People's Pharmacy

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ADD Drug Linked To Weight Loss

Posting Date: 09/05/2005

Too much milk of magnesia may overload your system with magnesium and lead to diarrhea. Excess magnesium is dangerous for people with reduced kidney function.

We are sending you our Guide to Constipation containing the recipe for bran muffins and ten tips for staying regular. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (no. 10) stamped (60 cents), self-addressed envelope: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. GG-30, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.

An easy constipation remedy is a mixture of one cup coarse bran, one cup applesauce and three quarters cup prune juice. Take one or two tablespoons a day with lots of water.

Q. How can I discard old medicines safely? My mother passed away last year and I took her prescriptions to my local pharmacy. They wouldn?t take them. I don?t want to flush them down the toilet as I have heard that this could contaminate the water supply.

A. You have identified a big problem. Most pharmacies do not have a special means for getting rid of old pills. Some have a ?gourmet trash? service that will collect old bottles so that patient privacy is not compromised.

Perhaps you could put all the pills in one container and take them to your municipal dump as household toxic waste. That way they won?t get into the water supply.

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In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.org. Their newest book is The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies (St. Martin's Press).