With the rising cost of medicine, you may be thinking about trying home remedies for some common health problems. Hosts of the long-running radio show, The People's Pharmacy, Joe and Terry Graedon, have some suggestions to share.

How about milk of magnesia as deodorant or soy sauce to treat burns? Got a minor cut? Try black pepper to stop the bleeding.

As crazy as they may sound, the feedback the Graedons get from their listeners and readers of their syndicated newspaper columns is that they work.

"I think people realize that drugs aren't as effective as we used to think they were," said Joe Graedon. "That a lot of times medicines, even though they're FDA-approved, only work 30 to 40 percent of the time. So whether it's nail fungus or dandruff, they're thinking, well, maybe I'll give a try with a home remedy."

Surprisingly, neither of the Graedons is a pharmacist, though both have medical backgrounds. He started his career in neuro-pharmacology and she began as a medical anthropologist. The pedigrees help when they're talking with doctors, as on a recent day of taping in their American Tobacco Campus studio.

After quizzing doctors about the controversial anti-smoking drug, Chantix, and the potential over-use of CT scans, the Graedons took time to share some of their favorite home remedies.

"If it seems like it's intriguing, like milk of magnesia on your face for acne, wow, that's pretty bizarre," said Joe Graedon.

"That might actually qualify as one of the odder home remedies and that one we have tried," said Terry Graedon. "And it really works."

Their rule of thumb for sharing home remedies is that they "might help and won't hurt." Here are some of their favorite ideas submitted by their readers and listeners:

• Bar of soap under the sheets for leg cramps and restless leg syndrome
• Soy sauce for burns
• Keys for stopping a nose bleed
• Fresh ground pepper to stop bleeding from a cut
• Milk of Magnesia for underarm odor and for acne
• Vicks VapoRub for nail fungus
• Listerine for head lice
• Vinegar for athlete's foot
• Yogurt for hangnails

You can hear more from the Graedons by clicking on the video links above.

More home remedy ideas are available at The People's Pharmacy website.  

Do you use home remedies? Share your ideas and comments below.