Be careful when trying out ginseng for blood pressure
Q: I read once that long-term use of ginseng might lead to high blood pressure. I feel that happened to me.
I am now on a “mild” blood pressure medicine called valsartan. I never had hypertension until I started taking ginseng.
A. The effect of ginseng on blood pressure is controversial. A systematic review analyzed data from nine randomized controlled trials. Some studies actually showed that Korean red ginseng might lower blood pressure (Current Vascular Pharmacology, Issue 6, 2017). Other research did not confirm this, and some data suggest that ginseng may contribute to high blood pressure (Acta Cardiologia, Jan. 1, 2018). We would encourage caution.
Q: I could not walk up or down the three steps to enter my home without assistance because of severe knee pain. My sports medicine doctor gave me three weekly PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections to the knee under guided ultrasound.
The results were astounding. Pain is gone. Crepitations (crinkling sounds) are almost gone. I can climb a flight of wood stairs with very minimal discomfort.
It’s been about two years since the injections and during this time I have walked and climbed all over Egypt, Turkey and France. PRP also cured my agonizing plantar fasciitis after I had tried all sorts of treatments without success. Be sure the doctor uses ultrasound during the injections.
A: Platelet-rich plasma is prepared from the patient’s own blood and reinjected into the knee joint. A systematic review of 12 studies compared PRP injections and hyaluronic acid injections (European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology, online, Feb. 14, 2020). HA is a natural anti-inflammatory substance the body makes.
In this meta-analysis, PRP injections were better for knee joint pain compared with the HA injections. The benefits were detectable after six months and after one year. This research appears to confirm your experience that PRP injections can help ease knee pain.
Q: I have been getting testosterone shots for years based on my wife’s complaint about my low libido. Yes, they do help. They help a lot!
My doctor didn’t think I needed them; he thought I was depressed. I objected loudly to that diagnosis, and I demanded a blood test before he cooked my noodle. Sure enough, I had low testosterone, like preteen levels of low.
The shots have not only helped with libido but also have gone a long way toward leveling my moods. My wife believes I’m calmer, more patient and much more focused.
A word of caution about getting the shots. It takes a while to figure out the dosage for each guy to get to a therapeutic level. Some men respond to low doses. I worked with the doctor as we determined my body simply needed to exist at the higher end of the normal range in order to get the benefits. Monitor your levels with blood tests.
A: The Food and Drug Administration does not approve of using testosterone shots for low libido linked to aging. That said, the American College of Physicians has issued guidelines recommending testosterone shots “to improve sexual function in men with age-related low testosterone” (Annals of Internal Medicine, Jan. 21, 2020).