Surprising & Unique Remedies
Unorthodox uses of many common household staples can solve an amazing range of simple health problems. Share your own discoveries.
Lice Advice Provokes Rebuke
Just think about the word lice for a minute or two and the chances are good your head will start to itch. Mention the word in polite company and some people will start to move away from you. When look…
Coffee Steam to Counteract Congestion
Q. I learned in Colombia that inhaling the steam of strong, freshly brewed coffee (not instant) is beneficial for nasal and sinus irritation. The steam soothes and heals the mucus membranes. This reme…
Soap Quiets Twitchy Thumb
Q. A couple of nights ago, my thumb began to twitch without stopping. It kept me up most of the night and I found it very distracting the whole next day. I have read many of your columns about soap un…
Teacher Suggests Strategies Against Lice
Q. I teach elementary school and lice are an ongoing frustrating problem. Many low-income families struggle with the high cost of treatments, which often are not effective. I have two suggestions that…
Sleeping Well Without Pills
Q. I am 64 and nearing retirement, but with the stress of the economic downturn, I'm having a difficult time sleeping. I have a high deductible so I have to pay for my prescription medications out of …
Eggplant Banished Wart
Q. I have had warts off and on for years and tried many different things to get rid of them. The only one that has been effective is eggplant. I know it sounds weird, but it works. Cut a piece of eggp…
Listerine Might Rescue Troubled Toenail
Q. I have a toenail that is nothing but trouble. Four years ago I tripped over a metal bed and shattered the nail. It won't grow out right and is infected with fungus. I had the nail surgically remove…
Will Water Ward Off Wasps?
Q. I was at a child's birthday party and wasps and bees were flying all over while the food was out. Someone said to get self-sealing plastic bags (sandwich size is fine), fill them with water and put…
Looking for Non-Toxic Pain Relief
Q. I have a sensitive stomach, so drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen cause me problems. I have also heard that these drugs can be hard on the liver and kidneys. What else can I use for my plantar fasci…
Soap Keeps Footy Players on the Field
Q. I am a trainer for our local footy team and a few of our players suffer from cramps during the game. I use soap on the affected area for a minute or two and then they can go back on and play. I got…
How Dangerous Is Floating Poop?
We need total honesty now. Do you carefully examine what ends up in the toilet after a bowel movement? If so, you would not be alone. An extraordinary number of people pay careful attention to poop. T…
Epsom Salts Soak Eased Rosacea
Q. I read about using milk of magnesia for treating acne. My skin condition is called rosacea. It is a painfully embarrassing problem and no one seems to know what causes it or how to cure it. (W. C. …
Homeopathic Remedy for Poison Ivy
Q. For about 20 years, I suffered with annual bouts of poison ivy, even though I knew how to identify it and never touched the stuff. Finally I found a homeopathic remedy that has made my life much be…
Bizarre Bed-fellow Prevents Cramps
Q. Leg and foot cramps at night wake me from sleep. Sometimes I have to get up and walk them off. The ones in my legs are especially painful. What do you recommend?A. Readers have shared quite a few r…
Listerine Banished Underarm Odor
Q. I have suffered from foul-smelling armpits as far back as I can remember. I have tried every deodorant on the market to no avail--Dove, Lady Speed Stick, Soft & Dri, Degree, Suave, Mitchum, Ban…
Better Sex Life with Soap in Bed
Q. I had severe leg cramps and read about putting a bar of soap under the sheet. I tried this and found it stopped them IMMEDIATELY. Even more astonishing, it also banished my intermittent erectile dy…
L-Lysine Works Against Cold Sores
Q. More than 20 years ago I came across an article promoting l-lysine as a preventive measure against cold sore outbreaks. Having suffered with this virus since adolescence, I was motivated to try the…
Listerine Keeps Mosquitoes Away
Q. I received an email about using Listerine to keep mosquitoes away. Have you ever heard of this? A. We haven't seen any studies on the topic, but we too received an email: "Those mosquitoes are pesk…
Glucosamine and Chondroitin May Boost Cholestero…
Q. I have always had good cholesterol levels, but in 2007 I tried taking a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement for joint pain. After taking it for a few months my total cholesterol went from 200 to…
Home Remedies for Nail Fungus
Q. I would like information on home remedies for toe nail fungus. I don't care about my ugly nails but they bother my wife. A. Home remedies are generally low cost and low risk even though they are no…
Crisco Conquers Diaper Rash
Q. You had a question from a mother whose baby has diaper rash. When my oldest daughter had very bad diaper rash as an infant, my pediatrician told me to buy Crisco shortening. (It comes in a can for …
Red Yeast Rice Lowers Cholesterol
Many people who prefer not to take statin-type medications such as Lipitor to lower their cholesterol have turned instead to red yeast rice. Although some doctors are dubious about the benefits of thi…
Alternate Remedies for Leg Cramps
Q. I have suffered from charley horse leg cramps as well as cramps in my feet, hands, rib cage or arms for years. At one time, I took quinine capsules, but they have been banned and are no longer avai…
Herb May Be Effective Against MRSA
There is widespread concern about methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aureus, or MRSA. It can cause skin infections such as boils, or more deep-seated problems such as infections in the lungs or bloo…
MoM for Acne on Bottom
Q. Please put the question of whether milk of magnesia works on acne to rest. I had developed such severe acne on my buttocks that my dermatologist said, “Well, no one sees your behind.”A …
Pricey Sex Pills Result in Disappointment
Q. My wife and I are active healthy seniors, but we would like to add zest to our slowed-down and lagging sex lives. Initially I spoke with our family doctor who prescribed Viagra, Cialis and Levitra.…
Non-Drug Ways to Chill Hot Flashes
Q. I am 56 years old--well into menopause--and stopped taking prescription hormones about four months ago. While they helped somewhat with the hot flashes, they did little for the vaginal dryness and …
Poison Ivy Is Risky Remedy for Warts
Q. I have recurring warts on one hand. My doctor has frozen them off and burned them off and they keep returning. She mentioned that some people have used poison ivy to get rid of warts. What do you k…
Listerine Conquers Lice
Q. When my kids came home with lice, I spent a lot of money buying lice shampoos. We tried the mayonnaise treatment too. I scrubbed the house, cleaned the carpets, boiled the combs and hairbrushes and…
Ginger Eases Nausea from Chemotherapy
Ginger has been prized for centuries for its ability to counteract nausea. A recent study in cancer patients shows that ginger’s anti-nausea activity goes beyond the status of old wives’ t…
Falling Awake after Sleepless Nights
Q. I began losing sleep about three years ago due to chronic pain. I've tried everything I can think of but get no more than an hour and a half of sleep at a time. I usually crash from exhaustion …
Avoid Harmful Home Remedies
We have been collecting home remedies for more than 30 years. Some are silly, others are implausible, but many are practical and helpful. We try to apply the "might help, won't hurt, doesn't cost too …
Hydrogen Peroxide to Banish Chigger Itch
Q. I got into some chiggers and was in misery, so after everything else failed I decided to try some hydrogen peroxide. To my surprise the itch stopped immediately and never came back.A. Dermatologist…
Natural Remedies for Nail Fungus
Q. Some time ago a podiatrist wrote to complain about home remedies for nail fungus. My husband has toenail fungus and our podiatrist prescribed a 30-day supply of Lamisil pills. They cost hundreds …
Frankincense as Aid for Cysts
Q. Do you have any information on natural treatments for a sore ganglion cyst on the wrist? I have been using a wrap-around brace on my wrist and would prefer to handle this without medication or surg…
Listerine and Vinegar for Beautiful Bare Feet
Q. Thanks for a tip you offered. A woman recommended a combination of Listerine and diluted vinegar for toenail fungus. She mentioned that it also made her feet soft. I don't have nail fungus, but as …
Wash Those Lice Right Out of Your Hair!
Q. We are lice-free at last with Listerine, alcohol, vinegar and Denorex! We sprayed four heads every night with Listerine before bed, then combed and combed every inch with a nit comb. The lice were …
Kudzu Root Helps Conquer Alcohol Craving
Q. I grew up with a parent who was dependent on alcohol. I find myself struggling with cravings for alcohol also. While alcohol doesn't interfere with my daily life, I don't like the cycle of abstaini…
Doctor Benefits from Soap under Bed Sheet
Q. I am a physician schooled in the scientific method. I trained at the most prestigious medical settings and have adhered strictly to conservative scientific inquiry. Now comes the huge divergence be…
Unexpected Remedies for Eczema
Q. I am bothered with a patch of eczema on my face (chin area) that has not responded to any of the expensive steroid creams that have been prescribed. A friend told me that her dermatologist had her …