In This Issue:

This Week on PeoplesPharmacy.com
Featured Q&A
Featured Home Remedy
Seniors Still Having Problems With Drug Prices
Living In The Southeast Raises Risk For Strokes
Too Much Alcohol Increases Stroke Risk
Green Tea May Protect Against Cancer
Olive Oil Compounds Prevent Clotting
New Technology May Ease Diagnosis Of Celiac Disease

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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: 647 Health News Update
With toys, toothpaste and pet food from China coming under scrutiny, consumers have a right to wonder whether the FDA is monitoring imported medications more carefully. Former Associate FDA Commissioner Peter Pitts provides an inside look.Pepcid, Tagamet, and Zantac are...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/radio_shows/647_health_news_update.asp

Fish Oil Helps Control Triglycerides
Q. Last year, my triglyceride level was 300. I took no medication (except for a baby aspirin daily), but I did start taking fish oil capsules. I also added nuts and seeds to my diet. This year when I saw...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/fish_oil_helps_control_triglycerides.asp

Lipitor May Lower Libido
Q. What can I do about a flagging libido? I'm 66 years old and in very good health, with no bad habits. My only medication is Lipitor to lower cholesterol.My much younger wife and I used to have a vigorous...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/lipitor_may_lower_libido.asp

Cinnamon Helps Control Blood Sugar
Q. When my daughter learned that I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, she did some research on the Internet. She found out that cinnamon capsules would be helpful. I have used cinnamon for about three years. My family doctor...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/cinnamon_helps_control_blood_sugar.asp

Desert Rangers Treat Sting with Tenderizer
Q. I was in the high desert of Oregon several years ago, looking for arrowheads. I saw an arrowhead lying beneath some sagebrush and picked it up. I felt a sharp prick on the back of my hand. Later that...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/desert_rangers_treat_sting_with_tenderizer.asp

Complications Arise From Cholesterol Drugs
Millions of people swallow a little white oblong pill called Lipitor every day. Others take Zocor, Crestor or some other statin-type cholesterol-lowering drug.These medications work extremely well to lower bad LDL cholesterol. They prevent heart attacks and strokes. For those...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/editorial/complications_arise_from_cholesterol_drugs.asp

Liquid Bandage Eases Earring Irritation
Q. I have had pierced ears for over 25 years, yet I still can't wear most of my earrings. After about an hour my earlobes itch and become red and swollen with certain pairs, even expensive ones.A few weeks ago...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/liquid_bandage_eases_earring_irritation.asp

Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs and Muscle Pain
Q. I have read about how people experience muscle pain with Zetia and statin-type cholesterol drugs. That happened to me as well.My doctor prescribed TriCor instead and it has lowered my cholesterol and triglycerides. Maybe this will help someone else....
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/cholesterollowering_drugs_and_muscle_pain.asp

Fighting Inflammation Naturally
Q. I have had patches of itchy dermatitis for years. More recently I developed "mildly inflammatory arthritis." Then I came down with carpal tunnel syndrome. In my dealings with doctors, these have always been treated as separate problems.I was recently...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/fighting_inflammation_naturally.asp

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Featured Q & A

How to Solve Stage Fright Dilemma
Q. I have just heard that I have been chosen teacher of the year for my school district. I am thrilled, but this means I will have to give an acceptance speech in front of a large audience.

I hate giving speeches. My heart pounds, my hands shake and I get so scared I make a fool of myself. The last time I had to address the PTA I got my doctor to prescribe a tranquilizer, but that knocked me out. Isn't there something that will calm my nerves without making me drowsy?

A. Congratulations! You should feel proud without having to worry about the presentation. There may be a solution for your stage fright.

Drugs like Xanax (alprazolam) and Valium (diazepam) are often prescribed for anxiety, but they can interfere with performance. Beta blockers, which are normally used to treat high blood pressure, and heart problems, have been surprisingly effective, however.

Many studies show that medications like Inderal (propranolol), Corgard (nadolol) and Tenormin (atenolol) help relieve tremor, palpitations and other signs of nervousness. Singers, musicians, test takers and public speakers have all benefited.

This is not an approved use of beta blockers, though, and doctors need to be aware that the lowest possible dose is best. Higher doses can cause forgetfulness and impair performance.

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Featured Home Remedy

Ice Tea For Burns
I was incinerating papers in the back yard one day when the wind changed and my hand was badly burned. I rushed into the house, and my daughter, who did not know anything had happened, handed me a glass of iced tea she had just made. I took it and put my hand down into it.

The pain of the burn soon eased and the burn healed with no scarring. Without the treatment, I'm sure it would have left a scar.

I have tried this on other occasions with great success. I have also tried using ice water, but the pain lasts longer and there is a scar. There must be something about tannic acid that heals as well as reducing the pain. We almost always keep iced tea in the refrigerator, so it takes almost no time.

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

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Health Headlines:

Seniors Still Having Problems With Drug Prices
The Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit was supposed to solve the problem of high drug prices for senior citizens. But a new survey suggests that one in five participants still have trouble with prescription drug prices. Part of the problem is the infamous donut hole. When Medicare beneficiaries drug costs reach $2400 they no longer qualify for prescription drug assistance. They must pay 100 percent of the prescription drug bills out of pocket. That can mean hundreds of dollars a month up to an additional $3,000. Many people on fixed incomes cannot swing that kind of payment and so many skip or skimp on their medicine.
[Health Affairs, Aug. 21, 2007, online]
http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/hlthaff.26.5.w630

Living In The Southeast Raises Risk For Strokes
The Physicians' Health Study was designed to study the effects of aspirin on male physicians. The investigators learned that aspirin reduced the risk of a heart attack by over 40 percent in healthy middle-aged men. The doctors enrolled in the study have continued to provide valuable information about how lifestyle affects health. A new analysis of the data reveals that living in the southeast increases the risk for a stroke. This area has long been known as the stroke belt. Researchers thought that this geographic effect might be related to poor health habits or possibly even inadequate health care. But the subjects were primarily healthy, white physicians who presumably take pretty good care of themselves. Living in states like Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia seems to boost the risk of experiencing a stroke due to a blood clot by 30 percent. Until researchers find out what it is about the stroke belt that is so dangerous, people in that region should be particularly careful to watch their weight, keep their blood pressure and cholesterol under control and avoid smoking.
[Stroke, August 2007]
http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/38/8/2221

Too Much Alcohol Increases Stroke Risk
Speaking of strokes, another risk factor is alcohol. Although moderate drinking may have some cardiovascular benefits, there is clear evidence that too much is dangerous. A study from China involving more than 64,000 men reveals that the men who drank the most were 30 percent more likely to die of a stroke. Those at greatest risk were heavy drinkers, consuming at least three drinks a day. The men who limited their alcohol consumption to less than one drink daily experienced no increased risk of stroke.
[Annals of Neurology, Aug, 20, 2007]
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/115805579/ABSTRACT

Green Tea May Protect Against Cancer
Green tea is another popular beverage in China. Previous research has suggested that it may have anti-cancer activity. A new study suggests how that might work. After a month of abstaining from supplements and tea, 42 healthy volunteers took capsules of EGCG, the active ingredient in green tea. Levels of glutathione S-transferase enzymes rose in response. These enzymes are important in fighting against toxic carcinogens. The capsules provided the equivalent of 8 to 16 cups of green tea daily. Such concentrated supplements are not commercially available.
[Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, August, 2007]
http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/16/8/1662

Olive Oil Compounds Prevent Clotting
Olive oil has long been touted as a heart healthy fat, but studies have been inconsistent. Spanish scientists now think it is the phenols in virgin olive oil that explain the variable results. The researchers gave 21 people with high cholesterol bread with either high-phenol virgin olive oil or low-phenol olive oil for a week. The high phenol olive oil resulted in a much lower level of blood clotting factors. Phenols give olive oil its distinctive flavor.
[American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, August 2007]
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/86/2/341

New Technology May Ease Diagnosis Of Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is far more common than doctors once believed. It is an intolerance to a protein called gluten found in wheat, rye and barley. Undianosed celiac disease can lead to anemia, osteoporosis, dementia, and even cancer. Diagnosis can be tricky because symptoms are sometimes subtle and nonspecific. The only truly definitive test is a biopsy of the small intestine. Such testing is invasive and sometimes uncomfortable. Now, Italian researchers have developed an alternative. A tiny video camera enclosed in a capsule is swallowed and transmits pictures of the small intestine. Intestinal atrophy shows up in the images and matches biopsy results in the vast majority of cases. If this new technology holds up, it will make diagnosis of celiac disease much easier.
[American Journal of Gastroenterology, August, 2007]