Avoid certain veggies before surgery
Q: When I had surgery, the head of anesthesiology came by and talked with me beforehand, and I mentioned an article I had read. It advised avoiding potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant several days before surgery. These foods cause problems clearing the effects of the anesthesia. She responded that in 22 years in the field, she’d never heard that.
After my surgery, the anesthesiologist came back to see me and was impressed with my recovery. That inspired her to search the article I’d mentioned, and she found a study from the University of Chicago around 1998.
The surgeon also was impressed by how well I was doing after anesthesia. Others might appreciate knowing this, since it can be difficult to clear anesthesia from our systems.
A: We too were unaware of the impact of solanaceous vegetables such as potatoes, eggplant and tomatoes. These foods impact an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, which is important in clearing muscle relaxants similar to curare (Anesthesiology, August 2000).
Such medications are often used during surgery.
We found only a few research articles related to this topic, so it is not surprising that your anesthesiologist was unaware of this potential reaction.
Q: I was on weekly methotrexate for three years for rheumatic symptoms. My hair permanently changed both color (from blond to brown) and texture (slightly wavy to quite curly).
A: Scientists do not seem to know why this happens, but you are not alone. We have heard from others who report curly hair in response to this drug. Another reader shared, ”My hair thinned for a while after starting methotrexate; then it grew back undeniably curly.”
Q: Recently a reader wrote about being able to cease using acid-blocking drugs by controlling his/her diet. This included intermittent fasting. Fasting can trigger acid reflux too. Some of my worst episodes were from not eating.
On the Yom Kippur holiday, one woman at our temple was taken via ambulance to the hospital. The “heart attack” she thought she was having was simply acid reflux from fasting.
A: Over the decades that we have been writing about indigestion, we have learned that no one strategy works for everyone. Some people insist that apple cider vinegar eases their heartburn. Others find that it aggravates their symptoms.
This may also be the case with fasting. The reader you refer to found that fasting could help control acid reflux. Research is inconclusive.
One study noted that people fasting during Ramadan had less severe GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) symptoms (Acta Medica Indonesiana, July 2016). Another study reported an increase in reflux disease when people were fasting during Ramadan (European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, November 2012). Clearly, there is no consensus on the effects of fasting on heartburn. Cutting back on carbs, however, may be beneficial for some people.
Q: Do hyaluronic acid injections help knee arthritis pain?
A. One study in the Annals of Internal Medicine (Jan. 6, 2015) found that knee injections with this natural compound were more effective than placebo or even corticosteroid injections. However, a more recent meta-analysis did not find this injection beneficial for long-term pain relief (JAMA, Dec. 25, 2018).