Reader relieves cramps in hand by holding a bar of soap

August 9, 2007 at 12:00a.m.

Q. I read your column about using soap in the bed for leg cramps. It really works. My husband had leg cramps for years since he is a fisherman and on his feet 18 hours a day.

They brought tears to his eyes, although he is very stoic. He’s had no more leg cramps since we started putting soap under the bottom sheet.

We were playing cards the other night and he got cramps in his hands holding the cards, as he sometimes does. I got a bar of soap and put it in his hand.

Within a minute the pain subsided. He held the bar for about 10 minutes, and the cramp never came back. Now we keep a bar of soap near where we play cards.

A. Though many people have told us of their success using soap under the bottom sheet to ward off nighttime leg cramps, this is the first we have heard of using soap to keep away hand cramps.

Q. Many years ago, I used vinegar and water to treat my son’s swimmer’s ear. I cannot remember the correct vinegar and water ratio, and I hope you can help.

A. Doctors sometimes recommend using ear drops made of 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts water after swimming.

Another approach is to use a few drops of half white vinegar and half alcohol. That helps dry the ear out and makes it more acidic and less vulnerable to infection.

Q. When we were at the beach, a friend of ours burned her hand on a very hot pan handle. (I had just pulled the pan out of the broiler.) I grabbed the soy sauce and had her soak her hand in it after she ran the burn under cold water.

She reported relief, and the next day she was fine. I was really worried it would blister. She smelled like marinade, but that’s a small price. We credited you for the save.

A. Thanks for sharing your success with soy sauce. We heard about this home remedy for burns from an Oregonian listener to our radio show.

Q. I have had patches of itchy dermatitis for years. More recently I developed “mildly inflammatory arthritis.” Then I came down with carpal tunnel syndrome.

In my dealings with doctors, these have always been treated as separate problems.

I was recently prescribed prednisone for a poison-ivy attack. My dermatitis is clearing up. My arthritis is much improved, too; I can touch my toes. The carpal tunnel pain is also gone. I feel better than I have for years.

I know I cannot continue on the prednisone forever because of its side effects.

From this experience, I conclude that all my prior problems are interconnected.

I would like an integrated treatment for them. Have others found alternative solutions?

A. Inflammation is the common denominator of your health problems. While prednisone can relieve many symptoms, serious side effects may occur with long-term use.

We are sending you our Guide to Alternatives for Arthritis with a discussion of problems with prednisone and a variety of nondrug approaches for inflammatory conditions.

Natural anti-inflammatory products include fish oil, cherry or pomegranate juice, boswellia, curcumin and ginger.

XIn their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.Peoples-Pharmacy.com.