Worms and Movements in my Brain?

Worms and Movements in my Brain?

Dr. Bibbi,

I appreciate what you are doing concerning your regular article in the Sun newspaper. There is a little problem I'd like to share with you. Sometimes ago, I was feeling some movement inside my body, I went to a respectable government hospital where I undergo a urine test. The result of the test was negative. The doctor prescribed some a drug amongst which was a worm expeller. The movement disappears for sometimes. But now they've reappeared and it’s as if the worms or so I think have now invaded other parts of the body including probably the brain because I can feel some of the movements there. I even read it somewhere that the larvae of Ascaris can actually travel to the brain. Please what do you think I can do about it? Thank you very much. Please treat this ASAP.

TJO; Yola; Adamawa

Dear TJO,

The plain truth is -- no worms move into the head  of anybody --as in you begin to feel the worms and its movement; okay? Oh some can move across the eye-- the famous Loa loa does this -- and you can feel some in your throat and anus, and a times under the skin -- but in reality when folks talk about worms moving all over their body -- or if not worms -- other things -- some say objects; others say "something", it is well known among doctors all over the world -- as well as psychiatrists and is called "Somatisation Syndrome. Let me explain -- When you hear the word "syndrome" in medicine, it means doctors do not fully understand what is going on. Somatisation comes from the Greek word "soma" meaning body. Yes the patient feels bodily symptoms; no doubt, BUT their origin is not in the body-- there is no physical or organic -- as in organ -- problem; no. Nothing wrong with the physical kidney, lung, eye, brain, bone or any other physical organ--vagina, penis -- call it whatever you like-- It is a problem originating  in -- not the body, but the  mind. How? Does this mean the patient is mad or going mad or imagining things? NOT AT ALL!!!  It only means that there are anxieties, conflicts, worries, uncertainties, guilt, fears, some hidden stress or the other affecting the patient's MIND and causing the symptoms felt... Example? Oh, he could be rewriting JAMB or doing post-JAMB verification. The landlord could be after him. He could have slept with his neighbour's wife; the EFCC could be after him-- these hidden strains are becoming overwhelming and his mind -- since nobody can see the mind to know when and how to take care of it --is now trying to make him resolve the issues by turning the hidden conflicts to bodily symptoms that the mind knows will be easily taken notice of and addressed. In Africans, a whole lot of research has shown that it is such conditions --we call them "neuroses"-- that foster things like the feeling that worms or ants or objects are moving all over the body -- when in reality they are not. The remedy? 1. Explanation as I have done.2. Recognition of the hidden cause of trouble in the mind. 3. Counseling to resolve the issue. 4. Certain anxiolytics or neuroleptics -- medicines that work on the mind-body connection  to relieve these feelings while the patient --if properly tutored has time to sort themselves out.

But then, why did you feel better when you were given worm meds? First-- the doctor should have attempted to document if you had worms in reality -- very simply ordered an analysis of your stool. It really could be you have worms. But if I were to hazard a guess, I would say, no. Worms or worm medicine really had not one thing to do with your feeling better. You see, you just had a psychological relief that is common --- and recognized by well-trained doctors -- that whenever you see a doctor and take some medication whether the medication works or not you and your mind being now put at rest that you are in good hands, begin -- automatically to get better -- even if what you got from the doctor was ordinary starch or just chalk. We call this the placebo effect. It is because of this that Western trained doctors insist on vigorously testing remedies; medicaments and what have you-- just to make sure that they really work -- and the stories of success you hear about whatever the remedy are not just due to the placebo effect. What to do now? See a good doctor (if you want to see us-- send a mail for our address) who understands what he is about. Better a psychiatrist.  He should sort you out easily. If not, send me feedback

Cheers

Emotionally Devastated

Emotionally Devastated

Dear Doc,
I love your column-and need this urgent advice; due to my inability to mingle with the opposite sex-[i got a history of 17 turn-offs-spurned because of
man-got-no-pay-syndrome-]and the so-called sanctimonious attitude of our so-called born again girls-which leaves much to be desired! now-I masturbate for like 7 times a day; I'm 30.never dated again in 9 months-and 4 years running I've been so depressed and emotionally devastated to trust any woman-will masturbation harm me? You are the doctor -please publish this[and send me a response- because, I won't be in town
during this weekend-let others read my example-those who suffer likewise- maybe you can tell me when we will see when I get back-but write!
thanks!
Georges Humbunu, Badagry

 

 

Dear Georges,

The truth is -- at 30 you could be married and fulfilling both yourself and someone who is very likely very lonely at this time. But what do we have? Masturbation -- from you and maybe herself too --out of frustration. Masturbation is bad? Well-- for one it is compulsive -- almost addictive; so that a times married masturbators prefer it to real intercourse! That's the problem and because nobody can masturbate without phantasising, unsuspected invasion by spirits of incubi and succubi is too common but hidden. But we can go beyond these real challenges-- how to get a lady to listen to you; how to settle down in marriage; how to stop masturbating. We can and want to take you to the place of fulfillment. All you need is proper counseling and mentoring and you'll get there. Begin by befriending a few male friends who seem to know what to do around the ladies and watch them. This will help you focus on the area of your confidence. Be ready to follow guidelines and instructions. Call the help-lines. Imagine how much STD we can prevent by the proper counseling in matters like these!

 

Cheers                 

Dr Caleb Bibbi Oluranti

Ovulation Or Menstruation?

Ovulation Or Menstruation?

 

Good day Sir,
 Please my wife's ovulation does not flow very well and when we went  for a lab test she was said to have a scanty growth of E-coli isolated. I want to know what drugs will be suitable so as to know if it's the cause of her ovulation not flowing well.  Thanks.

Jerry Jaza, Ijebu-Ode

 

Dear Jerry,

Ovulation does not flow; it is menstruation that flows. All women of reproductory age ( that is before  menopause) bleed regularly every month (between 24 and 35 days --usually 28--) and that flow of blood lasting between 2 and 7 days (usually five) is what is called menstruation. Other names for this monthly flow of blood  are period and  menses. All these words are used interchangeably and they mean the same thing. These ten things are the common causes of menses that does not flow well. 1.too much prolactin; a hormonal disorder that can cause the breasts to be producing milk even when not pregnant or breastfeeding;  2.pregnancy - a times a woman is pregnant but does not know it yet; especially if she is afflicted with 3.low progesterone; another hormonal problem; 4.polycystic ovary syndrome; a complicated cause of scanty or no flow of periods which is also a major cause of infertility; 5.breastfeeding -most breastfeeding women have no menses or low flow; 6.weight challenges-either extreme low weight or obesity;7.stress-- maybe exams or some loss in the family, etc; 8.when thyroid gland function/production is low; 9.endometriosis-- another complicated cause of infertility; 10. the use of (usually hormonal)contraceptives. Where does all this blood/bleeding come from? It's from the womb of the woman which has been getting ready to host a visitor( the baby) and has prepared much stuff to care for the baby. When baby does not come (she never got pregnant) she throws out from the womb all the stuff she had prepared for the baby (that is the menstrual flow). Ovulation is a different thing entirely. The woman's egg is produced and is released once a month from the ovary (equivalent of the man's balls). The release of this egg is what is called ovulation and does not involve the flow of anything; so we don't talk of the flow of ovulation; we only talk of the flow of the woman's menses. Signs of ovulation include 1.It generally happens in the middle of her cycle(period of time from one menses to the other); 2. There is some heaviness of the breast; 3.There is some pain or discomfort in one side or both sides of the lower abdomen or pelvis; 4.There is a greater production of vaginal mucus 5.The vaginal mucus is much more  drawy/okro-like; 6.There may be some bleeding that accompanies ovulation which we call mid-cycle bleeding or mittelschmerz; 7; there will be temperature changes -- she feels hot or others cold  in an unnatural way; 8; she may feel bloated in the body or abdomen like she does during menses; 9; if she puts her long  finger inside herself; she will notice that her cervix or the mouth of her womb feels different in texture and 10 finally, she feels sexy; she wants to have sex. Medicines to use will depend on the particular cause of her problem. E. Coli is infection and the same laboratory that detected it will give a list of antibiotics that the doctor can choose to use to deal with it. Get more information from my blog www.mediamedix.blogspot.com

Cheers

Breast Problems Breast Self- Examination

Breast Problems Breast Self- Examination
Dear Doctor,
I have a problem with my right breast. I started feeling pain in it about three weeks ago so I went to a general hospital close to my school. A doctor tested me and told me I had a lump in my right breast but  that I shouldn't panic that it could be removed anytime. He placed me on some drugs--ampliclox; folic acid and I've forgotten the rest. I just want your advice on what I should do because I'm still in school. I would be very grateful sir if you could reply through my mail
Ladi Kambagu, Gwoza, Borno
Dear Ladi,

Apart from malignancies or cancer, the breasts may be afflicted with bacterial infection called mastitis. Antibiotics, like the doctor gave you will treat that condition. Apart from mastitis common among breast feeding women, other non-cancer, non life-threatening or benign breast conditions are many and  they can cause symptoms, and some are linked with a higher risk of later developing breast cancer. The more notable among them include: Adenosis, Simple Breast cysts and fibrosis, Ductal and lobular hyperplasia, Fibroadenomas and Fat necrosis and oil cysts. It is the doctor's job, when you go to see her to check you out and do the necessary to determine what really your affliction is and how to treat it. Your own duty is to check your breasts regularly; not wait for when you feel pain or have trouble, but actively  and REGULARLY examine and re-examine them BY YOURSELF. This is called Breast Self -Examination and for how exactly to do this, I have resorted to  www.Breastcancer.org - Breast Cancer Information and Awareness for much of what follows in bold italics -- 

The Five Steps of a Breast Self-ExamStep 1: Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror (as you face the mirror) with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips. Here's what you should look for: i)Breasts that are their usual size, shape, and color. ii) Breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling. If you see  or feel any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor's attention: Dimpling, itching, puckering, or bulging of the skin/A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out)/Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling. Step 2: Now, raise your arms and look for the same changes. Again, stand sideways to the mirror and look for any changes as you look at your breasts sideways. Step 3: While you're at the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood).

Step 4: Next, feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a quarter. Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage. Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as  if  you were mowing a lawn. This up-and-down approach seems to work best for most women. Be sure to feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts: for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light pressure; use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you've reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your ribcage. Step 5: Finally, feel your breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in step. 

It is  important to note that women's breasts can feel lumpy, swollen, painful and discomforting a few days before your menses begins  to flow .Such feelings may usually go away after the period has ended. Again, if you are an adolescent, you a retaking oral contraceptives , or are on other hormonal therapy or you are pregnant, your breasts may feel generally funny, lumpy or painful. However, when lumps or pain persist throughout  your menstrual cycle and not just during your periods, pain in your arm-pits , then you should be more sensitive about seeing a doctor. To help  decide if you are normal or not, try to keep a  diary or journal for 2 or 3 months noticing and recording how your breasts feel so that you can spot changes either related to the menstrual cycle or not. Also, just before your periods, you can wear a larger brassiere or a support, soft or sports bra so that  you feel more comfortable. Finally, just after your periods, once a month, is the best time to examine your breasts and if you have stopped having periods, take a day you can easily remember--maybe first of the month.

Cheers
Dr Caleb Bibbi Oluranti

My Anus is Aching!!

 

My Anus is Aching!!
Dear Doctor,
Good day sir. I have a kind of ache in my anus. It was not there before. I just saw it and if I go to excrete I sometimes feel pain. I don't know what to do. I would be glad to hear from you soon.

Dennis Saggei, Warri, Delta

 Dear Dennis,
If you feel this pain principally when you go to stool and you do not bleed, then we can safely assume that perhaps your stools are hard--in other words you get constipation and that it is this constipated, hard stools that are the cause of the aching anus. You must understand that hard stools are the leading cause of a dozen or so conditions that can ache your anus; especially if associated with stooling. Other conditions are a)Cuts in the skin or tissues(we call these fissure-in-ano) of the anus --again; dry hard stools cause this, leading to b)infection and maybe c)a boil or d)an abscess. This may end up as  d)a "fistula-in-ano" when the pus from the abscess causes a track in the tissues as it tries to find its way out. e)Injury to the bum as well as e)Anal sex f)Pile or hemorrhoids especially when they are clotted and g)infected; h)STD's and proctalgia fugax,a self limiting condition common among teenagers as well as i)prolapse of the rectum; common among women who have delivered many babies -- ALL can also cause aching anus. It is only after you have seen a good doctor and he has listened to your full description of the problem, cross examined and physically looked you up can anyone say which of these causes you have. Before you see the doctor, these half a dozen measures will help you tremendously a)Sit on warm water at least twice a day --sitz bath it's called b) Drink lots of water--up to 10 glasses a day--2 each on waking and retiring and at each meal; c)Eat a good portion of one of these fruits/vegetables daily so as to get plenty of fibre into your gut which will automatically soften your stool--pawpaw, pineapple, garden eggs, water melon, cucumber, apples and golden melon-- d)Go to stool once nature calls--do not delay until it is unbearable; e)Get lots of exercise; f)-- and I call this "Dr Oluranti's Technical Knock Out"-- use some Vaseline or other lubricant on your finger to lubricate your anal canal before you stool and no matter how hard the stools, they will be easily and "greasily" slipped out of your system with great relief. Try these and give me feedback. See our website www.mediamedix.blogspot.com

I Removed My Baby

I Removed My Baby

Dear Doctor,

Sir, I will be very happy if you will be able to answer and publish my questions this next week. Please I need the answer urgently also that my mates out there can learn. I am a regular reader of your column every Thursday in Daily Sun till I had a problem which I will want you to help me with.I am a girl of 20 years old who just removed a baby; it is two weeks now and since then I have been bleeding but now it is not as heavy as the very first week and now it´s not even reddish like blood, it´s just brownish colour.In fact, I stopped putting pad and just wear my pant; when I am wet then I will go and change because, I see it as wasting of pad since the thing is not much. Two days after the removal of the baby, my breasts became swollen and sometimes it will be paining me and by that time water will be dropping from my breasts. This continued till Sunday last week when it stopped and my breast now became too soft and had come back to the normal size. My question now is,are there some foods and drugs that I need to take? If yes, please prescribe them for me. Secondly, since that time I noticed that from my navel down to my waist /abdomen; even my waist is paining me. I forgot to tell you at the beginning that I  gave birth to the 3 months and 14 days old baby, in fact, I was placed on drip. I took about seven  (7) bottles of drip. It was the eight (8) one which was on the 4th day that the baby came out with the placenta. Please doctor, if there is some precautions I have to take now before it is too late; please tell me and advice me on other things to do.
Amanda, Awka, Anambra

Dear Amanda,
Haba!!!You do not want to be removing babies at 20 years of age; do you? Babies only come when we have sex. Sex is best inside marriage. So, the age old advice remains, abstain if you do not want a baby;okay? But if you cannot abstain then,to be sure you do not get into unwanted pregnancy trouble again, you need to learn Fertility Awareness and Control. You will learn more about this at my blog www.mediamedix.blogspot.com.  If you cannot go to the blog and you want the gist here it is -- as a lady the length of your menstrual cycle (number of days) if divided by 3 (eg 28 days divided by 3) = 9.3 days. To get pregnant, have sex in the middle one-third days; to avoid pregnancy, never have sex in the 9 days in the middle one third. That's a rough rule but I will send my free report titled, "Fertility Awareness and Control" to anyone who asks for it by e mail. Now for your other concerns-- Every new mother bleeds for some time after birth and it is normal that the stuff coming out will first be blood red and later be less copious and change colour to brown. We call the stuff lochia. In the same manner, it is normal for your breasts to drip fluid and pain you -- after all if you had not removed the baby you are supposed to be breastfeeding the baby. It is the breast milk which your breast produced in response to the baby's presence that caused your breast discomfort. The pain in your pelvis (from navel down to waist) is best evaluated by a competent doctor/gynecologist. It is possible you contacted Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ( PID) in a mild form. It would need expert treatment so that it does not  block your tubes and make you unable to get pregnant in future. 8 "drips" show that the baby you removed was unripe to come out and you really had to force it to come out. As to the age of the baby, it is usually preferred that a baby be removed at an earlier age (than the 15 weeks in your baby's case) when the process of removal is much easier.
In summary, please learn Fertility and Awareness Control (you can send me an e mail requesting for it or just go to the blog and read it) and practice it. It will save you from unwanted pregnancy
Cheers