Putting soap in bed is not a crazy idea - Youngstown Vindicator

Published: Tue, October 10, 2017 @ 12:00 a.m.

Q. People look at me as if I am crazy when I tell them that I keep a bar of soap under my bottom sheet. I have not had restless leg syndrome nor leg cramps during sleep for more than three years.

I use Ivory, as that is what I use in the bathroom sink. I tell the skeptics that they are losing out by not trying it. One man, a dentist, still suffers from RLS but refuses to try it.

A. Soap under the bottom sheet may not work for all cases of restless leg syndrome, but we have heard from many people who find it helpful.

Although it has not been studied for RLS, the scent of Ivory soap is effective against the pain of menstrual cramps (Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, July 2008) and fibromyalgia (Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, Sept. 1, 2008).

We suspect that soap fragrance works by calming hyperexcitable nerves (European Journal of Applied Physiology, August 2017).

Q. At the end of last winter, in March, I saw my doctor and learned that my vitamin D tested at 17! I was shocked, as I walk outdoors every day, all year long. I am a black woman, and I live in South Carolina.

Without asking anything about my lifestyle, my doc prescribed 50,000 IUs of vitamin D every week for three months. I told her I’d follow through, but my plan was to instead resume taking my “favorite” (not!) cod-liver oil. This is something I usually do, but had not done for about a year.

Three months later, after taking CLO daily, followed by a milk chaser, my vitamin D level was 48. My doctor was none the wiser. Of course, three months later meant that it was now June and I had more sun exposure to my skin during my daily walks.

I was not happy that my doctor didn’t discuss the implications of my low vitamin D level. I was delighted, though, that my old-fashioned remedy – cod-liver oil – worked! Thanks for your wisdom, Grandma!

A. Old-fashioned cod-liver oil is a good source of vitamins D and A. Grandmothers often recommended it as a tonic during the winter.

Walking outdoors with your skin exposed to the sun is one way to get vitamin D. A person like you with darker skin needs more sun exposure to make enough of the vitamin.

Q. I have had migraine headaches since the age of 16 (I’m now 47). A doctor friend told me years ago to drink coffee when I felt a migraine coming on, as caffeine is a main ingredient in some migraine medicines.

Coffee worked a little, but what really worked is Starbucks iced coffee. Haagen-Dazs coffee ice cream eaten very fast works even better than the iced drink. For me, it seems that the combination of cold ice cream and caffeine ends the migraine instantly.

A. You are not the only migraine sufferer who has found that an iced drink or ice cream, especially with some caffeine in it, can stop a migraine cold. Nobody knows quite why this works. Some people find it works best if you can induce “brain freeze,” but that may not always be necessary.

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