In This Issue:

This Week on PeoplesPharmacy.com
Featured Q&A
Featured Home Remedy
Avandia to Stay Despite Dangers
Vioxx Hazard Shows Up Sooner Than Expected
AM Radio Towers and Childhood Leukemia
Caffeine Plus Exercise Fight Skin Cancer
Sodium Depletion Is Dangerous For Athletes
Rinse Sinuses with Saline

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Best Choices from The People's Pharmacy

We are pleased to announce a new edition of our book, Best Choices from The People's Pharmacy. Best Choices is filled with natural healing approaches for dozens of common conditions including:

• arthritis
• high blood pressure
• constipation
• insomnia
• diabetes
• leg cramps
• headaches
• menopause
• heartburn
• nail fungus
• high cholesterol
• osteoporosis

We also rate prescription drugs so you can get the best buys for your money. Best Choices is packed with remedies that will surprise you, statistics that will shock you, ratings to help assess your treatment options and drug information that could save your life. Purchases from the web site receive over a 25% discount off the list price of $31.95.

This special edition (524 pages) is not available in any bookstore. It contains an expansion of our People's Pharmacy Favorite Picks (home remedies) and a new chapter on Desert Island Drugs and Dietary Supplements. Some of the country's leading experts have contributed their insights on the best treatments for what ails you. This edition is not in stores or on other Internet sites. It is only available from Rodale Books and directly from The People's Pharmacy. We ship book orders Media Mail (5-10 day delivery expected).

http://ppcart.fountainshosting.com/p-249-best-choices-from-the-peoples-pharmacy.aspx

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This Week on PeoplesPharmacy.com:

This Week's Radio Show: 644 Health News Update
Soft drinks aren't high on anyone's list of healthy beverages, but at least diet sodas are better...or are they? Data from the Framingham Heart Study casts doubt on that assumption.Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor and other cholesterol-lowering drugs are widely prescribed. Now...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/radio_shows/644_health_news_update.asp

Leg Cramps May Signal Celiac Disease
Q. I have been diagnosed with celiac disease. One of the early symptoms was leg and foot cramps, often screamers, early in the morning. The tonic water was by my bed at all times, just in case, as it would...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/leg_cramps_may_signal_celiac_disease.asp

Soap Is Strange Remedy for Restless Legs
Q. I finally fell asleep last night but woke back up an hour and a half later. I had started getting cramps and a creepy-crawly feeling in my legs.I know some people who have RLS (restless leg syndrome) so I...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/soap_is_strange_remedy_for_restless_legs.asp

Statins and ALS-Like Syndrome
Several months ago we heard from Duane Graveline, MD, (aka "Spacedoc") that people had been reporting cases of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) associated with statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs. Dr. Graveline has had personal experience with Lipitor and TGA (total global amnesia)...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/share_statin_experiences/statins_and_alslike_syndrome.asp

Sexy Senior Scorns Prostate Drugs
Q. I read that Proscar and Avodart both cause impotence. My boyfriend is on Proscar and recently said he would rather have a backrub than sex! He used to worship me and now we are just pen pals. He still...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/sexy_senior_scorns_prostate_drugs.asp

Pills Can't Cure Losses in Life
In the 1960s Alka-Seltzer came up with a new reason for people to plop-plop and fizz-fizz. The company invented a new disease called the "blahs." It wasn't exactly clear what the blahs were, though. The TV commercial described the blahs...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/editorial/pills_cant_cure_losses_in_life.asp

Bee Sting Against Arthritis Pain
Q. I'm a nurse in a rural hospital. Some of the mountain folk I care for tell me that a bee sting every two years or so will significantly decrease arthritis inflammation and pain. They attribute this remedy to the...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/bee_sting_against_arthritis_pain.asp

Supermarket Remedy Fights Arthritis
Q. I have read about combining something called Certo with grape juice for arthritis pain. I suffer something awful and have never heard of Certo. My pharmacist was no help.Is it an herb, a home remedy, a drug or a...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/supermarket_remedy_fights_arthritis.asp

Home Remedies Help Nail Fungus
Q. I have battled toenail fungus off and on for the past 25 years. I have been on Lamisil three times and tried all sorts of OTC and prescription topical medicines. I decided to try two of the remedies I...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/home_remedies_help_nail_fungus.asp

Antiperspirant Banishes Jock Itch
Q. My husband suffered with jock itch for a long time. He would use medicine to clear it up but it always returned. Then he tried applying antiperspirant daily to the affected areas, and this solved the problem. A. Jock...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/antiperspirant_banishes_jock_itch.asp

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Featured Q & A

Hormone Therapy Led to Movement Disorder
Q. I took Premarin, Provera and then Prempro for the past 8 years as hormone replacement therapy. During this time I developed a movement disorder and saw 20 doctors at well-known clinics. Not one could help me.

I could not sit down, sleep in a bed, play the piano or go out to dinner. A month ago an alternative care therapist told me something was poisoning my body. I came home, read up on Premarin and discovered that uncontrollable body movements can be a side effect.

I have lived in hell for the past 8 years. At times my husband had to feed me. I stopped taking Prempro and I am now getting better.

My gynecologist was very upset that I would go off Prempro. She said I would get Alzheimer's, osteoporosis and heart problems.

My 95-year-old aunt and 88-year-old mother live independently, still drive and have their wits about them, so I'm not worried. What do you think?

A. Chorea, a disorder characterized by jerky involuntary movements, is listed as a side effect of Premarin and Prempro. It is an uncommon complication of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

There is no evidence that estrogen can prevent Alzheimer's disease or heart problems. In fact, studies of HRT suggest that estrogen and progestin may increase the risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.

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Featured Home Remedy

Maalox for Diaper Rash
Have you heard that Maalox can be very helpful to prevent diaper rash? They told me at the hospital when my baby was born that I should coat her bottom with liquid Maalox and let it air dry. It counteracts the acid that causes the rash.

You can read more home remedies on our website:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.org/archives/home_remedies/index.asp

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Health Headlines:

Avandia to Stay Despite Dangers
The controversial diabetes drug Avandia is likely to stay on the market but it will likely have new warnings. A panel of experts for the FDA reviewed the available evidence and voted to keep Avandia on pharmacy shelves despite a forceful presentation by FDA safety officer Dr. David Graham. Dr. Graham called for the withdrawal of Avandia because of a risk of heart attacks and strokes associated with the medication. According to his calculations, more than 200,000 such events may have been precipitated by the drug since it was introduced in 1999. Others within the FDA disagreed with Dr. Graham and pointed out that physicians need a broad range of medicines to treat diabetes. Avandia will almost assuredly carry stronger warnings about the risks of congestive heart failure and other cardiovascular complications.

Vioxx Hazard Shows Up Sooner Than Expected
Another controversial drug linked to heart attacks and strokes is Vioxx. This arthritis medication was removed from the market almost three years ago. The manufacturer of Vioxx maintains that it takes more than a year of continued use before patients experience serious cardiovascular events. But a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that people taking Vioxx had a higher risk of blood clots, chest pain, heart attacks and strokes than those in a placebo group. These complications occurred within several months of starting Vioxx and led the investigators to conclude that even short-term treatment with this drug might result in cardiovascular toxicity. Merck objects to this conclusion on the grounds that the study was too small to be definitive.
[New England Journal of Medicine, July 26, 2007]
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/357/4/360

AM Radio Towers and Childhood Leukemia
There has been an ongoing debate about the danger of power lines and electromagnetic radiation. Decades ago, epidemiologists reported a link between the risk of childhood leukemia and proximity to high-voltage power lines. Now, researchers in South Korea report that AM radio towers are linked to a higher risk of lymphocytic leukemia in children. Kids who lived within about a mile of a transmitter were twice as likely to develop this cancer as children who lived more than twelves miles away. Children with the least exposure to electromagnetic waves had the lowest risk of developing leukemia.
[American Journal of Epidemiology, August 1, 2007]
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/166/3/270

Caffeine Plus Exercise Fight Skin Cancer
Combining caffeine with exercise may help prevent skin cancer. At least that's the preliminary conclusion from a study of hairless mice. Researchers at Rutgers University compared four groups of animals exposed to ultraviolet B radiation. These are the rays that are most likely to cause sunburn. One group got plain water. Another received caffeine-laced water. A third group had exercise wheels in their cages and a fourth group got both exercise and caffeine. The scientists found that the mice who received the human equivalent of a couple of cups of coffee and a morning jog were much less likely to develop cellular changes linked to skin cancer. This research adds to evidence that exercise and caffeine in combination may reduce the risk of certain cancers.
[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, July 31, 2007]

Sodium Depletion Is Dangerous For Athletes
Speaking of exercise, athletic coaches used to recommend salt pills during intense workouts in hot weather. In recent years, salt pills have been mostly discarded in favor of plain water. Now, a sports medicine expert has raised the concern that vigorous daily workouts during intense heat could lead to sodium depletion. That's because sweat contains sodium as well as water. When this crucial electrolyte gets too low it can have devastating consequences. He suggests that athletes who sweat off more than five pounds during a workout get a little extra salt in their diet. Sports drinks that contain sodium and other electrolytes can also replenish lost minerals.
[Current Sports Medicine Reports, August 2007]
http://www.current-reports.com/article_frame.cfm?PubID=SR06-4-1-03&Type=Abstract

Rinse Sinuses with Saline
The ancient Ayurvedic practice of washing out the nasal passages with salt water has just gotten a nod from modern medicine. The Cochrane Collaboration reviewed multiple studies of nasal irrigation for chronic inflammation of the nose and sinuses. The Cochrane Collaboration analyzes medical interventions by looking at all the studies that meet minimum standards of quality. This review found that nasal saline irrigation was not better than prescription treatments such as inhaled steroids but that it was significantly better than no treatment. The leader of the study suggests that squeeze bottles and pressurized sprays may be the best way to get saline solution into the nose and sinuses.
[Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, July 18, 2007]
http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab006394.html