Dear Dr. Gott: I, too, have suffered from toe and shin cramps for many years. I am an otherwise healthy 47-year-old female who has used quinine off and on for nearly 30 years.To make a long story short, I became extremely ill with what I thought was a stomach virus. I had taken a quinine tablet that evening before I went to bed because my toes were beginning to cramp from the cold.

After two visits to the doctor later that week, they assured me I was just suffering from a stomach virus.

However, I realised something was dreadfully wrong, so my husband had to literally carry me to an urgent-care facility, where they tested my blood and discovered I had almost no platelet count and a haemoglobin of eight.

I was rushed to the hospital, admitted, and a nightmare ordeal that lasted over six months had begun. I was diagnosed with quinine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).

My kidneys shut down completely, my pancreas became inflamed, and I was on dialysis for months. I could have had a stroke or a heart attack as well.

I am thankful to have recovered almost completely now. Quinine is a wonderful drug for most leg-cramp sufferers.

But my hematologists at Wake Forest University as well as the Blood Center of Oklahoma have done extensive research into this medical phenomenon, and they tell me it is all too common that patients abruptly develop a hypersensitivity to quinine.

I thought since so many people read your column, it would be good for you to let your readers know this.Dear reader> I am publishing your letter as a reminder to the public that quinine is not always a benign drug; it can lead to very serious consequences on occasion. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Dear Dr. Got$> My wife and I are starting your no-flour, no-sugar diet. Friends of my wife are telling her that we should not be eating corn, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes or any other white vegetable. I believe this is incorrect. Please comment.

Dear read<$> No flour, no sugar is just that. I do not prohibit white vegetables.If you would like more information on the diet, such as food lists, meal planners and recipes, I recommend my book “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet.” You can purchase it at most bookstores or directly from the publisher by phone at (800) 605-7176 or online at www.quilldriverbooks.com.Doctor Gott is a practicing physician and the author of the new book “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet.” (Quill Driver Books, www.quilldriverbooks.com; 1-800-605-7176). Write directly to Dr. Gott c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., 4th fl., New York, NY 10016.