From menopause struggles to worrying lumps – Dr Jeff answers your health questions
DR Jeff Foster is The Sun on Sunday’s resident doctor and is here to help YOU.
Dr Jeff, 43, splits his time between working as a GP in Leamington Spa, Warks, and running his clinic, H3 Health, which is the first of its kind in the UK to look at hormonal issues for both men and women.
Q) I AM a 53-year-old female and was diagnosed with Lupus in 2014.
My condition is well managed and controlled with medication, including steroids.
I also take medication for hypertension and an antidepressant for menopause symptoms.
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HRT is not recommended due to lupus.
But I am struggling with menopause symptoms including weight gain.
I do four classes a week and manage my diet.
I have seen herbal supplements advertised for menopause symptom management – could I take them without any contraindications to my prescribed medications?
Sam Wall
A) Menopause can be a particularly distressing condition, but thankfully many more women are now rightly being offered HRT.
However it is not suitable for everyone, which makes managing the condition more difficult.
The supplement industry may try to claim it has discovered the next “non-medicinal” way to treat the condition, but just because a treatment is a supplement, plant or herb does not make it any safer, and may not actually do anything beneficial.
Many supplement companies also put several products together, each with their own claims.
Overall, unless you have the time and ability to research all the ingredients, my advice would be to initially avoid such supplements and speak to a menopause specialist about what other options might work best for you.
Q) A LUMP appeared on my forehead five years ago and keeps growing.
My wife used to joke about it being a stress bump.
It is hard, not uncomfortable, but aches at times. I would like it removed.
My wife has worried me by googling and diagnosing it as something cancer-related.
Andrew King, Halifax
A) Generally, most cancerous lesions grow more quickly than over five years, so this would not be my initial concern.
There are many causes for lumps and bumps, especially as we age, but on the head, one of the most common causes is a sebaceous cyst.
Cysts are often triggered by an ingrown hair and as the inflammatory process worsens, fluid can collect under the skin, which can get infected and discharge pus or blood-stained fluid.
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They are very unlikely to resolve spontaneously and often stagnate for years before sometimes becoming an abscess.
Get this looked at by your doctor as if it needs removal, the smaller the lump, the less of a scar.