Products may help end thumb sucking
Q. My 5-year-old granddaughter sucks her thumb. Is there something that tastes bitter or unpleasant I can buy to put on her thumb to remind her to not suck it?
A. Most children give up on thumb sucking before they are 5. The American Dental Association says that thumb sucking does not cause problems until after this age.
You might be more successful distracting her with activities that require two hands. If your granddaughter wants to stop sucking her thumb, painting something yucky on it may help remind her to stop. Some parents have used pickle juice or vinegar.
Others use commercial products. Thum contains cayenne pepper extract and citric acid. Control-It! has denatonium. These preparations taste bad and remind the child not to suck. Search online or ask your pharmacist to order one. There is also a Lycra glovelike device that covers the thumb. It is called Thumbusters.
Nagging is counterproductive. Most children will stop when they experience peer pressure.
Q. I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. I was taking Synthroid for an underactive thyroid, but I just didn’t feel well. I found a doctor who prescribed Armour Thyroid instead, and now I feel great!
A. An underactive thyroid can result in debilitating fatigue until the problem is corrected. Inadequate levels of thyroid hormone can also cause a curious collection of other symptoms, including common ones like weakness and constipation and odd ones like carpal tunnel syndrome, clumsiness or depression.
For most people, the proper dose of Synthroid can correct the deficit and eliminate symptoms. But some people do better with Armour Thyroid, an extract of pig thyroid. Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid and Unithroid all contain levothyroxine or T4. But thyroid glands actually make T3 as well as T4, and Armour contains both.
You can learn more about this issue as well as interpreting thyroid tests and symptoms of thyroid problems in our Guide to Thyroid Hormones. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (58 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. T-4, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com.
Q. You have written about allergies, but I think you might have missed the next great allergy drug. I was having problems last winter and tried Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec in succession, but all had lost their effectiveness.
The nurse practitioner had noticed that the specialists were prescribing Astelin nasal spray (nasal antihistamine), and it was working like magic. She wrote me a prescription, and I had it filled. It works instantly and lasts all day. The only drawback is that it makes me sneeze once or twice when I first spray it. It doesn’t make me sleepy or dopey, which is good, since we all have to stay sharp at our jobs.
A. We’re delighted you’ve had such good results. Astelin nasal spray is a topical antihistamine, but not everyone benefits as much as you. It is normally used twice daily and is about as effective as oral antihistamines.
Side effects of Astelin may include a bitter taste in the mouth, drowsiness, headache, nasal burning, sneezing, sore throat, dry mouth and fatigue. A 1-ounce bottle can cost as much as $90.