6 B
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2015
TO YOUR
GOOD HEALTH
Womean
complains of
feeling hot
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 66-
year-old woman who usually is too
hot. When I tell my doctors, they
just sort of laugh it off. It is making
my life miserable because if I keep
the heat or air conditioning where it
is comfortable for me, it is too cold
for others. I hate summer and stay
inside in the air conditioning.
I keep the temperature in my
house at 64 degrees Fahrenheit in
the summer and winter. I know other
members of my family do not toler-
ate being out in the sun when it’s
hot, but they aren’t plagued with
being too hot otherwise.
The sensation of being too warm
comes and goes. I am about 40
pounds overweight, and have been
SALOME’S STARS
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) A
plan you’ve kept on hold for a long
time finally could be greenlighted. But
in typical Aries form, you’ll need to be
sure that everything is in place before
you hit the “start” button.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20)
Others might urge you to act more
quickly on your ideas. But you’d be
wise to follow your Bovine instincts
and get more facts to bolster your posi-
tion when you finally present it.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You
might be tempted to accept the well-
meaning offer of a friend to act as an
intermediary in a dispute. But you
know best what it’s about, and you can
handle the challenge. Good luck.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22)
Entertainment can play an important
for most of my life. The sensitivity
has intensified as I’ve aged. I had a
hysterectomy in my 30s, and I know
some of my hormones were off. —
J.R.
ANSWER: Heat intolerance is
common and has several possible
causes. The short list includes
excess thyroid hormones, loss of
estrogen and being overweight. The
long list includes, among many oth-
ers, some serious conditions, such as
polycythemia vera (a blood disorder
of having too many red blood cells),
inflammation of blood vessels, mul-
tiple sclerosis and tumors that
secrete substances that can affect
blood vessels, such as carcinoid or
pheochromocytoma. These are
uncommon to rare diseases and usu-
ally have other symptoms, and many
would likely have progressed over
time.
The part of your story that bothers
me is that this has been bothering
you for years and your doctors
haven’t taken it seriously. Even if it
isn’t a life-threatening condition, it’s
been bothering you, and they should
have at least tried to help.
It’s time to have a frank discus-
sion with your current or a new doc-
tor and explain that you are con-
cerned about this, that it’s affecting
your life and comfort, and that you
want to be taken seriously. I’m not
saying your doctor needs to evaluate
you for everything on the long list,
but he or she does need to listen,
think and explain.
DEAR DR. ROACH: Is it better
to take Lipitor at night? Is that true
for all statins? — M.E.
ANSWER: The cholesterol in our
blood comes from the food we eat
and also by the cholesterol our body
makes. Most cholesterol synthesis
happens at night. So, it’s better to
take a statin at night, particularly for
statins that don’t stay in the body a
long time (this is referred to as a
short
half-life).
Lovastatin
(Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol),
fluvastatin (Lescol) and simvastatin
(Zocor) have short half-lives, and
data have shown better results with
these taken at night.
On the other hand, atorvastatin
(Lipitor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor)
have long half-lives, so it isn’t so
important to take these at night.
Naturally, if you are taking any
statin, you should continue a careful
diet as well. Taking a medication
doesn’t take away the harm of a
poor diet.
role this week. Enjoy some well-
earned diversion with people you care
about. Something especially wonder-
ful might come from this well-spent
time.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) Catnaps
and playtime are in order for Leos and
Leonas who need to take some time off
from their hectic schedules to restore
their energies and rebuild their mental
muscles. Have fun.
VIRGO (August 23 to September
22) Virgos will need to keep an open
mind this week about choices that
seem improbable. A closer study might
well reveal possibilities that might
have been overlooked. Stay with it.
LIBRA (September 23 to October
22) A disappointing outcome of a well-
intentioned effort should be seen as a
lesson in how to do it right the next
time. Note all your changes and have
your new plan set up by week’s end.
SCORPIO (October 23 to
November 21) Travel plans might
need readjusting because of changes in
the costs previously agreed to. Deal
with the problem as quickly as possi-
ble to minimize any delays that might
result.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to
December 21) Your honest approach to
an unsettling experience draws admi-
ration from others. Use their positive
feedback to build support for your pro-
gram to introduce needed changes.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to
January 19) Travel is strong in your
aspect this week, and so is nostalgia!
You might want to consider planning a
trip to a place that holds some very
special meaning for you. Bon voyage.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to
February 18) A job-related situation
could provide an opportunity you had-
n’t considered before. Look it over
carefully and see where and how you
can tailor it to fit your needs.
PISCES (February 19 to March 20)
Showing strength as well as sympathy
helps you deal with a difficult person-
al matter. It also helps you set an
example for others when it’s their turn
to get involved in the situation.
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