You shouldn’t rely on NyQuil as a sleep aid

Many sleep experts caution against using alcohol as a sleep aid. While it may help people fall asleep a little faster, it can disrupt normal sleep patterns (Alcohol, June 2015).

Question: I am past 60 and have tried numerous supplements to keep from having to get up several times a night. During the winter, I had occasion to take a shot of NyQuil or something similar. I find when I do that, I don’t get up.

I am somewhat leery of taking it too often. Do you have an opinion or a solution? I do not use sleep aids, and I wonder if the cold medicine is acting as a sleep aid.

Answer: NyQuil liquid contains a sedating antihistamine called doxylamine. It is the same ingredient found in Unisom SleepTabs.

In addition, NyQuil contains 10 percent alcohol as an “inactive” ingredient. For comparison, beer is about 4 to 6 percent alcohol, and wine averages about 12 percent.

Many sleep experts caution against using alcohol as a sleep aid. While it may help people fall asleep a little faster, it can disrupt normal sleep patterns (Alcohol, June 2015).

Occasional use of NyQuil when you have a cold should not pose a problem, though regular use to stay asleep is not advisable.

To learn about safer ways to deal with insomnia and earlymorning wakening, you may find our “Guide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep” helpful. It is available as an online resource at www. PeoplesPharmacy.com. Daytime sun exposure, acupuncture, magnesium or cognitive behavioral therapy might be helpful.

Q: I experienced a pain in my chest last week that I initially thought was indigestion.

The pain progressed so much that I tried to make myself throw up, hoping to get some relief.

I ended up in the emergency room with the worst pain I’ve ever had in my life. They did all sorts of tests — EKGs, CT scans, ultrasound, bloodwork — thinking it might be a heart attack or gastrointestinal problem. Everything came back near perfect, except that they found portal hypertension of the liver.

That indicates chronic liver failure consistent with early cirrhosis.

I may have two or three drinks a year, so it isn’t due to alcohol abuse. I have never had hepatitis, but I have been taking Adderall XR for six years to deal with my foggy brain. This is the ONLY medication I take.

I’ll have to get off the Adderall now and wonder how I am going to be able to function mentally.

I wish I had known earlier that such stimulants may affect the liver.

A: There is no way you could have known of this danger, since liver damage is not listed in the prescribing information for Adderall XR. However, there is a case report of a 55-year-old woman who developed acute liver injury as a result of taking Adderall at the prescribed dose (Case Reports in Gastrointestinal Medicine, online, June 23, 2013). The authors point out that this reaction is very rare, but they conclude, “Clinicians need to be alert to possible liver injury when using Adderall.”

Q: I have used gentian violet for my toenail fungus with great success.

It does dye my toes purple, but with nail fungus I was not wearing open-toe shoes anyway.

You can get this online or at most pharmacies. Gentian violet is really cheap, like $2 a bottle.

A: Gentian or crystal violet is a bright-blueviolet dye that was synthesized in the 19th century. It was derived from plants in the genus Gentiana. This compound has antibacterial, antiviral, antiparasitic and antifungal activity. Dermatologists have reported benefit using this old-fashioned topical medication for treating toenail fungus (Experimental Dermatology, December 2013).

Joe Graedon has a master's in pharmacology and Dr. Teresa Graedon a doctorate in medical anthropology. Visit peoplespharmacy.com.