QI am 67 and have been depressed on and off for most of my life.

I feel like my life has been a complete disaster and the usual anti-depressants don't work.

I can't seem to express myself to my GP and I feel very nervous and shy. Diazepam and Nitrazepam make life bearable but I can't get high enough doses of them.

AAs you know, it is important with depression to ensure that those involved in your management understand your thoughts and feelings.

If you feel that more time with doctors might help or, indeed, if you feel seeing a different GP would make it easier to speak you could explore this with your practice.

You have described feeling nervous and shy, and this can be a feature of a number of conditions ranging from shyness itself to anxiety and sometimes depression.

While the medicines you mention can be helpful short term, they do not solve any under-lying matters.

Many people find that alternatives to medicines e.g. 'talking therapies' can help reduce the need for tablets.

Raynaud's is a common condition that affects the blood supply to certain parts of the body, usually the fingers and toes. It may affect as many as one in every nine women and one in every 12 men.

The condition occurs because your blood vessels go into a temporary spasm which blocks the flow of blood. This causes the affected area to change colour to white, then blue and then finally red as the blood flow returns.

You may also experience pain, numbness and pins and needles in the affected body parts.

Symptoms can last from a few minutes to several hours and it is usually triggered by cold temperatures or by anxiety or stress.

It is not a serious threat to your health but it can be annoying to live with.

In many cases it may be possible to control the symptoms of Raynaud's using self-care techniques such as avoiding the cold, wearing gloves and using relaxation techniques when feeling stressed.

WHAT IS.. RAYNAUD'S DISEASE?

QWill I be able to go on holiday abroad eight days after I get my thyroid removed?

ASurgery of this type will require a general anaesthetic and some people find it takes a few days to recover from this.

Sutures will need to be removed after the appropriate amount of time and the healing process of the scar will be observed at this point and possibly in between.

It would be advisable to speak to your surgeon and ask them about the travel after such a short time post operatively.

If your surgeon did give you the go ahead, it may also be a good idea, if you have travel insurance, to speak to your provider to ensure you were covered for any eventuality.

QI am 67 and have been depressed on and off for most of my life.

I feel like my life has been a complete disaster and the usual anti-depressants don't work.

I can't seem to express myself to my GP and I feel very nervous and shy. Diazepam and Nitrazepam make life bearable but I can't get high enough doses of them.

AAs you know, it is important with depression to ensure that those involved in your management understand your thoughts and feelings.

If you feel that more time with doctors might help or, indeed, if you feel seeing a different GP would make it easier to speak you could explore this with your practice.

You have described feeling nervous and shy, and this can be a feature of a number of conditions ranging from shyness itself to anxiety and sometimes depression.

While the medicines you mention can be helpful short term, they do not solve any under-lying matters.

Many people find that alternatives to medicines e.g. 'talking therapies' can help reduce the need for tablets.

QWill I be able to go on holiday abroad eight days after I get my thyroid removed?

ASurgery of this type will require a general anaesthetic and some people find it takes a few days to recover from this.

Sutures will need to be removed after the appropriate amount of time and the healing process of the scar will be observed at this point and possibly in between.

It would be advisable to speak to your surgeon and ask them about the travel after such a short time post operatively.

If your surgeon did give you the go ahead, it may also be a good idea, if you have travel insurance, to speak to your provider to ensure you were covered for any eventuality.

WHAT IS.. RAYNAUD'S DISEASE?

Raynaud's is a common condition that affects the blood supply to certain parts of the body, usually the fingers and toes. It may affect as many as one in every nine women and one in every 12 men.

The condition occurs because your blood vessels go into a temporary spasm which blocks the flow of blood. This causes the affected area to change colour to white, then blue and then finally red as the blood flow returns.

You may also experience pain, numbness and pins and needles in the affected body parts.

Symptoms can last from a few minutes to several hours and it is usually triggered by cold temperatures or by anxiety or stress.

It is not a serious threat to your health but it can be annoying to live with.

In many cases it may be possible to control the symptoms of Raynaud's using self-care techniques such as avoiding the cold, wearing gloves and using relaxation techniques when feeling stressed.