Some Frequently Asked Questions, first published in SAGA Magazine (6)
Professor George Lewith
I sleep for eight hours most nights and invariably dream vividly about unknown people and environments. My GP says this isn’t related to my medication for raised blood pressure – can you tell me why this might occur and how I can stop it?
There are some drugs that will lower your blood pressure, but may cause sleep disturbances of this nature. The first group of drugs are called beta blockers; a common beta blocker would be Atenolol. The second group of drugs that might also cause similar problems are alpha adrenergic receptor blockers like Prazosin. Are the drugs that you take of this type? If they are, then there are alternative drugs that your GP could prescribe, which would be equally effective to help control your blood pressure, but wouldn’t cause vivid and disturbing dreams. Are you taking any other medication; for instance, medication that may help you sleep? If you are, this again can sometimes cause vivid dreams. Herbal medicines and conventional medicines can both cause similar problems, so it could be caused by some herbs you may have started recently.
You will know whether a conventional or herbal medication has caused this problem, usually by thinking about the time you started the medication and whether the vivid dreams began within a month or two of a new medicine.
Sometimes these sorts of things can occur for no apparent reason, and sometimes they are related to a period of stress or bereavement. Going to see a homeopath can very often help with this minor irritating symptoms, as there are lots of remedies that could be considered with this kind of problem. Sometimes using soothing aromatherapy oils, such as 3 or 4 drops of Lavender or Rosemary dropped on to your pillow at night can also help. Occasionally the vivid dreams can be associated with very loud snoring, because this in itself can cause a lighter or disturbed sleep.
I think the first thing you need to do is check whether you think any of your current conventional medication could have caused a problem and, if it might have done, go back to your GP and discuss it. If that is not the case then I would start off with some simple aromatherapy, and possibly you might consider a visit to a homeopath.
Faculty of Homeopathy - www.trusthomeopathy.org
Aromatherapy Consortium – www.aromatherapy-regulation.org.uk
International Federation of Aromatherapists – www.ifaroma.org
For some time I have suffered from a recurring condition called erysipelas, which causes itching and burning on my face and shins. My doctor says all I need are antihistamines and painkillers, but is there anything I can do or take to prevent more attacks?
Erysipelas is actually a very unpleasant skin infection. In fact it can sometimes be caused by multiply resistant staphylococci. The first thing that you need to do is keep your skin clean and wash regularly, particularly if you are around old people or babies. I would recommend something like a Tea Tree oil or antiseptic wash, because that really will often kill off the staphylococci. If this fails to act in a preventative way, then way you get the actual erysipelas you need to go and see your doctor promptly, because you do need antibiotics. If it is a recurrent problem then my advice would be to visit a homeopath. Sometimes these deep-seated infections do seem to respond to homeopathy and it does seem to act preventatively. You will also need to consider whether your nutritional status is normal. Low zinc, or poor vitamin B levels, can sometimes predispose to infection, so you really need to make sure that you are well nourished and looking after yourself. Antihistamines and painkillers really aren’t enough if you do have erysipelas; it needs to be treated actively and aggressively and you need to look towards a combination of hygiene, homeopathy and nutritional supplements to stop it recurring.
I have found that eating a curry seems to reduce the number of times I have to empty my bladder at night. Obviously I can’t have it every night, but is there anything I could do to replicate the effect?
If eating a curry at night reduces the number of times you have to empty your bladder, it is almost certainly because you are slightly constipated. The curry, no doubt, makes you pass a stool more frequently, and if you have a full colon it may be pressing on your bladder, making it feel “fuller” so that in turn you feel you need to urinate more. It is particularly irritating at night when it wakes you up. The obvious answer to this problem is to deal with your constipation. Make sure that you have at least a litre and a half of water a day, lots of fruit and fresh vegetables and, where at all possible, reasonable amounts of fibre and three regular meals a day. For most people a good level of hydration, sensible eating with lots of fibre, and regular exercise will sort out constipation and you won’t need the curry to help with your bladder.
I’m confused about vitamin E, having read that some types might be dangerous. Is this true and, if so, how do I know which ones?
Vitamin E can really be very useful for many different conditions, particularly if you have gastritis, colitis, or coeliac disease. There have been some suggestions that it might help heart disease, but there have also been studies suggesting that this isn’t the case, so it is difficult to decide. However, for whatever reason, when you use large amounts of vitamin E it can definitely cause problems. These side effects are uncommon, but can result in nausea, diarrhoea, intestinal cramps, fatigue, weakness, headaches, blurred vision, and rash. It is also thought that vitamin E may be associated with a slightly higher rate of stroke and heart attack, although the evidence for that is a little unclear.
If you think you might need some vitamin E, then the logical thing to do is go and see a skilled nutritionist, who can assess your vitamin E levels, look at your general state of health, and prescribe appropriately. I would advise you not to take vitamin E in large doses without proper professional advice.
Is there any evidence that treatments containing lutein, bilberry and blackberry can help to keep the eyes healthy? I have a condition called age related macular disease, and a friend has recommended these supplements.
All these substances contain antioxidants, that means that they may be able to minimise the damage to cells, such as the very sensitive cells at the back of the eye. These “biological” stresses and strains are part of daily living, and damage cells. If they damage light sensitive cells in the eye then age related macular disease may result. There is some preliminary evidence to suggest that the risk of developing age related macular degeneration is decreased in populations consuming high doses of lutein in their diet. There is also evidence that the antioxidants in bilberry have the same effect, and lutein and bilberry appear to be very safe. However, there are no studies that categorically demonstrate that taking large amounts of this type of antioxidant will reverse age related macular degeneration, or indeed slow it up, once it has become established. This is unfortunately the case with many of the nutritional supplements. We know in theory why they should work, but we simply haven’t done the large intervention studies to demonstrate that they do work. The evidence isn’t negative, it is just absent. To be honest, if I had age related macular degeneration, I would certainly try to increase the number of bilberries in my diet; there is absolutely no evidence that this is likely to do me any harm.
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