Tri-State Neighbor: South Dakota Farm Newspaper

Q: My doctor recently switched me from the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor to Omacor after I had a slightly elevated liver count. What should I know about Omacor?

A: Omacor is a highly purified prescription fish oil. The Food and Drug Administration approved its use to lower high triglycerides. The most common side effects of Omacor are burping or indigestion, but they are less likely with this prescription product than with everyday fish oil.

Q: I have a caution about Effexor which I took for hot flashes. I had to go out of town suddenly and ran out of pills because I couldn’t get the prescription refilled beforehand. On the third day without it, I started to feel bad. Then I began vomiting and shaking.

As soon as I returned home, I took some anti-nausea medicine and restarted the Effexor. The next day I felt fine, so it wasn’t the flu. I tapered off the medication over the next several months without any problems. My doctor said she has never heard of this type of reaction, but I know that’s what it was.

A: Many people have difficulties with symptoms of withdrawal when they discontinue an antidepressant like Effexor suddenly. It makes no difference whether you intend to stop the drug, or whether you forget your dose; nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating, shakiness, shock-like electrical sensations and anxiety are possible symptoms.

Your approach of gradually tapering the dose is sensible. We are always discouraged to learn that a doctor is unfamiliar with this reaction, since it has been known and documented for at least 10 years.

Q: I am responding to a question from a person who is going on a cruise and doesn’t want to get seasick. Suggest Bonine. This tiny pink pill is available over the counter.

It should be taken an hour before boarding the ship, or you can chew the tablet as soon as you remember it. The only side effect is a slightly dry mouth. I went on a cruise to Hawaii and never got sick. Bonine was my miracle tablet.

A: Meclizine is available over the counter as Bonine or by prescription as Antivert. This antihistamine has been used for motion sickness for decades. Some people experience drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, urinary retention or blurred vision.

Q: After months of using Nexium for stomach ulcers with little relief, I started using DGL licorice, two or three pills before meals and at bedtime. I felt better within days. Have you ever heard of this?

A: DGL is short for deglycyrrhizinated licorice. This is an extract of the licorice root with one active ingredient, glycyrrhizin, removed.

This specially treated licorice has long been used to treat ulcers. In one study, it proved as effective as cimetidine (Tagamet) for this purpose (Gut, June 1982). This particular form of licorice is less likely to cause the complications (fluid retention, potassium loss, hypertension) associated with regular black licorice.

Q: I am interested in trying the gin-soaked raisins for joint pain, but I have a question about the safety of eating the raisins and taking anti-anxiety medication. Is it safe to eat nine raisins and take Xanax the same day? I have to take Xanax sometimes and have read that alcohol should not be used while taking it.

A: You are absolutely right that alcohol and sedatives like Xanax (alprazolam) do not mix. We had the alcohol content in nine gin-soaked raisins analyzed and learned that it amounts to about one drop. That should not be enough to cause problems, even when you need to take Xanax.

Q: Shortly after I read about using toothpaste for fire-ant bites, I was bitten by a fire ant. I started spreading toothpaste twice a day over my swollen ankle. It has been three days and the inflammation has mostly gone away. I only have a small red area around the center of the bite. Normally, I would have been in the doctor’s office receiving antibiotics by now. Additionally, the toothpaste helped greatly with the itch.

A: Readers have applied many remedies to fire-ant bites. In addition to toothpaste, they report success with tobacco juice, Vicks VapoRub, Listerine, apple cider vinegar or meat tenderizer mixed into a paste with water.

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