The People's Pharmacy®

Q. Is there any blood pressure medicine that does not give you a cough or make you feel exhausted? I am almost ready to give up on blood pressure pills. A. Some people are quite susceptible to cough as a... (Read More)

When hospitals run out of essential drugs, the results can be extremely grave. It is happening far more often now than in the past. A recent perspective in the New England Journal of Medicine (Aug. 26, 2010) highlights a critical... (Read More)

For years, women have been admonished to drink milk and eat yogurt so that they will have enough calcium to keep their bones strong. Calcium supplements have become big business, and foods like orange juice have been fortified with calcium.... (Read More)

Q. What is the story about the toxic effects of zinc in denture creams? A. Too much zinc, whether from dental adhesives or taken as a supplement, can lead to a copper deficiency. The possible consequences are anemia and neurological... (Read More)

Q. From the 1960s to the 1980s, I had the worst case of smelly athlete's foot that I have ever seen --and that is saying something, because I am a doctor and I have seen (and smelled) many. The fungus... (Read More)

Q. I tried the soap-under-the-sheet remedy for leg cramps. It was successful, but it didn't last. Then my doctor prescribed Qualaquin 325 mg capsules, and they work like a charm. This medication has quinine and is usually used for the... (Read More)

Q. My 15-year-old son had low HDL and a poor cholesterol profile at his checkup. (Total cholesterol was 146, HDL 29 and LDL 96). So for ten months I have had him drink my version of the cholesterol-reducing smoothie I... (Read More)

Q. I took glucosamine and chondroitin for about seven months. I had gotten little relief for my back pain, but I was willing to continue it to see if eventually it would help. Around that time I had blood work... (Read More)

Q. I would like you to know about medical marijuana for cancer. In her late 30s, my wife was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, stage 4a. It was a 6 cm tumor that had grown around the hepatic artery and portal... (Read More)

Communication could be the riskiest procedure in medicine. Researchers estimate that nearly eight million drug side effects could be prevented or resolved each year if doctors and patients communicated better (Archives of Internal Medicine, Jan. 24, 2005). They encourage doctors... (Read More)

Millions of people take calcium supplements conscientiously to reduce their risk of osteoporosis. Nearly everyone has assumed that supplemental calcium is safe, but a recent analysis in the BMJ has caused quite a stir. The investigators concluded that calcium pills... (Read More)

Q. After reading about beet juice for hypertension, I purchased fermented beet juice from my local health food store. I mixed it with equal parts of apple juice and drank it twice a day. The result was immediate and unbelievable!... (Read More)

Q. I've been taking levothyroxine for more than a dozen years. I just recently learned I've been taking it at the wrong time. I was taking it along with breakfast and coffee, not to mention vitamins, minerals, probiotics, Citrucel and... (Read More)

Q. I exercise regularly and am in excellent health. I had a hysterectomy at age 49 and my gynecologist prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) plus testosterone. I felt great, but I developed acne and it made my skin and hair... (Read More)

Q. My elderly mother has been taking the following drugs for at least 15 years. They are: furosemide for blood pressure, doxepin and thioridazine to calm her and help her sleep, Lanoxin for her heart and acetaminophen with codeine, two... (Read More)