Cooling off on Evista recommendation
Q. In a recent column, you recommended switching from Fosamax to Evista for the treatment of osteoporosis because of the possible complication of mandibular necrosis.
I would like to know if you would recommend it for someone who has been in remission from Hodgkin's for 10 years. The chemo treatment has caused early menopause and osteopenia.
I would appreciate your advice on this issue. Your column in a valuable tool, and my family appreciates your recommendations as well as your willingness to accept the success of alternative treatments. We hope to continue reading it for a long time.
A. I am less enthusiastic about Evista after having learned of recent studies showing that the drug can cause premature heart disease in some women. Discuss this issue with your gynecologist. I'm not aware of any connection between Hodgkin's disease and Evista, but follow up on this with your doctor as well. As far as I'm concerned, Evista should be put on the back shelf until the complications of therapy are understood fully.
To give you related information, I am sending you copies of my Health Reports "Menopause" and "Understanding Osteoporosis."
Q. I saw a man on television who said to ask my doctor if I need a new Chevy pickup truck. He didn't say anything about side effects. Since I don't have a family doctor, I decided to ask you. He said to consult my physician before making such a purchase. Therefore, I am consulting you regarding this move. I'll be watching for your answer in the newspaper.
A. This has got to be the most off-the-wall letter that I have received this year.
Initially, I searched for a humorous retort -- for example, I'd be more concerned about rear effects, not side effects. But nothing worked. Consequently, I am printing this note to entertain my readers and prove to them that the medical world is often bizarre. Why else would doctors join the club? P.S. Try a Toyota.
Q. I am an osteoarthritis sufferer, and I am aware that many of your readers have written to you explaining a treatment that has worked for arthritic joints in their hands. They have been using castor oil and have gotten much relief.
Can you please tell me how they keep it on their joints? I put it on, but it is so oily that it gets all over my clothes and linens. I have tried putting a cotton sock over my hand, but that absorbs the oil, and I don't think I'm getting any benefit. Can you please tell me how they use the castor oil so it stays on their joints?
A. A modest amount of castor oil (enough to moisten the skin) when rubbed in over the painful joint should be effective without excess runoff. You are probably applying more castor oil than you need. Cut back and see what happens.
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