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Q. My husband and I live in a retirement community. One common subject here is what to do when one spouse has an active sex drive but the other no longer functions in this area. Usually, the reason is numerous medications. Is there a medication the partner can take to decrease desire?
A. It may not be necessary to give up on sex. Many medications have a negative impact on libido or sexual performance, but sometimes there are alternatives that are less likely to cause impotence or dampen desire. There are even some options to overcome sexual difficulties.
Asking the doctor to adjust the non-functioning spouse's treatment might be more satisfactory for both partners. We are sending you our Guides to Drugs That Affect Sexuality and Treating Sexual Dysfunction for a list of medicines that may cause trouble and a discussion of alternatives. Anyone who would like copies, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (no. 10) stamped (60 cents), self-addressed envelope: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. YP-96, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.
If the medications can't be changed, the other partner might consider chaste-tree berry. It has a reputation for reducing sexual interest, which is why it was called "monks' pepper" in medieval times.
Q. What is your opinion of tanning pills that contain canthaxanthin?
A. Canthaxanthin is a food coloring. Large doses of this compound, as found in some tanning pills, can turn the skin orange, yellow or brownish. The stool can turn red, however, and yellow crystals may be deposited in the retina. We are concerned about possible eye damage and suggest you stay away from such tanning pills, which are not approved by the FDA.
Q. I have an athletic teenage son with terrible foot odor. I would love specific directions on overcoming this problem. In fact, the whole family would appreciate it!
A. The aroma of smelly feet is due to bacteria feeding on sweat and dead skin cells. Controlling sweat or bacteria can be helpful.
Some people find that soaking feet in a warm Epsom salt solution for several nights helps. Others use baking soda soaks or a strong tea solution.
Anti-perspirant on the feet can help cut down on both sweating and bacterial growth. Readers also report that oral zinc or chlorophyll can reduce the problem. For more details, visit our Web site at www.peoplespharmacy.org and download "Solutions for Smelly Feet."
Q. Can I take ginseng and Ginkgo biloba at the same time? A friend told me this combination would be helpful for arthritis, boost my energy and improve my concentration and memory. I believe it has done all that, but my blood pressure has been going up.
A. High doses of ginseng have been associated with high blood pressure, nervousness, insomnia, diarrhea and rash. Such side effects seem rare, though. You may want to eliminate the ginseng to see what happens to your blood pressure.
We can see no particular reason to avoid the combination of ginkgo and ginseng. If you take certain prescriptions, however, these two herbs may increase toxicity.
Whether ginkgo can improve memory or concentration remains to be established. Quality control is a concern, since a recent analysis by www.consumerlab.com has shown that many ginkgo products fall short of labeled potency.
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