Q. My husband has excessive gas. We eat a very healthy diet and he drinks no soda or carbonated beverages, not even beer. He takes medicine to lower his cholesterol.
We eat lots of vegetables but we have eliminated the ones that bother him most. Milk was a real problem so now he uses lactose-free milk.
Despite these changes, he still gets gas with some foods. We cannot eliminate all fruits and vegetables. How can we deal with this to make him feel more comfortable?
A. Some medications can contribute to flatulence, including several drugs to control cholesterol. Your husband should check this out with his physician.
Taking Beano (alpha-galactosidase) with troublesome vegetables can be helpful. An adequate dose is necessary to get the benefits.
Other options include probiotics, fennel tea and Angostura bitters. We have listed common drugs that cause gas and provided details on many natural approaches for flatulence in our book, Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy. It is available in libraries, bookstores and online (www.peoplespharmacy.com).
