Question: : A while ago, I read about persimmon tea for acid reflux. I have it from time to time, but my husband has it constantly. It is so bad that he wakes up almost every night and throws up! Prilosec, Nexium and a host of other drugs along with extra-strength Gaviscon or Pepcid do nothing.
I made the persimmon tea. He drank a shot glass full the first morning and a shot glass after supper. From Day 1, he has slept soundly, and so have I. Nothing he eats now causes him heartburn. The recipe was simple, though we did have trouble finding persimmons at first.
Answer: : We first heard about persimmon punch, a concentrated cinnamon-ginger drink, early in 2005. A woman wrote that she had tried it in a Korean restaurant and found that it stopped her heartburn. She made some at home and added 3 tablespoons to her tea morning and evening. After several months, her cholesterol and blood sugar also were lower.
We looked for a recipe for persimmon punch and found one posted by Hyungshin Song on the Food Network Web site: Combine 2 quarts water, 1/2 cup of thinly sliced fresh ginger and 3 cinnamon sticks. Simmer for a half-hour. Strain the liquid and stir in 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup of sliced, dried persimmons. Keep refrigerated.
Question:: I have read that Lipitor may cause memory impairment. I am taking Lipitor and am having trouble with speaking and memory, along with intense muscle soreness. My lab tests are within the normal range, so my doctor says Lipitor is not the source of my problems.
Are there other drugs without these side effects? A friend mentioned red yeast rice.
Answer: : A study of statin-type cholesterol-lowering drugs (such as Crestor, Lipitor and simvastatin) revealed that these drugs can cause structural muscle damage. Normal blood tests (creatine phosphokinase) don't rule out serious muscle injury (Canadian Medical Association Journal, July 7, 2009). Memory loss and amnesia occasionally have been reported as side effects with statins.
Red yeast rice is a dietary supplement that has centuries of use in traditional Chinese cooking and medicine. One recent study suggests that some people who have difficulty with statins can lower their cholesterol with red yeast rice (Annals of Internal Medicine, June 16, 2009). Others may find, though, that it causes similar side effects to statins.
