DEAR DR. GOTT: Regarding your past columns about “growing pains,” I had such severe pain in my knees as a young teen that I could barely walk. I was told it was due to a growth spurt and to just learn to live with it. I had no fevers, redness or swelling, but just a few years later was hit with MCTD, including rheumatoid arthritis. I am happy that you told the child’s granny to look for other symptoms, such as fever, etc., but I think the pediatrician should have looked into doing some blood work to rule out other possibilities.

On another topic: For all those elderly people out there who have “fainting fits,” the “woozies” or the “spins,” drink a couple of glasses of water. My dad used to conk out for no apparent reason, and it usually turned out that he did not consume enough fluids and overused laxatives. [Read more...]