People's Pharmacy: Alcoholic is abusing Listerine

Q: My 31-year-old sister is an alcoholic. She has been to two rehab facilities within the past year. She finally got a job, and then about two weeks ago she started sleeping all weekend.

I couldn't find any alcohol in the house, but we bought a BAC (blood alcohol content) detector, and it would read off the charts.

I saw a huge bottle of Listerine in her bathroom yesterday, and today it is gone. It broke my heart when I realized what she's doing.

A: Your sister might need more help than you can give her. As you have realized, she might be abusing Listerine for its alcohol content. Only a desperate and addicted person does this.

We heard from another reader who reported that her mother died of liver failure, kidney failure and heart failure after several years of secretly drinking large amounts of Listerine.

Please get in touch with a professional who can guide you to treatment for your sister.

Q: When Armour Thyroid disappeared, my doctor used a conversion chart to try to get the same results from Synthroid. So far, my hair is thinning, my fingernails are peeling back layer by layer, and I have begun to gain weight.

I am usually cold, tired and upset because I am miserable on Synthroid. I'll have to wait another month before a blood test will tell if the dose is right. I can already tell it isn't. .

A: Many people with thyroid problems do well on Synthroid, but some feel better on Armour desiccated thyroid gland. Armour has become scarce lately, with no indication when the manufacturer may replenish the supply.

Your doctor could prescribe Erfa desiccated thyroid from Canada. This is more similar to Armour than synthetic levothyroxine (Synthroid).

Your symptoms suggest too little thyroid activity.

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