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Name
Layla
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
salams doctor,
I'm 38, and I've noticed that as I grow older PMS is getting much worse with me. I start feeling depressed as early as 10 days before my menses, and my breasts become tender around the same time. My real issue is with the depression, because sometimes it affects my whole attitude towards life. I know it is related to PMS because only one or two days after my menses start I suddenly start feeling much better and my outlook on life becomes much more positive. It is a constant cycle I go through every month. The problem is that it seems to me that the depression is getting worse each year. I am very active, so don't try prescribing increased activity. It isn't working. I'd like to first understand why PMS gets worse with age, if it will be like this for the rest of my life, and if there is anything natural I can do to decrease the symptom of depression especially. I can handle the other symptoms. Thank you
Answer
Salamaleikum Layla,
What you are going through is not uncommon. Many women go through this, and even worse. Premenstrual Tension Syndrome (PMS) is not actually related to age, unless in women approaching menopause (which is not the case here). But it is related to lifestyle. You may be very active, but this is not the only preventive measure for PMS. You should change the way you are conducting life. Avoid stressful situations. Have a break. Go for a short trip. Exercise. Lose excess weight. All of the above measures will reduce the severity of PMS.
If you are not using contraception, and do not want to get pregnant then we may advise the use of contraceptive pills. These pills will markedly reduce the PMS symptoms.
May Allah bless you.
Name
Rabab
- Egypt
Profession
Question
Assalamualaikum,
My daughter is nearing puberty. She is 12 years old. Is there good way and bad way to explain puberty and the menstrual cycl to a girl, especially since it is not taught well at schools here?
Answer
Salam aleikum Rabab,
You may be surprised to know how much girls talk among each other about many things, including puberty and menstrual cycles. Be sure that she has at least minimal knowledge about this event from her friends and classmates that have already passed through this stage. Puberty starts in Egypt between ages 9 to 14.
So my advice to you is to be her friend, and discuss things with her freely and with an open mind. If you feel she is embarrassed, tell her "No problem." Tell her one of her friends has already reached puberty, or tell her about your first period, and how you managed the situation.
What I may advise you to do is to present as something about to happen, but not necessarily very soon. Many girls are worried if they do not get their menses when they hear about it.
Name
aliayah
-
Profession
student
Question
As-salamu-alaikum-warahmatullahee wabarakatohu!
I always wondered about women who go on birth control or get those birth control shots. To my understanding, taking these types of measures stops menstruation. So, isn't this extremely bad for the woman's health?
Answer
There are several methods for birth control other than shots. For example, contraceptive pills, or birth control pills, are associated with regular menses. Intrauterine devices (IUD) are associated with heavy menses. Recently, there are newly introduced contraceptive pills for lactating women, and this also does not prevent menses, but reduces its amount.
Only birth control injections (shots) are associated with ammenorhoea (absent menses), and even in this case, a stop in menstruation does not harm women. This means that delayed menses or even absent menses does not mean to accumulate blood inside the womb. So, from your question, I cannot agree that there is a harm in stopping menstruation. In fact, before Hajj many women use certain medications to delay menses till they return home.
However, we may agree with you that any birth control method has certain disadvantages, including increased liability to develop hypertension later in life. This applies to all methods except IUDs.
Name
Rasha
- Egypt
Profession
Question
As a young girl , on her way to be a mother, what is the advice you can give to me during the pregnancy? and how can one overcome the difficult time a woman passes during this period?
Answer
Dear Rasha,
Pregnancy is a lovely journey, that you should enjoy every minute, rather than being afraid of it. There are no difficult times during pregnancy, even labour pains (which are very painful) will be forgotten when you hold your baby in your arms. What I will advise is for you to have a good, healthy life, with good nutrition. Vegetables and fruits are really important.
Another important advice is that you should visit your doctor every now and then to follow-up on your pregnancy, and take prescriptions that will help you to pass smoothly through these nine months.
Name
hafsa
- Yemen
Profession
student
Question
Dear dr. I am married for three years and alhamdulillah my husband is very supporting. Since I cannot get pregnant, I went to my GP and he said that I had a very low progesterone compared to the normal progesterone a female should have to be fertile. What are the causes and can this be fixed? if so, how long will it take? Am very worried!!
ps. Ultrasound had been taken around the pelvis and all seemed to be normal, Alhamdulilah.
Answer
Pregnancy is usually achieved between a man and a woman. So, if there is a delay, we should search for a cause in both the man and the woman. I agree that you found a problem and should treat it, but we should not exclude other factors, because combined factors usually account for 25% of causes of delayed conception.
So I advise to have your husband undergo semen-analysis.
In the meantime, you should take drugs: either oral tablets or injections to force the ovary to produce eggs (oocytes). Having low progesterone indicates that you have a problem in ovulation (producing eggs), but this is easy to solve. If the ovary is capable of producing such eggs, then your progesterone levels will increase, and pregnancy will be more likely. Progesterone levels increase the same month that you begin using drugs.
Name
aisha
-
Profession
student
Question
salam. Which day of the month will a women be most fertile? I have heard it is the 13th and 17th. Thank you.
Answer
Your question is probably the most frequently asked. Unfortunately, we cannot predict the exact day of fertilisation or maximum fertility. However, there is a range from day 10 to day 18 starting from the first day of menses. This is what is called the fertility window.
To achieve the best chance to get pregnant, we advise to have intercourse on day 11, 13, 15, 17. This means on alternate days. Or you may go to your gynecologist and have an ultrasound to see the exact day when the egg reaches the optimum size. The day of maximum fertility will be two days following this date.
Name
sister
- United States
Profession
stay home mom
Question
asalu alaykum. I am a 29 year old mom with 2 children. A year ago when I was giving birth to my last child, the doctors removed my uterus. In other words I had hysterectomy. When I woke up from coma, and they told me the news, I felt loss and great depresion. I always dreamed having a lot of children, but now my dream of having more children is nothing but a tattered dream. My question is can I pray to Allah to give me more children, although I know I don't have a womb. If not,can I adopt children, and what are the rules of adaption in Islamic prespective?
thank you
Answer
We feel very sorry for you, but at the same time, we thank God that you have two beautiful children, and may God bless them.
Sister, there is no way to get pregnant so long as your womb has been removed. We are aware that in western countries, it is legal to get "egg donations" or renting wombs, but this is not allowed in Islam, and thus not practiced in Islamic countries.
But you can adopt children and regarding rules of adoption you may direct your question to the Fatwa section at IOL.
Name
julie
-
Profession
Question
As salamu alaykum,
My daughter is 7 and 4 months. She has started to have body odor like an adult. Does this mean puberty is near?
thank you.
Answer
As far as I know, there is no relationship between body odor and the occurence of puberty. However there are certain signs you may notice in your daughter if puberty is near, like developing in the armpits and pubic area. Also breasts will start to develop even if this is minimal. This would mean that puberty is about one or two years ahead.
Name
Zanab
- Kuwait
Profession
Question
Dear concern peoples...Actually i have been to kuwait for last 3 years and gonna marry soon within few months. I have a very serious problem that i couldn’t ask and go to Pakistan that’s why I wan to ask from you.
Kindly help me to know about my this problem that :
I am gonna marry a man who is suffering in a thelesmia, unfortunately my family didnt knew it before but when we came to know about my would be husband this disease or weakness my family told me it is not a matter. I just read in yours discussion forum that it is good to have a test before marriage about these diseases means HIV test or THELESMIA while my fiance already have thelesmia disease since his childhood so what should i do and what are the future side effects on me if he is suffering in thelesmia or should it would be harm to get marry with him???
Regards,
Zanab.
Answer
Thalassemia is very common genetic disease inherited by male offspring while females carry only the gene. Thanks to God, medicine has evolved to develop a new technology called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. This technology would allow for the selection of healthy embryos, so that babies do not have this disease.
This technology has two disadvantages. First, it will allow you to have female offspring only, because male embryos will be excluded. Second, it does not involve normal conception, but necessitates having test-tube babies (in-vitro fertilisation or IVF). This means that the husband and wife should go to a specialised center to have embryos examined and selected. In addition this technology is very expensive.
Name
Editor
-
Profession
Question
What are the benefits and dangers of hormonal replacement after menopause?
Answer
In the last two decades, there was a widespread use of hormonal replacement therapy(HRT) at the time of menopause. It was then advocated to continue HRT for life.
However, it was recently discovered that HRT for more than five years would be produce more harm than good. It will increase the incidence of cancer in the breasts and ovaries in women. It will also increase the number of deaths in women to cardiac problems. Accordingly, there has been a dramatic reduction in the prescription of HRT these days.
HRT is only advisable for women having hot flushes to allow them to overcome this temporary state of life. Keep in mind, this therapy should not exceed five years.
Name
Farhana
- Belgium
Profession
student
Question
Salam Aleykum,
What are the causes of low progestrone leading to no production of eggs in women and also having the long gaps of menstruation occuring, upto 2months cycle.
Thank You
Answer
When the egg grows and reaches an optimum size, it is released and becomes progestrone producing organ. Long gaps between menses associated with low progestrone is called anovulation (inability to produce good eggs). Anovulation has many causes. For example, extreme obesity and extreme exercise can cause anovulation.
However, anovulation is an easy problem to solve using drugs. Even reducing weight will help restoring ovulation and conception.
Name
alia
-
Profession
Question
I get really awful pms. During that time i am difficult to live with, very irritable, aggressive, have pains all over my body etc. I feel so much guilt and remorse over how i behave but seem unable to control it. What measures can i take?
Answer
Decreasing salt in your diet would help to reduce symptoms of PMS. Using analgesics or painkillers will also help a lot.
Name
Editor
-
Profession
Question
What are the side-effects of using painkillers to cure pains during menses?
Answer
There are different types of painkillers related to their efficacy. Weak painkillers have mild side-effects, while strong painkillers have many side-effects. Accordingly, we don't prescribe any painkiller unless there is a necessity. The most common side-effect is what is called gastric upset, feeling nausea, vomiting and stomach-ache, specially with repeated intake.
However, there are certain life-threatening side-effects of certain strong painkillers on the heart. There were recent reports incriminating one of these drugs that caused many deaths.
