Gas from diabetes drugs

I need your help to solve a problem I have developed since being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes several months ago. My doctor prescribed medicine to help control my blood sugar. I’ve been watching my diet and have lost 30 pounds. My problem is terrible gas. Could this be due to my medication? My doctor seems unconcerned.

Some pills for Type 2 diabetes are notorious for causing digestive distress and flatulence. Be sure to tell your doctor how much this is interfering with your life. There are a number of alternatives for Type 2 diabetes, and another medication might be less troublesome.

I have high blood pressure and would like a natural way to lower it. I have tried the herb hawthorn, but it doesn’t seem to do much.

Hawthorn is an herbal medicine prescribed in Europe for mild cases of congestive heart failure. We have seen no good evidence that it can lower blood pressure.

There are a surprising number of natural approaches to blood pressure control. If you are overweight, losing pounds can make a big difference. The DASH diet, rich in vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy products, has also been shown to lower blood pressure. Other options: beet juice, Concord grape juice, pomegranate juice, maybe even dark chocolate.

Reach Joe Graedon, a pharmacologist, and Teresa Graedon, an expert in medical anthropology and nutrition, at www.peoplespharmacy.com or in care of this newspaper.