Q. The inside of my mouth became very sensitive to salt, acid and anything spicy. When my wife looked, she said it looked like thrush. I went to my dentist to have it checked out. After a visual assessment and... (Read More)
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Vitamin/Herb Q&A
Q. I have read in your column that Pycnogenol may be helpful for hot flashes. Now a major warehouse club is selling it as a powerful antioxidant that is supposed to have beneficial effects on cardiovascular health, osteoarthritis, skin care,... (Read More)
Q. Recently I started taking resveratrol supplements because they are supposed to be good for you. Then I developed severe ankle pain and swelling, much like tendinitis. I was shocked to learn that resveratrol can cause this side effect. I've... (Read More)
Q. I found out recently that the hair loss I've been experiencing over the last couple of years was directly attributable to Vitamin A. I was taking 25,000 IU a day of Vitamin A in my daily vitamin pill. Apparently... (Read More)
Q. I began taking celery seed extract capsules six months ago for gout. Within a day, all foot pain was gone. A blood test six weeks later showed normal levels of uric acid. I take two capsules each morning. It's... (Read More)
Q. I worry that people are overdosing on vitamins. They're putting vitamins everywhere these days, even in bottled water. My medical book (20 years old) says you could go a year without any vitamin A and four months without any... (Read More)
Q. I have been having constipation problems for over a year. I tried everything, from increasing my activity level to adding more fiber to my diet. I took soluble fiber supplements and Chinese herbal medicine. Nothing really worked. Then... (Read More)
Q. When my internist noted a low-normal thyroid value, he suggested a thyroid supplement. I suspected I had an iodine deficiency from years on a low-salt diet. I proposed a trial of sea kelp and he agreed. Two 100 mg... (Read More)
Q. I have had severe constipation for years, just like my mother before me. I've been using cascara sagrada for a daily bowel movement. If I don't take it, I get bloated and very uncomfortable.I read that this herb was... (Read More)
Q. I have type 2 diabetes and I have recently started taking cinnamon capsules to help control my blood sugar. I have been extremely pleased with the results so far.The metformin I was taking was never as consistent at controlling... (Read More)
Q. I have read that Lipitor may cause memory impairment. I am taking Lipitor and am having trouble with speaking and memory along with intense muscle soreness. My lab tests are within the normal range so my doctor says Lipitor... (Read More)
Q. A while ago I read about persimmon tea for acid reflux. I suffer from time to time, but my husband suffers constantly. It is so bad that he wakes up almost every night and throws up! Prilosec, Nexium and... (Read More)
Q. I take a number of medications for arthritis. I have had a hip replacement and a shoulder replacement and I am fighting to keep my left knee. I take Nexium and Celebrex plus other meds.A few months ago I... (Read More)
Q. You wrote about frankincense oil for ganglion cysts. Frankincense oil should be diluted before applying it to the skin because it can be irritating. Sweet almond oil is a good base.A. Thanks for the advice.... (Read More)
Q. Several weeks ago you had a question from someone about using poison ivy extract to get rid of warts. You suggested that this is a bad idea and not very safe.I am a retired dermatologist and disagree with your... (Read More)
Q. My wife had macular degeneration, and our ophthalmologist said it would just get worse. We immediately started taking bilberry fruit capsules because I wanted to be pro-active.A year later, we returned for her annual eye exam. The doctor's assistant... (Read More)
Q. As a child I had bouts of asthma and sniffed smoke from a burning powder called Kellogg's Asthma Relief (Stramonium and Lobelia). I am now in my late 70s and I seem to have again developed mild asthma attacks.... (Read More)
Q. I have leg pain when walking and hip pain at night. I have a vitamin D level of 14. Is it too late to take vitamin D and if not how much should I take?A. Your low vitamin D... (Read More)
Q. You recently ran a letter from a fellow who was disappointed in the herbal sex pills he bought. I too am an older gentleman who has faced challenges in the virility department. I'd tried maca, horny goat weed, and... (Read More)
Q. You recently mentioned the value of l-lysine for dealing with cold sores. I have struggled with cold sores and fever blisters for over 50 years.About 20 years ago, I first tried l-lysine. I've found that taking 1000 mg twice... (Read More)
Q. My fingers and toes started tingling unpleasantly about three months ago. My internist recently did blood work and found no diabetes or other abnormalities.When the nurse asked me if I was still taking my usual medicines and vitamins, she... (Read More)
Q. Can vitamin D and turmeric in combination have an impact on allergy and asthma? I suffer from both allergies and asthma, and I am usually miserable in the spring.I started taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily several months... (Read More)
Q. In a recent column you answered a question about L-lysine and shingles. I have been taking L-lysine for various forms of herpes for over 20 years, and it has kept me virtually outbreak-free.It is also important to avoid nuts... (Read More)
Q. I’ve been reading about people unable to take NSAIDs like ibuprofen or naproxen for arthritis pain. I want to share a solution I devised for my mother.The doctor diagnosed her with two types of arthritis and prescribed prednisone to... (Read More)
Q. After chemo treatment, I had two bouts with shingles. Knowing that this is a herpes virus, I treated myself with L-lysine as I often do for cold sores. The discomfort and rash disappeared in less than a week. My... (Read More)
Q. I have suffered with constipation for many years, despite regular prune juice and Metamucil. Since I read in your column that my calcium supplement might be constipating, I have been following your suggestion of taking magnesium with it every... (Read More)
Q. In 2003 I started taking CoQ10 and flaxseed oil capsules. Five months later my vision improved, and within the year I stopped using glasses completely.I wore glasses for 40 years, bifocals for 15 of those. At one time my... (Read More)
Q. Thank you for writing about taking vitamin B2 on a daily basis to prevent migraine headaches. I have suffered from them for 17 years and have been to many medical doctors, including two neurologists, two ear, nose and throat... (Read More)
Q. Is there vitamin D in wild salmon? We live in Alaska and eat king salmon about twice a week. We also take vitamin D3 since there is so little sunlight here during the winter. Would that be too much?A.... (Read More)
Q. Ten years ago my mom moved in with us. She was 87 and not getting around well any more. Her blood pressure was high and the meds she was taking weren't helping, and she had a stroke three weeks... (Read More)