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Daily Column

October 24, 2008 By Dr. Gott

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I’ve been a fan of yours for years and know that you like to be informed of any products that do work. I suffer from pain due to a bulging disc in my neck and have discovered through an online search a new pain-relieving cream called Osmoflex.

Even though it has menthol as the active ingredient, it is not strong smelling like others on the market. It also has magnesium, MSM, glucosamine and chondroitin.

I know the product will not fix my neck but I am amazed at how much relief it has given me.

DEAR READER:
Osmoflex was introduced to the public three months ago by a Louisiana manufacturer. It is stated to provide temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints. Target areas are simple back ache, sprains, strains, and bruises. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

October 23, 2008 By Dr. Gott

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am a senior citizen who has had shingles on the back of my neck and on my chest for three years. Is there anything I can use for temporary relief?

DEAR READER:
Shingles is an infection caused by the varicella zoster virus. Known as herpes zoster, it causes a painful rash, most commonly appearing as blisters that wrap from the middle of the back around to the middle of the chest. Other parts of the body can be affected as well, but are less common. Most rashes last a few weeks or up to a month. Those lasting longer are sometimes known as post herpetic neuralgia. The older an individual gets, the greater his or her chances are of suffering from such long-term nerve pain.

Treatment can often be difficult and may require a combination of prescriptions for pain control. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

October 23, 2008 By Dr. Gott

DEAR DR. GOTT:
My husband is 52 years old, six feet tall and 230 pounds. His cholesterol is 198 and he also has high blood pressure. He has been taking atenolol for 20 years which has controlled it well. He has physical every year.

My reason for writing is because since late spring or early summer, he has been experiencing erectile dysfunction. His doctor gave him samples of Levitra which have not helped. We have never had a problem before this summer and I can tell it is affecting his self-esteem. My question to you is, should he go back to his physician to try other drugs or should he be seen by a urologist for testing?

DEAR READER:
I believe that your husband would benefit from being examined and tested by a urologist.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is common, especially as men age. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

October 22, 2008 By Dr. Gott

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I was recently in the hospital because of lightheadedness. I am a 73-year-old woman with a history of brain aneurysm. In 1966 I was diagnosed with an aneurysm in the right side of the Circle of Willis (I guess you know what that means). Because of this, the hospital doctors ordered a CT scan of my head. No one told me anything but I got copies of my test reports and have determined I have encephalomalacia in the area of the right temporal lobe.

Because I can never talk to my doctor (only his assistants) I was hoping you could tell me what this means.

DEAR READER:
The Circle of Willis is an area at the base of the brain where several arteries join together. While all brain aneurysms are potentially dangerous, one situated in the Circle of Willis is especially so because the interior carotid arteries branch off from this area and supply about 80% of the brain’s blood. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

October 21, 2008 By Dr. Gott

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I read your column regularly and have seen articles about irritable bowel syndrome. I would like to share my experience with this annoying condition.

I had suffered for a while with gas, bloating and other symptoms. My internist thought that I was lactose intolerant despite my claims that many milk products did not cause my symptoms. He ordered a colonoscopy which showed I had irritable bowel syndrome.

Shortly after the diagnosis I was reading an article in Prevention magazine that claimed there was an epidemic of IBS and that an additive found in many dairy products might be the cause. The additive is a seaweed product called carrageen.

Interested by this, I decided to check my refrigerator and found that the additive was in many products I had on hand including soy milk, ice cream, sherbet and more. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

October 20, 2008 By Dr. Gott

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I read with interest your answer to the elderly woman seeking attention to her daily well being. While I wholeheartedly endorse Lifeline, the system is of little service to a victim who is unconscious or worse.

However, there is another resource available for the elderly and physically challenged who can monitor their well-being no matter what their status. In my Township, it is called Operation ReAssurance and it does so by putting participants in daily telephone contact with police division personnel.

As administrator of our free program I have all too often seen its effectiveness whenever the worst should occur, but I have also been personal witness to its having saved more than three dozen lives over the past 20 years. Moreover, beyond a verification of well being, a police division operated program [Read more...]

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Daily Column

October 20, 2008 By Dr. Gott

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I was born in the late 1960s and became very ill when I was three. Doctors prescribed me tetracycline. I think it was the antibiotic of choice back then.

My question to you is: could it cause adult teeth to yellow? Since my adult teeth first appeared, they have been yellow. They are strong, healthy and thanks to braces, straight but I hate opening my mouth because of the discoloration. I have had every bleaching system available done but none worked. I even had porcelain veneers but those too, have turned yellow. What can I do? Is tetracycline still being used today?

DEAR READER:
Tetracycline and similar antibiotics, including doxycycline (commonly used to treat Lyme disease) can cause permanent tooth discoloration (yellow, grey or brown) in children. [Read more...]

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Sunday Column

October 19, 2008 By Dr. Gott

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I am writing on behalf of my husband. He is 80 years old and has been suffering with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Up until the last couple of years it has progressed very slowly and he was advised to do nothing. Now, however, it has advanced to where his white blood count has risen dramatically, his platelet count is very high and his red blood count is low. He also has a problem that no one has been able to solve; his skin has become dry to the point of continually flaking off when rubbed. It is also very itchy but if he scratches it either bleeds or raises welts. This happens day and night. He has seen a dermatologist who said it might be an allergy to his blood pressure medicine so it was switched. There was no change so the dermatologist gave him a prescription for a cream. He has tried every lotion and cream on the pharmacy shelves but nothing touched the itch. He even tried castor oil to no avail. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

October 18, 2008 By Dr. Gott

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I have had eight abdominal hernias and six operations in the past three years. The same doctor has performed these operations using mesh each time and each time another hernia comes on in a different location of my stomach. This is highly rare to have so many surgeries — my stomach looks like a tic-tac toe board.

I’m 60 years old and carried mail for 34 years. I retired at the age of 55. I don’t know if my occupation has anything to do with my weak stomach lining or not.

My questions are, should I change doctors? Is there any other new procedure besides mesh? Does wearing a truss help any, and how many surgeries can be done on a stomach without causing further damage?

DEAR READER:
Hernias occur when soft tissue protrudes through a tear or weakened area of the lower abdominal wall. [Read more...]

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Daily Column

October 17, 2008 By Dr. Gott

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I have an unsightly nail fungus. I’ve heard that Vicks VapoRub will cure it. Is that true and if so, how much and how often should I use it?

DEAR READER:
According to my readers, Vicks or a comparable mentholatum rub does work. Simply rub the product over the top around the sides of the nail twice daily.

Other products include Miranel, an anti-fungal that contains miconazole nitrate to penetrate the nail faster, tea tree oil, and vinegar poured over the affected nails. Check with your local pharmacist for his or her suggestions.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Dr. Gott’s Compelling Home Remedies”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped, number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

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