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Daily Column

July 31, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I know you’ve addressed the problem before, but what’s your current view on drinking bottled water and how much of it should we drink?

DEAR READER:
Unfortunately for the bottled water industry, my views have not changed one bit. Quite the contrary.

Tap water is one of the items that have not risen in price the way everything else appears to have. It’s there for us at the turn of a faucet. According to reports, Americans spent $11 billion on bottled water in 2006. The reason can be summed up in one word: marketing. Done properly, we can be convinced, sometimes quite easily, to purchase nearly anything and that includes water that can be had seemingly freely by going to the kitchen sink.

It’s getting to the point that one can’t walk down a street or stand in a crowd without seeing numerous people drinking bottled water in public. You’d recognize them. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

July 30, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am a 62-year-old male, weigh 225 pounds and my cholesterol is about 180. I lead a semi-active lifestyle, exercising 30 minutes daily, five times a week.

I was on Zocor for high cholesterol and constantly complained to my doctor of sore muscles. He switched me from Zocor to Crestor a year and a half ago. After a year on Crestor I was really miserable with sore muscles and fatigue. For the prior six months, I had not been able to raise my right arm due to a sore shoulder that still keeps me awake at night. I stopped taking the Crestor for 30 days at the end of 2007 and felt much better, except for my sore shoulder. When I notified my doctor, he then put me back on the Zocor.

From what I have read previously in your column that if a person is over 60 and has a cholesterol level under 200, he or she shouldn’t need drugs. Do I have to take medication that makes me miserable? [Read more...]

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Daily Column

July 29, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
You recently responded to a reader who wanted to know how to dispose of outdated medication. I feel your answer directing the population to further contaminate our water supplies by flushing them down the toilet is completely inappropriate. This is totally against all and any safety regulations. Why are you so driven to destroy our environment? If perchance you correct your article, you will have already done insurmountable damage by the time your response appears in print.

DEAR READER:
Since my article appeared in late May, I have received several letters on the subject. While some were not as strong as yours, I have chosen to address the subject again with the hope I can redeem myself.

Unused over-the-counter and prescription medications can be found in almost every household, nursing home and hospital in the country. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

July 28, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
Your advice to the woman with the distended stomach, lower back pain, aching legs, and constant tiredness in which you suspected Cushing Syndrome may very well be correct. However, there is another possibility. These are also side effects from the drug Nexium which she claimed to be taking. I had symptoms just like hers while I was taking it. I am now on generic Prilosec and my stomach is going back to normal and my tiredness is slowly lifting.

When the patent on Prilosec was about to expire the formula was “tweaked” just enough to receive a new patent which was then marketed as Nexium. This “tweaking” caused the Nexium to have some side effects that the Prilosec did not.

I would like to be off the medication but diet, exercise and over-the-counter antacids don’t work. Do you have any suggestions? [Read more...]

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Daily Column

July 27, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
What do you know about a procedure called “non-surgical decompression”? I have pain in my thigh and lower leg because of disc problems. Physical therapy and traction work well but the pain returns in a few months without it. I followed the therapist’s instructions explicitly about at home exercises and do them religiously four times a week. However, the pain is still noticeable, especially when I sit or lie down. I don’t want to have surgery.

[Read more...]

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Sunday Column

July 27, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I recently read your article about a lady who had disc problems. I had similar problems with pain and following an MRI was told I had vertebral compression fractures. I immediately saw a chiropractor who told me I was a good candidate for a procedure called “Balloon Kyphoplasty”. After the surgery I had immediate pain relief and I feel so much better. My life is back to normal. I highly recommend this to anyone else suffering from these fractures.

By the way, I am an 80-year-old female.

DEAR READER:
Balloon kyphoplasty is a relatively new procedure used to correct painful compression fractures of the vertebrae. These fractures are often the result of osteoporosis.

The procedure is done through a small incision near the vertebrae. A small, deflated orthopedic balloon is then guided into the fracture site where it is then inflated. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

July 26, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I never miss your column and have received some very good advice from you and your readers. A while ago a reader wrote in with a recommendation for hair loss. Since I was starting to have problems with thinning hair I decided to try it and write you with my results as you requested. The products were TreSemme Silk Protein Healthy Volume Shampoo and TreSemme Vitamin E Conditioner.

They work great! My hair has started to come back thicker, stronger and healthier than before. I also use TreSemme hair spray and have found that it is not sticky like other products and doesn’t alter the beneficial effects of the shampoo and conditioner. I would like to thank the reader for the suggestion and you for being brave enough to print it in your column. Thank you!

DEAR READER:
I have had several letters similar to yours from readers who have success with [Read more...]

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Daily Column

July 26, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
You have written about vertigo several times. In a few, some of the writers said that they were taking “Lipo-Flavoniods”. I have suffered from vertigo for a number of years. It comes and goes but this last attack has lasted for six weeks with no signs of letting up so decided to try these “Lipo-Flavonoids”. However, having searched in several vitamin stores and calling several more, I could not find the product and was told that it did not exist. They said they had a product called “Bioflavonoids” and perhaps what I had read was just a misprint. I purchased a package and am trying it, but I think you should write a correction in your column because I am sure there are many more people out there looking for a product that isn’t real.

I have also made an appointment with an ear-nose-and-throat specialist just to be sure that nothing more serious is going on. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

July 25, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
My father needs to stop driving. He is 85 years old and his reflexes aren’t as keen as they used to be. He, in my opinion, doesn’t meet the requirements of a good driver and is unable to focus on most of what is going on around him while driving (i.e. other drivers and pedestrians).

His eye and foot doctors both say he is fine to drive and he has passed his driver’s test but none of his children will get in the car with him because he has had several close calls. The scary part is that during these events, he did not even know the other person or car was there until someone pointed it out. He refuses to see his internist about our concerns and won’t listen to anyone about it.

We are so afraid that he will cause an accident and hurt someone. I understand that he doesn’t want to stop driving because it is a loss of independence but he needs to realize that if he doesn’t stop [Read more...]

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Daily Column

July 24, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am 60 years old and run 10 miles a week. I also bike 25 miles a week. I take two caplets of Osteo Bi-Flex Advanced Triple Strength with MSM and Joint Shield daily. It helps me a lot and my joints seem to benefit from it.

Is it safe to take the tablets daily or should I only take them when I feel I need to? Is it safe to take folic acid for hair loss at the same time?

DEAR READER:
To the best of my knowledge there is no interaction between Osteo Bi-Flex and folic acid; however, I recommend you speak to your pharmacist who would better know of any possible reactions.

As to taking Osteo Bi-Flex daily, I do not believe this is harmful. The main active ingredients of glucosamine and chondroitin work best if take daily because they may help restore cartilage. [Read more...]

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