Try sugar-free drops for dry mouth
Dear Dr. Gott: I recently read your letter about the reader who uses a Tic Tac for nighttime dry mouth. I use Halls Sugar Free cough drops because I am diabetic. Please put this tip in your column for others to use.
Dear Reader: Several people wrote to me regarding dry mouth and their solutions for the issue. One indicated she spoke with her dental hygienist regarding the sugar content. The reader then wrote to the manufacturer and recommended they make a sugar-free version. She received a polite note thanking her for her letter and a coupon for a free package of Tic Tacs (which wasn’t what she was looking for), but in the meantime found sugar-free Altoids work even better. The only problem is that they dissolve more rapidly than Tic Tacs. Now I have three recommendations to share with readers. Thank you for writing.
Dear Dr. Gott: You wrote a few weeks ago about using Castiva as medication for arthritis pain. My 94-year-old friend thinks it should be taken by mouth. Please provide an explanation for use.
She currently gets a cortisone shot in her hip as often as she is allowed to, but the pain returns before she qualifies for another shot.
What creams or ointments without side effects do you recommend that can be used topically for bursitis, arthritis and inoperable pain?
My friend lives alone, eats heartily and is up to date on current affairs. Thank you for your input.
Dear Reader: To begin with, Castiva is a topical pain-relief lotion used for the pain of arthritis. It is not to be taken internally; rather, it should be rubbed onto painful joints. The product comes in two forms, warming and cooling. The warming lotion contains capsaicin, an ingredient found in chili peppers that works by blocking pain signals from nerves while reducing inflammation. The cooling lotion contains menthol and cools as it is applied. Both contain natural castor oil, a product that has been used for more than 4,000 years because of its healing properties.
Some people find relief from pain by drinking purple grape juice and pectin, a substance used in preparing jams and jellies. Simply pour 8 ounces of 100 percent juice into a glass. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of liquid pectin and stir. Drink two to three times daily. The remedy is reported to substantially reduce the pain of arthritis.
While I’ve been told pectin is in short supply unless it is jelly-making season, I learned it can be purchased in bulk from Kauffman’s Fruit Farm and Market. Visit www.kauffmans fruitfarm.com, or call (717) 768-7112. This source was passed on to me by a reader, so I am making it available to you.
You might also have your friend visit your local pharmacy to determine what over-the-counters are available for relief of joint pain. In fact, enlist the services of the pharmacist who is a great resource. You might be glad you did.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Understanding Osteoarthritis.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped, No. 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.