Using Listerine to treat lice
Q: My daughter ended up with lice several weeks ago. We treated her with lice shampoo twice, and did every-other-day comb-outs. I also vacuumed, cleaned, washed and dried all her bedding and clothing at high heat.
The first time I treated her, I combed out hundreds of nits and about a half-dozen bugs. A week later with the second shampoo, I combed out three bugs and maybe a dozen nits.
A week later, I did the Listerine treatment. I combed out one bug and probably about half a dozen nits. After another week of treating with Listerine, I have found no nits and no bugs. It really does seem to work.
A: There is increasing frustration with conventional lice shampoos. That’s because there are reports that lice may have developed resistance to common ingredients in over-the-counter treatments.
A relatively new prescription product called Ulesfia is a benzyl alcohol formulation that smothers the bugs. It is pricey, though, running between $45 and $75 a bottle. That is enough to treat one head of short hair. For long hair, you may need two or three bottles. The treatment needs to be repeated after a week.
A bottle of Listerine costs about $5. The alcohol and herbal oils in this mouthwash also appear to kill lice, although the Food and Drug Administration has not approved it for this use.
Q: I know your column is not official medical advice, but doesn’t it bother you at all to promote witchcraft like black pepper for bleeding? As a physician, I find some of your remedies make for entertaining reading, but it seems that professional integrity has drifted to the sidelines.
A: We understand your skepticism, since home remedies are rarely tested in a scientific manner. Nevertheless, most people can tell instantly whether a cut stops bleeding after applying ground black pepper.
For those who prefer drugstore treatments, QuikClot Sport and QR Powder are available to stop bleeding. A serious cut that won’t stop bleeding requires medical attention.
Q: A dentist prescribed clindamycin for my tooth infection and swelling. It did clear the infection, but one week after completing the clindamycin, I developed awful diarrhea.
The pharmacy warning sheet I received with the prescription mentioned this serious side effect as a possibility. A culture confirmed I have a C. diff infection, and I was put on metronidazole.
The diarrhea got a little better, but six days after completing the treatment, the C. diff was back again full force. I have been on another 14 days of metronidazole trying to get rid of this problem.
If this antibiotic doesn’t cure the infection, my doctor says there is only one other antibiotic to try.
Needless to say, I won’t accept any more clindamycin prescriptions.
A: Clindamycin disrupts the balance of bacteria in the digestive tract, and it can create conditions that allow Clostridium difficile (C. diff) to flourish. This infection can be very hard to treat.
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 website:
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