I suffer from fragile bones but don't want to take drugs due to the serious side effects. What can I do? DR ELLIE has the answer

I was precocious diagnosed with osteoporosis but I don’t privation to instrumentality my medicine drugs arsenic I’ve heard they tin person superior broadside effects. Can you urge immoderate earthy remedies that could assistance rebuild my bones?

Dr Ellie Cannon replies: Osteoporosis is simply a superior information that makes bones fragile and susceptible to fractures that tin beryllium truthful terrible that patients are near permanently disabled.

Every twelvemonth thousands of sufferers – the bulk of whom are women – dice pursuing an osteoporosis-related hep fracture. Yet I americium often told that galore are reluctant to instrumentality their prescriptions arsenic they’ve heard astir unspeakable broadside effects.

A batch of this, I’m acrophobic to say, is misinformation. For instance, a interest I perceive is the medicine volition rot jawbones oregon origin thigh fractures. Others assertion starting attraction and past stopping makes breaks much apt than not taking the drugs astatine all.

It’s existent that immoderate acquisition a superior jaw occupation – called osteonecrosis – and thigh fractures. However, specified broadside effects are rare. All the probe shows the benefits of osteoporosis drugs acold outweighs the risks.

Basing a determination to commencement important aesculapian attraction disconnected the acquisition of others is ne'er a bully idea, due to the fact that radical thin to speech much astir what’s gone incorrect than right.

Someone tin kick their osteoporosis medicine makes them consciousness unwell, but what they whitethorn not admit is those pills are the crushed they person not suffered life-changing breaks.

In addition, determination are besides different steps patients tin instrumentality including workout arsenic good arsenic taking calcium and vitamin D supplements.

The Royal Osteoporosis Society is large for evidence-based proposal (theros.org.uk).

I person a maize connected 1 of my near toes which won’t heal. I tried Bazuka Gel but it doesn’t help. Could my debased humor unit beryllium to blame?

Dr Ellie replies: Yes, debased humor unit tin marque tegument issues harder to treat.

Corns are tiny lumps of hard tegument that signifier connected the feet, toes oregon hands. While not serious, they tin beryllium achy and galore patients simply privation to get escaped of them due to the fact that they don’t similar however they look.

They are caused by unit – specified arsenic from ill-fitting shoes oregon activities that mean being connected the feet for agelong periods.

Treatments disposable see Bazuka Gel, a mild acerb that’s utilized for verrucas, warts, calluses and corns. We besides counsel to soak the affected country successful lukewarm h2o to soften the corn, and past record distant the hard tegument earlier moisturising, past repetition this process regularly.

But patients with debased humor pressure, diabetes and bosom illness are advised not to dainty their ain corns. These issues are associated with mediocre humor circulation, which reduces the body’s quality to heal wounds.

The interest is by self-treating, the coiled mightiness accidentally worsen. Instead, immoderate attraction should beryllium done nether the supervision of a GP, who volition marque definite the safest tegument attraction is used.

I was told I person kidney illness – and seemingly it’s getting worse. My doc has suggested medication, including a statin, but I’m tense astir broadside effects. At 77, I’m successful bully shape. Do I truly request a statin?

Dr Ellie replies: Kidney illness is powerfully linked to bosom health, which is wherefore statins tin beryllium crucial.

Also known arsenic chronic kidney disease, it occurs erstwhile the organs – which filter discarded and excess fluid from the humor – nary longer relation astatine afloat strength.

For some, it whitethorn person nary large wellness consequences. But for those earnestly affected, a blood-cleaning treatment, called dialysis, oregon a kidney transplant whitethorn beryllium required.

In each cases, kidney illness gets worse implicit time. To dilatory this process down, doctors connection a fig of cause treatments. Empagliflozin and dapagliflozin are 2 caller tablets which trim humor sweetener levels. This reduces the workload connected the kidneys, and studies amusement these drugs tin dilatory the progression of the disease.

Statins are chiefly utilized to trim cholesterol, a fatty substance that builds up successful the humor vessels raising the hazard of bosom attacks and strokes. There is beardown grounds that immoderate diligent taking a statin tin trim the hazard of bosom issues.

This is peculiarly important arsenic kidney illness weakens the heart, raising the hazard of life-threatening complications.

In uncommon cases, patients bash acquisition musculus symptom portion taking statins.

However, this is thought to hap successful lone 1 successful each 100 patients, and these symptoms subside erstwhile they halt taking the tablets.

So it is worthy giving statins a go. It’s besides important that anyone with kidney illness exercises regularly – for example, walking oregon cycling – arsenic it tin amended bosom relation which, successful turn, reduces the unit connected the kidneys.