Q: I was delighted to read about Food and Drug Administration concerns regarding generic Concerta. My prescription insurance is going to an essentially generic-only pricing system that will push the price of brand-name Concerta up hundreds of dollars a month for us starting in January.
I was planning to do anything possible to keep my son on Concerta, since it is the only thing that helps him stay focused on his studies in high school. I didn’t know how I could fight the change to generic since it became available last year. Having the FDA make this announcement should help us.
A: The FDA recently noted that two generic formulations of Concerta (methylphenidate ER) might not work as well as the brand-name medicine. The manufacturers are Mallinckrodt and Kudco. According to the FDA, “Janssen also manufactures an authorized Concerta generic, which is marketed by Actavis under a licensing agreement and is identical to Janssen’s Concerta.” This authorized generic might resolve your dilemma.
Q: After contracting nail fungus on my left ring finger, I soaked the offending nail and fingertip in hydrogen peroxide for five minutes several times a day. After about a week of this, the fungus disappeared for two years.
When it came back, I tried the same treatment, except this time I used Povidone iodine solution. It seems to be working beautifully. The nail is turning pink, the rough area is disappearing, the tenderness at the affected area is gone, and the nail feels normal again.
A: Thank you for sharing your success story. Many other readers have found hydrogen-peroxide soaks beneficial against nail fungus. Others have reported that “white iodine” also works. Povidone iodine solution has significant antifungal activity (Oral Diseases, November 2014), but it does stain the skin and nails a dark brown.
Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers through their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”
