Medical Mysteries
107 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago - ★★★★ - 1.6K ratingsWe trust doctors with our lives; they are some of the most educated and well-respected members of society. But what happens if they can't diagnose a patient? This high stake medical procedural follows patients as they suffer from bizarre, often terrifying illnesses. None of which doctors learned about in medical school. Medical Mysteries is a Spotify Original from Parcast.
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Episodes
Mental Health Pt. 2: 1700s to 1900s
May 19, 2020 07:01 - 50 minutesWhen a young Quaker woman died in an asylum in 1790, William Tuke resolved to found a new facility focused on treatment—not incarceration. But mental health conditions were poorly understood, and many of the early expiramental treatments could be better described as torture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Introducing FAMOUS FATES: FALLS FROM GRACE, A Parcast Original Series!
May 13, 2020 07:01 - 15 minutesFamous Fates is back with a brand new season, titled Falls From Grace! Join hosts Carter and Vanessa as they return to examine some of the most accomplished—and controversial—people to ever live. You’ll discover what drove these history-makers to be so successful in their respective fields… And what led to their ultimate disgrace. Available for free and only on Spotify, Falls From Grace will release two episodes every Wednesday, each focusing on a different notable figure. Enjoy this exclus...
Mental Health Pt. 1: Origins
May 12, 2020 07:01 - 52 minutesSocrates was one of the greatest philosophers of all time—and he heard voices. Pheidippides invented the marathon—and experienced hallucinations. Were these symptoms of mental health conditions, or signs of divine intervention? And how could ancient Greek doctors treat their delusional patients? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Beating the Odds: Reshma Begum
May 08, 2020 07:01 - 12 minutesWelcome to our special five-part series, Beating the Odds. Every day this week we’re telling the true tales of medical miracles that shocked the world: Today we’re discussing Reshma Begum, a seamstress in Bangladesh who was pulled out alive from the wreckage of a building…17 days after it collapsed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Beating the Odds: Michael Benson
May 07, 2020 07:01 - 13 minutesWelcome to our special five-part series, Beating the Odds. Every day this week we’re telling the true tales of medical miracles that shocked the world: Today we’re discussing Michael Benson, a cameraman who survived a helicopter crash, only to find himself stuck inside a volcano’s crater…for two days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Beating the Odds: José Salvador Alvarenga
May 06, 2020 07:01 - 12 minutesWelcome to our special five-part series, Beating the Odds. Every day this week we’re telling the true tales of medical miracles that shocked the world: Today we’re discussing José Salvador Alvarenga, a Salvadoran fisherman who spent over 13 months adrift at sea…and survived. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS) Pt. 2
May 05, 2020 07:01 - 44 minutesIn 2014, the “Ice Bucket Challenge” went viral across the internet. Hundreds of thousands of people from across the globe participated in videos hoping to help bring an end to ALS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Beating the Odds: Beck Weathers
May 04, 2020 07:05 - 13 minutesWelcome to our special five-part series, Beating the Odds. Every day this week we’re telling the true tales of medical miracles that shocked the world: Today we’re discussing Beck Weathers, a Texas pathologist who survived the disastrous 1996 blizzard on Mount Everest... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Beating the Odds: Anna Bågenholm
May 04, 2020 07:01 - 10 minutesWelcome to our special five-part series, Beating the Odds. Every day this week we’re telling the true tales of medical miracles that shocked the world: Today we’re discussing the story of Anna Bågenholm, whose heart stopped in 1999 after she was trapped in a labyrinth of thick ice for nearly an hour and a half… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS) Pt. 1
April 28, 2020 07:01 - 43 minutesIn 1939, Lou Gehrig would play his last game with the New York Yankees. After more than 2,000 consecutive starts, his physical abilities began to decline. Nearly a century earlier, a doctor in Paris was beginning research on the disease that would one day be synonymous with Gehrig. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sneak Peek: DAILY QUOTE, A Parcast Original Series!
April 26, 2020 07:01 - 3 minutesWhether you’re jumpstarting the morning, searching for that midday pick-me-up, or trying to finish the evening off strong… Daily Quote offers some of history’s most inspirational quotes whenever you need them—365 days a year. In this 2-3 minute podcast, you’ll be given a quote that will motivate, uplift, and renew your outlook on life. You’ll also dive deeper into the context surrounding the quote—learning more about its origin and the meaning behind it. Enjoy this sneak peek of Daily Quote ...
NEW: Severe Allergic Reactions
April 21, 2020 07:01 - 44 minutesWe are thrilled to bring you a brand new episode of Medical Mysteries today and for the foreseeable future. We thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time. When 10-year-old Morgan Smith was on a Colorado camping trip with his family in 2006, everything was going fine. But when he bit into a piece of fish—everything changed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Panic Virus Pt. 2
April 14, 2020 07:01 - 45 minutesIn 2001, disgraced doctor and medical researcher Andrew Wakefield left the UK and re-settled in Austin, Texas. There, he continued spreading dangerous misinformation about the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine and its alleged connection to autism. As measles outbreaks swept the country, the medical establishment tried to counter his influence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Panic Virus Pt. 1
April 07, 2020 07:01 - 48 minutesIn 1998, British physician Andrew Wakefiled published a paper claiming he had found a direct connection between the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine with autism. His dangerous claims caused an entire movement of people who were no longer willing to vaccinate their children out of fear... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Gloria Ramirez “The Toxic Lady”
March 31, 2020 07:01 - 40 minutesOn February 19th, 1994, a young woman from Riverside, California was rushed to the emergency room after becoming unresponsive in her home. When doctors began operating on her, they noticed something strange: crystals in her blood. Within minutes the medical staff all started to collapse one by one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Parcast Classic: Allergic to Water
March 24, 2020 07:01 - 45 minutesDue to the unfortunate spread of COVID-19, Parcast has decided to halt recording for the time-being. This is a precautionary measure taken to ensure the safety of our hosts and staff. In the meantime, we're excited to share one of our classic episodes that we know you'll enjoy! Alexandra Allen’s nightmare first began in 2009 when she was 12-years-old. After swimming in a hotel pool, she nearly went into anaphylactic shock. Following a battery of tests, doctors were shocked by what caused her...
The HIV & AIDS Epidemic Pt. 2
March 17, 2020 07:01 - 52 minutesIn December 1984, Indiana-native Ryan White was diagnosed with AIDS at the age of thirteen. The disease had no known treatment, no cure, and Ryan was given six months to live. The clock was ticking, and Ryan soon found himself at the center of a media storm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The HIV & AIDS Epidemic Pt. 1
March 10, 2020 07:01 - 45 minutesIn 1981, Dr. James Curran at CDC began investigating a mysterious case of an illness that seemed to be affecting gay men across the United States. As more people began to die, the stakes were raised, and Dr. Curran was on a race to see if he could find the cause. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Case of the Frozen Addicts
March 03, 2020 08:01 - 46 minutesIn 1982, six heroin addicts found themselves immobilized, as if frozen. For over seven years, Dr. J. William Langston worked to save their lives... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hantavirus Pt. 2
February 25, 2020 08:01 - 45 minutesAfter a 1993 outbreak, doctors thought they understood Hantavirus as a rare but preventable infection. That was until an inexplicable "cluster" appeared in Yosemite, and then spread through the American west...threatening to become an epidemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hantavirus Pt. 1
February 18, 2020 08:01 - 43 minutesIt’s an unexplained and deadly infection that first reared its ugly head in May 1993. At least, that’s what researchers originally thought. As doctors began to investigate the disease, they soon found that it had a much longer history and had claimed many more lives than they’d ever suspected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Broken Heart Syndrome
February 11, 2020 08:01 - 40 minutesTakotsubo Cardiomyopathy, also known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy, apical ballooning syndrome, or, more romantically, “Broken Heart Syndrome,” refers to a group of symptoms, brought on by acute emotional stress—which can cause heart failure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Listen First! KILLER KNOWLEDGE, A Parcast Original Series!
February 05, 2020 08:01 - 13 minutesSure, you’re a fan of true crime—but are you ready to put your skills to the test and be crowned an undisputed expert? Then try your hand at Parcast’s new trivia podcast, Killer Knowledge. Every Tuesday, two competitors go head-to-head to correctly answer multiple-choice true crime questions. Whoever gains the most points after 20 questions, wins! It’s all the murder, mystery, and suspense you’ve come to expect from Parcast, now in a fast-paced, interactive format. Play along in this exclus...
Laughing Death Pt. 2
February 04, 2020 08:01 - 52 minutesFor decades, researchers tried to find the cause of “The Laughing Sickness,” also known as Kuru. But it wasn't until the 1990s that researchers found the clue that turned the entire medical community on its head. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Laughing Death Pt. 1
January 28, 2020 08:01 - 45 minutesIn the mid-1900s, members of the remote Fore tribe in Papua New Guinea faced extinction at the hands of the strange neurological condition that caused spontaneous barks of laughter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Reye Syndrome
January 21, 2020 08:01 - 44 minutesBeginning in 1951, Doctor Ralph Reye took note of an alarming, fatal condition that killed thousands of child patients. Mild colds and flus would become life-threatening neurological conditions that left patients dead or with severe brain damage. And the culprit was an ordinary product present in nearly every household in the developed world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Fasting Girl
January 14, 2020 08:01 - 49 minutesIn the late 1800s, Mollie Fancher was entangled with a city trolley car that dragged her violently through the streets of Brooklyn. This caused a series of inexplicable ailments that left her bedridden for the remainder of her life. But Mollie’s strangest symptom was her ability to go 14 years without eating a thing… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Listen First! SECRET SOCIETIES, A Parcast Original Series!
January 09, 2020 08:01 - 14 minutesThey’ve been around for thousands of years…orchestrating some of history’s most controversial events. And if not for their radical actions, you may never have even known they existed. Every Thursday, take a journey through hidden passageways and become a member of Parcast’s diabolical series, SECRET SOCIETIES. Each society is explored in 2 episodes—exposing the people and context responsible for its founding, and analyzing the psychology behind their beliefs. Enjoy this exclusive clip from t...
The Death of President Harding
January 07, 2020 08:01 - 46 minutesAt the time, doctors believed the 57-year-old’s symptoms could have been caused by a stroke, but there have been many other medical theories since then. Some people even believe that President Warren G. Harding was poisoned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Best of 2019: Fatal Familial Insomnia Pt. 2
December 31, 2019 08:01 - 55 minutesHere’s one of our listeners’ most requested episodes of 2019: Once modern medicine recognized Fatal Familial Insomnia as a disease, it faced a greater challenge: finding a cure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Best of 2019: Fatal Familial Insomnia Pt. 1
December 24, 2019 08:01 - 52 minutesHere’s one of our listeners’ most requested episodes of 2019: Don’t let the complicated name fool you—this mystery is no laughing matter: Inability to sleep. Loss of coordination. Slow, painful loss of mental faculties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Flesh-Eating Bacteria
December 17, 2019 08:01 - 51 minutesIt’s a terrifying infection that liquefies skin and muscle. Though rare, doctors are still ill-equipped to fight flesh-eating bacteria, and it still continues to take lives to this day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Allergic to Water
December 10, 2019 08:01 - 45 minutesAlexandra Allen’s nightmare first began in 2009 when she was 12 years old. After swimming in a hotel pool, she nearly went into anaphylactic shock. After a battery of tests, doctors were shocked by what caused her reaction. She was allergic to water. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Adrenoleukodystrophy Pt. 2
December 03, 2019 16:31 - 50 minutesAfter Lorenzo Odone was diagnosed with adrenoleukodystrophy in 1984, his parents developed a treatment that saved his life. But in 1993, they faced accusations of fraud when a Hollywood movie based on Lorezno's story gave false impressions to a number of other desperate patients. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Adrenoleukodystrophy Pt. 1
November 26, 2019 08:01 - 51 minutesIn a matter of months, eight-year-old Lorenzo Odone lost his hearing and sight, as well as his ability to move, swallow, and speak. Doctors told him he had five years to live at most. But his parents refused to accept this and went on a frantic search for a cure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Listen First! SPORTS CRIMINALS, A Parcast Original Series!
November 24, 2019 08:01 - 16 minutesThey’re sport’s greatest heroes… displaying superhuman-like abilities to overcome intense pressure. But when it comes to the downfalls of fame, money, and ego—they’re far more human than super. Every Thursday, Parcast’s original series SPORTS CRIMINALS keeps score on the darker side of sports. Each episode chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of some of sport’s biggest names. Enjoy this exclusive clip from the first of two captivating episodes on disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding. To fi...
Leisure Sickness
November 19, 2019 08:01 - 42 minutesCould being a workaholic actually have dangerous effects? Just ask the victims of Leisure Sickness—a psychological phenomenon in which individuals who are especially devoted to their work become physically ill when they try to relax. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Listen First! DOG TALES, A Parcast Original Series!
November 14, 2019 08:01 - 14 minutesThey’re four-legged, full of love and often times more like family than their nickname suggests. Parcast’s endearing original series, DOG TALES, tells the true stories of heroic canines that have gone above and beyond their “best friend” duties. Every Monday, embark on a new journey of courage, service and unwavering sacrifice by our most loyal companions. Enjoy this exclusive clip from the first episode on Buddy the German Shepherd—America’s first seeing-eye guide dog. To finish this episod...
Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis Pt. 2
November 12, 2019 08:01 - 54 minutesTwenty-four-year-old journalist Susannah Cahalan’s illness continued to wreak havoc on her brain after a month-long hospital stay in 2009. With no change in her condition, one doctor would finally figure out her diagnosis using one simple test. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis Pt. 1
November 05, 2019 08:01 - 51 minutes24-year-old journalist Susannah Cahalan began coming down with a troubling set of symptoms in 2009. She experienced hallucinations, numbness and delusions, which grew life-threatening as doctors struggled to diagnose her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Par for the Mystery: POLITICAL SCANDALS, A Parcast Original Series!
November 03, 2019 07:01 - 13 minutesCheck out Richard's new show POLITICAL SCANDALS! Every Tuesday leading up to the 2020 election, it counts down the 52 most controversial events in American history—uncovering the crimes and deceptions by some of our most infamous elected officials. And now you can hear a special clip from the first episode on the cutthroat circumstances surrounding the election of 1800. To finish this episode, subscribe to POLITICAL SCANDALS free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Human Chimerism: Different DNA
October 29, 2019 07:01 - 45 minutesA condition in which a person possesses cells with more than one distinct genetic makeup. This can alter DNA evidence linking a mother’s relation to her child—even if she had conceived, carried, and given birth to them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Listen First! VILLAINS, A Parcast Original Series!
October 23, 2019 07:01 - 18 minutesBad guys. Black hats. Evildoers. They are the bane of every hero’s existence…and the subject of Parcast’s dastardly new original series, VILLAINS. Every Friday, VILLAINS dissects the greatest foils from history and fiction—uncovering origins, analyzing impacts, and exploring the complexity of character and motive. In this clip, we explore the creation of an iconic, modern-day psychopath of the silver screen—Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men. To finish this episode, subscribe to VILL...
Leishmaniasis Pt. 2: The Deadly Parasite
October 22, 2019 07:01 - 46 minutesIt wasn’t until Doug Preston and his team returned from their expedition in Honduras in 2015 that tragedy struck. What they had contracted in the ruins was a horrifying, sometimes lethal and incurable disease of leishmaniasis, a tropical parasitic disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Leishmaniasis Pt. 1: The Deadly Parasite
October 15, 2019 07:01 - 43 minutesExplorers set out on an expedition into the wilderness of Honduras in 2015. They were seeking a lost city, but returned with far more than they bargained for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bonus: Today In True Crime - Zodiac Killer
October 11, 2019 07:01 - 12 minutesOn this day in 1969, the Zodiac Killer’s last confirmed victim was shot and killed.
Encephalitis Lethargica Pt. 2: Under the Rug
October 08, 2019 07:01 - 46 minutesA sleeping sickness that swept its way across the globe after World War I vanishes almost as abruptly as it arrived. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Encephalitis Lethargica Pt. 1: The Great War
October 01, 2019 07:01 - 48 minutesSwelling of the brain. Involuntary movements. Extreme exhaustion. A little-known and poorly understood disease swept its way across in the globe in the aftermath of World War I. But as the number of diagnoses swelled, so did the confusion. Agreeing on the symptoms was hard enough, how could anyone hope to find a cure? Sponsors! BetterHelp - Get 10% off your first month! Go to BetterHelp.com/MEDICALMYSTERIES and use discount code MEDICALMYSTERIES! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcas...
Graves’ Disease: George & Barbara Bush
September 24, 2019 07:01 - 52 minutesIn 1991, President George H.W. Bush was hospitalized with an erratic heartbeat. For three tense days, the nation watched with bated breath, planning for the worst - until the doctor came back with a surprising diagnosis. Sponsors! BetterHelp - Get 10% off your first month! Go to BetterHelp.com/MEDICALMYSTERIES and use discount code MEDICALMYSTERIES. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Fatal Familial Insomnia Pt. 2: Dreaming of a Cure
September 17, 2019 07:01 - 55 minutesOnce modern medicine recognized Fatal Familial Insomnia as a disease, it faced a greater challenge of finding a cure. With research ongoing, the answer may lie in similar medical mysteries which have plagued humanity for centuries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices