My 86-year-old mother has a history of diverticulitis and has recently experienced left abdominal pain. She has been eating nuts again, which she had ceased for months. She takes 100mg nitro for UTI prevention and has had diverticulitis attacks treated with cipro and metroz antibiotics in the past. This morning, she had strong abdominal pain and took a buscopan. How long should she wait to see a doctor for antibiotics, should she continue taking nitro to prevent UTIs, what would be the best antibiotic for this situation, and are there any other recommendations?

December 6th, 2023

I am a 28-year-old female with thalassemia trait. I have been experiencing recurring foot and toe cramps, sometimes lasting over 30 minutes, for the past 10 years. My primary and other doctors have not found any issues with dehydration or electrolytes. I have researched and found that cramps might be related to anemia. Should I see a hematologist for further testing, and do you have any advice on how to handle these cramps?

October 6th, 2023

I had foot surgery and have been using narcotics for six weeks, which I finished one week ago. I now have trouble sleeping due to discomfort from the boot I have to wear. My doctor prescribed Temazepam for short-term sleep issues. I've been using it for a week and it works well, but I'm concerned about how long I can safely take it without experiencing rebound insomnia. I will be in this boot for at least another four weeks and won't be able to walk on my foot during that time. I'm not on any other medications except an Advair inhaler for asthma. If I stop the Temazepam and use doxylamine succinate for a few days, then go back to Temazepam, will that help?

February 6th, 2024

I have been experiencing severe gas and diarrhea for 12 hours, despite taking Lomotil. I also had a migraine yesterday and visited the ER, where I was given medication. My primary care doctor advised me to go to urgent care, where I received fluids. The urgent care doctor suggested Lomotil would stop the diarrhea, but it hasn't. I have a history of IBS and migraines, but this episode is worse than usual. I am experiencing nausea and normal abdominal pain, similar to when I have IBS, but more severe now. What could be causing this and what can I do to alleviate the symptoms?

November 29th, 2023

My white blood count is 1500.5. Is this extremely high?

October 7th, 2024