Dandruff Shampoo Works For Jock Itch

Q. I liked your article on relieving jock itch by using Cetaphil skin cleanser. I tried it and it works great.
My family doctor recommended an alternative to Cetaphil: Selsun Blue dandruff shampoo. Apply it to the affected region and work up a lather. I leave the lather in place for five minutes and then rinse it off. This also works very well.
A. Jock itch is caused by a fungal infection and can pain and itching. There are a variety of over-the-counter anti-fungal creams that are quite effective. They contain the same ingredients as athlete’s foot treatments.
Cetaphil contains propylene glycol, which has antifungal activity. The selenium sulfide in Selsun Blue fights the yeast that causes dandruff. Because yeast is a type of fungus, we’re not surprised that dandruff shampoo also works for jock itch.
Q. Some supermarkets in my neighborhood put one-inch-square stickers on drugs. These stickers cover up the warnings and directions.
This is EXTREMELY dangerous. When the stickers are removed, the directions and warnings come off with them. If someone can’t read cautions and dosing instructions, there could be dire consequences.
When I bring this to this problem to the attention of store managers, they always tell me they will do something about it. So far, nothing has been done. Is there anything we can do to stop this dangerous practice?
A. Please contact your state legislators. A law should be passed to prohibit covering drug labels. You are absolutely right that if a patient cannot read warnings or instructions, a serious adverse reaction could occur.
Q. I’m becoming a social recluse because of embarrassing digestive problems. Over the last six months I have become constipated and produce a great deal of gas.
These problems first cropped up after I started some new prescriptions, Actonel for osteoporosis and Paxil for anxiety. Could they be responsible? My doctor says the medicines wouldn’t cause gas and told me to keep track of foods that cause trouble.
Controlling the gas has become so difficult that I don’t want to go out with friends, attend church or even visit relatives.
A. It’s always a good idea to keep a record of foods and of “flatus events,” so you can figure out which foods to avoid. But medications can be an overlooked source of both flatulence and constipation. Both Actonel and Paxil have been linked to these side effects. Perhaps your doctor could consider alternate drugs.
We are sending you our Guides to Constipation and Digestive Disorders with a list of drugs that may aggravate constipation and solutions for gas and irregularity. Anyone who would like copies, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (no. 10) stamped (57 cents), self-addressed envelope: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. GG-33, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.
Q. Is prescription Motrin better than over the counter ibuprofen? A friend of mine is taking prescription Motrin, which is rather expensive. I told him he could substitute nonprescription Motrin or Advil and save money, as long as he takes the same number of milligrams. Is this advice okay, or is there something special in the prescription product?
A. You are correct. At the same dose, nonprescription ibuprofen is identical to prescription Motrin.