Desensitizing toothpaste eased asthma
Q. A caller on your radio show said that using Crest desensitizing toothpaste instead of the usual brand had abolished his lifelong asthma symptoms. I went right out and bought some.
This toothpaste contains potassium nitrate, which was an ingredient in asthma relievers in the days when the pharmacist used to compound medicines. I hope this toothpaste will work for me as well.
A. Potassium nitrate, also known as saltpeter, was once prescribed for arthritis as well as asthma. Today it is employed as a preservative for cured meat and is the active ingredient in desensitizing dentifrice, including Crest Sensitivity toothpaste.
Another listener heard the same call and had this report: “I also bought the Crest Sensitivity toothpaste and noticed immediate results. Previously, I needed my inhaler anytime I brushed my teeth. It’s been three days using the Crest, and I haven’t needed the inhaler at all.”
Do not stop your asthma medicine, but we are fascinated that switching toothpaste might help some people with their wheezing symptoms.
Q. I spent three years crippled by a vitamin D deficiency. I was in constant pain, and for five months I was homebound and in a wheelchair. I had loss of balance, resulting in falls in which a bone was dislocated. I had neurological and cognitive deficits.
Vitamin D-2 did not work for me, but within six weeks of starting a vitamin D-3 supplement, my pain started to let up, and my balance is improving. My mind is sharp again. Vitamin D-3 treatment costs me less than $10 a month. It is amazing that more doctors do not know about this. I hope you will tell your readers to insist on vitamin D-3 if they are diagnosed with a deficiency.
A. Your experience is extreme, but low vitamin D levels are linked to an increased risk of falling as well as to muscle pain and weakness. Researchers are debating whether vitamin D-2 or D-3 is better for treating deficiency.
Vitamin D has been getting increased attention because so many people are low in this crucial hormone. Inadequate levels contribute to arthritis, asthma, dementia, depression, diabetes and hypertension.
We are sending you our brand-new Guide to Vitamin D Deficiency with discussions of interpreting lab tests, selecting supplement doses and avoiding toxicity. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. D-23, 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 suffered for years from excessively sweaty feet, resulting in a very bad foot-odor problem. It was noticeable even with my shoes on my feet.
It didn’t matter how many times I changed socks or shoes throughout the day. None of the normal foot-care products had any effect.
Out of desperation one day, I grabbed a bottle of Absorbine Jr. and rubbed it all over my feet. I had no problems with foot odor that day.
I now use it once a day. I apply it to my feet before I put on my socks. The odor is gone, and my feet sweat very little. One bottle lasts a month.
A. Thanks for the suggestion. Absorbine Jr. has a long history as a liniment, going back more than a hundred years. It contains menthol and other herbal extracts, some of which have antimicrobial activity. The manufacturer states: “It also soothes hot, tired, itchy feet.”