Ask the doctor

Dear Doctor I have constant stomach cramps. It doesn’t make a difference if I’ve eaten or not. Sometimes they happen in the morning when I wake up. What does this mean?

Good day, Constant stomach cramps can be a sign of irritable bowel syndrome, often accompanied by constipation, diarrhoea or even bloating. These may be related to stress or a diet low in fibre, especially in vegetables and fruit or just not drinking enough water. Please do take up exercising and a healthy diet to see if the symptoms improve. If not, see a doctor for a full history and physical examination.

Hi Madam Chronically using steroid creams is not good and may lead to complications. Please ask the doctor to refer you to a dermatologist for proper diagnosis of the skin condition.

Dear Doctor I have a migraine at least once a day and now live on painkillers. How do I put a stop to this? I feel like I’ll be popping pills forever just to cope. I’ve tried different types of remedies but nothing seems to work. Please help.

Hi Migraine once a day every day? That does not sound possible or nice to live with. Have all other headache conditions been excluded, such as hypertension or neurological conditions? Has a brain scan been done recently? I really think you should get a full examination and imaging to make sure what you have is migraine. Ask to be referred to a neurologist.