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Noxema Provides Help For Hemmorrhoids

Posting Date: 09/06/2004

Q. I enjoy reading about Noxzema in your column. I have used this product on my hemorrhoids for years.

I used to work for General Motors as a power fork truck driver. I sat on leather seat, sweating, for hours. Five or six days a week I drove all over the plant delivering materials. You can imagine how that aggravates hemorrhoids.

Many of my friends had operations for this problem, but I resolved mine more easily with Noxzema.

A. Thanks for telling us about this unusual use for Noxzema. This cleansing cream contains camphor, menthol and eucalyptus and was originally developed, around the turn of the 20th century, as a sunburn remedy.

We suspect that the herbal ingredients may be soothing. Camphor should only be used externally, as it can be toxic if absorbed.

Q. How would I know whether I am low in vitamin D? I always use sunscreen, and I heard that it interferes with vitamin D formation. I am lactose intolerant, so I don?t drink milk which I know is a good source.

If I took a supplement, how much is safe? I read that too much can be toxic.

A. It is hard to tell if you are deficient without a sophisticated blood test (25-hydroxy-vitamin D). Millions of Americans are low in this crucial nutrient, which is formed in the skin when it is exposed to sunshine. Sunscreen can block vitamin D manufacture.

Not only is vitamin D essential for calcium absorption and strong bones, it is also crucial for healthy muscles, heart and nerves. It contributes to blood pressure control, and there is tantalizing evidence that it may reduce the risk of breast, prostate, colon and other cancers.

Michael Holick, MD, PhD, is an expert on vitamin D. He recommends getting vitamin D from sun exposure when possible. The usual recommendation of 400 IU in oral form supplies about 40 percent of an adult?s daily requirement.