How can you safely kill mosquitoes?

Q. What's a safe way to kill mosquitoes? We have a cabin on a pond, and the mosquitoes are ferocious. When my husband gets totally frustrated, he sprays a powerful DEET mist in their direction.

A. Instead of spraying DEET or an insecticide at mosquitoes, try 90 percent isopropyl alcohol, which you should be able to find in almost any pharmacy.

Put some in a plastic spray bottle and adjust the nozzle so you get a fine mist. Next time a mosquito comes close or rests on a wall, just zap it with the alcohol.

Q. In less than two years on Lipitor, I went from being able to climb the ancient temples at Angkor Wat, Cambodia, to being almost unable to walk to my mailbox. I felt like I had the flu all the time. I had aches and pains in my fingers, arms, shoulders, hips, legs and feet.

My doctor listened to me and took me off Lipitor. Four days later, I could move my fingers easily again.

A. Many readers report that muscle pain can be an incapacitating side effect of statin-type medications like Lipitor.

A study under way at the University of Buffalo is aimed at tracking down the genes that may be responsible. Anyone who has experienced severe muscle pain, cramps or weakness while taking statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs such as Crestor, Lipitor or Zocor may participate.

To learn more, contact Cathy Kern at ckern@buffalo.edu or call 716-829-2695. Include your telephone number and address in your message.

Q. I am 61 years old and have taken estrogen for nearly five years. My doctor said that is the limit and had me stop.

Do you have information on relieving hot flashes and other symptoms? I have them now in abundance! Even with extra soy in my diet, my hot flashes are very strong and annoying.

A. Long-term exposure to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases the risk for blood clots and heart attacks as well as for breast cancer. Most experts advise limiting HRT to the lowest dose that works for the shortest time necessary, preferably less than five years.

There are several other approaches to controlling hot flashes, ranging from prescription drugs such as Effexor, Prozac or Neurontin to natural supplements such as black cohosh, Pycnogenol or St. John's wort. We have summarized these in the new Guide to Menopause.

Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. E-50, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them c/o King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., 15th floor, New York, NY 10019, or via their Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.org