Dear Dr. Gott: I used to have frequent, painful urinary-tract infections.

It was suggested in the Cleveland Ostomy News from the Cleveland Ostomy Association that drinking a small amount of vinegar daily could prevent urinary-tract infections. I have been drinking about a tablespoon mixed with water every day for about a year and have not had a single infection.

I prefer wine vinegar over apple cider vinegar because it has a milder flavour. I have also heard that Alka-Seltzer can cure a urinary-tract infection but have not had to try this thanks to the vinegar. I hope this helps some of your readers.

Reply: I have received several letters indicating vinegar as a good urinary-tract infection preventive. This is most likely due to its acidity.

You do not say whether you have had testing to find out why you are having so many infections. However, I assume that since you are receiving the Cleveland Ostomy News pamphlet, that you have a colostomy (artificial opening in which urine and faeces leave the body).

If this is the case, UTIs are common and particularly difficult to treat.

I have not heard of the Alka-Seltzer remedy and cannot imagine how it could cure an infection.

Most UTIs are caused by bacteria and require antibiotics for treatment. Alka-Seltzer is an over-the-counter medication for stomach upset.

If any of my readers have had experience using this remedy, please let me know whether it was a success or not.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report "Bladder and Urinary Tract Infections''. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, Ohio 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

Dear Dr. Gott: Seven years ago, I started using a very cheap dark concord wine on the advice of my sister (who got it from another lady) to relieve my hand, foot, toe and leg cramps.

Only one-quarter cup every four to six weeks is needed. I have not had a cramp since. Before the wine, I was using TUMS for the cramps, with success, but the wine is easier to use because I don't need it as frequently.

Reply: I cannot offer any conclusion about why the wine works. It seems to me that may simply be a placebo effect, because one-quarter cup every month should have no effect.

The wine will not stay in the body for more than a day.

As for the TUMS, they are great source of calcium, which can, in theory, block cramps.

For many readers with leg cramps, I have recommended putting a bar of soap under the sheets to prevent cramps.

Again, I don't know why this works. If the wine works for you, stick with it. There is no harm in drinking one-quarter cup once a month.

Dr. Gott is a retired physician and the author of 'Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet' and 'Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook'. Contact him c/o United Media, 200 Madison Avenue, fourth floor, New York, New York 10016.