Dear Dr. Donohue: in 1970, when in college, I had a friend whobruised so badly that she looked like a battered woman. The doctorat the health care center told her to take vitamin C because itstrengthens cell walls. She did, and the bruising stopped.

My father died of ischemic stroke and had suffered from heartdisease. my mother has had several hemorrhagic strokes. I am 60 andstarted taking baby aspirin. I am bruising more. I am thinkingabout adding vitamin C to my program. Will it interfere with thebaby aspirin’s blood-thinning effect? 

A: ever hear of scurvy? It’s not seen much these days, but inthe 15th through 18th centuries, it was a common disorder and wasrampant among sailors. Dr. James Lind, a British naval surgeon,experimented with groups of sailors, giving them a variety oftreatments. The group given a daily lemon and two oranges recoveredquickly from all the signs and symptoms of scurvy. those signs aresmall and large bruises, bleeding from the gums, coiled hairs,joint pains and impaired wound healing. perhaps this was behind thecollege doctor’s prescription of vitamin C for your friend.

Vitamin C is involved with the synthesis of collagen, one of themajor support tissues in the body. It’s a powerful antioxidant,neutralizing oxidants, which are byproducts of cell metabolism thatwreak havoc in the body. it aids in the absorption of iron. Itkeeps the immune system healthy. it stops the bleeding and bruisingof scurvy by strengthening capillaries, the smallest of bloodvessels. I find no information that it interferes with aspirin’santi-platelet effect. Platelets form clots that sometimes occur inarteries and obstruct blood flow. The result can be a heart attackor a stroke.

With your mother’s history of hemorrhagic (bleeding) strokes,you should consult your doctor before launching into dailyaspirin.

Dear Dr. Donohue: my 51-year-old son has been diagnosed with aZenker’s diverticulum. he has seen many specialists, but none hasspoken of a cure. he has difficulty swallowing. is there anyrelief? 

A: The loss of tissue elasticity, along with weakening of theswallowing muscles, sets the scene for the bulging of the throatlining through the throat muscles to create a pouch. That’s aZenker’s diverticulum. Food gets caught in the pouch, and no efforton a person’s part can dislodge it. Difficulty swallowing and anincreased production of saliva result. Food decomposes in thepouch. Eventually it’s regurgitated into the mouth and creates afoul odor.

Surgery corrects the situation. A newer technique is the use ofa flexible scope, introduced through the mouth, that permits repairwithout an incision.

Dear Dr. Donohue: I am a 63-year-old male. I work out three orfour times a week, doing aerobic exercise as well as weighttraining. from November to April, I officiate basketball at thecollege level. Last year, during a routine physical, I wasdiagnosed with low testosterone. my doctor scheduled me forbimonthly injections in his office.

Recently a friend told me her husband was diagnosed with lowtestosterone and his doctor prescribed a pill. is testosteroneavailable as a pill? 

A: Testosterone is available as a pill. however, oraltestosterone isn’t the best way to correct a deficiency. it doesn’treliably provide sustained blood levels of the hormone. To overcomethis obstacle, doctors choose other methods of delivering it orprescribe a testosterone that has been chemically altered.

Testosterone does provide good blood levels through injection, askin patch or a tablet placed between the gum and the cheek.

If injections are not your cup of tea, ask your doctor aboutthese other methods of delivery or the substitution of an alteredtestosterone molecule.

Dr. Paul Donohue writes for North America Syndicate. Sendletters to Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.