Q. I'd like to make a suggestion for the person who wrote to you about painful leg cramps at night. He used to take quinine but found it was no longer available over-the-counter. My doctor recommended that I try Schweppes Tonic Water, which has enough quinine that it might help.
I tried it and it works. I have recommended this to several others who were bothered with cramps after exercising and they have been pleased. Maybe it will work for your reader.
A. Quinine, originally derived from cinchona tree bark, provides the distinctive flavor in tonic water. It has been used for decades to treat malaria and relieve leg cramps and was once available in such over-the-counter remedies as Legatrin, Quinamm and Q-vel.
The FDA banned off-the-shelf quinine products some years ago because of a rare but deadly complication. Some people who take quinine develop life-threatening anemia. Doctors still prescribe quinine, but they are expected to monitor their patients for toxic reactions.
Another reader also suggested tonic water: "My husband was suffering from severe leg pains every night. His physician recommended one glass daily of tonic, and it worked like a charm."
Quinine is not for everyone. Anyone who experiences nausea, rash, anemia, ringing in the ears or changes in color vision should stop drinking tonic water immediately and see a doctor.
Q. I have a dilemma about whether or not to take Prempro. My doctor has offered it but says it's my choice.
I've been troubled with hot flashes and night sweats for several months. I understand Prempro would help with these symptoms and reduce my risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. (My grandfather died of a heart attack and my grandmother had osteoporosis.)
But a friend of mine has had breast cancer, and I watched her go through the agony of a bone marrow transplant. I won't do anything to increase my risk of breast cancer.
Is it true that women who take estrogen are more likely to get breast cancer? Are there any natural alternatives for my symptoms?
A. Estrogen does appear to increase the risk of breast cancer. A recent study and review in the Annals of Internal Medicine (Feb. 16, 1999) concluded that women with the highest levels of estrogen circulating in their blood were at least three times more likely to develop breast cancer as women with the lowest amounts of estrogen.
There are several alternatives for night sweats and hot flashes. Some women find ginseng helpful; others use vitamin E, dong quai or black cohosh. Increasing the amount of soy in your diet can reduce such symptoms and may even help lower your risk of breast cancer.
Q. I love home remedies and have one you might like. I eat a spoonful of peanut butter to stop hiccups. Have you heard of that one?
A. This is a new one for our collection. It might work on the same principle as a spoonful of sugar. Both probably stimulate the phrenic nerve, which interrupts the hiccup reflex. Another favorite is a lemon wedge sprinkled with Angostura Bitters. Bite the lemon and the hiccups disappear.
Write to the Graedons in care of The Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, Md. 21278, or e-mail to pharmacy@mindspring.com.
King Features Syndicate
Pub Date: 03/07/99