DEAR DR. GOTT: A friend of mine who works as a caregiver has no benefits such as medical insurance, sick leave or vacation. She cannot afford to go to the doctor, pay for prescriptions or take time off. She was told by a friend who was a medic in Vietnam that antibiotics such as penicillin and tetracycline work just as well as prescription drugs. She does this only when she is really ill. I think this practice could be dangerous. What do you think?
DEAR READER: To begin with, penicillin and tetracycline are prescription drugs. The indiscriminate use of antibiotics can be harmful, cause unwanted side effects, such as sun sensitivity and allergic reactions, and can lead to serious bacterial resistance.
I urge your friend to avoid antibiotics unless they are prescribed by a doctor. She should be able to find a sympathetic physician in your community who will see her at a lower charge and who will prescribe antibiotics only if they are required. Perhaps your local community has a walk-in clinic or visiting nurses' center that she can visit when she feels the need for antibiotics. She must recognize that there is no blanket antibiotic that will cover all ills. By asking the necessary questions, a physician can determine which one will work best to treat her symptoms.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Consumer Tips on Medicine."
DEAR DR. GOTT: What would you recommend for numbness in the legs?
DEAR READER: Start with your primary care physician, who will examine you, order tests of your circulation and refer you to a specialist if necessary.
DEAR DR. GOTT: First, let me thank you for your wise words to all of us out here in newspaperland.
I have a problem with no help in sight. After my husband became a diabetic at 40, our sex life was still good. At about 42, the trouble began, so our family doctor prescribed Viagra. It worked great for about a year. Next came Levitra and then Cialis. When the pills failed, his urologist prescribed the pump, follow by injections. Now my husband is 51, and we've been through two general doctors and two urologists. We are out of ideas to keep our sex life alive. I am only 51 and miss the intimacy terribly. We'd like to find a counselor to get ideas or a group session to listen to how other couples work around it, but our family doctor won't touch the subject with us. He only suggests a rigid implant (not an option for us).
Where do we turn to find support? Are there others like us out there?
DEAR READER: There are lots of you out there. Your husband's problem is common and can cause great upheavals in the family, especially when those people, such as your husband, have exhausted their options for treatment.
At this point, you may have to rethink the issue. Perhaps it is now time to deal with the probability that your husband's erectile dysfunction is permanent. Once you have accepted this, he may need to learn ways of giving you sexual gratification without intercourse. Ask his urologist if there is an erectile-dysfunction counseling service or support group in your community. And then get ready for some frank and interesting meetings. If no such resources are available, he should return to his urologist for further advice.
Diabetes often causes erectile dysfunction. You do not say whether your husband's diabetes is under good control. Is he taking medication? Insulin injections? Does he follow a healthful diet? All of these should be brought into consideration as well. If his diabetes is not under control, work with his doctor to bring it within normal limits. This may help the situation greatly. He may need to follow a stricter diet or increase his medication. He may wish to see an endocrinologist, a specialist in glandular diseases and disorders, such as diabetes.