-
1 week ago | 
charlotteobserver.com | Joe Graedon |Teresa Graedon
Q. I started having diarrhea in April of 2024. I had it every day (10 to 15 times) for the next 12 months and lost 60 pounds. All tests and analyses came back normal. The gastroenterologist said that he suspected cancer but couldn't find it. I read that peppermint oil could help with diarrhea. I started taking it in late February of 2025. On March 25th, the diarrhea stopped. It has not returned. Is it possible that peppermint oil stopped the problem? A.
-
1 week ago | 
charlotteobserver.com | Joe Graedon |Teresa Graedon
The blood cancer multiple myeloma is deadly. This disease is personal for us because one of our best friends and colleagues died from the complications of this malignancy in 2006. Dr. Tom Ferguson got the best treatment available at the time and lived a lot longer than his doctors predicted. But like so many before him, his body ultimately surrendered to both the cancer and the aggressive treatment.
-
1 week ago | 
spokesman.com | Joe Graedon |Teresa Graedon
The blood cancer multiple myeloma is deadly. This disease is personal for us because one of our best friends and colleagues died from the complications of this malignancy in 2006. Dr. Tom Ferguson got the best treatment available at the time and lived a lot longer than his doctors predicted. But like so many before him, his body ultimately surrendered to both the cancer and the aggressive treatment.
-
1 week ago | 
seattletimes.com | Joe Graedon |Teresa Graedon
Q: You’ve written about treating chigger bites, but you should really think about prevention. We live in the country. When I’m going to be walking in tall grass and weeds, I wear my snake boots which I’ve sprayed with Sawyer Permethrin. You can also spray your pants with it — but not while you’re wearing them! This will last through several washes. Before going outside, I spray myself with a picaridin repellent — Repel Tick Defense (not DEET).
-
2 weeks ago | 
newsobserver.com | Joe Graedon |Teresa Graedon
raisins might trigger their alcoholism. You noted that having gin in the house could be an issue. I've been buying prepared GSRs (gin-soaked raisins) on the internet for years from a company called DrunkenRaisins. They're fantastic - both the product and the company. They always get the raisins to me within a few days of my order. When they were just a week later than usual (on only one occasion), they included an apology and three extra pounds of GSRs for free. A.
-
2 weeks ago | 
charlotteobserver.com | Joe Graedon |Teresa Graedon
raisins might trigger their alcoholism. You noted that having gin in the house could be an issue. I've been buying prepared GSRs (gin-soaked raisins) on the internet for years from a company called DrunkenRaisins. They're fantastic - both the product and the company. They always get the raisins to me within a few days of my order. When they were just a week later than usual (on only one occasion), they included an apology and three extra pounds of GSRs for free. A.
-
2 weeks ago | 
charlotteobserver.com | Joe Graedon |Teresa Graedon
There was a time when the local pharmacy was a pillar of community life. Joe's grandfather was just such a pharmacist in the early 20th century. The pharmacist knew almost everyone in the neighborhood and was able to give personal health advice and make specialized medications. For more than a century the "mom and pop" pharmacy was often the hub of social life. There was frequently a soda fountain where customers could get milkshakes or ice cream and share local gossip. Those days are long gone.
-
2 weeks ago | 
spokesman.com | Joe Graedon |Teresa Graedon
Q. After trying several nasal sprays and prescription medications for severe seasonal allergies, I was thrilled to find that levocetirizine worked wonders. In January, I started taking one tablet per day. In February, I developed severe knee pain, along with stiffness and soreness throughout my entire body. As a healthy individual, the thought of developing severe arthritis scared me.
-
2 weeks ago | 
seattletimes.com | Joe Graedon |Teresa Graedon
Q: I started having diarrhea in April of 2024. I had it every day (10 to 15 times) for the next 12 months and lost 60 pounds. All tests and analyses came back normal. The gastroenterologist said that he suspected cancer but couldn’t find it. I read that peppermint oil could help with diarrhea. I started taking it in late February of 2025. On March 25, the diarrhea stopped. It has not returned. Is it possible that peppermint oil stopped the problem?
-
3 weeks ago | 
charlotteobserver.com | Joe Graedon |Teresa Graedon
Sometimes it takes the Food and Drug Administration a very long time to spring into action. We have been badgering the agency for years to warn doctors, pharmacists and patients that sudden discontinuation of some popular antihistamines can lead to unbearable itching that can last for weeks. At long last the FDA has agreed.
