Heartburn drug "cured" her warts

Q: We gave our 6-year-old daughter a heartburn medicine, cimetidine, for her warts. It's amazing! She had up to 40 warts, and they were starting to spread to her wrist and other hand. Finally, we gave her cimetidine daily for eight weeks, and they just disappeared.

A: The cimetidine (Tagamet) "cure" for warts was first written about in the early 1990s. This was an unusual use; Tagamet was a popular prescription drug for ulcers at that time.

Since then, studies have tested such acid-suppressing drugs against warts. Although some research subjects had a good response like your daughter, most of the well-controlled trials showed no benefit over placebo (Annals of Pharmacotherapy, July/August 2007).

Q: I'm 52, and since I was a teenager I've had dry skin or, as my dermatologist puts it, "atopic dermatitis." Every three months I can get a steroid shot, but it clears the problem up for only a month at most. Then the skin on my hands dries out, peels off, splits and cracks.

I've tried an assortment of hand creams and ointments. Nothing really seems to do the trick. Do you have any suggestions?

A: Atopic dermatitis, or eczema, is often a chronic problem, but here are some approaches that may help. Probiotics, or good bacteria, have shown benefit in some studies. Hemp seed oil, Pycnogenol (maritime pine bark extract) or oolong tea may be helpful. A low-glycemic index diet (no sugar, bread or pasta) eases symptoms for some people.

We are sending you our new Guide to Skin Care and Treatment with a range of recommendations for dry skin, eczema and psoriasis. It can be downloaded for $2 from our Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Q: I've had a burning sensation on my tongue and the soles of my feet for weeks. I've tried Benadryl, OTC hydrocortisone cream and ice packs. Nothing is helping.

I am diabetic, and a blood test (HbA1c) showed my blood sugar is under control. I am taking metformin, Crestor, Lexapro, zolpidem and generic Zantac.

A: Have your doctor check your vitamin B-12 status. Burning mouth and burning feet are difficult to diagnose, but both can result from vitamin B-12 deficiency. Your diabetes medicine metformin (Glucophage) is associated with an increased risk of vitamin B-12 deficiency (Archives of Internal Medicine, Oct. 9, 2006). Acid-suppressing drugs like ranitidine (Zantac) may aggravate the problem by making it harder to absorb this nutrient from food.

When vitamin B-12 levels fall too low for too long, people may experience irreversible neurological damage. Symptoms to watch out for include fatigue, confusion, loss of appetite, depression, burning tongue, poor memory, weakness and peripheral neuropathy (burning, tingling or numbness in feet or hands).

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