I have an ingrown toenail. It’s hurting less and the top is white. I do not want to go to a doctor. Is this ok? My mom said that I just have to keep cutting it and it will just work itself out. Is there any way I can prevent this in the future?

 I don’t think I need to get it dug out. I’m not just saying that, it hurts less. I was wondering, can I do the cotton ball thing with an ingrown toenail? My nail is (i think) in the process of growing out

My answer:

Hi Emma,

Natroba (spinosad) is a new prescription topical treatment for head lice.   Natroba seems to work better then the OTC Nix (and other OTC permethrin).  Natroba works similarly to Nix, however Nix only kills living lice.  This means you need to wait for the nits (eggs) to hatch then re-apply and kill them too (gross, I know!)  Well, Natroba is thought to kill the nits too -so there is a better chance that there will be no need to reapply!

What’s the hitch?  Well, Nix is OTC and cost ~$15; Natroba is by prescription and cost ~$200!  So, best bet is to use the OTC Nix (or generic) options unless there is resistance in your area (your physician should know) or Nix treatment has failed after 2-3 treatments.

Current available topical treatments for head lice: 

• OTC permethrin (Nix or generic) 
• OTC pyrethrins (Licide or genereic)
• Prescription malathion (Ovide)
• Prescription benzyl alcohol (Ulesfia)
• Prescription spinosad (Natroba). 

If nothing seems to help -ask your physician about prescription oral ivermectin (Stromectol).

What about home remedies?  Cetaphil, Vaseline, mayo, olive oil, tea tree oil, Listerine, shaving hair, vinegar, etc…none have been proven to work and some can be harmful!

What do you swear by to treat head lice?  We would love to hear your input -please leave a comment

I find the family of B-vitamins quite confusing.  I think one of the reasons the B vitamins are puzzling is because half of them go by a number (B12) and the rest are known by names (folate)…odd.  So, I thought I’d try to demystify the B-vitamins by reviewing the most used ones. 

In general, vitamin B deficiencies causes anemias, dermatitis, lack of energy and skin lesions.  If you are taking a multivitamin, you are most likely NOT severely deficient in any of the B vitamins.  However, that doesn’t mean a little extra something, won’t help!  I often recommend B-complex to help with energy levels, biotin (B7) to help nail and hair health and folic acid (B9)during pregnancy.

Let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start …

1.  B1 (thiamine): It is necessary for carb metabolism; Used to treat Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and alcohol withdrawal; It causes the gross “vitamin odor”

2. B2 (riboflavin): Deficiency is marked by lesions in the mouth, lips, tongue and eyes; Can make urine a red-green-orange fluorescence color.

3. B3 (niacin): Deficiency symptoms are dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia and pellagra; Too much can cause belly upset and flushing; Used to treat high cholesterol.

4. B6 (pyridoxine):Levels that are too high or too low can cause convulsions and skin lesions; People taking birth control pills, hydralazine and isoniazid (INH) need higher levels.

5. B7 (biotin) -also called vitamin H: Deficiency can cause dermatitis, depression, lack of energy; Used to help hair and nail health.

6. B9 (folic acid/folate): Deficiency can cause mouth sores, CNS damage and megaloblastic anemia; Very important in pregnancy!

7. B12 (cyanocobalamin): Low levels will cause pernicious anemia, lack of energy and glossitis (tongue swelling); Used to treat deficiency and to increase energy.

Helpful Hint:  Most people know about iron deficiency but less known is folate and  B12 deficiency anemia.  If a patient has anemia but iron levels are normal, it is super important to have B12 and folate levels checked.

I hope this helps clears up the complexity of the vitamin Bs some.  Have any questions or stories?  Love to hear them!  Please leave a comment or send an email -nova@getpharmacyadvice.com

So, there is no supporting evidence that cranberries/cranberry juice treats UTIs.  But there are some studies that show cranberries can help prevent UTIs.

Cranberries work by stopping bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall…making it difficult for the bacteria to stick around and start an infection.  Using cranberries to prevent UTIs is still debated, but as they say, “it can’t hurt!”

Studies that showed cranberries can help prevent UTIs used specific products:

1.  300ml (10 oz)/day of Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail

2.  500mg/day of Cran-Max capsules

3.  400mg/day of Cranactin capsules

Azo Cranberry is very popular but hasn’t been proven to work.  However, it will most likely work as well as the Cran-Max or Cranactin caps.

If you want a natural product that can prevent and treat UTIs, see Catie’s article D-Mannose for UTI Prevention and Treatment.

If all else fails, use of Bactrim or nitrofurantoin daily can be an option for prevention. 

Do you swear by the power of cranberries?  I would love to hear about it.  Please leave a comment

There is some recent interest in the safety of alcholic energy drink, which brings up the question -are any energy drinks (even non-alcoholic ones) safe?

Catie wrote a couple of articles about caffeine (one lists specific drinks with caffeine content).

First, lets talk about caffeine safety in general.  Most adults can tolerate up to 400mg caffeine/day.  This is the amount in 3- 8oz cups of coffee (FYI a Tall Starbucks coffee is 12oz!)  What about energy drinks?  Red Bull (the small can) has ~80mg of caffeine; 5-hour Energy has ~100mg; Rockstar has ~300mg!  Typically energy drink lovers drink more then one drink a day…that adds up!

Taurine-is added to “improve performance”.   Most likely the amount of taurine in energy drinks doesn’t do harm nor provide benefit.  So, that is a toss up ingredient.

Guarana- this is found in a quite a few energy drinks.  It is touted as an energy booster.  It is actually just another source of caffeine (which is most likely not added in the actual caffeine content reported).

B-Vitamins- this is for energy.  I am all about B-vits.  However, they are difficult to absorb in the belly -so it is quite unlikely that much B-vits are actually absorbed from drinking the energy drink.

So, it all comes down to caffeine!  I always think Red Bull “works” faster because I drink it much faster then a cup of coffee.  If you are going to drink energy drinks -be careful with the amount of caffeine you are taking in.  Be aware that caffeine (in any source) can be dehydrating and energy drinks are really just a buncha chemicals.

What do you think about all this?  I would love to hear from you!

What causes halitosis? 

90% of the time it is due to bacteria build-up in the mouth.  The bacteria is usually found inbetween teeth and at the very back of the tongue.  The odor mostly arises from bacteria breaking down food debris, outer layer of skin on the tongue and postnasal drip (mucus dripping down the back of the throat).  Unclean dentures and gingivitis can also be blamed.

The second most likely cause of bad breath is actually in the nose!  Nose infections -like sinusitis can lead to funky breath.  This is the number one cause in kids -due to kids sometimes liking to stick random things in their noses.

Third main cause is in the tonsils.  This often comes with “stones” in the tonsils that are related to “bad breath” when coughing.

Recently, it has become a popular belief that bad breath starts from the belly and throat -possible but rare.

There are literally a ton of other reasons people suffer from bad breath -including lung infections, carcinomas, diabetes, liver failure, kidney failure…the list continues…

JUST A NOTE: Did you know that 25% of people who fear they have bad breath -do not!  People with this fear are called halitophobics.  A sign you may have bad breath is a metallic taste in the mouth.

How do I treat bad breath?

1.  Take care of that mouth!  Floss and brush those teeth and see the dentist regularly.  This may sound odd -but you can smell the dental floss to see which areas of the mouth may be causing the bad breath.  Also, scrape that tongue!  Tongue scraping gets rid of bacteria and mucus off the tongue- especially the back of the tongue. Then gargle with mouthwash.

2.  Eat high fiber foods -especially at breakfast.

3. Decrease alcohol and coffee intake and increase water intake (dry mouth often worsens bad breath).

4.  Chew sugar free gum for about 5 minutes after eating.

5.  Keep dentures clean.

6. Consider taking probiotics like acidophillus or lactobacillus (in pill or yogurt form) daily.

Do you suffer from bad breath?  What are your secrets to clean breath?  Please leave a comment!

Just like adults, the majority of kids have low levels of vitamin D.   Kids are more likely to be inside and use sunblock, which blocks their ability to get some vitamin D from the sun.  Latino and African American kids have an even higher rate of low vitamin D levels due to darker skin -which blocks out the sun more.  

What do I give the kiddo?  400IU/day from a few months old until adulthood.       

How do you feel about vitamin D and your kids?  Do you give them supplements?  We would love to hear from you!

How do I give them 400IU/day?  Most parent’s turn to fortified milk or formula -1 glass only equals 100IU of vitamin D.  For kids, most multivitamins have 400IU.  For the babies, Tri-Vi-Sol or Poly-Vi-Sol have vitamin D (along with some other good vits).

Why give my kids vitamin D? Potential benefits for cardiovascular health and overall immunity.

Go ahead, watch the video and learn some info on bug sprays and the answers to the questions above!

Want to know how to treat bug bites?  See How to Treat Insects and Home Remedies for Bug Stings and Bites.

Save some greenbacks -90 Ways to Save Money on Your Prescription Medications *FREE*!