Q. I always thought celiac disease was extremely rare and only affected young children. I was told that I had celiac sprue as a child but that I had outgrown it.

I suffer a lot of digestive-tract discomfort, and my stomach constantly makes rumbling sounds that are quite embarrassing. Could I still have celiac disease?

A. As far as we know, people do not outgrow their sensitivity to gluten. Another reader offered this testimonial: "I suffered for decades with severe stomach pains, gas, bloating and attention-getting digestive noises. Despite seeking treatment, I never got relief until I stumbled on information about celiac disease. This is a genetic intolerance to gluten found in wheat, rye, barley and, by cross-contamination, oats. Eliminating gluten from my diet has changed my life.

"Celiac disease was formerly thought to be very rare, but a study put the rate at about one of every 133 Americans, the majority undiagnosed. This makes for a lot of needless suffering."

For more information on symptoms of celiac disease and the tests used to make a diagnosis, we offer our Guide to Digestive Disorders. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (64 cents), self-addressed envelope to:

Graedons' People's Pharmacy

No. G-3, P.O. Box 52027

Durham, N.C. 27717-2027

It also can be downloaded for $2 at peoplespharmacy.com.

Q. In an earlier column, you told a reader not to be afraid of the blood pressure pill lisinopril. I believe you should have warned her about the side effect I experienced. My face and lips swelled severely. Apparently, the throat also can close completely. I was on lisinopril several years before this episode.

The ER doctor who saw me checked my list of medications and said: "It's the lisinopril. I see this all the time."

A. This is a potentially life-threatening reaction called angioedema. Although people must be alert for this possibility, most patients taking lisinopril or similar ACE-inhibitor medicines will not experience it.

Q. My mother has taken the stop-smoking drug Chantix for nearly a month. She no longer has any desire to smoke, but she has had severe side effects. They were nausea, a bad taste in her mouth, stomach cramps, gas, bloating, irritability, vivid dreams, extreme sleepiness but inability to stay asleep, chills, increased appetite, mild confusion and aches all over. She also had dreams that continued a few minutes after she woke up, and she was convinced they were real. She's had vomiting spells, audio hallucinations and tinnitus.

I just found out that if there are signs of anger, depression, confusion or hallucinations, the drug should be stopped immediately. I also read online that people with heart problems should not take this medicine. My mother's doctor must not be aware of this problem. How worrisome is it?

A. All of the side effects your mother experienced have been reported with Chantix. Some studies also have raised concerns about an increased risk of heart attacks, irregular heart rhythms, congestive heart failure or heart-related death (Canadian Medical Association Journal, Sept. 6, 2011; Drug Safety, Jan. 1). We think doctors should be cautious about prescribing this medicine for smokers with heart problems. Your mother should discuss her symptoms with her doctor.

PeoplesPharmacy.com