Taking vitamin D brings big changes for readers

Q. I have been struggling with joint pain and just found out that my vitamin D level is really low. My doctor put me on a megadose of 50,000 IU (international units) each week for eight weeks. Then I will switch to 800 IU daily.

I took the first 50,000 IU pill yesterday, and today I can’t believe how good my joints feel. I have no pain and wonder if the vitamin D is responsible.

Shouldn’t a vitamin D check be part of a physical?

A.You may be right. Rheumatologists have reported that low vitamin D levels often contribute to joint and soft tissue pain. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Insufficient vitamin D can mimic other serious problems, too, as this reader reported: “I was diagnosed with MS until the doctor found that my vitamin D level was 8.3 [dangerously low]. I’m on 50,000 IU twice weekly, and I can tell you it makes a huge difference!”

Q.I am 44 and have had acne since I was a teen. Dermatologists have prescribed countless antibiotics to no avail. Birth control pills worked, but when I stopped, the acne returned. I also took Retin-A, which helped but made my skin more sensitive to the sun and caused redness and cracking.

I was excited to read about milk of magnesia as a topical treatment. My son (age 12) and I are using it and getting good results.

A. A letter in the Archives of Dermatology (January 1975) suggested that topical application of milk of magnesia nightly could help reduce redness and inflammation associated with acne.

We are sending you our new Guide to Skin Care with more details about milk of magnesia and other inexpensive home remedies for acne. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (59 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. S-28, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Q. I’ve had a constant swollen sore throat as a result of acid reflux. I’ve been on several acid-suppressing drugs that worked and then stopped.

Today I tried ginger candy to soothe my throat, and it’s working. Have you heard of ginger helping with reflux symptoms?

A.Ginger has a long-standing reputation for soothing stomach disorders. Chinese sailors have used it for motion sickness for at least a thousand years, and many readers have found it helpful for upset stomach. Several years ago, we heard from a reader who discovered a cinnamon-ginger drink helped her heartburn: “My reflux became really bad when I stopped hormone replacement therapy. Acid-suppressing drugs worked great, but after two months, I couldn’t stop them without the heartburn recurring.

“One night, I took colleagues to dinner at a Korean restaurant. Someone ordered persimmon punch, a concentrated cinnamon-ginger drink, for dessert. A few sips later, I felt fantastic. After a month of adding 3 tablespoons of the cinnamon-ginger drink to my tea morning and night, my heartburn was under control.”

XIn their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of The Vindicator or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy” (Rodale Books).

2008 King Features Syndicate Inc.