GRAEDONS | People's Pharmacy Old wives' tale proves true in study

Q. My husband hates wearing a coat in the winter. Unless it is freezing and blowing, he mostly throws on a flannel shirt over a turtleneck. Forget hat, gloves or boots. He won't have anything to do with them.
He's had one bad cold already and is still taking a lot of cough medicine. He insists that catching a cold has nothing to do with getting cold outside. Please settle this argument.
A. For years, science supported your husband's side of the battle. There was no evidence that getting chilled actually led people to catch colds, and the connection was dubbed an old wives' tale.
But once again, the old wives may have the last laugh. A study at the Common Cold Center in Cardiff, Wales, found that 29 percent of study subjects who sat with their feet in icy water came down with colds later that week (Family Practice, December 2005). Only 10 percent of the subjects whose feet stayed warm and dry started sniffling and coughing. This might not persuade your husband to put on his coat, but at least he should wear his galoshes.
Q. You recently responded to a question about expiration dates on prescriptions. You were cavalier about suggesting that expired drugs might still work.
As a pharmacist, I am horrified by your approach. When patients take outdated medications, they are exposed to serious side effects.
A. The biggest risk with expired medications is that they might not work. The reader who asked the question reported that the Ambien he took helped him get to sleep, though it was a few months beyond its "use by" date.
As a pharmacist, you know that the date typed on a prescription label is rarely the manufacturer's actual expiration date. Rather, the "discard date" is usually one year after the prescription was filled. This might mislead people to throw away medicine that could still be viable.
Proper storage is just as important as expiration. Some medicines, notably nitroglycerin and Tegretol (carbamazepine), are sensitive to storage conditions and might lose potency even before their expiration date if they are not stored properly. The consequences of having heart medicine or an anti-seizure drug lose effectiveness are indeed serious. Such drugs must be kept in tightly closed containers away from heat or moisture.
Q. I seem to have no sexual desire anymore. Beautiful women don't excite me, even when they are nude. Also, I don't feel romantic.
I've tried all of the pills, as well as Muse, which is very uncomfortable. I also tried the pump. I would like to know more about Caverject. Any information you can send will be greatly appreciated.
A. Lack of libido and erectile dysfunction are two separate issues. The medicines you mention can only assist with erections, not sexual desire. They won't be very effective if you are not feeling romantic.
Ask your doctor to check your testosterone. A low level can contribute to lack of desire in either men or women.
We are sending you our Guide to Treating Sexual Dysfunction for more information on testosterone as well as drugs like Caverject and Viagra.
& copy; 2006 King Features Syndicate Inc.