Stick to proven remedies

Q. I was interested in the item about baking soda being used bya person and erupting in the stomach. I believe there have beencases of this on record. Have you heard more on this subject?

A. There have been rare isolated cases in medical historyapparently linked to this. A woman reader wrote relating such anincident involving a family member.

In that case, it was theorized that the baking soda reactedwith stomach contents, causing an eruption. The patient sufferedinfection of abnormal organs, from which he recovered.

The best advice is to stick to proven remedies and don't resortto kitchen concoctions of baking soda or other substances.

Q. When trying to quit smoking via the nicotine gum method,should there be a gradual tapering off of the gum use when you thinkyou have the nicotine habit licked?

A. That's the usual recommendation. You use the gum as analternative when you get an urge to light up.

For some, this may take many weeks or even months. But whenyou feel you have overcome the urge, start cutting down on gum useover a period of a few weeks.

When you feel you have really gotten the habit under control,discard your gum and join the smoke less generation totally.

Q. Are pancreas grafts being done now? Doesn't this offer greathope for a cure of diabetes?

A. Few areas of medicine have prompted greater intensity ofresearch than has diabetes.

Yes, pancreas transplants are being done experimentally, andrecent transplants have resulted in correction of the insulin problemin a number of diabetes patients. Some things remain to be workedout before we can expect the procedure to become routine.

I agree with you that pancreas transplant prog-ress bodes wellfor an ultimate cure for the illness.

Q. I am a 16-year-old girl. I started my periods. Is itnecessary for a girl to douche on a monthly basis as part of hygiene?No one seems sure about this.

A. Douching is not necessary unless there is a medical reason.There is nothing about the advent of menstruation that changes this.

If you do wish to douche, use plain water. But your body willtake care of its own hygiene without douching, which often can becounterproductive.

Dr. Donohue welcomes reader mail, but regrets that, because ofthe volume received daily, he is unable to answer individual letters.Readers' questions are incorporated in his column whenever possible.Send your letters to him in care of the Sun-Times, Box 11210, Chicago60611.