Products containing capsaicin can help ease pain linked to arthritis.
Q: I have arthritis in several joints, especially my wrists and fingers. A number of years ago, I began applying a rub that contains capsaicin, the heat from hot peppers. I find it very effective if used daily.
I also have added turmeric to my regimen. That offers additional pain relief.
A: Capsaicin, the compound that gives hot peppers their zip, has long been used in arthritis liniments such as BenGay, Heet or Sloan’s liniment. It also is available in gel or cream form. You may have seen Capzasin or Zostrix-HP. Zostrix was developed to treat the nerve pain that may linger after a shingles rash clears.
If you apply a capsaicin product every day or several times daily, it can help ease arthritis pain (Progress in Drug Research, 2014). The idea is that it depletes substance P, which is essential for the sensation of pain.
You might want to use disposable gloves to apply your rub. Getting even a tiny amount in your eyes, nose or other delicate tissues could be extremely uncomfortable.
Q: I’ve been on levothyroxine for years to treat hypothyroidism. I did not know that “take on an empty stomach” meant no coffee as well as no solid food.
When I learned that, I also read that with Tirosint you could have caffeine and even solid food. I persuaded my doctor to switch me to Tirosint. Now I don’t have to wait an hour after taking my thyroid medicine before having breakfast.
A: Tirosint capsules were developed to be better absorbed than levothyroxine tablets such as Synthroid. This medicine can be taken with breakfast and there is no effect on absorption (European Journal of Endocrinology, January 2014).
You pay for this convenience, of course: Tirosint costs more than Synthroid and about 10 times as much as generic levothyroxine.
Q: I read about magnesium helping with sleep a couple of weeks ago in your column. I am very fit and healthy, but I have struggled with poor sleep for years. I wake up around 3 a.m. and can’t go back to sleep.
I run a small business and am somewhat of a Type A personality. I am incredibly happy to report that from the very first night of taking 400 mg of magnesium, I have slept very well. It must calm my nerves. Since it is dirt-cheap and natural, I am even more pleased.
A: Magnesium is an essential mineral, but nearly half of Americans don’t get the recommended amount in their diets (USDA, July 2009). Diuretics, corticosteroids and acid-suppressing drugs (PPIs) increase magnesium requirements and can lead to deficiency.
Many people are surprised to learn that magnesium supplements have been shown to improve sleep ( Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, December 2012). Changes in the intercellular concentration of certain ions, including magnesium, in the brain control the sleep-wake cycle (Science, April 29, 2016). This may explain why a magnesium supplement could help promote sleep.
Too much magnesium can cause diarrhea. Those with kidney problems should avoid magnesium supplements, as they could lead to toxicity.