Listerine and vinegar prove good for the soles

Q. Thanks for a tip you offered. A woman recommended a combination of Listerine and diluted vinegar for toenail fungus. She mentioned that it also made her feet soft.

I don’t have nail fungus, but as a “barefoot girl” I do have a problem trying to get my feet presentable to go to work in sandals without paying for an expensive pedicure every week. I tried soaking my feet in the solution, and I’m so thrilled.

It made my calloused feet look and feel better, and it also got the garden soil off bare feet better than a bleach solution. It’s a nice beauty aid for a barefoot-loving professional!

A. Thanks for sharing your success. Only old-fashioned amber Listerine should be used as a soak. Another reader tried the blue version and got blue feet as a result.

Q. I have taken pain relievers for years for arthritis pain in my knees and hips and plantar fasciitis in my left foot. I thought drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen were my friends.

My rheumatologist prescribed Celebrex, but suddenly my kidney enzymes soared, and I was told no more NSAIDs, ever! My pain has not gone away. What can I take that won’t raise my blood pressure or kill my kidneys?

A. Many people get pain relief with over-the-counter NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen). Others do well on prescriptions such as Celebrex, diclofenac, meloxicam or nabumetone.

Chronic use of these medications can result in side effects, however. Like you, some people find that their kidneys can’t handle NSAIDs. Others develop ulcers, high blood pressure, elevated liver enzymes or other reactions such as drowsiness or mental fogginess.

Readers searching for pain relief without such complications sometimes benefit from home remedies such as pineapple juice or gin-soaked raisins.

Others find herbs helpful: “I have osteoarthritis and can no longer take NSAIDs due to a spike in liver enzymes and a family history of heart disease. After I read in your column that turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory, I started taking it. Now I feel as well as I did on NSAIDs, with no side effects. My rheumatologist is skeptical and wants more information.”

We are sending you our Guide to Alternatives for Arthritis with pros and cons of arthritis drugs and other approaches such as home remedies and supplements such as boswellia, ginger, MSM and turmeric. 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. AA-2, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Q. My best friend was on Effexor (venlafaxine) after going through a dreadful divorce. She’s young, strong and vibrant. After a period of time, she realized she no longer wanted to take Effexor. Her doctor simply said, “Stop taking it.”

When she developed suicidal thoughts and hallucinations as part of the withdrawal, he did not return her calls. Luckily, his nurse told my friend about her own experience going off an antidepressant suddenly. This helped her understand what she was dealing with. If she had killed herself, no one would have known that stopping the medication too abruptly was the trigger.

A. The maker of Effexor advises doctors that sudden discontinuation can result in many unpleasant symptoms, including agitation, confusion, dizziness, insomnia, nausea and shocklike electrical sensations. A gradual reduction in dose is recommended.

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.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Favorite Home Remedies From The People’s Pharmacy.”

2009 King Features Syndicate Inc.