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Dr. Joe Merritt

Obstetrics and Gynecology
Tiff City, MO
52 years experience male

About

Bio

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Specialties
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Languages spoken

English

Doctor Q&A

37 Answers
0 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 34-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
No: Once pregnancy occurs many other things have effects on bbt- it is not a reliable monitor of how pregnancy is progressing.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Yes, sort of: Most common cause of skipped or too frequent menses in younger women is failure to ovulate. This is most commonly a result of "stress" which may be m... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Likely fertile: Not ovulating regularly or the periods would be regular. If not get pregnant in 6 months of trying might need "fertility pills" to encourage more reg... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 39-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Surgery: If the area of hypersensitivity can be mapped carefully it can be excised and usually the condition does not recur.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 17-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
3 weeks : Usually periods begin when the body realizes you have stopped taking the pill. Generally about 2-3 days after the last of the 21 pills-.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 33-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
POssible Pregnancy: Pms symptoms and early pregnancy sx may be similar. Neg test may just be too soon. If still neg in 10 days pregnancy is very unlikely. If period ha... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A member asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Lack of Ovulation: Most common cause of no periods or irregular menses is lack of ovulation, especially common in diabetics. Most fertility ends at about 42-43 yoa.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 35-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
No: It would be important if you were eating the bakeware, but not just using it- too little transfers.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 17-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Sample Kegel: Here is one way:contract your muscles as though you were trying to stop a bowel movement. This contracts all the pelvic muscles including bladder. H... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Should come and go: Nausea with ovaries comes from them being squashed or twisted. Twisting can harm the ovary. This can be seen on doppler ultrasound where the blood flo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 24-year-old male asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Not soon: Because most people with "herpes" become pretty much immune after a few years, there is little incentive for drug companies to invest in vaccine at th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Might be hormones: Depo has built-in margin of safety in most pts ofa month. It can be wearing off and you can be getting ready to cycle on your own, and either get preg... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
BCP: Cysts on the ovaries come from failed ovulation. Bcp's or depo-provera are very good at preventing cysts from returning by preventing the ovary from ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Not likely: If period came at expected time it is unlikely you conceived. Bleeding later is likely associated with ovulation.However, miracles do happen, and unpr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Maybe: If there was large accumulation of blood and swelling at the insertion site the implant may not function normally- it maybe surrounded with blood in... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Unlikely: Unless semen runs into the vagina, or was ejaculated vaginally, pregnancy will not occur.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Not pregnant: If pregnancy tests 2 or more weeks after last intercourse are negative, most unlikely you are. Yes, stress does this quite often; more in younger w... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Early: Cycle not related to calendar, but to when previous period occurred.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Lives in colon: Killing the bacteria in the vagina will not remove it from the colon; it will recolonize quickly in some women. Acidophilus tablets or eating lots o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Hysterectomy not req: Focal hyperplasia and polyps are benign and often may be treated with D&C and hormones.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
No effects on baby: Tens machine causes a very local effect and no significant current will pass to baby.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Hormonal or infectio: Emotional / physical stress like abortion can upset the cycle for months. This may cause heavier, or more frequent menses. Also, lowgrade infection o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Breakthrough bleedin: Bleeding on bcp can be from growths or polyps in uterus, or other problems. Most commonly it is the hormones in the pill, and may need some adjusting.... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 32-year-old male asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Not necessarily: If delivery is to be soon (less than 28 weeks) and everything looks ok on ultrasound, some ob's would allow you to labor, as there is much less risk ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Death of placnt. seg: When an area which is fed by a set of blood vessels loses that blood supply it dies. In the absence of infection this tissue will eventually degenera... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 26-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
About day 10-12: Do after bleeding stops and before ovulation at day 14 on- after ovulation sometimes the lining of the uterus blocks the tubes where they open int... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 30-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Multiple ovulation?: While there are several explanations, if the fsh is low and the e2 very high it is very likely you ovulated more than one egg. Also possible the foll... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Small chance: A single ejaculation about the time of ovulation has about a 5% chance of conception, if everything else if ok.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 43-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
No difference: The egg may be fertile for up to 72 hrs after ovulation. It may not be in the tube for some hours, either. Stats not much different for before and ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Wait a bit: The lining in the uterus is very suppressed and thin- it may take several months to become more normal. Some patients have ovulation suppressed by M... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Cyst likely: New onset one sided pain most likely DX is ovarian cyst or ectopic pregnancy. Bleeding at correct time on bcp makes ectopic less likely, but cysts ha... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Folic Acid: Base amount of Folic Acid thought to be 400 mcg per day, but better amount is 800 or more. Other vitamins not of proven value.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Normal: Lower dose bcp started after a period may not have enough estrogen to stop the period completely, and it can just "drag along" for a time, even up to... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Likely normal: Occasionally some periods will be more "difficult" than others, often due to the number of eggs stimulated.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Not likely: Bcp work by making th body think you are already pregnant, and so have many pregnancy side effects like breast soreness, or even morning nausea occasi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Do pregnancy test: If pregnancy not possible (no sex) or test is negative lack of ovulation is most likely. This may be treated by very short session of progestin.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. Joe Merritt
52 years experience
Have babies: The uterus grows and protects the hernia from trapping bowel inside, and the hernia stretches as well. Rare to have any problems with pregnancy, but ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Testimonials
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.

2
Recommendations
75
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Merritt is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Merritt is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thank you! I have been driving myself crazy taking multiple HPT (all negative). I need to stop googling...and just ask next time :)
HealthTap member
Thanks for your quick reply! Thank you for reply, think there's a mix up my results ive given aremeasured in pmol/l not pg/ml perhaps that's why I'm bring told its high
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thanks I actually have alot going on so I probly am jst stressed but ill still get checked out in case :-)

Awards

HealthTap Founding Doctor

Affiliations

Chairman, Department Ob-Gyn-Peds Deaconess Hospital Oklahoma CIty, OK
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