Morning cup of cinnamon tea with lemon can be a ‘regular’ treat
Q: I’ve been reading about cinnamon on your website. I’m 33 years old and healthy, so I take no medication. I like to have a cinnamon stick in hot water with lemon in the morning. Is drinking this on a daily basis bad for me?
A: Cinnamon tea with lemon should not pose a problem. We have heard from people that lemon juice in hot water is an old-fashioned approach for regularity.
Q: I have had awesome results with T/ Gel for my rosacea and blepharitis. My blepharitis was so bad that my eyelid had cracked open. After one treatment it cleared up. I was amazed that my skin also felt softer and the redness faded.
A: Blepharitis means inflammation of the eyelid. When this is caused by yeast overgrowth on the skin, dandruff shampoo often can be helpful. T/Gel discourages the yeast that is associated with seborrheic dermatitis and blepharitis as well as dandruff.
Rosacea also is an inflammatory response to yeast, bacteria or mites. Many other readers agree that washing the face with dandruff shampoo can ease redness due to rosacea.
Q: What can you tell me about gabapentin? I have just started taking it for restless legs syndrome and find it very helpful. Are there side effects I should watch for?
A: Gabapentin enacarbil (Horizant) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and postherpetic neuralgia (the pain that can linger after a bout of shingles). The official prescribing information warns that this drug “may cause significant driving impairment.” Because it can be difficult to assess your coordination and reaction times, we would advise against driving while taking this medicine.
Other symptoms to be aware of include dizziness, sedation, fatigue, confusion (“feeling drunk”), depression, fluid retention, digestive upset, nausea, insomnia, blurred vision and headaches.
Q: My urologist has diagnosed me with interstitial cystitis. He initially put me on Tofranil. When it caused a rapid heart rate (tachycardia), I discontinued it.
He said he thought I had “overactive bladder” because I have to make several trips to the potty during the night, so he put me on Ditropan. I am still having the discomfort that feels like cystitis.
He said if my symptoms didn’t get better, he could instill DMSO (Rimso-50) into the bladder, which I am hesitant about. My question is: Is there a holistic treatment you could recommend? I have been drinking cranberry juice and have eliminated as much caffeine as possible. I also have cut way back on diet drinks and artificial sweeteners.
A: If cranberry juice has added vitamin C, it could be counterproductive. That’s because citrus products with vitamin C may irritate the bladder. Other beverages to avoid include coffee (even decaffeinated), carbonated beverages and wine. People also are advised to avoid spices, acidic foods like tomatoes and fruits such as berries, kiwi, peaches and pineapple.
You may wish to consider an over-the-counter product called Prelief (calcium glycerophosphate). This nondrug dietary supplement removes most of the acid from food and has been reported to ease symptoms.
Q: You have written in your column about using grape juice and Certo to relieve plantar fasciitis. I have chronic gout and peripheral neuropathy in my right foot, and I want to try this cocktail to see if I can get relief. I hope you can give me the recipe.
A: The classic Certo and grape juice recipe was developed as a home remedy for arthritis. People use 2 teaspoons of Certo in 3 ounces of purple grape juice three times daily. Some find that 1 tablespoon of Certo in 8 ounces of grape juice taken once daily is more convenient. Certo is liquid plant pectin and is used to thicken jams and jellies. It can be found in the canning section of your grocery.