Community ClicksQ: A few months ago, a 51-year-old woman wrote in asking for help with her menopausal symptoms.
She had hot flashes every 15 to 30 minutes that woke her up at night.
She couldn’t take estrogen or other therapy because she was prone to blood clots.
I have yet to read about natural progesterone treatment in your column.
I went through early menopause four years ago, at age 46.
I was one big hot flash all day and all night long!
I was unbelievably tired from menopause-induced insomnia.
A friend told me about natural progesterone.
I have been using it for a month, and already my menopausal symptoms are completely gone.
Please share this with your readers. Other women will want to know about natural progesterone therapy.
A: You have company.
Many readers have reported that natural progesterone eased their hot flashes.
This treatment is somewhat controversial, however.
Here’s what the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says about topical hormones: “At this point, no formal studies have been conducted to determine the safety and/or effectiveness of these products.
“Many so-called ‘natural’ progesterone creams do not contain substances that the human body can use as progesterone.”
Q: I know there is controversy over the stop-smoking drug called Chantix.
I started smoking when I was 11 and just turned 60.
Never in a million years did I ever think I would be able to quit smoking, nor did I want to.
My doctor told me firmly I should try to quit.
The next year, he prescribed Chantix.
I filled the prescription, but in my mind I had no intention of quitting.
The information with the pills said I did not have to stop smoking immediately; I could pick a stop date and start the meds and work up to that date.
I never picked a date because I didn’t think it would work.
I would just have to tell my doctor and family that I’d tried again and failed.
You can’t imagine my surprise when it started working!
After several weeks, the drug took away that absolute panic I felt hat panic is what kept me from quitting in the past.
I gradually started to lose interest in lighting up, or would light up and take two puffs and then put it out.
I moved my smoking area outside and just never went out there to light up.
It has been more than two years. I do not smoke anymore. That is a downright miracle!
So when you report the side effects, keep my story in mind.
Chantix can help some people quit without causing suicidal thoughts or other bad side effects.
I am still in shock that it worked for me!
A: Congratulations!
Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your health.
Chantix does help people stop smoking.
It has some potentially serious side effects, however.
They include suicidal preoccupation, depression or panic, agitation, anger or violence, paranoia and hallucinations.
Q: I have been treated for an overactive bladder by two urologists.
I took several different prescription medications with no relief but many side effects.
I told my doctors that I have noticed (like the runner in your column) that if I take two Advils at bedtime, I get through the night without going to the bathroom.
The urologists had never heard of this, but they said there should be no problem with two Advils daily.
Do you agree?
A: A double-blind study in Urology (October 2008) determined that men with enlarged prostates had half as many nighttime bathroom trips when they took Celebrex. Advil and Celebrex are both NSAIDs.
However, they could raise blood pressure, increase the risk of heart attack or cause stomach ulcers if taken long term.
Q: I burned my thumb on a pan of roasted veggies last night.
I remembered your advice and reached for the tamari soy sauce. (I had a low-sodium variety.)
To my dismay, when I applied it to my thumb, it didn’t work to ease the pain as it has in the past.
I was puzzled and tried it a few more times, but got no pain relief.
I looked in the cupboard and spotted Bragg Liquid Aminos (a substitute for soy sauce, also made from soy beans) and sprayed some on.
I got instant relief, and I mean instant!
I was back to my knitting in half an hour.
A: Thanks for the clue.
Most readers have reported that soy sauce eases the pain of a burn, but it may require a certain amount of sodium. Bragg Liquid Aminos has 30 percent to 40 percent more sodium than low-sodium tamari.
A serious burn should get medical attention, of course.
Q: I’ve had a cold and have been coughing and stuffed up for days.
I have read that using nasal sprays can be addictive.
Cough medicines are not helping much either.
I would prefer some natural approaches that don’t cause rebound congestion.
What can you suggest?
A: The usual ingredient in cough syrup, dextromethorphan, is no better than placebo for kids and only modestly effective for adults (Journal of Family Practice, October 2009).
Natural alternatives that may provide some relief include tea made of thyme or ginger. Elderberry and Chinese herbs such as Andrographis or Astragalus also may be helpful.
We are sending you our Guide to Colds, Coughs and the Flu for more details on these and many other natural remedies.
For a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. Q-20, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.
It also can be downloaded for $2 from our Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com.
Q: I have found that drinking Earl Grey tea for a few days seems to trigger nighttime leg cramps.
I used to use special soap my sister brought back from France.
Her friend in Paris swore that putting it under the sheets would eliminate the cramps, and I find it helps.
When the fragrance seemed to disappear, I started using a very fragrant body lotion.
It relieved my leg cramps the same as soap.
I think, for me, it’s a form of aromatherapy.
A: Your report is the first we have heard of soap under the sheets being a leg-cramp remedy in another country.
We have heard from many readers in the U.S. who find this approach helpful.
Earl Grey tea can cause muscle cramps in susceptible people (The Lancet, April 27, 2002).
This is because the flavor (oil of bergamot) can interfere with potassium moving in and out of muscle cells.
