Herb May Help Boost a Libido Damaged by Antidepressants
Dear Readers: Starting this week, the People’s Pharmacy column moves to this page and will include more readers’ questions on herbal products and other alternative health remedies.
Question: I read an article about the loss of libido while taking antidepressants and about a natural remedy for that loss. My husband is currently undergoing treatment for hepatitis C, and, as you can imagine, is depressed and on Paxil. The distress of losing his libido (which is normally very strong) is causing even more stress to an already strained marriage. Can you help?
--S.S., Los Angeles
Answer: Antidepressants such as Paxil, Prozac or Zoloft can diminish sexual desire as well as interfere with a person’s ability to achieve orgasm.
A study in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy (1998; Pages 139-143) demonstrated a benefit from ginkgo biloba. A high proportion of patients taking an antidepressant (84%) had a stronger libido, became excited more easily and achieved climax more quickly while also taking the herb.
Your husband should discuss his difficulties with his physician. Ginkgo extract might be worth a try, though it is not appropriate for people taking anti-clotting drugs, as it could increase the risk of bleeding.
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Q: I had severe calf and thigh muscle cramps until my doctor suggested taking extra vitamin E. This worked for me and might help some of the others who have written to you about muscle cramps at night. If you get a charlie horse, it’s best to pull the toes toward your shin instead of pointing them, as seems natural.
--N.F., West Hollywood
A: We are pleased vitamin E has been so successful. Others have found that B vitamins, calcium, magnesium or tonic water can also be helpful. Your stretching exercise makes sense because it prevents the muscle from contracting further.
Alternatives
Q: Last spring, I had the flu for a couple of weeks with a lingering cough. Before I got better, I caught a cold. At the end of the cold, a cough returned that was much worse than the cough I had with the flu. It was the sort of cough that made my whole chest vibrate.
One evening I was coughing so badly, I was afraid I would not be able to sleep. I tried everything I could think of: hot fennel tea with honey and lemon, cough syrup with codeine and tea made from fresh ginger. None of this was any help.
Finally I remembered hearing about sage. Scrounging in the kitchen, I found an old jar with dried sage in the bottom; I suspect it had been there for two or three years. I made tea from the sage, drank one cup, and the cough stopped. I was astonished.
The next day, I bought some fresh sage and made tea from it for the rest of the week. It kept the cough under control until it was gone. Now I keep a bag of dried sage leaves in my kitchen cupboard all the time--just in case.
A: Sage has a long history as a healing herb, but scientists have not been able to confirm most of the benefits attributed to it. It does have a lot of tannin, which could make it useful as a gargle for sore throats.
We had not heard before of sage as a cough remedy, but we’re glad it worked. There is some concern that one of its components, thujone, may be toxic over a long period of time, so it is probably best to use it only occasionally, as needed.
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Q: My husband has had bad leg cramps at night for years. A friend told him to eat a banana every day to prevent them. My husband has eaten one banana every day for three months now and has had only one episode of leg cramps. Other people may want to know about this.
A: Thank you for the tip. In some cases, muscle cramps may be related to low potassium intake. Eating a banana might provide the needed potassium--or perhaps something else in bananas is having an effect.
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Q: I read a question in your column from a lady with dry, cracking hands and nails. I have had this very same problem and cured it easily.
I had tried every lotion on the market, but none of them was strong enough. I simply quit using all antibacterial soaps and detergents. In just a short time, my hands returned to normal.
I also find Bag Balm effective as a hand cream. I apply it at night and then sleep with gloves on.
A: Detergents are notorious for making dry skin worse. A pair of rubber gloves for household chores is a good investment in protecting hands from such chemicals.
As for Bag Balm and other barnyard beauty aids, such inexpensive creams can be effective moisturizers.
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Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Send questions to People’s Pharmacy, King Features Syndicate, 235 E. 45th St., New York, NY 10017, or e-mail them at pharmacy@mindspring.com.
