Elderberry syrup and allergy battle

DEAR DR. ROACH»

I am a 66-year-old male. I have suffered seasonal allergies all my life. They seem to be present almost year-round as I get older. I have tried every over-thecounter medication

I can find and some prescription medications, with little relief.

The new rage to combat these allergies is elderberry syrup. It combines elderberries, echinacea, cinnamon, clove, ginger and local honey. I have Type 2 diabetes controlled by oral medication and only have to check my A1C every three months. It is usually no higher than 6.2. I would like to know if this combination of ingredients would work to combat my allergies and if taking a tablespoon a day five days a week would affect my diabetes.

— D.S.

ANSWER» A recent study showed that elderberry syrup was substantially more effective than placebo at reducing respiratory symptoms from the cold or flu. It is possible but unproven that it might be helpful in seasonal allergy symptoms. The study used a commercial extract, which did not include the other substances you are finding in Louisiana.

Moreover, elderberry syrup is not easy to prepare, and homemade elderberry syrup might not be made properly. Failure to cook the elderberries adequately will cause the toxins sambunigrin and sambucine to be present in the extract, potentially causing nausea and vomiting, sometimes severe enough to require hospitalization. Commercial products regulate the amount of active ingredients, which is not possible with homemade.

The amount of honey in the syrup will determine its effect on your diabetes; however, a tablespoon a day is not likely to have a significant effect on your very well-controlled diabetes. Incidentally, an A1C level of 6.2% is so well-controlled that I wonder if you need the oral medication you are taking. Many experts would reduce or eliminate oral medication in a 66-year-old with your A1C.

DEAR DR. ROACH» Why do we wake up with “sleep” in our eyes?

— N.F.E.

ANSWER» “Rheum” is the technical term for the mucus discharged from the eye when we sleep. As it dries, the mucus, along with dead cells and eye irritants like dust, collects in the corners of the eye. It can be heavy in people with allergic or infectious conjunctivitis.

It doesn’t accumulate during the day because the material is washed away with tears when we blink.

Contact Dr. Roach at ToYourGoodHealth@med. cornell.edu.

Keith Roach