Josh Trebach, MD
@jtrebach.bsky.social
ER doc. Toxicologist. 🏳️🌈 I post about poisons & cats & fighting misinformation. Posts/DMs = my own (not employer’s) & not medical advice. contact = [email protected]
one time I was driving home and I saw a small crowd around someone who looked dead so I pulled my car over and checked for a pulse and then started cpr on the sidewalk and while I was doing cpr a bystander tried to STEAL MY CAR KEYS
November 7, 2025 at 3:51 PM
one time I was driving home and I saw a small crowd around someone who looked dead so I pulled my car over and checked for a pulse and then started cpr on the sidewalk and while I was doing cpr a bystander tried to STEAL MY CAR KEYS
nurse: doctor josh can you please tell my son that he shouldn’t eat too much candy
me: ugh yeah one time I ate so much sour candy that my tongue started peeling it was soooo painful
nurse: oh wow how old were you
me: …….yesterday
me: ugh yeah one time I ate so much sour candy that my tongue started peeling it was soooo painful
nurse: oh wow how old were you
me: …….yesterday
November 3, 2025 at 5:20 PM
nurse: doctor josh can you please tell my son that he shouldn’t eat too much candy
me: ugh yeah one time I ate so much sour candy that my tongue started peeling it was soooo painful
nurse: oh wow how old were you
me: …….yesterday
me: ugh yeah one time I ate so much sour candy that my tongue started peeling it was soooo painful
nurse: oh wow how old were you
me: …….yesterday
one time in college I took an exam thinking “wow this is way harder than I expected” and the professor walked by and gasped because she’d given me (AND ONLY ME??) an exam from a different course. Every hard exam since I was like IS IT HAPPENING AGAIN? IT CAN’T HAPPEN TWICE RIGHT?
October 27, 2025 at 3:00 PM
one time in college I took an exam thinking “wow this is way harder than I expected” and the professor walked by and gasped because she’d given me (AND ONLY ME??) an exam from a different course. Every hard exam since I was like IS IT HAPPENING AGAIN? IT CAN’T HAPPEN TWICE RIGHT?
people named barb are so lucky because they can be like “my name is short for phenobarbital” and no one can argue with them
October 22, 2025 at 9:04 PM
people named barb are so lucky because they can be like “my name is short for phenobarbital” and no one can argue with them
didn’t think this needed to be said but please don’t put urine in your eyes
October 18, 2025 at 4:11 PM
didn’t think this needed to be said but please don’t put urine in your eyes
when I was a resident, a mysterious ER nurse used to leave a cookie on my desk after I did a good job with a sick patient. Years later, no cookies appear…but after every resuscitation I still crave one….a Pavlovian echo of a kindness that never quite left me 🍪
October 15, 2025 at 11:00 PM
when I was a resident, a mysterious ER nurse used to leave a cookie on my desk after I did a good job with a sick patient. Years later, no cookies appear…but after every resuscitation I still crave one….a Pavlovian echo of a kindness that never quite left me 🍪
*be me in med school*
me: ok remember these 3 words—book, cat, potato. I’ll ask again in 5 min to test your memory
patient: ok
*5min later*
patient: book, cat…uhhh…what was the third one?
me: …….
patient: did u forget too
me: …………yeah
me: ok remember these 3 words—book, cat, potato. I’ll ask again in 5 min to test your memory
patient: ok
*5min later*
patient: book, cat…uhhh…what was the third one?
me: …….
patient: did u forget too
me: …………yeah
October 2, 2025 at 9:53 PM
*be me in med school*
me: ok remember these 3 words—book, cat, potato. I’ll ask again in 5 min to test your memory
patient: ok
*5min later*
patient: book, cat…uhhh…what was the third one?
me: …….
patient: did u forget too
me: …………yeah
me: ok remember these 3 words—book, cat, potato. I’ll ask again in 5 min to test your memory
patient: ok
*5min later*
patient: book, cat…uhhh…what was the third one?
me: …….
patient: did u forget too
me: …………yeah
just Bucket (orange) and Pebble (grey) being gamer kitties
October 1, 2025 at 1:47 PM
just Bucket (orange) and Pebble (grey) being gamer kitties
hi, medical toxicologist that knows a lot about Tylenol here👋 Claiming that tylenol use in pregnancy causes autism is fearmongering
here's what you need to know 🧵
here's what you need to know 🧵
September 22, 2025 at 3:09 PM
hi, medical toxicologist that knows a lot about Tylenol here👋 Claiming that tylenol use in pregnancy causes autism is fearmongering
here's what you need to know 🧵
here's what you need to know 🧵
*me working in pediatrics ER*
kid: do u play video games
kid’s dad: he’s a doctor of course he doesn’t play video games
me:
kid: do u play video games
kid’s dad: he’s a doctor of course he doesn’t play video games
me:
September 21, 2025 at 4:55 PM
*me working in pediatrics ER*
kid: do u play video games
kid’s dad: he’s a doctor of course he doesn’t play video games
me:
kid: do u play video games
kid’s dad: he’s a doctor of course he doesn’t play video games
me:
thank goodness for this useless infographic now we know the cure for cancer is “minerals”
September 20, 2025 at 3:35 PM
thank goodness for this useless infographic now we know the cure for cancer is “minerals”
chew your food please or it will get stuck in your esophagus and then you will have to go to the ER
and yes the culprit almost always is steak
and yes the culprit almost always is steak
September 16, 2025 at 8:29 PM
chew your food please or it will get stuck in your esophagus and then you will have to go to the ER
and yes the culprit almost always is steak
and yes the culprit almost always is steak
got a new kitten from the shelter and we named her Pebble and I was worried that our adult cat Bucket would be upset but it has been less than 2 weeks and I woke up this morning to this 🥰
September 7, 2025 at 11:45 PM
got a new kitten from the shelter and we named her Pebble and I was worried that our adult cat Bucket would be upset but it has been less than 2 weeks and I woke up this morning to this 🥰
if you post a video on social media making fun of your patients body fluids you deserve to be fired and never see patients again
September 4, 2025 at 9:14 PM
if you post a video on social media making fun of your patients body fluids you deserve to be fired and never see patients again
not sure what is more impressive—an IV placed in the forehead, or the fact that it was documented as “IV-head”
September 2, 2025 at 3:57 PM
not sure what is more impressive—an IV placed in the forehead, or the fact that it was documented as “IV-head”
fun fact: this is chocolate agar and it’s used to grow gonorrhea
less fun fact: it does not contain chocolate
medical fact: a 3yo child ate a culture dish of chocolate agar in his moms car (she was a microbiology lab tech) and the kid got throat gonorrhea :(
less fun fact: it does not contain chocolate
medical fact: a 3yo child ate a culture dish of chocolate agar in his moms car (she was a microbiology lab tech) and the kid got throat gonorrhea :(
August 26, 2025 at 9:19 PM
fun fact: this is chocolate agar and it’s used to grow gonorrhea
less fun fact: it does not contain chocolate
medical fact: a 3yo child ate a culture dish of chocolate agar in his moms car (she was a microbiology lab tech) and the kid got throat gonorrhea :(
less fun fact: it does not contain chocolate
medical fact: a 3yo child ate a culture dish of chocolate agar in his moms car (she was a microbiology lab tech) and the kid got throat gonorrhea :(
accidentally said fresh frozen pizza instead of fresh frozen plasma
I think I need some pizza
I think I need some pizza
August 23, 2025 at 4:04 PM
accidentally said fresh frozen pizza instead of fresh frozen plasma
I think I need some pizza
I think I need some pizza
its time I come forward with the truth: I love the watery powdered eggs that hotels have at their free continental breakfast AND I AM NOT ASHAMED
August 21, 2025 at 12:10 AM
its time I come forward with the truth: I love the watery powdered eggs that hotels have at their free continental breakfast AND I AM NOT ASHAMED
in honor of National Left-Handed Day, here is an exchange I had with a surgeon when I was in medical school
*in operating room*
surgeon: hold this tool in your right hand
me: i’m left handed actually
surgeon: no you’re not
me: oh ok my bad
*in operating room*
surgeon: hold this tool in your right hand
me: i’m left handed actually
surgeon: no you’re not
me: oh ok my bad
August 13, 2025 at 5:40 PM
in honor of National Left-Handed Day, here is an exchange I had with a surgeon when I was in medical school
*in operating room*
surgeon: hold this tool in your right hand
me: i’m left handed actually
surgeon: no you’re not
me: oh ok my bad
*in operating room*
surgeon: hold this tool in your right hand
me: i’m left handed actually
surgeon: no you’re not
me: oh ok my bad
👋 medical toxicologist here and I am begging people to not take this gas station “wellness” drink
want to know why?? 🧵
want to know why?? 🧵
August 7, 2025 at 9:13 PM
👋 medical toxicologist here and I am begging people to not take this gas station “wellness” drink
want to know why?? 🧵
want to know why?? 🧵
Which antibiotic is most likely to make a huge bid at an auction?
Macrobid!!!!
Macrobid!!!!
July 30, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Which antibiotic is most likely to make a huge bid at an auction?
Macrobid!!!!
Macrobid!!!!
when the pizza bakes you back
July 29, 2025 at 7:36 PM
when the pizza bakes you back
rolled my ankle in my hospital clogs and saw my life flash before my eyes
July 28, 2025 at 2:09 PM
rolled my ankle in my hospital clogs and saw my life flash before my eyes
do NOT google image “carbuncle” expecting to see the cute fox creature from final fantasy unless you want to learn what a carbuncle actually is
July 23, 2025 at 6:54 PM
do NOT google image “carbuncle” expecting to see the cute fox creature from final fantasy unless you want to learn what a carbuncle actually is