The People's Pharmacy®

Q. I have been troubled with "sour stomach" throughout my life. Even the tiniest burp smells like sulfurous rotten eggs and can be smelled across large rooms. I also pass huge amounts of foul-smelling gas. My body has turned into... (Read More)

Q. My grandmother administered, with great success, a pomegranate 'infusion' for treating diarrhea. She would cut the fruit in half and boil it in water and reduce it. It's nasty tasting but effective and we continue to use it in... (Read More)

Q. I'm a 28-year-old male and I've never had much of a sex drive. I recently learned from a family member that my mother, believing it curbed sexual appetite, dosed my brother and me with a spoonful or two of... (Read More)

Plastic is convenient, lightweight, unbreakable and inexpensive. But controversy rages over its potential health risks. BPA (bisphenol A) has become a target for criticism. It is used in everything from water bottles and football helmets to baby bottles and eyeglasses.... (Read More)

When someone is diagnosed with cancer, the doctor recommends treatment: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or a combination of these methods. But when the treatment is over, what can a person do to prevent a recurrence? Dr. David Servan-Schreiber faced this question... (Read More)

Q. In a message on your site, the mother of a 14-year-old boy with chronic hives suggested vitamin C. I've been searching for a cure for hives, as they have been plaguing my husband for years now. We can't believe... (Read More)

Q. I take atenolol for high blood pressure. I would like to take something to help me lose weight, and I have seen that I can buy Meridia online. When I looked for more information, I read it should not... (Read More)

Q. What is a safe home remedy for severe night sweats and hot flashes? I am burning up and sleepless. A. There are enough alternatives that you should be able to tailor something that will work for you. The first... (Read More)

Q. I have been haunted with RLS (restless leg syndrome) for years. I took the drug Mirapex, only to get all the side effects: gambling, overeating and obsessing about sex. The drug totally ruined my life. What can you tell... (Read More)

Q. When one of our sons was 9 months old, almost 50 years ago, he had earaches. At the time, antibiotics were prescribed. Soon afterwards, he developed diarrhea and became so dehydrated that he was hospitalized for IV fluid replacement.... (Read More)

Q. How can I tell if my apartment is infested with bedbugs? A friend has just gone through a nightmare experience trying to get rid of them. She had to throw out her mattress, couch and other furniture, have the... (Read More)

Every day in this country someone dies from a medication mistake. According to the FDA, more than one million people are injured annually because of drug errors. In some cases a patient gets the wrong medicine from the pharmacy. Other... (Read More)

Interventional cardiology is practically the epitome of modern medicine, with its bypass surgery, catheters and stents. But instead of fixing broken hearts, some cardiologists are becoming interested in preventing heart disease. Dr. Mimi Guarneri decided to turn away from high-tech... (Read More)

Q. I have found that drinking Earl Grey tea for a few days seems to trigger nighttime leg cramps. I used to use special soap my sister brought back from France. Her friend in Paris swore that putting it under... (Read More)

Q. I have been treated for an overactive bladder by two urologists. I took several different prescription medications with no relief but many side effects. I told my doctors that I have noticed (like the runner in your column) that... (Read More)