Post-Partum Depression/Baby Blues

Post-Partum Depression/Baby Blues Hello Doc, My questions are 3 fold:1). My baby's 6mos old. I'm moody, depressed, irritated, impatient and generally unhappy. Life's just one big bore...church, job, academics home etc. Baby's my 3rd and am 35 yrs old. Do you think it is postpartum depression? 2.) I had extensive episiotomy in all the 3 births. Now I'm so scared that my private place is in danger of so much scarring. If I dared to have another baby do you think it is dangerous? The pain is usually so much. 3) After birth, my BP has been hovering 140/80. Is it ok? My doctor put me on drugs when it was 160/100. Reply in my box, please. Madonna, Maiduguri Dear Madonna, It'd be best to call me /see a competent doctor/ psychiatrist so we can get to the root of your troubles but I'd want you to know that Post -Partum Depression and Pregnancy- related Hypertension are serious enough conditions to seek medical attention.Feeling sad after birth is common - it's called Baby Blues.It usually resolves on it's own. But when depression-- loss of energy and lack of activity is involved then we have PPD. That one will be needing doctors/psychiatrist to handle.If we could talk together with your hubby it would be wonderful. I do not share your fears about scarring and so on--majorly because you most likely will not to need an episiotomy in your next delivery if it is handled well. But when we talk, we'll be able to tackle it better.So, 1. yes you have PPD -- it's a diagnosis that subsists till 1 year after birth 2.Let's plan to have another baby-it's your right; ok? Scarring? Forget it 3.You need to be careful about your BP. 160/100 is bad; 140/90 not the best; we need to lower it.What was it before you got pregnant? This one needs special handling.Call the helplines.

Diabetes and the Feet

Good evening Doc, Please I need your advice on a matter. I have someone who has Diabetes(for more than 10 years).About 2 weeks ago he started having pains on the heel of his foot.He is about 60years old.What can be done to help him, Sir? Thanks Raliat Ranko, Degema Dear Raliat, Bad bad news. Any one with diabetes who gets pains on the feet must be very careful and wary of diabetic foot ulcer and therefore should quickly see his doctor/diabetologist as quickly as possible. Diabetics tend to get small vessel disease including retinopathy (in the eye--cannot see well); impotence, kidney damage and non healing ulcers (in the feet) -- that lead inevitably to amputation of such areas of the feet because gangrene sets in and begins to spread to other parts of the body if care is not taken. Special care of the feet is important for all diabetics and if their doctor has not instructed them about this, they ought to seek such information fast. Hurry up and follow above advice. Cheers

Stop Sex For Now!!!

Stop Sex For Now!!! Dear Doctor, My boyfriend & I both had sex then I found out that I started having stomach pain. My navel began to pain me then to the left side of my tummy then below my chest region which resulted to vomiting, high body temperature & loss of weight. We used a condom. I am 19 while he is 22yrs old. What do you think is the cause of the mentioned symptoms above? How can I gain my weight back within a week? I've even thought of stopping to have sex completely so please your advice & prescription is highly needed urgently. Dear JFX, Listen JFX-- you asked for my advice-- so let me tell you the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the God-help-me truth-- YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS HAVING SEX-- AT ALL!! and, straight away, I can think of 5 things that can be responsible for your symptoms 1. is plain old fear-- anxiety neurosis, we call it. Fear of -- no, not pregnancy since you used condoms, but fear that you are too young to be having sex. This fear or anxiety is what is responsible for your subsequent resolve to go off sex. I mean If you were 29-- or even 19-- and finished all your studies--or even if not graduated yet-- but were married --and this problem occurred-- would you ever think of stopping to have sex? Not very likely!!! So, --like the ubiquitous new advert says, "sex is worth waiting for, so zip up!!!" 2.Endometriosis 3.PID-- (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease). Both these two will cause you to have pain with sex and the second one -- PID -- will make you have fever too; 4.Coincidental Peptic Ulcer symptoms 5.No Reason -- which is often a way of saying the reason is not in the physical or mental -- it is in the spiritual. Magun, for example is a spiritual principle whereby the partner to the magun- carrying partner begins to have symptoms that may culminate in death. In this case the magun would be on your boy-- and it could even be on you. The purpose of magun ("don't climb" --as in sex) -- is not to do it-- don't have sex ( with the magun carrier) -- which is still saying the same thing I was saying which you yourself seems to have apprehended already -- "Zip up; wait; don't". The summary? I agree with you. My prescription? Stop sex for now; okay? Cheers

Boils on the Genitals

Dear Doctor, I've been reading your responses to people's questions to regarding their health situation,I must say that I'm glad so far. Please doctor, for sometime now, I've been having some boils around my private parts --the groin to be specific. It appears like pimples.It's actually like pimple, because any time it's ripe, it does brings out some whitish substance like that of pimple. Please help me out. Expecting your reply through this medium if possible. Thanks. Yours Sege Dear Sege, Your question is very relevant because you find a lot of folks with the same concern--boils, pimples, bumps or some hard nodules or papules near, at or on their genitals. What could it be? The best approach is to ask yourself the question--what is the origin? Did it just begin or has it been coming and going for a long time? If it began a long while ago, how did it start--just after sex with a particular person--or what? Because --here is the first major distinction that will give you peace of mind--if it is a question of nonsexual contact at all then it is very likely to be nothing to write home about . General, non sex related causes of boils are bad hygiene and diabetes as well as kidney infection and generally lowered immunity. Then talking non sexually again you must understand that the genitals, like the armpits, the face the buttocks and some other parts of the body where skin lies on skin and there is likely to be friction contain a lot of oily glands;sweat glands and so on and are prone to have these boils--yes they are just ordinary boils--naturally. It is nothing to worry about.The hair follicle could get infected because the hair has grown inside on its itself --called ingrown hair follicle. It could also be a cyst --these ones tend to extrude some whitish or liquid stuff when pressed.They are inconsequential. Incidentally these boils are all likely to be caused by the ubiquitous germ --ever p[resent on the skin well known and referred to as Staphylococcus aureus--harmless really unless it gets deep into tissues like the prostate, brain, inner lining of the heart or lungs or causes food poisoning. Having said this I must warn that you always need to see a doctor to actually look see any skin problem because to assume could be deadly.Particularly if there is a recent history of sexual exposure you will need to rule out things like syphilitic chancre, genital warts, herpes and molluscum contagiosum; and Behcet's Syndrome and so on and so forth. These sexually transmitted or sexually associated conditions need to be thoroughly assessed by doctors trained to do so. If you stay in a capital or city or University town your best bet is to go and see a dermatologist at the University teaching hospital or Federal Medical Centre or even the General Hospital.There you will find dermatological evaluation which, really is the best for you Cheers

Is White Vaginal Discharge Infection?

Dear Dr, These days I notice something liquid and white is coming out of my vagina and one of my friends told me its infection. Please advise Hauwa, Dutse Jigawa Dear Hauwa This piece of information I want to give you now is very very important for every woman to know, so fasten your seat-belts.The normal vagina, just like the normal mouth is generally and usually moist or wet or not dry. Again, just like the mouth, a times, there will be more fluid or wetness or discharge and at other times, less.This is true whether there is disease or not. Now for the mouth, saliva is the fluid that is produced and it is colourless. For the vagina, the fluid or discharge -- the normal, no disease, no trouble one-- is white like rice, ogi, akamu or fura or the white of the coconut.It may also be a little off-white or creamy going yellow. This piece of scientific and medical fact is important to know so the poor lady does not begin to run around thinking she has a disease when there is no cause for alarm.When there is infection or disease in the vagina, there are four notable differences you will notice and they are increase in the fluid or discharge - it becomes too much; it changes colour from the white we referred to; it becomes itchy or and it becomes smelly. Any lady who still has questions on this topic--is my discharge normal? should go to www.mediamedix.blogspot for further help or just call us. Dr.Caleb Bibbi Oluranti 08093142261;08030543421;08028240983;08057441699

Blocked Tubes from Breast Enlargement?

Dear Dr, Sometime ago, I purchased and have been using breast enlargement meds. Recently, however, I was diagnosed with blocked tubes.I am a 22year old girl who has been using contraceptive pills. I discovered in my internet search that blocked fallopian tubes are linked with contraceptive pills. Could my breast enlargement medications be the cause of my blocked tubes? Thank you, doctor Jane Abiriba, Yenagoa Dear Jane, Blocked tubes are not caused by breast enlargement meds, no.The most important cause is Pelvic inflammatory Disease, endometriosis, generalized infections of the abdomen like peritonitis that can occur from a ruptured appendix. Let me put your mind to rest- there is no link between your breast enlargement stuff and your blocked tubes Cheers

Premature Ejaculation; Bed-Wetting

Dear Doctor, As a regular reader of your column, family health, I believe you will respond to these my problems:- (1)Premature ejaculation I started noticing this sickness at 19 when I had my first sexual intercourse. And up till now, the sickness remains with me. This makes me to feel much embarrassed now than that of my initial time. Whenever, I have sexual intercourse, before 10 – 15 seconds I have released. Sometimes I will refuse to romance with my partner to avoid releasing before the real sex, which is not enjoyable. (2)Inability to go more than one (1) round after this ejaculation prematurely. This makes me to feel unhappy whenever my partner asked me why can’t me go twice. (3)Bed Wetting: Earlier, this problem happens to me whenever I had a dream where I’m playing with a partner and before I know it I have released but now it is almost everyday and it makes me to feel totally fatigue after the releasing. Please, Doctor, I am very worried about this problem and believe you will do something about the remedies. May God Almighty continue to shower his blessings upon you and your family in Jesus name. Amen. Please, Doctor, I will like you to send this reply back with your real contact address with phone number if it is possible. Or you send E-mail through Thanks. Yours faithfully, Malami Bagauda, Hadija, Kano Dear Malami, Your bed-wetting is the challenge that worries me the most among your troubles.adults do not bed-wet unless there is something deeply wrong -- to be found not in the mind or body, but usually in the spirit. This is corroborated by the fact that your bed-wetting is dream-related. Little kids bed -wet and generally we attribute this to various physical factors. Adolescents that bed-wet are known to have psychological challenges they are unable to handle which a good psychologist /psychiatrist can help them with. Adults bed-wetting is a totally different kettle of fish. Definitely, e get as e be!!! Your premature ejaculation and only one round is Chronic Prostatitis and as you noticed, will not ever go away by itself. You need expert treatment and will benefit from our expertise.The spiritual angle to your problems as for every other human being gets well sorted out if you learn to pray.We help needful folks with this without upsetting their religious inclinations.Just call the hep-lines. Cheers