Don’t Write Off Symptoms as Heartburn
Question: I just had to respond to your column about the single mom with heartburn. You told her to see her doctor, but you weren’t nearly emphatic enough.
My friend and co-worker didn’t like going to doctors. Last year, she thought she had heartburn for a few weeks. She took antacids and thought no more of it. Then she died in her sleep of heart problems. She was 51, with grown children and grandchildren. What a tragic, preventable loss. If only she had gone to a doctor about her symptoms, she’d still be alive.
I know that if I ever have an unusual case of heartburn, I’ll be quick to see a doctor.
Answer: Thank you for reminding us that all unusual or persistent symptoms deserve prompt medical attention. Common sense is essential in self-diagnosis. Some people manage to convince themselves they are suffering from heartburn when they are really having a heart attack.
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Q: I’m 42 and take Synthroid and Premarin. This winter I have noticed symptoms I never had before: mild depression, low energy and no libido at all. My fingertips are cracked and painful, and my skin is drier than ever. I also seem to be losing a lot of hair.
My thyroid was checked a few months ago when all this began, and the levels were normal. I feel so frustrated because I want to be normal again, but my doctor doesn’t seem to think there is any problem.
A: The symptoms you describe certainly are typical of low thyroid hormone. Premarin and other estrogens can interfere with blood tests for thyroid hormone, elevating T3 and T4 counts. This might make your thyroid test harder to interpret.
Research published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine (Feb. 11) showed that some thyroid patients are less depressed and function better when taking a combination of levothyroxine and triiodothyronine. Ask your doctor whether this new research might apply to you.
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Q: I have read your articles about grapefruit with great interest. Would this explain a violent reaction I had in January?
I took one ibuprofen tablet and drank a glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. In just a few minutes the palms of my hands became red, and soon I was itching and blotchy all over. I realized this was an allergic reaction, then threw up and fainted.
At the emergency room, my blood pressure was 90/60. I was treated with IV drugs. Luckily I recovered just fine. I’ll never wash my ibuprofen down with grapefruit juice again.
A: Grapefruit interacts with many medicines to raise blood levels and increase the risk of side effects, but we doubt that grapefruit was the culprit in your case. This sounds more like a severe allergic reaction to ibuprofen. If it happens again, it could be lethal.
Please discuss this with your physician. You may not be able to take ibuprofen or any similar pain relievers (naproxen, ketoprofen or aspirin) ever again.
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Send questions to them at People’s Pharmacy, care of King Features Syndicate, 235 E. 45th St., New York, NY 10017, or e-mail them via their Web site: https://www.peoplespharmacy.com.
