People’s Pharmacy: Aussie skeptic embraces vicks on soles

Q. I had been coughing for a week with the flu, and I was so tired because it had kept me awake. Besides, the constant cough made my neck sore.

I read on your website about smearing Vicks VapoRub on the soles of the feet to stop a nighttime cough. I live in Brisbane, Australia, and figured this must be some stupid American fad. How could it possibly work?

My wife said, “Don’t be such a baby; just do it.” I tried it and slept all night.

Vicks may not work for everyone, but it really helped me!

A. As far as we can tell, there has been no research involving Vicks VapoRub on the soles of the feet. A study in the journal Pediatrics (December 2010) showed that Vicks on the chest worked better to calm kids’ coughs than no treatment or a placebo chest rub.

We have heard from many other readers, including some even more skeptical than you, that applying Vicks VapoRub to the soles of the feet and then putting on warm socks to protect the sheets helps to ease a nighttime cough. Thanks for sharing your personal experiment.

Q. What is the relationship between long-term statin use (specifically atorvastatin) and adult-onset Type 2 diabetes? Lipitor was prescribed for me in 1998 and has successfully lowered my cholesterol.

In the past year, my blood sugar went up substantially, and I’ve experienced preliminary symptoms of diabetes. I have no risk factors: My weight is normal, and I walk at least 2 miles a day, with additional daily weight-bearing exercise. I have no family history of diabetes.

My diet is primarily Mediterranean because I’m married to a Sicilian. It’s a little high in carbs but low in red meat and high in seafood and plant proteins.

I’ve stopped taking the statin. Will my metabolism return to normal?

A. In 2003, we started getting questions from readers about elevated blood sugar as a side effect of Lipitor. Most physicians were unaware that this was a possibility.

Since then, studies have confirmed the connection. An article in Diabetologia (May 2015) confirmed this risk: Finnish men taking a statin were 46 percent more likely to be diagnosed later with Type 2 diabetes than those not on such a cholesterol-lowering drug.

With your healthy lifestyle, you may be able to reverse this trend. Cut back on carbs and keep up the exercise.

You’ll learn more about controlling cholesterol and blood sugar with and without drugs in “Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy” (available at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com).

Q. Is there a website where I can check to see whether the prescription medications I take contain lactose? A pharmacist recently told me that many drug companies use lactose as filler.

I have lactose intolerance and get very uncomfortable, embarrassing gas if I ingest something containing lactose. I am sure others may have the same problem and may not even be aware that there is lactose in their medications.

A. One website that does this well is DailyMed. It contains all the official prescribing information for most prescription medicines.

Enter the name of your drug in the search box, then check the headers “Inactive Ingredients” or “Ingredients and Appearance” at the bottom of the page.

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or email them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”