my physician is wrong on this one. Any thoughts?

Systematic treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria is not recommended and even classic indications such as asymptomatic bacteriuria in pregnant women are controversial. In fact, its treatment is associated with a higher probability of symptomatic UTI and a higher prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Improving the diagnosis of asymptomatic bacteriuria and optimizing the management of recurrent urinary tract infections, especially through non-antibiotics measures, are needed in order to minimise antimicrobial resistance.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8634747/

28yo Female, Australia. 157cm / 58kg
Current diagnosed conditions: POTS, IST, ADHD, Chronic Rhinitis & Sinusitis, Chronic Gastritis, Anxiety.
Medications: Metoprolol 50mg, Vyvanse 50mg, Loratadine 10mg, Losec 10mg, Nasonex nasal spray.
Being investigated: C-PTSD, Toxic mould exposure (MARCoNs Swab sent off)
Family history: Mother had a SCAD heart attack 6 months ago, father has GERD & Oesophageal Ulcers, brother has Autism & sister has PCOS. Grandmother had Sjogrens, Lupus, Raynauds & LAM Disease.
My recent history: Had multiple antibiotic resistant endometritis, EBV, CMV, Covid & then C-Diff (after 10 different antibiotics) all in the space of a few months in mid 2022 after the birth of second child & have had issues ever since. Gastric sleeve in June 2023, have lost 35kgs, in a DV relationship for 4 years, have been free since January.
➖ My hands and feet have a lot of issues.. persistent tingling, sensitive to hot and cold, sometimes they will feel tight and movement is slightly restricted. Other times they will itch, turn bright red & burn like crazy, other times they will feel frozen and ache. One will be white while the other is red. I’ve had random sensations of warmth washing over one foot like I’ve poured warm water over it.
Raynauds, Erythromelalgia & Scleroderma come up in google searches, could it be another condition to look into or a side affect from my medication? Which specialist/tests should I be asking for?
Thank you so much for taking your time to read.

I(32M) have ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. About two weeks ago on Friday I started feeling unwell and ended up having an episode of cholangitis, where I had pain in my upper right abdomen. I needed about a week to recover, during which I had issues with stomach upset come up time and time again. However on the next Sunday I started developing a fever after eating a bigger meal, and ended up vomiting for 1.5 hours in the early hours of Monday. I didn't have diarrhea on the other hand, which I believed was because I vomited everything up from what caused me to get sick.
Since then I have been slowly recovering, but whenever I tried to eat a bigger meal I would again start feeling sick and develop a fever. When I realized this connection I stuck to eating smaller meals again.
We got a blood test done, which revealed a high CRP(66 mg/L), and an elevated GPT of 113(U/L). My white blood cell counts were also elevated. A few days after the vomiting I had one night where I was itching on my hands and feet quite badly, and this morning my urine was brown, but generally I experienced no pain in my upper right abdomen since two weeks ago.
So why I am posting this is to just get a few pointers on where I should head next. I visited my family doctor during the previous week twice and we were on the conclusion that I was recovering from a bacterial infection of the stomach, and that everything should be okay now. Instead yesterday(on Friday) I felt well enough to go back to work, until eating a bigger meal gave me a fever again and made me realize I am still not well. I would go back to my family doctor of course, but I cant' do that until Monday. I will also be calling my hepatologist/gastroenterologist to consult with them.
I am mostly worried about this pattern of only being able to eat small meals, and that sometimes even small portions can make me sweat, and of course the fever induced by eating a larger meal. Can anyone please give some pointers? I wasn't prescribed any antibiotics, since we believed that with the vomiting having gone, I was already recovering.
Thanks.

I 34F came down with extreme chills and dizziness/fever 2 days ago. This is the third time I’ve been sick since March (similar cold/flu symptoms). I’ve tried testing for Covid and have been negative this round and previous round (not sure about March infection, I was on vacation)
Yesterday I was trying to combat my chills by overheating myself with a blanket cocoon, hoping to sweat it out. Afterwards, I noticed what I thought was eczema-looking blisters.
My family has history of eczema and I think I have it too, but haven’t had it looked at or treated as they were self-resolving.
Then overnight, things changed when my feet started to itch, in which I tried to run my feet through some cold water. After doing that twice over 1-2 hours, I slept a little and woke up to my feet being super inflamed.
It’s not super painful unless I’m putting pressure on my feet (standing/walking). I just feel it super inflamed and very uncomfortable when I’m resting.
It has also spread to my elbows and my hands, and around my nose area.
So I decided to go to the nearest emergency to get it checked out since I couldn’t get an appointment with my family doctor.
The doctor says that they think it’s chilblains, and that there’s nothing they can do other than for me to eat Advil/tylenol. He was unconcerned that I still feel chills even today, and he did not want to prescribe a steroid cream to help in case this needed dermatologist intervention.
Nothing was prescribed to me at this time and I feel like my condition has gotten worse.
Should I visit a bigger emergency? Or do I have to just ride it out.
And is there something I can do to mitigate it? Ice it? Keep it warm?
At my wits end here
Pics: https://ibb.co/pz6bdWc https://ibb.co/bjtqRdG https://ibb.co/r7pNjN3

During our (25f, 35m) almost two years together, he:

• Undressed me and had sex with my limp body after I told him "not right now" (I had just accidentally hit a cat with my car a few hours before, and I was a mess because of that). I was crying and covering my face with my hands, and I was too mentally exhausted to push him off of me or do anything. He later said he wasn't aware I was crying.
  
• Forced me several times to have sex when he was drunk and I kept saying no because I felt uncomfortable with him being drunk. The only time I resisted, he became so heartless, cold and sulky, which caused me to burst into tears and have a huge fight which I honestly thought would be the end of the relationship (it wasn't).
  
• Would "jockingly" punch my arms or thighs, slap the back of my neck, push me down, pull my hair, etc. He even left bruises once or twice, but that's just because I don't get bruises easily. Whenever I said it hurt and asked him to stop, he said it couldn't possibly hurt since he wasn't actually hitting me, he was just playing. If I tried to hit him back in the same "jocking" manner, he would hit me harder.
  
• Constantly criticized my looks. "why don't you put on some make up? Why don't you cut/dye/style your hair? Look at your colleagues, they take care of themselves, don't you want to look like them? Don't you want to be a lady? Why don't you want to have breast surgery to fix those uneven boobs?". I had clean yet baggy clothes, I showered twice a day, used deodorant, washed my hair, flossed and brushed after every meal. I just don't look anything like the models and porn actresses he is obsessed with.
  
• Withheld affection. He would literally shove me and push me when trying to hug him, telling me to leave him alone. He wouldn't hold my hand, no goodbye hug, nothing. It took over half a year to get him to cuddle sometimes. Most of the time, I have to beg, literally beg him to let me hug him for just 2 seconds. He is always in a hurry or not in the mood for being touched.
  
• Gave me the silent treatment/disappeared for days and weeks. During this time, I couldn't sleep or eat, my heart was racing and my mind was overwhelmed with thoughts of how I may have hurt him, how I should've behaved differently, how it's my fault he is upset. Before we were serious, he ghosted me on New Year's Eve and came back after 3 months.
  
• Would constantly hurry me, walk ahead of me, not wait for me, cut me off when walking down the street and had to make a turn, even though I repeteadly told him it was bothering me.
  
• Would always tell me I'm stupid and immature for liking flowers, bugs, anything nature. Criticized me for taking too many photos of every little thing, for picking flowers, for everything "soft hearted". He always shuts me down when I try to tell him about a trip I've been on or show him photos (and he never wants to come with me when I invite him).
  

Finally, the last straw was how he treated my dogs. I have one senior dog, Jack, and I also recently adopted one year old Nero, who was found abandoned and injured.
My boyfriend very much disliked my older dog. He would say Jack is just a mutt, he is ugly, fat and old, and I should just take him to the slaughterhouse or something. He made stupid jokes like this all the time. He told me not to let Jack sit in front of him because he didn't want to have to look at him and couldn't stand him.
With my younger dog, that's a different story. Nero is likely not a mutt, he appears to be purebred. My boyfriend liked him because of that, so he would eagerly ask to hold Nero when we were walking the dogs. From the very beginning he treated him roughly though. He would forcibly pick him up, throw him around, set him off on cats, push him, shove him, pull onto the skin on his back and neck, etc. I asked him not to roughhouse the dog like that all the time, or at least keep it light, because all it did was teach the pup to be agressive, but he wouldn't listen.
What he did yesterday made my blood boil with rage. He picked Nero up and literally threw him onto Jack's back. Of course Jack started yelping and tried to bite Nero. I snapped. That was the only time I ever yelled at my boyfriend. I screamed at him at the top of my lungs, asking if he's an idiot. Jack is old, his legs are achy, and my boyfriend just threw another fully grown dog onto his back. Moreover, I've been struggling to make the dogs get along and live together, and now you're trying to pit them against each other?!?
After the initial shock and rage, I asked him to apologize at least. He refused. He said he had done nothing wrong. He thinks I'm too soft, I treat those dogs too gently, it's ok to play roughly, they're dogs afterall, it's not hurting them.
It's funny how he could abuse me in any way possible, and I let it go on, I even tried to justify his abusive ways. He took so much from me, my enthusiasm and love for everything I once enjoyed. But when it came to my dogs, I just snapped. When things got physical with my dogs, I finally found it in me to fight back. Now I think this young pup and I were meant to meet and save each other.

Hi, my cat just had a surgery to remove a mass (an internal abscess), and because she's fairly slim and the mass was large, it was difficult to stitch the wound together (4 times the stitches get undone) and the vet decided to Leave it open and treat it with L-Mesitran Soft gel, and, after about an hour, Eosine spray. She gets this treatment 3 times a day + antibiotics over 15 days. This is how the wound looks like:
https://preview.redd.it/12zoatc5rw3d1.jpg?width=1560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=374471ad719474231b92483fec4725b04ce6b9e5
Have anyone had a case like this? Is the treatment she's getting enough?
The wound is clean and puss-free.
Any advice is very appreciated. Thank you.

I am posting my experience with feline Calicivirus (fcv) in a multi cat household…I have two 8 year old cats (siblings) a 5 year old cat and a 8 week old kitten that I adopted 3 weeks ago..the kitten was taken to the vet to get vaccinated and dewormed before being rehomed to me but unfortunately she was too young to get vaccinated at that time so when she came home we scheduled an appointment when she was of age to get vaccinated which will be tomorrow
(I do not agree with taking kittens from their mothers at such a young age but in this situation the person that was trying to re home them came into possession of them because they were approached by someone who found the kittens on their property and said they were getting rid of them one way or another without their mom so she rescued them and started to find homes for them and me being experienced in caring for kittens at a young age decided I had room in my home for one more)
sorry for the tangent I just felt I had to explain myself. But back to the Calicivirus…when I brought the kitten home she did sneeze occasionally but I didn’t think much of it and I allowed her to get to know my older cats during supervised play time.
About a week and a half after I had her one of my 8 year old cats stopped eating and drinking I knew something was wrong so I took her to the er vet and they said she had a fever but didn’t know what was causing it so they gave her a general antibiotic shot that lasts 2 weeks and could treat multiple infections as well as a liquid shot that would help her stay hydrated. After two days she was still in the decline so I took her back. This time is was a different vet who took more time to understand the symptoms as well as history and gave her a thorough examination. After her examination she showed me the inside of my babies mouth which was covered with ulcers which is why she wasn’t eating of drinking..she also did x rays and determined she had pneumonia…
the only option we had was to get a feeding tube put in place so my fur baby could get food and water because she refused to eat or drink because she was in pain..she was also prescribed a specific antibiotic that was used to treat the infection because of course the antibiotic shot she was injected with during the first visit did not treat an upper respiratory infection.
She has had her feeding tube for a week now and has been on her antibiotics for the same amount of time and she is almost completely back to her old self :).

Tl;dr below.
My cat (~6 y/o, neutered male, domestic shorthair, 17.5 lbs (yes, he’s on a diet)) has been over-grooming for a couple of years now, and recently it has gotten to the point where his lower belly and parts of his back legs are nearly bare. We have also been combating infected lesions from this, but as of now, they have all been treated and have healed. It was determined that it was caused by anxiety (I live in an area with a LOT of strays), but now that he’s being treated with twice daily gabapentin, the vet has essentially told me that I’m SOL and that it’ll be a lifelong habit. She just advised me to treat any lesions as they appear, and has given me a refillable prescription of antibiotic spray in the event they reappear.
Since then, I’ve tried some other interventions. I typically gently redirect him when I see him licking those areas. Recently, I tried a surgery suit that is marketed towards recovery from a spay/neuter, but he responded very poorly to this. He also responds poorly to the e-collar and always manages to wiggle out of it, even when I feel it is too tight.
I had the idea to use bitter apple spray on the affected areas to maybe break the habit of him licking himself so much, or at least to allow the hair to regrow. I know it’s not advisable to use bitter apple spray on open wounds, but is it safe for just skin when there are no open wounds? Furthermore, would this have any chance of being effective? I’ve also considered artificial pheromones or CBD as potential options to reduce the behavior, and would appreciate opinions on those as well.
Thanks so much in advance.
Tl;dr cat is over-grooming and I want to try bitter apple spray to stop him from licking the area and let the hair regrow. He’s already being treated for anxiety. Is it safe for skin with no wounds and is there a chance it would be effective?

37, type 2 diabetic (BS well managed with ozempic and insulin after years of barely tolerating metformin), PTSD, ASD, OCD, ARFID, PMDD. NB/AFAB. Fat, muscular, active. believe in health at every size and ability. big maintenance phase fan.
i have been dealing with alternating sinus and gum infection for last 5 months.
i'm posting here bc i just discovered this subreddit and think it's dope. also bc my therapist told me not to go on google and im an idiot (as you'll soon see) and now have myself freaked out. also terrible self advocate and blew it at the health center today IRL, so why not go talk to strangers on the interne.
respiratory history- off and on but more on 10 year spliff smoker (never a pack a day- 5/day max), quit for several months at a several times the last several years, but keep falling off the wagon like an idiot. use thc tincture to avoid smoking. also feels relevant to share that i have always lived in wood heat houses. i def have had exposure to plenty of badly vented houses, smoke, mold, n other toxins over the course of 17 years of dirtbag life. i have treated my lungs terribly for too long, i know. last two years i have been living in an early 90s double wide with kerosene heat and discovering how incredible it is to just turn up a thermostat.
timeline - maybe too detailed but fuck it
2020- didn't complete a course of antibiotics for a boil, it resolved and i stopped early. short time later had the first and worst gum infection of my life. imagine trying to get a dentist appt in summer 2020 in a rural area. anyways. took full course of antibiotics, resolved, bought a power toothbrush, great.
2021- dx type 2 diabetes, ARFID
2023- dx ASD
jan 2024- start having these insane night sweats- absolutely drenched, sheets wet, skin running with sweat like i've been ina sauna. perimenopause?! da fuq. PC says yup maybe perimenopause.
feb 2024- go to dentist with gum infection, dx periodontal disease, prescribed 250mg amoxicillin and 250mg metronidazole, referred to periodontist
a few days later, see PC for regular check up, she ups amoxicillin to 500mg
a week later, see periodontist who agrees infection is not fully resolved after antibiotics. she applies antibiotic pellet directly into gums. infection fully resolved, periodontists gives all clear.
april 2024- get sick from work (i do mask), resolved but lingering sinus infection. PC prescribed z pack
may 2024- last few weeks have been feeling tender gums, feel like i have a sore throat, lungs feel sore/infected, ears clicking, neck, chest, jaw, all feel achey and tender. armpit groin knee and elbow all feel sore/overused. exhausted, fatigued, can't sleep enough. everything is hard. i usually come home from work and work in the gardens til dark but now i feel like i just need to come in and rest. headache a lotta days. had a few ticks crawling, no bites but sometimes it's hard to know. make appt, PC can't see me but i see a new NP. tick borne panel comes back negative, blood work looks decent but kinda high WBC (? it was 11.9) an low MCV/MCH, borderline anemic. prescribed 10 day course of augmentin 125mg 2 x day.
wednesday- i call on day 7/10 of antibiotics to report no change (boogers are less bloody but otherwise same). schedule for appt friday
today-friday- see NP again (PC booked out). NP agrees antibiotic should have helped by now, advises i can stop (im scared and don't want to plus tmrws the last day). NP suggests we can check blood work again, add thyroid and autoimmune to the list, doesn't redo tick bourne panel. suggests allergy meds (i've never had seasonal allergies but it's been a bad pollen season?). discuss mental health and recent intense stress with housing issues. brings up fibromyalgia, given the tenderness in multiple body parts and stress. i start to cry and shes very nice and gives me tissues. we agree to start with blood tests and allergy meds. i don't want to be an AH, i like this NP even tho im more comfortable with my PC. it just feels crappy to hear those things as possible answers. esp the FMS one- yes im afab and "overweight"- but why does it feel like the first suggestion is always FMS?. i know this isn't a tv show but can't we rule a few more things out? i've met my deductible for the year ppl let's go. lol. but seriously- FMS is all 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🤷‍♀️🤷🏼‍♂️ prescribing low impact excercises mediation and reduce stress. like ok??? and?! y is women's health so mysterious and under researched. /rant
anyways. i can see my blood work results tonight as they come back. pretty much the same as two weeks ago, high WBC and low MCV/MCH. thyroid, vit d, rheumatoid all average.
so i go on the google like a dumbass. and obvi ok- i know i shouldn't. i need to stop. and at the same time i can't help but feel like i have a lot of early warning signs for something serious. this doesn't fee like FMS. this feels like infection- heavy and tender. maybe i don't understand FMS, maybe i'm talking out of my ass with all of this bc i don't know the full picture. but from what i've read, gum disease def infect diff parts of the body and i've now had 4 rounds of antibiotics (1st scripts, pellets, zpack, 2nd scripts) in the course of 5 months and im not better. is breath work and allergy meds gonna heal me or do i ned to be hitting a panic button before something (idk what but something!) goes to town on me? the comorbidities got me stresssing yall.

I have successfully treated MRSA & and Staphylococcus with a poultice; made from crushed garlic (8 cloves), tumeric (1/8 cup) and honey (1/8 cup), which can be used for about 4 days before ingredients need to be replaced. The poultice should be applied to a gently-washed wound twice a day if there is a lot of drainage, but if the wound is not draining much then once a day is alright. The area should be covered with a sterile bandage to be replaced with each cleaning.
The poultice should be applied immediately upon signs of infection, usually when there is noticable pronounced redness or swelling in or around the wound. In the past, I waited until after the wound had swollen and had begun to drain or was able to be drained manually and then cleaned and applied the medicine, with an average of 7-10 days for the wound to close and build strong, and healthy new tissue. However, I noticed that particularly for infected abscesses from deep puncture wounds (which don't often have an open wound feature in the beginning and just swell up like large painful cysts), if the treatment is applied immediately upon the swelling period that happens within the first 3 to 4 days of infection, there is a significantly short healing period-- on average it takes only about 3 days. Even for larger wounds that would have taken about two weeks before.
The largest wound I've treated with this method was about the size of an orange-- but I would suggest that wounds of this size or larger size be looked at by a medical professional as it may require surgical drainage or the removal of damaged, and possibly necrotic, tissue. These were all deep puncture wounds from street drug injections and the method has been perfected through my intense fear of hospitals and past drug addiction and lack of skill with a needle.
I've treated around 10-12 infections as I got them frequently. In the past when I went to the hospital, wounds took longer to heal and I experienced allergic reactions to antibiotics (nausea, hives, chills, headache) in addition to nurses and doctors treating me differently because of my drug problem (despite the fact I am a very polite, respectful, and soft spoken person). The only issues I've had are chemical burns when I had a larger ratio of garlic to honey, but upon increasing the amount of honey and decreasing the amount of garlic, this is no longer an issue. The mixture is soothing and helps the pain of the infection as well.
It also helps to take b12, magnesium, and vitamin C when you have an infection, and make sure you are getting all the nutrients, water, and minimal excersise you need-- a healthy diet and excersise is crucial to helping your body fight off infections.
(edited for better formatting)

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Hello! I want to start by saying that I know I should be checked by a provider (I intend to), but was wondering if I should bring it up or not to begin with. Long story short, I’ve had vestibulodynia for years now and treated it with progesterone and it’s still bad. I’ve had redness for as long as I can remember, only now it’s not as red but there’s a bit of a loss of color and almost white ish on labia minora/vestibule. I don’t really have any itching, but it’s definitely white on the vestibule. Does anyone have any experience/advice with this?

24F, vaginal dermatitis from over medications a yeast infection a month ago (antifungal cream, boric acid and oral antifungal pill)
Hello,
A bit of context here – about a month ago I was sick with the flu and got a yeast infection at the same time. I attempted to treat it with antifungal cream, which didn’t work. Then I use boric acid. This unknowingly caused irritation, making me think my yeast infection hadn’t gone away. This lead me to take oral antifungal pills from the pharmacy.
This caused vuvlar dermatitis which I am waiting for a specialist appointment as it is still something I’m dealing with.
Yesterday I went back to the doctor because I had strep throat. I was so hesitant to take antibiotics because my vagina has already been through a lot and is not fully recovered and I did not want to induce another yeast infection. I took the antibiotics because the strep throat was getting really bad.
I am wondering if I use the antifungal cream I have to prevent any kind of infection from StArting. But I also don’t wanna irritate the dermatitis anymore with additional medication even if it’s just a Cream. Because that is how it caused the problem. I also don’t wanna have another full on infection either and have to treat that. What is the best thing to do? Should I just wait it out or should I use antifungal cream in the meantime?
I’m currently just using coconut oil on my vagina as I have been using it for the dermatitis and it gives me relief and was okayed by my doctor. I am also taking probiotics and eating a lot of yoghurt while taking these antibiotics.

Last week my cat was leaving smelly anal discharge on the carpet and seemed very uncomfortable, constantly grooming her behind. I took her to the vet and they expressed her glands and shaved the area, as well as administered an antibiotic shot. She is a very strong willed and aggressive cat, so they were unable to find answers and just treated what they assumed to be the problem as fast as possible. She has still been grooming somewhat excessively but I no longer have spotted or smelled any discharge from the area. She had some fur matted with feces under her anus, and i helped her to remove it because I have noticed her relentlessly licking the area. She seems more uncomfortable now, and I feel awful about it. I took a picture of the area, and while it is graphic I was hoping that someone could help me to put my mind at ease before our next vet visit.

Hi everyone,
Long time lurker and first time poster here. I hope my post follows the rules, but I wanted to get your opinion on what might be going on with my cat.
I took her to VCA earlier today for urgent care and unfortunately they were not much help because my cat’s symptoms were “too vague” and recommended I get blood work, imaging, and abdominal study done to rule out things, but this would total over $1,000+. I’m happy to pay for her medical care, but this would be out of pocket and wish I would know whether what would be of most help before doing so.
My cat (Maple) is 3 years old and began feeling lethargic last night. She sometimes likes sleeping under my bed, so I didn’t take this too seriously. This morning, she was still hiding, and decided not to eat. I tried to motivate her with some of her favorite treats, and she was able to stomach a few. Her appetite was clearly diminished, however.She also hasn’t had water today. She did use the bathroom (both urinating and defecating). She has been retching and gagging all day but has been unable to throw anything up. She is still able to walk from location to location, and jump into places that she likes resting on. She’s been sleeping excessively and just retching a lot, mainly. Her breathing seems normal, although she does have her mouth open at times when resting. She usually doesn’t eat anything on the floor or never gets into anything she is not supposed to. She is also an indoor cat, but occasionally goes into the patio on sunny days, somewhat supervised.
We took her to the VCA and the vet mentioned that it’s definitely not a hairball, but I’m not too sure about that. I honestly felt pressured to do a full work-up that would be close to $750-$1000, which I was not comfortable with because they did not provide any insight to what might be going on with her since we brought her, so I don’t want to do any exams or assessments that might not be insightful either. I don’t like blindly doing all medical exams until something is revealed because that is not a realistic option, financially at least. I didn’t want to leave without helping her feel better, so I opted for an outpatient plan, which included IV fluids and Doxycycline Hyclate (antibiotics).
I also decided to give her some hairball gel in case it might be related to an obstruction issue, with the hopes that it is and that it will help her pass it. She has had hairballs before, but has never have had a severe one or an obstruction before.
Just would like to get some opinions on what to do next or what it might be —- she does need medical attention, but I don’t want to blindly do all medical exams available until it is absolutely necessary. We are monitoring her very closely for any behavioral changes, but nothing new to report and she’s been sleeping since we got back from the VCA.
Here is a link of her gagging/retching: https://imgur.com/a/hFHhvf4
Picture of her with her mouth open, not sure it this is of concern: https://imgur.com/a/SFrLtMI
Thank you in advance!
Species: Feline • Age: 3 years old (born on 9/16/2021) • Sex/Neuter status: Female, Spayed • Breed: Domestic Short Hair • Body weight: 8.6 lbs 3.9 kgs • History: No previous health issues. • Clinical signs: Moderate lethargy, loss of appetite, retching and gagging. Fever of 103.07. Slight dehydration. • Duration: Onset (lethargy) began last night. • Your general location: Southern California • Links to test results, vet reports: No test results available.

I’ve had my 4 year old guinea pig since August, and she’s had breathing problems since I got her. She’ll have random flare ups of breathing heavy, wheezing, and sneezing. The only vet around who works with guinea pigs, I don’t like very much. He also says he can’t hear any problems in her breathing, but I’m worried either he’s got bad hearing or the symptoms just hide when we get there. She is on two antibiotics and has 5 days left on a 21 day dose, but we’re not always getting the full dosage in her mouth so I worry. I thought she was getting better but today she seems to be having a bad flare up with the sniffles and the heavy breathing and she’s stressed and agitated (and hates me cuz I keep having to snatch her for her meds). She seems tired, but is still eating and drinking well and begging for treats. Of course this flare up is right before the weekend when the vets are closed. I wanted to get this off my chest, but I was just wondering if anybody has any experience or advice on ways I can make her feel better cuz my vet has none? The guilt of not being able to do anything is eating me up. I also worry the stress of having to take the meds is doing more harm than good.

I had to see a new doctor and he told me two things he told me I want to clarify

1. My partner and I are ENM. He has been sleeping with others and I have not due to health issues. He had a secondary partner that he didnt wear condoms with but we usually did. We are both in healthcare and familiar with safe sex practices and everyone got tested. We had sex sans condom a few months ago (no pull out) and no issues. We had sex last Thursday (no pull out) and the next day soo much itching/burning and light yellow thick discharge. I thought it was yeast due to symptoms and recent heavy antibiotic use, so took a fluconazole. Not better. No smell. In the past when my girl freaks out like this it means the man is dipping into others without protection, but he said no. I went to get tested for chlam/gon and it was neg. The doctor took a cervical swab and did some tests but he said nothing was reactive but he'd still send it out for testing for yeast/bacteria/trich. Over a week later now and my girl is almost back to normal but still a little off.
2. I told him irritation after sex was common for me, especially if no condom is used and doubly so if he doesnt pull out. I told him I usually use boric acid preventatively after sex and before/after my cycle to keep my pH under control. He said to stop using them because it destroys good bacteria as well. I never had any issues with BA - what am I supposed to use then? Looking into getting evvys test and treatment if the gyn test comes back negative.

I haven’t re-tested yet as life has been busy, but it has been about a month… and I feel like my battle with the bacteria is really over!
I thought I would post here because this group helped me so much when I was in the thick of it. Thanks, Redditors! This is a long post, but I hope someone who is struggling will read it and feel hopeful.
I was diagnosed with H Pylori at the beginning of March 2023, after months (years?!) of symptoms. The previous 8 months or so had been hellish with pain and inflammation. Pain in my right side after eating certain foods had the doctor thinking it was gallstones, but an ultrasound showed I was clear. Then, my pain (and bleeding) was looking more like an ulcer. The test came back positive for H Pylori & I knew I wanted to try to tackle it naturally.
I started taking a heap of supplements to prime my system for the herbs I knew my TCM practitioner would prescribe to me. She had helped me through other health issues in the past & I felt confident that I could do it without antibiotics. In the early days of my treatment, I believe the bacteria was really messing with my head. My anxiety became monstrous & I was really struggling to keep things together. It’s like the supplement regime was warning the bacteria & it was going into overdrive. Or a herx reaction, or both, who knows.
What I thought was going to be an 8-day course of herbs turned into 22 days. I was feeling lousy & trying to fast as much as possible. I restricted my diet - no coffee, grease, spicy or processed food. Gallons of tea, herbal & green. I ate as much food that the bacteria hates as I could - cabbage, Brussels sprouts. One month in, I was feeling bad & wondering if antibiotics could possibly be worse.
Fast forward to two months - I was feeling so much better. I was still taking all of the supplements multiple times a day, and my diet was still restricted. But the pain was totally gone & my digestion was actually feeling great for the first time in ages. Unless I strayed off of the diet. Then, things got ugly again. The bloating was immediate & the discomfort made me so worried. Would I ever be able to eat normally again? Would I be eating fistfuls of supplements forever?! Should I just take the antibiotics and be done with it?!
Well, I stuck with it (seriously, thanks to Reddit) and I can honestly say that I have been feeling great for weeks now. I haven’t been taking any supplements for about 3 weeks & I can eat things like cheese, acidic and moderately spicy food (I’m not tempting fate with really spicy stuff just yet). I drink coffee, though I’ve dropped the cream in favour of a non-dairy option. I’m hoping to get tested soon, I have the requisition but need to book an appointment. I’m certain it’ll be negative or in a low/normal range
If you are reading this & want to give up, don’t. There is light at the end of this bacteria-laden tunnel. My partner took 2 rounds of quad therapy and is feeling great now, too. His recovery was only a few weeks faster than mine, and I believe he suffered even more than I did.
However you you choose to treat it, I believe you can beat it! Stay focused & disciplined to your regime, be kind to yourself. It can be done!

I haven’t seen any burrows the entire time I’ve been treating scabies until today, at least I think it’s a burrow, it kind of look like a dark dried up line on my chest, the day after my second permethrin treatment. It was a bit itchy but after I put some more more permethrin on the spot the itching went away. Should I be nervous? Also should I get an air mattress to sleep on for my second treatment instead of my bed, (that I’ve kind of vacuumed and put bed bug spray on as well as a bit of disinfectant)

I’m curious how much a 2 week course of Famotidine might have impacted these results because I don’t really have noticeable GI issues. I can’t get in to my ND for 2 weeks to go over these results so hoping for some advice here.
SIgA low: 470 Anti-gliadin IgA high: >500 Firmicutes high: 4.23e11 Bacteroidetes high: 7.44e12 Akkermansia low:

Everything else in range.
Context:
2 months ago I had a vaginal yeast infection and was prescribed 2 doses of Fluconazole 200 mg that caused a severe reaction (severe diarrhea for 8 hrs, vomiting, hives on face, neck, arms, throat tightness/itchiness) so I was switched to 2 courses of Monistat in case it was an allergic reaction (never had a reaction to it in the past). Swab culture showed yeast was cleared.
However, after the Fluconazole reaction I had lingering esophagus/throat redness/itching, high anxiety, cotton mouth, dry mucosa everywhere, mouth ulcers in gums and on tonsils, and diarrhea. I had none of these symptoms prior to Fluconazole. I did a 5-day Prolon fast that stopped the diarrhea before seeing GP who suspected GERD. She had me do a 2 week course of Pepcid 40 mg/day. Symptoms (cotton mouth, burning throat, mouth ulcers) improved for a few days, then worsened. I stopped it after 2 weeks and got a 2nd opinion from a ND.
I suspected oral/esophageal thrush. ND had me do GI Map (prior to any other treatment), then agreed to start me on an anti fungal protocol while waiting on results because at that point it had been 6 weeks of a burning mouth/throat. I had 8 months of antibiotics in 2022 due to a chronic UTI (hormone related and now resolved), so suspected something was off. I also have a long history of sinusitis and use Flonase daily which can cause oral thrush (though I’ve never experienced it before). I thought I had a sinus infection in February, my ENT scoped and said it was fine, just post nasal drip.
Given the reaction to Fluconazole, ND prescribed an oral Amphotericin B “low and slow” protocol, increasing dosage over 3 weeks. Within 24 hours I had the same reaction as I had to Fluconazole, but much milder, so I proceeded. After 3 days, hives went away but I had massive yellow mucus from sinuses that subsided after 3 more days (by day 8 of treatment), but with lingering congestion and mild drainage. It’s been 14 days of treatment (2 months since this all began), and I just got the results. I’m now wondering if there is a bacterial sinus infection. Dr. doesn’t want to start me on antibiotics without seeing me but I can’t go on like this for 2 more weeks - considering an urgent care visit. But also don’t want to further mess up my gut health.
Diet the past 2 months (with a few slip ups of pizza/wine early on) - lots of veg, fish, chicken, bone broths, Greek yogurt (only dairy), berries, eggs, wild rice, quinoa, raw saur kraut. No sugar other than berries. No reactions to any foods and pretty normal stools/GI symptoms. I had a Lymphocytic Colitis diagnosis 3 years ago, but all symptoms resolved after I started doing quarterly fasts the past 2 years - my body feels great during and after fasts. Taking L-Glutamine, Glutathione, Ampho B, biofilm busters, Sacro B, and Klaire Factor 4 probiotics.
Should I worry about the GI Map results or just try to get treatment for what seems like a sinus infection? I’m still on the Ampho B but now wonder if I should stop that too since no yeast is showing up. It’s been a frustrating and expensive 2 months!
Thanks for reading!

Important note: This is not a medical recommendation post. It is a happy accident. If you suffer from rosacea and want to treat it, please seek a dermatologist.
Personal note: I just thought this was funny, and wanted to share with my other red skinned fellows out there, treated or untreated. If mods feel it's not helpful, please delete.
On with the story:
So about 3 weeks ago I went to brunch at a usual haunt. I got the eggs benedict because I daily try and prove to people how white I am as a person. Turns out, said eggs were bad, and I spent the evening, following day and day after that going through the worst fever of my life. We're talking movie style, folks. I thought they were exaggerating, but nope it really is that bad. I was either in bed or in the bathroom and I was seeing some wild shit. I dreamt my cat offed herself, all the knives in the place came to life, the bed was sinking and eating me because I was too heavy for it. It was a whole thing. Stephen King, call me.
Anyway, I finally felt well enough to go to the doctor without needing to crap my pants every 5 minutes, so I was rewarded with a 2 hour wait in which the bathroom was visited many times. (somehow, by magic, I did not miss my name being called)
I see the doctor, I explain the problem, they say "huh, sounds like you have food poisoning" and after doing a number of tests proving stuff, they give me a prescription and some antibiotics.
I have not been on antibiotics since I was a little kid.
So after 3 days the sickness mostly goes away, I still have little hiccups now and then, but I'm mostly over it.
But I tell you what. My skin is fking flawless.
Pain. Gone.
Itchiness. Gone
Annoying bumps. Gone
I didn't really appreciate it until a few days ago when a co-worker said "hey you're looking really good, new diet or something?" and I was like "Huh, you know, I do look better." I was just so tired and strung out from the food poisoning (doctor only gave me a day off, still miffed about that, slept 16 hours my first day off afterwards) that I didn't really think about the fact that my skin didn't bother me anymore.
It's starting to come back now, good things can't last forever. But I did appreciate the silver lining to an otherwise crappy (non pun intended) few days of food poisoning hell.