People's Pharmacy

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Men Spared Side Effect From Pain Reliever

Posting Date: 11/07/2005

I?ve tried to prevent them by eating a banana or drinking some potassium-rich fruit juice before bed. Sometimes this works to ward off the cramps, but not always.

I take atenolol, Norvasc, tolazamide, Lasix and Diovan for diabetes and heart failure. Neither my cardiologist nor my primary physician has had any success helping me with these leg cramps. I?d be grateful for any remedies to ease the excruciating pain.

A. Some of your medications may be contributing to muscle cramps, but you can?t afford to stop taking them. With your medical conditions, you also need to be careful what home remedies you try. Pickle juice, which is a favorite of some leg-cramp sufferers, is too high in sodium to be safe for you.

You may want to try sleeping with soap. As strange as it sounds, many readers report that when an ordinary bar of soap is placed under the bottom sheet, it prevents leg cramps. Others tell us that a spoonful of yellow mustard can stop cramps in seconds.

We are sending you our Guide to Leg Pain for detailed instructions and more suggestions about remedies for leg cramps. Anyone who would like a copy may order one online at www.peoplespharmacy.com or send $2 in check or money order with a long (no. 10) stamped (60 cents), self-addressed envelope: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. RLS-5, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.

Q. I?ve heard that there are three new drugs for macular degeneration. What are they?

A. The medicines are Macugen, Lucentis and Avastin. Ask your retinal specialist whether any would be appropriate for you.

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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.com. Their newest book is The People's Pharmacy Guide to Home and Herbal Remedies (St. Martin's Press).

2005 King Features Syndicate, Inc.