In This Issue:

This Week on PeoplesPharmacy.com
Featured Q&A
Featured Home Remedy
Many Children's Medicines Untested
Flu Drugs May Cause Hallucinations in Children
Asthma Medicine Can Trigger Breathing Problems
Low B12 Speeds Mental Decline
High-Carb Diets Boost Diabetes Risk
Whole Grains Help Prevent Pancreatic Cancer

---

New! Free Podcast Of The People's Pharmacy Radio Show

Miss the People's Pharmacy radio show last week? Now you can download our podcast! Every week we'll post the radio show as a free audio podcast. You can subscribe to our podcast using a program such as iTunes, and receive it automatically each week. Or you can visit our website and download a particular show you want to hear again. Each People's Pharmacy radio show is a 1 hour audio file which will be posted on Mondays.

Click here to download the podcast of last week's show, 634 The Art of Diagnosis:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/shows/PP-634.mp3
Click here to learn more or subscribe to our podcasts:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/podcast/

---

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

---

This Week on PeoplesPharmacy.com:

This Week's Radio Show: 658 Children's Health
A majority of drugs that doctors prescribe for kids have never been tested in children. Even over-the-counter cough and cold remedies that used to be marketed to parents for sniffly tots are no longer considered effective or even safe for...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/radio_shows/658_childrens_health.php

Rooibos Tea For Allergies?
Q. While in Africa I started drinking rooibos tea every day. Now that I am back home in Houston, my usual fall allergies have not appeared. Have you heard of this before? A. We have heard of rooibos tea (“red...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/rooibos_tea_for_allergies.php

Decoding The Warnings About Statins And Grapefruit
Q. I have gotten conflicting information from my doctor, a couple of pharmacists and patient information inserts about how to avoid interactions between statins and grapefruit: Don't take the medication with grapefruit juice. Don't have grapefruit products at the same...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/decoding_the_warnings_about_statins_and_grapefruit.php

Benefits Of Turmeric
Q. I have arthritis and some patches of psoriasis on my skin. I would like to try turmeric, but want to know if this would be worthwhile and if there are any interactions with prescription drugs. A. Turmeric has been...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/benefits_of_turmeric.php

Vinegar And Listerine For Nice Nails
Q. I've had toenail fungus on all my toes for a number of years and would like to know the most effective treatment. A. There are no studies to show effectiveness of home remedies, so it is very hard to...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/vinegar_and_listerine_for_nice_nails.php

Can Cough Remedy Lead to Alcoholism?
Q. I want to respond to your reader who wanted to know why you would disagree with using bourbon as an effective cough suppressant for children.When I was a child, my mother would give me a tablespoon of whiskey when...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/can_cough_remedy_lead_to_alcoholism.php

Cold Remedies Pose a Dilemma for Parents
 When a child has a drippy nose or a nasty cough, parents are caught in a bind. They want to do something to ease cold symptoms, but pediatricians and now the FDA warn against giving kids cold medicines.Research shows the...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/editorial/cold_remedies_pose_a_dilemma_for_parents.php

Extended Interview with Dr. Lisa Sanders
Listen to our complete audio interview with Dr. Lisa Sanders. An edited version of this interview appeared in our May 26 radio program, The Art of Diagnosis.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/audio_files/extended_interview_with_dr_lisa_sanders.php

Dealing With The Quinine Ban
Q. Do you know any doctors who will write prescriptions for quinine sulfate to prevent leg cramps? I am desperate to find one. I have taken quinine for this for 20 years with miraculous results and no problems. Now with...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/dealing_with_the_quinine_ban.php

Getting Rid Of Toenail Fungus
Q. My husband's toenail fungus was terrible. I read your article about using vinegar and water to heal the fungus. My husband started this treatment a few months ago, soaking his feet almost every night. The toenails on one foot...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/getting_rid_of_toenail_fungus.php

Dangers Of Potassium
Q. Be careful taking over-the-counter potassium! It can build up in your body and eventually stop your heart. Consult your doctor about the proper dosage before starting. I nearly killed myself taking potassium on my own a few years ago....
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/dangers_of_potassium.php

---

Featured Q & A

Vaginal Cream Clears Up Armpits
Q. My husband gets fungus infections in his armpits. We have found that a prescribed vaginal cream called Terazol 3 clears this up quickly even though it is for yeast infections.

A. Fungus and yeast are similar. Many vaginal yeast products contain the same ingredient used in athlete's foot remedies. Clotrimazole, for example, is found in both Gyne-Lotrimin and Lotrimin AF and miconazole is in Monistat as well as in Micatin.

---

Featured Home Remedy

Magnesium Eases Insomnia and Muscle Pain
I have had a lot of trouble with constipation. I tried Metamucil, but it made things even worse. I tried Citrucel but I'm sensitive to citrus fruits, so I became more bloated.

Finally a nutritionist suggested I take 800 mg of magnesium daily. This balances my calcium intake.

After the second day of the magnesium supplements I became "like a normal person." It has also helped my fibromyalgia. I have read that people with fibromyalgia usually require a higher intake of magnesium. I am no doctor, but I know my own body and the magnesium has made a world of difference.

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

---

Health Headlines:

Many Children's Medicines Untested
There is an alarming gap in drug knowledge when it comes to children's medicines. Although federal regulators have known about this problem for many years, there is still a huge lack of information about drug safety, effectiveness or even the proper dosing of drugs for children. Of the thousands of medications that doctors prescribe to children, it is estimated that only about one third have actually been tested in kids.
That means that physicians often do not know if the medicines they are prescribing will even work for children. One study revealed that a migraine drug that worked quite well in adults was ineffective when given to children. Recently, the FDA has warned that most over-the-counter cough and cold remedies are not likely to be helpful for kids under the age of six. This came after decades of use.
It will take many years before drug companies and independent researchers can test most of the medications that are being prescribed to children. In the meantime, physicians will have to be extra careful about weighing the benefits and risks of the medicines they prescribe to youngsters.
[Washington Post, Nov. 23, 2007]

Flu Drugs May Cause Hallucinations in Children
Speaking of drugs and children, an expert panel for the Food and Drug Administration has recommended adding stronger warnings to the labels of the influenza medicines Tamiflu and Relenza. There have been rare reports of abnormal behavior and hallucinations linked to these antiviral drugs. In Japan, the official label for Tamiflu warns about delirium and self injury, especially in children. The makers of Tamiflu and Relenza say that their influenza medicine is not responsible for neuropsychiatric side effects. Rather, they suggest that influenza itself can cause abnormal behavior or even psychiatric symptoms. The FDA will consider the panel's recommendations and make a determination about labeling changes over the next several months.

Asthma Medicine Can Trigger Breathing Problems
Another product that has come under close scrutiny of late is the long-acting bronchodilator called Serevent. This asthma drug is also found in the popular medicine Advair. The Food and Drug Administration has reported nine cases of adverse reactions in children under 16. There were five deaths associated with the medication.
Salmeterol, the ingredient found in both Serevent and Advair, has been controversial for years. The FDA has warned since 2005 that this drug can sometimes trigger severe asthma attacks or even life-threatening episodes. Although the reactions are extremely rare, physicians should be aware of the potential breathing problems associated with Serevent, especially in children.

Low B12 Speeds Mental Decline
Low levels of Vitamin B12 may be related to cognitive decline as people age. Researchers in England followed over 1600 men and women for more than a decade. These senior citizens were monitored for two markers of vitamin B12 activity--holotranscobalamin and methylmalonic acid. The subjects were also tested for mental function three times over the ten-year study period. The lower the levels of vitamin B12, the faster the mental decline. The investigators suggest that correcting vitamin B 12 deficiency with oral supplements might help slow cognitive decline as people age.
[American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2007]
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/86/5/1384

High-Carb Diets Boost Diabetes Risk
African-American and Chinese women who eat a diet high in refined carbohydrates may be at higher risk for diabetes. One group of researchers at Boston University School of Public Health Reviewed data from more than 40,000 black women in the United States. They had participated in a food questionnaire survey conducted in 1995. Over the next eight years nearly 2,000 women were diagnosed with diabetes. Those who ate foods with a high glycemic index, such as bread, crackers, candy, potatoes or white rice, were at greater risk than those who ate foods with a low glycemic index, such as high-fiber grains. Another study involving more than 64,000 Chinese women also found that those who consumed greater quantities of carbohydrates, such as noodles, rice and bread, were more likely to develop diabetes. Such high-glycemic index foods cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin levels. This metabolic response may ultimately precipitate type 2 diabetes in susceptible individuals.
[Archives of Internal Medicine, November 26, 2007]
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/167/21/2304
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/167/21/2310

Whole Grains Help Prevent Pancreatic Cancer
Eating more whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates may help protect people from pancreatic cancer. A study from San Francisco compared 500 patients with pancreatic cancer with 1,700 matched controls. Those who ate diets high in fiber were 35 percent less likely to have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
[American Journal of Epidemiology, November 15, 2007]
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/166/10/1174