DEAR PEOPLE’S PHARMACY: For 20 years, my daughter struggled with schizoaffective disorder. Despite a caring family, she simply was referred from doctor to doctor, from hospital to hospital, with no continuity of care.
At one point, she was on multiple medications, some contraindicated. Therapy sessions turned into 15 minute “med checks.” Tragically, she ended her own life. When she died, she had just been put on an antidepressant with a black-box Food and Drug Administration suicide warning.
A. We are so sorry to learn about this tragedy. Most antidepressants now come with a warning about an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. We worry that some clinicians may not take this caution seriously enough.
Our mental health care system depends heavily on medications. While these can help reduce symptoms, they are no substitute for comprehensive care.
DEAR PEOPLE’S PHARMACY: I take vitamin B12, zinc, iron and CoQ10, along with metoprolol and simvastatin every day. I also eat stewed prunes daily. Would any of these be making my stool dark? I’d hate to think it’s cancer.
A. Any change in bowel habits deserves a consultation with your doctor. That said, iron can turn stool dark, so you don’t need to panic before your appointment.
DEAR PEOPLE’S PHARMACY: I have terrible insomnia! I feel like I’ve tried everything, including many over-the-counter meds.
After my husband passed away, a doctor prescribed trazodone. It did help me fall asleep for a while, but I still would wake up during the night.
I recently read an article about meds that affect your memory and trazodone is one of those. So, I quit taking them. I am still having a great deal of trouble sleeping through the night. Do you have anything to recommend?
A. Trazodone is approved for treating major depression, not insomnia. However, many physicians prescribe this and similar antidepressants to help people sleep. That’s largely because they can be sedating.
Other adverse drug reactions associated with trazodone include morning hangover, blurred vision, constipation, dry mouth, abnormal heart rhythms, glaucoma and dizziness. No one should stop trazodone suddenly. Discontinuation can lead to insomnia, anxiety, electric shock sensations, agitation, nausea and confusion. Gradual dose reductions over several months may be necessary.
We discuss a range of natural approaches along with sleeping pills, both prescription and over the counter, in our “eGuide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep.” In it, we also describe cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. This online resource is located under the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.
DEAR PEOPLE’S PHARMACY: This is not a question but a testimonial. I had persistent toenail fungus. I also had a plantar wart on the bottom of my foot for years. Nothing had gotten rid of the wart.
After reading that vinegar and Listerine could clear up nail fungus, I started soaking my toes in the solution. Before long, I noticed that the wart was completely gone.
A. At first, we were surprised by your story. When we checked our archive, we discovered this report: “My daughter had several plantar warts on her sole. Duct tape did not work.
“Listerine has been used for eliminating fungus, so I thought it might also kill wart viruses. I put undiluted Listerine in a zipper-top plastic bag and had her soak her feet for 10 minutes.
“She repeated the treatment a couple of times. The warts disappeared in about three weeks and haven’t returned. It might be a coincidence, but she is happy to be wart free!”
In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”
(c) 2023 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
