Leg Cramps

Have you ever had leg cramps at night? Leg cramps so bad that you have to get out of bed and walk around to relieve them?

The People's Pharmacy (Joe Graedon, Ph. D.)

www.peoplespharmacy.com

has an old wives cure for you. Several people have written him in support of placing a bar of soap under your bottom bedsheet, at the area where your calves lie when you are in bed. No reason has been given as to why this will work, but it does for some people.

The first time I tried it, I kept feeling the bar of soap and waking up. Several days ago I placed a smaller, thinner bar of soap (hotel soap) under the bedsheet, but also under my feather-bed topper. I have not had any foot or leg cramps since then, and because the bar of soap is thinner, it doesn't wake me when I turn over. I take potassium pills daily, but I am still prone to foot and leg cramping.

Since the FDA recently pulled all quinine over-the-counter preparations, I thought some of you might want to try this, if you are plagued with cramps.

Addendum: I did this 6 nights ago and I have only had a small cramp, and only that one, since.

An Important Rx for the Pharmacy

I had a prescription that needed a refill this week, so I called the pharmacy and ordered it through voice-mail.

I picked it up Wednesday afternoon, along with a few other items. When I got home and opened the bag, I saw immediately that the pills I had been given were not the ones I ordered; at least, they didn't look like what I had been taking for a while. I read the medical information inserts, and the medication was definitely not something I needed.

I called the pharmacy and was first told that I might have been given a generic substitute, but she would let me speak to a pharmacist. The pharmacist admitted that their computer had messed up at least two voice-mail prescriptions that day. They requested that I return the pills and if I did so, they would give me a $20 gift card for my trouble.

Not being one to turn down a serendipitous offer (and needing my pills) - I returned those, got mine in return and they did indeed give me a gift card. Also, they didn't charge me the extra cost difference between the mistake Rx and my Rx. I think they were running scared, don't you?

Imagine if I had not noticed that the pills were different, and instead of medication for arthritis, I took pills for seizures. What if I had taken them - and they were contraindicated with my other medications. The pharmacy would have been in BIG trouble. However, I realize mistakes can happen and no harm came to me because of their mistake.

Here's the important part:

Whenever you pick up a prescription from a pharmacy, LOOK at it before you leave the premises. If it is a new prescription, speak to the parmacist about it, ask questions. If it is a refill, check to make certain it is the one you are supposed to have. If it looks different, ask about it. You will be safe, plus, you will save yourself some trouble in advance.

I had to go to the dentist this morning, even though I have a cold. I called early, to give the dental hygienist the opportunity to tell me to stay home, but she assured me that she has taken all sorts of precautions not to get sick, and preferred that I keep the appointment. So I cleaned up and dragged my poor tired butt out to the car.

She started checking my teeth and said "Wow, they look great! What have you been doing differently? Your teeth have less than half the stains they had last time you were here (4 months ago)." I knew immediately what it must be; I tried a new type of toothpaste about 4 weeks ago and even though I really didn't like the taste of it, I had to use it until I could remember to buy a tube of my old type. So for at least 3 weeks, I've been using Crest "Pro Health", the one they are now hyping all over TV and print ads. I guess it really works.

Over the years, I have had a lot of trouble with my gums. My teeth don't get cavities anymore, but you know the old joke: "Your teeth are fine, but the gums have to go". I've had surgery after surgery, and finally I gave an ultimatum to the oral surgeon and my dentist of many years: "I will never again submit to oral surgery. If I keep my teeth, it will be through the combined efforts of my regular dentist and myself, and no one else. If I lose my teeth - so be it!"

That was about 17 years ago and I haven't lost any yet. So now that my gums are sort of under control, I discover a toothpaste that really does remove coffee stains and I hate, hate, hate the taste! What am I to do? Maybe I should write a letter to Crest, and tell them that if high sales of this new product are not sustained after a few more months, they should change the formula and add something that will make it taste good.

Most of you are too young to remember, but when I was a child there was a toothpaste called "Ipana". I can still conjure up the taste and smell of that product; I loved it then and I really do wish it was still available today. Maybe Crest ought to buy the formula from the old Ipana and combine the taste of one with the effectiveness of the other. By golly, that's the ticket! I'll keep you posted if they go for it.

(Scroll down for an Ipana ad)