People’s Pharmacy: Liquid bandage eases earring irritation
Q. I have had pierced ears for more than 25 years, yet I still can’t wear most of my earrings. After about an hour, my earlobes itch and become red and swollen with certain pairs, even expensive ones.
A few weeks ago, I purchased a generic form of liquid bandage for paper cuts and decided to try it on my earlobes. I applied the product to the back and front of my earlobes, let it dry, then inserted the earrings. I was able to wear them for 10 hours without itching, and when I removed them, my earlobes were not red.
I have tried this with pairs I always reacted to and gotten the same good results. The product flakes off easily after I take out the earrings.
A. Many people are sensitive to nickel, which is present in a lot of jewelry. Even expensive earrings may contain traces of nickel.
Another way to protect your ears from contact with the metal in your earrings is to coat the posts or wires with clear nail polish. This can also be done with rings.
Q. What can I do about a flagging libido? I’m 66 years old and in very good health, with no bad habits. My only medication is Lipitor to lower cholesterol.
My much younger wife and I used to have a vigorous and inventive sex life, but my interest in sex has practically disappeared. The only time I get aroused is around 4 a.m., which is impractical, to say the least. What do you suggest?
A. We suggest you talk with your physician. Lipitor (atorvastatin), Zocor (simvastatin) and other statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs may interfere with sexual desire and performance. The authors of a Dutch study propose that lowering cholesterol with these drugs may alter testosterone production (British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, September 2004). That is because cholesterol is a building block for hormones like testosterone.
Rather than stopping the drug on your own, please get your doctor’s guidance about how to lower your cholesterol without ruining your love life. We are sending you our Guides to Sexual Dysfunction and Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs. Anyone who would like copies, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (58 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. LP-95, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.
If testosterone levels are low, a prescription for testosterone may restore your lost libido.
Q. Is there anyone collecting and disseminating information on personal experiences with Achilles tendinitis caused by the antibiotic Levaquin? I have had this problem in both legs for several weeks after receiving the medication. My doctor seems not to have heard of this complication until now.
As a consumer, I have found considerable information on the Internet, but nothing regarding the time frame for relief from this painful condition.
A. Unfortunately, inflammation and in rare cases even rupture of tendons, including the Achilles tendon at the back of the ankle, are possible side effects of Levaquin and similar antibiotics. We have heard from other readers with similar problems. One person’s experience suggests the time frame for recovery may be months rather than weeks: “I took 750 mg of Levaquin for a sinus infection for nine days. I got rid of the sinus infection but have been dealing with tendinopathy in my legs and one shoulder for the past three months.”