In This Issue:

This Week on PeoplesPharmacy.com
Featured Q&A
Featured Home Remedy
Some Sinusitis Prescriptions Ineffective
Fitness Can Help Compensate for Fatness
Pedometer Inspires Better Fitness
Handwashing to Fight Flu
Quick Test for Chlamydia
CT Scans Use Radiation

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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, 658 Children's Health:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/free_podcast/658_childrens_health_podcast.php
Click here to learn more or subscribe to our podcasts:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/podcast/

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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. During the holiday season we ship signed copies of Best Choices by Priority Mail.

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: 659 Health Care in America
Health care has been hotly debated in the last few years, and many people have theories about what is wrong and how to fix it. Some 47 million people have no health insurance, but even those who think they are...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/radio_shows/659_health_care_in_america.php

Home Remedies For The Holidays
Q. I’ve been reading your column in the newspaper and enjoy sharing your wonderful tidbits with friends. They laugh, but sometimes they will ask about a remedy weeks or months later, when I no longer have it at my fingertips....
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/home_remedies_for_the_holidays.php

Getting Enough Vitamin D?
Q. My physician recently found that my vitamin D level is very low. I find this hard to believe since I drink nearly a gallon of milk weekly and take a multivitamin and supplement of calcium plus D each day....
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/getting_enough_vitamin_d.php

Determining Cinnamon Dose For Reducing Blood Sugar
Q. I tried making a cinnamon extract with hot water to help with blood sugar as described in your column. I ended up with a gooey glob. Please provide exact proportions of spice to water so I don't have to...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/determining_cinnamon_dose_for_reducing_blood_sugar.php

Tasty Tea May Trigger Muscle Cramps
Q. Is it Earl Grey or English breakfast tea that can cause sore muscles? A. There is one case report of a man who developed significant muscle pain and cramping in reaction to Earl Grey tea (The Lancet, April 27,...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/tasty_tea_may_trigger_muscle_cramps.php

Quinine Ban Spotlights Remedies For Leg Cramps
Leg cramps hurt like hell. They can wake you up out of a sound sleep and make you scream in agony. The pain can bring tears to the most stoic individual. What causes such cramps remains mysterious. And doctors have...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/editorial/quinine_ban_spotlights_remedies_for_leg_cramps.php

Heartburn Drug Conquers Stubborn Wart
Q. I had a wart surgically removed, but it came back. I then spent a nine-month period seeing a dermatologist and trying many different treatments he recommended. I had finally given up and told him I would not be returning....
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/heartburn_drug_conquers_stubborn_wart.php

Tricks For Banishing Bad Foot Odor
Q. My 17-year-old daughter has very smelly feet. I convinced her to try the urine trick, and IT WORKED! Her foot odor is completely gone! A. We have heard from veterans that urinating on smelly feet can help clear up...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/tricks_for_banishing_bad_foot_odor.php

Ketroprofen Gel For Joint Pain
Q. I have a lot of swelling and pain in my joints. A cousin with arthritis recommended a compounded cream called ketoprofen gel. What can you tell me about this medicine, its side effects and interactions with other drugs? A....
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/ketroprofen_gel_for_joint_pain.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

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Featured Q & A

Pepto-Bismol Eases Flatulence Problem
Q. My husband has an abnormal amount of gas and the odor is terrible. He has tried about every gas remedy on the market with little or no relief. He has asked his doctor about this every time he goes in, but the only suggestion he gets is to try one of the over-the-counter gas pills. They don't work. Do you have any other suggestions?

A. Think pink. Most people think of Pepto-Bismol for diarrhea, indigestion or upset stomach, but it can also reduce unpleasant smells. Scientists at the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Hospital discovered that bismuth subsalicylate (the ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) dramatically reduced the amount of hydrogen sulfide in gas. This is the compound responsible for rotten egg smell. We wouldn't suggest he take Pepto-Bismol every day, since too much bismuth could be dangerous. But it might be helpful for his problem.

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Featured Home Remedy

Coconut Conquers Chronic Diarrhea
I read in your column that coconut macaroon cookies could help control diarrhea. I have had chronic intermittent diarrhea once or twice a week for 20 years. The doctors have never been able to solve or prevent it. I didn't want to eat coconut cookies since I avoid sugar, so I bought flaked coconut and mixed two teaspoons into my oatmeal as I was cooking it each morning. Results: 100 percent elimination of diarrhea! Thank you for this remedy.

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

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Health Headlines:

Some Sinusitis Prescriptions Ineffective
Some common treatments for sinusitis may be ineffective. British researchers writing in the Journal of The American Medical Association studied two common medications. They compared the antibiotic amoxicillin and the steroid nasal spray budesonide to placebo treatments in a trial of 240 adults. After 10 days of treatment, there was no significant difference. The investigators concluded: "among patients with the typical features of acute bacterial sinusitis, neither an antibiotic nor a topical steroid alone or in combination are effective in altering the symptom severity, the duration, or the natural history of the condition."
One of the problems with treating sinusitis is that doctors do have an easy test to distinguish between viral, bacterial or fungal infections. Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections. Overuse can lead to resistant strains.
[JAMA Dec. 4, 2007]
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/298/21/2487

Fitness Can Help Compensate for Fatness
What matters most, fitness or fatness? In recent years experts have focused on fat as a major risk factor for heart disease, diabetes and other chronic health conditions. A new study in The Journal of The American Medical Association suggests that fitness may be the more important, especially in senior citizens. The investigators followed 2600 people over 60 years old for about 12 years. All participants had an initial health exam, a treadmill test to assess fitness and measurements taken to determine adiposity,the medical term for fatness. The 450 people who died during the study were older and less fit than average, but there were no differences in adiposity. People who were more fit generally had fewer cardiovascular risk factors such as high cholesterol, hypertension or diabetes. Both normal-weight and overweight subjects who were fit had approximately half the risk of dying than those who were less fit. Obese people who were fit had a lower risk of death from any cause than those who were lean but out of shape.
[JAMA Dec. 4, 2007]
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/298/21/2507

Pedometer Inspires Better Fitness
One good way to improve fitness is to walk and a pedometer can be a very helpful tool to increase physical activity. A review of 26 studies involving more than 2500 participants revealed that people who use a pedometer to count daily steps increased their activity by nearly 2500 steps a day. They also decreased their body mass index and blood pressure. Setting a step goal, such as 10,000 steps a day, helped subjects increase their physical activity.
[JAMA, Nov. 21, 2007]
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/298/19/2296

Handwashing to Fight Flu
Public health officials remain worried about the eventual possibility of a flu pandemic. A lot of effort has been directed towards vaccine development. Antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu that might help against regular influenza or bird flu are also being stockpiled. But, an analysis of 51 studies suggests that plain old handwashing with soap and water may be one of the best ways to protect against the spread of respiratory viruses. Wearing masks, gowns and gloves may also help contain a pandemic. Getting health care workers and the public to wash hands regularly may be our best defense against a flu disaster.
[BMJ, Nov. 24, 2007]

Quick Test for Chlamydia
The most common sexually transmitted infection in the world is Chlamydia. It can be hard to diagnose, but left untreated, Chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and lead to infertility. If women do become pregnant, scarring of the fallopian tubes can lead to ectopic pregnancy, a life-threatening condition. Now, British researchers have developed a rapid test for chlamydial infections. It takes less than half an hour and uses a self-administered vaginal swab. This will allow a rapid test-and-treat approach, which may be especially useful in third world countries. Chlamydia can be cured with simple antibiotic treatment.
[J. Clin. Microbiol., Oct. 17, 2007]

CT Scans Use Radiation
Most people are cautious when it comes to X-Rays. They recognize that this diagnostic tool is extremely helpful, but too much radiation exposure may increase the risk of cancer. When it comes to CT scans, however, many patients do not realize that they are also being exposed to radiation. Researchers, writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest that patients and physicians may be underestimating the risk of cancer associated with multiple CT scans. More than 62 million scans are carried out each year and many may not be medically necessary. The investigators encourage their colleagues to reduce the amount of radiation used to perform a CT scan and substitute other kinds of imaging techniques such as ultrasound or MRIs when possible.
[New England Journal of Medicine, November 29, 2007]
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/22/2277