Community ClicksQ: When I was growing up, my mother suggested I apply lemon juice under my arms at least once a week while I was taking a shower to avoid using deodorant.
So I did.
I rubbed my armpit with half of the lemon and left the juice on for about five minutes while I washed.
Before I ended my shower,
I applied soap and water to remove the lemon juice.
I’ve never used deodorant and have never needed it.
I know that milk of magnesia also is good.
A: Thanks for an unusual suggestion.
We caution others that lemon juice should not be applied to abraded skin or scratches, so do not put it on right after shaving armpits.
It could sting like crazy!
Q: I’m a paramedic and also work in an OB (obstetrics) unit.
A little Vicks under the nostrils helps a lot.
I’ve never had a new dad get sick or faint when he’s used it.
I believe more people get sick due to smells than sights, and Vicks very effectively blocks the odors.
We carry it on our ambulance for crew use, and it really helps keep the crew from getting motion sick (especially during calls with really bad smells).
A: You are not the first person to share this unusual use for Vicks VapoRub.
A forensic crime-scene detective reported that a dab of Vicks under his nose helped block noxious odors.
Horse trainers tell us that a dab of Vicks under the nostrils can keep a stallion focused despite the presence of mares.
Vicks VapoRub is often used for cold symptoms, but a surprising trick to quell a cough involves Vicks on the feet.
For more details on this and clearing seborrheic dermatitis or overcoming nail fungus, we offer our Guides to Coughs and Unique Uses for Vicks.
For a copy, send $4 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. QVi-276, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.
Or download it for $2 from www.peoplespharmacy.com.
Q: I had plantar warts on the bottoms of my feet for close to five years.
It got to the point where I didn’t wear flip-flops or anything that showed my feet, which was hard because I’m a surfer and a skateboarder.
I tried everything, including duct tape.
My dermatologist applied liquid nitrogen to freeze them off and eventually used a blister treatment to try to lift them off.
Nothing worked!
Then one day the doctor decided to prescribe an experimental treatment called Tagamet.
It took this heartburn medicine about two months to work completely, but my warts finally went away.
I have to say this treatment is not experimental.
It really works.
A: Although scientific studies have produced mixed results when it comes to Tagamet (cimetidine), we have heard from many others who believe this oral heartburn drug really works.
Many have tried every home remedy and dermatologist-prescribed treatment in the book, only to find that Tagamet was the final answer.
Q: During a recent stay in the hospital, while swallowing pills I mentioned to the nurse that I had a dread of having a large pill getting stuck in my throat.
She explained that the right way to swallow is to lower your chin down toward your chest.
That position opens up the esophagus and allows the pill to slide down smoothly.
It worked!
A: We have collected several pill-swallowing tricks through the years.
The one you describe helps most, but not all, people with a pill-swallowing problem.
Another trick is to take the pill with bottled sparkling water, drinking from the bottle.
Sucking at the narrow neck of the bottle helps the pill go down more easily.
Some people report that popping the pill in the mouth and then sipping water through a straw helps avoid the gag reflex.
If the pharmacist says it is OK to take the pill with food, a spoonful of applesauce or yogurt also may help the medicine go down.
It is important to make sure that pills do not get stuck in the throat, since some can cause serious irritation.
Q: I have a bad case of jock itch, for want of a better word.
I’ve used Neosporin, Lotrimin Ultra and one other medication I can’t remember right now.
I thought it was getting better, but while I was still using the medications, it came back.
Nothing I used has helped at all.
I dry the area well after bathing, and I use baby powder, but I am still having trouble.
The skin has now reached the point of being dry, cracked and bleeding.
Can you offer any suggestions?
A: Jock itch is normally caused by a fungal infection.
Neosporin, which contains topical antibiotics, is not likely to cure a fungus.
Lotrimin Ultra contains butenafine, an antifungal ingredient, so it should have helped.
You may want to alternate it with other OTC antifungal products such as clotrimazole (Lotrimin AF, Mycelex), miconazole (Micatin, Zeasorb-AF) or tolnaftate (Aftate, Tinactin).
Many readers of this column report that a skin cleanser called Cetaphil can be very helpful against chronic jock itch.
It is soothing and contains propylene glycol and cetyl alcohol, which have antifungal activity.
One young woman said it was as effective for her as for men.
Some people benefit from applying dandruff shampoo such as Selsun Blue to the area.
Lather, let it stay on the affected zone for five minutes and then rinse.
Selenium sulfide, the active ingredient, has antifungal activity.
Once the inflamed skin has healed, you may want to try applications of vinegar or original (amber) Listerine.
Listerine contains herbal oils that fight fungus, while vinegar makes the skin too acidic to be hospitable to the fungus.
Antiperspirant on the groin area can help keep it dry and discourage fungus overgrowth as well.
Q: Which is better, fish oil or flax oil capsules?
A: Both contain omega-3 fatty acids, but it is much harder for the body to utilize the fats from flax seed oil.
If your goal is to lower cholesterol and triglycerides, fish oil is preferable.
Q: I have arthritis in my fingers and knees.
Using a computer makes it worse, and running on the treadmill has become difficult.
Anti-inflammatory medications make me constipated.
Can you send me your Power Pudding recipe to ease my discomfort?
Why don’t you write a book?
I clip your articles, but they get lost, and it’s not always convenient to use your Web site.
I would reach for your book like an encyclopedia.A: Nurses know about Power Pudding to help alleviate severe constipation.
It contains 1 cup applesauce, 3/4 cup prune juice and 1 cup coarse bran.
We are sending you more details about the recipe in our book “Favorite Home Remedies From The People’s Pharmacy.”
It offers a number of natural options for easing arthritis, including herbs such as boswellia, cayenne and turmeric.
The book also offers remedies such as cherry juice, gin-soaked raisins and grape juice with Certo.
The book is $8.95 plus $4 postage and handling, from Graedon Enterprises (Dept. FHR), P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027 or at www.peoplespharmacy.com.
