Q: For years, I was plagued with at least two annual bouts of cold sores. One outbreak occurred during a visit to New Zealand. I went to a pharmacy for Zovirax, since it was available there without a prescription.
The pharmacist asked me if I had tried taking L-lysine daily to ward off outbreaks of herpes simplex. I had not. He recommended 500 mg of L-lysine daily. I have taken it for the past 15 years and have not had one outbreak of herpes simplex during that time.
A: Cold sores (herpes simplex 1) are considered a minor nuisance, but a new study has linked such infections to Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s and Dementia online, Oct. 7, 2014).
Antiviral medications such as acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir (Famvir) and valacyclovir (Valtrex) can prevent or shorten an HSV-1 outbreak. Other readers have found that the amino acid L-lysine can be helpful against cold sores.
Q: My blood pressure at home is normal without medication (110/68). I take it with a BP machine checked by a cardiologist.
In a medical setting, it’s sky-high, and doctors get upset. I have been prescribed medication for blood pressure, but it doesn’t keep my pressure down at the doctor’s. No heart or artery disease has been found.
I am 65, and this has been happening since I was in my early 30s. At the doctor’s office, I feel panic. Any suggestions?
A: You describe “white coat hypertension” perfectly. Many people react as you do with panic and high blood pressure in a medical setting.
Keeping a diary of your home pressure readings may help. You will find more information on white coat hypertension and nondrug approaches in the Guide to Blood Pressure Treatment we are sending. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (70 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. B-67, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our website: www.peoplespharmacy.com.
Q: I was given a flu shot at a routine doctor visit. Afterward, I didn’t feel well. I went to bed early and slept for more than 11 hours.
The following day, I began to have difficulty breathing. I thought of going to the emergency room but waited and saw my doctor on the third day.
By that time it was harder and harder for me to breathe. The doctor found my lungs were clear, my heart was strong, and my blood-oxygen saturation was normal at 98. He said I was having an “abnormal or allergic reaction to the shot.”
Today is Day Six. I’m breathing almost normally again, but I wish I’d been warned that this could happen. On the government website for flu vaccine, “breathing difficulty” is listed as a serious reaction to the vaccine!
A: The CDC describes common vaccine side effects as runny nose, sore throat, headache or cough in addition to soreness and redness at the injection site. It notes, however, that “Signs of a serious allergic reaction can include difficulty breathing, hoarseness or wheezing, swelling around the eyes or lips, hives, paleness, weakness, a fast heart beat or dizziness.”
There are new flu vaccines that are not grown in eggs (one reason for allergic reactions). Those who know they are allergic to eggs might ask about Flucelvax or Flublok.
Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”
About the Author
