Dear Roscommon, I am sorry to hear you have had a prolonged period of illness; I hope my advice will be helpful to you. ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis) is also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) of which the exact causes are unknown but viral infection triggers are thought to contribute. Post vi...

Dear Eve, Thank you for your post. Yes I would advise that you see your GP - it is possible you may have a chest infection, in which case you will need antibiotics prescribed to fight the infection. A cough is the body's natural reflex to expel irritants from the lungs. If this cough is persisting f...

Dear Nancypoj, Many thanks for your post – I hope my advice will be helpful for you. Breast size is generally determined by a woman’s genes, hormones, body frame and weight. This size can alter with weight so women often find that their breast size increases if they put on weight or become pregnant....

Dear Juneanne, Many thanks for your post. I hope my advice will be helpful for you. Sertraline is part of the drug group called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which means that it acts to increase the level of serotonin (a natural “good mood” chemical) in the brain. SSRIs are used to...

Dear the_baroness, Many thanks for your post. I am sorry to hear of your symptoms and I hope that my advice will be helpful in alleviating them. The symptoms you are describing are characteristic of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) so please do not worry – although I realise it is extremely ...

Hi Rebecca, Thank you for your post. I think the contraceptive pill you are taking is Brevinor? Brevinor is a combined oral contraceptive (COC) pill which contains both an oestrogen component (ethinylestradiol) and progestogen component (norethisterone). It is designed to be taken for 21 days starti...

Hello, Thank you for your post. I think it's perhaps the Brevinor pill you are taking? Brevinor is a combined oral contraceptive (COC) which contains both the oestrogen component (ethinylestradiol) and progestogen component (norethisterone). It is generally taken for 21 days starting on the first da...

Hello, Thank you for your post. I hope my advice will be helpful to you. Most headaches are not serious and can be successfully treated using pharmacy ailments such as paracetamol, codeine or ibuprofen based products. Lifestyle changes including getting enough rest and keeping hydrated are also help...

Hi Cazkins, Many thanks for providing this information. I'm sure it's been a very distressing time for you and I hope that my advice will help you. I've tried to look at the information you have given me as hollistically as I can. There certainly are links between iron, hypothyroidism (underactive t...

Hello, Many thanks for your post. I hope that my advice will be useful in supporting your wife through the condition. You are quite correct, fybromyalgia is a condition which causes numerous symptoms and as such there is no cure, however there are many treatment options which can ease symptoms. Your...