Cut back the drinking yourself -- or seek help
Q. My husband has been a beer drinker for approximately 40 years. He averages 96 cans a week. Can this drinking habit cause neuropathy, gout, impotence and diarrhea? He takes medication for high blood pressure and emphysema, but all blood work says his major organs are OK. What should my greatest concern be?
A. Your greatest concern, without a doubt, is his alcohol consumption. Ninety-six beers per week averages out to just over 13 per day. This is more than excessive. He is an alcoholic.
Alcohol can affect the body in many unhealthful ways, including worsening high blood pressure and sexual problems. It would be appropriate for him to reduce his beer intake to no more than three cans a day. If his medical issues improve, wonderful. If he refuses to reduce his drinking, you might need to give him an ultimatum: Reduce the drinking himself or get professional help and stop drinking completely. You might wish to involve his primary care physician.
Q. I have been meaning to write to you in hopes I might help someone undergoing chemotherapy and suffering from mouth sores.In May 1999, I began chemo for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Luckily, after six months of treatment, ending with radiation, I was and still am cancer-free.With every IV of Adriamycin, the nurse would bring me a Popsicle and tell me to suck on it until my IV was done. When asked, the nurse explained that my oncologist learned by accident that if patients sucked on a Popsicle or ate ice while getting the Adriamycin, they would not develop mouth sores. In six months of chemo, I never got one.After my treatment was complete, I ran into a friend whose mother was suffering from horrible mouth sores due to the Adriamycin. I told her what I had learned, and the next time I saw this friend, she indicated that her mother no longer had the problem.I hope this helps a lot of people.
A. Every time someone discovers a home therapy for something as serious as chemotherapy mouth sores, I buy in. I'm publishing your letter in hopes that other people with the same problem can be helped.
Q. I recently began taking flaxseed oil (1 tablespoon per day). I have hearing loss and wear $5,000 digital hearing aids in both ears. You can imagine my amazement when I awoke and was hearing sounds I never hear, even with my hearing aids in. Since it seemed so unusual and the only thing I could attribute it to was the flaxseed oil, I e-mailed the flaxseed oil company to inquire about any research done on hearing loss with their product. They told me to do a simple Internet search on "hearing loss and omega-3" for lots of information on the subject. Apparently, many people have improved their hearing with the addition of omega-3 to their diets. The recommended dosage is 1 tablespoon per 100 pounds of weight, so I plan to increase my dosage but have found the amount I'm already on has worked wonders. I'm absolutely amazed. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't experienced it myself.
A. How the flaxseed/omega-3 works is a mystery to me, but I am eager to learn of other patients' experiences.
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