Home Remedies
Archway Coconut Macaroon Cookies For Diarrhea
This is one of the tastiest and most unusual home remedies we have ever collected. Donald Agar had suffered from Crohn's disease for many years. Diarrhea was a constant problem. By accident he discovered that Archway Coconut Macaroon cookies helped...
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Aromatherapy for Hair Loss
When we read about this treatment for alopecia areata in the Archives of Dermatology (November 1998) we were astounded. The Scottish dermatologists stated that "Cedarwood, lavender, thyme, and rosemary oils have hair growth-promoting properties. These oils have been anecdotally used...
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Aspartame for Arthritis
This is one of the most bizarre discoveries we have ever heard about. A scientist noticed that when he got up out of his chair after watching a football game, his arthritis pain was greatly diminished. During the course of...
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Banana Peel for Warts
Warts are extremely susceptible to home remedies, and many have been developed for this common condition. One of our favorites is readily available at any grocery store. Tape a small piece of banana skin (with the fleshy side towards the...
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Black Pepper For Cuts
Thanks to Nell Heard and Wendall Dean for this contribution. Wendall is a wood-carver and scroller. His carving buddies always keep a packet of black pepper on hand for times when they cut themselves on sharp tools. Nell, her sister,...
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Coffee for Asthma
Asthma can be a serious disease that requires medical management, not home remedies. But we mentioned in the first edition of "The People's Pharmacy®" that if you are caught without medicine, a couple of cups of strong coffee may help...
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Corn Huskers for Slippery Sex
Vaginal dryness is a common problem after menopause or certain cancer treatments. Finding an acceptable sexual lubricant can be a challenge. We heard from one couple who used an old-fashioned moisturizing hand lotion called Corn Huskers for twenty-five years. They...
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Duct Tape for Getting Rid of Warts
Research on duct tape was published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (Oct. 2002). Parents were told to cover the wart with a piece of duct tape for six days. If it fell off, they were to replace...
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Fennel for Flatulence
We have received numerous solutions for flatulence, but this one seems the most popular. A physician's wife wrote to tell us that her husband's serious gas problem was solved when he followed this advice from a Hungarian masseuse: 1 tablespoon...
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Flaxseed for Constipation
Flaxseed is rich in soluble fiber. One reader has found a way to utilize this property to prevent constipation: “I purchase flaxseed in bulk at a health food store for about $1.50 per pound. I put three quarts of water...
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Gin Soaked Raisins for Arthritis
We have received more mail about this "raisin remedy" than any other home remedy we have written about. We don't know how it got started or why it works, but many readers swear it relieves arthritis pain. Ingredients: golden raisins...
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Ginger Tea for Colds
We love this remedy and use it whenever we feel a cold coming on.It came to us from a radio listener in the hills of West Virginia but originated with her grandmother in India. Grind about half an inch of...
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Honey & Lemon Juice for Constipation
Here’s a remedy that goes back generations. We can’t explain or vouch for it…but it has been popular for a long time to promote regularity. A reader shared the following : “I have always had problems with regularity and recently...
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Hot Water for Itches
We discovered this technique in the book Dermatology: Diagnosis and Treatment* and have been using it ever since we wrote it up in the first edition of "The People's Pharmacy®." Moderate itching (the sort of thing you get from a...
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Julius's Cholesterol-Lowering Orange Smoothie
Put orange juice (8 oz? unspecified) and a diced banana or peach into a 16 oz jar, cap tightly and shake. Then add 1/3 cup raw rolled oats and 1 Tablespoon ground flax meal. Cap once again, shake, let sit...
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Keys for Nosebleeds
Q. I want to thank you for saving me from a most embarrassing situation. I am president of a small corporation and we were making a pitch to an important client. I had been suffering from a cold for about...
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Listerine for Dandruff
A gentleman called in to our public radio show with an amazing story about Listerine mixed with baby oil. His veterinarian had recommended this combination for relieving itchy spots on his Dobermans and horses. He found that it worked and...
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Listerine for Hot Spots
A horse lover shared the following formula she used on the mane and tail of her filly: 1/3 Listerine (original formula) 1/3 baby oil and 1/3 water Put in a spray bottle, shake well and spray it on. This is...
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Listerine for Lice
We have heard from several readers that Listerine can be helpful in preventing lice infestations. We recently received this testimonial from a reader: "The best way to prevent head lice is old-fashioned Listerine Antiseptic Mouthrinse. We were in the Army...
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Listerine for Toenail Fungus
A reader offered the following suggestion for getting rid of nail fungus: “I cured my toenail fungus using a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and Listerine. I combined them in a quart jar with a screw-on lid and used a clean...
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Meat Tenderizer and Vinegar for Stings
The meat tenderizer trick was our very first home remedy in the original edition of The People's Pharmacy®.* We stumbled across it in the Journal of the American Medical Association.** Dr. Harry L. Arnold of the American Health Institute suggested...
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Philippine Chicken Against Colds
A listener to our radio show called in the following recipe his Philippine-American girlfriend taught him. He says eating this chicken once a week keeps colds away. We don't know about that, but it might keep everyone else away as...
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Prune Juice, Bran, and Apple Sauce for Constipation
Recipe 1 cup applesauce 1 cup coarse, unprocessed bran 3/4 cup prune juice Mix all the ingredients together. They will turn into a pasty, stiff glop about the consistency of peanut butter. After mixing, it should be kept refrigerated. Take...
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Purple Pectin for Pain
This home remedy for arthritis pain has generated almost as much mail as the gin and raisins. One newspaper column reader related that her grandmother had been using it as long ago as 1945. Purchase Certo in the canning section...
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Saliva for Athlete's Foot
We roared with laughter when we read the letter from a woman who told us that her uncle's little terrier had cured his long-standing case of athlete's foot. Every evening when he got home, he would take off his shoes...
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Sauerkraut Juice for Canker Sores
One of the strangest remedies we have ever heard of involves sauerkraut juice against canker sores. Take a tablespoon of sauerkraut juice in your mouth and swish it around morning and night, then swallow it. Do this twice a day...
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Sliced Onion for Wasp Stings
People use all sorts of remedies for bee or wasp stings. Some swear by tobacco juice, but that is getting hard to come by as the habit of chewing tobacco is fading (along with cigarette smoking). Others prefer mud or...
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Soap Under the Sheets for RLS, Leg Cramps
There is now a prescription drug (Requip) to treat RLS (restless leg syndrome). The only problem is that some people fall asleep during the day. This could be risky if they are behind the wheel. As far as we can...
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Sugar for Hiccups
Hiccups are rarely serious, but they certainly can be annoying. There are dozens of remedies from holding your breath to drinking water from the far side of a glass. This is one we have been talking about since 1976. It's...
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Tagamet for Warts
There are so many wart remedies it is hard to know where to start or stop. Castor oil applications are highly recommended by our readers. But one of the few treatments that have actually been tested is taking Tagamet. This...
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Tea for Sweaty Palms and Soles
Sweaty hands can be embarrassing, and sweaty feet can lead to foot odor and increase the risk of athlete's foot. One dermatologist we consulted offered the following home remedy: Boil five tea bags in a quart of water for five...
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Turmeric and Curcumin for Arthritis
Turmeric and its most active ingredient curcumin have gotten attention for their anti-inflammatory properties. We have heard from readers that this yellow spice used in curry powder and mustard can help alleviate arthritis pain. One reader offered the following experience....
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Uddercream For Dry Skin
The People's Pharmacy® radio show is made possible in part by Redex Industries, makers of Udder Cream, Udderly Smooth Hand and Body Lotion, and the new COUNTRY CREAM.aids for dry, chapped skin. 800-345-7339 . The website is: http://www.uddercream.com...
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Valerian for Stage Fright
Anyone who has ever had to give a talk in front of a large audience knows that anxiety can be paralyzing. One woman had to give up a career as a musician because her stage fright was incapacitating. Even after...
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Vaseline for Lice
This home remedy has gotten us into a lot of trouble. In recent years lice have seemingly become resistant to over-the-counter lice shampoos, which has left families desperate for relief. One mother wrote that a pediatric dermatologist, Neil Prose, M.D.,...
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Vinegar for Fungus
There are so many uses for vinegar it boggles the mind. An otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist) recommended rinsing the ear with the following solution: one part vinegar to five parts tepid water. He suggested putting drops in the...
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Vinegar for Underarm Odor
Almost all antiperspirants contain aluminum, in one form or another. It is hard to say at this time whether we absorb any of that aluminum into our systems and even if we did, whether it would be harmful. Nonetheless, some...
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Wart Plaster for Splinters
Here is another doctor-recommended home remedy. Russell Copelan, M.D., wrote about this one in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.* He suggests adhering a tiny piece of salicylic acid plaster (the kind used to treat warts) over a...
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