South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Study says the ingredients in garlic have antiviral activity
Q: I have seen videos claiming that putting raw cloves of garlic in your nostrils will clear your sinuses. Does this work? I have read that garlic is good for colds, but I always thought that you would swallow it. A: Garlic can be irritating to sensitive tissues, which is why we don’t suggest putting cloves in your nose. There are studies that support the use of garlic orally, though. A systematic review found that ingredients in garlic have antiviral activity (Trends in Food Science & Technology, October 2020). Healers have been using garlic against infections for a millennia.
Q: I started having migraines a couple of decades ago. They ramped up until they occurred more than half the month. I have tried ever so many treatments, including hormones, supplements, prophylactic and rescue medications, exercise, acupuncture, massage, Botox and food sensitivity testing with major dietary changes.
What helped me the most was Ajovy. It took some time before I learned how to self-inject properly, but since then, I have suffered much less.
A: Migraine prevention and treatment has changed radically over the past few years. There are now several new drugs, including fremanezumab (Ajovy), erenumab (Aimovig) and galcanezumab (Emgality). These are all self-injectable preventive medications appropriate for people who, like you, have frequent migraines. Sadly, they also are all
expensive, ranging from about $600 to $800 for a monthly shot. Oral medications that affect the same CGRP (calcitonin generelated peptide) pathway have now become available. Such drugs include atogepant (Qulipta), rimegepant (Nurtec) and ubrogepant (Ubrelvy). These are even pricier, at around $1,000 a month. There are several other new migraine treatments as well.
Finding the right match of treatment for each patient can be challenging, so it makes sense to see a specialist. Getting insurance companies to pay is another hurdle.
Q: A couple of weeks ago, a lab test revealed that my creatinine levels are elevated. This is the first time I have had any indication of kidney problems. I am terrified. I heard you discuss kidney damage related to proton pump inhibitors. I’ve been taking omeprazole for more than 2 0 years, and I fear this might be the cause of my high creatinine levels. A
few years ago, I tried going off this medication and had heartburn from the depths of hell. It truly affected my quality of life, so I resigned myself to taking it forever. What can you tell me about weaning off this drug? A:
Use of strong acidsuppressing drugs like omeprazole (Prilosec) has been linked to acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease (Pharmacotherapy April 2019). Elevated creatinine levels are a signal that the kidneys are under stress. Getting off proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, can be very challenging, as you discovered.
Rebound hyperacidity has been well-documented. You might have success with gradual tapering. Using a histamine blocker such as famotidine (Pepcid) may also ease the discomfort of your “heartburn from hell.”