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Daily Column

September 30, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
Please discuss the difference between bursitis and arthritis.

I went to my orthopedic doctor because of pain in my hip. It starts in the joint and travels down the thigh and is especially painful at the tendon along the shinbone. I also have right leg weakness when pressure is applied or when walking upstairs. He said the pain was caused by bursitis, not arthritis. He showed me an exercise to try and told me to continue my regular walks.

I take over-the-counter pain relievers, use castor oil and Castiva. Should I continue using these joint medicines or should I use muscle creams to relieve the nighttime pain? I am 88 and do not consider this worthy of surgery but it would be nice to sleep though the night. I’m tired of having to wake up to take another pill.

DEAR READER:
Arthritis and bursitis [Read more...]

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Daily Column

September 30, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
Thank you for all of the help you have given me and my family through your medical column.

I have enclosed a clipping that I found in a magazine. It is a cheap, easy and effective home remedy for insect bites. My husband was recently stung by a wasp and we tried it with great success.

Simply rub the juicy (freshly cut) side of an onion onto the area and the itch is gone!

DEAR READER:
Thank you for this helpful hint. I note that the tip was from Andrea Candee taken from her book “Gentle Healing for Baby and Child”. She says that it must be a yellow onion and that it works become the onion contains over 100 sulfur compounds which have anti-inflammatory effects. You don’t say what magazine this came from, however. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

September 29, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I have been taking calcium plus vitamin D tablets three times a day. I have recently heard on the news that this could cause hardening of the heart arteries. What should a person take to strengthen the bones? I also take Actonel once a week.

DEAR READER:
You are one of many people who have written to me asking the same question. Calcium (or calcium plus D) supplements DO NOT cause hardening of the arteries. The way that the media portrayed the issue caused near panic for thousands of individuals taking these supplements.

The information reported was that arterial plaque caused by excess calcium could lead to heart attack and stroke. While this is true, the problem does not lie in how much calcium in ingested but rather with the body itself. [Read more...]

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Sunday Column

September 28, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I have a 13-year-old son with autism. He is very pleasant, tries real hard at everything, does well in school, and never complains. Although he is verbal, he has great difficulty expressing his thoughts. He’s 5’4”, maybe 100 pounds, and is a big eater. He’s going through puberty.

About 8 months ago he began having difficult and painful swallowing, indicating pain from his neck, along the esophagus, to his stomach. It was torture for him to eat and torture for us to watch him. He lost 10 pounds over Christmas break. Our family doctor put him on Prevacid 30 mg daily. Within two days he was able to eat. He’s also been on a multi-vitamin, amino acids and digestive enzymes for years. Although he is now eating, he still experiences pain in his throat for up to 2 hours after each meal. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

September 27, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am a 67-year-old non-smoking, non-drinking female who lives a very healthy lifestyle with exercise, good nutrition, average weight, etc. I have no history of heart disease in my family, yet three weeks ago I wound up in the ER with atrial fibrillation that required an over-night stay for observation, followed by a nuclear stress test and the wearing of a heart monitor. I’ll meet with a cardiologist in a few days to discuss the results.

I’ve taken Fosamax for almost seven years for mild bone loss and recently read of a scientific study indicating the drug can cause heart abnormalities — including atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, blood clots, and stroke! I stopped taking the Fosamax immediately.

Is my atrial fibrillation a chronic condition now or does the discontinuation reduce and eventually end the symptoms? [Read more...]

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Daily Column

September 26, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am 84. When I was having an MRA, the nursed asked when I had my gallbladder taken out. I never did.

Apparently it had shrunk since they couldn’t find it. What caused this? Is it bad? Is it necessary to have a gallbladder? Did mine disappear because it was no longer needed? Should I be taking some kind of treatment to replace the function of the organ?

DEAR READER:
I cannot tell you why your gallbladder has shrunk or disappeared. Perhaps it was never there or you had it removed during another surgery. The cause is unknown but chances are it has been that way for a while.

The gallbladder is an organ that holds bile before it is moved into the small intestine. Bile is a greenish brown substance that aids absorption of nutrients. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

September 26, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
After having my left kidney removed, I have been prone to severe leg cramps. They are especially troublesome after sitting for hours at our euchre club. One night they were particularly severe and several of my friends told me to drink dill pickle juice. I love dill pickle juice and since we were having the club at my house, it was easy for me to grab some juice. Instantly the pain stopped and I was able to go back to playing. It was unbelievable and you can add my vote to the dill pickle juice for cramps remedy.

DEAR READER:
I have received several letters from people who drink dill pickle juice (the liquid left in the jar after the pickles are gone). Many claim it is instantly effective. Others have had success with sports drinks that contain electrolytes and still others apply liquid soap directly to the sore muscle. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

September 25, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I woke up deaf in both ears, after having a hysterectomy. I went to my doctor threes days in a row and begged, pleaded and cried to have a penicillin shot. He kept saying no but eventually caved in. The morning after the shot, my hearing was back to normal. I immediately called and thanked him. A few days later, I received a letter in the mail stating that he could no longer be my doctor because I wouldn’t take his advice and that I should see an ear-nose-and-throat specialist for any future ear problems.

I want to know why doctors no longer give penicillin shots when they work. I was right and it helped my hearing but my doctor made me change to another physician anyway. I am not a doctor, but know that this shot can help many people, has helped many people and works right away on lots of ailments. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

September 24, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I have been having a problem with flatulence. I know fried foods and fish cause the problem but sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint what really gives me so much gas.

I want to avoid Bean-O or other medications to prevent the problem. Please advise me what I can do.

DEAR READER:
Millions of bacteria grow within the colon and certain foods cause those bacteria to thrive. In fact, as much as 90% of intestinal gas is formed by bacteria that feed on certain sugars and carbohydrates.

You apparently have made the connection between diet and gas. Other than fried foods, wheat products, Brussels sprouts, legumes, cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, dairy products, potatoes, carbonated beverages and carrots all play a role. It would be impossible to eliminate everything from your diet, and each individual is different when it comes to gas production. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

September 24, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
My granddaughter has been diagnosed with celiac disease. When I spoke with my doctor about it, he gave me information on gastro-esophageal reflux disease. Can you educate me regarding celiac and gluten intolerance?

DEAR READER:
Celiac disease is a condition of the digestive tract that is triggered by eating gluten, a protein found in breads, pasta, pastries, and numerous other foods that contain wheat, rye or barley. When an individual with celiac disease eats foods that contain gluten, an immune reaction occurs in the small intestine that results in an inability to absorb specific nutrients contained in foods. While a problem for individuals of any age, it is particularly difficult for nutritional development in children.

Most people with celiac disease complain of diarrhea, [Read more...]

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