Peppermint oil may ease IBS woes, Drug for lowering sex drive

Q: I have a much higher sex drive than my partner. He is in his late-30s, while I am in my mid-20s. I find it difficult to deal with this situation because I feel that it's not normal for me, a woman, to have the higher sex drive. I often wish that I could take medication that could lower my sex drive so that I could be happier.

A: Irwin Goldstein, M.D., editor in chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, pointed out that you are not unusual. In focus groups, it was discovered that 25 percent of women often have a higher sex drive than their male partners.

It may be worthwhile for your partner to have a medical workup and have his hormonal levels checked to make sure everything is within normal limits.

There are no approved drugs to lower libido. However, the herb vitex (chaste tree berry) may reduce sex drive.

Q: I have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Is there a home remedy I can take to ease the discomfort?

A: Research from Germany suggests you might want to try enteric-coated peppermint oil. The investigator reviewed 16 clinical trials of peppermint oil for treating the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Two-thirds of the placebo-controlled trials showed that peppermint oil worked twice as well as placebo in easing symptoms (Phytomedicine, Aug. 2, 2005). There were side effects: Peppermint oil can cause heartburn and rectal burning. But overall the enteric-coated capsules seemed to help people with IBS.

Q: Is chewing Aspergum as effective as chewing an aspirin if you think you are having a heart attack?

A: Physicians frequently advise patients who think they might be having a heart attack to dial 911 and chew a baby aspirin while they wait for the ambulance. Aspergum contains 227 mg of aspirin per gum tablet and should work about as well. Another quick way to get aspirin into the system is to dissolve an uncoated tablet in a glass of sparkling water.

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them c/o King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019, or via their Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.org