Pickle juice vs. heartburn

Q. Recently, I had heartburn that was painful but not devastating. This doesn’t happen to me often, so I had no antacids. Instead, I planned to wait until the burning stopped on its own.

I took a sip (no more than a tablespoon) of pickle juice (from sweet pickle sandwich slices), and to my amazement, the pain went away INSTANTLY and didn’t recur. A week or so later, I got heartburn again. A small sip of pickle juice gave again me immediate lasting relief.

I’ve only tried this twice, but I’ll never reach for antacids again if I can get some pickle juice.

Once could be a fluke, but twice? Have you ever heard of this?

A. Pickle juice seems like the last thing you would want to swallow if you had heartburn. Nevertheless, we have heard from many readers that vinegar, the main ingredient in pickle juice, helps ease indigestion.

Q. My very active mother visited her doctor for a routine checkup several months ago. He diagnosed her with hypertension and started her on atenolol and amlodipine.

She has slipped dramatically. She has no energy and has lost her enthusiasm for activities she loved. Mom is complaining about breathing problems and joint pain for the first time, and thinks the medicine is responsible.

A. Your mother’s suspicions may have some validity. Beta blockers like atenolol, metoprolol and propranolol may cause fatigue, hair loss, asthma and joint pain. Physicians rarely prescribe such medications as first-line blood pressure treatment.

Other options include weight loss, meditation, deep breathing and foods like beets. Beta blockers shouldn’t be discontinued abruptly, as sudden withdrawal might trigger a heart attack.

We are sending you our Guide to Blood Pressure Treatment for information on other medications and nondrug management. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (65 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. B-67, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our website: www.peoplespharmacy.com.