Q: Is it possible that my blood pressure medicine could be raising my cholesterol? I am very careful about my diet and I exercise regularly, but I have had a hard time getting my cholesterol down. It is over 260, though it used to be in the low 200s. Ever since my doctor prescribed atenolol and hydrochlorothiazide for high blood pressure, my cholesterol has been going up. He prescribed Lescol, but it affected my liver. How else can I get my cholesterol down?

A: Some medicines do raise cholesterol, and yours are among them. Your physician might want to consider different blood pressure medication. If that is unsuccessful, you should talk to him about psyllium, fish oil or another type of medicine to lower cholesterol.

Q: My husband believes that he has halitosis. However, after living with him for 18 years, I can assure you that he does not. Because of this belief, he has begun buying a special mouthwash product containing chlorine. He gets a bottle in the mail every month. This product is expensive, costing him around a dollar a day. I’ve told him he is wasting his money, but he doesn’t listen to me. Can you please tell me whether this expensive stuff is any better than standard mouthwash?

A: Doctors have a name for your husband’s condition: “psychogenic halitosis.” They report that people who mistakenly believe they have bad breath might often have anxiety or suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorders. Attentive listening and reassurance from a trusted health-care professional is considered the best approach. We don’t think that gargling with chlorine mouthwash is a great idea. If your husband insists on something, he might want to chew on chlorophyll gum. Others report that pills containing parsley, chlorophyll or peppermint can be beneficial. But truthfully, he doesn’t need anything.

Q: I have taken Lipitor for cholesterol, but it affected my liver enzymes and I had to discontinue it. Pravachol, which my doctor prescribed next, made me dizzy. Now I am not taking anything, but my cholesterol is 256. I read in your column that there is an Indian treatment to lower cholesterol. My doctor says there is no science to support anything like this. Do you have any information I can show him?

A: Guggul is made from the resin of a tree that grows in India. It has been used in traditional medicine in that part of the world for thousands of years, but recently scientists at Baylor University discovered exactly how it lowers cholesterol. Their findings demonstrate that guggul prevents the reabsorption of cholesterol-containing bile acids. Your physician might wish to review this research.