My blood tests last month showed calcium 9.3mg/dl and Vitamin D 19.56 ng/ml. I have started taking D3 1gm sachets. How long do I need to take these and what should be the gap between two sachets? My Vitamin B12 was 399 pg/ml and folate serum 15.59 ng/ml? Do I need supplements? Please guide about dose and duration of supplements and any dietary changes or additions. — Ved Parkash Jindal (85), Moga Vitamin D is a little low, but rest are normal. Continue your Vitamin D sachets for about 8–12 weeks and then get your levels checked again. In elderly adults, Vitamin D3 60,000 IU should be taken once weekly for 6–8 weeks. After that one sachet every 2–4 weeks, or 1000–2000 IU daily, as Vitamin D levels tend to fall again in older adults. For rest, include chicken, fish, liver meats, milk, yogurt, paneer, eggs, fortified plant milks, leafy greens, ragi/ other millets, sesame/other seeds, lentils, etc. — Dr Puneet Kumar, Internal Medicine Specialist, Livasa Hospital, Mohali My husband (43) is diabetic and regularly monitors his blood sugar levels. His fasting levels are between 108–110 mg/dL, and his post-meal levels around 130–140 mg/dL. However, his recent HbA1c is 7.8. Why is his HbA1c so high despite his daily levels being under control? Does he need additional tests? Does his current medication need adjustment, or any change? What precautions should he take about his diet, exercise, and lifestyle? — Amita Bansal, Mohali First, we need to know his sugar levels after lunch and dinner. A complete 24-hour monitoring is needed. Does he frequently eat food outside? Such meals contain more and unhealthy calories than home food. Eating rice frequently is also not helpful as its glycaemic index is much high than say a multigrain roti. Less or no physical activity also affects sugar control. Also, confirm if your lab is NABL/NABH accredited. If no anomaly is detected, then a 24/7 wearable continuous glucose monitor that gives readings of sugar levels every 5 minutes can help. — Dr KP Singh, Director, Endocrinology, Fortis, Mohali I am a working mother of two children below 10. For the past year, I feel exhausted all the time with no desire or energy to do anything. I am also experiencing irregular cycles, mood swings. Do advise if these symptoms are due to normal stress or do they indicate some serious medical issue. — Shikha Mahajan (40), Hamirpur While stress and exhaustion from managing work and young children can contribute to fatigue, mood swings, and irregular cycles, these symptoms at 40 may also indicate hormonal changes such as perimenopause, thyroid imbalance, anaemia, or vitamin deficiencies. Get your blood tests done, including Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D levels, along with other relevant hormonal investigations. Please do not ignore persistent tiredness or irregularities in the menstrual cycle. It is best to consult a gynaecologist for a detailed evaluation. Prioritising adequate sleep, balanced nutrition, hydration, stress management, and regular exercise can also help improve overall wellbeing. — Dr Jasleen Kaur Malhotra, Gynaecologist, Cloudnine Hospitals, Dwarka, New Delhi My aunt (64) donated her kidney seven years back. Since then she has gained much weight, bordering on obesity. She also suffers from acute constipation and developed high BP after donation. She takes her BP medication and has to take a digestive churan every night. Please guide or suggest remedies. — Geeta Sood, Shimla Donation alone is unlikely to cause weight gain, high blood pressure and constipation seven years on. It may be ageing, reduced activity, diet or metabolic changes. I suggest checking with a nephrologist and getting kidney function tests, a urine protein check and a metabolic workup done. Meanwhile, she should take medicines regularly, lose weight gradually, do her 10,000 steps, and stay well hydrated. — Dr Ashwathy Haridas, Nephrologist, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai, Mumbai I graduated last year and still can’t find a stable job. Every rejection makes me question my worth and I keep thinking ‘What if I never succeed?’ How do I deal with this constant fear? — Arnav Sharma, (21), Solan This feeling of questioning worth after rejection is very common for recent graduates. This ‘what if’ fear stems from linking your self-worth directly to immediate success, which is an unrealistic standard. To manage this, gently mould or change those thoughts: rejection is feedback on your fit for the job profile, not your inherent value. Focus on small, manageable steps like improving skills one at a time or applying for other jobs. Therapy can help in extreme situations. Finding stability takes time. Keep going.