GRAEDONS | People's Herbal Pharmacy Have insomnia? Try acupressure

Q. I would like to share an acupressure tip that helps me sleep. Tape a dried kidney bean to the inside of your right wrist. I locate this point between the two tendons by measuring the width of three fingers up the arm from the wrist crease. This gives me around eight hours of very sound sleep. If I have to get up to go to the bathroom, I still go right back to sleep. This approach is cheap, safe and better than anything I have used in the past.
A. You are describing a traditional acupressure point called the "Inner Gate." Pressing on this spot is reported to help reduce anxiety, slow the heart and promote sleep. A randomized study using sham acupressure points as controls demonstrated that such techniques can be effective against insomnia.
Q. I've read in your column about coconut cookies for diarrhea. I had chronic diarrhea for more than a year, and the coconut macaroons did nothing for it. Someone then suggested I try shredded coconut. I put two or three teaspoons on my breakfast cereal every day for a couple of months. Now I don't have to use it. You can buy it in the grocery store, and it really worked for me!
A. Biochemist Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., has proposed that the fat in coconut called lauric acid might be the active ingredient. Its antibacterial activity may help control inflammation and chronic diarrhea. Other readers have reported similar success. Too much coconut can be constipating, though, so anyone who tries this should be cautious with the "dose."
Q. I have toenail fungus. I used to be able to control it by taking an oral antifungal drug called Diflucan. I had to stop that when I started on Lipitor because the two can interact badly. Now my wife has the fungus, too. She blames me, of course. Do you have any home remedies to control this problem? I understand permanent eradication is not feasible.
P.S. I asked my pharmacist about it, and he said he has nail fungus, too. When he asked his doctor how to eliminate it, he was told it would happen naturally: "Your fungus will die about six months after you do." I thought that would make you smile.
A. How people catch nail fungus or transmit it remains somewhat mysterious. Nail clippers might be a source of contamination, which might explain how your wife caught your infection.
Home remedies don't work for everybody, but some readers have reported success from soaking the nails in Listerine or a vinegar solution (1 part vinegar, 2 parts water), smearing the affected nails with Vicks VapoRub twice daily or squeezing vitamin E from a capsule under and around the affected nail. Toenails grow slowly, so it might take several months to see results.
We are sending you our Guide to Nail Care, with more details on home remedies that have been used for this problem and a nonsurgical way to dissolve infected nails. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (60 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. H-31, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, N.C. 27717-2027.
Q. I was told tonic water would stop leg cramps because of the quinine. I am on medication for hypertension and need to avoid salt. Does tonic water contain a lot of sodium?
A. Look at the label before you buy. Sodium content is listed and varies by brand. Some tonics have less sodium than club soda or many soft drinks.
XIn their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, N.Y. 10019, or e-mail them at pharmacy@mindspring.com or via their Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.org.
& copy; 2004 King Features Syndicate, Inc.