Sweet relief from arthritis, gout pain

Q: I would like some info about cherries for a friend who suffers from arthritis and gout.

A: A small study in the Journal of Nutrition (June 2003) suggested that sweet cherries could lower uric-acid levels that cause gout. The researchers also observed that "cherries may inhibit inflammatory pathways."

Readers have been telling us that sour cherries (fresh, dried, frozen, juice or CherryFlex pills) can ease both gout attacks and arthritis pain. Here is one recent account:

"I tried the cherry juice after reading about it in your column. I now get out of bed without back pain (after less than a month). I have sciatica, along with other back issues, and arthritis in both knees. I can do stairs again."

Q: My husband suffered with jock itch for a long time. He would use medicine to clear it up, but it always returned. Then he tried applying antiperspirant daily to the affected areas, and this solved the problem.

A: Jock itch is caused by fungus that thrives around moisture. The antiperspirant probably keeps his skin dry and discourages fungal growth.

Q: I read your column about a person concerned about a prescription that was a couple of months past its use-by date. Whenever I receive a prescription from a pharmacy, I ask for the expiration date on the bottle the medication was dispensed from so I can record that date on my prescription bottle and prescription documents. That way, I'm not constrained by the one-year time frame most pharmacists put on the customer's bottle.

I also save money because I'm not throwing away perfectly good medication and getting new prescriptions filled. I hope others find this helpful.

A: If you make your request at the time you submit your prescription, the pharmacist can allow for the extra time it takes to note the manufacturer's expiration date. In some states, pharmacists are legally required to display a one-year use-by date, but they are not forbidden to give you the additional information you request.

In their column, pharmacologist Joe Graedon and nutrition expert Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. E-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.