Q. I am in good health and take Toprol for blood pressure, Crestor for cholesterol and Evista to prevent osteoporosis. My problem is smelly gas. I have so much that it is very embarrassing when I work with the other ladies at church.
Breakfast is oatmeal, midday I have chicken, fish or beef with vegetables and a fruit, and supper is a sandwich and an apple. How can I get rid of this dreadful problem?
A. Your diet and your medications might be contributing to the problem. Evista can cause gas in about 3 percent of patients; Toprol and Crestor affect about 1 percent in this way.
Don’t stop your drugs, but ask your health care provider about alternatives. We are also sending you our book, Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy, which describes how a flatulence diary can determine which foods are culprits and discusses remedies such as fennel, anise, caraway, Angostura bitters and ginger root. It is available in libraries, bookstores and online.
