your health

Got a medical problem or need health advice? Ask GP Dr Rosemary Leonard

Breast cancer special

QI was given five days of antibiotics for an infected insect bite. Within a couple of days it was loads better, but I followed instructions and finished the course. But was this necessary?

ASome doctors would say yes, some no! The standard advice has always been to finish a prescribed course of antibiotics, on the grounds that this will help reduce the risk of bacteria surviving and becoming resistant to the antibiotic used. But this view has now been challenged by a group of experts, who feel that antibiotics taken for longer than necessary amounts to overuse, and might make the resistance problem worse. My advice is to check with your doctor in future, and ask if you really need to complete the course. Doctors are aware of antibiotic overuse, and treatment times are getting shorter – for example, three days of antibiotics is all that is usually given for a urine infection.

QI recently went to have a smear test with the practice nurse, and she had to abandon the procedure because I found it so painful. This has never happened to me before, but since my last test I’ve been through the menopause. Could this be why?

AThe fall in oestrogen levels at the menopause can lead to a very dry vagina, which not only makes sex uncomfortable but also makes having a smear painful. The nurse could use more lubricating jelly on the speculum (the instrument used to visualise the cervix), but this can interfere with analysis of the sample. A better solution is to use oestrogen pessaries in the vagina for at least a month (available on prescription), which will increase natural secretions. If you are nervous about the test, ask the nurse if you can insert the speculum yourself. w&h