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By Dr Dulcy Rakumakoe

Chief Executive Officer


Ask the doctor: Cysts and marijuana

Dr Dulcy Rakumakoe shares advice on reader questions.


Dear doctor, I get pains in my stomach and not my abdomen during my menstrual cycle. What causes this?

A stomach is an organ inside the abdomen. It is very difficult to tell for sure once you have pain in the abdomen, where exactly it is coming from. If your pain is higher up in the abdomen and central, chances are the stomach is involved.

It can be in reaction to medication you are taking or there could be more serious complications. Please visit a doctor and get a thorough investigation and gastroscope if need be to be sure if the stomach is involved or not.

Dear doctor, is it necessary to have surgery to drain a cyst in the womb?

Cysts associated with the pelvic area in women are mostly ovarian cysts. The causes vary. Treatment is mainly dependant on the size of the cyst and how much discomfort is associated with it. Smaller ones usually require no surgery. Some larger ones can be managed with hormonal treatment.

Dear doctor, does marijuana cause mental illness if there is a history in the family?

One of the effects of abuse or overuse is mental illness. If there is a family history of mental illness, everyone in the family is at risk of getting it. It is possible that marijuana might be the trigger in some of the people.

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Dr Dulcy Rakumakoe Health

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